Thursday, July 31, 2008

A fun weekend with our grandsons

Last weekend we took the boys to Decatur to stay with Grandma Carol and Grandpa B (and Uncle Brandon). Adam and I actually got to go out to dinner and a movie for the first time in a long time... Guest post courtesy of Grandma Carol - photos by Grandpa B. Thanks again for watching the boys!!!

The "Boys" arrived early Saturday morning just in time for breakfast. After breakfast we covered them in sunscreen and went over to Aunt Barb's house for a swim. Alex loves the water but you have to watch him very carefully when he is in his swim ring since he loves to lean forward and splash the water. Logan likes to lick the water. And I think Nick just kind of tolerates what we do with him.

After the swim came home for a short nap before lunch. Then Uncle Brandon was anxious to take them for a ride in their new triplet limo so we walked around the neighborhood before Brandon had to go to work. It was pretty hot but the boys enjoyed the ride. Being concerned about legroom in the new stroller, I put Alex in front, Nick in the middle and Logan in back (he just lays back, puts his feet up on the side and enjoys the ride). Boys took a nice long afternoon nap. Logan really liked the pack 'n' plays where he could look in and see Nick next to him.



The boys ate supper and we were just ready to put them in the stroller to go say hi to neighbors/co-workers down the street when Aunt Denna called to say they were on their way to Guadalajara restaurant. So we prepared to go to supper with Uncle Matt and Denna. I know, I keep thinking I need to baby-proof my house but what happened next is proof. We put Alex and Nick in one pack 'n' play and Logan in the other while we got ready to go. I heard Alex and Nick fussing and when I looked I saw them fighting over something in the pack 'n' play. Logan had stood up and gotten a candle off the shelf and that is what they were fighting over.

Went to Guadalajara and of course got the usual looks when two people are carrying in three babies. The owner greeted us and commented he hadn't seen us in awhile and was really surprised to see the boys. Shortly after we arrived the staff sang happy birthday at the table behind us. Alex was terrified and crying the whole time and Logan joined him in the crying. Nick just kind of sat there looking at them. Every time I saw the staff carrying the fried ice cream to the table I tried to cover up Alex's ears but he would still cry. After that we came home and then took the boys down to my neighbors house to visit for about 10 minutes. Got home and all the boys took a bath together. I think they enjoyed it but didn't have much time to play since Alex wanted to crawl around and it was a bit slippery. So, we started the assembly line. I washed and rinsed, Grandpa dried and diapered and put them in the crib. Got bottles ready fed them and they all went right to sleep. (Not sure who was more worn out the boys or us.)

Sunday morning Alex was the early riser at 5:45. They all 3 took turns waking up playing/napping at different times. After lunch Brandon was going to work and Grandpa was going to the gun range so I took the boys over to Barb's house again for a swim. Barb, Vickie and Chole were all there to help. (They postponed going to the movie to help me with the boys, Thanks!) Then we came home and the boys napped. After supper I asked Grandpa to entertain the boys while I packed to car for the return trip. Nick was a little "needy" that day and he fell asleep after supper so I put him in the bedroom and asked Grandpa to take Alex and Logan for a ride. Shortly after they left I saw him back in the front yard. "Back already?" I asked. He had put Logan in front and Alex behind him and had to come back and move Alex to the back since he was pulling Logan's hair. "See I told you there was a reason I put Alex in front".

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Having Triplets is Awesome!

There are so many things we love about our boys...
When we come into the room (especially when we're first home from work) they look up and smile at us. Then the best part is if they're "free range," they'll crawl over to us!

Laughing at each other. Out of the blue.

Who can be louder contest. Ear plugs are suggested at times like this. These boys have some healthy lungs!

They enjoy having some music on when they're playing. And I think they actually pay attention to the music. Let's just say, they are quiet while the music on, but become "chattier" once the playlist is over. They especially love the Leap Frog CD we have (one of Grandpa B's favorites too - at least the counting song).

My favorite part about mornings is when you walk into their room and they are awake and playing (peacefully) in their cribs. They'll notice you and give the biggest smiles!

Sometimes they are sooooo tired but they refuse to fall asleep - to the point they have even fallen asleep sitting up!

Getting lovin's from Nick - although it comes with a warning. Nick is a good cuddler and even tries to give love back - sometimes in the form of a head butt! He used to do it especially with his blanket when it was bed time, but he'll also do it to you, or his brother (crawling past) or a toy. Just beware of a broken nose if he's very enthusiastically giving you love.

Logan will laugh hysterically, sometimes provoked and sometimes out of the blue, but especially when he's tired and doesn't want to sleep.

Alex recently has been trying a new trick during dinner. He'll shake his head in a "no" fashion and laugh. Of course it's funny for him (and admittedly cute), but dang hard to feed a mouth that keeps moving back and forth!

Nick's faces when trying new foods or eating Cheerios - priceless!

Possum Poop: a nickname for one of Alex's other dinner time tricks. He will grunt and makes noises like he's trying to poop and scrunch his shoulders up into his head (making his neck disappear). At first we gave him a break, thinking he really was pooping. But now he does it all the time and ... no poop.

Alex pulling himself up... on anything and everything!

We have a bookshelf in the boys playroom (our former living room) and we've replaced the bottom shelf with all of the boys' books. They love to go over and pull the books off the bookshelf - we're still working on the attention span to actually read a book!

Well, those are just some of the things of late. The gist is... We love our children and love that there are three of them!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Tooth Poll

I was going to add a poll to the blog to see who everyone thought would get their next tooth. Seems we've all been teething lately (read: grumpier - than usual - at random times, waking up in the middle of the night and crying out - only to go right back to sleep, drool, drool and more drool, sucking our lips in as far as they go and chewing on them, devouring a frozen teething ring if given the opportunity, not to mention stealing my brother's teething ring - even if it's 2 bouncer chairs away and I have to tip mine over to get to it - as depicted below, etc.).

Logan stealing Nick's teether

I say that I was going to add a poll because tonight, the boys answered it for me (okay, so it could have been last night, but I wasn't home enough to notice). Alex's second tooth has popped through! I was playing with the boys tonight, taking some pictures and actually got a good shot of his teeth. He's usually not willing to show them to you! All the pics from tonight are close up and at different angles. I had the camera and they all wanted to grab at it. I'm usually pretty good at the self-portrait pictures (ya know, hold the camera out in front of you and take a picture of you and maybe a friend - and barely get your faces in it - especially when you have short arms like me), but taking the pics of all 3 at once was not easy. All while trying to keep them from grabbing the camera. Anyway, some of the pics turned out cute (although again, I'm biased). Here are a couple, but I've also added some to the slideshow on the blog.



Does everyone know which baby is which? Or do you want/need me to label the pics?

More randomness coming soon!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Noise Levels

After the Dinner Time video post, a friend asked, "Is it always that noisy at your house? How do you stay sane?"

The answer is: yes.
Pretty much the only silence we get is when the boys are unconscious. Most days, the house is similar to the state fair. Kids screaming, obnoxious poorly played music (from the toys), animal sounds (again from the toys), flashing lights, the smell of poop in the air, junk all over the place... Tiff & I have had entire conversations where we were yelling at each other (like we would at a concert) to try to "talk" over the boys & their gear.

I never understood this before I was a parent, but you learn to tune a lot of the noise out. This is probably why people without kids get so annoyed at people with kids who don't do anything at the noise.

I still find it really annoying when its other people's kids, but when its your own kids and when they are this age, its cute. After all, this is them learning to speak, so its kind of exciting, especially when you think you hear 'mama' or 'dada' for the first time.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

9 Month Checkup

We had our 9 month wellness check up today. I called yesterday to confirm our appointment after the hassle we had last time. Everything was confirmed so we packed up the boys and were even there early. As I started to get a baby out of the van, I realized the diaper bag was at home. Re-pack baby, go home for diaper bag (with fresh diapers since they strip them at the office) and back to the Dr. office. And we walked in only 4, maybe 5 minutes late!

The boys did well today. They were getting a little tired and somewhat fussy, but overall did very well (it was getting close to nap time). They were weighed and measured (see below) and then got their toe stuck for some blood work. No shots this time, but squeezing blood out of an infant's toe is harder than it sounds! The tests were for lead poisoning and hemoglobin levels. I'm guessing the lead test were sent off, but the hemoglobin levels were right were they should be. Logan didn't really notice it, Nick cried for a little while, but Alex took it the worst - which is odd for as often as he hurts himself. I think he was just tired.

Their stats:
Alex: 21 lbs 13 oz (75%); 27 3/4 inches (50%)
Logan: 18 lbs 0 oz (10-25%); 27 1/2 inches (25-50%)
Nick: 21 lbs 11 oz (75%); 28 inches (50%)

They enjoyed showing off for the doctor while she was in there. Logan was in push-up formation (completely off his knees) and Alex tried to scale the wall. Nick of course was just flirting! Everything was fine, no worries. They're doing everything they're supposed to be. And now we can start adding protein to our diets. Logan got excited to learn he could have steak (although I had to remind him he'd need to hurry up on those teeth).

That about sums it up. Nothing exciting. Back in 3 months for their 1 year checkup. Has time really gone that fast?!

Dinner Time Video

In the last post I was talking about how they notice each other and laugh at each other. This video is from a couple of weeks ago... right when Nick started saying Dada. A warning though... don't have your speakers up too loud or Logan will blow right through them :)

This is a typical night at our house...

We just got back from the doctor... I'll post about that tonight!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Laughing Babies Rock

This weekend Adam and I woke up to an interesting sound coming from the baby monitor. It was babies laughing. That is a typical thing in our house when the boys play, but not usually what we hear first thing in the morning. Of course we went in to check it out and Logan and Nick were laughing at each other! They had both figured out if they pulled their bumpers down a little, they could see a brother! Alex was standing in his crib, looking over at the two of them and laughing too.

Obviously, they are noticing each other more. Logan will bust out laughing just looking at his brothers (especially when they're still in their highchairs and he's free). They also love to take toys from each other, and although this isn't really new, sometimes it seems like there is actually intent. I actually saw Nick get excited yesterday because he wanted the toy Alex was playing with. They were in their activity centers and Nick was bouncing and jumping, trying to reach Alex's toy. Then there was the stare down... Nick giving Alex a dirty look (as dirty as a 9 month old knows) and Alex gloating that he had the chewy, tasty toy - nah-na-nah-na-nah-na!

We have our 9 month doctor appointment tomorrow - Happy Birthday boys! I'll post their official weights and info tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Happy 4th of July!

We celebrated our 1st 4th of July this year on the road. It was a much different celebration than last year. This time last year I was just beginning my modified bed rest - stay home from work and just sit and grow babies. I was trying to figure out what to do with all my free time. Now I'm not sure I know what free time is! But the growing babies thing worked well and we have 3 beautiful, happy baby boys to show for it (I may be a little biased).

Friday we went up to Minonk for the annual parade. Alex and Nick were asleep during the first part and of course Logan didn't want to miss a thing, no matter how tired he was! Eventually Alex and Nick woke up (it wasn't the first set of police/fire sirens... but maybe the second) and they all enjoyed it.
They were very observant and captivated by the moving procession. Then we headed back out to Grandma and Grandpa's house for play time with the dog. Cody's still not sure what to think of all 3 of them!

Saturday we went down to Decatur for the annual Williams' 4th of July celebration. We took the boys swimming again and they had a blast! Alex was in a mood most of the day (I think a second tooth is starting to come in), but he enjoyed the pool regardless. They all loved to splash the water but no one was fond of going under. I got to hold my 2 month old cousin Ava and was momentarily reminded how small the boys used to be! It seems so long ago... and now they are almost 9 months old! Time flies when you're having fun, right?

The boys did very well with all the new people. Even Nick, who is usually slow to warm up to new people, was enjoying all the attention and people and activity. When all the other kids were in the pool, each of the boys would just stare at them. I know if they could talk they would have been begging to go in with everyone else.

We didn't really get to see fireworks this year. Bed time is a little too early and a hard habit to break (especially for my kids!). There's always next year....

Monday, July 7, 2008

Cousin Sydney

As promised, a post on our visit with Cousin Sydney...

Sydney was up visiting a couple of weeks ago and came up to our house to help us celebrate Adam's Birthday, Father's Day and Audrey & David's Anniversary. This was also the first weekend the boys were out of their carriers. We went to Carlos O'Kellys for dinner and Sydney ordered cheese dip for us in Spanish! (Granted, the waitress had no idea what she was talking about - still cute!) She and the boys were all pretty well behaved. She even scolded Papaw B, saying "You're making a mess!" It was very cute!

We then came back to the house and opened gifts. Sydney helped everyone open their gifts and even helped with the cake. The boys were sleeping so she was the star of the show.

After the boys ate, she was playing with them and reading to them. I think this might be one of the first group pictures we've gotten where everyone is actually awake!


We also took a walk with Sydney and the boys. When it was time to go, Sydney decided she'd rather stay. Since her mom was expecting her home the next day, we convinced her that she needed to go to Grandma Carol's to pack up her suitcase. She was moving up into a new class on Monday when she got back to day care. It was supposed to be 1/2 days for a week (half in her old class and half in the new), but she enjoyed it so much, she stayed in the new class all day towards the end of the week. The old class was too boring!

She's definitely a cutey! We wish we could see her more often, but for now we'll have to stay updated with pictures. I think she's planning on coming back up later this summer. We hope to see her then!

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Yours looks better than mine!

Did I mention that Alex is a little dare devil?! Earlier this week he learned a new trick. He can now get himself from a laying position into a sitting position. Add that to his new love of pulling himself up onto anything stable enough to do that on (or sometimes not stable enough) and you have a child that can go from laying to standing. Great accomplishment - congrats Alex.

Being the quick study he is, today he decided to try a new trick. So, at nap time today, he was practicing his lay down/sit up/stand trick. He kept getting excited once he was up and standing. Dawn kept laying him back down (so he'd sleep). Well, one time when she went up to lay him back down, she noticed he wasn't in his crib. In fact, he was in Nick's crib, giggling. That's right, the baby stood up and tumbled over the side of his own crib, into his brother's bed (remember, they are pushed up next to each other). I guess he was tired of his crib (he's had the same one since birth, but his brothers got new ones). He decided he wanted to check out his other options.

Needless to say, I lowered his mattress this evening. I give him a week or so to figure out how to crawl/climb up that!