What a Difference a Year Makes

One year ago today we found out we were expecting not one bundle of joy, but THREE! Our reaction to the news was the topic of my second post on this blog, way back in May 2008.

My sister probably put it best when she described our feelings about expecting triplets as "manic." Sometimes we were thrilled and excited, and other times we were just plain freaking out.

The first moments after we found out about the triplets set the tone for the pregnancy. We were relieved and happy that all three babies looked great, but were immediately hit with the sobering news that there was about a 60% chance that we'd lose at least one of the babies in the first trimester. Then the discussion turned to trying to carry the babies to 24 weeks, which was minimum viability. No one ever brought that up during my first pregnancy, that's for sure! It was truly like a roller coaster ride -- scary and thrilling all at once.

But God works in mysterious ways, and here we are one year later, enjoying many blessings. We were blessed with an uncomplicated pregnancy of 36 weeks and 3 days, just shy of full term at 37 weeks. (That's not to say it was easy!) We delivered big, healthy babies and just one spent some time in the NICU for a minor issue. We were blessed to get to know better so many wonderful people who wanted to help with the boys in those first months, and we were blessed to have so many of our family members come to help, too.

I'll never forget my first sight of those three little sacs on the ultrasound screen. Even in my moment of panic, I was relieved and overjoyed to see three tiny hearts beating away madly. I fell in love with my three boys right then and there, and I can't imagine life without them.

Samuel: You were our Hercules baby, holding up your brothers for all those months. You have become a real charmer with your red hair, big blue eyes and sweet smile. You know how to flirt with the best of them!

Isaac: You endured being squeezed in the middle. You are a real talker these days, cooing and gurgling at everyone. You were appropriately named, as Isaac means "laughter" in Hebrew, and you are the giggliest baby of all.

Alexander: You entered the world as the youngest, but biggest of my babies. And you have a big heart to go with your stature. You are our joyful, jolly Buddha baby, bringing smiles to everyone you meet.

The greatest blessing of all is to have Sam, Isaac and Alex as part of our lives. Our arms may be fuller than we anticipated, but our hearts are too.

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!

Zzzzzzzz...

There's nothing in this world sweeter than a sleeping baby, unless it's three sleeping babies. All of the boys sleep pretty well these days, including all night most nights, but Isaac is the real sleeper of the group.

Isaac sacked out on Daddy's shoulder.

Isaac is often the first guy down and the one I have to wake up in the morning. He's the best about going down for naps, and if we get up with a baby at night, we're always surprised if it's Isaac.

In the early days, many a person walked Isaac for miles to help him fall asleep. These days, he fusses and squirms in our arms to tell us he's ready to lay down. Once he hits the mattress, he generally gives a couple more wiggles, and then he puts his little bottom in the air and goes to sleep.

When he's awake, Isaac is a very busy little boy. But when he's ready to sleep, he's ready right now! It's not unusual for us to pick Isaac up and have him fall asleep on our shoulders while we're carrying him to the nursery.

That is one of my favorite parts of any day. I love to feel Isaac's downy head lolling on my shoulder and to listen to his soft snores in those few moments before I lay him down.

Sweet dreams, little one. Sweet dreams.

Mmmmm...good!

We are all eating solids now. Some better than others. Alex, of course, is practically ready to use the spoon himself.

Alex: Covered in food and happy as can be!

That boy loves to eat.

He always has. (Perhaps that's why he weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz. at birth!)

Isaac is still thinking about this whole solids things and Sam has caught on pretty well, but so far hasn't taken all that much.

But Alex, oh Alex.

Today Alex ate almost half a jar of applesauce plus a couple tablespoons of rice cereal all by himself.

We've only been taking solids from a spoon this week (which is a whole new challenge for me), and after about two days, I noticed that Alex would take his bite, swallow and then open his mouth and wait for me to come around again. He looks just like a little bird, waiting with his mouth wide open while I feed his brothers.

I can already hear him saying to his siblings, "Are you going to finish that?"

Good Morning!

These days when I wake up in the morning it is to the sound of Sam babbling away in his crib. He sometimes wakes up from naps crying, but not in the morning. In the morning he is all smiles and full of joy to greet a new day. Sam is definitely a morning person.

Sam: Who can resist this grin, even before a cup of coffee?

No matter how rough the night has been, Sam's way of starting the day brings a smile to my face.

I love to peek into the nursery and see him laying on his back chattering to himself, and I am always rewarded with a HUGE grin when he spots me. When I lay him on the changing table, the fun really starts. He starts kicking and smiling and laughing all at once, excited to see me and to begin another day.

I wonder if Sam will always be a morning person. Maybe not, but right now, he's such a joy to be around in those early hours that he might even make a morning person out of me.

"I Pledge Allegiance..."

Today at preschool Amelia got to hold the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance. She has been practicing the pledge a lot, and she's getting pretty good at it. Race fans will particularly like the flag she is using in this video.

Weekend Hiatus

Sorry for the lack of posts over the weekend, but things get busy around here on the weekends. We spend a lot of time playing with the kids, and catching up on household stuff, which doesn't leave much time for blogging.

This weekend we got to add a little relaxation to the mix. Friday night Kathryn and Eric (thanks guys!) came to watch the little ones while Jeff and I went OUT for the evening. Ahhh....it was so nice. We went to a symphony performance and even ate a meal without holding a fussy baby (or two). We made a conscious effort to eat s-l-o-w-l-y, which parents hardly ever do!

When we came home the guys were on their way down to sleep and Amelia had helped make chocolate chip cookies "with my friends." Kathryn and Eric were even still smiling, so apparently a good time was had by all. We brought them a bottle of wine as a thank you, and I trust they weren't sitting in our driveway trying to gnaw the cork out in desperation when they left.

We had a couple good night's sleep for everyone in our house, so now we're refreshed and ready for the week. This week's challenge: adding solids to the feeding routine. Stay tuned for video!