THREE YEARS OLD!!!

It's so hard to believe that these amazing little boys have been with us for 3 years now, yet sometimes it feels like they've been here all along & it's difficult to recall what life was like before them.

The boys sweet Triplet BFFs!!!

Well here is what these crazy boys are up to lately...

They have come so far verbally! It seems they never stop talking now, lol... Caden is more assertive in his speaking, beginning or ending his sentences with "mommy." "Mommy more milk please?" Or "I'm ready to get out of the tub mommy." His tantrums have cut down significantly since he has been able to communicate so much better. :)

Since they are talking more they are expressing some of their knowledge more, saying colors instead of just pointing to them, singing their ABCs instead of just identifying the letters, counting anything & everything, finding & calling out shapes in random objects. They also love to identify animals & make their sounds along with other objects like fire trucks & airplanes.

Strangely the more the boys talk the more they sign. I didn't start out teaching them to sign because of their speech delay but it did help out in that situation. When the boys started speech therapy it was said that as they start talking more they would drop the signing but just the opposite has happened & they are picking up more & more signs, combining signs, Kellan even signs his ABCs.

Caden; 1, 1.5, 2 & 3 years old

Their is no shortage on curiosity here. Garren & Caden ask what everything is & Garren asks what's it for. Kellan is more quiet & just looks at things, opening & closing them, driving them back & forth, really getting a good idea of how it works. All 3 of them get into everything & they've gotten really good at getting to where they aren't suppose to be. As if it wasn't bad enough when they learned to open or take down the baby gates, now they can put them back up too, so if I'm looking for one of them and see the gate still up I usually don't suspect they are in that room but not now! They will take the gates down, sneak into the room & put it bak up without making a peep, it's the silence that gives them away every time!

Adventure is a hot commodity for the boys too. Even Caden who was apprehensive to even climb on the playground equipment & go down a slide is now diving head first on his belly down the tallest slide he can find. Kellan has become a runner, though that is really NOT a good thing! He's really scared me a couple of times when he has run out doors of places we were shopping! He WILL get a harness & leash if he does that to me one more time! Garren is just a little daredevil, climbing up & hoping off of whatever & now leading his brothers right along with him.

The boys have been very challenging the past couple of months but I think (& hope) we are over the hump now & things are calming down. The boys wanted to test EVERY SINGLE LIMIT & pitch the most horrific tantrums when they didn't get their ways. Listening was also a huge challenge but is getting better with some old fashioned counting, 1... 2... 

Kellan; 1, 1.5, 2 & 3 years old

Keeping them busy has also helped a lot. We got somewhere to play everyday, a playground, (we have some good ones here) the tennis courts to chase some balls or just run or we travel a little for someplace new, indoors or just different. I usually save new/indoor places for bad weather days. 

I'm also planning to start a preschool homeschool curriculum soon. We've been working on letter sounds, sight words & the boys started trying to write letters on their own so we're running with it. Garren's learning style is different than Caden & Kellans so that's why I want to start with a curriculum. He needs a more hands on approach (like his mommy) than his brothers who seem to learn things by just seeing or hearing them a couple times.

The boys have a new obsession now, well since Easter. They had a few random items with Toy Story characters on them & had been inquiring about who they were so for Easter we got them the DVDs.we took them to pick out their birthday gift from us just knowing Garren would choose Jessie & Caden & Kellan would choose Woody. They completely surprised us & all 3 chose Buzz Lightyear! Kellan does have a little figure he picked up someplace that he is calling Woody, it's not actually Woody but we won't tell him that, lol...

Garren; 1, 1.5, 2 & 3 years old

Thomas, & Lightning are still a big par of our days, they have not lost their love or interest in them. Actually they also picked out some new train tracks to add to their current ones for their birthday too.

We are looking forward to the boys starting some sports & other activities soon, now that they are 3, they are all so active & busy i think they will really like soccer, gymnastics & t-ball! 

All 3 of the boys are so rough & tumble! They keep bumps, bruises & scrapes most of the time. They've turned our home into a giant wrestling ring or obstacle course! they really REALLY need a back yard!!! All 3 of them are also incredibly loving! They love to hug, kiss & cuddle, even with each other. When anyone gets hurt they are quick to offer a kiss & hug. With their big smiles & dimply grins they make it very difficult to get mad at them.

And of course we are looking forward to being a diaper free household in the near future too! Potty training has gone really well so far, Garren & Kellan have it down & Caden is "trying" he asks to "try pee pee in the potty?" & we of course let him. It's hit & miss for him though, I think he just doesn't have the feeling understood yet but he will in his time.

***This post is really random & all over the place but these are little details about this age that I want to remember so I wrote them just as I thought about them :)

33 Months

Ok, I'm editing this post for the 347th time, I keep thinking of things to add, maybe I should start waiting 3-5 days before I hit publish, lol...

It just doesn't seem possible that in 3 short months the boys will be 3 YEARS old.

Where does the time go? 

Whoever came up with the "terrible twos" wasn't joking, they are not all bad but boy are these boys strong willed! When they decide they want something they are bull headed & try as hard as they can to stand their ground. The tantrums are pretty intense to boot! They are also pretty destructive. They don't break things but in addition to pulling out every toy they own & spreading them out across the dining, living & playroom they like to throw them, knock them off of tables, smash them together & last but not least hit each other with them. It's pretty overwhelming sometimes. Oh & please do not tell me about 3 being worse or even 4! 

The boys are also a lot of fun these days, their personalities have really blossomed here lately. I think the increase in language development has brought out more of their personalities & they are pretty funny little boys. They also listen & follow instructions pretty well now. We can actually walk from the van & into a store without running in opposite directions before I load them all into a shopping cart. I have ventured to a couple un-fenced playgrounds by myself with them & they have stayed together. I ask them to hold hands to keep them together since 2 like to run ahead & 1 likes to lag behind, I also love to take pictures of them holding hands, lol...

G following C down the slide & K looking for dirt

K, G & C heading out for some winter storm supplies

Kellan is our little free spirit, he's a happy go lucky kid, he is easily amused & cracks up laughing all on his own, often making his brothers laugh too. 

He likes to sing & has been heard singing the Baby Signing Time intro song, the Thomas closing song, the made up clean up song I sing when trying to get them to clean up & I've heard him humming along to songs he doesn't really know the words to. 

He still LOVES his Thomas & all the other trains, & he is also now obsessed with Cars & Planes! 

He loves to paint and draw, he loves books & pretends to read by making up words or stories. 

He loves the water & is always asking to "wash hands?" and he still loves to play in the sand/dirt. 

He's always been a forehead kisser (presses his forehead to your face) & has recently started kissing with his mouth but it is the most hilarious thing, he grabs my face or my hair & makes this growling sound when he kisses me, lol... 

Of the 3, he is definitely our runner, he will inch away, watching to see if we are looking & then he runs as fast as he can while laughing hysterically. 

He always makes an animal sound after naming an animal, ie "kitty cat meow" "sheep baa." 

He is so loving & playful & fun & he is still the baby of the 3.

Kellan is talking so much now! He's is using full sentences & becoming a little pushy, I love when we are getting ready to leave the house & he's the first one standing at the door & yells "come on guys, lets go!" My other favorite Kellan quote is when his fingers & the table I front of him were covered in yogurt & he said "I don't know what happened mommy!" lol...

K, throwing mulch at the playground

K, digging in the dirt at another playground

K, watching TV 

Caden is our bull headed, tantrum throwing, toy smashing son at the moment. He is giving me grey hair & pushing my patience to its limit these days. 

He is also so funny & loving & all snuggles these days. 

He loves to name everyone or everything... Mom mom, mama, Garren, Kellan, Eason, Haddie, cat! grandma, grandpa, Thomas, Percy, James, McQueen, & so on... 

I've heard him singing a little hear & there. 

He has the biggest smile, I love his dimples that are starting to sneak out now that his face is thinning out a bit. 

He also still LOVES Thomas & all the other trains & also has a new found love for Cars & Planes. 

He loves books & is also obsessed with water & dirt. 

He's still very shy & often hides his face when a stranger talks to him but he does warm up rather quickly when meeting someone new.

Caden is talking more & repeating a lot of what we say, I feel like any minute now he'll be talking our ears off.

C, watching TV

C, wishing for beach weather

C, visiting the horses up the road from grandma & grandpas house

C, running!!!

Garren is such a character! He tells me at least once a day "I bossy!" Its usually after I ask him to not do something he's doing & it's his way of claiming to be the boss. 

He repeats everything we say, EVERYTHING! 

He loves pretending in his kitchen & serves drinks to everyone, he & his brothers have 'coffee' quite regularly & Monday he brought me a cup of 'coffee' & then took a sip from his cup & said "I'm having beer" LOL!!! 

He loves the Lorax & pretty much a little bit of everything, blocks, Cars, Planes, trains, puzzles, painting, coloring, tools & everyone! 

He also loves the water & asks to swim whenever he sees it. 

He has recently joined his brothers in their love of sand/dirt. 

He is strong willed & stubborn! When he wants his way it is tough to change his mind or change his focus to something else but he is so loving a caring. 

He's quick to give hugs & kisses or kiss a boo boo. 

He's always concerned when one of his brothers cries & offers to help or console them. 

Garren never meets a stranger, he talks to everyone, everywhere & always has a lot to say!

K & G, visiting the horses near grandma & grandpas house

Eason & G relaxing

G, being his crazy self!

Two & A Half Years Old

The phrase "the days are long but the years are short" could not be more true!

Too early for pictures mom!

Caden & Garren in back, Kellan in front.

The boys had their 30 month well check today. They are all doing great!

Here are the boys current stats:

Caden, 35.8lbs, 38.75" tall, 90th percentile.

Current clothing size; shirts 3T/4T, shorts 3T, Pants 2T, PJs 4T

Kellan, 35.6lbs, 38.5" tall, also 90th percentile. 

Current clothing size; shirts 3T/4T, shorts 3T, Pants 2T, PJs 4T

Garren, 29lbs, 36.5" tall, 40th percentile.

Current clothing sizes; shirts 2T, shorts 2T & Pants 2T, PJs 3T

The were really well behaved for the first 2 minutes we were at the doctors office, it was hit & miss after that, lol...

The boys have started doing all kinds of new stuff in the past 3 months. Counting (I've heard Kellan count to 16.) Naming lots of animals & making animal sounds (Caden roared like a lion for the doctor today.) Pretend playing (Garren has turned their Lego table into a stove top, used measuring cups for pots, toy tools for flatware & of course Legos as food.) Everyone is still naming letters, colors & shapes. Caden & Garren like to walk up to people & pets & say their name, they look for conformation when they say the name. They also love to look through pictures and name the people in them. They are all very much into arts & crafts now, YAY! They have also started 'reading' books out loud amongst themselves, I love hearing them ramble on especially since Caden & Kellan hardly spoke 3 months ago!

Their personalities are mostly the same but since Caden & Kellan are talking now & being more expressive we are seeing a little more spunk & a lot more attitude out of them, lol.

27 Months...

I quit doing monthly updates but figure every 3 months is good for now.

As I've already written about, Caden & Kellan will be starting speech therapy... Soon??? I'm just waiting for the therapist to call to schedule them. There was a question about their hearing & that it could have been affecting their speech but we that ruled out. It's basically just a result of being premature, if its the worst thing we have to deal with, we'll take it! 

Even though delayed the boys are really starting to talk more. I love that Garren can tell us what he wants to eat or do! Caden & Kellan are getting there... The other day while we were outside playing at the water table Caden handed me a bucket & said "need mo wawa" as he signed water. I was SO excited, it was the first time he said a number of words together aside from choo choo train. :) they are both starting to say things randomly, names of animals or objects, food they want & even juice or milk or water. I really think therapy will get them caught up quickly.

I did things kind of backwards & taught the boys colors, shapes & letters before animals & objects but they've learned lots of animals now & their sounds. Sometimes we even get an animal imitation like the elephant's trunk or a monkey scratching his sides as he makes the monkey sound, lol... My favorite though is when they sign the animal name too. They have learned some farm animals, pets & reptiles.

The boys have graduated from Baby Signing Time to Signing Time videos now, although Kellan still asks for Baby Signing Time by signing & singing "baby, baby, baby signing time" 

Cutest. Thing. Ever! 

So we do still watch those too but we've gotten a few of the Signing Time videos for them to help with the alphabet, colors & animals. Caden can not only identify pretty much every written letter, he can also identify most signed letters! I was pretty impressed with that :)

The boys have become pretty independent now, they really want to dress themselves, which they can't quite do yet. They absolutely refuse to let me spoon feed them or give them a bite anymore, even if its off my plate. So I'm stretching my patience & sitting back to watch them make a mess & finger paint with quite a few foods, primarily yogurt & oatmeal. They really want to walk everywhere we go now & protest quite a bit if they have to sit in a cart or the wagon but they do not listen well enough yet to be able to walk in stores or crowds. They've also been obsessed with brush their teeth & washing their hands themselves.

Their favorite place to be right now is "outside!" They love playing at their water table, blowing bubbles, sidewalk chalk, swimming, hiking, playing at the beach or in the dirt & at the playground. It's been pretty hot though the past month or so, so we mostly stick to water activities.

It is fun watching them turn into little people & I'm looking forward to their speech getting better & better!

TWO Years Old!!!

Sounds kind of crazy to say it out loud...

"We have three 2 year olds."

Or for even more shock value...

"We have 2 year old triplets!"

The boys turned 2 on Sunday. I've been trying to get caught up from traveling over the weekend & all the festivities all week & am just getting to this post...

A onesie the boys wear now (24 months) & the onesie they wore the day they were released from the NICU at 6 weeks old (preemie)



The preemie diapers the boys wore when they were released form the NICU & todays diaper. We do still cloth diaper but keep disposables on hand too :)

I feel like in the past month, maybe 2, the boys have really learned so much! Some of the things I mention they have been doing for a while.

Their speech has really taken off!
They say & identify nose, eye, ear, teeth, knees, & toes. They also identify but don't say foot, fingers, hair, & mouth.
They say & identify colors. It is pretty random when they say them, like when we were driving back from Orlando, a bright yellow tractor trailer passed us & one of the boys said "yellow!"
They also say & identify shapes, they sound like "kirkle" (circle) "didom" (diamond) "staw" (star) octagon & oval are pretty clear.
Most recently they have started saying & repeating letters. They can identify some of them & also try to say their ABC's
We have not started numbers yet but I have heard Kellan counting along with Mickey on Mickey's clubhouse. I was taken by surprise when Mickey counted to 5 & Kellan yelled out "6!" So I let them watch a little more Mickey now, lol...
The boys love books! They like to turn the pages themselves & tell us what it on the page. I LOVE that they usually sign & say the object.
They sign just about everything in their Signing Time videos now, even the intro & closing song. I'd like to get the Signing Time video with the alphabet for them, I just think it would make learning letters that much more for them & I feel slightly better when they are dog something physical while watching a video, even if it is just signing :)

The boys are starting to identify some animals & vehicles by their sound. If hey see a car or ducks while we are walking they will say vroom (or rather make the noise) or say quack quack. They also say chugga chugga or choo choo for trains.

I don't know if I dare say this out loud (or in writing) but the boys seem to have reached a point of understanding/listening when it comes to the things they are aloud & not aloud to do, for example pulling out the dining room table chairs & climbing on them. Now if I catch them in the act and ask them to put the chair back they do. We've been able to walk to & from the car holding hands with minimal letting go or wandering away. And if I ask them to pick something up,give me something or put something back they do... I'll say 75% of the time, there is still a reasonable amount of testing their limits & some I just don't want to moments.

Garren, taking care of business at Grandma & Grandpa's

I think last month I mentioned Garren's clingyness & maybe even Caden's jealousy (?) I'm convinced its an age appropriate phase. Kellan has now joined in & is clingy, needing a little extra attention & snuggles. Garren has calmed down a bit with it but still needs more physical contact than he use to. Caden is also still a little clingy, he mostly just doesn't want to be left out if the other 2 are being held or cuddled. We are trying to be extra diligent in including him because in his jealousy he has started hitting & pulling hair & we can't have that!

Kellan, modeling an outfit from Nana & Papa

Kellan is still very sensitive physically, he is completely devastated if one of his brothers hits him or pulls his hair & equally so if he hurts himself. He is also this way with being told no or if his brothers or even cousin are told no & we have found out recently that he is sensitive to loud authoritative male voices. My brother in law scolded my nephew sternly & Kellan lost it, he also wouldn't go near my brother in law for a little bit :-/
He & Caden are coming out of their shyness though. Just a few weeks ago they were crying or hiding if a stranger talked to them & now they ride or walk around saying "hi" or "bye" & waving.

Caden, flashing those beautiful blue eyes

Physically the boys are running, jumping, spinning & climbing, as I'm sure most 2 year olds are. Garren & Caden have no fear! They will climb as high as they can get & plop down on a slide 2 stories tall & slide without a second thought. Kellan is not quite as adventurous, he will do it if lead but his curiosity doesn't lead him to do it on his own, he would rather run... & run & run & run!!!
They each like to dance & sing too. Garren mimics a lot of the dancing he sees in their videos & all 3 of them have the clapping, feet stomping & shouting "hooray!" down when If You're Happy & You Know It comes on.

So far 2 hasn't been so terrible but we've got a whole year ahead of us, so we will see...

The Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms of Multiples blog contest is still going in for a few more day & we sure could use a few more votes!!! You can vote daily (every 24 hours) & would be very appreciated if you voted for us!!!

1 & 1/3 Years

Haha... 16 months really, I just thought I'd change it up a bit :)

Caden, Kellan, Garren



Well we are back to time flying by!!! We've had a lot of change and progress this month, we are all moved in & settled in our new home, we have THREE walkers now that also now have free range of the living areas & their bedroom (which they are only interested in for the closet.) we are working on going down to one nap, some days all three boys can handle it, some days none of them can handle it. It's a work in progress...

 Caden, Garren, Kellan

 

 Caden

 

Garren



A great thing about the boys walking is they love to go on their own to where I need them, they each know which high chair is theirs & which crib to go to for naps. Things I never knew they knew because I was picking them up & carrying them.

 Garren

 

 Caden

 

Kellan



The boys are all getting very very big! We haven't had them in for a well visit here yet but we had Caden at the doctor Friday & he weighed 27 pounds!!! He is the middle man right now, so I'm pretty sure Kellan is pushing 30 pounds & Garren is probably around 25 pounds. Caden was 31.25 inches & I think he is the tallest of the 3.



I forgot to post a tooth count last month. Garren had 2 front on top & 2 front on bottom along with 2 molars, one on each side of the top. He has added 2 more to the top front. Last month Kellan was still at 4 front top & 3 front bottom, he has added 1 molar on the top left. Caden has had 4 front on top & 4 front on the bottom & has not had anything new pop through this month.

 



The boys still say a lot of the same words. They have added doe! (no,) ge oun (get down,) & aahee (Haddie) to their vocabulary (can you tell Haddie has a few more limitations now, lol) I'm sure there are things they say that I can't think of right now. They talk to each other constantly, in their own language of course. They must talk about some pretty funny stuff though, because they usually end all their conversations in laughter. They sign a lot of new stuff too. "Shoe" was kind of surprising since they don't really wear shoes quite regularly yet. "Ouch" or "hurt" is a new one too, they don't say where yet but its generally their teeth these days. They all sign "more" & "all done" & of course "milk" & "eat." "Dog," "hat," & "car" are frequent signs too.

Garren not only mimics what we say now, he mimics what we do! So I have to be very careful not to throw a treat to the pups because Garren wants to throw all kinds of food to them, lol. If we pat on the pups, Garren ends up hitting them. If I don't want them to learn to do something I have to disguise what or how I'm doing it. They are all trying to open doors & Garren spends a lot of time trying to figure out the kitchen gate.

Surprisingly as mobile as they are now, they also like to cuddle more, which makes our hearts melt. There is nothing more rewarding then your baby walking up to you with arms open, wanting to give you a hug or sit in your lap.

It's hard to believe we are already picking out Halloween costumes & thinking about the Holidays, but it is exciting to know we will be with all of our friends & family throughout the Holidays this year, maybe Donna will even be able to have her cooking baking weekend again. I know a few people that would love some of her homemade molasses cookies :)

15 Months!!!

What a busy month it has been! From moving into our apartment (with only baby furniture & air mattresses) to the boys learning to walk, to our NY trip, to finally getting our furniture & personal belongings delivered!!!

The boys seem to be doing a lot of growing recently. I don't have weights or measurements but their legs seem so much longer, their faces fuller, Kellan & Caden have definitely gotten wider, there are very few 12 month shirts they can still wear & I've had to break out the 18 month shirts full time.

Garren, Caden, Mommy, Kellan

Developmentally this month:

Garren is walking, really walking & even doing a little dancing, lol. He says mama with intention. He babbles several other words like dog, all done, & milk. All are up for interpretation of course along with his signing. He signs mostly "more" & "all done" sometimes they can be confused because he gets excited & they often just appear as clapping. He also loves to sign "dog" as he says it & "hat."

 Garren opinion of mineral water, lol...

 Riding in the car

 Hanging with mommy

taking a walk outside

Caden is walking a little now too. He started the month out with his first steps, got up to about 6-8 steps at a time & then quit. Caden has always been quieter than the other 2 boys but recently he has starting babbling non-stop. He also says all done & babbles several other words that are un-identifiable at this point. His signing is really good, he signs "milk," "eat," & "dog" frequently.

 Giving walking a good try...

 Not a fan of mineral water either

 relaxing in the car after playing at the park

{nice dirty foot Garren}

getting away by himself to stack the nesting cups

Kellan has not shown the slightest bit of interest in walking. He periodically stands without supporting himself & has taken a random step or two from one toy to another, but that is it. He practically runs with a push toy so I know he has the skills, he just doesn't have the interest. I'm hoping with the delivery of our furniture & a little more space to roam he will take off. Kellan is a chatter box, babbling something the majority of the time. He is usually the first to exclaim "all done!" He will repeat just about anything we say including thank you. While we were in NewYork he even said grandma. His signing is really coming along too & includes "eat," "milk," "all done," & "dog." Kellan still gives kisses when asked & he is the only one left with a baby face. This works for him because he is still our sensitive mamas boy.

 No go on the mineral water for Kellan too

 Enjoying some Signing Time in the car

 He really enjoys being outside

I love his crazy faces!!!

I'm excited for the boys to get settled into our new place & I can't wait to see what comes in the next month or two!!!