Now That's a lot of Babies!

Seriously, that's a lot of babies. All between 9-11 months of age. Here's the run down:

-Five sets of twins
-One set of triplets
-Four girls
-Nine Boys
-Twelve adults
-Endless chaos!

So how did all these babies come to be friends? Well they all met just over a year ago in our multiples lamaze class! Obviously they weren't born yet but they were all present and accounted for. It was truly incredible to meet with all these families again after so long and just marvel at our 13 little miracles. We were the least farthest along when we took the class at 18 weeks gestation but because the triplets were born early, they are the second youngest.

It was fun to spend time and reminisce about each family's pregnancy/birth experience. I mean, just our group alone covered quite a spectrum of challenges and triumphs.

A set of twins was born at 29 weeks due to twin-twin transfusion syndrome after the mom was on hospital bedrest for about a week. One set of twins was carried all the way to 38 weeks and 5 days and probably could've been carried farther! One set was born at 35 weeks and spent zero time in the NICU which was such an incredible blessing. A couple moms had to go on the dreadful magnesium sulfate for premature labor and high blood pressure. One mom was in the same antepartum unit as me on bedrest and we would commiserate through email about which nurses we liked/disliked, how terrible the food was, or how our showering priveleges were the best thing in our lives. That same mom gave birth three days after us and all five of our babies were in the same POD in the NICU (which was so strange because the NICU is quite large). Almost all of us experienced preterm labor and all of us but one gave birth via c-section.

That's what I'm saying. Quite the spectrum. Luckily we were all very prepared for the possible risks ahead due to our great lamaze instructor. She actually came and visited me several times during my hospital stay. Encouraged me through my gestational diabetes and prayed for my health and for Clark's strength. So great. So thankful for her.

We hosted the play date at our house and hung out in our living/dining room area. We moved all the furniture and had plenty of room to play, eat, and hang out. Some of the twins even got to eat their lunch in our triplet table!

All lined up for picture time! Introducing the class of 2028!




This picture isn't great because no one wanted their picture taken anymore but I laughed so hard at Zachary. It's like playing Where's Waldo with him in this picture.


Caleb making friends with Aiden. They were practically roommates in the NICU.



Short video of the picture taking chaos. We were so glad to host the play date and loved seeing everyone!! We sure loved watching those 13 amazing humans walk, crawl, scoot, sit, eat, babble, and play. It doesn't get any better.

Kick, Kick, Kick...

What would the first day of summer be without some pictures of the trio swimming!?

It has been so dreadfully hot here. Barely dipping down into the high 70's overnight. We've swam a few times in our inflatable pool but we really wanted to see how the kids would do in deeper water. I've been nervous to go swimming because of the fact that the number of babies outnumber Clark and I and when deep water is involved, there could be some problems.

We headed over to a friends house and had the pool all to ourselves. This was good because we could really concentrate on what we were doing this first go-around. We don't have inflatable floating devices for each baby so we decided we'd just hold them (I really don't want to pay close to $75 for decent, reliable, floaties for all the babies. Plus, I prefer to hold them...at least until I get over my babies-in-deep-water phobia). We brought the stroller in the backyard so that one baby could be strapped in, playing with toys, while each of us had another one. We meant to bring the exersaucer, of course forgot it, but that would've worked MUCH better than the stroller at keeping whoever entertained and contained. The stroller worked fine though because we weren't there very long. Less than an hour. All the babies did great and really enjoyed wading in the water. It was nice and shaded and the water was so clear.

Caleb kicked his feet in the water for a few minutes before he decided to jump in with his Dad.


Then he did a slam dunk and grabbed on to the rim for dear life. He has such giant paws Clark could barely unlatch him....


Once he let go, he grabbed right on to the net! We were laughing so hard because he seriously would not let go...and he is strong!


He finally gave up so I tried to snap a picture of the both of them...


but Caleb saw his Dad's glasses and went at them with his death grip...




Finally Clark got it under control and held on to both his hands while I took the picture. Crazy dude...


Then the other babies got their turn...


Caleb quietly playing and watching the rest of us. He was resting from his big slam dunk!


Zachary kept trying to grab the water and put it in his mouth. Meaning he would bend over and practically put his head under water. I finally just gave him a toy to keep him occupied...


Clark and Leah just before we packed up to leave...


We had a good time and it was nice for us to cool off as well. As for the trio's FIRST swimming experience, we'd say it was a success! We went to another pool this past weekend and Leah was not as excited. She cried and cried and spent the whole time in the exersaucer. It's much less risky in there...she must know that. :)

The Sticker...

Holy cow! That's all I keep saying when I realize our little rascals are nine months old. It's not really the fact that they are seemingly growing and developing so rapidly, it's more that Clark and I have actually survived ALMOST a year with triplets. If anyone knows Clark and how freaked out he was about little babies, this is quite a feat. Now that the babies are a little older, they are definitely more fun to play and interact with which makes them much less scary to Clark so things are only getting better over here!

I went to their nine month appointment this past week by myself! This was the first time but honestly, it went so smoothly. I pushed two babies in the double stroller and carried the third. In the room waiting for the doctor, they just sat and played with their toys. Once Zachary got bored he crawled around the room but it's so small he couldn't go far. They each got one shot in their leg and a toe prick so it was definitely less traumatic than past appointments. After their shots I gave them their sippies with apple juice and they calmed right down! Done and done! I was already packed up and ready to go so we left with minimal drama. Score! Their one year appointment will have a lot more shots and they will, I'm assuming, all be more mobile so I'm not sure if I'll go alone again. For now though, I'm feeling pretty good. Here's their stats:

Leah Marie:

Weight: 19 lbs 4 oz (50th percentile)
Height: 26 3/4 inches (25th percentile)
Head: 17 1/4 inches (25th percentile)

Brian Zachary:

Weight: 16 lbs 1 oz (less than 3rd percentile)
Height: 26 1/4 inches (less than 3rd percentile)
Head: 17 inches (7th percentile)

Caleb Clark:

Weight: 21 lbs 13 oz (65th percentile)
Height: 27 3/4 inches (25th percentile)
Head: 18 inches (75th percentile)

They all seem to be doing great, growing at their OWN paces. Caleb and Zachary could not be any more different personality wise so they might as well be totally different physically! Can you believe these babies used to be our little preemies?

So, moving on...

I got a decal sticker. Do you like it???


I'm not usually the type of person to do this sort of thing. And maybe a time or two I've made fun of someone's decal sticker.

BUT...

When someone pulls up next to me and sees that:

1) My hair is a total mess, barely combed because some baby stuck their hands in it after I put it in a nice ponytail

2) There is no makeup anywhere to be seen on my face. I have limited time during the day so apparently I choose to do it blogging rather than applying makeup :)

3) I am not visible because I'm turned all the way around trying to calm someone, give back a dropped toy, or wake someone up because it's not nap time

4) I am shutting my eyes for the brief 45 seconds that I'm sitting down with the sun blaring down through the windows

5) Although I'm alone, I'm laughing hysterically at the simple thought of our lives with triplets

6) I'm crying hysterically at the thought of our lives with triplets OR

7) I'm am singing incredibly loud to a Glee soundtrack because honestly, I never knew what a release it is for me to turn up some loud music and sing my heart out. It pumps me up and makes me feel like I can conquer the day.

While I'm driving away and they check out my decal, I hope they will say to themselves, "oh....that makes sense."

Sooo don't make fun of me. I really like my sticker. I always look in my rear view mirror to see if I can see the person behind me looking at it. Clark keeps reminding me that not everything in the world revolves around my sticker. But if someone behind me is smiling or laughing in their car....I'm going to assume why. :) Really he should be loving the decal because when he is driving around the van, other men in their sports cars give him a nice understanding nod letting him know it's ok to be driving a minivan at such a young age. :) Ok enough about the sticker. But whenever he does drive our van I always think of this video...




If you liked that one, here's another funny one called "Swagger Wagon."

She Gets It!

Zachary has discovered outlets...awesome. Now when I leave a room I have to do a double check to make sure I don't come back to a scene from a horror movie. He's not 100% mobile yet but he can move! I'm just glad they all haven't started moving at once. Gives me a bit of heads up as to what I should baby proof and how much more energy I'm going to need to keep up with them!

Here's a little bit of a random sampling of our lives in pictures. This next week we go in for their nine month appointment. I'm excited to see Zachary's progress and growth and also to see how much weight Caleb has gained. More details to come!

The weather is heating up here so activities with the triplets seem more limited than ever. I can only go walk around the mall so many times. Going swimming is out of the question because I really need an extra hand since Zachary is such a mover. So the only time we really go outside is EARLY in the morning after they eat breakfast. The sun is JUST coming up so it's not that hot yet (although when we return home I'm in a full out sweat). We walk around the neighborhood and then I walk to the end of our street which runs perpendicular to a busy road. The babes like to watch all the commuter traffic fly by. We sure like our walks though! Every morning I try to talk myself out of going but since the babies like it so much, it's worth all the effort of loading and unloading.


When Clark is around, we do bust out the pool and shade canopy. Like I said, I usually don't do that kind of stuff alone. The babies don't really understand how to 'play' in water just yet. They just sit there and suck on their toys. It's more for Clark and me to just relax while the babies chill out. Here's Leah in her stylin' swimsuit and shades with a nice mohawk to top it off.


After the pool that day, we got the babies all washed and dried. They played in the living room while we cleaned up. Three naked babies rolling around is too funny.



I've recently introduced sippy cups. 99% of the time they just gnaw on the spout. They don't really get the head tilt or the different type of sucking yet. When I lay them down they are mostly successful though. I put a little bit of apple juice in the cups to see if that would peak their interest. Caleb sucked his dry and what do you know, Zachary threw his off the table. Apparently he doesn't like Apple Juice. Surprise.


In my recent attempts to get Zachary eating more, I read on a blog that a mom let her baby have his own bowl. He stayed distracted, felt involved, and typically ate more in one sitting. Sooo, in my desperation, I tried it. I HATE messes like this. I know, I have triplets and should get used to it. But the stickiness I can't stand and I was just as covered as he was. I mean, I always wear gloves when washing dishes and I NEVER use lotion because I just don't like anything on my hands. Well, this tactic did not work and I just had a big mess to clean up. Luckily, like I mentioned, he has turned a corner and eats much better without too many theatrics. Hopefully we can avoid these types of messes in the future (ya right huh?).


Bathtime has been streamlined once again. We used to do them all together then they were all getting to big to lay down side by side. So I was bathing one at a time. I didn't want to do all three again because Zachary is crazy and the other two still fall over easily. Someone gave me an idea of a bath mat and it has worked wonders. Rarely do Leah and Caleb topple over and the bath seat keeps Zachary contained and safe. So they are all three together again and it much easier and quicker.



Lastly, we have a bouncer that we are borrowing from a friend. All the babes like to play in it but don't really get the bouncing aspect. Until now! Leah has mastered the bounce and is hilarious to watch. Most of the time she ends up covered in throw up because of all the up and down motion but she sure loves it!

Oh Crap...

We always knew this guy would be the first to take off. He is just starting to discover how to move his knees forward so it's only a matter of time before I set him somewhere and come back to find him gone! We are looking into getting some gates to keep him contained. All of this development has coincided with a growth spurt. He finishes 3 out of 4 bottles without any help from me (which is unheard of) and has started eating two solid food feedings/day with the other two. He eats less than them....but he's eating nonetheless. He refuses to eat anything green so he's stuck on carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and oatmeal cereal. I don't really care because I'm just glad he'll let me stick a spoon in his mouth. Usually it still takes me about five minutes to convince him. Lots of gagging ensues....then he starts to eat. It's quite a production twice a day. But what isn't a production with our most dramatic child. He's still a little guy and probably always will be but we can never underestimate what he's capable of!

I was getting some video of him rocking and the other two thought he was so cool! This video is more of him moving and the next one is of them laughing and talking with each other. I love to see them interact more and always wonder what they're saying!

Naps and Getting to Know Caleb

Aside from the first month of the babies being home, this period right now has been the second most difficult for me. One word:

NAPS.

I love them and hate them. The babies are in that really weird transition where they are moving from three naps a day down to two. HOWEVER, they are still not capable of staying up quite long enough to make it all the way until bedtime. If their first or second naps aren't long enough, then I run into problems. Everyday I'm faced with a napping dilemma. When they are finally ready for that third nap, it is only 1 1/2-2 hours away from their bedtime. So if I put them down, bedtime gets pushed back significantly. If I don't, I'm dealing with three overly tired babies which, at the end of the day, can make me overly tired as well. Lately I have been foregoing the third nap because 9 times out of 10, only one or two of the babies need one so even if I put whoever down, I would still have one or two awake. That would mean that the babies who stayed awake would be needing to go to bed while someone else is eating. I have found that is not a good combination. So I usually eat something, roll up my sleeves, and prepare for the last couple hours of the day to be a bit chaotic. I do move their bedtime up when I skip the third nap which results in a 5:30-5:45pm bedtime. Fine by me! Just always a risk with how early they will wake up in the morning! Any suggestions on managing naps at this age?

In another month, this will not be an issue AT ALL which is a relief. I'm definitely anxious for the transition to be over because that means their awake periods will generally be longer and we'll have a little more flexibility to our day. For now though, I'll just celebrate my daily victories of making it through those last couple hours!

This past weekend we did something our little family has never done before...

we went out to eat at a restaurant!! Of course we went during their BEST time of the day when they would be the happiest. This happened to be at 3pm so we loaded up and went to Red Robin! Since it was the afternoon there was lots of tables and room for us. The people around us were very nice and patient with all the toys the babies kept throwing on the floor. The babes were all very well behaved and really just interested in looking around. They don't get out much so anything new to look at is like gold. Of course I thoroughly wiped down the table and menus and as soon as one of those toys touched the floor it was out of play. I'm sure I'll get over my germ phobia eventually. For now I'm just the crazy, neurotic mom with all the wipes in her purse. :) We were there about 45 minutes and felt like our adventure was pretty successful. Our meals were pretty dang good also. YUM. Caleb and Clark had the BIG Whiskey River BBQ Burger with extra fries and of course campfire sauce! The picture on the table was too tempting for him.



Zachary was really confused on what he should order. He couldn't find any bottles off the menu. He ended up just eating the menu. Leah was there too, don't worry. She is watching her figure so we just split a Whiskey River BBQ Wrap! Just didn't snap a picture of her unfortunately.

This past week I asked Clark which baby he laughed at the most. He said all of them but I think that's just because he felt bad choosing someone. I said I probably laugh at Caleb the most. It could be the fact that he is the most loud, vocal, and animated. They all three have adorable personalities but his is just a little more obvious because of his outbursts, screaming, and outward interest in everything. He's the only baby that really sits and concentrates on things. During one of Clark's lunches, we set up Skype and had each baby sit at the computer. The other two didn't really pay attention and just looked at other things but Caleb was in a trance. He couldn't take his eyes off the screen and was trying so hard to figure out what was going on. So funny!


I built him a necklace so he would have something to suck on at any given moment. He seemed to like it!


He is definitely the biggest toy monger. He has gigantic paws so that's definitely an advantage. Poor Leah never stands a chance against him. Whenever I sit him in the triplet table and give someone else the baby laptop, it's hilarious because he gets filled with all his toy envy and goes for it. This video is short but it is so funny and around our house it is known as "the grab". We sure do love this kid.





Lastly, I caught this video a couple days ago at the end of Leah and Zachary's conversation. Clark said if you close your eyes and play the video it sounds like two dolphins.

Can anyone translate baby?

A Two Year Old...

We have three legitimate 8-month olds on our hands. That means we've raised the equivalent of a two-year old!!

Here's their Mother's Day/8-month pictures. These were all taken in about five minutes since that's usually the time frame that three babies will be happy. They are ALL sitting on their own and I am so proud!

*Don't mind Zachary's drool collection down his shirt. Gray is apparently not a good color for a drooler*

It started out pretty good...


Then the boys realized Leah had something interesting and the toy envy set in...


"Give me that!"


Caleb won and Zachary started plotting with Leah how to get the '8' back...or he was just eating her shoulder, not sure which...


Telling secrets...


Leah obviously didn't like what he had to say...


Now they are all friends again and Leah has her '8' back! I love Caleb in this picture; however...


This one is the winner!