We Have A Celebrity Look-A-Like

Get Ready Bunnies, Easter Is Coming

Here's an Easter photo sample. We took some photos outside when it was warm. We'll post more closer to Easter.

Photos Added

What Happened, Mr. Sandman?

For the past couple of nights, sleeping has not been what it used to be. Starting about 30 minutes after we put the kids down, and lasting for about 4 hours, either Blondie or Little Man wake up about every 30 minutes and start to cry. We usually go to them and replace a lost pacifier and this solves the problem, but why has it started? Possible teething pain? Changes in sleepwear due to warmer weather? We don't know why, but it would be nice if it would stop.

For Parents of Multiples

This quote was in an email from my "Mothers of Multiples" group a few months ago. Surely all parents of multiples can relate to it.

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. " - Mother Teresa

"Ma Ma"

Blondie has added "ma ma" to the sounds she's making. So far, she's the most vocal of all three. Maybe that's because she's the smallest and she's trying to make her voice heard.

Squeaky's Doing It Now

This morning, as if turning on a light switch, Squeaky has started using "ah" sounds and words just like Little Man and Blondie.

Father Friday - I'm Addicted

This week, we were given a container of Gerber Fruit Puffs for the kids. We're not sure if they like them or not. Sometimes they'll eat a few and sometimes they won't. I tried one after we opened the container, and let me tell you, I'm addicted to them. These are the strawberry-apple flavor and they remind me of Boo Berry cereal. I could eat them with milk for breakfast. The mother keeps telling me I need to stop eating them so the kids will have some. Don't tell her, I'm eating some while typing this.

Blah, Blah, Blah

That's one of the new sounds coming from Little Man and Blondie. They have started using "ah" sounds and words - blah, lah, dah. Squeaky makes plenty of sounds too, but not those yet.

9 Month Doctor Visit

Yesterday we went to the 9 month check-up. The doctor was pleased with the way the babies were growing. It was time for more immunizations and no one enjoyed those.

New Weights -
Little Man - 17 lbs 3 oz
Squeaky - 17 lbs 15 oz
Blondie - 14 lbs 11 oz

Cavities?!?!

Yesterday we noticed dark spots on the back of Squeaky and Blondie's lower teeth. Our first thought was "Oh no! They have cavities!" We tried to figure out what we had done wrong. We started brushing their gums and teeth at 6 months. We didn't let them go to sleep with a bottle. Any fruit juices were watered down before they received it. We had been following all the rules that we knew. How had this happened?

We called the pediatrician's office and they recommended a pediatric dentist. We called and made an appointment for today. Our fears were put to rest when the dentist looked at their teeth and told us the spots were from all the iron in the formula. Whew! What a relief. Then we started wondering why someone hadn't mentioned this to us before. It would have been nice to know that the iron-rich formula could have been the problem instead of jumping to the conclusion that they had cavities.

Boot Camp - One Week

Things seem to be going well with the all-at-one-time feedings. We have to sit with them and help them keep the nipples in their mouths. They like to pull them out and wave them around like lassos. The real trick is getting solids in all three of them at the same time. We need a long-handled, three headed spoon.

Photos Added

Developmentally Speaking

There's lots of information available about kids and what they should be doing at a certain age (sitting up, crawling, etc). When it comes to babies that are born early, can you really use those charts? If babies are born early at 34 1/2 weeks, like ours, how can you measure what they should be doing? Do you say they are 9 months old, but only 8 months old developmentally? Once they are born, do you start the developmental counter or do you factor in the prematurity of the child?

Boot Camp - Day 2

Things are going great. They are really taking to eating at the same time. We usually finish feeding all three in about one hour instead of taking almost 2 hours with the staggered times we were using.

Boot Camp For Everyone

We're all in training starting today. We've been feeding the kids at staggered times (about 40 minutes apart) just to make it easier for one person to feed them. That kind of worked, but it sure caused havoc with the nap times. One wanted to sleep and two didn't or two wanted to sleep and one didn't. It was very stressful. This morning, everyone was up and in their high chairs at the same time to start simultaneous feedings. We just moved from one kid to the next, spooning in food. When they finished with the solids, we gave them their Podee bottles and helped them keep the nipples in their mouths while they drank. It went okay this morning. They all finished at about the same time and were napping at the same time. Keep reading. We'll keep you updated.

More Teeth

Squeaky's top front teeth are starting to break through the gum. Way to go, Squeaky!

Candle Heads

We're just amazed at the amount of earwax that makes its way from the inner ear to the outer ear on our kids. You clean their ears and the next day, there's more wax in there. It's amazing. The father has started calling them "Candle Heads".

Making Headway

We're down to only two that have the sniffles.

Is Anything More Precious Than...

a sleeping baby (x3)? (Sorry, no photo. We can't seem to get all 3 to nap at the same time yet.)

Last Man Standing

Everybody is sick now, except for the father. That's good because we need him to keep going while the rest of us recover from a bad cold.

Spray 'n Wash, You're My Best Friend

When you have a baby, or in our case three, you always have items with spit-up on them. We were given some Spray 'n Wash at a baby shower and told to use it to help clean things we wash. Let me tell you, we've gone through a lot of it and it seems to get out all the baby-related stains we've encountered. If only they sold it in a larger bottle...

Little Man and Sitting

Little Man seems to have mastered his sitting skills. He only has the occasional fall over. Now if only he could learn to get into the sitting position on his own.

Snotty Squeaky

Early Sunday morning, we woke to the sound of coughing and raspy breathing on the baby monitor. We went to investigate and found that Squeaky had a cold. Other than some saline nasal spray, a vaporizer and some Pediacare, there was nothing we could do for her in the middle of the night. It sure breaks your heart to be in bed, listening to that sound and knowing there isn't anything you can do to immediately make her feel better.

Getting Ready Early

We've found that one of the things that helps us the most throughout the day is getting ready early for any activities. Whether it's bottles for the next day, setting out the carseats for a trip, prepacking the diaper bag ... anything we can do in advance sure makes the day go smoother.

Photos Added

The Party Isn't For Us

This has happened to us because of the triplets. It isn't intentional, but there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it. We've been at social gatherings for other people, but all the attention is focused on the triplets. We usually feel really bad about it. We're not sure what to do about it except deciding to not go to those gatherings. Then you feel like you've done a bad thing to the person that the gathering is for. There has to be a solution. Any ideas?

Black and White and Loved All Over

This is an interesting twin story from the Daily Mail.

Birthday Planning

This weekend we realized the triplets are almost 8 months old. Is it too early to start planning the one year party? Probably not with the limited amount of time each day we can spend on planning it.

Father Friday - Interesting Packaging

The triplets received this gift for Christmas. We haven't opened it yet because they aren't walking. I was looking at it recently and started laughing at the packaging of the toy. I can't look at it now without laughing. If it was me, I think I would have made the box a little larger so it wouldn't look like one dog was sniffing the other one's tail.

Finally - Baby Dedication Photos

We're finally getting around to posting the official Baby Dedication photos. Try to ignore those copyright symbols in the photos.

Quads Laughing

A must see!

I Don't Know How You Do It

We hear that, in some form, from people all the time. From the outside, things must look better than they do on the inside. We always feel like it's a struggle to get everything completed each day. Feeding the kids, washing clothes and dishes, keeping the house in some order, taking care of ourselves, running errands...the list goes on and on. Somehow we manage. It's a mystery to us. And we must make it look easy. Trust us, it's an illusion.

One Week Without Posts

I just realized it's been one week since my last post. Sorry about that. I guess this was just a week without much to write about.

Sitting

Everyone is starting to sit more than usual. All 3 sit really well with some assistance. Little Man is almost to the point where he can sit by himself. This weekend, he was sitting by himself, leaned over to pick up a toy and then returned to a sitting position. Of course, we're always beside him just in case he loses his balance.

Photos Added

New Weights

As of yesterday afternoon, Little Man has taken the lead in weights again.

Little Man - 16 lbs 4 oz
Squeaky - 16 lbs 2oz
Blondie - 13 lbs 8 oz

What Will The Weights Be?

We go to the doctor today for another RSV injection. They'll be checking everyone's weights. I can't wait to see how much they've gained.

Father Friday - You Do What???

Breastfeeding kids is great, but I think this lady has carried it too far.

Why I Still Breastfeed My Eight Year Old Girl

I sent this story to daddytypes. A reader there sent in a link to a Little Britain clip about "extended breastfeeding". Maybe it's more common than I'm aware.

The Many Faces of Squeaky

Squeaky is a clown. She puts on the biggest show. She loves to change expressions, stick out her tongue, laugh and "talk". These photos were made in consecutive order. Squeaky is on the right. Watch her do her thing.

Germs and Multiples

Germs and multiples aren't a good combination. When one gets sick, the others probably will too. With triplets, you're looking at about 2 weeks of illness by the time it spreads and everyone is on the mend. We usually try to avoid situations where we know they can catch something.

This past Sunday, we rushed to get to church only to find out that someone in the nursery was sick. Squeaky had just recovered from a cold. We decided it wasn't worth it to leave them in the nursery and run the risk of somebody getting sick. Why do people bring out their kids when it's possible for them to spread an illness? I guess if you only have one child, it isn't a big deal if they get sick. They get better and things are back to normal. That isn't the case with us. Like the Energizer bunny, that illness just comes going and going until everyone is sick. That's why we try to be extra careful with illness.

A Small Victory

We consider this a small victory for us. We were able to clean the house Saturday. At all times - one person watched the kids and the other cleaned. Are things getting easier for us, are the kids getting easier to entertain or were we just lucky?

Pink Eye

This week, we had the first illness that we definitely didn't want spreading. Squeaky had pink eye. We discovered it at the first of the week and we took her to the doctor immediately. Today is the last dose of the eye drops and we are happy to say that no one else has shown any signs of catching the illness.

I Miss...

We compiled a small list of things we miss since the triplets were born. It's not what you think. Read on. Others that have kids can probably add to the list.

• I miss sleeping later in the morning, but I enjoy the early feeding and watching the sun rise while holding a baby.
• I miss having time to play my guitar, but I enjoy singing songs to the kids.
• I miss quiet evenings, but I enjoy the sounds of laughter when we're playing with the kids.
• I miss taking a nap on the couch, but I enjoy watching the kids sleep.
• I miss the free time, but I enjoy having three babies to love.
• I miss having time to clean the house, but I love filling my time with things I do as a parent.

Any others you can think of?

Dumbest Twin Comments

These were on the Curletto family website. The list is for twins, not triplets, but they are funny (and true).

7 Months Old Today

Wow!! Where has the time gone? The triplets are 7 months old today.

Official 6 Month Photos

Little Man
Squeaky
Blondie

The triplets are almost 7 months and here we are posting 6 month photos. Oh well, better late than never. Because these photos were made at a studio, they are copyrighted. That's why we're posting them with the copyright symbol on the photos. Even with it in there, you can see what they look like.

Eating For Us, But Not Others

All 3 are starting to show some favoritism when it comes to eating. They usually do really well when taking a bottle from the father and I, but they won't always eat when someone else is feeding them. We usually have to take them to get them to eat. We're not sure if this just a temporary phase or exactly what's causing this preferential eating.

Posting Video Clips

Does anyone know of, or use, a website that allows free postings of video clips? We would love to get some out there for people to view.

Growing Up

When we realized Little Man had teeth this morning, it suddenly made me realize that the kids are growing up. Yes, they're only (almost) 7 months old. Yes, they still have lots of growing to do. I guess this was just the first time it really hit me that they are getting older. No longer are we greeted by those beautiful, toothless baby smiles. We're now seeing some teeth in there too.

No Dentures Required

Little Man finally has teeth coming through the gum. We noticed that the lower front teeth were poking through this morning.

Baby Dedication Sunday

Tomorrow is Baby Dedication Sunday at church. All the babies born within the last year are recognized. It should be fun. The big challenge for us will be getting there on time. We have to be there 15 minutes before church starts. We usually aren't able to get there on time now. We'll get an early start and hope things go smoothly.

Father Friday - A Fake Ad

We ran across this fake ad at worth1000.com. We promise you - we're not bad parents. We just thought this was too funny to not post.

Photos Added

Invasion of the Snotty Noses

We've been trying to nurse all 3 back to health over the past 3 days. Everyone has a cold and a runny nose.

New Weights

We went back to the doctor yesterday for another RSV injection and a flu injection. They did some quick weights to get the correct doses. Based on the weights yesterday, we have a new winner in the weight category.

The weights yesterday were -
Little Man - 15 lbs 7 oz
Squeaky - 15 lbs 11oz
Blondie - 12lbs 7 oz

Been Thinking About Cleaning

I was reading Chelle's post on cleaning and I got to thinking about cleaning our house. We used to do a minor cleaning one week and the next week, we would clean the house really good. Needless to say, this stopped about, um..., 6 months ago. My father-in-law came over one day during the New Years holiday and helped with the kids so we could clean the house. That's only the second time in 6 months the house has had a good cleaning. We miss the chances to clean everything really well. We just seem to keep the clutter organized now. And yes, we know, it will probably only get worse once they start crawling and walking.

Teething Pain

Little Man seems to be bearing the brunt of the teething pain. Squeaky and Blondie started showing teeth without any signs of discomfort. Little Man seems to be in agony most of the time. We've tried teething rings, cold wet washcloths, Orajel and Tylenol. Nothing seems to last for very long. Any other suggestions?

A Family Photo

Today we have an official photo made at church for the upcoming baby dedication/recognition service. Somehow we've let 6 months fly by with no "official" family photo. Let's hope this is a good one.

Father Friday - Words Of Wisdom

If you've never had multiples, you have no idea how hard or rewarding it is. We wouldn't trade it for anything. For every crying outburst, there are numerous moments where your kids look at you with all the love they can muster. For every sleepless night, there are those peaceful moments when they fall asleep in your arms. When you're in the midst of day-to-day parenting, it's easy to get caught up in the bad moments and look over the happy moments. You have to remember to enjoy every moment. I think it's best summed up in something my Daddy told me today - "One day you'll look back and laugh at all the stuff that happened. Just no time soon.".

Photos Added

Triplet Town

From the Inside Edition website, the story on Wednesday, January 4 - "Arriving three by three, 105 adorable triplets are born. But besides being triplets, whats truly amazing is that all 105 of them, from newborn to 18 year-old triplets, live in the same county and share the same zip code. INSIDE EDITION is there for the gathering of the triplets as they get ready for a group photo." Wow!!!

Eating - Then vs. Now

We were talking this morning about how eating habits of the kids have changed so much. When they came home from the hospital, they were eating about 25 ccs (slightly less than 1 ounce) of milk every 3 hours around the clock. Now they are eating around 210 ccs (7 ounces) 4 times during the day, in addition to rice cereal and some baby food (butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes). You can see in the photo the differences in milk. An original bottle we were using is on the left with 25 ccs marked at the arrow. The bottle we're using now is on the right with 210 ccs marked at the arrow. What a difference 6 months has made.

Teething

The girls are getting those teeth. Squeaky has 2 teeth at the bottom front. They are coming in nicely. Blondie has one tooth starting to come through at the bottom front. No teeth for Little Man yet. We think he's jealous and might be considering dentures.

The Martians Have Landed

Some of the weirdest sounds come from babies. Blondie has started making a sound that is like the Martians in the movie "Mars Attacks!" . If you're familiar with the movie, you'll know the sound I'm talking about. If not, here it is.

Father Fri...Hmmm...Sunday - Christmas Vacation

Today was the first Christmas with the kids. The best gift I'll get is a week of vacation that I'm starting tomorrow. I can spend all the time I want with the kids until I go back to work on January 3. Yeah!!!

Photos Added

This is our third posting today. That must be a record for us.

Merry Christmas!!!

We're a few days early - Merry Christmas to all our readers!!!

Our Online Photos

We discovered something this morning about the photos we're storing online through flickr. You can only store 200 images online if you have the free account. If you upgrade to a premium account, you get more space. So, if you're looker for older images and they have disappeared, that's why. Does anyone know of a better free online photo storage service?

6 Month Doctor Visit

We went to the doctor today for the 6 month visit. Here are the weights and lengths -

Little Man - 14 lbs 13 oz, 25 3/4"
Squeaky - 14 lbs 12 oz, 25 3/8"
Blondie - 12 lbs 2 oz, 24 3/8"

The biggest surprise of the visit - the doctor realized that Squeaky has a tooth. We had no idea. Let's hope the other teeth for her and everyone else come in as easily as this one did.

The Best Laid Plans Of Mice and Multiples...

Another Sunday morning. We tried to get everyone ready so we could go to church. Obviously, the kids had other plans for the day. Little Man wouldn't eat, stop crying or get into his car seat. Blondie wouldn't stop crying once we got her into her car seat. Squeaky... she sat sleeping in her car seat and just snored. Oh, what a day it's been.

Father Friday - Christmas Time Is Coming

Everybody keeps asking us questions like this - "Are you ready for Christmas?", "Are you excited about seeing the kids open their presents?". I'm not sure how to answer those questions. Sure, we're excited about Christmas, but in a different way. We haven't had time to focus on buying gifts this year. It's nice to not be caught up in the commercialism of Christmas. This year, because we've been so busy with the kids and family, we're more focused on what's really important - the birth of Jesus, new kids that are a gift everyday to us, family and friends. Are we excited about Christmas? Yes, we are and for what we think are the right reasons.

In The Minority?

When we didn't have kids, it seemed like we were in the minority. All our friends had kids and we just felt "out of place". Now we have triplets and we feel like we're in the minority again because most of our friends have one or two kids. Even if they have more, they aren't the same age. It's just different. Do any other parents of multiples feel this way?

If Only I Had Six Arms

Sometime I wish I had six arms. I would be able to hold everyone at the same time, feed them at the same time, change them at the same time. It's heartbreaking to be feeding one baby and have another look at you with a "Why aren't you feeding me?" look.

And yes, the father found the Spiderman image for this posting.

Photos Added

Our First Meal In A Restaurant

Today was our first meal in a restaurant will all 3 kids. The father has an annual Christmas luncheon with friends. They try to see who can make the tackiest Christmas gift and bring it for exchange. I tagged along today because I was leaving Bible study about the same time they were meeting. It was so nice to be able to get out and enjoy a meal in a restaurant. Everyone behaved and there were no crying outbursts.

Sometimes No News Is All The News There Is

Yes, you read that correctly. No really funny stories to post. No big problems to report. Everything seems to be going smoothly. That's a good thing.

A New Perspective

Because we've been getting out a bit more, we have a new perspective on places that provide accessibility for everyone.

We usually get around with a single stroller and a double stroller. We've found it difficult to manuever when buildings don't provide ramps at sidewalks, automatic opening doors, lots of easily accessible elevators, ramps that aren't too steep, etc.

Last Friday, we went to a Christmas party at a museum. When we were leaving, we discovered that someone had parked and blocked the ramp on the sidewalk. We had to travel farther than necessary so we could get the strollers to our vehicles.

It's amazing how a small change can make you see things in a new way.

Blondie Too

Blondie rolled belly to back today too.

Little Man's Roll

Little Man rolled from his belly to his back today!!!

Triple-Teamed

The last few days, we've both been triple-teamed by the kids. It's like they know when either the mother or father is alone. We'll be trying to feed one and the other two will start crying or screaming. You can stop feeding the one to work with the other two, but then the one you left will start crying because they want to eat.

Photos Added

Twenty things that change when you have a baby

The list should be longer than twenty. Everything changes, but in a good way.

The Times, They Are A Changin'

We realized this weekend just how much things have changed over the past few weeks. The amount of time between feedings has increased. Most of the time, the babies cry less. They're sleeping through the night (except for Little Man's nightly outburst). We've been able to sit down and have more meals together. We were even able to get the Christmas tree (without decorations) up this weekend. Yes, things are definitely changing.

Christmas Photo Preview

We've been working on a Christmas photo. As you can see from these photos, the kids didn't seem too excited about it.

Holiday Plans for 5

We're scaling back this year on all the holiday activities. It's more of a challenge to travel with 5. We also have to plan to get back home in time to put the babies to sleep.

Father Friday - Things You Never Seem To Have Enough Of With Multiples

There are lots of things you never seem to have enough of with multiples -

• diapers
• baby wipes
• clean clothes for everyone
• bottles filled and ready
• ways to amuse the kids
• clean dishes
• sleep
• patience
• time

Hmmm, if only there was a way to combine some of these...

Where Can We Get A Helper Like This?

He's In The Jailhouse Now

Well, not really, but we did discover that Little Man enjoys sitting in a laundry basket. He didn't want to be in his playpen one night and the father was in the kitchen trying to load the dishwasher. He popped Little Man in a laundry basket and he was happy to sit there while the father talked to him and loaded the dishwasher.

RSV

It was back to the doctor today for the second round of RSV injections. The pediatrician recommended everyone take the injections because they were born premature and would be less than 6 months old at the start of the RSV season. The injections are given monthly until the RSV season is over.

The amount of medicine given in each injection is based on the weight of the baby. We were a bit surprised today when we learned everyone's latest weights.
Little Man - 13 lbs 10 oz
Squeaky - 13 lbs 8 oz
Blondie - 11 lbs 10 oz

What's In My Mouth???

Based on the pediatrician's suggestion, we started rice cereal this weekend. It seemed to go well with Little Man and Squeaky, but Blondie wasn't crazy about it.

They're Back

Runny nose. Coughing. Take your pick. They're back and we're sharing.

Something For Their Scrapbooks

This week, the kids received their "congratulations on your birth" cards from the President. Regardless of your political affiliation, what parent wouldn't like their kid to receive a card from the President? If you're interested in getting one, you can send a letter to the White House.

White House
Greetings Office
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Just send a copy of your baby's birth announcement or write a note with the birth date and name.

Talking to Each Other

The babies have started "talking" to each other. When they face each other, they just sit, smile and chatter. Squeaky is the most vocal, followed by Little Man and then Blondie.

Distractions That Help Calm The Kids

When it comes to calming the triplets, we've tried lots of things. We ran across this posting on daddytypes.com. He talks about how badgerbadgerbadger had a mesmerizing effect on his son. We decided to give it a try. It worked. It seemed to distract the babies enough to calm them. We've also used the visualizations in Windows Media Player as a distraction. That seemed to work as well.

Photos Added

Walk A Mile In Our Shoes (The Weekend of Baby Meltdowns)

It all started like a normal weekend. We went Saturday morning to get a photo made for Christmas. The rest of the day was calm. It was only around early evening when things started getting ugly.

Little Man was napping and his pacifier fell out. Instead of just continuing to sleep, he started crying. I don't mean a small cry or whimper. I mean a full scale, bust your eardrums cry. We both took turns trying to calm him. There wasn't much we could do to console him. He cried so hard he made himself throw-up. He calmed down some after this. About this time, Squeaky started crying. Each of us had one of them and we did our best to get them to stop crying. We thought things would get better. How wrong we were.

It was Little Man's bath night, so we decided to go ahead with one because he seemed calmer and he needed it now. Big mistake. He started crying near the end of the bath. He didn't want to eat. He didn't want to stop crying. What did he want??? We were finally able to get him calm enough to eat some and he went to sleep and so did we suddenly realizing that we hadn't been able to eat dinner because of all the crying and baby calming.

Sunday started off like a good day too. Nothing much to say about it until we started the final feeding. Little Man drank his full bottle and was happy. This was not going to be the case for Squeaky and Blondie. Little Man had done most of the crying the night before and now it was their turn. I don't remember who started first, but eventually both of them were crying and spitting up. We went round and round with them trying to calm them. We took turns with each them and did our best to calm them. They eventually stopped crying and went to sleep.

What a weekend. We haven't had two bad nights like that in a long time.

Father Friday - Washing Clothes

It's amazing how much laundry you wash with multiples. We wash at least one load of clothes every day during the week just to keep the laundry baskets (yes, one for the parents and one for the kids) at a reasonable level. It's two or three loads each day on the weekends to get the baskets empty. You have lots of bibs and burb clothes, outfits that get spit-up on them, day clothes and night clothes, blankets and more. People told us we should keep a count of how many diapers we use for all of them. I wish we were keeping a count of the loads of laundry.

Talk, Talk, Talk

Everybody is "talking" more lately and becoming more vocal. We spend a lot of time talking to them and reading to them, so that must be the reason. Of course, we have no idea what they're saying, but it's fun to sit and have a "conversation" with them.

A Lip-Smacking Good Time

Squeaky has started smacking her lips a lot. It's really funny to watch and hear her do it. It doesn't always mean she is hungry. She just seems to enjoy it. I guess it's like whistling to her.