First Birthday Morning

June 7th was an awesome day.  My baby girls turned one!  Here are pictures from the morning when they woke up.  We surprised them with balloons.  They were a little confused and still a little sleepy, but enjoyed them for the most part.

 

 

My little sleepy heads

 

 

Presents Time!

 

 

"Beach towels? Really, Mom?  What do we do with these?"

 

 

A much cooler gift in their eyes, a customized board book.

 

 

Giving kisses to Grandpa.

 

 

 

Sam decided that was enough presents.  She had things to do, like play Peek-a-boo!

 

 

Then they figured out what the beach towels were for... Peek-a-boo!

 



A blog post on their birthday part is coming soon! :)

My Life Right Now... 1 Year

One Year!  Yes, I have three 1 year olds.  It is so crazy to me.  Here is what our daily schedule looks like right now:

 

6:45 AM:  I wake up to pump and shower.

7:30 AM: The girls are sometimes awake but playing in their cribs quietly.  I eat breakfast and get their bottles ready.  On occasion, there is someone up already and in the kitchen with me as I get things ready.

8 AM: I go in to their room and say good morning.  I change their diapers and set them up on the floor to drink their bottles.  Once they finish, I set up the baby gate to let them play in their room while I prep bottles and clean up the kitchen.

9 AM:  Bring the girls in to the kitchen to eat solids.

9:30 AM: Change their clothes and let them play in their room some more.

9:30 AM: Let the girls play in their play pen while I try to clean up the disaster they have made in their room and in the kitchen.  Start the laundry, start the dishes.

10:30 AM: Nap time. Then I either clean up or try to get something done around the house. 

11 AM: Time for my lunch.

11:30 AM: Prep for the babies lunch.

12 PM: Babies are awake and I bring them in to the kitchen for lunch.

12:30 PM: This is our "open" time.  We go for a walk, run a errand, or play in the play pen.

2 PM: Prep bottles and then feed the girls in the boppies in the living room.

2:30 PM: Nap time.  I put them all in their sleep sacks in their cribs.  There is normally some chatting going on before they fall asleep.  I head to pump (#2) and keep an eye on them on the monitor.

3 PM: Clean/do chores/etc.

4 PM: Girls wake up.  We play or go for a walk.

5 PM: Prep dinner for the girls.

5:15 PM: Feed girls dinner in the feeding table.

6 PM: Brian gets home. And I start dinner.  We take the girls to the play pen or their jumperoos.

6:30 PM: Brian and I eat dinner.  They run around in their walkers.

7 PM: Bath time or play in the girls room while we get them ready for bed.
7:30 PM: Prep night bottles.

8 PM: Night bottles and then to bed.

8:30 PM: Clean up the kitchen, Brian cleans the living room, start laundry, eat dessert.
10 PM: Pump #3.

10:30 PM: Get in bed... And babies wake up...

We are really trying not to feed the girls in the middle of the night.  But things are so unpredictable and we just do what we think is best in our zombie, sleepy parent state.

 

This schedule has lightened slightly from the 9 months post.  I'm able to leave them playing while I do some stuff around the house (if they are in good moods), which makes my days a little more productive.  I also don't have to be so strict about the schedule.  They have learned to adjust feeding times or naps accordingly.  I can't believe they are already one.  I have had one amazing year!

Happy Birthday! My Girls at 1 Year.

Really?  Seriously?  Has it been a year already? 

 

My girls celebrated their first birthday yesterday!  Ohh what a wonderful, exciting, eventful, exhausting, memorable, and unbelievable year it has been.  My kids are one!  Although some of the past year is a blur and I had many sleepless nights, I wouldn't change anything.  I want to celebrate my girls and what miracles they are.  We faced a lot of challenges during my pregnancy and to have 3 smart, beautiful, and outgoing little girls is such a blessing.  I feel like the luckiest person in the world.  They make me smile and laugh all the time.  They also make me frustrated and tired but those are completely overshadowed by a sweet smile or a cute gesture.  These girls are beyond adorable and to watch them interact every day is so amazing.

THEN

NOW

 

 

Samantha (Sam, Sam-E, Sam Sam, Skinny Minnie)

 

Samantha has changed the most in the past 3 months.  She is reaching milestones and keeping up with her sisters.  Although she is still small and has the skinniest little legs, she has already taken her first steps.  There is nothing stopping her now.  She is always happy when she wakes up in the mornings or from naps.  Sometimes she may be a little inpatient for her bottle but for the most part, she stays happy.  When they play, she stays busy.  From one thing to the next.  She loves to play in the closet in their room.  They go in there like its a fort and play Peek-a-Boo with the curtain.  Sometimes they play with each other which is adorable. 

She only gets her pacifier when she sleeps and sometimes before bed at night.  She is a pacifier thief.  I've seen her rip a pacifier right out of one of her sister's mouths and then she hightails it the other direction.  Taylor or Mallory often seem stunned, like "What just happened?"  You normally see Sam with a pacifier in her mouth and holding another.  When one of us lays on the ground, she has started climbing over us.  Her newest thing is to stand up next to you and almost jump and dive over you.  Its hilarious but also a little dangerous. 

Her hair is getting so thick and it is almost growing over her eyes.  She really is just gorgeous with her thick hair and dark blue eyes.  She is the squirmiest when changing her diaper.  If you are at the living room diaper changing station, she flips over and crawls forward and down the couch that is next to the changing station.  It sometimes takes two to change her.  She falls asleep whenever you put her in the car.  Sometimes it could be a 5 minute drive and if she sleeps for even 30 seconds, her nap later is ruined. 

Sam still gets breast milk in her bottle due to her diary allergy.  I'm working on incorporating dairy again so I'm crossing my fingers she has grown out of the allergy.  She is finally drinking from her straw sippy cup like a champ.  She no longer gets to wear a bib with Velcro since it is her favorite game to pull it off.  She has an issue with texture when it comes to food.  She loves peas and green beans puréed, but if you hand her a piece that she has to put in her mouth and chew, forget it.  But she won't eat fruit pureed, only in chunks.  Go figure?  She is the pickiest when it comes to feeding and what she will eat.  She has already started acting like she is eating by putting it in her mouth and immediately spitting it out or even hiding it in her chair.  Sneaky girl.  She knows that she will get Puffs or Cheerios at the end of the meal so about halfway through, she starts crying, and doesn't stop until she sees that big yellow box of Cheerios.  Then she flaps her arms, jumps in her seat, and has a huge smile.  Girl loves her Cheerios. 

Sam has been sleeping pretty well the last couple weeks (knock on wood) and hasn't needed or wanted a middle of the night bottle.  She was the first to start putting objects in the shape sorter well over a month ago.  I was so proud of her for figuring that out.  She has the best belly laugh.  Its contagious and I just love to hear it.  Sam has this sparkle in her eyes that just makes you melt.  She is the sweetest and I love her :)
 

 

Taylor (Tay Tay, Tay Tay Rene-Ne)

 

Taylor is the most inquisitive and observant.  She points a lot and wants to look closely at things.  She listens well when reading a book and often wants you to read it again and again.  She makes the cutest little face where she purses her lips when she is examining something.  She is the biggest of the three but still small for being a one year old.  I call her my squishy baby sometimes because a Taylor hug is a little squishy and I love it.  She has seven teeth which are really starting to be what you see when you look at Taylor because she smiles a lot.  She is still bald but the blond hair is coming in slowly. 

She is sometimes a little cranky when she wakes up, especially if she didn't get as much sleep as she wanted.  She has started to get really upset when you take away something she is playing with.  She thought it was the end of the world when I took away all of the (clean) diapers she was playing with the other day.  She also hates when you leave the room.  Any room.  And it can be any adult, but she mostly hates when her Daddy leaves a room.  He always comes home and greets the babies in the living, giving them each a little hug and attention.  When she gets set down and he picks up another baby or walks out of the room, she will scream so loud. 

I have noticed that she is starting to listen.  You can get her to stop something by saying No or stop.  She then quickly forgets and starts to do that thing again (like chew on a book or scream) but its a start.  All of the girls are so darn cute when they imitate you.  They shake their heads "NO", touchdown, elephant, snort, clap their hands, and answer a phone.  Taylor is especially cute when you start to sing, "If you're happy and you know it..." and before you can say it, she is already clapping with a huge grin on her face. 

Taylor is pretty good at the feeding table.  She eats almost everything and doesn't fuss that much.  She ends up drenched most of the time because she just spits her water right out.  She is the least wiggly on the changing table but that is not saying much.  She is still difficult to handle up there sometimes.  She loves books that make noises or have textures for her to touch.  She has even begun making animal noises and will repeat a "Moooo" or "Baaaa".  She thinks its pretty funny when you sneeze, you can get her laughing pretty good by just going "Ahhh Chooo!". 

She is still up quite a bit at night.  She has gone through spurts of sleeping through the night but now I think she wakes up wanting Mom or Dad so she screams.  And boy does she have some lungs.  She is the loudest screamer I've ever heard.  Taylor is always kicking her legs.  Every time you pick her up, its kick, kick, kick until you get her on your hip.  It has been great in swim class, especially since she loves the water.  All of the girls, but especially Taylor, have begun loving on her stuffed animals.  She gives kisses and snuggles them close to her and its just so stinkin cute.  Even cuter, when she snuggles on one or both of her sisters.  She has such a sense of humor and I love her so much.

 

Mallory (Mal, Mal Mal, Goober)

Mallory is my go getter.  She has been first to do almost everything.  Her hair is really growing on the top and when its wet, it makes the cutest little curly Mohawk.  Mallory is still really attached to me but has broadened her closeness to others now.  She really loves her Daddy.  When he is laying down playing with them, she always makes a point to come snuggle on his chest.  Even if its for a few seconds or a few minutes, you know that it is one of her favorite places to be.  She is also a tough one to handle on the changing table.  Mostly because she wants to stand and look out the window.  If I can at least get her diaper on while on her back, I've learned to actually dress her in the standing position. 

Mallory always wakes up happy.  She normally wakes up and plays quietly in her crib until I come in.  Once she hears my voice, she crawls as fast as she can to stand up on the side with a huge smile on her face.  I've found that Mallory now helps calm down the other two when they wake up from a nap.  Taylor and Sam used to cry when they woke up, but if Mallory is awake or if she gets woken up by a few cries, once her sisters know she is there, they calm down too.  I love to hear them coo and talk to each other in their cribs.  Its so cute.  They even sometimes play games with each other to make one another giggle.  I love that noise on the monitor. 

When it comes to eating, Mallory has eaten and enjoyed everything I have put in front of her.  She is currently loving the pieces of green beans and peas.  She sometimes has a fit about her bib but Momma always wins and she ends up keeping it on.  When she plays, she stays really busy.  She goes from one toy to the next.  She likes to flip things over, like the play table or the activity cube.  She can throw a temper tantrum already.  You know she is when she fusses and throws her face in to the ground and rolls over all dramatic-like.  I've even caught her practicing this move which is pretty funny in itself.  She seems to be really close to saying some words.  She says "Ba" for a lot of things and "Mama" sometimes comes out.  She loves to be tossed in the air or flipped upside down.  She is the forward roll queen, and even tries to do it on her own.  Mallory has the biggest smile when she is happy.  And her eight teeth just make her look so cute.

She has started getting in to trouble.  Pulling her bib off is one thing, but now she deliberately disobeys by going behind the rocking chair when I tell her no.  She is staring at me the whole time and even gives me a quirky smile occasionally.  When she finally acknowledges that she is doing something bad, she then starts coming out from the behind the rocking chair so slow and sometimes acts like she doesn't fit.  That little stinker.  I love her dearly and can't be mad at her for long.

 

 



Triple Play: 12 Months!

How old?  12 Months.  Seriously?  We made it a year? 
What an amazing year it was :)
 

Our weights? Officially (6/19/14) S: 16 lbs 8 oz  T: 19 lbs 2 oz M: 17 lbs 12 oz 
They are officially wearing 9 months size clothes.  Their size 9 months jammies are stretched to the max so that is why we asked for size 12 months PJ's for their birthday.
Heights: S: 27.75"  T: 28.25"  M: 27.5"

Our sleeping patterns?  They are still taking 2 naps per day.  And, somehow these have become easier (for me) and more predictable (Yay!).  They go down at 10:30 without much fussing and wake up close to noon.  Then they go down again at 2:30 and wake up at 4.  During the second nap, they usually stay up a little and chat but then gradually fall asleep without any crying. 

Nights, hmm... not sure what to say.  Wish I could say, "They sleep 12 hours solid every night and I get as much sleep as I need."  But then I'd be lying.  I can finally say that I did get 7.5 hours of sleep one night where they all slept but that was only ONE night.  Teething and fevers are keeping them up and it is still unpredictable every single night.  We have started letting them cry it out, but that is mostly right when we lay them down.  They normally don't cry long or at all.  Its the middle of the night when one wakes up and cries we still try to get in there pretty quick before she wakes up her sisters.  If they all wake, then Brian and I are outnumbered, and it takes so long to get them all to bed again.  But, overall, I would say there is improvement since last month.

 Our eating schedule?  The girls have bottles at 8 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM.  They eat solids at 9 AM, 12 PM, and 5:30 PM.  I'm trying to transition them to more finger foods and letting them feed themselves.  This is really hard when they can't have dairy or soy and don't care for fruit.  So they have had peas, some chicken, spaghetti noodles, and cantaloupe.

 Our favorite foods? Oatmeal, Green Beans, Turkey & Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Puffs, Cheerios, Peas, Mum Mums, Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Turkey with veggies.  They will fuss and fuss until they have their Cheerios or Puffs.

 

Our likes? Baths, swimming, playing on the floor with Daddy, being "Free", and running around in their walkers.   They think it is hilarious when you sneeze.
 
S: Sam has been in extra good moods lately.  She loves to attempt to walk (holding my hand or not), and diving.  Yes, diving.  If she comes up to an empty bucket or if Brian or I are lying on the floor, she stands up and throws herself forward like she is diving in.  So far, no injuries, but she scares me that she has no fear.  She likes to hug and kiss her sisters which sometimes ends up in a tackle.  

T:  Taylor loves to snuggle and love on her stuffed animals.  She has become particularly fond of one that is the Donkey/Dragon baby from Shrek.  She loves to wave and listen to you read a book.  She also likes to eat books :/

M:  Mallory loves to snuggle with you.  While she is playing she always somehow ends up in my lap for a minute and then carries on with her playing.  She likes to play with Ryley and any type of ball.  She likes when you sing and she also likes to imitate her sisters.  One of her favorite toys is a maraca.

 Our dislikes?  They sometimes still get upset at feeding time.  Not sure if its hunger or frustration of not getting Cheerios immediately.  They have been more fussy at night time but I think it is because they have not been feeling well.

S: When she bonks her head.  She seems to be doing this a lot lately.  Running in to things while she is crawling, falling over in her crib, or getting knocked in the head by her sister.

T: She hates to get left, even if she is with her sisters.  If you walk away, she does not like it at all.  She also really likes to stick her finger in her sisters mouth but really dislikes the result when her sisters chomp down on her finger.

M: Mallory doesn't like it when she is sick or tired.  She also dislikes when one of her sisters is getting more attention from Mom or Dad. 

Our favorite games/toys?  Peek-a-boo, reading books, forward rolls, walkers, a singing and dancing rabbit they got for Easter, and balls.
 

Our milestones? 
All took their first steps!  Yep, you heard me.  My preemie babies are walking before their first birthday.  They take about 4-5 steps at this point before falling over.

S:  Seven teeth, standing independently, first steps.
  T: Seven teeth, first steps.
  M: Eight teeth, first steps, says "Mama".

Things we do to make Mom and Dad smile?  When they love on one another.  Sometimes its a open mouth kiss to the head, a pat on the back when another is crying, a little snuggle on the floor, or a full on tackle hug.  They love each other so much and it is the cutest thing to watch them interact.  It also made us so proud to watch their first steps.  I thought it would take Sam a lot longer, but she is really keeping up with her sisters now.
 

Our pictures

Just look at how much my littles have changed.  Its so hard to imagine them being so itty bitty but it was only a year ago.

 

Some statistics from the last 12 Months

I thought it would be fun to look at some statistics for the past year.  We have kept a log of all the bottles, diapers, and feedings as well as the amount of milk I have pumped.  Some of these numbers are just crazy to me!
 
• 3 Babies
• 13 Days in the NICU
• 8760 Diaper changes
• 190 Gallons of pumped breast milk
• 30 Ounces: most pumped at a single pumping
• 6000 Bottles
• 5 Flu viruses
• 5 Nights without babies
• 45 boxes of Oreos
• 10 feet 7 inches: Longest explosive poop (Taylor)
• 22 Teeth grown
• 365 Loads of laundry
• 400 Times we ran the dishwasher
• 0 Full nights of sleep (8 hours or more)
• 120 Dollars spent on formula
• 4160+ Volunteer Hours
• 46 People that came to help
• 54 Pounds
• 84 Inches
• 2 Plane rides
• 1 Boat ride
• 1 Beach vacation
• 4 Swim lessons
• 68 lbs I've lost since their birth.
• 3,000,000 Kisses :)
 

 
It is hard to imagine that my girls are turning ONE tomorrow.  This year has been the most challenging and rewarding year ever.  It has been my favorite year.  I love being their Momma and can't wait to watch them grow up.

Things I've Learned over the Past Year

In honor of the girls first birthday on Saturday, I thought it would be fun to review this past year and list off what I have learned since becoming a Momma to triplets.  I'm sure there is so so much more, but this is what I can think of right now...

 

1.  Yes, we could do it.  We did do it.  We survived the first year with triplets and we deserve a big pat on the back. Go us!

 

2.  My husband is amazing (I already knew this).  Together we have faced quite a few challenges and we have always worked together, appreciated each other, and compromised.  We always were okay with giving the other a "break". 

 

3.  Children are unpredictable.

 

4.  We have amazing parents and friends that have helped us so much.  I'm not sure how we would have done it without them.  We are so lucky.

 

5.  We are capable of using every square inch of our house.  There used to be 2 whole rooms that we never used and now I use every room in our house every day (maybe every hour).  The living room is now shared with a play room.  The dining room is now shared with an office.  The office is now shared with storage room.  And interestingly, the guest room is actually used as a guest room (since we had so many people stay the night to help us). 

 

6.  The human body is amazing.  I have been able to pump excess milk for the babies with no sleep and not enough recommended calories to sustain myself and 3 babies.  Crazy.

 

7.  Three babies can turn a room upside down in seconds.

 

8.  I can save a lot of money on hair products and make-up by being a SAHM.

 

9.  I love my job (my actual paying job).  I've been able to help them out here and there and it really made me appreciate how much I enjoy being a physical therapist.  Plus, I get a few hours of rest by going in to work, haha.

 

10.  Being a Mommy is the absolute hardest and the most rewarding job there is.  There are no breaks, you can't sleep in, you must keep going all day long until those precious babies are asleep (and even then, you're not off the clock).  But after a full day's work, I can smile, take a deep breath, and be so proud of what I accomplished during the day.

 

11.  I could win a diaper changing contest.  Fastest, cleanest, most explosive, in the dark.... I could win every category.

 

12.  Anytime prior to 2013, when I said "I have so much to do" or "I'm so tired" it was absolute, complete BS!  I never knew tired until now and before I had all the time in the world to get whatever I wanted done... just never used that time wisely. 

 

13.  Baby poop comes in many shapes, forms, textures, odors, and colors.  There is always a surprise waiting in that diaper.  And, even if my girls eat the exact same thing, it comes out the other end a different texture, color, and smell.  Sorry if that's too much information.

 

14.  Children are always evolving.  Once you feel like you have found a groove, something changes.  And with 3 babies, there is always change in our house.

 

15.  My house will never look clean or adult-like again... for the next 17 years.

 

16.  People have no filter when it comes to asking questions about the babies, how the babies were conceived, and other personal questions. 

 

17.  Babies accomplish milestones at different time and at different paces.  My babies have been raised in the same home in the same way, yet they do things at completely different times.  They all excel at different things.

18. Every Mom thinks their babies are the cutest things to ever be put on this earth.  My kids are just so adorable!  And when you think they can't get any cuter, they do something that just melts your heart.  I can't stop watching them sometimes.

19.  You will survive with chronic sleep deprivation.  Some of the past year is a complete fog because of lack of sleep but I was still able to function.  My babies are still alive and I'm still here too.

 

20.  You never get used to having triplets.  I'm still amazed when I look at them, that I carried them in my belly, gave birth to them, and have raised these three little cuties.  How am I so lucky to have these babies?