12.29.10 ~ 18 months

Camille

Brelynn

Avery

A year and a half...wow. I'm not sure how each day can seem to last a lifetime yet the months just keep flying by. Not that I'm complaining. I love being home with the girls, it's just that at times they can form a superhero sister trio to do battle with mom. It may look like simultaneously asking to go to the bathroom, bonking a head on the table, and stealing toys, and wanting a cracker. They definitely know what they want now and aren't afraid to ask (demand) that mom to get it for them! Their saving grace is that they are incredibly adorable and charming and know how to come give a hug and kiss while flashing a cute smile just at the right moment. They are getting to be good little sharers and will often give their sister a cracker/water/toy without me having to ask them to share. It warms my heart to see them play together and share with each other. The girls are very concerned if one of the sisters is missing or injured and have been known to cry just because another one is crying (not that I like all the crying, but the compassion is wonderful).

Milestones just continue to get refined...more talking, better walking, pretending. They have dropped the morning bottle so now they just get one bottle at bedtime. I'm sure the pediatrician will want us to drop that, too, but it's a really easy way to get 8 ounces of milk into them (and right before bed) so I'm not ready to give it up. They are the world's best sleepers...sleeping 14-15 hours straight at night and taking one 60-90 minute nap at about noon. If they're cranky in the afternoon then they have 'quiet time' in their cribs where they can look at books and play with quiet toys. I leave the lights on and they've been doing a good job actually playing or resting during that time. Teeth just keep popping through randomly. I think Avery and Camille each have 12 teeth and Brelynn has 10 teeth with many more just below the surface for each of them. They go to the pediatrician for their 18 month appointment next week so we'll see how they're growing. Avery seems to be catching up with Brelynn a bit but Camille still feels tiny to me.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I can't wait to see what the new year brings!

 

12.25.10 ~ Christmas

Like many people we celebrated Christmas several times. Christmas Eve was at our house with my family and Christmas day was at Dan's Aunt and Uncle's house with his family. The girls got to open lots of presents, we ate some really yummy food, and we all had a great time catching up with loved ones. The girls got the hang of opening gifts right a way and were good helpers for all of us. Bows continue to be a big favorite, although they love their new toys. Pretending toys are fun right now...they got a kitchen and a tea party set and they are adorable sharing 'tea' with each other. Action toys (aka noisy toys) are also a favorite. The toy that shoots balls up in the air and plays music is really funny and makes them laugh. A certain rocking/singing cow has been known to cause one girl to push/pull the other off to get to said cow. The last few days have been filled with really fun new things and lots of practice sharing :)

Chelsea, Kim, Steve, Avery, Brenda, Camille, Dan, Stacey, Brelynn, Tyler



Top: Dale, Jenn, Brelynn, Brenda, Dan.
Bottom: Linda, Camille, Dave, Avery



Merry Christmas to all!

12.16.10 ~ Updates

We are doing really well this month. The girls love the Christmas tree and lights and will ask to have them turned on if I forget to do it in the morning. Our routine is becoming established and the girls are gaining independence which is both a blessing and a curse! They can navigate the stairs fairly well although we still stay close when they go down the stairs to make sure they don't get distracted and fall. Binkies are gone and the girls are all still sleeping through the night. Yay! They do occasionally wake up at night but put themselves right back to sleep. We are so fortunate to have such great sleepers again. They typically go to bed around 6:30pm and wake up at 8:30am and they take at least one nap during the day. The second nap is a 'quiet' time where they have to be in their cribs, but I've started giving them toys and leaving the lights on since they haven't been napping during this time for a few weeks now. Practice potty training is going well and the girls are starting to ask to go potty and then actually going when we get in there which is new. They used to ask to go potty and then ask for a marshmallow right away or just ask to go after one of their sisters went. I think they are starting to understand how this works. The last two days have been exceptionally good potty days and Brelynn has asked three times and had success each time (with our first poop yesterday!). They may be ready for this sooner than I thought. That's what's new with us. I hope everyone else is having a good month so far and Merry Christmas if I don't post before then!

12.10.10 ~ Deck the halls

We love Christmas. We love the traditions, the sights, the smells, and the food! But, just how do you decorate for Christmas with 17 month old triplets? We still have a big, live tree and it's decorated with all our beautiful ornaments...but, surrounding the tree is a giant corral to keep the kids away :) The stockings are hung by the...bookshelf up high...because the girls can pull them down from the fireplace.  Most of the other decorations are the same but I had to sharea picture of the tree with the corral around it. Jealous, aren't you?

11.29.10 ~17 months

Each month that goes by continues to be my favorite with the girls. They are so smart and are learning every minute. I love to watch them experience something for the first time...the initial fear and uncertainty then the sheer joy that follows. A first this month was snow, and lots of it. We had about 6" here for a few days and although it was really cold, I took the girls out to play in it for a few mintues. Avery's cheeks are still chapped from the cold. It took about 30 minutes to get them bundled up (Dan was at work so I was flying solo on the snow adventure) because each time I got one dressed and moved on to another one, the first one was undressing faster than I could dress the next one. Trying to get on the coats, hats, mittens, and boots you can imagine me running around like a chicken with my head cut off! They loved the snow and tried to eat it, roll in it, and really enjoyed it for the five minutes I let them play on the deck. Then it was time to come in, undress, redress in warm dry clothes, and have a little hot cocoa in sippy cups (another first). Surprisingly, Camille didn't like cocoa but the other two sure did!

We're back to sleeping at night for the most part and I would really like that to continue. Teething is rough on Avery especially, but the last two weeks have been better. They're routinely combining words and signs to say 2 word/sign phrases. We have very occasional luck using the bathroom, usually about one of them every other day or so. A fun thing to report is that Dan & I are playing in a volleyball league on Sundays. The Grandmas have come to watch the girls for the few hours that we're gone and it has been wonderful to have a break and do something that we used to do together.

Other than that, we ventured out into the woods of Index for a Ray Family Christmas Photo and you won't be disappointed! Dan has such an amazing ability to think of a photo and then capture it. I was very reluctant to put the girls in their Christmas dresses, tights, and black patent leather shoes, then get myself dressed up and hike in the cold, damp woods just to get a picture. Dan convinced me it would be fun...and adventure, and I caved in. I have to admit it wasn't bad until the girls got cold and then got cranky. Christmas cards are on the way but below are some other photos we got that day.  

Avery

Brelynn

Camille

11.3.10 ~ Quarantine

As we head into cold and flu season we are preparing for our second, and hopefully last, quarantine period. Here's some information to hopefully help answer some questions you may have.

What does 'quarantine' mean? Quarantine basically means that we will be trying to keep the girls healthy this cold and flu season. We will do this by avoiding anyone that is sick, has been recently sick, or has even been in close contact with someone who is sick. Even if you think you 'just have allergies' we ask that you stay away until you are feeling better. We need to keep the girls away from other kids, especially kids that are in school or daycare, since they are little germ factories even without knowing it. We will also be avoiding large gatherings, possibly even family holidays depending on the above factors. If we are around people or having visitors, we ask that you wash your hands either with soap and water or use a gel based sanitizer like Purell (which we will have in abundance) as soon as you enter the house. Even if you don't touch the girls, you touch their environment and then we touch the girls. The few colds that we had last year came after visits with people who "weren't sick."

Why do we have to do this? Since the girls were born eight weeks premature, their lungs haven't fully developed. Even now at 16 months old their lungs are still immature. Even a seemingly mild illness could have serious consequences for the girls. The main concern is a respiratory virus called RSV. For premature babies, RSV can often lead to pneumonia, hospitalization, the need for a ventilator, and in extreme cases death. I don't mean to scare anyone, I just want you to understand why we take this so seriously. The other issue we do this is because I don't want to deal with one sick child, let alone three at the same time. And I'd end up with it, too, so I'd be sick and taking care of three sick kids. To learn more about RSV, visit http://www.preemiecare.org/rsv_resourceshtm.htm. 

When does quarantine start? This is a tricky question. I watch information provided by Seattle Children's Hospital about the number of cases of RSV and different flus each week. As the numbers start climbing, we will get more serious about isolating the girls. As the numbers drop down in the spring, we'll become more adventurous. We have already started avoiding most children and asking if people are sick before they visit.

Thanks to everyone for understanding how important this is for us and our girls. As long as they stay healthy and out of the hospital this year we shouldn't have to do this again. At least nothing as strict as this. I still don't want to deal with three sick kids :)

11.2.10 ~ Brelynn's walking

I told you in the 16 month post that it wouldn't be long until Brelynn decided to walk...well, tonight she did. She stood up in the middle of the room (a first) and took 7 steps. She's very proud of herself and has been standing and walking a few steps for the last 30 minutes. She laughs when she falls, and sometimes falls deliberately and then laughs. I got a video, but of course I don't know how to post it. I'll try after the girls go to bed. Yay, Brelynn!

Now we're really in trouble...three walkers!