One Of Those Days

So, the girls have been doing great for weeks. They are fussy and that seems just normal for them. Alyssa is the worst as we have mentioned and that hasn't changed but something got into her last night and we have had one of our worse nights/days ever. The Plott family babysat for us last night so we could go to the circus and they did a great job but something got into Alyssa and she didn't sleep last night, didn't nap this morning and since we were out this afternoon didn't sleep then either. It's really miserable and I have no idea what's wrong! We had been weaning her off her meds and trying to switch her formula to the "normal" stuff. Apparantly it's not working!! We'll be putting her back on the formula and the medication. Fun.

Rachel isn't doing a whole lot better. I tried changing her schedule but that didn't work any better so we're back to where we were. I'm trying to fight her less at each feeding which means she is eating less. I'm not sure how this will effect her weight. Guess we'll find out on April 19th when we see the GI.

Please just pray for both girls. Julianna is doing really well - eating well, growing well and smiling a lot. She talks and coos all the time. I was always told 3rd kids were easy and they were right! It's the 4th and 5th that'll kill ya :)

On the bright side they're still adorable...



Julianna's thinking "What are you doing to me? Leave me here any longer and I'm going to roll over - I do it every night and I think it's fun!! Of course, mommy doesn't agree because I can't get back over and I cry for her..."



Rachel's thinking "I am such a model. I use this smile to make my mom stop feeding me. Works every time..."



Alyssa's thinking "This sly smile is hiding my rough interior. Make me angry and you'll regret it but for now I'll give you what you want!"

Rolling Away...

The girls are on their way to mobility! Yea, I am sooo excited. Everyone I'm sure thinks I'm crazy but I find babies much easier to enjoy and entertain when they are more interactive and aware. Right now they require a lot of holding to remain calm and it's getting old. Not to mention they're getting heavy... Well, Julianna is.

On Sunday morning Julianna rolled over from her back to the front for the first time. We put her down on her belly and she woke up on her back. Not to be outdone Alyssa rolled over this morning and then a few times during the day. Rachel is trying very, very hard to roll from her back to her front. If she can just figure out how to move her arm she'd be there. Her tiny body can't be that hard to roll over!!

Please continue to pray for Rachel. She just continue to have trouble eating and almost always puts up a fight. While Julianna downs an 8 - 9 ounce bottle at every feeding and this in about 10 minutes only fussing if she loses her grip on the nipple, Rachel fights just to eat 2 ounces. To get a full 6 ounces is even more of a screaming battle. But the doctor says there's nothing else I can do and she needs all of the food. You can only imagine the frustration and sympathy I feel forcing my child to eat while she screams knowing she could be in pain. The only suggestions we have been given are to feed her smaller meals more often but with triplets this is not feasible and having the opportunity to try it a few times (she sometimes gets up at 6 or 7 instead of her usual 9) it is no better. The one thing that gets to me is a difficult feeding. As their mother I worry about their growth all the time and even though they are all doing well now I worry that at any moment Rachel may take a turn for the worse. Maybe a bit of crazy thinking, I don't know, but I worry about her so pray for me as well. She sees the GI on the 19th of April and I am really hoping they will be helpful.

Kaitlyn and Caleb

So, most of this blog is about the triplets - hence the name but I wanted to be sure to include their big sister and brother and since I am often asked how Kaitlyn and Caleb are doing with the change I thought I'd talk about them a little bit and share some great moments :)

Kaitlyn is doing great with her little sisters. She really loves them. She doesn't help much and doesn't feel like feeding them - she'd rather play with her friends and sometimes with her brother (though she often declares him annoying - just wait a few years and then see what's annoying!!). Life for her hasn't changed much except that when we go out she can declare we have triplets and will let anyone know who will listen that she is the big sister to her triplet sisters. In fact, she is disappointed if no one notices or if we don't get as much attention as she thinks we should. Trust me, we get enough for me!! But at least, so far, most people have been very gracious and think it's the coolest thing they've ever seen :) I think they should get out more since I know for a fact we don't have the only triplets on this planet. Though I do have to agree that they are all pretty cute...

As for Caleb he is adjusting well. He gets a bit confused when he doesn't get attention 100% of the time. He is constantly asking me to watch him play computer, sit with him to watch TV, play trains, read books, eat next to him. Everything he can think of to keep me with him. I tell everyone it really doesn't matter that we have 3 instead of one since I would have to feed the one baby and he would have to wait. In fact, since the girls are often using their Podee bottles and self-feeding I have more freedom to get up and log him into the computer again and again and again... Hey, he's 3 :)

Just wanted to share this story from Caleb since it just made me laugh - of course, most of what he says makes me laugh except when he says "I love you" and that just melts my heart. He's certainly not perfect but those eyes and that smile get me every time - I have to be careful!!

Caleb's story: It took him a minute to actually start because it was a long story (his words) but finally he got out... "the bad guy came with a sword and then the robot came with a squirter gun and the robot squirted the bad guys sword and it broke all apart. The bad guy squirted people with a squirter gun and their skin started to come apart from their bones and the people touched their bones and said "oh, those are my bones" and the dog came and broke the robot and then bees came to sting the robot and then the bad guys destroyed him. And the couches started walking because they were starting to have feet and hands and heads." If I remember right the couches started walking because they were squirted by the robot's squirter gun - I was trying to type as fast as he was talking :)

So, it seems that Kaitlyn is doing well all around in school and at home and she does still love to hold her little sisters. And Caleb, even surrounded by all these girls is still very much a boy (we discuss bad guys and robots all the time) and gets plenty of attention!! On a humorous note, Caleb still cannot tell his sisters apart. He remembers all their names but he has no idea which one is which. I wonder how long that will last? Kaitlyn, of course, can.

Kaitlyn and Julianna:



Kaitlyn and Rachel:



Kaitlyn and Alyssa.



Just a great shot of Caleb.



Caleb actually resting!! Yes, he sleeps with a ton of toys but he really seems to like it that way...

Feeding Time

As you know the girls were cleared to try solid food on Friday so we made our first attempt on Saturday and as predicted they didn't do so well and like I said Alyssa just screamed. Lisa Z. and I tried again today and pretty much got the same results. Julianna and Rachel aren't sure what in the world is going on and Alyssa just screams as soon as we put her in the chair.

And now Alyssa is pulling a Rachel and not drinking her bottles very well either. The past 2 days Rachel has been doing okay and has in fact, drank two 7 ounce bottles before bed! That is huge for her since I normally fight her tooth and nail to finish a 6 ounce bottle just 4 times a day. Rachel does have an appointment with the Gastroenterologist but not until April 19th. By then she'll probably be fine! I could probably trade Alyssa in on the appt. if she keeps this up :)

Kirk did a great job on the bench (with the help my dad) and now the seats are securely fastened to keep the girls safe. Looks ready to feed some kids except for the table :)



The girls are ready but they have no idea what for!



Julianna looks excited but it's just for the cameras...



Rachel looks confused...



The only moment Alyssa wasn't screaming Kirk grabbed a shot...

Family Portraits

Just wanted to share our recent family portraits:

Leaky, Little and Loud are 4 Months Old Today!

Also know as Julianna, Rachel and Alyssa :) We have given them new nicknames since Julianna is almost always leaking out the mouth - she doesn't have reflux and she doesn't spit up very often but at least 20 times after each feeding the child leaks formula. It's very messy. Little is obviously Rachel since she's still the smallest and Loud is Alyssa. If you've ever visited in the evenings then you know why and needs no explanation! Even the doctor and nurses agreed today with our nicknames :)

Today the girls had their 4 month check-up. I'd say it's gone quickly and in some way it has but in others today still seems about the same as a few months ago except they do smile and sleep through the night (about 12 hours every night which is nice).

Okay, the girls "stats":

RACHEL: weighs 11.7 lbs and is 23 inches long - her head is 39 cm around. She is actually on the growth charts and is in the 10% for height, the 15% for weight and the 7% for head circumference. Still small very yea we're growing and on the charts! We are going to begin weaning her off her meds which will be great to not have to worry about those. As for her feedings the doctor has said to keep fighting her as we have been. Since she is growing there isn't much to change but at least she could see (we did a feeding there) how hard it is to feed her.

ALYSSA: weighs 12.8 lbs and is 23 1/2 inches long - her head is 41 cm around. She is also on the charts and is in the 15% for height, the 25% for weight and the 50% for head circumference. Certainly a bigger head than Rachel's!! I'll let them debate when they get older if it has to do with her brain size or not :) We can also work on switching Alyssa back to the regular formula and see how she does with that. I would say that's the plan since Alyssa doesn't seem to care if she gets the wrong bottle and it would be easier for us not to have to distinguish between the formula types!

JULIANNA: okay, this is big news!! She weighs 13.12 lbs and is 24 1/2 inches long - her head is 41 cm around. So, like Alyssa she is in the 50% for head circumference but for weight she is in the 65% and for height she is in the 60%!! So, my little girl who started out at just 5.2 lbs 4 months ago today is now bigger and longer than more than half the kids her age. That is amazing to me! At 4 months old Caleb had gained a good 10 pounds over his birth weight and it seems Julianna is trying to gain like her brother.

As for the rest of the visit, the girls are pretty much like all other 4 month olds except they do seem to be a week or two behind in some motor skills such as rolling over and grabbing for things. It seems they are just now wanting to play with toys a bit more and Julianna has definitely found her fists and likes to chew on those. Alyssa needs to find something to keep her quiet but sometimes her eyes are shut tight while her mouth is wide open and she's too busy screaming to notice anything else. They are all smiling and giggling which is very cute.

The doctor says we can begin to try solids but who knows how they will do - we'll try it this weekend and let you know. She seemed a bit hesitant to let us try because she isn't sure they are ready but then Julianna is pretty big and might like some food and maybe Rachel will take to solids over the bottles she seems to hate. Alyssa will most likely just scream...


Our sleeping burritos :)





What unrolled burritos look like:

A Few Firsts...

Nothing big like rolling over but they are beginning to grab for toys and really notice things which I think is great. Still a lot of screaming but at least some things are becoming more interesting to them!

Last Friday we had our first day outing to Miss Lea's house. They did great and took a good long nap - Rachel slept in our Moses basket and Julianna and Alyssa shared a pack n play. It's a big deal because it gives me freedom to go places!! The first time to sleep somewhere else besides their cribs in months. Yea!

On Saturday we went for our first family photos and the girls did good. Kaitlyn and Caleb did great and had a wonderful time. We got home late thanks to the time change but we are so glad to get them done and they came out great. When I can get my act together we should finally get birth announcements sent out. Yea, yea, you already know that they're born but it will be fun to do anyway.

Yesterday they went for their first walk in their new strollers (thanks Melanie and family) in this beautiful weather. Wow! The girls just loved it and they can't wait to go walking again. Hopefully the weather prediction that it gets colder again is wrong! Our whole family needs the ability to get out and see the world.

Julianna, Rachel and Alyssa are 4 months old on Friday and they are headed to the doctor for their check-up and shots so check in for how they're doing and some new pictures...

A Social Experiment

Okay, so before I had triplets there were lots of things I wondered about having multiples. Things like, could you really tell them apart? When I was in middle school I went to school with twins and even though I knew they were different and how I couldn't remember which one was which so I didn't think (even as a mother) that I could always tell my triplets apart. Now I know that I can 100% of the time.

Other things I wondered were would I love them differently? Obviously not :)

When Kaitlyn was little she cried a lot and I wondered if she had been a twin would it have been difficult to care for another child or would I only tend to her or only tend to the other one? Now I know it wouldn't have made a difference - we treat them the same. Okay, so you probably guessed all that.

Maybe something you didn't know - I can tell their cries apart. Yea, it's weird:

Julianna wins most annoying - it's a nasally type cry and she can get it going.

Alyssa wins loudest - I think I've said before loudest of my 5 - she gets MAD

Rachel wins most life threatening - when this child cries you would think she was having a heart attack - it's the weirdest thing - red in the face and since she has zero hair it's basically red everywhere!

I have to record this so I can tell it to them later - kids love to hear about themselves :) Hmm..

I do want to add an aaaahhh moment. I love all three of my girls the same - they are beautiful and so wonderfully sweet and I'm glad they are here and (finally) out of me! I also want to say that, as all parents know and don't need an experiment for, you don't love your other kids any less and Kaitlyn and Caleb are still just as loved and wanted as ever. So, I hope you enjoy the picutres of my kids (again) - cause they're all so cute and I love them so much! Sorry Julianna is yawning - I think she is bored with this whole picture taking thing! (It goes Julianna, Alyssa, Rachel for those of you who still can't tell them apart - that's the same order as yesterday's photo since it's a close-up of that picture - as if you couldn't tell - you people are so smart!)

Go Daddy Go!

Our pastor and family was gracious enough to babysit for us on Friday evening while Kirk and I visited the latest Whitaker addition. After which we went out to a great meal. Apparantly my meal was probably undercooked because I became pretty sick on Saturday and remained that way pretty much until today when I had my first real meal in 4 days! It was awful...

But, Kirk probably had it worse - juggling 5 kids on his own :) Gratefully he had some help from lots of you and a little from my brother who was visiting from Florida (and who has declared that he doesn't want triplets!).

That was our great weekend and we end with: we love you, Daddy and you did a great job without Mommy but MOMMY CAN NEVER GET SICK AGAIN!!

Our New Best Friend...

Today our mommy's friend Mrs. Joanna gave birth to our new best friend, Lauren Elizabeth. So instead of a boyfriend we got a best friend and we couldn't be more excited. We can't wait for some play dates!!

Lauren was 7 pounds 11 ounces (the size of our big sister, Kaitlyn at birth and much bigger than we were - go Lauren!) and she was born at 3:09 PM. She has a lot of hair but not as much as her big sister Grace did.

Please enjoy these pictures that mommy took.

What Bliss Is...

An evening with the triplets with out too much screaming. There's always some but tonight it was pretty minimal. Yea! I put the older 2 to bed while Kirk bathed the triplets - we began feeding at 9:30 and although Julianna didn't want to eat right away she wasn't screaming about it. The other two finished and then Julianna did too with a little encouragement from dad. All in bed by 10:15!!

Wow, have we turned a corner?... Probably not :)

P.S. For those of you who know Joanna - please check here on Friday for updates on her new baby. Let's pray for a safe and quick delivery. Can't even wait to find out what she's having!

What Frustration Is...

I just have to share the most frustrating thing about my day and that is feeding time. Kirk and I just put the girls did to bed. And, God forbid, we attempted to feed them before putting them there. We are used to their screaming most evenings - that is pretty normal but when you are trying to feed a child who is refusing to eat you can imagine our frustration. Now multiply that times 3 and you have a small taste for how our evenings go. We sat with them for 45 minutes and while Rachel ate pretty well Alyssa and Julianna just screamed at Kirk and refused to take a swallow of their bottles.

What's wrong with them? We have no idea, they are just screaming. Screaming while held, screaming while sitting in their chairs... Doesn't matter, just screaming. Of course, if we quit trying to feed them they calm down. I don't think our babies understand that they are supposed to eat a certain amount of food every day to stay alive. According to the doctor this is their body weight times 2 1/2 so that's about 30 ounces a day for Julianna. I can't even say we get close and after tonight's feeding I know we're not. I have no idea how these kids are growing!!

Thanks for letting me vent. Just a picture into the world of triplets... It's also good birth control :)

Waketime is Learning Time!

A lot of you know that a big portion of my day is trying to keep the girls awake and keep them entertained - okay, that's just to keep them from screaming their heads off! I am not a hugely scheduled oriented person but with triplets you pretty much have to be. If one of them falls asleep in the swings or too early and then doesn't nap with the other 2 it makes for a miserable mom. Babies too :)

So, tonight to keep them entertained we sent them to "school" - the kind that their big brother and big sister teach :) Kaitlyn them taught them how to read and write and Caleb taught them other important things like how to use a lasor (like the one on his Buzz Lightyear) and how to stretch. Both so very cute.

Here are some pictures with the girls and their teachers - sorry about the stuff behind them I have been drowning myself in the last week in a huge clothes project. Yes, I take on entirely too much stuff but hopefully this will lead to better organization in the future.





And then, as Kaitlyn would say, the girls moved on to "Centers" - they each get to do a different learning activity. Can you see their brains working hard?






And, finally, we captured something very elusive from Alyssa - her smile! This was helped along by big sister. They just LOVE to look at their older siblings and that is great. Can't wait till they can all play together (and fight together - I know it's coming but let me enjoy the good things!)



P.S. Even though Rachel is wearing blue she is STILL A GIRL!! Sorry - we get asked this question a lot even when they're all in pink :)

14 Weeks... But Who's Counting?

Ha ha! I count every day I survive :) I can't believe the girls are 14 weeks already. Well, it doesn't feel like time has flown but compared to my days spent in the hospital time really has gone quickly and the girls are growing quickly. Now, if we could just get them to scream a little less...

But, I took Rachel to the doctor today (with a little help from Lisa Zellner - thanks!) just to get her weighed because of our massive feeding difficulties. The nurse practitioner adjusted her dose so hopefully that will help because I have no idea how to motivate an infant to eat!!

Anyway, my "little" girls now weigh:
Julianna: 12 lbs even (still our chunky monkey :) )
Rachel: 10.10 lbs (she does not feel 10 lbs heavy!!)
Alyssa: 11.7 lbs

I honestly think they are growing faster then Kaitlyn did and I think Julianna is in line to compete with Caleb who gained 10 lbs in 4 months. I wonder if she'll weigh 15 pounds on March 16th when they are scheduled to be checked again.

On another note, Alyssa giggled for the first time today! Kaitlyn and I were playing with her and showing her a toy giraffe and she just thought it was funny and began giggling a couple of times. So sweet. Of course, this was a brief moment and it was followed by a lot of screaming. We're still not sure how our girl that screams the most and the loudest (trust me, the loudest out of all 5 kids - not just the triplets - it's ear piercing) is the first one to giggle. Life is funny. And just a few weeks after I presented my concern to the doctor that she wasn't smiling much at all. It seems the formula change and/or the zantac are helping! Yea :)

And here are a few pictures of our nursery now that we finally have a third crib and have moved Rachel out of the bassinet. Alyssa is in the maple crib handed down from Kaitlyn and Caleb. Julianna is in the darker crib handed down from our neighbors (thanks) and Rachel gets the white one. Now everyone can tell them apart. The cribs I mean :) Aaahh...

Blessed By Three and So Many of You!

I can't believe it but we have survived the first 3 months of the girl's lives! And we have survived one month without my mom :( Not sure how either have happened. Well, I do know - the grace of God and a ton of help. First, my mom whose help I could not have recovered without. She babied me and nursed me back to health :) Thanks Mom!

And after she left so many have stepped in to come over and help feed and hold babies as well as bringing us meals - thank you to Joanna Whitaker for coordinating all the efforts and always pitching in herself (she has given me permission to post here pictures of her new baby when he/she arrives so stay tuned for that!). Thank you to Venzy Searcy, Lisa Zellner, Denise Cadle, Hope Prosser, Barb Clock, Mary Abel, Carrie Wronka, April Fultz, Janette Nash, Karen Cornett, Brenda Fortney, Sally and Clif Roth, Kristy and Corey Shepherd, JoRonda Northcutt, Lea Dawson, Carrie Meyer, Krista Estridge, Cecilia Cornell, Terri Dunseath, Christina Nielsen, Leah Plott and Hannah Zellner for helping with meals and the babies. Thank you to Mrs. G, Trish Parks and April Hunt for picking Kaitlyn up from school. Thank you also to everyone at Grace Church of Gainesville, Grace Baptist of North Tampa Bay and to everyone else who has kept us in your prayers throughout the pregnancy and through these last 3 months - we look forward to spending more time with you all in the coming months as well. (Forgive me if I have forgotten someone - if you have been here to help and your name is not listed please let me know ASAP!)

Of course, I must also mention that Kaitlyn and Caleb have been a great help too - they are doing very well in their roll as big sister and big brother. P.S. - Caleb is potty training so give him some encouragement when you see him - he is trying to decide if he wants to be a big boy or a little boy and is feeling very conflicted about it. And, yes, I am crazy for trying to potty train a 3 year old while caring for triplet newborns but what could I do? I was a bit out of commission last year.

For those of you who are counting, yes they were 3 months yesterday but I'm a little late on my post. It gets crazy around here!!

Here's a few photos of our smiling babies - well, 2 of them are smiling - we are convinced that Alyssa is very serious. However, you will easily notice that Rachel is not wearing the same dress as the other girls and that was because she was being quite fussy so I'm sure we'll get Alyssa's smile on camera soon!



Julianna

Rachel

Alyssa

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Our day was spent at home (due to the weather) with our 3 beauties, Kaitlyn (also a beauty) and Caleb (well, not a beauty but he is handsome!). We spent this day of love clothing, feeding, bathing and caring for our handful.

Wait, did I say feeding? I meant fighting! We attempt to feed these girls every few hours but someone forgot to tell them that they need to eat to live. We were feeding them every 3 hours or attempting to feed them but mostly we spent our time fighting them to take just a few ounces. Now we are feeding them every 3 1/2 to 4 hours and I'd like to say it's going better but so far not much change. We'll give it some time and hopefully we'll get this figured out! On a good note they have been sleeping from 10 PM to 7 AM most nights - of course tonight will probably be difference since we've changed their schedule today and who knows if they ate enough?!

On a different note, I'd like to wish my parents a very Happy 37th Anniversary! Yes, the lovebirds got married on Valentine's Day. Aaaahhhh...

My Rock Band

Okay, for those of you who don't believe my babies cry I have proof!! Here are my rock stars :) The girls were given onesies that read: "Shining Star", "Pop Star" and "Super Star". I'm still not sure who they are from as there was no card but they came home from school with Kaitlyn and I think they're adorable :)

I only wish they were singing!



And it looks like Rachel is winning...



My Super Star! (Behind her head is a Valentine's card from big brother, Caleb)



My Shining Star!



My Pop Star!

Something To Come Home To...

For most people and usually for me we want to come home to our families. I want to come home most when it's quiet and the girls aren't screaming. Yea, that's never. But, on Monday when I had enough help to go to the grocery store I had a wonderful delivery on my doorstep...



Oh yea, you know it's a sad life when the sight of diapers just makes your day!! A special thanks to John and his family to sending us more diapers. I do have to laugh - as I look at the diaper count I realize that we will go through one box every 10 days. A single baby would go through 4 boxes in approximately 4 months. What a difference!!

The girls seem to be doing pretty well. Alyssa is acting happier lately and is even smiling more so the formula must be helping. Of course, you know it's a great feeding when Alyssa and Julianna down their bottles in just minutes and promptly begin screaming while mom is alone and trying to feed Rachel. After driving me completely crazy I put the two screamers down for a nap, came down to feed Rachel and promptly got vomited on. Oh yea, these are the days...

We're Doing Great!

We had a quick doctor's visit for Alyssa today. She is healthy but she has had some trouble eating - screaming while eating and very shortly after. While this is greatly annoyinng to mom and dad this is a sign that she is in pain and suffering from reflux. So, the doctor has switched her formula to an easier to digest one with less lactose and increased her Zantac dose. Hopefully this will make everyone more comfortable!

Anyway, while I was there I had everyone weighed and they are doing great and growing so big! I'm surprised at how quickly these girls are growing :)

Julianna 10.7 lbs
Rachel 9.2 lbs (still our peanut)
Alyssa 10 lbs even

They are still sleeping well at night though Rachel seems to get hungrier earlier than all the rest so we are often up at 4 AM for a feeding. Oh well, some day we'll get some more sleep!

Some more pictures of our 5 babies :)

Rachel:


Alyssa:


Julianna:


Julianna, Rachel and Alyssa:



And their studious big sister and big brother:

Sleeping Beauties...

Sleeping Beauties...




Bathing Beauties...



Alyssa



Rachel



Julianna

Now we're ready for our date. Play date that is. Today was our first outing and we went to the mall to meet some new friends. They are triplet boys just 3 days older than us and their names are Tommy, Jack and Christian.