3 months

Our babies are three months!

How can this be? Three months on bed rest was SO slow and these three months have flown by. We feel so blessed to have these three precious babies and a big sister that loves them so much and is so sweet and helpful. Every day just keeps getting better and better, but it is a little sad because they are getting so big. I took Paige with me to Brooke's dance class and someone said, "Oh look at the new born.". I actually looked around for the newborn baby. I was thinking they can't be talking about my baby, she is huge to me. They are interacting with us with lots of eye contact, cooing and smiles. It is priceless!

People always ask how we do it and we just do it. You can't think about it too much or you will certainly get overwhelmed. I could not survive without our wonderful nanny, Bonnie. She is so patient with the babies and helps with the laundry, bottles and other household chores. She gives me some freedom each week to go to the gym, run some errands and the most important thing is attending my Mothering Matters bible study at Sagemont on Tuesdays. I have been going since Brooke was 3 months old and it has really changed me as a wife, mother and Christian. I can't believe I have been attending for 4 1/2 years. It is the one thing I look forward to each week. I don't think I could make it emotionally without Jesus or exercising. There is nothing sweat or a prayer can't make better.

Kara - She smiles so easy and loves to "talk" to us. She also cries easy, but those quick smiles make up for it.

Reagan - She makes us feel like we still have a tiny infant. She is smaller than the twins, but doing great. She has a smaller head so it makes her seem smaller also. We were a little worried she might be delayed compared to the twins, but the doctor and ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) specialist who came to assess the girls say she is right on target. She has really come out of her shell in the past two weeks. She smiles so much and "talks" to us. She is just more layed back than the twins. We didn't know what a layed back baby was since the twins cried all the time and Brooke had colic and cried nonstop for three months. I'm afraid if we would have had more babies like Reagan we'd keep going - NOT. We are done. Blessed for sure, but finished for sure.

Paige - She is just like her twin sister Kara. Paige is a little more reserved than Kara, but still smiles often, coos and is starting to laugh.

The twins - Paige is the smiley one here.

Identical twins are just so strange. They look and act exactly alike. We still have to ask, "Who is that?" The monogrammed onesies are getting a bit too tight, so I am hoping to get a simple sewing/monogramming machine so that I can make my own. I think it is necessary so that I can tell my babies apart. That is my excuse anyway. If they are not dressed in their "letter" outfits we have to tip Kara upside down to look under her chin to see her birthmark (which is very light). It is quite tough to see with all her rolls (babies don't have much of a neck) or when it's dark in the house at night. I definitely need a sewing/monogramming machine for the sake of my children's identity.

Sisterly love! Poor little Reagan is always in the middle being squished by her big sisters. I can't wait until they start playing and interacting with each other. It will be amazing.

Playtime

We try to give the girls lots of playtime, but they still sleep a lot.

Playtime on the floor with Brooke and Daddy

They are color coded (Paige-Pink, Kara-Purple, & Reagan-Red)

Reagan having mobile time.

Kara and Reagan having a play date looking at the mobile in their crib (while we took Paige's 3 month picture).

Just a swingin'

We had one of these Fisher Price swings for Brooke and she LOVED it. We now have three of them. Front porch time is the best! The girls love being outside, love swinging and one person can be outside with all of them.

Good News!

Good News X three!

Reagan went to the doctor today and she weighed 9.9lbs. The doctor was wanting her to be 9.4lbs at this visit, so she exceeded her expectations. And....no more heart murmur. Dr. G could not hear the murmur anymore and she said that it was either gone or the hole was closing up!

Yeah Reagan!!!

Praise the Lord!! Our house doesn't look or sound like this for hours and hours each day anymore. We have tackled acid reflux! (I hope and pray for good). After changing their formula three times, we are back to soy and the twins (Paige & Kara) are on Prevacid 2x per day. It has made a huge difference in them and in my sanity. It feels like triplets are so easy now. I think it is part of God's plan :)
The girls going to a party.

Kara, Paige & Reagan

What our house looks like now...

It is full of smiles, coos and good times. I love it!

Paige & Kara

Jolly ol' Kara!

I have entered a place I never thought I would....

the "mom" sticker on my car.

I couldn't resist, triplets are a novelty and I love being a mom.

Brooke's first day of school

Brooke is loving Pre-K!

She goes Tues-Friday at the Methodist Church and is already learning so much. Brooke has known her letter and letters sounds for a long time and was starting to read this summer. She just loves to learn new things and has a great attention span, so she makes a good student (for me, so I hope she does the same at school).

The first day of school.
Mommy and Brooke

Brooke and Maci

She is into posing with her hip out. I'm not sure where it came from, but it's pretty cute.

Brooke is putting her school bag in her cubbie as Maci and Mrs. Lisa watch.

At school she has a different job each week. The first week of school she was the Pledge girl. I asked her if she had to put her hand over the heart and she said no that she stands in the middle of the rug and holds the flag while everyone else does. I would love to be a fly on the wall in her room. Last week she was the calendar girl and this week she is so excited because she gets to be the weather girl. She has been wanting to be the weather person since the first day.

She goes to chapel, has a computer class, and language arts. She will even learn Spanish.

I just love taking her and picking her up from school. It is such a special time for us because we talk all about the day. I get all kinds of details and it's great one-on-one time for us. It is one of my favorite times during the day.

Beauty and the Beast

Brooke and I went to see Beauty & the Beast at Dawson High school in Pearland and it was excellent! I forgot that I was watching high school students. Brooke and I were able to have a date night. I have missed our special time together so much with me being on bed rest and busy with the babies. We went to eat at Olive Garden and just talked and talked. She had her cheerleading class at The Little Gym and afterward she got dressed in her Belle costume (wig and all). It was adorable! Troy stayed home the whole time with the babies by himself so we could go. Way to go, Daddy!

Brooke as Belle

Mommy and Belle (aka Brooke)
Two Belles???Best Buddie Maci and Brooke
They were the Belle's of the show. Everyone thought they were so adorable.

The "real" Belle with Maci and Brooke

First vacation!!

Galveston or Bust!

We packed and packed and packed and then headed to a beach house in Galveston. Our nanny, Bonnie came along with some friends. Our car wouldn't fit all of the gear so we had to get Mike and Valerie to bring some in their car and Rhonda had to help bring gear home. Thanks everyone! We all had a great time and had tons of help with the babies.

Sleeping in a Pack'n Play

They haven't slept three together for a while. Reagan got the middle because she sleeps the best and is the quietest. The girls actually did very well. Troy, Brooke and I slept in the bed and the girls in their pack'n play. All six of us were in one room.
Troy and Kara enjoying the view from the deck.

Sassy Brooke at the beach

Brooke had a great time playing in the sand. She wasn't too fond of the water, only putting her toes in. The triplets stayed at the beach house.

Kayaking with daddy. Brooke loved it and was so excited to go.

They are on their way back to get a fishing pole to do some fishing. She is my sporty spice girl.

Great times!

Brooke enjoying the sunset from our deck.

Some of the family Me, Brooke, Troy and Kara (I think)

What a beautiful view!

Paige and Kara with their beach outfits. We waited until the end of the night to take a picture, so Kara is upset and Reagan had already spit up on her outfit so she didn't match. I think she was also sleeping right now.

When we got home, Brooke was sad that she didn't get to fish. Her Barbie fishing pole was broken and they couldn't find any live bait in Galveston. Troy and Poppy took her to buy her first real fishing pole. She really wanted a pink one and she found it. She got a pink and black Ladies Ugly Stick. Troy took her that evening to fish in the pond on the golf course and they caught two fish! It works!

Chick-Fil-A

Our church, New Hope, was having a Thursday night concert at Chick-Fil-A and we decided to go at the last minute. We we had the babies dressed, bags packed and were out the door in 20 minutes. Thanks to Bonnie, our nanny, and Hannah our nanny in training or jr. nanny. As we got there it started storming. The lights even went out, but soon the rain passed and the concert began.

Chick-Fil-A brought us food once a month and after the babies were born they brought the Chick-Fil-A burp cloths and little cows for all the girls. We LOVE Chick-Fil-A!!!


Bonnie, our nanny!!!!!

Mommy and her girls!
The Chick-Fil-A cow and our limo stroller. Reagan is waving "hello".

Reagan is interacting with the cow and loving him.

The rain stopped and the concert began. The babies loved the music and were perfect little angels the whole time.

Reagan fell asleep listening to the music.

Paige is smiling. So cute!

Kara is just haning out.

2 months

I can't believe it has already been two months. The girls are growing like weeds. Kara & Paige (the twins) are both 9lbs 10oz and Reagan is 8lbs. Kara & Paige are 10th %ile and

Reagan is 5%ile. 50th is average for growth and height. They are low, but at least they are on the chart. At birth they were 4.5, 4.6 & 4.7lbs.

All three of the girls have acid reflux. Reagan is our spitter upper. She can soak you where you need to change down to your undies. Paige and Kara don't spit up, but cry terribly when they have a bottle. It's called silent reflux. It burns when they eat and then it comes back up and burns again (but doesn't come out). We started with them on Zantac and Mylanta, but that didn't work for the twins and now we have them on Prevacid. We have also switched the twins to Soy formula in hopes that will help them. Please pray that this works, it is heartbreaking to see them in so much pain.

Reagan has a heart murmur, which means a small hole in her heart. It is a level 2 out of 6 levels and hopefully will close on it's own. She has to go back next month for a weight check to be sure she is gaining weight. It was not detected in the NICU or at her first appointment, so I am hoping it is minor. The doctor will watch her and decide if she will see a cardiologist. She wants her to be 9lbs 4oz at her next appointment.

Please pray that her heart heals and for all of their acid reflux.

Kara - Look at that smile!

Kara just chillin'.


Paige & Kara
The dynamic duo (or maybe double trouble). We can only tell them apart if we look under Kara's chin in the light. She has a little birth mark.

Paige (looks shiny because she has a rash and lotion on her face)

Reagan (Little Ray). She is the quiet little one.

Reagan always gets to be in the middle. She is the shrimp of the group even though she is the oldest and was right in the middle of their weights at birth.

This doesn't happen often, but when it does... watch out! Usually two will cry at the same time and it's usually the twins (Paige & Kara).

Brooke 4 1/2

She is a wonderful big sister and is adjusting very well. She gives her sisters lots of kisses and tells them she love them all the time. It's so sweet.