Answered Prayers

We haven't mentioned Winston's and Wesley's kidney issues on the blog for a number of reasons. And we hesitated to mention this good news, but decided it was best to rejoice in the answered prayers.

A little background...when I was pregnant (and getting ultrasounds at least every other week), we discovered that Wes had a "full" kidney. Because kidney issues are often common in siblings, all of the boys received kidney ultrasounds when they were about 6 weeks old. Charlie was cleared of issues, but Win and Wes were scheduled for a more invasion procedure, a VCUG (when they were about 6-9 months old). This involved a catheter, contrast dye, xrays, and very unhappy babies. This test revealed that both Win and Wes had Vesicoureteral Reflux. We were told that they would probably outgrow this by the time they go to school, and if they didn't, they would need surgery. They were both placed on daily amoxicillin, for the past year, to prevent urinary tract infections and kidney damage.

So last Friday, Grammy and I brought the boys back to Children's Hospital for their yearly kidney review (this time and ultrasound and RNC for each). We just received the call from the urologist that they are BOTH CLEAR OF ANY KIDNEY REFLUX!! They have been healed! God is so good. We threw out the amoxicillin and are rejoicing. It is truly a miracle and answer to prayers that they were completely healed (especially since they had grade 2-3 on a scale of 1-5). Thanks be to God.

I brought Win and Wesley into the RNC test individually, and they both did great. The doctors were amazed at how they reacted to the test identically to each other. And said both did a phenomenal job getting through the test. As a prize, they each got a pair of sunglasses (which they didn't take off). The doctor even made sure to send home a pair for Charlie too!

The only time Wesley removed his was to watch the TV (doodah) behind me.

As a treat, Grammy & I brought them out for ice cream at JP Licks. They each got their own kiddie sized soft-serve vanilla ice cream - for lunch!
Winston

Wesley

Life under the Big Top

The crib tents are up! Tonight is the first night under the big top, so we'll see how it goes. But we're not off to the best start. Upon entering his tent, Winston started screaming that we unzip it. He did eventually fall asleep, thankfully.

But we couldn't help to feel sad that they couldn't do all the things that they loved: tossing toys/books/blankets back and forth to each other, throwing their stuffed rabbits and teddy bears to us and having us throw them back, being able to hold hands (Win & Wes because they could reach), and closing the door (Win). I have to keep reminding myself that these tents will keep them safe and we're not ready for a constant Monkey Party (toddler beds).
Charlie, Wesley and Win

Charlie (trying to figure out how to unzip the tent) and Wesley (settled into the side)

Wesley (checking out the back) and Winston (not happy)

The Cove

We just returned from a quick trip to the Cove (Maine). What was supposed to be a 4 day summer excursion with the boys turned out to be a day and a half (plus 7 hours of driving) in the rain. The boys did great in the car - we planned the trip around their nap, but they only slept for 45 mins each way. The rain really limited our trip, and I won't get into the absolute frustrations of being stuck inside a new space (to the boys). But it was hysterical that when we put them down for the first night, they were so excited to be in pack 'n plays right next to each other, that they jumped around and laughed and played for at least a half hour. We dubbed this playtime "The Monkey Party".

But the boys did get to meet their cousin (well, 2nd cousin once removed) Caroline. This is the longest they have ever sat for a photo. The trick? Snacks.

Win, Wes, and Charlie waving hi to Caroline, as she rests her chin on his shoulder

Win, Caroline, Wesley and Charlie

Winston sharing his snack with Caroline


And we took the boys out to dinner to Shaw's Fish and Lobster Wharf, where they enjoyed an entire meal of french fries. And Wesley discovered a new love for tartar sauce.
Wesley the Lobster

Winston the Lobster

Charlie the Lobster (doing his best Evita "Don't cry for me Argentina" impression)

The best part about our 3 and half hour drive home in the rain was arriving home to Grammy and Poppy, waiting to help take care of the boys! We got to enjoy a family Father's Day dinner together. Happy Father's Day!

Another crib fall!

I woke up this morning to a very loud thud. Winston escaped from his crib! He and Wes have been taunting us by balancing on their stomachs on the crib railing. And head first over the railing Win went! I had placed pillows by each of their beds - just in case. But he missed the pillow and the rug, and hit the hardwood floor. Thankfully, he settled down and wasn't hurt.

So I have urgently been researching crib tents. I found a website that offered a triplet discount where you buy 2 and get the 3rd free. I tried 3 times to order these online and got an error each time. Then I called and they told me that I had to order online. Well, then. After many calls to other stores in the area, no one carries crib tents in the store - just online! So after more searches, I found the best price at Walmart, and ordered them. Hopefully the boys will all stay in their cribs until they arrive!

All before lunch...

The last week has been very challenging with the boys - more screaming, hitting, throwing, less sleeping, laughing, eating. I blame the rain. And the fact that we are a month away from 2. They are toddlers. This morning will give you a good taste for the typical:

Goal: Leave the house by 8:15 to get to the gym. At 8:15, Charlie announced he pooped. So upstairs we went to change his diaper. I gave him a pair of socks to hold onto and brought down socks for W&W. Win then hit Wes, so back upstairs for a timeout. Downstairs to put socks on Charlie. But Charlie hid his socks. Put another pair on Wes. Timeout over. Upstairs to get Win, back down to put his socks on. Win finds Charlie's socks. Shoes on all. Jackets on. Walking out the door at 9. Win won't walk down the stairs. Get everyone in the car. Wes climbs into the front seat and pretends to drive. Finally, everyone in. Get to the gym, unbuckle everyone. Get Win and Charlie out and they are both holding my left hand while I try to grab Wes. C&W decide to hug and kiss while Wes climbs into the front seat. Can't open the front door because I already locked it, coax him to come out the open back door. Close door while holding onto all the boys. Wes gets his finger caught in the door!! Crying. Hugging and kissing. All better. Into the gym we go: 9:20. Halfway through my workout, I notice my pants are covered with toddler cream cheese hand prints. And to top it off, the only downpour we had this morning occurred while I walking them back out to the car. Of course.

Whew.

A star is born

Apparently Charlie's new crib tricks have inspired his loving and creative Tante Lala (Rob's sister Lori) to imagine him as the new star of Fox's show Prison Break.

Nice job Lala. Very funny, but not very believable. Charlie has way more tattoos that your original subject...

A crib jumper!

Charlie escaped from his crib today. He has been throwing his leg up over the side for a few weeks, taunting us. But during a timeout (in his crib) this evening, he was so upset that he jumped right over the side. We heard a thump and Rob went running in, only to find Charlie walking across the floor saying "All done!" Thankfully, this all happened when Win and Wes were not in the room (imagine the ideas they would get!) and we were actively listening for him due to his short timeout. God is good!

And I'm confident that I was more traumatized by this than Charlie was. Cribs are their (and our) safe haven. When you have three toddlers, all in the same room, containment is key. I often hear of triplet parents who have to put mesh crib tents over the crib, in order to keep the kids in cribs longer. Three toddlers, in one room, in toddler beds? Not an option. Imagine the all night parties they would hold!

And here we are, in a new stage yet again.

Maine!

Summer is officially here - we went to Maine! My parents (Grammy & Poppy) offered to watch the boys for the weekend so that Rob and I could go to Maine by ourselves. We decided to do all the things that we could never do with the boys. After a nice long walk with the dog, we drove into Damariscotta, ate at our favorite fish tacos at Paco's Tacos, and wandered in and out of art galleries and shops. After a 3 set bocce battle back at the house, we had cocktails with my cousins Kiki and Matt, Aunt Lois, Kiki's husband Josh and their daughter Caroline. Caroline is 8(ish) months old and just as sweet and adorable as can be. It was such a great weekend, though we really missed the boys!

We arrived at my parents' house Sunday, only to find the boys having a great time. They barely noticed we were gone. We went running down the driveway with open arms. The boys waved hi, then sat back on the steps to drink their juice.

I actually remembered to bring the camera, only to discover that the battery was dead. So here is a description of the photos you would have seen: purple lupin in full bloom, the beautiful Caroline, our champagne and lobster dinner, my victory lap after bocce, and our family cookout on Sunday.

Thank you, Grammy & Poppy, for such a special weekend!

Uncle Raymond

We had a great visit from Uncle Raymond last week! The boys loved their time with "Uncle". We enjoyed our time by going to the park, the local indoor playspace (due to lots of rain), dinner with our friend Carl, a date night for Rob and me, and of course, a visit to The Bakery.

During our time in Brookline, Uncle Raymond developed a deep and lasting friendship with the owners/bakers of New Paris Bakery. (If you live in MA, you will need to get their mini eclairs - they are out of this world!) They correspond and pray for each other, so it is always a treat to go back and visit Jimmy & Roula when Uncle Raymond visits. While we were there, the boys got their first official sugar high: 2 cookies and 1 mini eclair - EACH! I've learned to not question Roula's generosity - the boys loved it. It was also their first time the boys have been able to wander in a store - no strollers or wagons! And they did great (mostly because they always had a yummy treat in their hands).

I can't remember what the boys needed to see out the window, but it was necessary that they all stand on Uncle to see it!

(L-R: Uncle Raymond, Win, Wes, and Charlie)

(Just about) 22 months

I can't believe the boys will be 2 in 2 months! Where has the time gone. The boys love that the house is free of gates. I still don't think we would have survived had we taken them down any earlier, but it was good timing for their age/needs/development. They have gotten over the initial obsession with the new spaces, thankfully. They love eating with utensils (although they are still mastering this) and we are working on eating more of our meals as a family, with everyone eating the same food. (We're doing great if it happens half the time, but we're getting there!) And today was the first day that I saw the 3 of them make up a game, play together and take turns! They would run from one to the other and end in the play room, diving on the white chair, with their legs flying high behind them. When one boys diving on the chair, the other two would wait for their turn! Win and Wes also played their first game of catch - throwing a bow back and forth to each other. Well, since they weren't really "catching", it was really a game of "throw".

Winston

Winston likes to ride his car around the house. He also likes to hoard toys, often walking around with at least 3 things in his arms. The two activities are often combined, with him piling "stuff" in the seat of his car, so it overflows so much that his seat doesn't sit level. It's an hysterical site! I often put on "doodah" (a dvd) while I cook dinner, but Win is not that interested in watching tv. It is so cute because he'll ride his car into the kitchen to help me or just sit in a chair and hang out with me. Win has gotten so much better about stealing toys or being overly physical with his brothers. He will often bring toys to Wes & Charlie if they are without, and we now focus on hugs and kisses instead of pushing and tackling. I was blown away when I put Win the scale on the bathroom and when it said 26.2, he pointed to the digital numbers and said 2!

Wesley

I'm convinced that everyday is a parade to Wesley. Whether he is in a car seat and sees someone as we drive by, in a restaurant, or in the wagon walking through a store, he always waves and says "hi". And it's a persistent hi - he's not satisfied until the other person says hi back (which is tough when you're driving by). And he'll then introduce his brothers "Cha-da and Win-win". It is so cute! Other adorableness...He always drinks the milk out of cereal bowl before eating. When outside, he always has a rock in his hand (as with Win). Always. He runs everywhere. From a standstill, he will start pumping his fists, high kick his legs and take off, even if its to get to the other side of the room. So the game of chase is big in this household. Wesley also likes to keep the pack together. When one of his brothers is ignoring me and say, not coming down the stairs to the car when asked, I can't use the "okay, we're going to go without you". Because the moment these words leave my lips, Wes reverses course to go get the missing brother.

Charlie

Charlie loves books and "doodah" and would watch dvds all day long if he could. Elmo is huge right now. He is learning and using new words every day. I just hung some family photos in the hallway, and every day will point out and name all of their cousins. Today Charlie saw a card that had a different photo of Christian and Alex (as he ran away from me as I was trying to grab him change his diaper) and he kept saying over and over "Christian Alex, Christian Alex". I couldn't get over that he made that connection! We were also reading a book today and he saw a guitar. He immediately pointed to the kitchen and said "Chick Fry". What he is saying is Chicken Fried, which is their favorite song (by Zac Brown Band). In the video, which they watch on my iPod, they play the guitar. Again, the connections! He also knows most colors and now likes to say "green cup" or "yellow spoon". He has also learned (can identify) the letters C and Q - which he pronounces "clue" and has counted "1, 2, 3, 5, 6". Who needs 4!

One thing that I need to get a video of is their "Brothers" song. Rob made up a song, which we all sing at the table, while holding and swinging hands. It goes like this:

Brothers, brothers, we are brothers
Brothers, brothers, we are friends
Brothers, brothers, we are brothers
Brothers, brothers, to the end.

Nanna & Poppa!

Rob's parents (Nanna & Poppa) came for a visit last week. We had a great time taking the boys to a few parks and out for walks. The boys got to taste lemonade for the first time, as there were multiple stands open in the neighborhood. We also enjoyed a family dinner out at one of our favorite local restaurants, Wild Willy's. The boys are getting so much easier to take out to dinner - they drink out of straw cups, keep their (paper) plates on the table, scream less, eat more, throw less food on the floor. Nanna & Poppa even watched the boys last Friday so that Rob and I could go out to dinner to celebrate Rob's birthday. It was wonderful!

But wouldn't you know, I failed to take a single photo of their visit!

Happy Mother's Day!

I am so blessed to be the mother to these three beautiful men!

Rob and the boys got me a hysterical card that had two crying babies on the cover. On the inside it said "Aren't you glad we weren't twins?" Yes! I can't imagine life without any one of these boys. We had a wonderful day together - blueberry pancakes, church, a walk, dinner with Grammy & Poppy. And I didn't change a single diaper!

Attempting to live gate-free!

After pulling down all the gates for our Derby party, I have been obsessed with the idea of finally opening the entire house to the boys. First, we opened up the dining room. They have loved chasing each other in a circle: through the dining room, down the hall, through the kitchen, back into the dining room, repeat. The gate to the stairs kept falling down, so we moved it a few steps up. The boys spent the morning just sitting on the open stairs. The living room is currently gated off while we build shelves in a hall closet for the books that are in the triplet danger zone.
Wesley, Winston and Charlie (Right before I took the photo, I said "smile" and Win and Charlie actually did! Two out of three isn't bad!)

Cake!

My parents (Grammy & Poppy) watched the boys last weekend, while we threw a Kentucky Derby party for the neighborhood and enjoyed a visit from one of my dearest friends, Lizzie. It was such fun! If only we caught a photo of Rob in his seersucker suit and bowtie and me in my Derby hat! When we picked up the boys, Grammy had made my favorite birthday cake, which the boys loved.
Wesley

Winston

Charlie


My parents have taken a birthday photo of me with daffodils every single year. The story goes that when my parents left for the hospital (to have me) the daffodils hadn't bloomed yet, but when they returned home with me, the daffodils were in full bloom!

Win chatting on Rob's Blackberry (He quickly figured out how to program speed dial!)

New haircuts and toys!

I have been searching high and low to find outdoor toys for the boys. With a few days last week in the 90s, we have tasted summer, and the boys are loving playing outside. So after their haircuts, we pulled out their new cars and chalk and playing in the driveway. (Our wonderful neighbors are letting us borrow a huge gate to keep the boys in the driveway - a must!)
Charlie in the "minivan" - complete with faux wood stickers.

Winston showing off his new shorter locks

Making a break for the crackers

Wesley. Put a suit and briefcase on him and he looks like he's driving off to work!

Outside with Grammy & Poppy