Seventeen Months Old

Yesterday the triplets turned 17 months old. Today they had their 16-month checkup, which was (thankfully) rescheduled from last month due to snow. Tomorrow marks two years since that fateful day when the ultrasound tech said, "I see three."

I cannot believe the boys are already 17 months old. You'd think that my lack of sleep over the past two years would make time go slower, not faster, but I swear the three of them were just six months old and learning to crawl last week sometime.

So here's the update on Sam, Isaac and Alex at 17 months.

Sam - 33 1/4 inches tall, 23 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. That's 90th percentile for height and about 35th for weight.

Isaac - 33 inches tall, 19 lbs. 3 oz. That's still almost the 90th percentile for height, but about 3rd for weight.

Alex - 33 1/2 inches tall, 23 lbs. 6 1/2 oz. That's 90th percentile for height and about the 35th for weight.

The doctor is happy with how they are growing, though he'd like to see Isaac put on a few pounds. So would we, but the kid eats great. So that's not the problem.

In fact, sometimes Isaac eats so much I wonder where he's putting it. The other day he ate three chicken nuggets, two servings of peas, a quarter of a good-sized sweet potato and fifty pieces of penne pasta. FIFTY!

I couldn't believe he ate all those noodles. He kept asking for more and I was checking his seat, his diaper, watching to see if he was tossing them to his brothers. But they were all going in, just as fast as he could chew them. I was a little worried he was going to burst. Isaac's probably going to be one of those skinny kids who eat anything and everything in sight. I'm glad he's not short in addition to being underweight.

Sam, Isaac and Alex are all talking quite a bit, and repeating everything. I need to try to write down all their words one of these days. They all say each other's names (well, more or less) now, which is impossibly cute. One of the words they all use a lot is "next." As multiples they hear that a lot, as in "You're next," so now they will ask to be next, especially when we're getting in and out of high chairs.

One of the funny things the boys are doing now is asking to be tickled. They will come up to us and say "tickle, tickle" as they tickle their bellies. And if one of them is lying on the ground, someone else will often come up and tickle them while saying "tickle, tickle."

We are also in the throes of the continued battle against climbing. We have had to put a board over the front of the changing table so they can't use the shelves as ladders. And now that they are getting so tall, they can reach the buttons on the TV with just a little help. So I spend a lot of time telling them to get off Bumbos, toys, and each other and leave the TV alone. Alex is the most fascinated, and is responsible for all of us learning that the maximum volume on the playroom TV is 47. Mickey Mouse at that volume will make you want to pull your hair out. 

We are so fortunate that everyone has stayed pretty healthy all winter, and that we have three active, growing boys on our hands!

© Trippin' Mama 2010

One Year Doctor's Visit

I know posts have gotten spotty all of a sudden. The boys have all been varying degrees of sick, and I haven't slept this little in a week since college finals. And, as I recall, there was a lot less crying then...

The boys had a doctor's visit on Tuesday, and they are all doing well, despite the cold and fever we've had. Here are the stats:

Sam: 31 1/2 inches (90th percentile), 21 lbs. 10 1/2 ounces (30th percentile)
Isaac: 30 inches (50th percentile), 18 lbs. 1 1/2 ounces (5th percentile)
Alex: 31 inches (75th percentile), 21 lbs. 5 1/2 ounces (30th percentile)

Even though Isaac is still a bit small, he's moving above his growth curve slightly, so the doc is pleased. And he more than tripled his birth weight of 5 lbs. 3 oz. in this first year, so that's great, too. He and Amelia are both built average height, but lightweights. But Isaac already eats more than Amelia does!

In other news, I'm leaving the boys here with Daddy for a couple days while I go for Girls' Weekend with my mom and my sisters. Thankfully the boys finally gave us all a halfway decent night's sleep last night, so I think we're past the worst of it and Daddy will be able to handle things by himself for a short time. Say a little prayer for him that the nights go well.

34 Weeks Pregnant Revisited

It is surreal for to me to think about what life was like at this time last year.

I was 34 weeks pregnant, with no complications and headed for the max of 37 weeks my doctor would allow me to carry. I had been off work for just two weeks, but was not on bed rest.

I was nearing my max of 48 1/2 inches around, and I was slow as an elephant on Ambien, but still moving!

Here's the glamour shot:

Sept. 21, 2008 ~ 34 weeks pregnant with the triplets.

Our 34-week ultrasound showed the babies weighing in at a combined 15 lbs., 13 oz. of babies.

Baby A (Sam) - 5 lb. 4 oz.
Baby B (Isaac) - 5 lb. 3 oz.
Baby C (Alex) - 5 lb. 6 oz.

When we delivered 16 lbs., 8 oz. of baby boys two weeks later because the ultrasound showed Baby A (Sam) had quit growing, their weights were:

Baby A (Sam) - 5 lb. 4 oz.
Baby B (Isaac) - 5 lb. 3 oz.
Baby C (Alex) - 6 lb. 1 oz.

True to form, Alex sure ate his fill those last two weeks! He's still our champion eater.

And if the photos make me shake my head in disbelief, this video of the babies moving and grooving at 34 weeks really amazes me. I can't believe my body ever contained these three active babies, and for so long!

Nine-month Update

Last Monday I took the boys to the pediatrician for their 9-month checkup, so it's time for an update and stats check.

Sam - 19 lbs. 10 oz. - 29 1/4 inches long

Isaac - 16 lbs. 8 oz. - 28 1/4 inches long

Alex - 19 lbs. 6 oz. - 28 3/4 inches long

That puts Sam in the 70th percentile for height, Alex in the 60th and Isaac in the 50th. Sam and Alex are about the 35 percentile for weight, and Isaac is about the 4th percentile.

Sam, Isaac and Alex all have four teeth and everyone is busy standing up independently. They can stand for a good 30 seconds now, and they are cruising constantly, so we're getting close to walking now! Everyone is playing peek-a-boo and doing patty cake, and we're making good progress on finger foods.

There are two big milestones that struck me following this appointment. First, the boys now have been outside of me longer than they were inside of me. Second, at 16 1/2 lbs., Isaac now weighs what all three boys weighed combined when they were born. Isaac is a peanut compared to his brothers, but it's really hard to fathom that he weighs what he and his brothers weighed COMBINED on their birthday.


The time is flying by, and before we know it, the boys' first birthday will be here. What a celebration that will be!

Six-month Checkup

We took the boys to the doctor today for their six-month checkup. Everyone is doing great.
Here are the stats:

Sam: 16 lb. 3 oz. - 30th percentile
Isaac: 14 lb. - 5th percentile
Alex: 16 lb. 3 oz. - 30th percentile

You read that right. Sam and Alex now weigh exactly the same. We knew Sam was getting close in size to Alex, and sure enough, he caught up. I attribute it in part to a nasty cold that Alex has had this week that has put him off his food a bit. If you saw that boy eat solids, you'd figure that his brothers would never be able to catch up!

Isaac is still a little light, but has stayed on his growth curve, so we're not concerned at this point. Many HOMs are not even on the growth chart at a year, let alone six months.

All of the boys are the same length -- about 25 inches. I have it written down, but I'm too lazy to get up and look for it right now.

Everyone seems to have handled the vaccinations well, but we gave a dose of Tylenol at bedtime for good measure.

* Edit: All of the boys are 26 3/4 inches long. That's the 55th percentiled for height.

Five Months Old

Today the boys are five months old. The time has flown by. It's hard to believe that last year at this time we didn't even know we were expecting three bundles of joy.

And just look at how they've grown!

Sam - 14 lb. 11 oz - (born at 5 lb. 4 oz.)
Isaac - 12 lb. 14 oz. - (born at 5 lb. 3 oz.)
Alex - 15 lb. 7 oz. - (born at 6 lb. 1 oz.)

We certainly have been blessed with BIG, healthy babies.

Top: Sam, Isaac and Alex at 5 months old

Bottom: Sam, Isaac and Alex at 6 days old

They sure fill out those car seats differently these days, don't they? The boys are so much fun now. They are laughing, cooing, grinning, reaching, grasping, rolling, and I'm pretty sure they are teething. Sleeping through the night certainly ups the cuteness factor, too.

I can't wait to see what changes another five months bring!

Four Month Check-up

Today a fellow triplet mama whose kids are school-aged helped me take my trio to the doctor. (Thanks Jackie!)

The boys are all doing great. Here are the stats:

Samuel: 13 lb. 3 oz.
Isaac: 11 lb. 12 oz.
Alexander: 14 lb. 1 oz.

Alex is the longest, by half an inch, but they are all pretty average length right now -- around 25 inches. Sam is the shortest, so far. Alex is in the 50th percentile for weight, which is great. Sam is in the 15th and Isaac is in the 5th percentile. What a difference a couple of pounds makes! We're just thrilled that all of the boys are on the growth charts, even without adjusting for them being three weeks premature.

The doctor pronounced them all healthy, growing boys. Even though we didn't expect to hear anything different, it's still great to hear!

Feeding Frenzy

For the past four days, these boys have been eating every two to two and a half hours. And, they've started waking up at night again! Saturday night they were up at 4 a.m., and all of them drained a 5-oz. bottle and went back to sleep in 20 minutes. It was a new record, but they shouldn't be waking up at night that hungry!

I gave them a couple days to get the growth spurt out of their systems, but clearly, they need more to eat. So, starting today we are adding a little rice cereal to their bedtime bottles. If they still need to eat voraciously during the day, I'll add some to their daytime bottles, too.

There's hardly time between feedings on a three-hour schedule, and this schedule means we're practically doing feedings back-to-back. And they aren't sleeping enough, so they get fussy. Enough already! Mommy likes her happy boys and her nighttime sleep.

Here are the latest weights:

Sam: 12 lb. 5 oz.
Isaac: 10 lb. 12 oz.
Alex: 12 lb. 12 oz.

At the rate they are going, Alex will crack 15 lbs. by the time they are four months old. And Sam is gaining fast on Alex. He might just catch up! As for little Isaac, watch out. He's been draining those 5 oz. bottles, so he might just surprise us all one of these days!

The Latest Weigh In

Apparently a really cute picture of the boys in their overalls isn't enough for my reading public. Having been chastised for a lack of posts (you all can thank Sarah for that), I'm getting it in gear today. But, hello! Triplet mom here! Sometimes you'll have to give me a little break.

In today's triplet news, the boys slept until 6:30 a.m. Go team! They are settling back into the 3-hour schedule, after a couple days of needing to eat more often to accommodate a growth spurt. Growing is good!

Isaac has apparently decided it's time to catch up with his brothers and has been finishing 5-oz. bottles today. It's been a rarity for him to this point, but he's eaten 5 oz. or darn close to it at every feeding today. C'mon little guy, you can do it!

At last week's weigh-in we had:

Sam - 12 lb. 2 oz.
Isaac - 10 lb. 7 oz.
Alex - 12 lb. 7 oz.

Everyone has now doubled his birth weight, and Sam's catching up to Alex fast!

Isaac is the most verbal of the group now. Perhaps he's compensating for his size? He pulls his giggle out on a regular basis, too. Alex will laugh when you work on him, though he'll smile at the drop of a hat. Sam has gotten to be a big smiler now, but we're still really working him for a laugh.

More pictures to come soon.

Three Months Old

Today the boys are three months old. The time has passed so quickly -- largely in a sleep-deprived haze. No, honestly, it hasn't been that bad. Thanks to all the family, friends and neighbors we've had pitch in to help, the first three months were not nearly as difficult as I was prepared for them to be.

It's hard to believe how much the boys have grown already. All of them have doubled or nearly doubled their birth weights. They are all smiling, cooing, and flirting like crazy. Isaac has laughed out loud, and Sam and Alex are getting close. Everyone's kicking up a storm, and it's a real race to see who will turn over first. Most importantly, the boys -- ALL of them -- are starting to sleep nice long stretches at night. Whether you have one baby or three, the impact of a full night's sleep on moms and dads is amazing! We never really experienced that with Amelia when she was a baby because of the reflux, so I'm in total awe of having three babies do it all at the same time, even once, let alone more than once.

Sam, Isaac and Alex are still sharing a crib, but it won't be long now and we'll have to split them up. They have grown so much they now take up the whole crib.

Alex, Isaac and Sam - 01/08/09 - 3 months old

Alex, Isaac and Sam (from top) - 10/14/08 - 6 days old

When people learn that the boys are sharing a crib, they almost always ask the question: "Don't they wake each other up crying?" As this little video shows, they've learned to sleep through each other's noises. They almost never wake each other up. In fact, I'm a little afraid they won't sleep as well once we separate them.

Two Month Checkup

I can hardly believe we had the boys at the pediatrician's office today for their two-month checkup. They are all doing great, though Isaac needs to bulk up a bit to keep up with his brothers. Here are the stats:

Sam - 9 lb. 14 oz.
Isaac - 8 lb. 13 1/2 oz. (You know you're little when they'll give you that extra half ounce!)
Alex - 10 lb. 3 oz.

The doctor was happy with everyone's progress. I was happy that the boys were so good today.

Because everyone's been sick and we're still waiting to see if Sam and Alex are going to get the chicken pox, we opted to wait a couple weeks to do this round of vaccinations. The doc was very hopeful that Sam and Alex may not get the chicken pox if we haven't seen any spots yet. Here's hoping!

Now we won't have to see the doctor again for a routine checkup until six months. It's still amazing that these guys have had hardly any special care since they were born. Now if we can just get through cold and flu season, we'll be in great shape.

Two Months Old

Yesterday the boys were two months old. They are celebrating by cooing and smiling at everyone. Heartbreakers already!

Their Aunt Susie is here to visit, so the boys got dressed up in her honor. So far they are being pretty good to her, and we're all thankful for that! Amelia is having a great time getting reacquainted with Susie, too.

Sam, Isaac and Alex 12/4/08

This week's Wednesday weigh-in showed the following:

Sam - 9 lb. 5 oz.
Isaac - 8 lb. 10 oz.
Alex - 9 lb. 15 oz.

Everyone's put on just about 4 pounds since we brought them home from the hospital. (Except Mom. She's lost weight!) We can't believe how much they've grown already. When we have a minute (ha!) we will get another picture of the boys in their crib to compare to the pictures from their first week.

FUSSY!

I don't know what the problem was today, but the boys have been fussy all day long. My sister Judy was planning to leave after the 9:30 a.m. feeding, but all three boys put up a big stink. Perhaps they didn't want her to leave? :-)

Aunt Judy stayed until the boys went down after the 12:30 feeding. They were all down by 2 p.m., since they'd used up all their energy fussing! Sam didn't stay down for long, and ended up napping on Mom's chest for a little while. I needed a little shut-eye after a long night of fussing that just continued into today.

I had help for the 3:30 feeding, so that went pretty smoothly, but once again Sam didn't go down for a while. On the plus side, at least it was just one baby who needed extra help. That I have enough hands for! I'm hoping they all have it out of their system so they don't abuse the volunteers at 9:30 p.m. and our overnight helper tonight.

The boys are six weeks old today, and their weekly weigh-in showed some impressive gains:

Sam - 8 lb. 12 oz.
Isaac - 7 lb. 15 oz. (Almost 8 lbs. Grandma Alice! Isaac came home the smallest at 4 lb. 12 oz.)
Alex - 9 lb. 5 oz.

I'm enjoying a little peace and quiet now, but it's time to give Amelia her supper and get ready for the 6:30 feeding.

Solitude?

Yesterday Jeff had Chinese for lunch. He brought his fortune home for me to see. It said, "You have a basic need for solitude some of the time."

We got a good laugh out of that. We may all need a little solitude, but it will be a long time before we get it!

On to the news. Yesterday the boys were five weeks old. They are eating and burping like champs, though Sam's definitely the slowest to eat and burp. Here are the results of the five-week weigh in:

Sam - 8 lb. 1 oz.
Isaac - 7 lb. 7 oz.
Alex - 8 lb. 11 oz.

I have visions of having GALLONS of milk delivered to the house three times a week as they get older...

Reinforcements and a Health Update

I'm typing this with a fussy baby in my lap, and I hope this is not an indication of how the night's going to go. Luckily, Jeff's dad, sister and brother arrived yesterday, so we have reinforcements for a couple days. Last night I didn't have to get up for the 1:30 a.m. OR 5:30 a.m. feedings. It was wonderful, even though I was up with Amelia at 3 a.m.

For those who have been asking, my shingles are improving with the medication. I have started taking the medication for nerve pain, but I hope to only need it a day or two. And, of course, I went to the chiropractor for an adjustment since the virus that causes shingles is harbored at the base of the spine. It certainly can't hurt.

Today we also took the boys to the pediatrician for their one-month checkup. They are all growing well and getting even bigger and stronger by the day. Here are the stats:

Sam - 7 lbs. 7 oz.
Isaac - 6 lbs. 15 oz.
Alex - 8 lbs. 4 oz.

The boys are doing great. It's the rest of us who need sleep that I'm worried about!

Update on the Boys

Here's the latest on the boys:

Samuel Joseph

Born at 5 lb., 4 oz., it was Sam who determined the birthday. Our ultrasound on Oct. 8 showed that he hadn't grown in two weeks. Lab tests after delivery showed that his placenta had started to calcify so he wasn't getting nutrients the way he should have been.

Sam is our slow poke when it comes to eating these days, though he's far neater than either of his brothers. He's become a reluctant burper, which slows down his eating even more. Sam still has the reddish hair he was born with, and Mom is hopeful that he'll keep it.

Sam

Isaac Thomas

Weighing in at 5 lb., 3 oz., Isaac was the smallest of the boys at birth. He was just 4 lb., 12 oz. when we brought him home, but he's been gaining ground fast.

Isaac has started to eat really well, and is a pretty good burper, too. When he first came home he would always burp twice in a row and then get the hiccups. He had the hiccups a lot! Isaac had the hiccups a lot in utero, too, making my belly button jump all the time. Isaac likes to snuggle up with Sam in the crib, nuzzling his head right up to his brother's.

Isaac

Alexander Steven

Alexander came wailing into this world at 6 lb., 1 oz. He was parked up in my rib cage, and my ribs are finally shifting back into place three weeks after he was born.

The nurses in NICU made sure Alex was a really good eater before they sent him home. He's a champion burper, sometimes surprising us with his volume! He often dictates the feeding schedule, waking up first and hollering for food. We like to put Alex at the front of the lineup in the crib, so he can't beat up on his brothers with his long arms.

Alex

Growing Boys

We weighed the boys tonight, and they are already growing like weeds! At almost three weeks old, combined they tip the scales at almost 20 lbs.

Sam - 6 lb. 6 oz.
Isaac - 5 lb. 15 oz.
Alex - 7 lb. 7 oz.

Clearly eating every three hours agrees with these boys!

I'm still trying to teach them how to nurse. Isaac's getting the hang of things, and Sam doesn't do too badly, but Alex is pretty lazy about it. I may never get him to be much of a nurser as long as there's a bottle in the picture. And logistically, there has to be some bottle feeding involved. There just are not enough hours in the day or enough of Mom to go around!

Drumroll, Please

The results of today's ultrasound show that I am carrying an astonishing 15 lbs., 13 oz. of babies.

Baby A - 5 lb. 4 oz.
Baby B - 5 lb. 3 oz.
Baby C - 5 lb. 6 oz.

So those of you who put your money on 16 lbs. or more of baby are still in competition!

Everything else looked great. Blood pressure was 108/70, and while I didn't gain any weight, clearly the babies are getting what they need to grow.

No signs that I'll be giving these babies up anytime soon, but that could change at anytime. I asked the doc when he thought I might deliver and he picked Oct. 11, since that's his birthday. I say it's not soon enough!

Ante Up -- Part Two

My sister pointed out that I'd better put a deadline on the guesses or people could wait until next week's ultrasound and have an unfair advantage. Good point!

So, you have until Wednesday, Sept. 24 at noon to post your guesses. After that, the betting window closes, so get your thinking caps on and turn in your guesses on this post or the original: http://trippin-lifewithtriplets.blogspot.com/2008/09/time-to-ante-up.html.

Here's what you need to post:
* Date (or dates!) the triplets will be born
* Combined total birth weight
* Bonus points if you get the genders right!

And those of you who are predicting I'll carry until November: What did I ever do to make you dislike me that much?

Time to Ante Up

It's time to put those hunches in writing, folks. When do you think these babies will arrive, and how big will they be? The person who comes closest will get a few of their 15 minutes of fame on this blog. Big stakes!

Just add a comment to this post with the following:

* Date (or dates!) the triplets will be born
* Combined total birth weight
* Bonus points if you get the genders right!

Keep in mind that there is no scheduled C-section. The doc is waiting for me to go into labor, so your guess is as good as mine!

Christy