Big News AND 1st Birthday

Okay...the big news...are you ready...Adam took a few steps. He's not officially walking, but he's been walking a few feet at a time. This is a HUGE milestone in his development. Chris and I are so excited. And Adam is so cute about it; he's so proud of himself. My little baby is almost walking!!! Proud daddy thinks he'll be walking by next week.

Ben is standing up without holding on to anything. He's becoming quite a pro at this. And Jacob's doing a lot of dancing. His favorite song is "Barbara Ann" by the Beach Boys. Gotta love it!

And they're drinking out of regular sippy cups. Thanks Aunt Suzette for the Halloween sippys!

We can't forget about their birthday. Adam, Jacob and Ben had breakfast in bed (a Bible family tradition). Well, it wasn't a big breakfast. They just had their bottles. They weren't too happy that mommy and daddy woke them up (Chris wanted to see them before he left for work).

Then we went to lunch with Grandma B. at Bob Evans. Their FIRST lunch at a restaraunt (I usually feed them before we leave). They had mac & cheese, broccoli and ice cream. I must say they did quite well. Then we had birthday dinner at IHOP with mommy & daddy, Grandma P. and Grandma & Grandpa B. They had scrambled eggs, french toast and of course...ice cream. Love that IHOP!
Their birthday party was the following Saturday. In attendance were Great-Great Grandma E., Great-Grandma & Grandpa B., Great-Grandma & Grandpa J., Great-Grandma & Grandpa P., Grandma P., Grandma & Grandpa B., Great-Aunt Sharon & Uncle Bob, Great-Aunt Jeanie & Uncle Gene, Aunt Jen, Uncle Jeff, cousin Logan, Aunt Connie, cousin Kyliah and cousin Cassie. Whew, that's a lot of Greats! It's awesome that all the grandparents were able to come. It was nice to see everyone. Of course, it was a Moose A. Moose themed party. Unfortunately, you can't find Moose A. Moose anything, so I didn't have any Moose decorations. But, Grandma B. to the rescue! She made Moose cakes and Zee cupcakes. They were so adorable, and they tasted good too!

Next, it was time to open up presents. Logan helped the boys with their gifts. He was so excited. He picked out a book for the boys, and he couldn't wait to for them to see it. The boys also got some toys and clothes. Thank you to everyone for the gifts.

This guy looks like trouble!

Great-Great Grandma & Jacob

Too cute!

We also went to see Dr. Einhaus and the ladies. Next time, mommy needs to go when I'm more caffenated. I was a zombie that day! We also went to the zoo and had lunch at DQ ALL BY OURSELVES. Mommy was very proud of herself! The boys were so good. We are so lucky...they're such good boys. They just hung out in their stroller and ate their chicken and ice cream...no problems.
The boys also had their 1 year checkup. Adam weighs 19lbs. 15oz. and is 29" tall, Jacob weighs 19lbs. 10oz. and is 30" tall, and our small fry, Ben,weighs 17lbs. 6oz. and is 28 1/2" tall. They're all doing quite well, with the exception of their size. Dr. Dillon doesn't seem too concerned as long as they keep growing (especially in height). Right now, Ben is in the 3-5% for weight, and Adam and Jacob are in the 10-25% for weight. Keep growing boys!!!!
Well, I'm going to go shower. It's been a long day. By the way, this took me about a week to write. I'll try to update sooner, but I have a little fellow that just doesn't want to sleep. Take care everyone!

Reminiscing

Okay, this is more of a mushy, sentimental post. No pics this time folks! I'll post some pics and a new video this weekend.

It's hard to imagine that this time last year, I was pregnant, in labor and in the hospital hoping to last one more week. Chris and I had this big discussion the other night. They're growing up so fast (okay, they're only 1 but they'll be 10 before we know it). It's been an amazing year, and we're just getting started on this thing called "parenthood". We have three little babies (excuse me...BIG BOYS...they prefer to be called BIG BOYS), and it's the coolest thing ever.

When we first began this journey, we definitely weren't expecting to have Baby A, Baby B and Baby C. First of all, we were surprised that I was even pregnant, but we weren't prepared for what we were going to find out at our first ultrasound appointment. I remember thinking, what does she (the ultrasound tech) mean by "there are 3". I was in complete shock. Chris recalled seeing her split the screen 1, 2, 4, then 8 times. He stopped looking after 8. And all the while we sat in silence until she uttered those words, "there are 3". We were ushered to the waiting room, staring at the 3 little blobs on the ultrasound photos. WOW! "How are we going to do this?" was the question we kept asking each other. Then we were called back to see Dr. Cooper. He proudly shook our hands. Mission accomplished. We wouldn't have these wonderful boys without him. Thank you Dr. Cooper!!!

Then it was off to Dr. Einhaus, who took EXCELLENT care of us. I miss going to her office. Everyone was so friendly and upbeat. They really kept me positive. We were there twice a month for a checkup and scans, and it was so neat to see the boys in action. I still remember those moments. It was amazing to see them grow week by week and to watch them move around and kick each other. I’m surprised they didn’t come out black-and-blue! At the delivery it was such a relief to hear them all crying. Before and after delivery, Dr. Einhaus came in everyday to check up on me (it really meant a lot to us). I tell ya, that woman’s “a million bucks”. Not only did she check up on me, but she looked in on the boys as well. There are not enough words to express the gratitude we have for her. Thank you so much Dr. Einhaus!!!

It was pretty scary to see our tiny babes in the NICU with IVs and tubes. The NICU nurses, Drs. and therapists really made us feel at ease. They were very supportive and had oodles of info for when we brought them home. The boys were so tiny and fragile, I was afraid to touch them. Chris was more hands on than I was at first. What a good daddy! He wasn't nervous about touching or holding them at all. It's so amazing that they were only in the NICU for 17 days, and they just needed to eat from a bottle, maintain their body temp and gain some weight (easier said than done, right). Thank you again to the Dupont NICU. You gals are awesome!

Even though we had them at 33 weeks, they're really doing well. They're not far behind on their development. They're small for their age, but we can't worry about that. I'll just keep sewing their pants in. Can't wait for adjustable waist pants! We are so proud of our boys. They have brought us so much joy, a little less sleep, a lot more giggles and lots of love. We wouldn’t trade it for the world.

ps…They'll still be my little babies.

More than 20 minutes?

This week the boys had a lot of firsts. Their first ice cream from Zestos, first piece of cake, first time Ben took off his diaper and strolled around the playroom naked, first Barn Fest in Ohio, first time at Chick-Fil-A. As you all know, I could go on and on (because it takes me like 20 minutes to tell a 5 minute story). So here's my 20 minute story: we went to Zestos this week with Grandma and Grandpa B. The boys ate vanilla icecream...yummy! They made "icky" faces at first, but then they LOVED it.

Adam had brain freeze...brrr!!! Grandpa B. was also making silly faces! Silly Grandpa!

We met our friends from the NICU reunion at Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday. I must say everyone was so nice. The manager came out and opened the door for us, he also got us refills and kept the boys entertained. The cashier took our food to our table, and they helped us pack up to leave, AND they were swamped too! We will make that our regular hangout. They also have a really cool play area. I don't have any pics from this visit, but we had fun.

Ben played a Matthew McConaughey minus the bongos. Friday, Chris took care of the boys while I was out. They took a nap in their diapers, and he put them in their playroom when they woke up. Everything was peachy keen until Daddy left for 2 seconds, came back, and Ben was stark naked. Thank goodness poop wasn't an issue, but this is how Daddy dressed them. He had such a hard time getting their shorts on that that's all he managed to get on them.

Today was a very busy day. First, we went to the Barn Fest with Grandma B. It's pretty cool. They have lots of neat crafts and their was a band. The boys liked the music. They were so good. They really like the new stroller. We made a new friend, Garrett. He was so cute; he was trying to figure out how I had 3 babies all the same age. He has a baby sister who is 11 months old, so the whole concept of triplets was mind-boggling. We also met some of Grandma B.'s friends. They were very nice, and they made the boys laugh and played peek-a-boo.

They didn't take much of a nap though, so by the time we got to Logan's party, they were a bit grouchy. But birthday cake made them feel all better.

Adam and Jacob helped Logan unwrap his gifts. Ben and Grandma P. cheered him on while he played with his new T-ball set.

PEEK-A-BOO!

I'm sure this took more than 20 minutes to read because it took me about 1/2 hour to write.

The Escape Artists!

Ha Ha! The boys have learned a new trick. Maybe not a "trick", but they're pretty darn fast. How do we open this thing....hmm...?

Last week was a busy week. We went to our first MOPS meeting. The boys did okay. I was paged to the nursery twice, but you know how it goes, once one baby cries, it starts a chain reaction. The first time I was called back, almost all 11 babies were crying. I felt so bad for the sitters. They were so calm and patient. They really did a good job! And silly mommy left the boys snacks in the room, and needless to say Ben figured out how to open them. He spilled them all over the floor and was shoving handfuls in his mouth. That's all they needed was to pick up food on top of soothing screaming babies. Next time, though, I think we'll go to the 1 to 2 year old room. I did get to eat breakfast and have 2 cups of coffee. I also made a pretty flower pen and met some really nice ladies. I'm glad it's only twice a month, since we have to be there by 9am, and the boys get up around 7:30-8am. Not much time to eat and get ready. It usually takes me a couple hours to get them ready and fed. There's that Mattie again.

We also went to our first multiples group playdate. It was at the zoo. We met some nice mommies, and most of the kiddos there were about the boys age. We also used our new quad stroller. The boys really like it. I still need to get a pic of it. Ben likes to hang in the back. Adam and Jacob hang in the front. I wish it had a snack tray or cup holder. On another note, it did make me feel like a good mommy when the mommies told me that the boys were pretty happy and content. It's nice to hear positive feedback from other mommies.

We also went to JP Friday night to the concert. Very loud music, but the boys LOVED it when daddy pushed them up and down the ramp by the movie theater. He got quite a workout. We also went for a long walk in our neighborhood. Let me say this, good workout, but that stroller is heavy. I think in my last blog I mentioned NO MORE HILLS. I kind of forgot about that, but this may just get me in shape. Here are some new pics of the boys:

Silly Jacob. He cracks us up! He still closes his eyes everytime he hears the camera beep. I'll never get a pic of his gorgeous blue eyes.

Adam and his BIG grin. He's my little giggle guts! I can't get enough of his laugh.

My little squirmy worm. Ben just doesn't stop moving. Maybe he has ADD? I definately need to get in shape to keep up with him.

More cute pics coming next week. Or when I get a chance to post again.

Garbage Disposal?

We have a new garbage disposal...MATTIE! The MATTIE model is the newest, furriest in the garbage disposal line. She comes complete with legs, super sonic sent, an extra long tongue for reaching that hard to reach food, and a bottomless stomach (sorry tail not included). She also enjoys tickling feet!

It's been an interesting past few weeks. Chris and the boys ALL had colds. They've never been sick at the same time. Grandma B. came over to help a few nights. Godbless her, she stayed up the whole night with them and didn't sleep a wink. Then she took care of them the next morning so I could rest. They were so congested, and they kept waking up all night because they couldn't breathe. I felt so helpless! I can't really give them anything, except the saline drops. That helps a bit, but at 1am, they certainly don't like it. Lots of screaming, squirming and crying. Chris wasn't much better. He didn't sleep much either, and he sounded awful. Luckily things are back to normal now. Grandma P. came by today to hang out. We took our new stroller for a spin. I'll post some pics of it next time. We purchased a quad stroller from Foundations. It's heavy...like 50+ pounds heavy. It took Grandma P. and I to push it up a hill on our walk. No more hills for me. I think we'll be sticking to even ground from now on. Atleast it's a good workout. It's about the only stroller that fits in our car, that was the main reason we chose it. I hope it fits through doors. Not much more has happened. I'm hoping to join a MOPS group, and we've been trying to get together with our new friends we met at the NICU reunion. They're triplet boys. They'll turn 2 in October, so that'll be good for the boys to have playmates around the same age. Here are some pics of the boys. Jacob, Ben and Adam. This is the first time I actually got them sitting next to eachother. They usually scatter when they see me with the camera.

Yummy oatmeal!

They're getting cuter everyday! Ben with his signature pose, silly Jacob and Adam racing through the tunnel.

It's off to bed now. Take care everyone!

Big Boys

It's so amazing how much they've grown...they're momma's big boys now. Oh my, so much has happened since I last blogged, and I only remember about half of it. Let's see...the boys had their 9 month checkup, and everything went well. Adam weighs 18 lbs. 4 ozs. and is 28" tall. Jacob weighs in at a whopping 18 lbs. 9 ozs. and is 27 1/2" tall. And Ben weighs 15 lbs. 13 ozs. and is 27 1/2" tall. They are all pulling themselves up to a standing position, sitting up, crawling all over the place, transferring from item to item and eating solid food (ok...it's really chopped up teeny tiny food). Their favorite foods are bananas, pasta, cheese, sweet potatos, yogurt and gerber puffs. This is such an exciting time for us, especially with their development. They seem to be "on track", and they're all doing the same things now. Before long they'll be walking. AHHHHH!

They also like to make big messes! Adam is our "neatest" eater. I know, he doesn't look clean, but you should see his brothers. Ben is usually the messiest. Although Jacob could tie Ben for the messiest award!

We've been keeping pretty busy this summer going to the zoo, shopping with Aunt Jen and our cousin Logan, hanging with our friends, going to JP, lunch with Grandma B., and teasing the dogs. I think they like their crates more than being out with these crazy guys.

Silly boys! Jacob grins and closes his eyes EVERY time I take a picture. Ben, aka Houdini, seems to always find a way to get out of things. Adam shows us his big boy teeth. Adam's also figured out how to take down their playhouse tent.

The Dupont NICU had a reunion a few weeks ago. Everyone dressed in cowboy gear. I wish I would've gotten a picture, but we didn't last long. It was so hot, and we were sweating bullets. The boys wore cute cowboy ts, bib bandannas and cowboy hats that Grandma B. made. Daddy wore a cowboy hat too! Mommy thought he looked like Tim McGraw. What a hottie! They had a petting zoo, and Jacob (our little animal lover) was crazy over it. He got to pet a llama, goat, horse and a lamb. We also celebrated our Great-Gramps 72nd birthday. We had a blast! All our cousins and aunts and uncles were there. Jacob even tried homemade ice cream. Shhh...don't tell daddy!

(Jacob & Ben hanging with Ky & Cassie)

I can't believe they're going to be a year old in two months!!! It goes by so fast. They'll be walking before we know it. But for now, they're still my babies (even though they think they're BIG BOYS).

On another note, our little man, Ben, is getting 2 teeth. Adam still has 4, and Jacob is getting 2 more. He's up to 4! Daddy's so proud! We also found out that Ben has eczema. We just went to Dr. Dillon last week and got some meds for him. My poor little booger. Luckily it doesn't bother him too much. The spots on his head are infected, probably from scratching it. They seem to be going away now.