Stats

In your best George Michael voice, sing along....Let's talk about stats, ba-by, let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the....Okay. You can stop now. But thanks for indulging me.

So today, for real, let's talk about stats. Because I, for one, a blogger since 2008 JUST realized this feature existed. And now, well, let's just say I'm mildly obsessed. Not because I actually care how many people are reading my blog or where they are from (okay I kind of care) but more because it's just fascinating!

And if you are unaware that this little treasure link of information existed, let me point you in the right direction. You know that button that says "Stats?" Yeah, that's the one. Pretty obvious, no? Click it and it's like entering The Wonka Factory for bloggers!

So let's discuss some of my favorite findings.

How many people are actually reading this lil ol' blog of mine?

Just yesterday, there were 613 page views.

Today so far? 108

All time? 107,886

Right now? 18

And who are these people? For real, I wonder about this. I wonder where you are when you're reading my blog. Are you at your house? Are there kids screaming in YOUR ears? Are you at a Starbucks? Work? I'm fascinated. Where do you all live?

Oh, and speaking of that. I have those answers too! In 24 hours time, there have been 529 of you from the U.S., 22 Canadian friends, 16 friends from Iran, 4 from Italy, 2 each from Finland, Israel and the Phillippines and 1 each from Germany, India and Ecuador! Really? That's fascinating to me! HELLOOOoooo friends from afar! Glad to have you along!

And if that weren't cool enough for you, here's the ALL time stats...(since my blog began)

How interesting! The internet is a fascinating place. Where else you can cross virtual paths with people from all across the world on a day to day basis?

**Update- 11 of my friends are gone. There are only 7 of you left reading. :)

And now the great debate. Windows or Mac? Care to wager a guess? Which has produced more pageviews? The winner for today is.....

Mac!

In fact, 48% of pageviews today were from Macs while 45% were from Windows.... HOWEVER..if we're talking ALL time records, then Windows kicks Mac's butt with 60% Windows and only 30% Mac. (Oh and I shant forget about all the Blackberries, Androids, Palms, iPads, etc. Go phone users! )

So all this leaves me to wonder how all of you from all your various countries arrived at my blog? Let's talk about SEARCH TERMS. What key phrase got typed into the search bar? I'm sorry, but this is perhaps my favorite feature...get a load of this-

Now, before you get all mad because you don't have your glasses on and can't read the miniature picture below, allow me. Some of the search terms make perfect sense. For example-

1. The best things in life are three

2. Bunch babies

3. ami bunch babies (kinda freaky, but I'll assume this person does in fact know me)

4. bunch triplets

But here are some mildly perplexing search terms... I hope you get as good a chuckle as I did.

1. "big triplets" (really? For real. You searched 'big triplets' and found us? Cuz we're really pretty average if not on the small side...) Interesting, to say the least. Then there's a part of me that wonders if it could've been a typo. Perhaps someone was trying to search "bbg triplets." (Boy, Boy, Girl). Cuz that would make perfect sense. Anyhoo, moving on.

2. "the best things in lifecare three". Again, I can only assume this was a typo because I don't know that i've ever blogged about at caring for you life. But perhaps my memory fails me. Either way, it made me chuckle.

And finally number 3. And this one I can't figure out if I try my hardest.

3. "baby tube in mary". What the?? Baby tube? Are we talking In Vitro? Mary...which Mary? My Mary? But what about the baby tube? And why is it in Mary? Tube..TV Tube? Pool float tube? One can only wonder...

**UPDATE- There are 13 of you here right now! Hello 13 friends!

Moving on to my last favorite feature-

Which posts are y'all reading? Which ones are the favorites?

Let's begin with right now.

13 friends, here's what you're reading....

Any guesses what the all time most read post is? The envelope, please....

I see how you all are...you are like I was, wanting to know what your pregnant belly was gonna look like!

It also looks to me like lots of you, like me, are interested in the Blog book! Good job!

And this one makes me the happiest- All the page views about Colton's cleft lip and palate. Providing useful, real life information about having a baby with a cleft lip and palate. And I have made so many new friends from this blog from others going through this. I love that.

So there you go. Stats. What fun! Go ahead, check out yours now! Be a dork like me!

Now, I feel like I should leave you with a picture of kids. So here goes...

For several reasons, (wanting to water our poor, poor grass AND let the kids have some fun) I turned on a sprinkler in the backyard a few weeks ago. As evidenced by the photos below, the boys LOVED it.

Hunter, on the other hand, was FREAKED out by it. She was cracking me up. She did not want to get close enough to actually be touched by water, so instead, she was throwing things at the sprinkler. "Take that sprinkler!"

First, a plate.

Next, a shoe.

Finally, something sensical-a bat. :)

*Ok good night 14 friends.... See you all tomorrow!

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!

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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!

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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!

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

Our Stats!

Tissue please...our babies are 4 months old in 2 days...Seriously, the time goes WHERE? You would think that we would have completely adjusted to this lifestyle by now, but every day is still a novelty! I truly don't think a day goes by that either Brian or myself says to the other, "By the way, we have three infants!" or "Hey, just so you know, we have triplets!" And we look around the room and sure enough, three little people are smiling back at us! In a strange way, I have almost ( and I say that very loosely) forgotten the pain of trying to get pregnant and failing so many times. The joy these babies bring to my life, whether they are screaming or not, cannot be measured. My cup runneth over....So since we've now been alive for a whole 4 months, I thought we'd better update our stats!

The TRIO

I'm so proud of these babies...they are so good-natured, they love each other, they don't wake each other up when one screams, they almost all consistently sleep for at least 6 hours at night, they ride in the car very well, they go to other people quite easily, they're growing well, entertaining as all get out, and quite simply make our lives so enriched!

HUNTER OLIVIA

Current Weight: 9 lbs. 3 oz.

Weight at birth: 3 lbs. 2 oz.

Nicknames: Petunia, Nutty, Peanut, June Bug

Recent Discoveries: Loves to stick out her tongue, unfortunately, she LOVES to watch TV and hates to nap, can grasp objects with her little hands, coos (finally) and smiles a lot, SCREAMS like a banshee, loves to be outside.

COLTON SAMUEL

Current Weight: 11 lbs. 9 oz.

Weight at birth: 4 lbs. 6 oz.

Nicknames: Bubba, Squishy Boy

Recent Discoveries: Smiles a brand new smile, tries to stick out his tongue, loves to sleep and is the most cooperative at bed time, grasps objects in his hands, loves bright lights and watching the ceiling fan, loves to be held, is a mama's boy, coos, loves to watch people's facial expressions!

ETHAN BRADLEY

Current Weight: 13 lbs. 6 oz.

Weight at birth: 3 lbs. 15 oz.

Nicknames: Pudge, Frank the Tank

Recent Discoveries: Loves the ceiling fan, sticks his tongue out when you stick yours out first (thank you, Auntie Jen), coos, giggles, grasps objects, loves outdoors, doesn't love to go to bed but LOVES to sleep, loves bath time, loves things that play music or have bright lights, gets hot easily!

Shots anybody? (This time NOT for mom! YES!)

Look at us now! We're getting bigger...

Hunter Olivia

6 lbs. 7 oz.

(3lbs. 2 oz. at birth)

Ethan Bradley

8 lbs. 13 oz.

(3 lbs. 15 oz. at birth)

Colton Samuel

8 lbs. 4 oz.

(4 lbs. 6 oz. at birth)

Ok, don't misunderstand my enthusiasm regarding this latest round of shots...Am I perfectly elated that Brian's and my days of frighteningly long needles finding their way to my you-know-what are over? Oh yes! But I have a new found empathy for Brian who always SAID it was painful to have to give me shots (whatever)...now, I might have to agree...having to watch my three little tiny Bunchkins receive their first round of immunizations might have actually been worse. :( Not because I shy away from needles, not because I cry, (I'm tough remember. I like shark attacks and military shows). But for the same reason I turn beetles over when I see them flailing on their backs and the same reason I "capture" spiders from my house and "relocate" them to the outdoors rather than squashing them, despite the fact that I was bitten by a brown recluse spider on my butt 5 years ago...it's that empathetic bone in my body that simply understands the torture and fright my babies were going to go through....

Yep. They're 2 months old. (Actually, they're even a little older than that now) Ten weeks today, in fact! So they had to go back to the doctor last Thursday for their 2 month checkup and their shots...I'll be honest, it kind of felt a little like taking a litter of puppies to the vet for their shots... :) Brian and I of course did not TELL the babies that that's what they were in for! We simply told them they were going to visit all their nice friends who work at Catalina Pediatrics and their super fun doctor, Dr. Goldberg! And of course, we might have reminded them that they'd get to see the dinosaur in the fish tank again. :)

So all in all, their visit went very well! They are all growing very well! They've all more than doubled their birth weights which is wonderful! We need to work on stretching their necks which will in turn help to "even out" their mishapen heads. So if you come to our house don't be surprised if I make you stand on the babies' left sides and do something exciting to make them look left! :)

Other than that, we saved the shots for the very end....aside from the mean mother in me that was very concerned with capturing their misery on film, (hello, our whole lives revolve around "blog-worthy" events...has anyone ever seen that movie with Jim Carrey, "THE TRUMAN SHOW"? Kinda feels like that. Our lives are intended to entertain others) I was a good mommy and stroked their little heads and held in those pacifiers while the babies cursed the world as those little needles poked their mildly chubby thighs. (Ok, let's be honest, Ethan's might be more than mildly chubby....) But once they got their Snoopy Bandaids and a hug and kiss from mom and dad, they were ok. :) We won't tell them there's more coming in 2 more months...

Dr. Goldberg and Pudge...er, I mean, Ethan :)

Dr. G and Peanut (Hunter)

The Boys!

And then began the shots.....

Big brother Colton went first

Poor baby...

Next goes Hunter...

One snoopy bandaid...you're halfway done little girl!

But clearly not done fast enough! That's her trademark wildcat yell right there!

And last goes Ethan..."hmm this doesn't taste very good..."

" Oh well. I don't know what you other babies were crying about, this isn't so bad."

"I'm tough...I'm tough..."

"No I'm not!!!!"

"Someone please give me my binky...I've had a rough day."

Colton in the recovery chair (his carseat) :)

As any kid knows...bandaids make it better :)

Till next time..... :)