Growing like weeds

We had our 6 month well visit with the pediatrician yesterday, complete with shots - ouch! The boys did great though! As their MaSha said, they were "stuck" so many times in the NICU they can really handle it like champs! We get a lot of oohs and aahs and questions when we go to appointments, particularly from the other parents in the waiting room or at the check out, but the staff was so complimentary of the boys. I think they probably compliment everyone but they always tell us how adorable and good looking they are. I believe them! ;) The boys were really well behaved yesterday, just calm and laid back. Of course they cried when they got their shots but it didn't last long then they fell asleep. I was very proud of how well they did. Thomas was able to go with me yesterday and he finally got to meet our primary pediatrician, Dr. Bessom. I was really glad to have him there to meet her and to listen to all my questions and the answers and to just hear about the boys in general.

The big guys got great feedback! The doctor said that they are looking good and doing what they're supposed to be doing. She really didn't have any concerns. What a relief!

We got updated weights and lengths. I know I just posted some measurements from the pulmonologist from last week, but I don't think their scale was correct. The weights this week are significantly different from last week and I don't think the boys put on that much weight in one week. The weights we got yesterday seem a little more realistic. So, without further ado...

Stokes - 12.56 lb, 24.25"
Ryan - 12.09 lb, 23.75"
William - 14.78 lb, 24.25"

I don't put too much stock into the lengths because it can vary so much depending on who is taking the measurements and how straight they can get the baby's leg, etc. Want to hear some good news?!?!?! William is on the 6 month growth chart! Woo hoo!  He's the 7th percentile...so he's still little for 6 months, but the important thing is that he's on the chart. Stokes and Ryan have a great upward curve on their growth measurements but they aren't quite on the 6 month chart yet. I bet if we saw their measurements on the 3 month growth chart (their adjusted age) they would be rocking it out!

The appointment went well, we were pleased with how the boys acted and their weights and it felt great to leave without concerns.

On another note, the babies got the opportunity to spend some time with someone very special this past Saturday. My longtime friend, Corey, came by to see the little guys and it was so great to see her! She met the boys once before but this time she got to spend some good, quality time with them. Corey means so much to our family. She, her sister and her mom are like my second family. I love them all to pieces, as does Thomas! They are the kindest, most selfless, not to mention hilarious, people I know. Corey was in town for her sister, Beth's, wedding celebration party. Woo hoo!

I hope that the boys will grow up knowing Corey's daughters, Molly and Kate. They would be great friends and role models for the boys. Here are some pictures of our time together.

Corey holding Ryan

Corey and me with the boys (their hilarious onesies say Baby A, Baby B & Baby C...LOL! From my bestie, Colby)

Letting the boys interact with each other 

Corey with William and Ryan 

I want to give a shout out to Corey's friends in Charlotte that read this blog and pray for us. Corey is always telling me sweet things about y'all and I really appreciate your support! By the way, I've gotten some great clothes and baby gear from y'all...thank you! :)

6 Months Old

Today marks the day that our boys turned 6 months old. They have come such a long way in 6 short months. They are miracles and such incredible little people. I thank God for giving these sweet babies to Thomas and me. I don't know what we did to deserve them, but the good Lord smiled down on us when he gave us these blessings.

The boys are only 3 months adjusted age. Although it is a little confusing, we have to think of them in their adjusted age when it comes to size/weight, development and milestones. So far they are really doing so well. We take the babies to lots of appointments to make sure we stay on top of any issues that arise and keep our finger on the pulse on their development. We try to do a lot of "tummy time" based on the suggestions and homework given at basically all of our appointments. They continue to progress and I truly believe they will "catch up" to babies their age at some point.

The last six months have gone by really quickly, which apparently is a recurring theme when you have children. A dear friend of mine always reminds me to think back 30 days at any given point in time to take a second to realize how far they've come. Each week gets easier and easier as I learn more about how to be a mom and they learn well, pretty much everything. These babies are taking in the world and learning so much. They are so very loved by their parents and all their family members and friends they've met over the last 6 months.

William
William went from being the smallest baby to the biggest...by a pretty good margin. It's crazy to hold him after holding one of the others to feel the weight difference. He is sturdy! He's currently wearing 3-6 month clothes and is in size 2 diapers. He is a GREAT eater and finishes his bottle each time and is taking about 5-6 oz per bottle. The more ounces we put in the bottle, the more he drinks. I swear, I think we could put 10 oz in his bottle and he would finish it! He still spits up a good bit, but it doesn't seem to bother him very much, thanks to his reflux medicine. He gets generic Prilosec twice a day. William has found his mouth and loves to suck on his fingers. He makes the sweetest noises when he's sucking on his fingers. It's a soothing thing for him. His hair is getting thicker (especially in the front) and is still so dark. He has such an adorable smile and smiles the most when he's on the changing table. I don't know if that means he likes getting his diaper changed, or whether he just likes the angle of having his Mom or Dad looking down at him! He has the softest skin I've ever felt and I really enjoy putting lotion on him. He will put his hands around my hands when I am feeding him and every now and them he will grab his bottle. He has even held it himself for a little while a few times! He has stopped crying so much and is much calmer than he used to be. He loves to snuggle and it's awesome to hold him and let him nuzzle in my neck.

Stokes
I think Stokes is our little comedian. He is so funny and LOVES to smile and laugh. He is really quite charming as well. Everyone that is around him just falls in love with him. He has these big, intense eyes and will look into the eyes of whoever is holding, feeding or playing with him. His eyelashes are so long and thick and beautiful! It's so easy to get him to smile, which is so rewarding. He is still wearing 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. He typically drinks about 3-4 oz per bottle. He's taking generic Zantac medicine for reflux 3 times a day. He has a very high pitched, shrill cry and some days he really likes to use it! We still call him pterodactyl when he does that. We continue to swaddle Stokes at night, although we've stopped swaddling his brothers. Stokes tends to wake up a few times throughout the night every so often (including the last 3 nights) and the swaddle seems to help. He loves kicking his legs and moving his arms around when he's laying on a blanket. He kicks pretty hard and makes thumping noises when his heels hit the floor and his Dad called him Thumper the other day. His hair is starting to come in a little more and is also pretty dark. I love it so much when he sneezes because 1) it's adorable and 2) the noises he makes are hilarious. He has begun "talking" to is and making sounds. He actually said Mama last week! I had several witnesses that heard it...or at least heard something that sounded like Mama.

Ryan
Ryan is so super sweet. He is quiet and a little more reserved than his brothers. He doesn't smile a whole lot yet but has given us a few grins and they were extremely cute! Ryan looks the most different out of the three and has lighter skin, eyes and hair than his brothers. Speaking of hair, he has a lot less than the others as well. He was struggling with eating for a while but is taking reflux medicine and seems to be doing better. He typically drinks about 4-5 oz per feeding and gets his Prilosec twice a day. He wears 0-3 month clothes and size 1 diapers. He is long and lean and we are still working on getting more rolls on him! I think he just has a different body type than his brothers though. Ryan is so strong and can hold his head up really well. He rolls over often and loves to move. He will bicycle with his legs and wave his arms around when he's playing. I keep thinking he might grow up to be athletic. He naps and sleeps really well and I hate waking him up from his nap to eat each day. He's so groggy when I wake him up but he's so sweet and cute. He has a laid back demeanor and I just adore holding him. I tend to worry more about Ryan and I am very protective of him.

Their Dad and I love each of these boys to the moon and back. They are the best thing that's ever happened to us. They are doing great but still have some hurdles and obstacles that they need to overcome. Please continue to pray for them as we do daily.

Here are some outtakes of our photo shoot from this morning. I love the outtakes too because they make me laugh. :) They are getting too big to really fit in this chair in their nursery so I had to basically lay Ryan on the top of Stokes and William. I don't think he was very comfortable...haha. Sorry, Ryan! They're in A, B,C order: Stokes, Ryan and William.

Adios

Don't worry, loyal blog readers, I am not saying goodbye to you and the blog. I am saying ADIOS to our little friend...

(Stokes' monitor)

I've been feeling that Stokes didn't need his monitor anymore for a while but had to wait for the official word from our Pulmonologist. Well, we got the word today. He agreed with me based on the last download. Wooo hooo! Party time!

We asked Stokes what he thought about getting rid of his monitor and here's his reaction.

Translation = Yay! I am so awesome!

So adios, sayonara, ciao to the monitor!!!

This week's appointment: Synagis

We had an appointment this week to go to the Pulmonologist to get Synagis shots for the babies. Synagis provides antibodies to help fight RSV, in case the boys were to get it. Not all babies get Synagis, but my babies qualified based on their gestational age at birth (27 weeks), since they are at a much higher risk than a full term baby to have major complications and hospitalization with RSV if they were to get it. 

I was so glad to have both Nanas here to help with the appointment. We had a 1:1 adult to child ratio...nice! That doesn't happen much. We didn't even bother with strollers. We each just carried a baby in our arms. 

Exciting info...updated weights and lengths!!!

Stokes - 11 lb, 7 oz; 22 3/4"

Ryan - 10 lb, 9 oz; 23 1/4"

William - 12 lb, 2 oz; 23"

Pre-appointment, Ryan on the couch hanging out...like a big boy! 

Boys in car seats, ready to go!

At the Pulmonologist, waiting for our appointment

Once we got to the room we stripped the babies down to their diapers to get weighed.

Stokes

Nana and William 

William on the scale

He's turning into a chunky monkey!

The nurse got weights, lengths, head circumference, oxygen saturation & heart rate. Then they got the Synagis shots ready based on each baby's weight. 

Ryan getting his oxygen sat & heart rate taken

 

Ryan getting his shot (not happy!)

The boys all cried for just a minute after they got their shots but calmed down pretty quickly. It was great to have three of us there to hold and comfort them when they were upset. They all went to sleep in the car on the way home. 

We have one more round of Synagis shots next month and then they'll be done. It does not sound like they will be candidates to get the shot next winter, which will hopefully mean they are strong and healthy enough to be able to withstand RSV if they were to get it.

The Nanas!

The boys' Nanas are here with us this week. The Nanas are my Aunt Mary Nell and my Aunt Wanda and they are so nurturing and sweet. You should see them with the babies! It's love! Not only are the Nanas helping to take care of the boys, they're taking care of Thomas and me, too. Cooking, washing bottles, keeping the kitchen clean, they are doing it all! They're going to watch the boys on Friday and Saturday night this weekend. Thomas and I are going to have a date night and go to a party/marriage celebration for my longtime friend, Beth. We are so looking forward to both.

Here are pictures of "the Nanas" with the boys. 

Nana 1 holding Stokes

Nana 1 with Ryan

Nana Wanda getting Stokes ready for the day

Nana Wanda holding William

Whoa...

We had an earthquake last night. It was small and its epicenter was in Edgefield, SC. I totally felt it. I was pumping and watching men's figure skating Olympics coverage (surprise, surprise!) and felt the house shake! I had no clue what it was. I only realized it was an earthquake when I got on Facebook and saw everyone posting about it. It was not a huge deal but I was shocked nonetheless. It's just crazy that we had several days of snow and an earthquake in the same week! Don't worry, everyone, the babies slept right through it. They were sleeping hard...well, like babies! ;)

Sweethearts

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, Y'ALL!

These are my three little sweethearts!

William: "Yes, I'm wearing white pants before Easter...so what are you gonna do about it?" He's a rebel without a cause!

Ryan: "Mom, you're my sweetheart this year." My little gentleman. 

Stokes: "I'm begging. Will you please be my Valentine?" What a little charmer!

Smiley boy

We didn't have real "Valentine's" outfits so I just scrounged around for something red for them to wear today.

They got to meet my friend Adrienne today during her lunch break. It was so good to catch up with an old friend that I hadn't seen in a really long time! 

After that, April, our Early Interventionist, came by to work with the boys on their development. This is a service provided through BabyNet and we get to work with April once a week. Usually it's on Thursdays, but the snow messed up our regular schedule this week. April helps with tummy time, rolling over, tracking toys with their eyes, reaching for toys/objects, sitting, and several other things! This week she thought that we should do a referral to a pediatric eye doctor to check Ryan's eyes for vision issues. You may remember the eye doctor we've been seeing was only checking for ROP, not vision. Ryan doesn't make a whole lot of eye contact and doesn't track as well as the other boys, so we thought we should get his vision checked just to see! I will let you know what they say.

Thomas, my big sweetheart, and I have a really romantic evening planned...leftovers for dinner followed by washing and making bottles! Maybe we will squeeze in a little Olympics...not sure if we'll have time. Haha! 

We actually are going to go on a Valentine's date in a few weeks. My Aunt Trish is "gifting" us a night out and she's going to pay for our former night nurse to sit with the boys for a few hours. So although our night tonight will be same ol', same ol', we will get our date in eventually!

Our home is certainly filled with lots of love this Valentine's Day! I hope yours is, too! XOXO

Our "plans"

I think this picture says it all

 

HAHAHAHA!

I think these onesies are hilarious. One of our friends sent us a picture of triplets wearing shirts like these shortly after we announced we were having triplets. I thought it was just so funny and decided that we would get some of those shirts. Luckily, some family friends, Dave and Carolyn, got these onesies made for us. I could not have been more pleased. 

Of course, this is just a joke. We unconditionally LOVE each and every one of our babies. We definitely were NOT planning on having triplets, but God decided to bless us with three babies. Each and every day we realize more and more what a true blessing these sweet triplets are.

It is difficult to get a decent picture of 3 babies...and I usually don't succeed. This photo op was no exception. Here are some "outtake" pictures. Enjoy! :)

Here's another cute one but Ryan was covering up his shirt!

Snow babies

It is snowing SO. HARD. today. I love it! Well, I love looking at it, but I am safely and warmly inside my house with working power. Thank goodness.

It's cold and windy out today so we didn't want to have the babies outside for a long time. We basically got their hats and jackets on, put the bumbos out on the porch, put the babies in the bumbos and furiously snapped as many pictures as we could. Then we rushed the babies back inside where it was warm. I don't think they loved the experience, but we love these pictures. :)

 Can you tell how much fun William is having?

 

Stokes

William

Ryan

 

Later on I took the babies back out on the back porch for a few "selfies". Thomas has been busy working and answering emails all day and I just felt like I needed a few more snow pictures before it all melts or turns to ice.

William

Ryan

Stokes

Smiling while preparing to go outside :)