Easter and Mother's Day

After a practice run with my mom on Palm Sunday, we all made it to church on Easter Sunday.  The 11:00 service is right in the middle of the babies' nap, so we were lucky that Colin and Cash slept through most of the service.  Not only can the boys sleep through Grace's fits at night, but they can also sleep through the church organ!  Jon had to take Grace on a walk once during the service because she started trying to chat with a man sitting near us.

Colin and Cash happily checking out their Easter baskets.
Grace passing judgement on the cheap Easter bunny.  

Colin, Grace, and Cash.
They are wearing beautiful sweaters handmade by our friend, Sharon.

I had an awesome first Mother's Day!  My parents, Jon's parents, and Jon's aunt came over to celebrate.  The triplets entertained us with their chatter.

Cash

Colin

Grace

Jon's mom and Grace, Colin and me, my mom and Cash

Auntie Sue took over the heavy load 

The dads wanted a picture too.
Jon and Grace, Jon's dad and Colin, and my dad and Cash

Trying out some puffs a few weeks ago...

9 months old

The triplets recently turned 9 months old.  Grace is pulling herself around and, when we're not watching, she usually makes a bee-line for the diapers we have stored under their changing table.  Cash is very chatty and laughs hysterically at the other two babies, for no apparent reason.  Colin has just started babbling, so he and Cash occasionally have adorable little conversations.  

March was full of doctors' appointments for the triplets.  They all saw a neurosurgeon to follow up on the MRI's they had before they were discharged from the hospital and to assess the flat spots on the boys' heads.  The neurosurgeon had no concerns with any of them, so we don't have to go back to her for any additional exams.  Because they were born really early, the babies have to get their hearing checked every six months for three years.  Preemies are at a higher risk for hearing loss.  When Colin failed his first test, we discovered he had an ear infection.  Cash also failed because he had fluid on one of his ears.  They will both get retested next week and hopefully everything has cleared up by then.  Their eye exams went well - Colin "graduated" and does not have to go back.  Cash and Grace have slight issues and will go back for follow up in a few months.  Our pediatrician is happy with their growth and was impressed that Colin is in the 95th percentile for his weight - on the 9-month growth curve (the triplets are normally assessed based on their adjusted age which is about 6.5 months old).  

Now, a few random pictures from the past few months...

Out enjoying a sunny day in February

Grace enjoys pulling Daddy's glasses off of his face!

Grace, Cash, and Colin wearing some of their Christmas gifts from Aunt Emily and Uncle Andrew

Our first family trip to the grocery

Cash, Grace, and Colin ready for a walk around the neighborhood.

A little jam session on the Baby Einstein -- Colin rarely shares this toy.

The triplets with their friend, Finn.
Yes, Colin has a mohawk -  that's what happens when Daddy does bath night.

Cash watching the House and Senate with Daddy on a snow day.

Who me?

Not even Beau is safe when Colin blows raspberries while eating dinner. 

The first baby with teeth - and she got two at once!

Colin, Grace, and Cash at 9 months old

30 weeks

Our 30-week preemies turned 30 weeks old on Thursday!  At their well-baby visit a week ago, they were all officially cleared to come off the heart and apnea monitors.  Thank goodness!  They also no longer need the iron supplement that they started taking when they were in the hospital.  The pediatrician charted them using both their real age, which is based on their birthday, and their adjusted age, which is based on their due date, and she was happy with their growth.

Colin weighs over 17 lbs and is actually on the growth curve for full-term 6-month-olds!  He's been doing physical therapy to address his torticollis.  His neck muscles seem to be loosening up.  He's doing well with tummy time and can sit on his own for a few seconds before toppling over.  Colin is happiest when he's full (like father, like son!), and he has the best belly-laughs! 

Cash is about 14.5 lbs and is just under the growth curve for full-term 6-month-olds.  He is working with an occupational therapist to address his extensor pattern (he stiffens up like a board) and we have already seen great improvement!  He has started showing more interest in tummy time -- until recently, he would lay his head down and go to sleep when we would try tummy time with him.  Cash loves to snuggle and we love that he smiles with his whole face!

Grace is about 14.5 lbs and is just under the growth curve for full-term six-month-olds.  She and Cash are now about the same weight, but she has petite features so she looks smaller than Cash.  Grace has been working with both a physical therapist and an occupational therapist to address various physical issues that are mostly the result of her severe reflux.  Her physical development was a bit more delayed than the boys, but a few weeks ago, she took off!  Now she's rolling all over the place and tucking her knees to scootch herself around on her belly.  She has recently decided that she does not like to be on the schedule that the boys are on, so we're trying to stay ahead of her melt-downs and find a better schedule for her.  Grace's smile melts our hearts and she has securely wrapped her daddy around her little finger!

Holiday recap

It's been awhile, so bear with me, this post is going to be long!

Just before Thanksgiving, the babies got to meet my Uncle Virgil when he visited from Tucson.  He was brave enough to hold two babies at a time!

Cash and Grace with their Great Uncle Virgil

When we got married, Jon and I started alternating the holidays with our families.  The year we spend Thanksgiving in Connecticut with Jon's family, we spend Christmas in Richmond with my family.  With the triplets' arrival, travel seems just about impossible!

We are so thankful that most of Jon's family was able come to Richmond to spend Thanksgiving with us this year (we missed you, Brendan!).  Jon's Uncle Bull, Auntie Barb, and cousin Ryan got to meet the babies for the first time.  Auntie Sue was back for her second visit since the babies were born, but the first time she was here, Cash was still in the hospital.  The babies enjoyed being held for three days straight!

Cash, Grace, and Colin wearing their "My first turkey day" bibs that our friend Deborah made

After Thanksgiving, I started trying to figure out how we could take the babies to see Santa.  It seemed like a daunting task...If Santa was on the second floor of the mall, would our tractor-trailer of a stroller fit in the elevator?  Would it fit in the line to see Santa?  Would the babies, who are very rarely in their car seats, tolerate waiting in line while sitting in their carseats?  Would Santa even be able to hold three babies?  And what about the babies' heart monitors?  It was exhausting even thinking about it, but it was the babies'  first Christmas, so we were going to do it one way or another!

The Monday before we had planned to attempt a visit with Santa, our home healthcare nurse, Kim, asked if we'd be interested in having Santa come to our house.  Ummm, YES, PLEASE!  Kim and her husband dress up as Mrs. Claus and Santa each year and visit her patients.  Their daughters even came to help take pictures!  

The babies enjoyed their first visit with Santa!  No tears this year!

Santa CAN hold all three babies! (Colin, Grace, and Cash)

The triplets with Santa and Mrs. Claus

The Clauses brought a stuffed toy for each baby

Colin and Cash with Santa

Sweet Cash

The triplets with the wonderful Steuber family

My family's Christmas Eve tradition is to have dinner with the family that lived across the street from us when I was growing up.  I can't really say I "hosted" dinner this year because I didn't prepare any of the food, but we all got together at my house.  We had a great time catching up with each other!

The Pickens, Williams, and Stems

Mr. Stem with Grace, Chris with Cash, and Andrew with Colin

Grace found herself a comfy spot...

and fell fast asleep!

On Christmas Day, after the 8:00 a.m. feeding round (Colin eats at 8:00, Cash at 8:30, and Grace at 9:00), the babies opened their stockings and Christmas presents from Santa.  My mom made stockings that our friend Deborah monogrammed for the babies.  I love them!

Jon and I have stockings made by his Gram.  The babies have stockings made by their Gramma.  Beau has a stocking made by Target!

We only put up a table-top tree this year.  We're kind of overrun with baby gear right now and we've never had a full-sized tree since our dog, Beau, joined our family.  I figured this was not the year to try to teach him to stay away from the tree.  We might as well teach both the babies and the dog not to touch the ornaments next year.  I got each baby his/her own first Christmas ornament and Jon held each baby by the tree as I hung the ornament.  I think Colin was the only baby who recognized the Christmas tree as being something unusual in the room!

Santa doesn't wrap his presents....or take them off the hanger, apparently

Colin, Cash, and Grace

Christmas afternoon, we packed the babies' duffle bag (two rounds of bottles and burp cloths and diapers for three do not fit in your standard diaper bag!) and headed to my parents' house 15 minutes away.  This was the babies' first trip to Gramma and Pop's house!  Again, I think Colin was the only one who realized he wasn't at home.  The babies did well all afternoon.  Of course, when they weren't sleeping, they were snuggling with Gramma, Pop, Uncle Andrew, or Aunt Emily!  

Christmas wasn't over then -- Jon's parents came down from Connecticut a few days later and we celebrated all over again!

The babies and their haul

Colin, Cash, and Grace (wearing "shoes" for the very first time!)

Cash with Uncle Andrew and Aunt Emily

Grace, Cash, and Colin with Gramma and Pop

Last Christmas, I had a hunch that I was pregnant.  My doctor called with the good news the day after Christmas.  He said my beta count was so high that "some might think" I was carrying multiples -- a comment he promptly followed with "but let's not go there right now".  I never dreamed that a year later our family would look like this...

We enjoyed the holidays this year more than we have in a long time!  Happy New Year!