It's So Quiet!

Today has been a weird day in our house....it is so quiet!! How can a house with 3 1 year olds be quiet? Well, because the 3 1 year olds are not here. Now, if you were to listen in at Grandma and Grandpa's house, I don't think quiet would be how you would describe it.

Daniel and I leave to Seattle early tomorrow morning so I met my parents this morning to switch vehicles and give them the babies. I think I did as good as can be expected and they of course were fine. I am sure they will do great with Grandma and Grandpa while we are gone. I was away from them overnight last October when I had surgery to fix my incision. Then I was away from Casey and Maggie while I was with Mitchell in the hospital. Other than those times (neither of which were fun) I haven't been away from them overnight.

They were having fun helping me pack our suitcases.

The other day we were enjoying some fresh garden carrots. Casey was pretty proud of himself to be sitting on the island chewing on his carrots.

He then proceeded to try and stick the carrot up his nose...it was hilarious!!


The other night I while was bathing Casey, Maggie and Mitchell got into a little mischief. They found the vaseline container that was hidden in the back of the change table. Mitchell scampered off when I walked in and caught them, but here are a few pictures of Maggie. The pictures don't really do her justice. It was so funny!

She was upset here because I took the vaseline away from her.

Mitchell is feeling better and back to himself. He was such a trooper and fought off the pneumonia really quickly. Casey and Maggie both have colds now, but so far that's it.

Good luck and have fun this week G & G. You may be in need of a holiday yourself after this week with our little monkeys.

Our First Year Video

I finally had a chance to make a slide show of our first year. It was fun to put this together and a good chance to go through all of our pictures from this past year (and wow, do we have a lot!). When I see the pictures from when they were first born it seems so long ago...much longer than a year. Time has gone so quickly. It is amazing to look back and see how far they have come. And everyone is healthy and happy...we couldn't ask for anymore than that!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pneumonia

Poor Mr. Mitchell had a rough weekend. He started out with croup last Tuesday night. He had the typical "seal bark" at night. His cough changed over the next few days and then on Thursday I noticed that his breathing had become very fast and laboured. I took him to the ER and the chest x-ray showed pneumonia, 1 spot on each lung. When we were in emerg they gave him Ventolin through a nebulizer and we both cried through his first treatment. He was so upset and didn't want to be restrained but fatigue finally overtook him, we both stopped crying, and he crashed for a while. The device that they put babies in to take x-rays look like a torture machine. I understand that they need to keep them still or else they wouldn't be able to take the x-ray, but man, it looked pretty barbaric.

He was admitted that night and put on oxygen, IV fluids and antibiotics. It was so hard to see him sick, I wished I could trade spots with him. The resident doctor said to me that he wasn't terrible, but he was a pretty sick boy. Thursday night and Friday were rough for him but by Saturday he was starting to improve. He got rid of his fevers and oxygen and started to seem a little more like himself. He was smiling and goofing around a bit. He started to eat a little and drink some milk which was good because those were the final conditions to him being sent home.
These pictures were from Saturday when he was starting to feel better.



He was admitted to the same ward as Gail (my sister) works on and she just happened to be working on the weekend. It was nice to have a familiar face around and give us the inside scoop on things. I think she also jumped a few notches on Mitchell's favorite list because she brought him strawberries and grapes!

He was discharged on Sunday and we were curious to see how Maggie and Casey would react to him coming home. They looked at him, smiled a bit and then resumed playing. It didn't take too long for the boys to start fighting over toys again so we knew things were starting to get back to normal. The doctor who released us said that we should try to keep Mitchell's toys separate...obviously she hasn't been in a house with 3 1 year olds because that is just not possible (unless she would have then offered to keep Mitchell until he's not contagious anymore). I fed them from the same bowl and spoon a few hours before we went to the hospital and they were sharing soothies as well. So far Maggie and Casey have been fine and hopefully they stay that way.

My parents and Daniel's parents both came for a couple of days to stay with Maggie and Casey while I stayed at the hospital with Mitchell and Daniel was back and forth. Thank you guys so much! Casey, Maggie and Mitchell were saying goodbye to Grandma...

So we will cancel our playdates and have a pretty quiet week. Daniel leaves to Ontario tonight for the week so hopefully everyone stays healthy.

Although Mitchell was by no means the sickest baby on the ward, it was so hard to see him sick. We never want to go through that again and have one of our babies back in the hospital. This is a important reminder for us that although our babies are not tiny newborns anymore, they are still at an increased risk of catching illnesses (life threatening and non-life threatening) because they were premature.

Riding In Style

Our triple decker stroller has been given a new and improved look. It has been such a good stroller because we can just snap their car seats into the frame. However, they will be out of their infant seats before too long so we needed to find something else to use. Instead of buying the toddler seats for the stoller through the company, I got some that are almost exactly the same from WalMart and much cheaper. Then I ordered seat covers and a sun canopy for the stroller. There is a website called Triplet Connection that has been a godsend for me to get information and be in touch with other mothers of triplets. One of the women who is also a member on the site makes these covers specifically for this stroller.

Here are a few pictures of the stroller, and of course the 3 beauties. They seem to really like these new seats because they can see out them a little more.
I added a few pictures back from their first ride in the stroller when they were almost 2 months old. What a difference 10 months makes!






Yesterday as I was getting supper ready for the babies I heard a strange noise in their change room. All 3 of them were in there and it had been quiet until I heard this rattling noise. They had pulled the handle down on the reclining chair and then Mitchell climbed up and was standing there shaking the lamp that is beside the chair. I didn't get him in action with the lamp but I did get a few pictures before I took him down.



I have a feeling this is just the beginning of these kind of stories.

Bye Bye Baby Clothes

It has been a very busy few weeks around our house. After the parties were over I was getting things ready to put in the SPOTTO sale this past weekend. SPOTTO is the local multiples organization here and they have a clothing sale twice a year. As I went through the clothes the babies have out grown I was remembering back to how tiny they once were. Some of their preemie clothes seemed big on them at the time. Now looking at those clothes they look like they are for little dolls. I cried many times sorting through things and thinking back to this past year...how little they were, how big and grown up they are now and how fast time has gone. I have put aside a pile of clothes that I am not ready to part with yet and probably never will...some of the my favorite things of theirs. Anyways, I sold some things in the sale, enough to make room for what I bought!

A quick update on the babes:

Casey's hair has become very curly in the last little while. It is more so after a bath or when it is really warm in the house. I just love his curls! Someone asked me if I am thinking of cutting his hair because it is starting to get pretty long, but I'm not ready yet. I like the shaggy look on little boys especially with some curls. He has started to stand a little on his own so right now he seems the closest to walking.


Mitchell has started to stick up for himself and has become quite good at defending his toys. If Casey or Maggie come up to him and try to take something away from him he will spin around in a circle and put his free arm up to block them from getting it. It is good that he is sticking up for himself, however, he has become rather pushy and pully. He is not afraid to try and remove someone from where he wants to be (like on our lap when we are on the floor, at our legs when we are sitting at the table or at a toy he wants). Both him and Maggie have started to climb on things. They like to use us or their bouncy chairs to get on the couch and then climb up to the top. This time it was the phone that he was after.


This was Maggie on her way to the top of the couch to get the "good books" - their favorite ones that we don't let them chew on.

Maggie is a real copycat. She waves bye-bye and shakes her head "no" countless times during the day. It is funny because she will do something she shouldn't and then look at you and shake her head....like taking diaper after diaper out of the change table and throwing it on the floor. Do you think she's heard the word no a few times in our house? If the tv is on and she hears someone on there say no or don't she'll shake her head at the tv. It's so funny! I like to put barrettes or "pretties" in her hair, but the boys always go after them and pull them out.



Everyone likes to chase and be chased. It is so cute to watch them scamper down the hallway one after another. They rearrange our kitchen chairs and highchairs countless times during the day as they walk them across the kitchen. They love to take their turns walking around the house holding onto two of our fingers, but no one has had the courage to take any steps on their own yet.

Daniel and I are going on a holiday at the end of the month. The babies are going to stay with my parents while we are in Seattle for 6 days. It will be hard to leave them and not worry about how much trouble they may be causing, but at the same time it will be nice to get away for a few days.

1st Birthday Party - Round 2

Friday was round 2 of the birthday parties for the babies. And it was a big one! There were 45 people, 24 adults and 21 kids (4 and under!), and we were missing a few families too. There were our babies, 2 sets of twins and then many other kiddos. There were kids everywhere! It was great!

Maggie had a lot more fun at this party than she did last week when she wasn't feeling good. She didn't exactly dive into her cake but she did have some fun with it. She actually spent a fair bit of time chewing on the miny oreos that were the monkey's eyes. She was pretty cute to watch!

Casey once again wasn't too interested in his cake. He messed up the monkey's face a bit but then he had enough. He was happier playing on the grass.

Mitchell picked up right where he left off at the last party, totally demolishing his cake once again. It was great! I think I know now how to put some more weight on him...let him have a cake every week!


They were determined to get into the beer cooler!

In the past week and a half I have made and iced 8 dozen cupcakes, 6 monkey cakes, 2 other cakes, a batch of cookies (not all for our parties...we took some with us to our doctor's appointment and to drop off at NICU), and 28 treat bags.
It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. This was a great year to celebrate and we will never get to do this 1st birthday again so it was definately worth it! That being said, next year we may decide to have a lower key celebration.

Thanks for all of the fun everyone. We are very lucky to have such great friends!

Happy Birthday Babes!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASEY, MITCHELL & MAGGIE!!!

We made it!!! Everyone survived and is only so much better and stronger after this past year. At this exact time one year ago I was waiting in the doctor's office about an hour away from being told to go home, get my bags and my husband because the babies were going to be delivered that night!

We had our 1 year NICU follow-up appointment this past week. Their doctor was very happy with everyone. Mitchell is smaller, but he is not concerned about him. Here are their stats:
Casey
25 lbs. ~~ 80th percentile actual age (90-95th% adjusted age: 10 months)
29.75 in. ~~ 50th percentile actual age (80-85th% adjusted age)

Mitchell
20.6 lbs. ~~ 20th% actual age (40th% adjusted age)
29.25 in. ~~ 40th% actual age (70th% adjusted age)

Maggie
19.8 lbs. ~~ 30th% actual age (55th% adjusted age)
28.25 in. ~~ 25th% actual age (60th% adjusted age)

These are a few things I (we) have learned in this past year of raising our 3 babies:
~ a lot of the advise in books and by public health nurses is great, if you have only one baby at a time. If you have multiples, do what you have to get through the day (or until next nap/bed time!)
~ you can do a lot things without any free hands (your toes, feet, chin, knees, elbows, etc. become very handy tools)
~ just when you think you have the house baby-proofed 1 of the 3 are sure to find something that you missed
~ you become very good at multiplying and dividing by 3
~ when people say they can't imagine what life would be like with 3 babies, we can't imagine what life would be like with 1 baby
~ you just smile and keep walking or pretend as if you don't hear the comments when you are out in public...otherwise you have to add another 30 minutes onto your outing
~ you become a master multi-tasker
~ just when you think that this has to be the last poopy diaper to change in a day, you get a whiff of someone who has proved you wrong (14 in one day is our best so far)
~ 3 really is a charm

Daniel and I make a very good team, which I think is a big reason that things went as good as they did in this first year. As first time parents I think we adjusted pretty well to the huge changes in our life with 3 babies. Our family was also a huge help for us. We knew that we could call them anytime we needed some extra hands. Thanks guys!

It has been a great year, challenging at times, but something that we would never ever want to change. We cannot imagine our lives without Casey, Mitchell or Maggie. and feel so lucky to be blessed with 3 healthy and happy babies. We are so proud of how far they have come in this past year and are so excited for the future!

1st Birthday Party - Round 1

This past weekend we had the first of two birthday parties for the babies. It was a nice day and all of our family was with us (except 2 of the babies' great grandmas). The only thing that was not good about the day was that Maggie was not feeling well. She woke up with a fever Friday afternoon and had it until Sunday morning. So she really wasn't in much of a party mood. Poor little girl, of all days to be under the weather it happened to be her birthday party day.

I made a monkey cake for each of our little monkeys. I found the simplest one I could find and it still didn't really look like the picture, but I had fun doing it. They look better from far away so don't look too close.

After supper we stripped them down, put them in their highchairs outside, set their cakes in front of them and let the cake smashing begin. Poor Maggie wanted nothing to do with her cake even after we stuck her finger in the icing and put it in her mouth.


Casey started to play with it and mess it up a little bit. He looked almost like he was being careful not to get too messy. Then he started to get frustrated because he couldn't throw the plate off of his highchair (like he does most of his food).



After going through pictures on our camera I saw that Casey twisted Grandpa's arm to get a little more cake.

And then there was Mitchell. We all knew that he would be the messiest and have the most fun with it and he didn't disappoint us. It was so funny to watch him demolish his cake! He was having a great time and probably wishes he could do that everyday. After they were done he went straight into the tub.






The tissue paper was one of their favorite things, although they did also get spoiled with many other gifts.



Daniel's birthday was on Friday so we had some death by chocolate for him at the party too. This is a picture of what the babies got daddy.

Round 2 of the birthday parties will be this weekend with our friends and their kids. It will be crazy, but fun!