Babies, Babies Everywhere Babies!

July 18, 2008

Hello to All!

Here is a quick update on the triplets:

Aidan weighed in at 9 pounds 8 ounces at the doctor this past week. He was circumcised last Friday and he is doing great! The pediatric surgeon also noticed Aidan has hydrocele (a collection of watery fluid around the testicles).We will keep an eye on it and it will hopefully go away before Aidan turns one. Aidan's umbilical hernia is HUGE, but we will wait until he is four or five and if it has not resolved itself by then he will need surgery. Aidan's two favorite pastimes are eating (as you can see from the pictures) and cuddling. He is very alert during the day and he can follow objects with his eyes. Aidan also loves to stare at the light as it shines in through the blinds. Aidan only poops once every four days,which stresses me out, but when he goes it is no joke!

Brooklyn has not been weighed in quite some time, but I imagine she is only a few ounces lighter than her older brother. She sleeps a lot during the day, but is starting to have longer periods of awake time. Brooke tends to choke when she is eating and she does not like her back rubbed. She still talks all of the time and she has toned down her pooping to once or twice a day. Brookie loves her swing! She is so calm and laid back. We are very fortunate to have such a sweet little angel!

Calahan is almost eight pounds. His reflux seems painful at times and we keep him upright for most of the day. At night he sleeps on my chest (which I know is not good) because I am afraid he may choke or stop breathing. Cal has a great set of lungs but he is using them a bit less as he has started to relax more at home. He has the sweetest little face and he is very alert for most of the day. Cal often chuckles in his sleep and it is so cute! Cal is very strong and he loves to squeeze your fingers and lift his head up. This coming Wednesday we will have an overnight hospital stay for Cal. He has double hernias which require a small operation at which time they will also circumcise him. The reason we will have to spend the night is because babies less than 50 weeks gestation often have apnea after surgery, so they will have him hooked up to all of the monitors he left behind a month ago.

Paul and I don't get much sleep, but we are so thankful for our families and the many people that have been helping us out. The babies eat every three hours and with three bottles and the pumping equipment there is a lot of washing and sterilizing to do. With the spitting up comes many loads of laundry and the diapers..my goodness, the diapers. For the first three weeks raising triplets was a cinch with my mom and dad living with us. How sad I was to see them go. They come each weekend and make life so much easier. We also have daily helpers: Mondays my amazing team comes over-Kate, Becky and Gayle. Tuesdays is always my terrific friend, Sue. From 7 am until Paul gets home from golf, Sue is awesome. Wednesdays are busy with my fabulous mother-n-law and girlfriend Angie. So many things get done on this day thanks to these two incredible ladies. The last two Thursdays my good buddy Jayme has spent her time loving our babies. Friday through Sunday my sister rocks the house. She is fabulous! She somehow manages to do all of the dishes and laundry and pays equal attention and love to all three babies. Throughout the week my mother-n-law helps with the 10 o'clock feeding and stays till 1:00 am so I can get some rest. My father-n-law is always over for the 4 am feeding. He is a pro at feeding two babies at once. He is a big advocate for me getting some sleep and is always around to lend a hand, feed a baby and go grocery shopping. Our cousin Susie comes for many of the evening feedings; oh how we love to see her. My sister-n-law Karen with two busy boys of her own still makes time each week to spend quality time with the babies. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays the Dood family church brings us dinner. Isn't that great! There are many others that have been so helpful and we appreciate EVERYONE! We thank God every day for so many wonderful people in our lives! It takes a village...

THANK YOU!