If you're new to our blog, and would like to start from the moment I learned I was having triplets, click HERE :)
Posts about Colton's Cleft Lip and Palate surgeries as well as the Triplets' Cranial Bands are along the sidebar.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

We're FIVE MONTHS YOUNG!

Yep! Five months old...time for a check of our stats!

COLTON SAMUEL
Nicknames: Bubba, Squishy Boy
Weight: 14.6 lbs.
Height: 24 1/2"
Favorite Foods: Unfortunately, still just formula!
Tricks I can do: Stick out my tongue, Hold myself up when I'm on my belly, hold my toys and pass them from hand to hand, pull the chain on my Fisher Price seat that makes the music play, Roll over from my belly to my back and ALMOST from my back to my belly!
My mom would say....that I have the cutest smile and that I am so happy when she comes to get me out of my crib in the morning. She says I'm the strongest boy and I will probably be the first one to walk. She says I am going to be a little fish someday if I keep practicing how to swim!
My dad would say...that he loves to hear me giggle when he tries to kiss my neck. He says I laugh a lot. He says I look so handsome with all my hair, especially when I'm wearing footie pajamas. He would say that I'm the best eater of the three of us!
SOMETHING NEW I DO.....
I now prefer to sleep on my side! Not my back and not my belly...and I will turn myself around and around in my crib while remaining on my side! Pretty strange huh? Also, I JUST started finally sleeping without the "elevated pillow" in my crib which helped me not to spit up so much!
**Also, my lip is still healing, but I love it! It makes me smile when people tell me how handsome I am. :) I will have my next surgery to fix my palate when I'm about a year old!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ETHAN BRADLEY
Nicknames: Tank, Big Boy
Weight: 16.5 lbs.
Height: 24 3/4"
Favorite Foods: Like my brother, just formula.
Tricks I can do....Stick out my tongue, roll over from my belly to my back (though I just learned how to do this finally!), pull the chain on my Fisher Price seat that makes the music play, Hold my toys, pass them from hand to hand.
My mom would say....that I am the biggest boy and that I am always happy to see her when she gets me out of my crib. She would say that I laugh and giggle the most and that I am a brave boy (like when she dunked me under water in the swimming pool). She would say that I don't like tummy time (because I don't). She would say that I am a good natured baby and not much makes me unhappy!
My dad would say....that I love everything! He would say that I sometimes drive everybody crazy when I won't sit still to eat my bottle. He would say that I look so cute in my PJ's and that I am a good sleeper! He tells me I am getting lots more hair!
SOMETHING NEW I DO....
I can make "razzberry" sounds with my lips and blow bubbles! Everybody thinks it's so funny when I do it and I think it's funny when big people make funny faces at me!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HUNTER OLIVIA
Nicknames: Peanut, June Bug
Weight: 11.4 lbs.
Height: 22 1/2"
Favorite Foods: Formula. (but my mom let me lick a plum she was eating the other day and I kinda liked it!)
Tricks I can do: Stick out my tongue, hold my toys, hold myself up when I'm in my Bumbo seat, pull the chain on my Fisher Price seat that makes the music play, I'm still working on rolling over. I will look at you when you call out my name!
My mom would say....that I am her tiny princess and that I look just like her! She says I make the cutest little sister and that I will be tough growing up with two big brothers. She says I have such a cute smile and that I love to have my feet up in the air when I lie on my back. She says I am a happy baby and that I am the best sleeper (at naptime and bedtime!)
My dad would say...that I am his little girl (he calls me Little Ami) and that I will never have boyfriends because he and my brothers won't let them in the house. He says I'm like a little doll and he loves to come get me out of my crib! He says he's glad I'm little like mommy and not little like daddy. :)
SOMETHING NEW I DO......
My mom told me about a famous girl named Hunter who was a soap opera star and a supermodel (Her name is Hunter Tylo). So I have been practicing my supermodel pose. No matter whether I'm eating, sleeping, relaxing, or whatever, I always put both of my hands behind my head! My mom said she is going to put up a whole blog entry just about my poses!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's all friends! Look for new entries coming soon...

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Immunizations...take 2.

Time flies...I get it now. I cannot believe the babies are 4 months old. (Ok, frankly, they're almost 5 months old right now) but at the time of this appointment, they were four months... That's right 4 months to figure out how to have three babies. At once. That is the question/comment we get most often from people. "I remember having 1 newborn and that was tiring. I can't imagine having 3." To which we say, yes, it is tiring. But it is all we know. And much like everything else, once you create a routine that works, it's really not that bad. It's about multitasking, time management and finding humor when all three babies want to eat at the same time and there's only one of you.


Seriously, if you are about to have multiples (Michelle) or you just did (Bee-Jai), BE PATIENT. Be calm. Be POSITIVE. Be funny. I know our babies feed off of our personalities. (Okay, hopefully more mine than Brian's, because he is still learning patience and he readily admits that.) But God love my husband who can get the triplets fed, dressed, changed, packed up, and put into the car to go somewhere and NOT forget anything! That's impressive to say the least! He is amazing...and to watch the babies faces light up and their smiles grow SO big when he picks them up just makes me so thankful for all of them.


But alas, I digress. The babies are 4 months old! And that means SHOTS! For the babies silly....so off to Catalina Pediatrics we go! Seriously, I'll just say this, if you take your children anywhere else but here, you are really missing out! We absolutely love it there! Everyone, and I mean everyone, is so fun! You just can't go wrong! And they have really helped us out so much with our triplets and making sure they stay well fed, which we appreciate more than words can say! So as much as I feel real empathy for my little Bunchkins, knowing they have to get shots again, I am glad they at least get to go there...and see the dinosaur in the fish tank first.



My god...Brian has died and gone to heaven. Do you see how both boys' eyes are LOCKED on that T-REX?



BIG BOY ETHAN GOES FIRST....
Getting weighed....the tissue is not for modesty. It's sprinkle protection. :)


Do you see Dad trying to distract Ethan from what's about to happen? Let's play the 'stick out our tongues game!'

It may taste nasty, but at least it doesn't hurt!

But the shots hurt.....

Why me??



NEXT UP...LITTLE COLTON!


Just chillin' in my diaper!
Still blissfully unaware of what's about to happen...

Hmm...that's not formula


"Hey lady, watch where you're poking that thing...""MOMMY!!!"



"What did I do to deserve this?"



HAPPY HUNTER BRINGIN' UP THE REAR...


"Hey, it's kinda cold in here...where are my clothes?"

Fortunately, she's still happy as a clam!



Well at least she got to put her clothes back on!

Oh boy...de ja vu...I remember what comes next...

"WHO WOULD DO THAT TO SUCH A LITTLE GIRL??"

Can't you just hear her in her most dramatic voice saying, "Daddy, WHY would you let them do this to me?"

And so, once again, while my children cry and scream, I stand by with
my trusty camera making sure to capture their tears. Mother of the Year? Oh yeah. That's me. So on that note, I'll leave you with three of the saddest faces I've seen in a while.






Good night all! We'll see you soon....

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Now I know my ABC's :)

In case you were wondering how we'd ever remember who was born first, 2nd and 3rd, we now have little jumpers to remind us! Thanks to our cousin Jenna for these adorable outfits! As you can see, a couple of chubby boys I know might be nearing the end of their days fitting into their little triplet-suits!( At which time, mom just might make them into Shirts....hmmm... the possibilities!)

Anyway, I realize that all the pictures below look JUST like the one before it, but I can't help myself....I think they're ALL cute! So enjoy our completely unofficial photo shoot. I think i'll invest in a nice camera someday...
Baby A-Colton
Baby B-Hunter
Baby C-Ethan










COLTON, the Love

HUNTER, the Fiesty
ETHAN, the chill


Monday, August 10, 2009

Brown paper packages tied up with string?? THESE are a few of MY favorite things!

Though I am only 32 years old, I've actually held quite a few jobs and had many responsibilities...some important and some, well, not so much...let's take a brief walk down memory lane at what some of those were...



In college, I was a server at the Crocodile Cafe...biggest responsibility? Making sure food got to the right table and was still hot. Importance Level? Well, I guess it's important if it was YOUR Warm Mushroom Salad I was delivering...

Then to Victoria's Secret, the Lotion Side...biggest responsibility? Making sure to offer the 3 for $15 deal...Importance Level? Not even worth finishing this senten.... :)

Then I moved to Chicago and was an American Airlines Flight Attendant. Biggest Responsibility? Making sure everyone had their desired beverage and choice of meal. (Because yes, back then we STILL served meals!!) Ok, and let's be honest, your traveling safety is also in my hands. Importance Level? You'd sure find me important if we had an emergency!!

Once I tired of that career, I became a teacher...kindergarten, first and second grade. Biggest Responsibility? Molding young minds! Importance Level? Pretty darn important, especially in this day and age!

And finally (ok, I skipped about 5 other small jobs, but that's ok), to my most recent career choice, MOM!! Of TRIPLETS, no less! Biggest responsibility? Raising 3 responsible, respectful, loveable kids, and SHARING SECRETS OF RAISING MULTIPLES with other moms! Importance Level? I'd say it's the most important of all...especially if YOU are about to have more than one baby in your charge!

So here it is, it's just the beginning. I know that I still have so much to learn myself. (And do not let this well-organized list give you the false impression that chaos does not exist in this house, because at times, I go sub for 24 brand new kindergartners (which is much like herding cats) to get some relief! Nevertheless it is my own compilation of products or ideas that HAVE made our lives with triplets much, much more sane.

**In fact, it's the list that I myself spent many late nights "triplet-blog" surfing and trolling the internet for, and never found! So help yourself! Most of them are just as applicable to moms who have their babies one at a time anyway. Brilliant concept, by the way. :)

#1

HOMEDICS Lullaby Sound Spa

This product is a must, must, must! I owe a huge thank you to Jannis, Anissa and even Danny Medina for bringing this little bit of bliss into our lives! In a nutshell, it plays 6 sounds (3 songs and 3 "sounds") plus, it has a projector with 3 different full color discs that play and rotate on the ceiling! One is night sky, one is ocean critters and one is birds and frogs! Plus it has a timer that lets you choose when it should turn itself off. Seriously, at bedtime now, and this is not a joke, we put all three babies in their cribs, and they stare in awe at the ceiling until their little eyes are just too tired to stay open any longer! No more crying at bedtime!! LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!

This is what it looks like out of the box

This is what it looks like on the ceiling!


#2
A thumb. Or 3.
Ok this one is sort of a joke, but not really! This one is for free, if your babies can just manage to find them! Our lives are pacifier free at 4 months old because of the blessed little thumbs! No more pacifier battles at bedtime because the darn thing just keeps falling out. Nope! That thumb is like old reliable-always there when you need it!


#3
Inchbug.com
Bottle Bands
Thank you to Sara Glenn for this suggestion! I bought each baby a different color bottle band which they engrave with a first name or even a first and last name for you as part of the cost! These are wonderful! Made of sturdy rubber, they clearly help people who come to our house to help us feed babies know whose bottles are whose-Of particular importance when your babies eat different amounts or different formulas! And frankly, they look so organized when you line up all the babies' bottles in the fridge! You get 4 of them for $12.00...and they grow with your child...they fit on bottles, sippy cups, shampoo bottles when they go off to camp! They're like wine charms for babies!

Here are our 3 Inchbug Labels
Hunter Bunch, Colton Bunch and Ethan Bunch

A closer look...

#4
Itzbeen Timers
Ok, I got three of these at various showers, which I adorned with scrapbook stickers to clearly identify which timer belongs to which baby. Now, initially, they were awesome to help us keep track of how long it had been since each baby had eaten, pooped, etc. Now, I don't use them as much for that reason, because our eating schedule is MOM and DAD directed....however, they are still very handy to help keep track of and remind you to give medications, or other chores that need to occur regularly. For instance, I now set one button on Hunter's Itzbeen timer to go off every 24 hours as a reminder for me to take my birth control pill or my "No fourth baby pill" as Brian calls it...Brilliant! I bet the makers of the itzbeen didn't think of that one! I think they are $25.00 each. TOTALLY worth having one for each baby if you're going to breastfeed or let the baby decide when to eat. Otherwise, one timer might be sufficient!

It even comes with a handy clip, that you can clip to a bag or your belt loop so you can take it on the go...I choose to use that clip to keep my pills right there where I can't lose them. :)

#5
A clock (well, a schedule really)
This one is really much more about my opinion than real data, but here it is. We have 3 babies. All of which really like to eat. Now, there are certainly different philosophies to this, all of which are completely valid...but here's mine. If you have just one baby to feed, then go ahead, let them tell you when they're hungry and feed them when they want it. But if you have more than one baby, that just may not be feasible, practical or even remotely sane.

Choose a time interval...for us, it's every 3 hours. And that's the way it is. Every 3 hours, we feed all three babies. If they're hungry, they finish it. If they're not, they eat some of it. But it doesn't matter if they're sleeping, playing, crying, etc. We feed them every 3 hours. If not, think about it. Imagine it's nighttime. Uh oh, you hear "BABY A" crying. It's 2 a.m. so you get up and feed that baby. 30 minutes later, you're back in bed, YES! Oh, nope. Not so fast. After just 30 minutes of not-so-restful sleep, you hear "BABY B" crying, so up you go again. Before you know it, YOU will have been awake for 3 or more hours just to accomodate your babies.

No way. Not for us. WE tell them when they're going to eat. And it works beautifully. Our triplets are now 4 and a half months old and they eat a 7 a.m., 10 a.m., (NAP TIME,) 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and then BED TIME. They now average 10 hours of sleep at night. All 3 of them. In the same room. A crib's length apart. They sleep from 8 pm to 6am without waking up. Yes, it's possible. Pick a schedule you like and stick with it.


The clock is your friend. :)

#6
File Folders for each baby
This one doesn't need much explanation. If you have more than one baby, you ESPECIALLY need a place to keep track of their important papers. So once again, for a non-scrapbooker, I'm noticing that I sure do like to use scrapbook stickers! Slap some names on a folder and away you go! I take them with me to all appointments so I have all their papers right there if I need them.


#7
A calendar for each baby
I often THINK my memory is far better than it actually is. I actually think that when we're out at a store and one of the babies smiles that I will remember a week later, which baby it was and what the date was so that I can put it in their baby books. I in fact do NOT ever remember. So I used the free calendars you get from Babies R Us when you start a registry there. (they were kind enough to give me three). I once again decorated/personalized them (hmm...maybe I AM secretly a closet scrapbooker) and then I record ALL important events in each babies' personal calendar! And then of course, add pictures!



#8
Playtex Drop-In Bottles
Ok, I do have to admit, that even as I write this, I do feel a little guilty in this age of "going green" to even recommend this, but you know, raising multiples is not easy and I believe it is a genuinely good tip. I went through about 3 different brands and types of bottles before I settled on the Playtex Drop ins. I kept thinking I didn't want to pay for the drop in liners. But when you have to fill and use 18 to 24 bottles a day, saving time is VERY important. And frankly, throwing away a liner and dropping a new one in saves SO MUCH MORE TIME than having to thoroughly wash those 18 to 24 bottles a day. So yes, I feel guilty about the waste ( I actually stack my dirty liners into each other because I feel like together, they will take up less space in the landfill....what a dork.) And the small cost of liners is pennies compared to the extra time you get to spend with your kids! (This was a tip I got from Kate Gosselin believe it or not!)

Even better, until Playtex makes theirs a few cents cheaper, I use the Playtex bottles with the Target Brand Liners. :)
Yes, this is how I would stack them before throwing them away, because I feel better about that! Where has my rational mind gone?

#9
Thermal Bottle Bag
Got this one at Target for $9.99. It goes everywhere me, the babies and my diaper bag/purse go. It fits lots of bottles, bibs, etc. I also got a smaller one at Babies R Us for times when I take just one baby out with me.


#10
Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rockers
Having 3 of these is wonderful! Thanks to the Rudnicks (Remember our chiropractor?) for these. We have 3 from them which stay at Gramma and Grampa's house and then Gramma got us another 3 for our house! Yes, that's how great they are! The babies LOVE the toys that dangle and that ladybug in the middle plays music when it is tugged, which all three babies are currently obsessed with doing! It reclines to different positions, stays stationary or rocks, and even vibrates! They are awesome!

**Yes, I'm pretty sure that having your child slouched this way IS the manufacturers's suggested position..... :) which reminds me, it DOES come with a seatbelt-type device you can (ok, should) use to basically AVOID what little Hunter is doing.


#11
A good book about having more than one baby.
This one was given to us by the Fisher Family and it is my new favorite! Especially necessary if you have triplets. It's about how mother and father bear can love three baby bears at the same time. It's actually eerie how much the story and the order and genders of the bears resembles OUR family. Either way, it is such a cute story! And yes, it has a happy ending. Shocking, I know.
That's all for now! Stay tuned for more great products as soon as someone else tells ME about them! :)

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