One more picture...

I wasn't too thrilled with the last picture of Mckenna posted and so I had to get another one. This is the face she makes when she is jabbering away. I went in to pick her up out of her crib the other day and she was so happy so I had to get another picture. Pretty cute huh? I guess I'm quite biased though...

6 Months Old!

Last week on the 11th the girls turned 6 months old. And what a six months it has been. They have started to sleep longer through the night. Usually we feed at 10 and the earliest they have been waking up is 4 am and sometimes they go all the way until six! Those are good nights! It's a little difficult with three because if one cries out in the night and we don't get to them fast enough, the others are awake and.... I'm sure you get the point.

But they are all doing so great. No one has to read all of this, I am just journaling stuff for them. I do kind of go on and on..... We did find out that Carly does have an AVM (arterial venous malformation) which is pretty much a very enlarged blood vessel running down the arm. It carries more than twice the amount of blood a normal baby arm blood vessel would because she has developed extra capillaries, tissues, etc in the right arm so it has too feed all of it. So we are going to San Francisco right before Christmas with her to a specialized clinic for atery malformations and try and figure out the treatments needed. Most likely they will do what they call embelization, which means they go in and plug up all the extra capillaries, vessels, etc. not needed and they should clot up and kind of go away so that the big main vessel doesn't have to supply blood to them. In return, the big vessel should shrink in size as well as all the tissue. Sounds simple, but I guess it's a scary procedure with fear of clotting off a vessel that is really needed to help the arm work. Anyway, I'm sure with a lot of faith and prayers, we will get through it and she will be able to move on from this. I'm not super excited to take a premature baby onto a plane right now (and leave the other two at home) but.... such is life. It could be worse right?

But they are starting to smile (and laugh a little) and really like to talk, especially to each other or mom and dad. Carly is Miss Social; in fact, we have a hard time getting her to sleep during the day because she just wants to play and talk all day long! She loves to smile and is a happy baby except for when she gets tired or hungry. She is not patient at all for feeding time and so never has to be the one to wait her turn to feed. She always eats first because she gets herself worked up in more of a lather than the others if she has to wait for a sister to finish eating.

Madison is still go, go, go. I think I'm going to have to watch her very closely when they can walk and run because she could be a long ways down the road before I'd notice she is gone. She also loves to smile, especially when she is roughed up a little. It sounds crazy but I am a little rougher with her because she loves it! The more excitement, the better. She is rolling over from belly to back (has been doing that for a couple months now) but now she is rolling from back to almost belly. She can't figure out how to get that arm out of the way, and it makes her so mad. Unfortunately, she also loves when the TV comes on. The reason she started learning to roll was so she could get in a position to see the TV... even when it wasn't on. Rotten little girl! I think she just enjoys stimulation and even though she likes her sisters she doesn't get quite enough out of them like she wants. They'd have to be dancing around her for her to be mesmerized.

Mckenna is doing well. She is really the easiest baby and thank heavens for letting me have one of them right? She is so happy.... all the time. She does do her fake cry and loves to stick out that bottom lip, but she usually only does it when her sisters are crying. She's very compassionate. We thought she would be the quietest talker (cooer) but she is so loud when she is jabbering away! So, even though Carly is so social, maybe Mckenna we'll have more to say. She just went to her follow up appointment with the neuro surgeon and she is doing so well which is so great to hear!

We are so excited that they are six months (three months adjusted age) and I'm hoping that they are holding their bottles soon. Just kidding! Only in my dreams....

The Girls: L to R: Mckenna, Madison, Carly

Carly- half smiling

Madison- half smiling

Mckenna- I couldn't get my camera to work fast enough to get a smile out of her.

Funny story... One night, this is how Madison fell asleep on Dad's lap. Dad was patting her back and next thing he knew, she was out!

Happy Halloween!.... it's a jungle here!

I had major internet issues this week, but we have a new service and I can finally post the pictures of the girls. Due to sickness, preemies, etc we didn't take the girls out for All Hallows Eve but I found these outfits for such a good price I had to dress them up for at least a picture! We took these pictures a few weeks ago when my dad and brother (and his fiance) came to see my mom and the girls. We decided a jungle theme was appropriate since it seems like a jungle everyday at my house! They were actually very tired on Halloween and after we put them down to sleep at 10 pm, Mckenna woke up at 4:30 am and the other two didn't wake up until 6 am! It was a Halloween miracle! Unfortunately, it was a one night deal and they are back to their 2:30 to 3 am schedule again. Someday I will get a full nights rest. I was sick with the flu last week (the girls have stayed healthy) and its no fun to have no energy and try and take care of three babies. So I'm so happy to be feeling 100% again.

My mom (Grandma Pendleton) sadly has taken her leave this week to go back to Wyoming. She has been here for 3 months helping me. I definitely was sad to see her leave, she has been such a major help... I can't even explain how much she has done for Kyle and I and babes. I know she misses them but I think she's pretty happy to get her rest again and to be with my dad again. My mother in law (Grandma Morrell) will be coming on Saturday to take the next 3 or so months shift. Hopefully, by that time, I will be able to manage quite easily. Being alone this week has helped me realize I can do it alone but I'm running on fumes and would love to keep getting grandma help!

Nothing else new with the girls except they are all starting to smile and interact more. Carly and Madison are both 12 lbs. 12 1/2 oz. and Mckenna is 12 lbs. even. We also took family pictures so I will have to post some in the next few days. Happy Halloween!

L to R: Carly (Giraffe), Madison (Tiger- perfect for her), and Mckenna (Zebra).

I just couldn't get enough of their animal tails so I had to get a picture of the cute little butts!

Mark and his fiance Ashley, look at Carly smiling big at Ashley. Just thought it was a cute picture I would add!

3 Ballerinas!

We took family pictures, etc. last weekend and wanted to post a few. Family pictures will be posted around Christmas time. The girls are growing like little weeds. All are smiling now and starting to talk (coo). They just get more and more fun to interact with.

The only new information is that Carly went to see the hematologist. I really had no idea what I was talking about in the last post. I had said that arterial venous malformation and hemangiomas were the same thing. Completely two different things.... They are still doing studies; I guess Carly's kind of a stumper. She has symptoms of both the arterial venous malformation (AVM) and a hemangioma depending on the test they are doing. They know it's probably one or the other so they have sent information (MRI, etc) to a specialty clinic to see what they recommend. If it's an AVM (enlarged blood vessels the size of an adult in a small baby) then they would surgically go in and remove blood vessels and somehow trace a new blood flow into smaller vessels. I still don't understand all implied with this route. If it's a hemangioma, they will treat it with steroids and it should shrink. So, once again, we are waiting. We are also putting off going to the dermatologist in SLC until sometime in the spring (or until the get the underlying stuff in her arm taken care of). Thank you to those offering a place to stay! But she is doing great and is quite the little charmer. She loves smiling at everyone, including strangers. Very friendly little girl.

Nothing else really new with the others. Madison has mellowed out a bit since her wild newborn days. She does still have ridiculous, exhausting amounts of energy but I think she is finally learning how to self soothe like the others are doing. And Mckenna is still as sweet as can be. Although she is finally starting to get a little louder in her crying and demands. I think it's good, they will probably all be loud to be heard above each other. They are still eating and sleeping about the same. Unfortunately still going through a ridiculous amount of diapers (25-30 a day) but that's the life of triplets I guess! Kyle and I figure and some day we will be able to sleep through the night, maybe in 18 years! Enjoy the pictures!

Here's the two best of the pictures we took. These girls are exhausting when it comes to picture taking....

L to R: Madison, Carly, Mckenna

L to R: Madison, Carly, Mckenna

5 months old!

Well, it has taken me about two weeks to get this blog posted! These babies are busy! It's amazing how much can change with them in a month. They are smiling now and even more awake during the day than they used to be. All are doing so well. We just went to our last eye doctor appointment (they go every other week) for Carly and Madison. Mckenna will go again in two weeks but then should be done as well. They do have to do a three month follow up to the eye doctor in January but that is a whole lot better than every other week.

Carly is going to a hematologist next week to see what the next process is for her arm. They will starting with injecting some sort of medication that will kill off the extra capillaries and hopefully shrink down the size of her arm. They believe she does have a certain type of hemangioma and they called it arterial venous malformation. They still don't know until they get rid of the masses (one at her wrist and one above the elbow) if her ulna bone (one of two long bones in the forearm ) is missing or just shortened due to the hemangioma. I guess we will just slowly find out information as we go. She also has an appointment with a pediatric dermatologist in Salt Lake at the end of October to start working on her port wine stain (caused from the hemangioma). We might go or might have to postpone if the hematologist says that we don't need to take care of that yet. Anyway, poor Carly will have a lot of appointments for awhile.

The are continuing to grow at a perfect rate. They were weighed last Thursday and Mckenna was 10 lbs. 10 1/2 oz., Madison 11 lbs. 13 1/2 oz., and Carly was 11 lbs. 14 oz. They are definitely feeling heavier when we have to lug three car seats around to doctor's appointments. I guess it just means that my arms will get stronger.

Below are a few pictures of the girls taken about two weeks ago. We have cut Mckenna's hair since this (just trimmed the top cause it was out of control). I don't like the straggly hair thing so I'd rather have it short and thicker until it's thick enough to start growing long. Oh, that seems like so many miles down the road from now....

Girls having social time together. L to R: Madison, Mckenna, Carly

Mckenna- 5 months old

Madison- 5 months old

Carly- 5 months old

I just think this picture is cute. I was trying to get a picture of Carly smiling (she has the biggest smile so far) and this is about as close as I could get to it.

4 months old and blessing day!

So I am WAY behind on this blog. I was looking at these pictures and thinking, they look bigger than this now! But, I guess I have an excuse. The days just kind of run away from you. So I wrote 4 months but technically they are going to be 4 1/2 months old next Tuesday! They are all doing so well. They have gotten gigantic (compared to where they came from). The nurses say that they don't have a problem with thriving (gaining weight and growing) which is a relief. As of yesterday, Mckenna weighed 8 lbs. 15 oz (pretty much 9 lbs), Madison was 10 lbs. 2 oz., and Carly was 10 lbs. 3 oz. I think last time I wrote they were in the eights or something.

Carly had an MRI done on her arm on Wednesday to start looking to see what needs to be done to help clear out the vascular mass she has in her arm. We meet with the orthopedic surgeon next Wednesday to see what he says we need to do moving forward.

They are all developing right about where they are supposed according to adjusted ages(although we are still working on less messy eating). They do tummy time everyday and sometimes they scream and hate it and sometimes they love it. Madison even rolled over (twice) from her belly to her back. I'm afraid I need to get in better shape for when she gets older and takes off on a dead run and I have to go and chase her down. They are all sleeping better and better each week. It took a lot of work but I think we have them all eating on the same schedule and so we only have to get up twice to feed them in the middle of the night. They still have off nights (usually a different one each time) in the night and require a little extra help to go to sleepy land. I think they are finally getting used to and adjusting to home. Madison might be the hardest baby of the three. She really likes to cry but once I can get her in a tight enough swaddle and with her pacifier in, she can usually calm down and go to sleep. Carly, recently, has become a little tougher to get to sleep than Madison plus Carly is not too interested in her pacifier anymore (great) so we also hear a lot of crying from Carly. And when they all get going (crying) it is quite the chorus. I can see why moms go crazy.... Mckenna is such a mild baby. She does cry, but not very much compared to the others and there is usually a reason for it (dirty diaper, a burp, etc.)

We blessed the girls on the 5th of September and I meant to post this then but.... anyway.... They looked so sweet, like little angels in their dresses and they kept clean diapers the whole time. As you can see, Mckenna slept through most of it but the other two were awake the entire time. Kyle gave them beautiful blessings and it was so nice to be able to have that experience of seeing three babies of our own blessed at the same time.

Mckenna- Blessing Day

Madison- Blessing Day

Carly- Blessing Day

All together for the blessing and no one was crying!

I'll have to get another picture (hopefully in the next week or so) to put on here of how much bigger they are getting.

We're getting bigger!

I can't believe how the time is just flying. And yet in the middle of the night it drags on and on! The girls are growing so fast. As of their last weight check (which was almost a week ago last Thursday) Mckenna weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz, Madison 8 lbs. 7 oz., and Carly 8 lbs. 12 oz. They are starting to really get their personalities. From the physical therapist that meets with them, she said that when you have twins there is always a watcher and a mover. There's never two movers or two watchers. And then with triplets there is always a combo as well; either two watchers and one mover or two movers and one watcher. So we predicted that Madison will definitely be the mover, Mckenna will be the watcher and we are still on the fence with Carly. Sometimes I think she will be a watcher and then she surprises me and I think she is a mover. We'll just wait and see. They still mainly eat, sleep and poop right now but they become more aware everyday!

I tried to get a new picture of the girls..... Do you know how ridiculously hard it is to get a good picture of three babies? And for some reason I can never get Madison in a good picture with her sisters. So I took a couple pictures and you can decide which was is the best. And then I gave up and uploaded a video as well. Maybe it was because this was taken right before a meal. From left to right: Madison, Carly, and Mckenna.

And the video!.....