Visit to Christmas Past and Present

1st Haircuts

Today I took the kids for their first haircuts. I felt a bit over-charged for Will's. Just teasing. Only the girls went. They did great, although Addie kept forcefully removing the stylist's hands from her head. Miss Addie is an opinionated girl. She knows just how she likes things to be!

We had a fantastic holiday with friends and family. I have added some holiday pictures to the flickr site.

At Home Photo Session

Not to be out done by brother Will, Addie is now walking, too! Will is finally cutting a tooth, an incisor (I think). Anyway, I may be the proud mother of a boy with fangs, Count William. I sure hope some other teeth come in quickly!

The kids got to play with the gifts under the tree today. Our nanny captured a lot of great expressions. Note that the tree does not have any decorations on the lower two-thirds, It's just easier this way!

Happy Age-Adjusted First Birthday!

Will is celebrating the day by walking! He has been taking steps since last week, but yesterday he really started to get it. Go Will! The girls are also showing off by signing "more." Addie uses the sign more frequently, which is not surprsing given her love for food.

Happy Birthday Daddy and Get Well Lila!!!

We had an eventful weekend. Derek celebrated his 41st birthday (just teasing..30th, but he claims to be so wise...). Some friends watched the kiddos, and Derek and I enjoyed dinner and a movie. I was so excited to see a movie. I have seen two movies in two years, the most recent being Juno. So, the movie could have been awful, and I would have still enjoyed it. But, Reese did not disappoint.

Lila finished out the weekend with a spill off the rocking horse that left her with a broken collar bone. We did not think much of the fall. The kiddos have had lots of small spills as they move to the upright position. But, Miss Lila seemed really irritable. I thought that she was getting my cold. So, what do we do? We wrestle her into her winter coat, strap her into her carseat, and head out to the mall for a couple hours of shopping. We thought that we were passing the time. Ouch, we tortured her! This morning, she was still cranky and then we realized that she has spent little time crawling. Then, it dawned on us...


The diagnosis came quickly, within minutes of seeing the doctor. Of course, we confirmed with x-rays. There's not too much to do for a 13-month child but put her arm in a sling. She tolerates it pretty well. The doctor said that she should do a good job herself limiting her activity over the next few weeks. Clearly, she does not know Lila as we do. She is a very determined little girl.

So, don't tell, but Santa got the kids giant climbing blocks for Christmas. They seemed like a good idea a few days ago.

Oh, Addie Pants...

The girl cracks me up. She mimics everything. I have a cold with a cough. Every time I cough, she coughs. It sure makes me feel better! A few days ago, she took her first real steps. Addie can take about four or five steps before losing her balance. Her face just beams as she toddles to us. She is so proud, and so are we!

Big Weekend

Will got two teeth over the weekend.





Well, kinda. The official tooth count:

Lila: 6
Addie: 7
Will: 0

Happy Thanksgiving

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving last year, I received a surprising phone call...Addie and Will were ready to come home. I quickly abandoned the grad school final I was working on (I worked on that thing 10 minutes at a time for weeks!), and Derek and I went to get our babies! We didn't think that we would have babies home for Thanksgiving, so we were delighted and scared. They were so small. That night as they cried and cried, we wondered, "are these the same babies that slept to peacefully in the NICU?" As happy as we were to have Addie and Will home, our hearts were still not whole. Our little Lila was alone in the hospital. The next day, I rushed to the hospital (apparently too fast for the heartless state trooper who wrote my spending ticket) to be with my little girl. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, little Lila did get to come home. Our family was complete.

A year after their miraculous entrance into this world, I am no less thankful. Late last night, I just stood in the nursery, listening to them breathe. What a beautiful sound. The Lord has blessed us.

Earlier this month, we had our one-year wellness exam. The kids had the following stats:

Lila: 16 lbs 8 oz. (<3rd percentile) 28"
Addie: 17 lbs 7 oz. (3rd percentile) 28.5" (25th percentile)
Will: 17 lbs 7 oz. (<3rd percentile) 29" (25th percentile)

No one walks yet. Will has the best balance, but has decided it's effective to just bear crawl with only his hands and feet touching the ground. Addie takes a few steps before launching herself into your arms. And, Miss Lila is great at crawling, and I think that will work for her for a while longer. I will keep you all posted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1st Birthday Recovery

We had a great time at the Holtlets' First Birthday Party. We followed it up with our one-year wellness appointment on Monday. Details forthcoming. In the meantime, see Flickr link for birthday pictures.

Mr. Will

Our surprise baby boy! I was just sure that we had three girls growing in there but was elated to learn that he was on his way. But, poor Mr. Will had to reside within my rib cage. Not much room for him...or for my lungs! I was left winded just when I thought about moving.

Mr. Will chose delivery day for us. He had not grown over the previous two weeks. He weighed in as a 3 pound 1 ounce bouncing baby boy, much smaller than the doctors had anticipated. Had I delivered at 28 weeks with the onset of my preterm labor, he might not be here.

Will was small but mighty. He had a lot to say after delivery. In the NICU, he as full of angry cries, and he quite frequently set off his monitors with a heart rate well over 200. The little guy just wanted out of there. And, he did everything he could to get dismissed. He pulled out his feeding tube; he pulled out his IV. Both stayed out. He even tried to escape, working himself out of the bed in the isolette. Will was quick to accept bottles. He has been eating ever since.

Will has grown into such a sweet little boy. I love his big blue eyes and bashful grin. Will is very independent. He loves to explore the house and cares little if mom or dad is nearby. His adventures often lead him to trouble. When he hears "no," I love his "ah shucks" reaction.

Nicknames: Mr. Will, Mr. Man, Willy, Little Dude, Bubby

Likes: Food, long naps, bouncing in the jumperoo, screaming, exploring, the remote control

Dislikes: Car rides, shopping

I am so thankful for you, Will.

Big Mamma

Here's the last picture (with my brother) before delivery, taken November 5, 2007.

Addie Pants

Adilenne Grace, the poor middle child, went nameless until about two weeks before delivery. I pushed for Charlotte, Violet, Olivia, Hazel... The list goes on. But, Derek knew better and found the name Adilenne, which allowed for the nickname Addie. As I look into her round, pink face, I am so glad that Derek kept pressing for the right name.

Miss Addie Pants was "Baby B" and enjoyed the most spacious accomodations in the middle of my tummy. She was an active gal, doing lots of flips and turns. Miss Addie, at no fault of her own, seemed to steal all of the nutrition at the expense of her siblings. She chunked to a massive birthweight of 4 pounds 4 ounces, earning her the nickname of Chunky Monkey.

At delivery, Addie gave us a scare. I could tell that the doctors and nurses were working more vigorously on her than Lila and Will. After a quick kiss from mom, they whisked her away to put her on the ventilator. She fought hard for us, though, and the ventilator was removed less than a day later.

Addie pants has been such a great joy over the past year. She is quite personable, making friends wherever she goes. She loves to smile, laugh, and play. She goes after what she wants, even if its the pacifier in her brother's mouth!

Nicknames: Chunky Monkey, Addie Pants, Addie G, Adikan Skywalker

Likes: People, riding her little buggy, pacifiers, food, clapping, television, being held

Dislikes: Not being held, naps, help brushing her teeth

Addie, your goofy laughs and grins just melt the day's worries away. I love ya babe!

Miss Lila

Over the past year, we have enjoyed watching the kids' individual personalities develop. They are so very different. To celebrate their uniqueness, I thought that I would dedicate a post to each of them this week.

Miss Lila, the eldest by one minute, was the first Baby named. As soon as we saw images of our "Baby Girl A" on the ultrasound screen, we knew that we were seeing Lila. In my belly, Lila passed the time by thrashing her legs around (into my bladder). To this day, she loves to lie on her back and pound her legs on the floor. Soon after her arrival, she quickly earned the nickname "Cranky Pants" with the NICU nurses, as she was quick to express displeasure. But now, she is the easiest to please of the bunch. She enjoys playing independently, often examining every detail of her world. She is shy and does not just give a way smiles. But, when you win her over, you realize that it was worth the wait! And, finally, Lila is extremely determined. She does not abandon challenges. We have watched her physically make great progress over the last few weeks.

Nicknames: Lila Bear, Lila P, Li, Lillee

Likes: Patty-Cake, cottage cheese, playing with the wheels of the choo-choo wagon, cramming Cheerios into her mouth (much to my dismay), smiling at puppies, playing peek-a-boo, sucking her thumb

Dislikes: Diaper changes, formula, naps, pacifiers

Miss Lila, momma loves you!

A Walk Down Memory Lane...

As we count down to the babies' birthday, I thought it would be fun to re-visit the events of that week. The following post dated November 1, 2007, is from my old blog...


Week 34
November 01, 2007

Wow! I cannot believe that I am writing about Week 34. What a blessing! I now have doctor visits twice weekly. The doctors want to make sure that the babies are not becoming stressed in their ever-crowding environment. At each appointment, another biophysical profile is performed via ultrasound. On Tuesday, the babies received perfect scores, as they demonstrated movement of hands/feet, arched their backs, had appropriate heart rates, and practiced breathing. The technician also looked to see that the placentas were functioning properly at this later stage of pregnancy. At the last visit, the technician indicated that the placentas had calcifications. They appear to be functioning properly but are preparing to break from the uterus. (Note: I write this as a reminder of this experience to myself, not to horrify the male gender) I have another appointment later today.

The pregnancy has progressed to the point that doctors would not attempt to stop labor if it begins. If this happens before 36 weeks, I will win myself a trip on a helicopter to Champaign. In the case that I reach 36 weeks, the doctors will schedule a C-section (on or around Nov 20). I believe that the babies will make their debut before that time, but who knows! On average, triplets deliver at 33 weeks. I am inclined to believe that mothers who go much beyond that have to be about 6' tall with spacious abdominal cavities. Clearly, not me!

I feel and move around well, all things considered. I have read many stories on the internet about mothers on hospital bedrest, on oxygen, etc. My biggest battle is with heartburn. The babies have left little room for anything but them. So, the joy of eating has been diminshed. Not fair. I thought that this was my time to eat. I do not see many people, just neighbors and strangers at the doctor's office. I have gotten so large that people can no longer resist comment. I like the attention.

Well, I will keep you all posted...

Addie Rocks the Vote

Addie was quite interested in Barack Obama's 30-minute special tonight. I know that this election has energized our youth...but also our babies? Is Addie choosing her party affiliation already?

Where did October go...?

This month has been a whirlwind. Early this month, I flew to California for my first work trip since the kids were born. I had a little anxiety about leaving, but I quelled it with retail therapy at a great mall in Orange County. And, less than 24 hours after I returned, Derek headed to NYC for a friend's wedding. For 1.5 weeks, we were strangers in the night.

Now, the family is home together. Last week, we celebrated my 29th birthday. (The last one that I am celebrating!) We took the kids out to a restaurant. For the first time, they sat in highchairs at the table. They had a wonderful time and were very well behaved. Thanks for the great present kids!!! I am a bit of a germ-a-phobe, though. I gasped when I saw Lila licking the table!

The kiddos are making great progress every day. I am proud to report that Lila was the first to climb the stairs. Of course, Addie and Will were only about 5 minutes behind. Addie can stand on her own but topples sometimes when she realizes that she is on her own. She will take assisted steps. We are getting close. Will and Lila will probably be several weeks behind Addie. The physical therapist reported that Will and Lila still have the "toe curl" reflex, which interferes with balance. I will report more from our Early Intervention appointment in the next post. For now, I am off to the spa!

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Hats Off to Lila!

Today, Lila graduated from the STARband helmet program. She's cute. She continues to feel the top of her head. She knows that something is missing. She'll really notice that the helmet is gone the first time she bangs her head on something. Lila has certainly benefited from the protection of the helmet over the last few months. I am looking forward to cuddling my little girl and being able to reach her little cheeks for kisses!

Peek-a-Boo

For the past several months, I have mentally played the "what was I doing at this time last year" game. Well, last year I was lounging in my recliner watching every television show that was ever created. I am exaggerating...only those created between 1995 and 2007. As expected, this fall is wildly different. I no longer have time for all episodes from the CSI trilogy. Thank goodness (although CSI NY is a quality program).

Now, my fall evenings are filled with crisp walks through the neighborhood and endless games of peek-a-boo. I love it. The kids are changing so fast. Lila is especially good at playing peek-a-boo. She loves to hold the blanket over her face, and when she pulls it down, she emits a big belly laugh. Adilenne can wave hello and goodbye. She really caught on to it tonight. But, tomorrow is a new day. We'll see what she remembers. All three munchkins can now pull-up to a standing position. Little Miss Lila relies a lot on her upper body, not her legs, to pull up, so it is a lot more work for her. She is one determined little girl, though. Adilenne and Will have started to cruise. I have a feeling that Derek and I are just several weeks from complete chaos. We have started to baby-proof, but we are not ready to have three walking babies. We had better get ready fast.

On Friday, Lila has a helmet appointment. It is possible that she may have completed treatment. I am trying not to get my hopes too high, though. I will keep you all posted.

This is the way we blow our nose :-(

I did not know that we could catch cold over the internet. It seems like I have been reading on so many multiples blogs that kiddos are catching colds. Well, it's our turn. Late Friday night, we noticed Addie getting a running nose, then Lila, then Will. They did not sleep much Friday night. Saturday night was also rough. Thank goodness we were around lots of family who gave tons TLC to the kids. Hopefully, the kids did not give back germs! By Sunday, I was exhausted, and with Monday came my cold. We are muddling through, but the kids have been quite irritable. Of course, saline nose drops followed by a bulb syringe would send me up the wall, too! On the bright side, it took 10 months to catch our first cold.

This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth...

Tooth Count:

Lila: 2

Addie: A head full (5)

Will: 0 (No teeth, no hair...poor little dude)

Happy 10 Months!

You know, sometimes I feel that I have little readership beyond our parents. But, just when I consider to discontinue the blog, I find that I have some followers. After Will's surgery, we had some folks looking for updates, and I did not provide any! So, here it is:

Will has recovered well from his surgery. It was more invasive than planned. But, we had a fantastic surgeon and lots of love for Will when we brought him home. Grandmas and Grandpas spent the entire weekend holding the little guy. We could certainly tell that he did not feel well. He was quite subdued, but just a few short days later, he was crawling all over the place. Unfortunately, Will learned to pull himself into a stand right before his surgery. So, a couple days after the surgery, he stood and then plopped on the ground. Ouch! Lots of tears...

Addie also can now pull herself into a stand. We sometimes cannot get the little booger to lie down in her crib at bedtime. All she wants to do is stand. Lila has a great army crawl, and she can now move from a lying position to a sitting position. Go Miss Lila!

The kids are now 10 months old. I cannot believe it. The pediatrician gave us the go ahead for dairy products. (Will may have gotten a taste of ice cream the weekend of his surgery before the official ok. :-) )We gave the kids cottage cheese last weekend. They all gave us disapproving looks. But, a few bites later, Lila was screaming for the cottage cheese.

It's funny, the kids have grown so much over the last 10 months. But, somehow, 10 months after their birth, I still am recovering from some of the strange side effects of pregnancy. As I was getting my haircut this morning, the hair stylist commented on all the new hair that I have growing and how my hair is very awkward right now. (I would like to think that it is a phase, but I always have awkward hair.) I lost a lot of hair around my face in the first months after the delivery. And, of course, there was my first dental visit after the delivery, which was months and months ago. But, the hygenist was giving me a very hard time about the shape of my gums. I was relieved when the dentist (a female) overheard the conversation and told the hygenist to lay off. She said, "what do you expect, she just had three babies!" I like to tease my Mom about not telling me some of the details of pregnancy and early motherhood. In reality, I was just so focused on the delivery of healthy babies that I cared little about myself and the effects of triplet pregnancy on my body.

Today was a good day. I mailed a paper to my professor. I intend that paper to be the last academic paper I ever write. I am now OFFICIALLY done with grad school. My husband is really sweet. The last six months have been hard on everyone in our family. But, when I arrived home from my last class this past weekend, he had a gift for me. It was a new diaper bag. I had been wanting it for a while but thought it was not a necessary purchase. He knew that I would never buy it for myself. When I started grad school 2.5 years ago, I thought I wanted a new car for graduation. (Note that I did get a new minivan, but I don't think that counts!!!) I never would have guessed that what I really would want was a snazzy new diaper bag to carry around gear for new triplets. Thank you for all of your support, Derek.

Finally, Happy Belated Grandparents Day to our parents. Their love and suport has been phenomenal!

Choo-Choo!!!

Grandma Linda and Grandpa Rick bought the kids a choo-choo wagon as an early 1st birthday present. Thanks to them for sending it early! We took it for a couple of test drives today. We love it! Compared to the stroller, the wagon allows the kids more freedom to move and look around. I really thought it was easy to pull, too. I have visions of pulling them around on Halloween. I think that I have already picked out their Halloween costumes. But, I am going to keep it under wraps for now.

We all had a nice weekend. I spent some time shopping with Adilenne and Will, individually. For the first time, they each sat in a grocery cart. They did great. Last night, Derek and I met his parents for a comedy concert. We enjoyed their company, the show, and a night out. Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Al stayed over, so they could spend some time with the kiddos. The kids put on their best show for Grandma and Grandpa. Addie and Will crawled on all fours, and Addie wowed us all as she stood up on the couch and the pack n' play. We will have a cruiser soon.

I probably will not have another post before Will's surgery on Friday. Just say a quick prayer for him. The surgery is routine for the surgeon, but it is not routine for us.

I updated the Flickr pics. Enjoy!

Growing Up

We have some seriously mobile kids now! Will now crawls up on all fours. The little booger is fast! Addie still army crawls, but she now pulls into a standing position. I am in awe of her determination. We can see that it takes all her strength to pull up, but she insists on doing it over and over. Finally, Lila is now army crawling. She was happy just to roll everywhere. It was quite effective. But, nonetheless, I am pleased to see her new skills.

The kiddos are now 9 months old. I cannot believe it. We had our wellness appointment. They had the following stats:
Lila P 14 lbs 90z (3rd percentile) 27" (45 percentile)
Addie G 16 lbs 2oz (10th percentile) 27.5" (50th percentile)
Will 16 lbs 0oz (3rd percentil) 28" (45th percentile)
Because the kids are so small, we will continue on high-calorie formula. However, we have been given the ok to move off of preemie formula. Now, we can buy in bulk!!! Can you tell that I am excited?

We have been very busy. This past weekend, we had a houseful, including my new niece. We had so much fun. I am from a relatively small family, so I love that our family is growing. I love the chaos from a houseful of people.

And, the week came with a busy start. On Monday, my mother and I went to Peoria to see the neurosurgeon. Will has been released. His head has rounded out quite nicely. Addie still has some assymetry in her forehead, but it is ever so slight. It is expected to get better with time. Finally, Miss Lila is making good progress in her helmet. One month, maybe two months, left. After the neurosurgeon, we headed to the orthopedic office to have Lila's helmet adjusted. The practioner there also thought that Lila's head shape was improving. It looks like the helmet will be off by the first birthday.

All those in town probably heard me singing the Hallelujah Chorus today. Derek is able to apply some weight to his ankle. This means that he is more self-sufficient and closer to returning to his normal "duties." Let me tell you, I certainly appreciate all the work he does. Last night, I got into a fight with the sprinkler, as I was trying to water the grass. I think the neighbors would say that the sprinkler won the battle.

New Summer Pictures

I am so excited. We just got the proofs from our summer photo shoot. Click on the provided link to view.

We have been busy as usual. I took Derek to the doctor today. He has a grade 3 (the worst grade) high ankle sprain. It should heal on its own within 6-8 weeks. That seems like good news. He is wearing an aircast and will be on crutches for a while. It sounds to me like he is ready to be on full baby duty. Just teasing! Tonight, a couple of friends watched the kids while I mowed the grass. All I have to say is "get well soon, Derek." He has yet to see my handy work. He will be surprised to see the destruction I have caused to the yard in less than a week!

On my last post, I forgot to tell you all some fun details. Addie now gives kisses. Not freely, but she gives them. Now, they are open mouth, wet kisses, but I love them. Will now shakes his head "no." I am not sure that he understands, though. I think it is so adorable. They will all be waving soon. I always wave goodbye, and I can see them starting to move their hands to mimic. I can't wait. And last but not least, Lila loves to scream. I mean, LOVES to scream. She cracks me up.

Daddy is Getting Old

We had a busy weekend. I had 12 hours of class on Friday and Saturday. (I know, I know, you thought I was done. I'm really close, though. Two more weekends!) Pappi and Grandma Sandy came to help Derek take care of the kids on Saturday. Then, Grandma Linda and Grandpa Rick came on Sunday. The babies loved all the cuddle and play time. I enjoyed it, too! We often spend so much time taking care of their basic needs that we don't get the downtime with them. But, this weekend Lila and I took a nice, long nap!

The weekend took a nasty turn on Sunday night when Derek injured himself playing softball. Derek tore some ligaments near his ankle after his first at bat. Fortunately, we were able to go to prompt care, avoiding the inconvenience of the ER. The doctor was so nice, even as he hassled Derek about continuing to play on his injured ankle. After examining Derek's ankle, we overheard the doctor talking to the nurses about how swollen and bruised Derek's leg was. He was sure it was broken. After the x-ray, the doctor was pleased to tell us the good news: it was not broken. But, then he told us the bad news: it was badly sprained, which in many ways was just as bad. The doctor could not do any additional testing on Derek's ankle to determine how badly the ligaments were torn because of all of the swelling. He will see another doctor later this week.

So, Derek is home this week from work, and I am playing nurse. Derek did such a fantastic job taking care of me during my bedrest. I hope to be as good. Let me tell you, though, I'm tired already! Feeding babies, making dinner, getting meds, freezing ice packs, mowing grass, doing homework... Just when I think that I cannot fit anymore into my day, I do!

To the Park We Go

Last weekend, we went to the park for the first time. Lila and Will loved the swings, and I think Addie liked the breeze flowing through her hair. It was so nice just getting out of the house.

Addie and Will can now go from lying down to sitting up. In fact, Will prefers to sit up just about all of the time, even at bedtime. Derek and I kept cracking up last night. We would sneak in the nursery, only to find Will quietly sitting there. When he noticed us, he would try to peer over the rails to see us. Addie has gotten quite clingy. I cannot say that I mind. I love to cuddle. Besides, I know that she is not spoiled from being held all of the time; there has never been time for that. So, I often given into her request to be held. It seems quite reasonable. Lila is doing well. She is gaining more strength and coordination every day. She and Will have really started to notice each other. I love the giggles.

We recently had some professional pics taken. I cannot wait to share!

Lazy Days of Summer

Miss Addie

Guess who!


Lila P

I could make plenty excuses for my lack of posts, but I have simply been enjoying my family. Last weekend, we welcomed a new member. Audrey Claire was born July 11th to proud parents Timathie and Tony. She is absolutely beautiful. Fortunately, my parents and I were able to drive to Georgia to see her. Thanks to Derek for staying back with the kids. I don't think we are quite ready for a cross country road trip!

The Holtlets are doing well. Addie and Will are mobile. Will is quite the explorer. He will crawl all over the main floor, with an occasional look back for a familiar face. Miss Lila has not quite perfected in crawl. In fact, when she gets really excited and wants to move, she flails her arms and legs in the air. The little thing is not going to get very far like that, but she'll get it. All three now sit up, as you can see from the above pics.

Lila has adapted well to her hemlet. Last week, she went to the doctor to have it adjusted for her head growth. We go back in early August. They will take a laser scan then to measure the progress. I think that her head shape already looks better, so I cannot wait to have that confirmed.

I did update the flicker site with new pics. Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

Yuck!

Broccoli Chicken baby food makes me gag.

Ok, we had some technical difficulty with the poll. So, Miss Addie was the first to "crawl." Most of you guessed right. But, Mr. Will was only a few days behind. They both are quite mobile now.

The kids are really starting to notice each other, or at least each other's toys. This weekend, Addie decided that she needed a pacifier. The little stinker shimmied over to Will, took his, and promptly put it in her mouth. It was so cute. And, Will likes to aggregate all of the toys, which usually results in the girls crying.

Lila is doing fantastic in her helmet. She does not seem to notice it at all. She now wears it 23 hours a day. Great job Lila! Mommy is proud.

Catching Up

Lila's first do-rag. Getting ready for a laser scan of her head.


Lila's new accessory

Addie

Mr. Man

Where do I begin... The kids are just growing so quickly. We have been worried about Little Lila P's weight. Well, the girl has risen to the weight gain challenge. Last week she weighed 13lbs 12ozs, an increase of over two pounds in 6 weeks! Go girl! Miss Addie now has two teeth, and she is not afraid to use them. She has found that it feels better to gnaw on Will's fingers than her own. Smart girl! Addie and Will can both sit up, although they still will topple over sometimes. And, finally, we have a crawler. Well, an army crawler. I am not going to tell you who it is. I am going to make you all guess!

As you can see from the pictures, Lila now has her helmet. Today and tomorrow, she will cycle through an hour of wear followed by an hour without wear. We will increase the duration of wear until we work up to 23 hours per day on day five. The doctor warned us that the helmet will make her sweat profusely. It does. Part of me would would like to next five days to go slowly. I love to see her pretty little face and will hate to see it covered with the helmet.

I was certainly startled to see Lila in the helmet the first time. I am very curious about strangers' response. People are quite curious to see the triplets and often come to talk to me. After getting a glimpse of Lila in the helmet, I wonder if people will keep a little more distance. A social experiment, I guess. My little Lila is still gorgeous.

And for me. I have finished school (FOREVER), and I am enjoying more time at home. I am catching up on 7 months of laundry. (Ok, it's bad, but not quite that bad.) I have started my long list of "to dos," and I feel like I am regaining some control of my life. I have found a walking buddy. The walks were difficult at first, given my loss of muscle from months of bedrest. But, we're now up to 3.5 miles per walk. It feel so good to be active again.

Good news!

Yesterday we learned that Addie's cranial sutures are still open. Yeah!

I hope that all had a good Father's Day. The kids sent me shopping for Derek. Unfortunately, they each wanted to get Dad something different. Derek said his first Father's Day felt more like Christmas with all of the gifts. Ok, I think we went overboard this year. I hope that we did not set a precedent!

Summer Fun

Last week, I stayed home with the kids. Vacations in the past have involved sleeping late, naps on the beach, magaritas, etc. Well, on this vacation, I was up at my usual 5:45Am, and I certainly did not have time for a nap. But, it was the best vacation ever! I really enjoyed my time with the kids. In some ways, this week made up for a disappointing maternity leave from work. For the first three weeks, I did not have all of the babies home. And the last five weeks of my leave were so intense! I was a zombie...feeding babies, changing diapers, soothing, etc... This week, I could really enjoy my babes.

We were very busy. Last Tuesday, we had our first playdate...with another set of triplets! The Schirano Triplets came over. Cameron, Ella, and James are a few months ahead of us. They certainly showed off their newly-acquired skills...crawling, eating cheerios, cruising. I was so impressed...and slightly scared about my babies becoming mobile. Mamma Schirano offered some great advice. I just wish that I could have been more helpful! On Wednesday, we headed to the mall. The kids were very well-behaved, and I only got the triplet stroller stuck in the clothing racks once. And, on Friday, we headed to Decatur to see Grandma Linda's co-workers at the Millikin Library. The kids were all smiles. I love this phase!

Yesterday, the kids and I went to Peoria for our second appointment at the Pediatric Neurosurgeon. Early this sping, we noticed that all of the babies had some flattening on the back of their heads. This is common in preemies and multiples, given cramped space in the womb that may pressure the skull, softer skulls of preemies, and increased time that preemies spend lying down. Usually, the condition, known as plagiocephaly, improves as babies become more mobile and spend less time lying down. Thankfully, this has been the case with Will. But, poor Lila needs a STARband helmet. She will wear it 23x7 for the next 3-4 months. So, yesterday, she was measured for her new accessory, which will be decorated with pink butterflies. It looks like Addie will escape the helmet, but she does has some cranial asymmetry. She had a skull x-ray yesterday to confirm that she does not have craniosynostosis, which is a very serious condition that requires surgery. Just the discussion with the doctor brought tears to my eyes. So, just say a quick prayer for her. Hopefully, we will have good news by the end of the week. But, I think the asymmetry is improving, which would indicate that she does not have the condition. Regardless, I think I have the some of the prettiest little girls! And, as we have done through the risky pregnancy and early days of the babies, we will take it one day at a time.

Now, for the fun stuff! On Tuesday (6/3), Addie cut her first tooth. She is such a big girl now! Will is sitting up and getting very close to crawling (although even without this skill he seems to get around quite well). Finally, Lila is babbling up a storm. Every day, we hear new consonant sounds. She does say "Dadadada," but in frustration. I love to tease Derek about that!

Delinquent Blogger

Oh, it has been such a long time since my last post. I will save you the excuses. The baby update is what really counts. On May 8th, we went to the doctor for our six month vaccinations. The kids had the following stats:

Lila P: 11lbs 5ozs (<3% percentile), 24.5 inches (20th percentile)
Addie G: 13lbs 11ozs (10th percentile), 25 inches (25th percentile)
Mr. Will: 13lbs 12 ozs, 25.5 inches (20th percentile)

Lila has not gained much weight, so we will be visting the doctor for regular weight checks. Given the small relative size of the babies, we will continue using high calorie formula. The babies were quite irritable after the shots. Poor Lila ended up with a 103.6 temperature.

Over Memorial Day weekend, I flew to Atlanta to visit my very pregnant sister. No, she does not have swollen ankles, nor does she waddle. (See, Timathie, aren't I a sweet, much younger sister?!) Derek, with the help of his parents, took care of the babies. I certainly missed them all! But, I did enjoy sleeping in, relaxing dinners out, and leisurely shopping.

Over this holiday weekend, I could not help but think back to last year at this time. I was 10 weeks pregnant. We knew that a triplet pregnancy would be risky, but we did not expect the complications so soon. It was the Friday before Memorial Day that I knew that something was not right. A trip to the hospital confirmed my fears; Baby A was detaching from the uterine wall. With strict bedrest, we could hope that the complication would resolve itself. And, that was the beginning of my home confinement. Of course, it was worth it! Every day, I fall more in love with Lila P, Chunky Monkey, and Mr. Will.

I made it! (Well, almost)

Today our family traveled to Champaign for the University of Illinois' commencement activities. After two-and-a-half long years, I have almost completed the requirements for my MBA. I did miss one class while I was on bedrest last fall, so I will have to make up the class this summer. The U of I allowed me to walk with my classmates, although they did not put my name in the program. So, I thanked my family for traveling to my fake graduation.

I just want to take a moment to thank my family for their love and support. The last six months have been particularly challenging. So many have helped us on the weekends, which allowed me to study for midterms, write papers, etc. It has been crazy!

Finally, I want to thank Derek for putting up with me. I have been studying for school or some professional exam for the last six years. Today, he asked me what was next, a doctorate? No way, I am done! I am looking forward to focusing on my family and becoming the wife and mother I aspire to be.

Happy six month birthday my loves! (May 7)

I cannot believe how quickly the past six months have gone. I was reading another multiple mama post that said "the days are long but the years are fast." That is so true! Some days are harder than others, but their little smiles just melt the exhaustion away.

Last Sunday we started baby food. I undressed the babies, leaving them only in their diapers. Then, we had some fun! I was not worried about the mess, as evidenced by the pictures. I loved watching their individual responses to the new taste. Surprisingly, Lila was the best eater! Needless to say, the babies needed baths after our adventure. They had carrots from their heads to their toes!

Wow, it's been quite a while since the last post. We certainly have kept ourselves busy. A couple of weeks ago, the Early Intervention developmental and physical therapists came to our home. They did a thorough evaluation of the babies, and they did very well. Addie and Will have skillsets aligned with 4-5 month olds. Lila performed at a 3-4 month level. Note that the babies were just about 4 months age-adjusted at the date of evaluation. The therapists had only a few comments, which included Will's tendency not to put weight on his left foot and Lila's low muscle tone. But, the therapists think time will resolve these issues. The therapists will reevaluate the babies in six months.

Well, the Holtlets have a new car...a new, shiny black minivan. Yep, you read it correctly. We bought a minivan. I never thought that I would own a minivan. But, I also never thought that I would birth a litter of babies. Anyway, if you have ever met a Rash (my family), you know that we like our cars. So, it was very hard for me to trade my beloved sedan that I had only owned 1.5 years (0.5 of which it sat in the garage b/c I was on bedrest.) Derek encouraged me to purchase the sedan as an early graduation present to myself. Well, I graduate next week. So, the sedan came and went before I even finshed school! Anyway, I teared up in the dealership as they stripped the keys from my hands. I had some serious misgivings about the trade until we loaded up the kids in the minivan for the first time. It was so much easier! And, it was the best vehicle for the kids (and dogs). Shoot, I would drive the sweet pickle bus (if that's what the kids needed! http://www.flickr.com/photos/reebeckisupergirl/469241019/

Over the River and Through the Woods...

This past weekend, the babies took their very first trip to Grandma Linda and Grandpa Rick's house, while Daddy traveled to NYC to see friends. The babies and I had a great time. Now, I had to take vacation on Friday to pack and on Monday to unpack. :-)

Just a quick funny story about Derek's travels... Derek packed in a backpack that I used to carry breast pump parts. Unbeknownst to him, I had left a speciman cup of Palmolive dish soap in the bag. As he went through security, they were very concerned about the composition of this liquid. Derek, not wanting to even broach the topic of breastfeeding, insisted that security just throw out the container. But, those kind-hearted security guys would not let Derek just throw out his "medicine." After much persistance, he conviced them that he would be fine without it.

What a day!

Sometimes, all you can do is laugh! This morning the babies and I were to travel to Peoria to visit the pediatriac neurologist. Now, I will get to the details you all care about, but I cannot resist sharing the comical details of our day. As the nanny was loading the kids into the car at home, a bird flew into the house. All we could do is close the house and pray that the critter did not spread its little avian germs (aka poo) across the house. We were running a bit late, but it should have been fine. Ah, but I missed my turn onto the interstate, and my keen sense of direction did not alert me to my error until I had traveled an hour in the wrong direction! My 45-minute trip to Peoria lasted nearly two hours and wound through countless one-stoplight towns. I tried to call the neurologist to alert them to our delay, but no cell phone service. Alas, we arrived, only to find that the doctor had left the office only five minutes ago. He agreed to see us after lunch at his other office. Yeah! And, his receptionist, recognizing my directional impairment and our struggles to get anywhere, personally escorted us through town to his other office.

Will and Lila were referred to the pediatric neurologist for possible positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome). It is particularly common in preemies and multiples, who spend even more time lying on their backs than other babies. Will's case is mild-to-moderate, and Lila's is classified as moderate. Fortunately, the doctor has given us two months to try to correct the problem on our own before prescribing helmets. This means lots of tummy time! The doctor was nice enough to give a quick look at Addie. Her skull also is slightly abnormal, but the abnormality does not fit a classic positional plagiocephaly case. If her skull does not improve, she will need an x-ray to rule out any premature closures of the cranial sutures. However, he does not believe this to be the case.

Well, it was a hectic day. I arrived home to find that Derek had produced a video documentary of his bird hunt. He excercised great care for the bird as he expelled it from our home. The Crocodile Hunter, himself, would have been proud. And, I was proud of Derek for protecting our home! :-)

Play Ball

The Holtlets celebrated opening day, although their spirits were dampened with the Cardinals' rain out. We have had a great week. I have a break from school, which is allowing me to enjoy even more moments with the babies.

Today, the babies tried rice cereal for the first time. Addie was first up, since she is quite the eater. She was not sure about the strange substance but quickly decided it was worth the effort. She finished the whole bowl! Lila wanted nothing to do with the cereal, and Will was just too impatient to eat spoonful-by-spoonful. We had varying levels of success but a big mess!

My Bunnies

The past two weeks have gone so quickly. We are continually amazed by how quickly the babies are developing. We voluntarily participate in a program that follows and tracks the development of babies associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. (Now, if you ask me, delivering triplets at 34wks is hardly an adverse outcome. But, I realize that we don't want all babes born so early!) The nurse stopped in two weeks ago, and she was quite pleased with the babies' progress. All the babies do a great job of holding their heads 90 degrees when on their tummies, tracking items, and putting their hands together. At the time of the evaluation, only Will and Lila had rolled over (tummy to back), but I am now pleased to report that the Chunky Monkey can now roll over. In sum, the babies are tracking in line, and in some cases ahead, of their adjusted ages.

Our most recent developmental milestones include Will rolling from his back to tummy (oops, I don't think he liked that much!), Will jumping like a mad man in his Rainforest Jumperoo, and all the babies trying to hold their bottles. Their clumsy attempts certainly slow down feeding time, but I love it!

Last week, Derek and I took the babies for pictures. The photographer, Meghan, did a fantastic job. She was very patient with the babies, taking lots of pictures. I am sure that you all saw the link to the pictures. Some of my favorite pictures are the "action shots." Will rolled from his tummy to his back as fast as he possibly could.

And, I cannot fail to mention that I slept 12 hours last night. Yep, twelve. That has not happened since I was on bedrest. My in-laws are here, and they graciously volunteered to take the night shift. I am very thankful. Now, I will be well-rested for my grad school finals this week.

Full of Laughter

Derek and I had a nice weekend with the kids. Although, we had no visitors, so we had to take care of our own children the whole weekend. Whew, are we tired! Bedtime for the little squirts came a little earlier than usual tonight. The video post is of Lila laughing. She first started laughing at Will and then kept going.

Vaccination Day

Today was vaccination day. So, what I am really telling you is that we have three very fussy babies at home. The day's activities have worn them out, so at the moment they have granted mom and dad a reprieve from the crying. Every time we have all three crying, I grab the video camera just to document the chaos. But, wouldn't you know it, the little bugs stop crying when the camera is on. How do I prove to people that they gang up on us?

Overall, today's appointment went well, although we will be criss-crossing Illinois to see some pediatric specialists. Will is to see a pedriatric urologist for an assessment of some typical male preemie issues. No big worries, though. And, Will and Lila will see a neurologist about their flattening heads. Our pediatrician does not expect that the neurologist will recommend helmets, but she just wants to be sure. Finally, all three will see a developmental specialist just to make sure that they stay on track.

Now for sizes... Will is now the largest, which is amazing since he was over a pound smaller than Addie at birth. He is 11lbs 10oz (3rd percentile) and 23.5 inches long (5th percentile). Miss Addie is 11lbs 9oz (8th percentile) and 24 inches long (wait for it.....wait for it....45th percentile!) So, our fat, chubby baby is really long and skinny. It just goes to show you how distorted our view of typicaly baby sizes really is. Last but not least, Lila is 10lbs 6oz and 22.75 inches (3rd percentile for both).

So, it was a big day. Not to mention that the new triplewide jogging stroller came today. I love it. It turns on a dime. Derek thinks it looks ridiculous, but all triplet strollers do. I just cannot wait to use it!