Playdate

My friend, Diane, lives in Charlotte but came to town to see her parents this week. Yesterday she offered to come over to visit. YES! I love it when people come to me so I don't have to either take the boys somewhere (so hard!) or wait for Thomas to get home so I can leave the house. Diane asked if she could bring Grace, her 4 month old, with her. I am so tired of being the germ police and figured we're far enough into spring and said yes. The full term due date for the boys was the exact same day as Grace's due date. Crazy!  Plus, the boys have to meet the future bride for one of them at some point, right? We used to tailgate every football season with Diane and her husband, Justin, but obviously didn't do the usual tailgate/football season last fall. We were joking that we are going to have an epic Peery/Wilkes tailgate one of these years! Especially when two of our kids are dating, engaged and eventually married. Is it weird to do arranged marriages in America in this day and age? :)

Diane came over to visit again this morning before leaving town and this time, Amy and baby Cole came, too! Grace was surrounded by her male suitors. It was a total baby fest and so much fun! The mamas had a good time catching up and chatting and the babies definitely had fun "playing" together. They actually really didn't pay much attention to each other but it was seriously cute! Cole was born 2 weeks after the boys and he is such a big boy! The triplets share "ages" with both Cole and Grace. My babies and Cole share an actual age and they share an adjusted age with Grace. Pretty cool.

Warning for the pictures below - cuteness overload!

So many babies!!! L to R: William, Grace, Ryan, Cole & Stokes

Amy had to leave to get her little girl from her mom's house and Diane stayed a few minutes and I got some mama/baby pictures.

Diane and Grace

Stokes and me

Ryan and me

William and me

Diane took a few candid pictures when I was holding William. :)

The first official playdates for the babies were successful. I'm sure we'll have many, many more!

Bros and babies

So Thomas was out of town again for work this week but I had Aunt Suzy here to help from Tuesday afternoon through Friday morning. I thought 2 weeks in a row of being by myself was too much and luckily Suzy was able to come! She was awesome. I always have such a great time with her.

Coincidentally, Thomas and his buddies had planned a golf weekend for this weekend long ago. They decided on the date before his work trips were planned, but unfortunately his guys weekend ran back to back with his business travel. He came home for a night and turned right back around to hang out with the guys. I was bummed but know how much he needed some "bromance" time with his friends. The guys spent the weekend at Matt's lake house golfing, kayaking, grilling and hanging out. It was a much deserved break for him and I know he had a great time!

Here's a picture the guys sent me over the weekend.

Our house was the meeting place when the guys left on Friday which meant that all the cars were here. On Sunday they all came back over to our house to get their cars so I got a chance to see them and catch up for a little while as well. It is so fun for me to see Thomas's friends with the babies. They are so great with them! They're all like uncles for the boys and I love the interaction. Unfortunately Joey hit the road before the boys were up from their nap so I didn't get any pictures of him with the little guys.

I'm thankful that Thomas has such a fun, funny and genuine group of friends! But sorry guys, he's not allowed out of the house for a while! Just kidding...kind of. ;)

Matt with Stokes

 

Thomas with William

Clark with Ryan

I get so emotional, baby!

These books. Whew. These books make me cry each and every time I read them to the boys. That Nancy Tillman is a creative genius.

On the Night You Were Born

Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You

Each night before putting the triplets to bed we read them a bedtime story.  I know as soon as I pick up either of these books that I will be crying by the end. They just get to me. Each story is so sweet and absolutely beautifully written and illustrated. Each and every word rings so true and has a path straight to the strings that tug on my heart. By the end of the book I'm all choked up and trying to just get the last few words out. The boys don't know what I'm saying yet but they probably know that their mom is a hot mess struggling to get through the end of the book and hopefully they know and feel how very much they are loved.

Even though I've warned you that they make me cry and they very well may make you cry as well, I would really highly recommend both of them. If you don't have them, buy them. If you have them but haven't read them yet, do it. You will be glad you did. That's all.

P.S. Did the title of this post make you start singing Whitney Houston's "So Emotional" in your head when you read it? If it wasn't already in your head, it probably is now! When I was trying to come up with a name for the post, that song popped into my head and it's a good one. Ain't it shocking what love can do?!?! If you want to reminisce and listen, here you go! Love me some Whitney. Enjoy.

My big accomplishment

Thomas was out of town last week on a business trip. That means I was taking care of the babies...by myself! On his previous work trips I have asked a family member to stay with me to help out, but this time I wanted to do it on my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I can hack it! Mission accomplished.

I can't truly claim that I was all by myself because a few sweet friends came over. Thomas left on Tuesday and that night my friend Heather brought dinner and helped me with the boys. She even helped me give them baths!

Heather feeding William

Holding all 3

Wednesday night I got to hang out with Pressly. She volunteered to come over and bring dinner since she knew Thomas was going to be traveling. I so enjoyed chatting with her and catching up.

Holding Ryan

Holding Stokes and Ryan

 

Great friends! I think I needed a little adult interaction! 

On Thursday my Dad dropped by for a few minutes while the babies were napping and washed some bottles for me. That evening I did bath time on my own for the second time ever. It went pretty well. I like knowing that I'm not totally dependent on other people for everything.

Friday afternoon I took all three babies to an appointment all by myself. It was during a feeding and that threw me for a little loop. I was trying to feed them while we were waiting and it was not as easy there than when I'm not at home in my comfort zone with my Boppys and other conveniences that we use daily. They were also crying a good bit, which is unusual for them. The whole experience wasn't great. I was feeling a little stressed out. I think they could probably sense that, which didn't help with their moods and fussiness. That said, we survived and made it work, however, I am not dying to do that again anytime soon. ;)

Appointment updates!!!!
Stokes - 14 lbs, 8 oz; 25.13 inches long
Ryan - 14 lbs, 7 oz; 25 inches long
William - 17 lbs, 8 oz; 25.25 inches long

As you can see, William has really started packing on the pounds. He is significantly heavier than his brothers and it's obvious when you hold him and then hold one of the others. We used to tease him that he was the smallest at birth and needed to catch up to his brothers and he took it to heart! All three are gaining weight and are in the range of where they should be.

I made it through the week and Thomas came back on Friday night. I was more than ready for him to get home. I missed him a lot and was pretty much exhausted from being 100% on baby duty for 4 days. His absence made me really appreciate all the things he does to help me out when he's here. He's an amazing father and a sweet and wonderful husband!

Keepin' it real

I don't necessarily think this needs to be said, but just wanted to let you know that while my babies are totally awesome and sweet and wonderful, our lives are not perfect. I don't always post about bad days, stressful situations, and when things just aren't going right. Nobody wants to read about someone complaining and whining.  I get that.  I usually post when I have good news, cute pictures, or a funny story to tell. I realize it probably comes across as a bit cheesy sometimes.  I have quite a different story to tell now that the boys are home, happy, and are getting good health updates versus when they were first born and hanging on to their lives in the NICU. My posts in turn have taken on a much more lighthearted approach than the medical rollercoaster I started out writing about. That doesn't mean that we're just having a great old time all day everyday.

It's a little bit of a pet peeve of mine when people post all this great stuff constantly and they try to make it appear that their life is 100% perfect all the time. I know that doesn't actually exist to have a perfect life, but you'd never know it by some social media outlets and blogs. I don't want to fall into that category about pretending like my life is perfect, so folks, I just wanna keep it real!

Here are a few examples of some "real" life moments.

My dogs, God love them, are acting out a bit and are in dire need of some attention. Ain't nobody got time for that. Sorry, doggies.  We now have to HIDE our trashcan from our dogs and keep it in the pantry with the door closed...and visitors never know where it is when they need to throw something away.  Here are a few pictures I snapped of General and his antics from a few months back.

Ryan spit up all over me the other day. It was everywhere. Thankfully this doesn't happen everyday but it's not all that rare. We both had to do a complete outfit change. I am not one to change a baby's outfit when a drop of milk or a little dab of carrot gets on it. I only change when it's SOAKED. ;) We were both soaked through. A few days ago I took the babies outside on a blanket in the middle of the day. I chatted with my neighbor, read them a book, and took some pictures. After about 30 minutes I decided it was time to go back in (this means 4+ trips back and forth from the yard to the house - 1 trip for each baby and 1+ trip for the blanket, Bumbos, books and whatever else is there).  Once we got in I noticed poor William's face looked pink. I was worried for the rest of the day that I ruined his skin already and let him get sunburned. By the way, in case you're worried, it's totally fine and I'm certain it's not sunburned...thank goodness! I think he was just warm from being outside. But you live and you learn. Note to self: find better shade or bring an umbrella next time.

The point of this post is just to say we are a regular family...with 7 month old triplets, as regular as that is...and I don't want to come off acting like everything is all roses all the time. We have our ups and downs. As anyone with kids can tell you, it's hard work but you love your children so much it's all worth it. Gotta go...it's naptime and I hear crying...such is life!

Welcome, Spring!

Oh Spring, we have been waiting for you. Thanks for showing up. Although it officially turned spring a week or two ago, it has not felt like spring around here. We have the occasional warm, sunny afternoon but the weather has been schizophrenic and can't make up its mind to stay warm. This week, however, we are supposed to get some good, warm days. I am pumped!

We have been looking so forward to spring because that means we can leave the house! Fewer cold/flu/RSV germs will be floating around and the dangers of leaving the house are minimized. It's almost time to show these babies the world! My head is spinning with plans of trips to church, afternoons at a park, more consistent neighborhood walks and maybe even a day trip to Clemson! Watch out, world, the Peery triplets are coming for you. :)

This afternoon I took the boys outside for a little while.

Stokes

Ryan

William

7 Months Old

The boys are 7 months old today and their adjusted age is 4 months old. I'm discovering that this is a really fun age. They've started babbling some and do a lot of smiling and laughing. They don't play with toys much yet, but I've put them in exersaucers and continue to try to introduce toys to them and I think they will become interested pretty soon. Here's an update with specifics about each of the babies.

My sweet triplet babies at 7 months old

Stokes
Stokes is still such a happy and smiley baby. He loves attention and sometimes gets upset when someone isn't paying him the attention that he wants. He has gotten very squirmy and is constantly kicking his legs, grabbing things (mostly his bib or the shirt of whomever is holding him), and shimmying around. When I put him in his Boppy pillow he squirms out of it and keeps traveling across the floor.  It is so funny. When he is on his play mat he grabs the toys that are hanging down and holds on for dear life while he constantly kicks those legs. He still has a shrill cry that is unmistakable. He has taken to "talking" and will sporadically wake up at night with his talking rants which eventually morph into crying. Stokes has really started sucking on his thumb a lot. He wears a size 1 diaper and is in 3 month clothes. He is only a good eater when he wants to be and once he decides he's done with his bottle he will just alternate between smiling and pushing the bottle out of his mouth with his tongue. So far I've fed him peas and carrots and he doesn't seem to really love either one. I'm hoping they will grow on him! He eats his vegetables fairly well but will sometimes spray them out. He is still so funny and has a great laugh. When Stokes smiles, his whole face lights up.  I am starting to notice some little dimples on him. Adorable! He is Mr. Charming and I predict he will have tons of friends.

Ryan
Ryan is so dear and sweet. His demeanor is just precious. He loves to open his eyes wide and he looks all around. He is still pretty calm and laid back unless his reflux is acting up. His hair is starting to come in a little more and is still much lighter in color than either of his brothers. Ryan has really started laughing a lot more now and it is the sweetest sound! It actually sounds a little bit like some of his whimpers, but you can tell he's laughing by his adorable smile. He crinkles up his nose and his eyes look so happy when he's smiling and laughing. He loves being kissed! Ryan sleeps great and is a good napper as well. I read somewhere that brain development happens while the baby sleeps, so I am all for him getting as much sleep as he needs and wants! He wears a size 1 diaper and is in 3 month clothes. He drinks his bottle really well a majority of the time, but every now and then he will fight it and cry and it's just pitiful. I think it's a reflux thing and am keeping an eye on it. He has tried peas and carrots and does a great job eating his vegetables. I don't have to sneak the spoon in; he will open his mouth for me and most of his food is swallowed instead of coming back out on his cheeks and chin. Ryan is doing really well and keeps making developmental steps forward. I am so very of him!

William
William is the snuggliest (is that even a word?!?!) thing! He is my chunky monkey and has rolls from here to eternity. I just love them! He has gotten so big and chubby and who doesn't love a chubby baby?! He has turned such a corner from when he used to cry a lot. Now he is content and happy almost all the time. He loves to put his hands and fingers in his mouth and will self soothe. He talks more now and sounds like he's saying, "Hi" or "Hey"! He will also babble. He has a beautiful smile and looks like the happiest baby on earth. It may be a little early to predict but he seems like a Mama's boy and will look for me when I'm in the room. His laugh is so adorable and melts my heart. Sometimes he'll just squeal and get so excited! He's the least active with movements but when he gets going his arms will flail and he has a great time. A lot of people say he is really starting to look a lot like his Dad and I agree. His eyes are so warm, friendly and sparkly and they draw me in, just like his Dad's eyes. William is wearing a size 2 diaper and is in 6 month clothes. He's typically a great eater with his bottle and almost always finishes whatever is in there but has slowed down recently. We have to stay on him to keep drinking. He has tried peas and carrots and hasn't taken to either one of them just yet. Once I get the spoon in his mouth, he will push the veggies out with his tongue and they'll dribble down his chin. He definitely gets the second swipe of the spoon around his mouth a lot! William is just a happy go lucky baby who doesn't fuss much and is pretty low maintenance. He's so much fun!

I had to snap a picture while he was trying to eat his hands

Of course I talk about how all of them smile so much but when I try to take their monthly pictures I can't get them to smile much! Fifi helped me get a few smiley pictures of them all together.

 

Ryan's sweet baby feet