Triplets - 5 Months Old

Where to begin?!

I feel like the boys are really growing up and time is going by so quickly. I was able to visit a good friend's newborn earlier this week, and I could barely remember my boys being that size (and smaller!)!

5 months old (Carter, Cooper, Tucker)


Tucker

Found his feet - he loves hanging on to them, too.
Sleeps in the latest in the morning - but is not the best napper.
Finally sticks out his tongue.

Carter

Still in love with his own two hands - loves chewing on them - pretty much constantly.
He's probably my best napper/sleeper overall.
He started this silly screeching/happy sound - did it for a while, but now has stopped.

Cooper

At this point he's still the easiest going overall - cries the least.
Is a Daddy's Boy (although Carter is a close second - and Tucker is a Mommy's boy)!
Always gives big smiles and loves smiling to get attention.

The li'l guys are really starting to interact with others. They are reaching for, holding, and studying toys. They all love when you look at them and say, "Boo!" They all are still infatuated with Madison and love watching her and hearing her voice.

(Cooper, Tucker, Carter)

Cooper and Carter eat a couple more ounces a day than Tucker. Tucker is still my slowest eater, and is least interested if food and more interested in looking around and smiling during feeding times. I am still pumping breast milk for them. Still not sure how much longer I will pump, but for now 6 months is my goal. They each get about 19 ounces of breast milk a day and 10 ounces of formula. I'm not planning on starting any 'solids' for another month. I just started letting them try and hold/balance their bottles (towards the end when they are almost empty).
(Tucker, Cooper, Carter)

They are all in 6 month clothing. And I just started them in size 2 diapers (should have started them earlier probably - been squeezing them in their size 1s for a while now...lol). They still nap twice a day, are down for the night around 8:30pm and are up for the day anytime between 7:45am and 8:30am.

We've decided to move forward with helmets for Cooper and Carter. I'm still concerned a bit about everything that goes with the helmets (care/cleaning them, how the boys will adjust, appointments, is this the right decision????), but for now, we are moving forward. They go for a scan in a couple weeks to determine their measurements and degrees of flatness. The scan is also what is used to make their helmets.

(Just realized this picture kind of shows Cooper's (in the middle) flatness - his is straight across the back of his head.)

All of the boys enjoy attention. :-) They love interacting with people and smiling. They all tend to cry occasionally if you leave their sight or put them down. But, they can now stay occupied for a bit in their boppy chairs, triplet table, and exersaucers.

(Tucker, Cooper, Carter)

Cooper and Carter definitely share a lot f the same traits. I often say to Tucker,  "Tucker - you are your own man!" He is more emotional than his brothers - we call him our Drama King because he is either overly happy or completely ANGRY. Cooper and Carter are both droolers and love to chew their fingers - Tucker is not. Cooper & Carter eat a bit more and are much faster than Tucker. Cooper & Carter are overall better sleepers during the day - Tucker is my cat-napper. Tucker is VERY ticklish and giggly - the other two, not so much. I often worry that Tucker will feel left out as they grow older. I also worry that Carter and Cooper will be treated as one (even I do that occasionally), and I worry about them all being confident individuals as well as being confident of their triplet identity. *sigh*

 (And, this picture kind of shows Carter's flatness (he's in the yellow stripes). His is on the left side of his head, his forehead is being pushed out a but on this side, too).

Up next on my list of things to prepare for is...MOVEMENT. They all can manage to scoot around on their bellies. We are in the process of deciding and purchasing our 'baby jail' and figuring out how we'll configure it as it will take over our living room. lol! I'm so scared for their actually mobile!!! LOL! Here's an example of Cooper and Carter moving - I left them on the blanket like the picture on the bottom, and when I returned from unloading the dishwasher, they had surrounded Tucker! Tucker is moving around like this, too...only when he's really motivated, though. Looks like he moved forward a bit in these pictures.

Anyways, we've made it 5 months. FIVE. I can't believe it. As crazy as it sounds - I'm still a bit emotional on a weekly basis about these boys being my last babies (more on this in another post someday). Raising triplets definitely has it's challenges, but we are also filled with so much love that we wouldn't change a thing. Watching Madison as a big sister melts my heart everyday and our love for her grows as well. We are so happy with our family and can't begin  to imagine our lives any other way!

Foto Friday - Cuddling with Big Sis

One-on-one time with their big sis.
(Carter, Tucker, Cooper)

Love these li'l munchkins.

Foto Friday - Me with All 4

It's not the best picture of us, and you can only see the back of Tucker's head since he's in the carrier, but here we all are!

Thanks so much to my friend, Holly, for helping us today for our walk and park play date, and for taking this picture!

Triplets - 4 Months Old

The triplets are 4 months old (as of May 22nd)!

 

Wowsers!!

 

 

This update is going to be quick and somewhat scattered probably - I told myself I had to post something today - the days just go so quick - I don't want to get too far behind!

 

 

Cooper  - 15 lbs. 13 ounces, 25 in. long

The mischievous one - Josh and I swear he loves watching his brother's cry.

He's always observing.

He's the new 'angel baby' and seems to be the most content most often.

He naps well.

He loves watching TV. Seriously loves it.

He can hold a rattle if you put it in his hand.

Loves the play mat now.

Likes soft kisses on his cheeks.

Tucker - 15 lbs. 12 ounces, 25 in. long

The jokester of the bunch - he's always flashing smiles and giggling at people.

He is also the demanding one - no longer the angel baby - his cry is the loudest. There is no soft cry from Tucker...he's either happy, or SUPER angry immediately. 

He finally rolled over belly to back this last month! He's only done it once.

He's the slowest eater - get's distracted easily - doesn't always finish his bottles.

He can hold a rattle if you put it in his hand.

He's not as chubby looking anymore - Madison now calls him "skinny Meatball."

He's very ticklish. So fun!

 

Carter - 16 lbs. 6 ounces, 25 in. long

The tough guy - seems the 'sturdiest' of the three.

He can hold and shake a rattle if you help him put it in his hand.

He has two bottom teeth dotting through!!! I can't believe it!

He likes to stick out his tongue.

He is the fastest eater - downs his bottle in no time, every time. lol. Probably why he's the biggest now!

Josh says that Carter is his favorite. :-)

He loves smiling to get your attention.

 

 

Their 4 month appointment and vaccinations went well. Cooper and Carter are being referred to a plastic surgeon to be assessed for helmets due to their flat spots. Their appointment isn't until the end of July...so...

 

We go back to IA City this Friday for an appointment with the neonatologists for a developmental check.

 

I'm still squeezing all of them into size 1 diapers - but we'll move to size two soon. They are all in size 6 month clothes.

 

They all like jabbering and 'talking.' They love it when you sing 'Itsy Bitsy" and "Pat-A-Cake" the most. They have definitely figured out they like being held...and that crying gets them attention. lol. They enjoy being entertained. They all love Madison so much! They are still mesmerized by her every move and noise.

 

They are napping twice a day. They take their last bottle around 8:15pm and sleep from then until 8am or so. Usually one or two wake randomly between 4 and 6am, but I just rock them, and put them back in their cribs.

 

They are all drinking about 27-29 ounces a day (18 ounces a day of breast milk). They eat 4 times a day - I do not feed them during the night anymore. My newest goal is to continue to pump breast milk for them until 6 months - and then I'll re-evaluate.

 

We've finally started going out and about more. We've gone to the park a couple times for M to play, we went to the mall once for pictures with Grandma Tracy, we went to a baby shower at a friend's house, and we all (all 6 of us) went to Walmart and to Target for groceries!

 

I also attempted Stroller Strides one day (I wore one and took the other two in the BOB double, and M rode in a friend's stroller).

 

Going out is a lot of work...BUT, I finally realized it will ALWAYS be a lot of work. I'm happier actually getting out and about more. Just have to embrace the life that is ours! :-) 

 

They are all still fussy from 6pm-8pm, so we appreciate help from our family and friends during this time. Josh has gone out of town for work twice in May...I can't begin to tell you how thankful we've been for all the continued help and support from friends and family. Our babies would not be as happy as they are (and I would not be either) without our family and friends always helping with smiles on their faces. We love you all!

 

One of these days I'll have to document my day again - so you can all see the craziness!

 

 

 

And, a couple funny out-takes.

 

Tucker says, "Seriously, MOM! Are we done yet?!?!?!" 

 

And...I took a million pics of them before I realized I had them in the wrong order. Oops! lol!