Stair Masters

Since we moved to a new county, we had to get a new OT (occupational therapist). I liked our previous OT/PT (occupational/physical therapist) because she worked with the girls in the NICU and knew them well. I must admit though, it has been nice to have a new perspective. I think every professional has a somewhat jaded view or maybe just a certain area in which they focus.  Our new OT has looked at the girls from a different perspective and is helping them in different ways. 

She noted two main things.  First, the girls all crawl and then fall back directly into a W sitting position, which isn't good.  They should be falling to the side (a side sit) after they crawl.  I liked to sit in a W when I was little, and I think that's why I'm bow-legged.  It also isn't good for their hips according to our pediatrician.  I'm trying to get them to stop sitting like that, but, as you can imagine, it's not easy!  Second, they are not properly shifting their weight.  These two issues are actually connected.  The OT suggested that we let the girls crawl up the stairs to help them learn to shift their weight. 

Everyone has done marvelously with the stairs.  They can each make it all the way up -easily.  They rarely fall backwards (of course we're there to catch them!).  It's interesting that they sometimes switch legs with each stair, but most of the time they always climb with the same leg.  This isn't helping the weigh shifting issue.  Izzy-B even puts her flat foot up on the next stair (always the left) instead of her knee.  When she does use her right leg, it's her knee, not her foot.

It will be so nice when they've truly mastered the stairs (up AND down) so I don't have to carry them up and down, up and down all day long. 

Daddy's Wallet

We had a little incident last night.  Katie had been crying but suddenly was quiet.  It was just before dinner, and I was amazed at how quiet they were being.  I had no reason to believe anything was wrong (i.e. trouble) because they were in their play area, which is safe. 

We went up to get them for dinner.  That's when we discovered it.  Robin had somehow left his wallet in the play room - it fell out of his sweatshirt when he was playing with them.  They had taken everything out, and they were chewing on the receipts and playing with the credit cards.  I had to dig receipt remnents out of Katie and Izzy-B's mouths.  They also chewed up a photo of themselves.  I hope they didn't chew on the money.  YUCK!

One Year Stats

The girls had their one year check-up today.  Here are their "stats."

Katie:
Weight -     18lbs 14oz - 10%
Height -      28.5in - 25%
Head -        44.8cm - 45%
Teeth -        Two on the bottom; four on top
Clothes -     9mo, but long enough for 12mo sleepers

Maggie:
Weight -     18lbs 5oz - 10%
Height -      28.75in - 40%
Head -        44.2cm - 25%
Teeth -        Two on the bottom; four on top
Clothes -     9mo, but long enough for 12mo sleepers

Izzy-B:
Weight -     17lbs 3oz - 5% (she's finally on the chart!!)
Height -      27.75in - 10%
Head -        44.7cm - 45%
Teeth -        Two on the bottom
Clothes -     9mo

Here are their one year pictures.  This was by far the most difficult photo shoot because they won't sit still (in the photo below, Maggie is not falling over- she's leaving)!  I think we won't be doing these monthly anymore.  We'll probably take milestone photos every three months until they are two.  A special thank you to the Glovers for the birthday sleepers and the adorable jean diapers!

Playing in the new play room:

Look at that belly!

P.S. - I hate pacifiers.  I wish the girls had never been exposed to them.  Now, Maggie and Izzy-B LOVE them.  Katie sucks her thumb before she falls asleep, but she is not at all interested in a pacifier.

Happy 1st Birthday!

How can one year seem to have passed so quickly and so slowly at the same time?  I remember my time on bed rest in the hospital and the girls' delivery like it was yesterday, but there are so many moments over the last year with the girls that are a blur.  There were so many times in those first 10 weeks that I cried and was so scared.  I felt as though I had failed because I didn't carry them longer.  We are so blessed to have such healthy girls. 

Overall, this last year hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated.  There have certainly been moments that tried my patience.  My personal experience with having triplets is that the first year was pretty easy.  Everyone says the first year is the hardest, but I'm finding that it's getting harder and harder as time goes on.  The first several weeks that all three girls were home was hard.  Once we got in our groove, things went incredibly smoothly.  The girls have been sleeping through the night since they were 12 weeks old, and I have been getting plenty of sleep too.  Now that they are on the move, I really think it's getting harder.  I'm also getting extremely frustrated with my self-imposed quarintine (flu season).  I cannot wait to get out of this house.  At the same time, I'm scared.  I hate the attention.  I just want to have a "normal" life and be able to go somewhere without being accosted by strangers. 

To celebrate the girls' first birthday, I ordered a cake from Costco.  My mom came over, and we opened presents given to the girls by my friends and my parents.  Then we let the girls dive into the cake.  Katie LOVED it!!  She dug right in and squished it around in her hands.  It took a minute for her to realize that she could eat it.  Once I felt she had enough, I took it away.  She was NOT thrilled that I took it away.  Maggie was very delicate with her eating of the cake.  I had to push her hands into it and show her that she could eat it.  She loved it too, but didn't go as crazy as Katie.  Izzy-B also took a little while to figure out that she could eat it.  Her enthusiasim and mess was somewhere in the middle.  It was so much fun to watch the girls enjoy their first taste of sugar.  After cake, they had a bath.  We'll do "one year" pictures later this week, and I'll post their official one year stats on Friday.  It was just too much to get it all done tonight. 

Here come the pictures.....

 Thank you Karen!

Thank you Cherrie!

 Thank you Kathy!

 Thank you Aunt Dodie!

 Ohhh - soft.

 Are these my size?

 Thank you grandma and grandpa!

 Thank you Aunt Novita and Uncle Paul!

 This is fun!!

 See the cake on the wall behind her?

 Where's my cake?!?!?!

 Such beautiful red lips!

Happy 1st Birthday to Katie, Maggie and Izzy-B!