So Many Changes... So Few Blog Posts

Well, we truly can't believe how fast time can go by. It has been nearly a month since we last updated you (which we apologize for), and there seems to be changes in the babies almost daily. The babies will be 4 months old this Wednesday, and we have lots of updates for you all, with plenty of pictures as well.

Nearly 4 months old now.
All three are continuing to grow at a healthy rate. Daniel is still our big boy weighing in at 15 lbs, 8 oz. But Braden has become our best eater, and is closing the gap between him and his brother. He is now 14 lbs. 11 oz. And Kayla is still our small one weighing 10 lbs, 10 oz.

Some of the best news that we can share with you is that both boys are now sleeping through the night! One night, both of them decided to sleep for 7 hours straight, and when Julie & I woke up in the morning we almost panicked, thinking something was wrong, but when we checked on them, they were happily sleeping away. Kayla, being smaller, still wakes up, but only once per night. For a while, we had forgotten what a good night sleep felt like, since for 3 months we only got about 2 to 3 hours at a time. It is great to think that waking up in the night is almost behind us . Because of the boys sleeping so well, we are now putting the boys in their cribs for the night. This was difficult for us to move them away from us for the night, but it was a change that we needed to make. After all, they were on the verge of outgrowing the ability to sleep in the same Pack & Play. Here are the babies in their cribs:

Kayla, Braden & Daniel sleeping in their cribs.

In other news, we have started taking the babies to church. And as expected, it was quite the ordeal. I'll just say that the first time we attempted this, we had to start preparing on Saturday night, loading the car with the stroller and the diaper bags (yes that was plural). And on Sunday morning, it took no less than 4 adults to get them all ready.

First trip to church.

We also had a wonderful surprise visit from Uncle Dave last weekend. He came and spent the night with us and helped Julie take care of the babies all the next day. It was great to see him bonding with his niece and nephews. He even gave each one of them their first piano lesson:

Kayla, Braden & Daniel with Uncle Dave

We also got the babies all dressed up for Easter Sunday. Getting them to church was again, quite the ordeal, but we made it with some help from Grandma & Grandpa. We took the time to get another family picture, as well as a few others.

Family Picture

The babies together and with Grandma & Grandpa.


Here are some other pictures from the last few weeks:

All three in their Sleep Sacks. They kept the babies so warm on cold nights.


A rare treat: taking a nap in Mommy & Daddy's bed.


Braden has begun sucking his thumb, which we love, since he now has a built in pacifier.


Three more smiles from Kayla, Braden & Daniel.


And finally, Kayla & Braden sleeping peacefully.

Three Months Old!

I can barely believe that my babies were born 3 months ago today. Those little 4 pound babies have grown so much! As of their latest doctor's appointment, here are the latest measurements:

Kayla - 9 lbs
Braden - 11 lbs, 9 oz
Daniel - 12 lbs, 6 oz

Crazy to think that Daniel has tripled his birth weight! Time is already going so fast and I'm starting to see what people mean when they say treasure the time while they're small because it will be gone before you know it!

We had a nice day today with our little cuties. Here are some pictures from the last couple of days. Hope you enjoy! ;)


3 Months old today. And we were surprised to get a picture of all of them smiling!


Kayla, Braden & Daniel


All three together


The weather really warmed up this last week, and we took advantage of it by taking the babies out for their first ride in our new Triple Stroller. The stroller is so big, tht it actually has a little steering wheel on the back that turns the front wheels. The babies loved getting out for some fresh air.




More Grandpa Time


Kayla & Braden sound asleep


And finally, a picture of our little Kayla worm

Those Little Smiles

I'm sure that it is no surprise to all of you that being new parents with triplets, we are presented with lots of new challenges. Not only are we continually adjusting to the new level of responsibility that comes with taking care of three new members of the family, but it is easy to get wrapped up in what can be an exhausting cycle of eat, sleep, change... eat, sleep, change... eat, sleep, change... well, you get the picture. I will admit, there are times when we feel like this early stage of parenting, which includes many sleep deprived nights, will never end. But lately, God has given us a whole new sense of joy and excitement that has come in an unexpected form... their precious smiles.

Over the past few days, all three of our little bundles of joy have had times when they get into a great mood, and will lay there and just smile over and over at the one who is holding them. And as their father, there is nothing more special to me after a long day at work, to come home, pick up one of the babies, and see them grin from ear to ear as soon as they hear my voice. These smiles have gotten us through the longest of days, and the even longer nights. And suddenly the endless cycles don't seem so endless anymore. It reminds us that these babies are gifts from above, and that there is great joy in taking care of them.

I hope these few pictures can share with you the same joy we get every time these babies bless us with their smiles.


Kayla


Braden


Daniel

Two Months Old

It is hard to believe, but these babies have been with us for two months as of Sunday. Life is still very busy and we walk around in what others call the "Triplet Haze", but things are getting better. We just take it one day at a time. On Friday, my parents decided to give Julie & I the night off. They came over in the evening, and we spoiled ourselves by going out to dinner. It was our first time out just the two of us for fun in a few months.

The babies are changing on almost a daily basis. Most notably in their size. Sadly they are no longer the tiny little preemie babies they once were. Daniel has taken the lead, and has surprised us all by hitting the 10 pound mark. Braden is right behind him at 9 lbs. 8 oz., and Kayla is still a little peanut, weighing in at 7 lbs, 6 oz.

Their personalities are also showing more and more. Kayla, for being her size, is clearly our baby with the loudest cry. There are times when she wants attention, and she will do whatever it takes to get it. And I'm not talking about a little crying for attention, I'm talking about an ear piercing scream that I'm sure has woken up the neighbors. There have been times when she starts screaming and we will think something is wrong, but the moment we pick her up, she is all of a sudden all smiles. The problem is that since she is so cute, there is rarely a time when there isn't someone who wants to hold her. So she typically gets her way.

Braden is still our feeding time alarm clock. We feed the babies every three and a half hours, and we feed two of them at a time, and then the third one gets fed a half hour later. This allows two people to handle feeding all three babies. When the time comes to eat, we decide who eats first by who is the the most awake, and the fussiest. Those two eat first, and the most content one eats second. Well to this day, Braden has never been the one to eat second. He is always first in line, and can't wait to get that bottle in his mouth. Kayla & Daniel fairly regularly switch back and forth between eating first and second, and there are even times when both of them are sound asleep when feeding time comes around (even with Braden is screaming in their ears, telling us its time to eat).

Daniel is the most laid back. As I said above, there are many times when we have to wake him up, just to feed him. For most of the day he is content to relax and hang out in his bouncy seat. Daniel also is our quickest eater, which is probably why he is now the biggest baby. At times, when he gets a bottle in his mouth, if you are not holding on to it tight, it feels like he might inhale the whole bottle.

Here are some more pictures. We thought it might be fun to show you all how big they are getting. Here are some then and now pictures of all three:


Kayla then and now.


Braden in his bouncy seat the night he came home and now. He fills it out a little bit more.


Daniel is the most noticeable. He just looks chubbier.



We decided that since the babies were doing so well, it was time to take them on their first trip out of the house. Mimi (Rich's mom) & Grandpa invited us over for dinner. It took about an hour of preparation, but we managed to get all three babies together and leave the house.

All three babies in their car seats. We had just arrived at Mimi & Grandpa's. They loved being in the car and slept the whole way.


Mimi & Grandpa with the babies.



And here are some other recent pictures:

An updated family picture.


Braden with is arm around his sister.


Kayla relaxing on the couch.


Funny picture of Daniel. He is losing his hair, and has developed an old man hair ring around the back of his head.



Again, before I sign off, I want to thank everyone for their help and support. We appreciate everyone who has volunteered to stop by and help with feedings, especially during the days that Julie would otherwise be home by herself. And thanks to everyone who has brought us meals. It is great to not have to worry about cooking dinner in between feeding the babies.

More Changes

A while back now, before the babies came on board, we asked for suggestions for our nursery. We realized that we never updated all of you with what we came up with. We went with a light orange color on the walls, and a Baby Animal Circus theme we were given by a good friend.

The finished nursery.

Kayla's crib.

Braden & Daniel's side of the room.


In other new news, we would like to introduce the most recent addition to the family, our new minivan. We came to terms with reality, and realized there is no other option for a family needing three car seats at the same time. We chose the Nissan Quest. All in all, we are happy with it. Here is a picture:



And I would never put up a post without giving you a few pictures of the babies.

Daniel, Kayla, and Braden in their matching outfits.

The boys hanging out.

Kayla & Braden with their toys.