The Triplets Turned 2...And We Celebrated!

On Friday, July 3rd, we started off the morning with the kids coming down to a fully decorated house. They weren't sure what to make of the decorations at first, but soon they started noticing Elmo and all his Sesame Street friends all over...they were so excited! The kids also go to have their first gift of the day...a kitchen set and table from Mommy and Daddy. They jumped right in and started whipping up breakfast. Since the food they were making wasn't able to be eaten, we headed off for our real breakfast at McDonald's.

We then headed off to a indoor jump/play place called Monkey Joes. The kids had an amazing time and we loved seeing them with such laughter and smiles on their faces!

That night, we had our family over for the first of two birthday parties. It was a great night complete with a yummy dinner, delicious cake, an overwhelming amount of gifts and a wonderful visit with the people we love most. It was easy to see how much these children are loved by seeing how many people gave up a Friday night to come hang out with a bunch of 2 year olds. Also, each gift was so thoughtful and we really appreciated every one's generosity!

Saturday, Happy 4th of July...we celebrated at a neighbors and had a great time!

Sunday, time for party number two! We had many of the kids friends over, including Auntie Steph and her family. In total there were 8 toddlers, 3 teeny weeny babies, and 5 older kids. We had a splash pool, sprinkler ball, sandbox, swing set and jumper set up for hours of fun in the back yard. It was a beautiful day and a great time with friends! The kids again were overwhelmed with all their gifts and Mommy had to open up most of them. They received many cool new toys and activities to keep them busy all winter long. We all enjoyed the home made cake and cupcakes. A great time was had by everyone and we were so happy to be able to celebrate this special occasion with all our friends!

To our babies as they turn 2...

Dear Emmerson, Brody and Logan,

Happy 2nd Birthday! It is hard to believe that you are 2! It seems like just yesterday we were at the hospital welcoming you into our family, and now, you are 3 of the most wonderful, energetic, happy toddlers in the world and we know how blessed we are to be your parents! You have made our lives so much fuller! More full of hope, love, adventure, faith, laughter and joy and we are thankful for you everyday!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

It's a...

Well, we went to the doctor today and found out that Baby Kelsey #4 is a ...........















GIRL !!!! We are very excited and feel very blessed! I guess many of you poll takers were correct!

Our First Camping Trip- Indiana Dunes

Those of us that know us, know that we have never let the fact that we have triplets stop us from going out to dinner, going hiking, bike riding, whatever. But even we thought we might be a little crazy (and probably so) when we decided Saturday night that we would take the kids to Indiana Dunes and go camping for the first time.

By the time we packed everything into the van, there was just enough room left for the kids in their car seats. When we arrived, the boys went exploring and Emmi hung out by Daddy while he put up the tent. We brought our superyard with, and that proved to be one smart decision! The most difficult part about camping with 3 toddlers is keeping them on your site! But luckily we had a very nice family behind us with 2 toddlers as well and they were more than willing to lend a hand (as we did too of course) so it all worked out!

John and I weren't sure how they would do in the tent, but we brought all three pack in plays with so they would be contained and have a comfort of home. It worked great! We are still amazed we could fit all three pack-n-plays and our blow up queen matress in the tent, but we did!

The kids had their first experience with marshmellows and smores! Of course they loved them! Just look at the smile on Emmi's face! We had typical camping food that we cooked on our camp stove. The eating situation was a little different, but the kids did great!

When we first got there, we took the trail down to the beach. I had never been there and wasn't prepared for swimming, but that didn't stop us! The boys jumped right in, diaper and all. Thankfully we got their shoes off before they hit the water. Emmi even had a blast splashing around. The water was cold, but it was so hot out that it was very refreshing. When we got back to the campsite, we were a mess...but we had fun and that's what matters!

Overall, the trip was a success and we will definitely be camping again!

Summer Fun

Here are some random pictures of our summer fun!

We have been trying to get out and enjoy the weather any day that it is not raining...which hasn't been that many. We have made it to the park with Grandma and Grandpa Kelsey, a fest with G.Aunt Kathy and GG and out side for a delicious BBQ with Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jim.

It is getting hard to believe that the kids are turning 2 in just a couple of weeks! We have started planning their birthday celebrations and are going with a Sesame Street theme. They LOVE their Elmo. In fact, I LOVE that little red guy! He lets me get dinner/lunch ready every day in peace...he is wonderful!

Right now, Daddy is still gone every day. He is doing some extra summer work, taking classes and painting. So the kids and I are still at home together most days. I love days when the weather is nice and we can go out in the backyard.

Yeah...Potty Training here we come!

Although all the kids are showing some interest, Emmerson is definitely the most ready! She has gone "pee-pee" on the potty 2 times now, and we are starting to try to go more through out the day. It is a very time consuming process, but very exciting! Our hopes are to have everyone potty trained before the new baby arrives in November. We'll see how it goes!

Auntie Megan Graduates!

My sister Megan graduated from EGHS and we all went to breakfast to celebrate this exciting accomplishment! Although we were planning on attending the outside graduation, the rain had other plans so we didn't get to see her walk. :( We are so proud of her and can't wait to see where she goes from here!

Our First Ice Cream Cones

It was the last day of school in Oswego, and our friend Maddie was over. I decided to give them their first real taste of summer...an ice cream cone! Needless to say, they LOVED them. Emmerson was a little upset when she accidently squeezed to hard and broke her cone, but she

got over it pretty quick. They were one big, sticky mess when they were done...it was great!

Our Trip to Philips Park Zoo

Auntie Steph, McKenna and Victoria came for a visit in June and we all went to the little zoo in Aurora. It was perfect for the kids. After we said hello to every animal in the zoo, we went over to the park for a picnic. McKenna was a good helper and would let us know if Emmi, Brody or Logan wandered too far. It was really cute! A great time was had by all!

Memorial Day BBQ with Friends

On Memorial Day we had our friends over for a yummy BBQ. What really made this day fun was all of the toddlers...9 to be exact! (and one infant not at the table) You would have thought it was a birthday party with all the kids. I guess when all of your friends have kids around the same time, and a few of you have multiples, this is what happens! Since this BBQ, 3 more babies have been born and 3 more are on the way! (including ours)...So, with the same group next year, we are looking at 17 kids if no one else makes an announcement before then. :)

Our MasterCard Story

Life with Triplets

So, I shared this with my triplet groups, and a couple of them told me I needed to document this story, so I thought I would post it to the blog.

About a week ago, I decided to venture outside to our backyard with my trio. It was the first nice day in a while and we all needed a change of scenery. My yard is fenced and we have a swing set and other toys for them, so I thought this was going to be a nice, quiet day out in the backyard..miraculously! So, about 20 min into our outside play time, where everything was going so smooth, I hear a crash...glass breaking. Brody had found a candle we had hid behind the grill last summer. (needless to say, I didn't see it or know it was there, but he found it of course!). Anyway,I tried to find a way to collect most of the glass, keep the 3 kids and my 2 dogs from running through it and somehow go inside and get the broom. Miraculously, I managed to get the broom and shoo off the audience. As I was just about to be done cleaning up the glass on the patio, I realized that everything was a bit too quiet...so I looked up. My boys had found a nice, fresh pile of dog poop and were mushing it through their hands like lotion. They proceeded to wipe it on their shirts and on the patio. At this point I wanted to cry, but I gathered up all the strength I could muster and found and attached the hose. Sprayed them down, the patio, took off and rinsed their shirts. Unfortunately, I didn't attach the hose well, and it created a mud puddle by the connection.. ..and where was Emmi during all this...yep.. .playing in the mud water...which she managed to cover her head, arms, legs and clothes with. I quickly sprayed her down, stripped her naked and proceeded in the house with 3 soaked and naked children. And that was our nice, quiet day out in the backyard! Hope this made you smile...:) I find it funny- now- in hindsight!

Some cute moments...

Some cute moments caught on camera...

Emmerson just learned how to smile for the camera...I even got her to give me a kiss for the camera. She is so sweet!

Brody and Logan LOVE to wear Daddy's watch! (its actually an old one...but don't tell them that.:)

Getting three toddlers to sit still for a picture...priceless!

Easter

Our Trip to Jamaica

The kids are officially world travelers and have their first immigration stamp in their passports. Our visit to the FDR Pebbles resort in Jamaica was incredible. The boys loved the water, and splashed in it when ever they could. Emmerson, on the other hand, was not too fond of the water, but loved playing in the sand, and sliding down the numerous slides. We will definitely be back.

Tubes for Brody

So Brody needed to have tubes put in his ears to help drain the fluid that has been built up for months. It has caused him to fail his last 2 hearing tests, so after trying to dry up the fluid with meds that proved no change, we are opted for the surgery. He had the surgery at Rush Copley on March 12th at 7:30 am. It was a simple surgery and only took a total of 20 min. Brody did great! He was in such a good mood, despite being woke up at 6:00 am. (They usually don't wake until 8:00...great sleepers!) He didn't cry when the nurse took him back and they returned him to the room before he was awake again. He came out of anesthesia pretty well and within 2 hours, he was completely back to his old self! We have already seen such improvement in his ability to repeat words and verbalize things he hears. We are so happy that he had the surgery and we think he is happy as well!

20 months and counting....

It is amazing to John and I that the babies are already 20 months old! They are changing every day and seem to be learning new things every minute We have been working with sign language with them since they were 7 months and it has helped out tremendously when it comes to communicating. They can come up to us and ask for things like a cracker, milk, juice, or to tell us they want to go to sleep. They are all very steady walkers and runners and now have mastered climbing up AND down the stairs. It has sure been a blessing on my back! They are also all eating with spoons and forks and for the most part, do pretty well. . Here is a quick update on each of the kiddos:

Emmerson: She is quite the talker! She says "Mama, Dada, ball, cat, dog, cracker, please, more, up, down, go, hat, shoes, all done, eat..." She is at the stage where she will repeat just about any sound or word you say, so her vocabulary is growing fast. Emmi loves to read books! Anytime we are down on the floor playing with them, she brings over a book to read, and with her head tilted just so, she says "peass". She is a BIG fan of Elmo right now. John and I are thinking of taking her (and maybe the boys too) to see Elmo Live in May. We’re not sure how well she will be able to see the stage and that will make all the difference in her attention span! Emmerson is very attached to her two “doggies” from Build-A-Bear. They were actually a gift for the boys, but Emmi loved them so much that the boys let her have them. She carries them all over the house by their Cubs t-shirts that they wear. It is a very cute scene! We feel so blessed to be parents to this wonderful little girl.

Brody: He is such an active little boy! There is nothing that he can’t seem to find a way into, on top of, or under. Brody is our little explorer! He loves to play “tag” with Daddy around the back of the couch. He really has a silly side to him. He LOVES to be tickeled! He will walk up to you with a look like “aren’t you going to get me…” and then when you start to tickle him, he lets out the sweetest giggle. It makes it hard to stop! Brody has really been talking more these days too. Although he still signs more than he talks, he now will say “mama, dada, dog, uhhoh, and bubbles” Brody has a great throwing arm already. He was playing catch with John and I the other day and we were both so amazed at how accurate and strong his throws were. Hmmm….maybe a future Cubs pitcher? We are so amazed by Brody every day!

Logan: What a character this little boy is! He is such the social butterfly and when someone is watching, and he is in the right mood, there will definitely be something to see! Logan has great facial expressions that make us laugh daily. I think he gets his humor from his Daddy. Logan seems to be fearless so far, which makes for a fun time in the store. He will wander away and as John and I stand there watching him to see if he even looks back, he speeds up and heads off down and isle. We keep an extra close eye on that little guy! Logan is still such a sweet boy. He will come up and give me a kiss or hug throughout the day while he is playing. Just a quick kiss to say “love you Mama” and then he’s off again. I treasure those sweet moments daily!

We are getting ready for our first International travel at the end of March. John, myself and the babies are heading to Jamaica! We just got their passports in and boy are they cute. We are really excited and can’t wait to get away to somewhere warm for a while. Hopefully we will have some cute pictures to post when we get back!

Some fun moments...

As much as I love this blog and having the memories to look back on, time to update it is so hard to find these days. So, instead of going into a long entry about what we've been up to, I am going to post some pictures of things we have done with captions. This way I can try to catch up on the last month or so and hopefully cover most of our adventures.

Finding fun things to play with indoors during this LONG winter has been a real challenge. They all love playing in their newly established "play room" complete with a slide and pirate ship toy box. They also love bouncing in their inflatable bounce house they got for Christmas. Climbing through their tube huts have become daily fun! Trying to pop as many bubbles as we can is another fun game we love to play.

They all love to read...and their new chairs are the perfect place.

Emmi loves to put her doggies in the chairs with books when she reads.

Hats are a new facination! They love putting on all different hats and walking around the house...very cute and it makes for wonderful entertainment!

The babies are now 19 1/2 months old and getting so big! Everyday they discover new words and new skills. It is nice to have playmates all through the day!

Candy Canes....Yummy!

Although we really try to limit the amount of sugar the babies eat, we couldn't go through this holiday season without letting them try their first candy cane. They loved them! Emmerson and Logan each ate them the "correct" way....licking and licking until the red stripes disappeared and the tip became smaller and smaller. Theirs each lasted about 10 minutes. Brody on the other hand would have ate his in under a minute if Mommy didn't intervine! He shoved the entire thing in his mouth sideways so that his cheeks were poked out on each side in the shape of a candy cane. They all seemed to like their first crack at candy canes and we were able to get some cute pictures

Our First Snow Adventure

We bundled up all the kiddos and headed outside for our first adventure in the snow. We have a small sleding hill just outside our front door that was perfect for us to have our first sled ride on. Brody and Logan loved the snow and the rides in the sled. They each had the biggest smiles on their faces as they came zooming down the side of the hill. Emmerson on the other had did not care for the cold, the snow and especially not the sledding. She cried for most of the experience, but was the happiest once we came back in side.


Daddy and the gang

Brody..................................... Emmerson

Logan ...............................Mommy and Kids

Triplet Tree Santa Breakfast

It was our first time attending my triplet groups annual Santa breakfast. We had a great time! It was so nice being out to eat and not being "on display". No one came up and asked "Are they triplets?" or "Do you watch Jon and Kate plus 8?". It was great! The Glatchaks and the Andersons were there and everyone had fun running around the large banquet room. We were not sure what to make of the big guy in red though...that brought out the only tears of the day. It was amazing to everyone how quiet and well behaved all the kids were...especially considering there were about 200 people there and over 130 of them were kids! John and I were also very excited that we finally took individual with our babies...Just Mommy, Daddy and each of our children alone. We are going to make this a new tradition...throughout the year.

Grand Bear Lodge Trip

We had a great time on our mini vacation to Grizzly Jacks Grand Bear Lodge. We stayed in a 2 bedroom condo with Grandma Linda, Grandpa Jim, Uncle Brian and his girlfriend, Jodi. We went swimming in the indoor water park and even rode rides in the indoor amusement park. Emmerson only lasted 30 seconds on the ride which is why she is not in the photos. The boys liked the ride...and since it was their first, we were ALL very excited. During our stay, we celebrated our first of many "Christmas dinners" with Uncle Brian and Jodi. They were very generous and got the kids many fun toys and books. Brian and my Mom and Jim went in together on a gift for John and I too...the Wii! We are looking forward to spending time learning all the new games. Although Brian and Jodi were sick for most of the trip, we all had a great time just being together!

Preparing for Winter and the Holidays...

As the weather is getting colder, we are trying to find ways to keep busy inside. So, we have officially transformed the office into a play room and we are in the process of creating a play ground area in the basement. It is nice having most of the toys out of the family room. It also gives us a different scene during the day which is great for both Mommy and the troops.

We are looking forward to spending some time with family as the holidays are quickly approaching. Uncle Brian has made the trip in from Florida, and we have plans for a weekend getaway with him, Jodi and Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jim. It should be a great time and a wonderful change of scenery!

We are also looking forward to spending time with the Kelseys and Uncle Matt and Aunt Kelly who will be coming in from St. Louis. It will be such a different holiday season this year now that we have 3 walking toddlers! We are really looking forward to it!

Fall Fun

WORLD'S BEST TOY!!!

Well, you've heard that old saying..."give them a box and they'll play all day". It's true! Even though we have what I can only imagine is every toddler toy out there, the thing that was most interesting yesterday morning was an old Huggies box! They were pushing it around and climbing in it and on it. They even started trying to use it as a slide...which prompted me to borrow one from a friend, so now we have one more toy in the family room! Anyway, enjoy some pictures of the trio playing with the "world's best toy".

First "Real" Hair Cuts

Even thought Mommy cut the boys hair back in September, they had their first real hair cut in a salon on Oct. 3rd. Emmerson still has not had her hair cut, as we are still waiting for her to get some hair! The boys both did great as the lady clipped away. Even when she turned on the electric razor to do their sides, they were both really calm. They looked so handsome afterwards.

Brody was REALLY excited to get his hair cut! :)

Logan LOVED all the attention while his hair was cut.

Our BUSY but Fun-Filled Weekend!

We had so much fun this weekend! We went to our 2nd Annual NICU reunion at Copley on Friday night. It was so nice to see our former nurses. We played games, ate Halloween treats, and participated in a costume parade. It was a fun time and it reminded us of how far they have come.

On Saturday we had our first experience at Boo at the Zoo. Enjoy the many pictures from that day. We met our friends there, and all together, there were 6 toddlers....lunch was a real sight!

The kids LOVED running around in the hay stack maze.

Everyone enjoyed watching "The animal train"!

Our animals were crawling around in the caves...so cute!

Our lion w/ the zoo's lion ..Our elephant w/the zoo's elephant

Lunch w/ the animals........Sleeping Elephant

Sleeping Lion .......................Sleeping Monkey

Sunday, after church, we went to Sonny Acres pumpkin farm. The kids loved climbing on the pumkins, playing in the leaves, running around the play ground and riding on the train. It was a beautiful day and we are glad that Grandma Linda, Grandpa Jim, GG and Don could join us.

We ended our weekend with a birthday party for Grandma Kelsey at their house. It was a nice party and we were totally exhausted when we left.

Our Colorado Trip

Well...WE DID IT! And the trip was a success! The babies did pretty well on the plane. On the way there, Brody threw up 3 times, all over me, but that was the worst of it. The way back was better, although the boys were a little wiggly at times. We managed to get 3 babies, 3 suitcases, 3 car seats, 3 backbacks (diaper bags) and 2 strollers, to Denver and back without loosing anyone or anything! So like I said the trip was a success! We really enjoyed our time visiting Sue, Neil and baby Dane, as well as all of their animals. The weather did not cooperate, but we managed to have a wonderful time inspite of that. Here are some pics from the trip.


These were all taken at the Denver Children's Museum...Oh what fun we had!


Colorado is so beautiful!


The babies were checking out the plane...so cute!

And the Winner Is....

LOGAN!

Although all of the babies have started walking, Logan is now a "walker"! He prefers to walk rather than crawl and he is really getting more sturdy and fluid. He walks all over the house and he is getting used to wearing shoes when we go out.

Emmerson is right behind Logan, and she starting to choose to walk more often. Brody has started to take more and more steps, and he usually does this when he thinks no one is looking. We think he may be a little insecure.

Emmerson's First Dolly

Today was very exciting for Emmi! She got her first baby doll. It didn't take long for her to grab it and give it a big wet kiss!...so cute! She hasn't put it down since I gave it to her 1 1/2 hours ago. Even when she grabs another toy, she puts the baby in her lap. And boy did she let out a hollar when her brothers came by to see her new dolly. They seem interested in the baby too...looks like we are going out tonight to get the boys a baby too.

Baby Update

It has been a while since I have written in detail about the babies and how they are doing. It is fun for me to look back on some earlier posts and remember those days, so I wanted to take the time to recount our recent days to help them live in memories later.

Today the babies are 14 1/2 months old. They will be going for their 15 month check up in a couple of weeks, so I will have more to share about their growth then. Developmentally, we are doing great! We are completely off bottles and have now moved to the intermediate sippy cups. They also do great with straws. They look so grown up when I give them a Mott Tots juice box and they slurp in up through the straw. We have been completely on table food since June and they eat whatever we eat for dinner- minus anything too acidic (like tomato sauce)....it doesn't agree with them! All of the babies love to read stories and sing songs. Some of their favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Head Shoulder Knees and Toes, and Teasing Mr. Crocodile. They love to clap along. They are really changing these days and turning into full blown toddlers. Here are some updates specific to each of them:

Emmerson: Emmi is such a sweet little girl. She loves to cuddle and is now becoming very interested in dolls and stuffed animals, particularly her stuffed bunny from Build A Bear that Grandma Linda bought her when she was born. We are planning on taking her out this weekend to get her first baby doll. Emmerson still loves to "talk". She has even said her first word, "ball". Her hands still move about as she tells a story or yells at her brothers for something. Many times I will hear her talking to the boys and then all of a sudden, they all start laughing. She has the cutest giggle, and every time she laughs around Daddy, it melts his heart. Emmi is doing really well with her walking. She was the first, and pretty much the only one who can stand up in the middle of the room. She can take about 5-8 steps before she looses her balance and falls. But she never seems discouraged. She just hops right back up and starts again. Emmerson loves to walk back and forth between two people, especially Mommy and Daddy. She gets so excited that her smile seems to go on forever!

Brody: Brody is our little explorer these days. He is in to EVERYTHING! There is nothing he can't climb, reach, stand on, hang from...you get the picture. Brody is the only one who can climb onto the couch without any assistance. He is now finding new things he can push up next to our tables, gates and counters so that he can reach something he has probably had his eye on for a while. Many times we will find Brody off on his own just exploring and playing. Although he gets along with his siblings, Brody is very content to play by himself. Sometimes, when he is too quiet playing it means trouble. The other day he pulled out every last tissue from the Kleenex box and then uttered his first words, "uh oh". I couldn't help but laugh! He has been doing well with learning to walk too, but he is much more cautious as he takes his steps. Brody is such a happy child! He is usually smiling and laughing while he plays. He has started showing off his dancing skills too! Every time he hears music, he starts flapping is arms and shaking his hips. We love watching him boogie!

Logan: Logan was the first to try out the whole walking thing. He is doing very well, and he seems to be the most determined. He gets this look on his face as if to say "this time I'm going to make it all the way to ..." Logan is such a loving child. Many times throughout the day, he will crawl (or walk) up to me and give me a hug. He does this with so much force at times he ends up hitting me in the nose, mouth or eye, but maybe that's what they mean by "love hurts.?." Logan still has very extreme moods, but most of the time, he is very happy and content. Logan loves to read books. His favorite books are those that have the "touch and feel" component, and any books about animals. He points to them as we say each name...he is turning into a real animal lover. Both Brody and Logan just love the dogs. They get so excited to pet them and to have them lick their hands and give them kisses. Logan still is our only thumb sucker and only when he is tired and ready for sleep. It is a nice cue for us to follow.

We are having so much fun with our Toddling Trio and we are looking forward to so many more firsts!

If a picture is worth a 1000 words, whats a video worth?

Our busy summer...coming to an end

This summer has been really busy, but really fun. It is hard to keep up with everything we have done. Here's what we've been up to since we got back from Minnesota:
We recently became members of Brookfield Zoo and have visited there several times. We also have visited with many friends and family over the last month. We were guests at McKenna's 2nd birthday party, Auntie Lisa and Nolan came for a visit, we had play dates with our friends Rory, Tyler and Kyle, and we spent our first night away from Mom and Dad when we had a sleepover at Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jim's house. Mommy and Daddy had a couple days to have some "adult fun" so we got to spend some time with Uncle Adam, Grandpa Kelsey, Papa Glatchak and Auntie Megan...it was a great couple of days...we had a lot of fun. We attended our first Triplet Tree picnic at Blackberry Farms where we went on our first rides. We rode the Merry-Go-Round and the Choo-Choo Train. We also rode the ponys...we smiled the entire time! This past month, we also had our first free play at a baby gym. We loved climbing on all the different equipment. So...it really has been a fun-filled summer, and now Daddy is back to work and we are looking forward to some down time at home with Mommy.

Our RV Vacation

We made it! Overall, it was a success...but that RV was only big enough for a week...as it seemed to get smaller as the week went on. :)

We visited WI Dells on the way to and from MN...and the babies had their first taste of Paul B. camp breakfast. They enjoyed the pancakes, eggs and of course, the sugar donuts!
In St. Paul, MN, we visited the Children's' Museum. It was a GREAT experience! The exhibit that we were in was geared for babies ages 6mo.-4 years. They could crawl, grab, climb, look at, and eat everything in there. They went non-stop for 2 hours of continuous play and discovery. It was so much fun for John and I to be a part of. I put a bunch of pics of their adventure at the museum on the right side...take a look.
It was great getting to visit with all our family from MN. The wedding was wonderful and hanging out with everyone the next day for a picnic was a blast!
In MN, we also went swimming in a couple of lakes. Brody was a bit unsure of the water at the second beach, but he had a great time playing in the sand with Grandma Kelsey. Emmi and Logan loved splashing in the water with Mommy and Daddy. On our way back home, we again stopped in the Dells and went swimming in the pool at Christmas Mountain. It was designed as a zero depth play zone for tots...and it was a lot of fun for all of us!
We are glad to be home, but the memories we have will be treasured!

First Birthday Party!

The babies had a great first birthday party complete with balloons, three separate cakes, the Backyardigans, and many friends and family! The day was perfect...87 degrees and sunny! We couldn't have asked for a better day. The tents in the backyard provided some much needed shade and the water fountain toy was the hit of the party. After singing to each baby in order of their birth, they had their first taste of the "good stuff". All three kiddos loved their cake and Logan made quite the piggy of himself. He picked up the entire cake at once a shoved it in his face...and he didn't stop until it was ALL gone. He had everyone cracking up! Emmerson and Brody took more of a "sure and steady" approach to eating their cake, but in the end, they had the same results. After all the eating was done, we opened a mountain of gifts...we are truly grateful for everyones generosity! It was a day we will remember fondly for many years to come.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Today was the big day! You turned one! We had a small gathering at the house for our immediate family on your birthday. All your grandparents were there, including GG and Don and an extra special guest...Uncle Brian!
We loved watching you all dig into your birthday cup cakes that Daddy and I made especially for each of you!

It was a great day!

Remembering your birth...one year ago

Brody "Then"...............................Brody "Now"

Emmerson "Then"....................... Emmerson "Now"

Logan "Then" ........................... Logan "Now"

On the first anniversary of your birth, I wanted to tell you all about that special day. It was the best day of our lives and we will always remember fondly the day we were blessed with our three precious babies.

July 2, 2007
It was exactly one year ago today that you broke your water Emmi and we headed off to the hospital, unsure of what to expect...

It was just after 5:00 pm, Monday, July 2, 2007 and I had just finished posting the fact that we had made it a couple days past 30 weeks. Although this was good, we were hoping for at least 2 more weeks. Daddy had just finished working on the patio, plopped down on the couch, and fell asleep. I thought...boy he worked hard today....I will get up and get myself some water. Since being on complete bed rest, I usually would ask him to get my drinks, which he was always more than happy to do.
Just as I sat up, my water broke. Could this really be happening? I woke Daddy up, who always wakes in a "fiesty" manner, and he sat up..."What? What?" he said, still half asleep. "My water broke" I said. He just stared at me. I repeated my sentence. Again, nothing. I said, "John, we need to go the hospital." He jumped up...and began trying to figure out the next step. I went into the shower and packed a few last minute things. Daddy was a little frantic but surprisingly, we were both relatively calm. Grandma Linda was dropping something off, so I asked her to stay and take care of the dogs as we headed off.
We made it to Lutheran General in record time, 1 hour 10min. They were expecting us when we arrived, and within minutes, I was in labor and delivery where they began monitoring my contractions and all of your heartbeats. Then...a second water bag broke (Brody's we think)...we really began to worry. Since the bags broke naturally, the doctors would not let me continue to take the meds I was on to stop contractions. The bags may have broken due to infection and you all might be in distress. So we kept a watchful eye and hoped my body would resist going into labor. However, I was measuring at 48 weeks pregnant...
As the night went on, my contractions were not very often and things looked good for a while and it seemed like I wasn't going to go into full-blown labor. We were told that you all could live in the womb after the water breaks for weeks, so we were hoping for a couple weeks of bed rest.

July 3, 2007
No matter what our plans...God knew that today was to be your birthday.

Then...at just after 3:00 am on July 3rd, it was inevitable...my contractions became stronger and more often and Logan, your heart rate showed signs of distress. It was time for an emergency C-section.
We were both so nervous...This was too early!...Would you be alright? The neonatologist (NICU doc) came in to tell us the "statistics" on survival and estimated length of time in the NICU for babies being born at 30 w 3 days. Although 30 weeks had very good odds, it was not enough to calm our nerves. Daddy needed to wait outside the operating room while they prepped me. It was hard being separated from him during that time. I was really scared. I remember crying so hard the they could barely get the local anesthetic in. The nurse helped calm me down and I said a prayer that God would be with all of us at that moment.

The Delivery:
Once everything was set, it went amazingly fast! The doctors began at 4:34 am and at 4:43, Emmerson Lyn, you entered the world. Followed at 4:44 by you Brody William. And,Logan John at 4:45 am you joined your brother and sister. You were all so tiny! The nurses and doctors worked on each of you intensely and I could hear a bunch of medical jargon being yelled out. Emmi and Brody, you both needed some help breathing at first. Logan, you were the only one we heard cry. Both Daddy and I were anxiously waiting to hear that you were all doing well. Finally, a nurse came over to me and said...they are all breathing, and they are perfect! Daddy gave me a kiss and we both breathed a sigh of relief.
I only got a quick look at you as they wheeled you off to the NICU in incubators. After Daddy escorted me to recovery, he officially got to meet you when he visited the NICU. Soon after, he proudly showed you off to all your grandparents who arrived wide-eyed at 5:00 am!

This was the beginning of your story... tomorrow will mark one year from the day that God sent you three precious babies to us to care for, learn from, teach, hold, worry about, laugh with, experience life through, teach you to know Him, model for, encourage, support, and above all love unconditionally. We are so thankful for every moment that we have with you...Happy Birthday Emmerson, Brody and Logan! We love you all so much! Love, Mommy and Daddy

Gift Ideas

With the babies birthday soon approaching, many people have asked for gift ideas. We put together a gift list from Toys R Us in order to give you some suggestions and ideas on what toys they are into or soon will be. A group gift would be more than generous, so please don't feel like you need to get something for each baby... we are great at sharing! As far as clothes, they are currently in size 12mo. So, for fall/winter clothes, they would be in 12-18mo. In addition, savings bonds or monatary gifts to deposit in their savings account would also be a very thoughtful gift.

(Since this is not the official registry list, please include gift reciepts in case we get doubles on an item- Thank you!)
Location
Description-----Price----- #Requested
A: Location #11
VSMILE BABY SYSTEM (VTECH) $39.99 1

A: Location #13
LITTLE CHAMPS SPORTS (LITTLE TIKES) $24.99 1

A: Location #16
LITTLE HANDI WORKHORSE (LITTLE TIKES) $20.99 1

B: Location #1
BUSY BALL POPPER (HASBRO TOY GROUP) $24.99 1

B Location #2
116CT SZ3 SUP VALUE EFB (ESPECIALLYFOR BABY) $22.49 2
100CT SZ4 SUP VALUE EFB (ESPECIALLYFOR BABY) $22.49 4

B: Location #8
MEGA PLAYLAND(PLAYHUTINC) $59.99 1
BACKYARDIGANS FLIP SOFA (SPIN MASTER) $34.99 3

PERIMETER WALL: Location #
TOT SPORT BOWLING SET(LITTLE TIKES) $19.99 1

SEASONAL: Location #
8X8 BOUNCE AROUND (LITTLE TIKES) $169.99 1
PLAYMATS 24 IN (STATS) $22.99 3
NICK 3R BUBBL MACHINE BACKYARDIGANS (LITTLEKIDSINC) $12.99 1
BEACH COMBER BAG (AMLOID/) $2.99 2

WALKERS & HI CHAIRS Location #1
BACKYARDIGANS ROCK ROLL RID (FISHER PRICE) *as marked 3

WALKERS & HI CHAIRS: Location #4
INFANT HELMET $19.99 3

Happy Babies!

It's feeding time at the Kelsey's...

And everyone is REALLY happy! Boy, do they LOVE to eat!

After eating a very yummy lunch, it's into the family room for some play time...

As you can see...this is also makes them REALLY happy!

We are so lucky and blessed to have such happy, healthy babies! (soon to be toddlers)

Summer Time Fun!

Since both Mommy and Daddy are off now, we have been taking advantage of our time. We have gone to Philips Park Zoo several times, had a couple of pool parties, taken walks in our new choo-choo wagon and even rocked out to our first outdoor concert during Prarie Fest in Oswego. It has been so much fun!

We loved looking at the swans swimming

Did you know Turkeys were mean?

Our friends Tanner and Nolan came to visit...Nolan is the one with all the hair!

Daddy and his boys during our first swim party

We love to splash in the pool!

Long time no post~

Well its been a while since our last post. We are always really busy here between working full time, John coaching track and of course, taking care of our 3 little monkeys! It will be so nice when summer comes so we can all spend some quality time together. And for those of you who don't know, Mommy will be home full time with the babies from now on...I have resigned in order to take on my Mommy duties full time! I am very excited and we feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to have me stay home.

Now for the update on the babies~ Everyone is on the move! Brody was the first to crawl, and then a couple weeks later, Emmi and Logan (within days of each other) joined their brother in the "crawling Olympics". Logan started with what we referred to as an "inch worm" crawl, but he now has the traditional method down pat. They are all over the family room, experiencing toys like never before! Brody and Emmi pull themselves up on the couch and other toys. Brody has even taken a couple steps holding on to the couch and the ottoman. It is amazing how big they have gotten and how they are now little people.

Their personalities are really starting to shine through. Brody is still the strong and sensitive one. He his very easily startled, but has the most physical strength between them. Emmerson seems to know she is the only girl and she expects to have any toy she desires! Even though she can be grabby at times, she has really started explore and entertain herself with the toys. Logan has an "extreme" personality. He is either VERY happy or VERY unhappy...there doesn't seem to be an in between. He knows what he likes and what he wants and he lets you know it...loud and clear!

The babies are doing so well and we couldn't feel more blessed for their progress! I am going to post some pictures to the side of a couple "firsts" I haven't shared yet including their first play date with another triplet family and their first trip to the park.

We had our 9 month check up on Friday...It is so hard to believe that the next time he sees them will be at their 1 Year appointment! Where did the time go?!?

Anyway, the babies are all doing so well! Here is an update on each of them:

Emmerson:
Our little girl is weighing in at 18 lbs. 11 oz. and 27 inches long. On the growth chart she ranges between 20-50% for a 9 month old...which is wonderful since their adjusted age puts them around 7 mo. Emmerson has the most squishy, chubby thighs and we just can't resist squeezing them to get a little giggle. She has just started to "crawl" backwards and is building her arm strength by the day. Emmerson is a "talker" and her hands are moving all around as she shares her thoughts with everyone. It is so cute to watch her wave her arms around...the more excited she is about something, the faster they move! Emmerson now has 4 teeth. It is so cute to see her smile and show off her pearly whites. She is doing great with eating and her hand eye coordination is getting better every day. She works so hard to pick up the Gerber puffs between her pointer finger and her thumb...then the trick of making it all the way into her mouth is her next challenge. She is a very determined little girl, so even if it takes her a couple of tries, she usually gets it! Emmi is also good at getting whatever toy she wants, or should I say, whatever toy her brothers happen to be playing with. :) We are so enamored with our little girl!

Brody:
He is still our "big guy" weighing in at 18 lbs. 13 oz., although his sister is right on his tail! He is now 28 inches long and he will soon need to be moved out of his infant car seat. Mommy and Daddy are not ready for that! Brody has one of the most sincere and all encompassing smiles we have ever seen...no matter what you are doing, he will suck you in with his giggles and smile! Brody has been working on crawling for about 3 weeks now and he can move backwards and in circles quite well. He is even starting to climb up on our laps when we are on the floor with him. He usually will take a couple of "crawls" forward before his legs and arms go out from under him. One thing that we find amazing is how he can go from a crawling position to a sitting position and back again all on his own. Brody is really ready to be moving and in honor of his great strides, we have already completely baby proofed the family room. Brody is really talking these days. He loves to say "dadadada" which sometimes sounds like "tada"! I know he is not "really" saying "dada", but I still can't wait to hear "mama" for the first time! Brody is doing great with eating too. He loves all the veggies and fruits we give him. He now has his two bottom teeth. Brody is also doing great with holding on to his own sippy cup and bottle when Mrs. Carolyn lets him try it without our "contraption". He is getting so big and independent and we are very proud parents!

Logan:
It is hard to believe that he started life at 2 lbs 11 oz. now that he is weighing in at 18lbs. 1oz! He is now 27 3/4 inches long, and soon, like his brother, will out grow his infant car seat. Although all our our babies are happy and mild mannered, Logan is the happiest baby we have ever met. He will smile at you even when he is in his worst mood. We always know when he is hungry or tired, because that's the only time he whines or cries. Also, we have recently discovered that Logan is a bit of a people watcher, and when any girl gives him attention, he turns into the cutest little flirt! He gives them a smile, giggle and every once in a while, the Logan "smile and head turn" showing his "bashful" side. It is the cutest thing! Logan still LOVES to bounce/jump. Anytime someone holds him out in front of them, their arms get a real workout as he begins to "bouncy bounce"...and he never seems to want to stop once he starts! Logan has just started getting up on all fours and he is rocking back and forth. We are just waiting for him to figure it out...then there will be no stopping that boy! Logan is doing great with eating too! There are times when we just can't shovel it in fast enough. Logan has just started teething, and his bottom teeth are just poking through the surface. So soon his gummy smile will be gone. Logan is our little ray of sunshine when we have had a rough day...and we are so thankful for him!

Ear infection: Round Two

Well, Brody had another first last week...his first ear infection. That now makes Logan and Brody both on their first round of antibotics. They seem to like the yummy, bubble gum flavored liquid- they take it like champs! Emmi never got sick. (knock on wood!) She is one tough little girl. Both boys are feeling much better these days though...you could barely tell they are sick. We go for their 9 month wellness check on Friday, so I will post again after that with updates. John and I can't believe it has already been 9 months since we became parents! Where does the time go?...

Our first sickness...

Well, we almost made it through the entire cold and flu season, and to 9 months without a cold...but we didn't quite make it! Logan was the first to get the runny nose and fever, followed by Brody and then Emmi. Logan really wasn't himself, and after 4 days of a fever and cold, we took him in to see Doctor Webb. He had a double ear infection! Poor baby... We took Brody to the doctor too since his fever was climbing and he was getting more cranky...but no ear trouble yet. We are watching close! Emmi has done the best with this first cold. Although her nose is running like a faucet, she hasn't really had much of a fever and her mood is still pleasant. We are looking forward to having our three healthy babies back!

Our First Easter~

We had a wonderful Easter! We celebrated Easter with Papa Glatchak, Aunt Megan, and Grandma and Grandpa Kelsey the day before Easter. It was very fun! We loved all of the goodies the Easter Bunny left at their house, including our first tooth brushes.

Easter morning started with getting our baskets that the Easter Bunny left for us. It had our first bunny, plastic eggs to eat and bunny ears for us to wear. We also got one HUGE bunny for us to share...it was fun to climb on! The baskets also had a pair of praying hands to remind us what the day is for.

After baskets and breakfast, we all went to church. Auntie Megan had spent the night and she went to church with us in the morning. We met Grandpa Kelsey, and Uncle Adam there as well.We loved the music and we were relatively quiet as we listened to the story of Jesus.

After church, we headed to Great Auntie Carol and G.Uncle Greg's house. There we visited with GG, Don, Grandma Linda (Grandpa was home sick), G. Aunt Kathy, G. Auntie Ellen, G.Uncle Paul, cousins Sam and Jack. We were very excited to open all the gifts that our family had for us. We got outfits and many noisey stuffed toys! Grandma Linda made us very cute name tags for our baskets, and she filled them with lots of fun treats for us to eat!

By the time we got home around 8:30pm, we were exhausted...especially Mommy and Daddy! They were barely able to get us in, feed us and put us to bed...but of course they mustered up the energy and that ended our first, fun-filled Easter!

Brody has 2 teeth!

Brody's 2 bottom teeth poked through the surface at the same time today. They are barely visible, but you can definitely feel them if he chops down! It is very exciting. He will look so cute with those to little toofers!

Just Hanging Out on Saturday

I am the KING/ QUEEN of diapers!

After all of our calculated preparations, we WAY over-estimated how many diapers we would need for our three little buddles of joy! We are now sitting with almost 40 packs of out grown diapers. We are looking into some options of getting rid of them, but before we did, we captured a few cute shots.

We Are 8 Months Today!

Time really flies...We can't believe the babies are 8 months already! They are changing so much every day. Here is an update on what they've been doing:

Emmerson~

Emmi loves to blow rasberries!!! She will do this for a 1/2 hour at a time. It's pretty funny except during church when everyone else is quiet. She is definitely smiling more these days. She has changed from "Emmi, Emmi Crabby Pants" to "Emmi, Emmi, Smiley Pants" (These are little nicknames we give to the babies depending on their moods) She has the cutest "big" smile...her entire nose crinkles when she is really excited. Emmerson loves eating from a spoon now. Her favorite food seems to be peaches. She still only has the 2 teeth, and she is in the heart of teething, so EVERYTHING she can get her hands on goes directly in her mouth. Emmi loves it when we hold her over our head and wiggle her back to our lap....she laughs so loud! One of her new favorite activites is to sit up...although she can't do this completely on her own, she is done with laying down...she likes the view better from an upright position.

Logan~

Logan is such a happy baby! There are only 2 things that cause Logan's smile to disappear...if he is really hungry or really tired...but who can blame him. Otherwise, this baby is always smiling, laughing or talking. He recently found his voice so now he does a lot of yelling too! Not angry yelling, he just likes the way he can make is voice go up and down. He often will smile or laugh if you catch him in the middle of one of his "yells". Also, Logan just found his feet too. He loves to grab them and he has even put them in his mouth. It is very cute to see him hold on to his feet....We have an ultrasound picture of him doing this same thing! Logan is doing well with eating. He really likes banannas and cereal. He keeps most of the food in his mouth, which Mommy and Daddy appreciate!


Brody~
Brody is ready to move! Although none of the babies are crawling, our money is on Brody being the first. He already scoots and rolls himself off his play mat and he lifts himself up completely off the ground. There are times it seems as if he is saying, "I need to get that toy over there..." Brody is a full face smiler...there is no in between...He has an adorable laugh and giggle when he is really happy. Brody has been having a case of "stranger danger" lately and if he doesn't know someone (or forgets he knows them) and they come too close, watch out. That boy may have had trouble with his lungs when he was first born, but they are working fine now! First comes the sad lip and then a whale like no other...I can't help but laugh a little. He is still the one who gets startled the easiest...poor baby.

Things are going well in the Kelsey home. Daddy is back at work and our nanny, Mrs. Carolyn (our neighbor) is doing so well with them. She always greets them with a smile and, we are happy to say, she leaves with a smile too. They are adjusting well and they are in good hands.

We are getting SO big!

It is hard to believe that the babies are now over 7 months old! We just had their 6 month pictures taken...boy was that fun.

The babies were less than cooperative, but we managed to get a couple cute ones! Logan was all smiles, as usual. He always seems to be ready and willing to show off his toothless smile. He has such a sweet smile that everyone enjoys. Emmerson on the other hand...she is very stingy with her smiles. She saves them for special people and special moments. Apparently she didn't get the memo that said this photo session was "special" and a good time to show off those 2 -that's right-2 teeth! Brody, who is our little scardie cat, cried for a good portion of the session...especially when the lady would make a noise to get their attention. He doesn't like loud noises, and I think she finally got that point- "loud and clear"!

The babies are all doing very well! The are really enjoying their time at home with Daddy! We are very fortunate that they have stayed healthy up to now and ... knock on wood, that will not change! Everyone continues to roll over tummy to back, and Emmi and Brody are VERY close at back to tummy. All the babies enjoy their Baby Einstein Exersaucer- they really seem to have discovered all of the toys on there and they will just sit and explore...it is so neat to watch! We will all be happy when it is no longer RSV and flu season so we can get out more...that will be so nice!

First Tooth!

Can you guess which baby had a tooth come in first?........
Emmerson! Her first little bottom tooth poked through the surface yesterday. She had my finger in her hand and was sucking on it when all of a sudden I felt something sharp. I thought it was her fingernail at first, but I soon realized it was her first little tooth! Man that thing is sharp! I couldn't believe it. She has been up a bit at night lately, but overall, not too crabby. This is very exciting news at the Kelsey household. We are anxiously waiting to see who will be the next one to sprout a tooth. Both Logan and Brody are showing signs of teething, so it is anyones guess who will be next.
We will be posting some new pictures soon. The babies are starting to learn that when we take their picture, there is a blinding white light that follows...this makes it harder than ever to get them to look at the camera. Oh well...we should be able to get some cute shots.

Our First Christmas!

Our first Christmas together as a family was wonderful and very busy! Before I get into what we were up to this Christmas, I wanted to give a brief update on the babies.

Emmerson, Brody and Logan will be turning 6 months on January 3rd. We can hardly believe it. It was around this time last year that we found out we were having "a baby".
They have been sleeping through the night now for about 3 weeks. It is so nice! We can hardly believe it when we wake up in the morning. They are eating between 96-120 oz. of formula a day collectively...which is 8 oz. 4-5 times a day. Logan and Emmi weigh in just over 14lbs and Brody has passed the 15lb. mark. It is unbelievable to us since they started life at just 2-3 lbs!
They continue to smile and have become much more interested in things around them. They love to spend time singing and talking with Mommy and Daddy and they get plenty of exercise in their Jump-a-roos and Exersaucers! They are adorable to watch as they bouce and laugh! It is hard to believe that this year is coming to an end...it has brought us so much joy!

Dec. 20th- We started our celebration with a church service on Thursday. It was the babies first time attending "The Land" which is the children's ministry at our church. They were supposed to be 6 months to start, but the pastor made an exception. They had a great time and we really enjoyed the beautiful service...uninterrupted!

Dec.21st- The Buehnerkemper's all came by for our Christmas exchange. We had a great time getting together. They babies got a cool activity table that they will love to play with. It is full of sounds and lights. It was fun to 'add' Nolan to the babies and see all 4 of them in a row! The night contiuned at my Aunt Sue and Uncle Bill's for a birthday celebration for my grandma. There they got a Christmas gift too...the Shrek triplets and much needed formula. The little oagers were so cute...and the stuffed animals were cute too!

Dec 22nd- Auntie Steph and Jazzmin came by and we opened gifts with them. They got a "Royal Throw"...a potty chair. It will be great when they are ready. It was nice to see them.

Dec. 23rd- Christmas by Papa and Grandma Laura's was great! Dinner was delicious and it was so fun having the babies there to open their gifts. They recieved outfits from Auntie Megan and also some from Papa and Grandma, along with some money for much needed formula. Their wardrobe is growing!

Dec.24th- We spent Christmas Eve with John's family. Grandma and Grandpa Kelsey had 2 wonderful meals for us...we were stuffed when we finally left. Uncle Matt and Aunt Kelly made the trip from St. Louis and Uncle Adam was there too. It was nice to have everyone together. The babies got more adorable clothes, toys and formula. It was a great time shared by all!

Dec.25th- Christmas morning started with just our immediate family. John and I gathered all the babies around the tree for presents. We sang Christmas Carols and we all wore our santa hats. It was very nice. Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jim came over and we opened gifts with them. The babies got so many cool toys...they will love playing with them! They also recieved some first Christmas ornaments. It was nice to spend this time together.
It was off to my Aunt Ellens for Christmas day. The family went overboard getting the babies all kinds of presents including gift cards, clothes, and tickle me Elmo. GG was excited to buy for her great grandchildren. They were very blessed!

Dec.27th- Christmas with the Kelsey/Andrews Cousins...it is an extended family event that happens once a year. Everyone gathers to share in the joy of the season. It was wonderful to introduce everyone to the babies...and there was no lack of attention that night.

The next couple days were spent getting together with friends at our house. It has been a very tiring week, but we are so blessed to have so many people to share in this holiday season with.

2007 has been such an eventful year for us. We are kind of sad to see it come to an end...but we are looking forward to all that lies ahead for the Kelsey family. We would like to wish everyone a wonderful new year, filled with fun, laughter, love and many blessings! Happy New Year!

Approching our first Christmas...

The babies are getting so big! Today they are just over 5 months old and weighing in at almost 4 times their birth weight!


Emmerson now weighs 13 lbs. 1 oz. She knows when Mommy or Daddy leave the room and she doesn't like it! She is very smiley after she eats or when she first wakes up. Emmerson has some of the sweetest eyes you will ever look into...she can capture you with just a look! She also knows how to get picked up...she has perfected the "lip quiver".


Brody now weighs 14 lbs. 2 oz. He is so strong. Every time he is laid on his back, he scoots himself by arching his back and pushing with his legs. It can be quite funny. Brody is going to be a soccer player we think since his legs are always kicking, making it more and more difficult to change his diapers. Brody is very smiley when you talk to him and when his tummy is full, he will tell YOU the most interesting stories!


Logan is now weighing in at 13 lb. 0 oz. Logan is one of the happiest babies you will ever meet...he is always smiling and laughing. He loves to look at faces and bright lights. Logan will always return your smile and he loves listening to us talk. He is a cuddler and enjoys being held close to us. He can really let out a whale though if he is unhappy about something.



The babies are all doing very well and changing on a daily basis. They love to go out with Mommy and Daddy and enjoy watching the lights pass by as they look up from their strollers. We often get looks and questions when we are out, but they don't seem to mind. They are always willing to give a sweet smile and ham it up for the passers by.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For the babies first Thanksgiving, we wanted to make sure that we visited all the family we could.
Although our first visit started long before the actual holiday, we were still so happy that the babies would get to meet family they had never met. Thankfully, we didn't go far for our first visit as our family, including Great Grandma Schaefer came to our house from Minnesota. G. Uncle Mike, G. Aunt Jeanie, G. Aunt Ginny, and G. Uncle Steve, along with Grandma and Grandpa Kelsey came over to our house and we had a very nice visit. It was the babies first time meeting some of the Schaefer Klan.

Our next visit took us all the way to Greenville, IL to visit Great Grandma Kelsey, G. Aunt Jackie and G.Uncle Hanz. Grandpa Kelsey went with us too. Uncle Matt and Aunt Kelley joined us in Greenville and then, the babies took their first trip out of state as we went to Uncle Matt and Aunt Kelley's house in St. Louis. It was so nice to see everyone and it was the first time the babies met the Kelsey Klan!

On Thanksgiving, we went to my Aunt Sues and Uncle Bill's house. Grandma Linda, Grandpa Jim and GG were there and the babies were thrilled to see them. Most of their great aunts and uncles of the Pinkham Klan were there as well, and it was very nice to be with them all to celebrate the holiday.

The day after Thanksgiving, we went to see Papa Glatchak and Grandma Laura. We had a great visit and the babies were so happy to see them!

This was a very family filled couple of weeks and we were so happy we were able to visit with so many people.

Triplets in review...what have they been up to?

Finding time and things to post about is getting harder and harder and I find that posting every week is not practical...so for those who still check the blog, I will try to post once every month for the first year of life unless something VERY exciting happens.

The babies are growing like weeds these days, gaining about an ounce a day. (For those wondering how I know their weights so often, I bought a scale that I weigh them on once a week...I know, type A personality!) Anyway, Logan is now 10 lbs. 3 oz. ; Emmi is 10 lbs. 14 oz. and Brody is 11 lbs. 7 oz. They have come so far and we thank God for their success. Their next doctors appointment is November 8th when they will get their 4 month vaccines. Logan had his final eye appointment today...and I am happy to say that he no longer has signs of ROP (Brody and Emmi were cleared about 4 weeks ago). This is great news!

Big Events:

The babies attended their first party thrown at the hospital for all the NICU grads on Oct. 12th. It was a Halloween party. Check out their pics...they were so Cute! Two frogs (that said kiss me) and a princess...Our neighbors gave them the costumes as a gift for their first Halloween.

On October 13th the babies were dedicated to the Lord in a ceremony at our church. It was a beautiful day and they looked so angelic. Grandma Kelsey made the boys outfits and Grandma Anderson made the bonnets. Emmerson wore the gown that I was christened in...it was a very special day for all involved!

That's all for now...I will post again after their first Thanksgiving... Happy Turkey Day!

Thank You!

We just wanted to send out a "Thank You" to all of you who made it out to our open house. It was wonderful to see all of you and the babies were very excited to meet everyone! The party was a success...we were a little worried since this was the first time we tried to host a party while looking after 3 babies. I guess we had no reason to be worried after all...it was great!

Yeah Logan!

Yesterday was a big day for Logan... he rolled over for the first time! Actually, he rolled over for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th time!! It was a real workout for him. He was doing it so quickly each time he was placed on his tummy that I was only able to get it on tape once.

All the babies are getting so big. Here are their latest weights : Emmerson is now 9 lb. 7 oz; Brody is now 10 lbs. 1 oz. and Logan is now 8 lbs. 4 oz. ! These weights are GREAT and they are gaining about 1 oz. per day. They will be caught up to where they should be on the growth chart in no time.

We had a fun bath today. Sometimes they really enjoy the bath and other times, not so much. Today was a pretty good time, although Logan didn't love it the entire time! We hope you enjoy the pictures...Mommy was careful to cover our private parts. :)

We look forward to seeing you all this Saturday starting around 12:00...remember it is an open house, so even if you only have a couple minutes, stop in and meet our little ones.

Everythings good at the Kelsey's

Things are going well here at the Kelsey household. All the babies are continuing to grow. Brody is now 9 lbs. 3 oz. Emmi is 8 lb. 8 oz. and Logan is 7 lb. 8 oz. They love going for walks and being held. Tummy time is usually not their favorite, but it is when they are able to show off their muscles. Brody is so unbelievable strong. When he grabs on to something, there is no breaking free! Emmi rolls over everyday. She is very stubborn (wonder where she gets it from) and when she sets her mind on something, she will not stop until she gets what she wants. I think we are going to be in trouble when she is older! Logan still has not rolled over, but he is our little "scooter". It is fun to watch him move around the floor. He doesn't move fast, but he definitely moves! All of the babies are able to focus on toys and faces now. Although it is only for a short time, it is nice to know that they are aware that we are there.



The open house is fast approaching...don't forget to RSVP. The babies can't wait to meet everyone! Please click on the evite link below and reply to the invitation. We look forward to having our babies meet our friends and family.

Wow!

We are so excited! Brody and Emmerson have been rolling over! The first time for Brody was 2 weeks ago and we thought...this is too early...there must have been something helping him. Then, just yesterday, Emmi rolled over. We couldn't believe it. Then today, as I sat in the family room with my Grandma and neighbors, Brody and Emmi rolled over again! This time I had witnesses and I was even able to get it on tape! Brody ended up rolling over a total of 7 times! It was so great to see. Logan has not rolled over yet, but last night, he scooted himself all over the floor. We kept moving him back on the blanket and he kept moving himself off! It was a little game, and he was winning! We were told that due to their prematurity, we should calculate all developmental stuff according to their "adjusted age", or from their offical due date. Today they would be 3 days old! This is very exciting!

PS...Thank you too everyone who has offered to help out. We really do appreciate it! Here is e-mail address shelli5309@yahoo.com if you would like to contact us to set up a time.

Quick Update...

The babies did very well at the doctors yesterday. They had their first round of shots (beside the on HepB shot they recieved in the hospital). They did very well and only cried while they were getting the 4 shots. As soon as the bandaid was on, they all stopped crying. They doctor was very impressed! Their check up looked great and the doctor decided he would not need to see them again until they are 4 months. Sometimes with preemies they need to be monitored more often, but in his words "you couldn't have 3 healthier babies". That was such wonderful news to hear!

Here are their size and weight updates:

Logan:
Wt. = 6lb. 11oz
Ht.= 19"
Head C.= 35 3/4 cm

Brody:
Wt. = 8lb. 2 oz.
Ht.= 20 1/2"
Head C.= 35 1/2 cm

Emmerson:
Wt. = 7 lb. 8 oz.
Ht.= 19 1/2"
Head C.= 35 3/4 cm

There "offical" due date is this upcoming Sat. Sept.8th...It is crazy for us to think about how much we have gone through before they were even supposed to be here!

Its Nap Time...

I finally found a quick minute to post a blog and add a couple new pictures. These days, a minute is hard to come by. Even though the babies are all on the same eating schedule they don't always quiet down right after...and if one is up, so am I. :) By the way, their feeding schedule is 5 am/pm, 1 am/pm, 9 am/pm...so if you are in the neighborhood during those times, feel free to stop in, grab a bottle and a baby and have a feeding date. :)

The babies go to the doctor today for their check up and shots. I will post a quick blog to let you know how big they are now. They seem big to us, considering where they started from. Brody fits well into newborn size clothes and they fit Emmi with just a little room to spare. This is exciting for us...we can finally break into a new part of their wardrobe.

Things are hard, but every time we get really stressed, we just think about the uncertainty of their first days with us, and we stop complaining. We would take these sleepless nights and days over having them in the hospital any day, so we try to keep it all in perspective and thank God for EVERYTHING they bring to our lives!

With that said, we really could use some help, especially on the weekends. Our parents, especially our Moms, (who have chosen baby time as their vacations from work so they can be here to help), already give so much of their time. Weekends are basically up to John and I, and we would love to have an hour or two to go the grocery store or dinner or ....just be baby free. So...if there are any takers out there, just let us know. I would love to set up a schedule so if anyone would be willing to commit to an hour or two we can write it on a calendar. Just knowing relief is on the way is GREAT! Thanks to all who have helped out already...we appreciate it more than you will ever know!

PS...Don't forget to RSVP to the "Meet the Triplets Open House"...Scroll down for a link to the Evite.

So far so good!

We haven't forgot about pictures of Brody's homecoming, but our main computer is down and it is much more difficult for me to post pictures now. Hopefully Daddy will be able to get them up later tonight.

So far things are going pretty well. We have all three babies on a schedule and they follow it for the most part. I only get up once a night when things go as planned, but that has only happened twice so far. They all do much better with the schedule during the day...hopefully the nights will follow soon!!! Even when the schedule goes perfectly, there is only a 4 hour window from bottle to bottle and the entire feeding process takes about 1 1/2 hours total for all 3 babies, so that only leaves a 2 1/2 hour chunks of time for sleep or whatever... I try not to think about it too much! As hard as it is to keep my eyes open at times, it is an overwhelming joy to have these three little people in our lives. We feel very blessed!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Don't forget to scroll down and reply to the meet the triplets open house. We look forward to seeing everyone who has been a support system for our family through your kind words, prayers, thoughts and actions. We can't wait for our babies to see how many people already love and care for them---they truly are blessed!

Brody is Home!!!

We are happy to report that our family is now complete! Brody came home yesterday and is doing very well. We picked him up yesterday and he was very excited to see his brother and sister again. We can hardly believe that the moment we have been waiting for months is finally here. We have all of our babies home. They are such a blessing!! Last night was very interesting...let the sleepless nights begin. This is going to be tough, but we just keep saying that nothing that is worth it is ever easy. Please keep us all in your prayers... Pictures of Brody's homecoming will follow soon.

MEET THE TRIPLETS OPEN HOUSE

With the expectation of all three Kelseys being home soon, we have finalized plans for the "Meet the Triplets Open House" Please click on the evite link below and reply to the invitation. We look forward to having our babies meet our friends and family.

Logan Comes Home

Logan has finally made it home! Last night around 9:00, Mom and Dad eagerly took our little Logan home to rejoin his sister Emmerson. Brody said goodbye with promises of following his brother home soon. Logan was greeted by Emmerson with a lethargic hand to the face. Welcome home says Emmi! Although Logan was the most content of the three at the Hospital, he had a rough night getting accustomed to his new surroundings. Mom and Dad are bleary eyed this morning, and really starting to feel the effects of multiples, but couldn't be happier that we are 1/3rd closer to our full 100% capacity. Continue to pray for Brody's continued improvement, so that he can soon join his brother and sister at home and eliminate all moments of sleep for his parents.

Long Time No Post...

Things have been a little hectic these days to say the least! Having Emmerson home is wonderful but extremely tiring...especially when we need to take rides to the hospital between feedings instead of napping. Everyone says: "sleep when she sleeps" is a nice idea, but not our reality unfortunately. Anyway, things are good so far. Here is an update on each of our babies:

Emmerson:
Emmi had her first good night's sleep last night, and John and I both managed to get about 7 hours of sleep between our shifts. It was wonderful! She is now 5 lbs. 15 oz. and growing fast! She eats almost 3 oz. every feeding (80-90 cc or ml for those who follow the hospital jargen) She is the little princess at home and is definitely getting the royal treatment.

Logan:
We are saying our prayers that Logan will continue to eat well and meet his discharge requirements in the next day or so. He had his feeding tube removed and is eating pretty well by mouth. He is not eating his entire feed every time, but the doctors removed his minimum requirement and as long as he gains weight, he should be home on Saturday. They are scheduling his circumcision for tomorrow as long as he does well eating tonight and the tube does not need to go back in. Please pray for him. He is still the smallest, but coming in strong...he now weighs 5 lbs. 8 oz. ! That is quite a gain from his meek 2 lbs. 11 oz. that he entered this world at! We are very proud of our little lion and hoping he is home with us on Saturday.

Brody:
For starters, our little power house now weighs in at 7 lbs. 2 oz! That's right...he is over 7 lbs.!!! Pretty unbelievable! Everyone is very happy with this weight gain. Brody is having a difficult time eating. He has what is referred to as "strider" noises while he is eating which is leading the speech path and doctors to assess whether he is aspirating while he eats. They have now started to thicken his food to see if that helps and on Monday he will undergo a video swallow test to see where the liquid is going and to see if there is any difference between the thin and thick formula. We are hoping and praying that we will find a way to make the eating process easier for him so he too can be on his way home! We are already having a hard time imagining him at the hospital all by himself...we sure don't want that to be any long stretch of time!

I hope you enjoy the new pictures of the babies. They are now 36 weeks and 5 days gestational age and 6 weeks 2 days old. Boy how the time flies...!!!!

It is SO Great to Have Our Little Girl Home!

Even though it has been tough at times (Emmi decided that she did not want to sleep at all her first 2 nights home), we wouldn't trade these moments for anything. Emmerson has enjoyed breaking in all of the many things we have had waiting for our babies to arrive home. She really likes the CD's we play and the swing is very relaxing for her. We have many pictures of her arrival home that we will post soon. The only thing that could make this feeling better is if we had all of our babies home and back together again. Hopefully this will happen soon! Logan and Brody have both taken their entire feed at least once and are continuing to take at least 1/2 their feed every time...they are doing great and it shouldn't be too long now... Brody is now 6 lbs. 11 oz and Logan is 5 lb. 5 oz. They are really getting big! Emmi goes for her first doctor appointment on Monday, so we will get a weight update then. Keep us all in your prayer...John and I will definitely need them as we really entire the wonderful world of parenthood now!

Emmerson is Coming Home!!!

Emmi will now be residing at 214 Willington Way! She is being discharged today and this evening, John and I are going the hospital together and leaving, for the first time, with our little girl! We can't even believe it. We have been working like crazy to get the house all ready for her arrival and we just can't wait to walk through the door with her. Once our boys are discharged, our house will really become our home. They are doing well, eating at least half their feeding every time. There is no potenial release date and being able to come home had nothing to do with how much they weigh. It will be based soley on when they take all of their food by mouth. This can happen at anytime, when THEY are ready...the Lord knows I have been ready for a while now!:) So GREAT news for the Kelsey family today...one down, 2 more to go! Keep praying...God answers prayers!

Yeah Emmi!

Emmerson went to PO ADD LIB today and so far so good. She needs to continue to do well this evening and all day tomorrow while continuing to gain weight. If she does this, she will be home Thursday! It is very exciting but we are trying not to get our hopes up too much. Please keep the prayers coming! The boys are doing well, but still not eating enough to be where Emmi is, so they will be in the hospital for a bit longer. Please continue to pray for them as well. Also, we are shooting for September 22 for our "Meet the Triplets" open house. We will keep everyone posted via this blog as this will be the only form of an invitation. Nothing is for sure yet, but we wanted to put that date out there.

Still Going Strong...

Each baby is continuing to do very well with eating. Emmerson is still doing the best and the nurses are deciding if she can go to PO add lib (which means she can eat whatever she wants each feed- as long as she continues to eat close to if not more than she eats now) While doing this they will monitor her weight gain. If she goes PO add lib, and gains weight for 2 days, then she is coming home! SO...there is a possibility we could have our little girl home by Thursday or Friday. Please keep her in your prayers. God knows we are ready to have our babies home!
Logan and Brody are also doing well. Logan is a stronger eater than Brody. He usually takes over half his feeds and he wakes up early showing signs he is hungry. He does a good job pacing himself and as soon as he gets more stamina, he will be on his way home too. Brody is still struggling a bit with the suck, swallow, breath concept, but overall, he is doing well and taking almost half his feeds each time.
Emmerson now eats 65 ml every 4 hours; Logan is eating 60 ml each feed; and Brody is eating 70 ml every feed. This is excellent since they tolerate their feeds every time.
Weight update: Emmi = 2445 grams or 5 lbs. 6 oz. Brody= 2835 grams or 6 lbs. 4 oz. Logan=2210 or 4 lbs. 13 oz.

Brody is 6lbs.!!!!

Brody is getting SO big! He is now 6lbs 1 oz. or 2775 grams! Way to go Brody! Logan and Emmerson are also getting big too. Emmi is now 5lbs. 4 oz. or 2385 grams and Logan is 4 lbs. 12oz. or 2160 grams. It is incredible to see how big they are getting...in only 1 month!!! They celebrated their 1 month birthday on Friday. The eating scoop: Emmerson is doing GREAT with eating! She has eaten her ENTIRE feed 6 times now and even when she doesn't finish it all, she usually takes around 45 ml. If she keeps this up she will be home in no time. Brody and Logan consistently take over half their feeds and they are doing very well. This is very impressive since they are now on a PO (eating by mouth) EVERY feed. The only thing left to do is eat ALL their food every time and then they will be home. We got our car seats checked yesterday, so we are all set for them to come home!

Quick Weight and Eating Update...

Today Emmerson weighed in at 2360 grams or 5 lb. 3 oz. Logan is now 2080 grams or 4lb. 9 oz. and Brody is weighing in at a hefty 2700 grams or 5 lb. 15 oz. He will most likely be 6 lbs. tomorrow! They all had their first vaccination today, the Hep B shot. They were brave! Everyone is still eating the same amounts: Emmi and Logan = 55 ml and Brody 65 ml. They are still feeding by mouth every other feed and doing well with it each time. It is such a fun time for John and I as it is a great time for us to interact with our babies. Logan always wants to look around and see everything going on around him. Emmerson is very alert most of the time and makes great eye contact and on the rare occasions that Brody is awake and alert, he is very in tune with us and likes to hold hands and follow us with his eyes. They are really developing their own personalities and getting bigger so quickly.

A Long Awaited Post...

Everything is still going very well. John and I went on an over-night trip for our anniversary, and that is why we haven't posted in a little while. It was so hard being away from the babies, but their grandparents were there to spend some quality time feeding and loving on them, so that made it a little easier!
The babies have been doing so well eating that they have moved them all to eating by bottle every other feeding. The next step will be every feeding and then eating whenever they want. (Although, since we are going to put them on an eating schedule to keep our sanity, I am going to see if we can skip that last step. :) ) This morning Emmerson took 40 ml, Brody took 36 ml and Logan took 34 ml by bottle! This is over half of their feedings and is a great sign they are learning! Emmerson and Logan are both up to 55 ml for each feeding and Brody is at 60 ml or 2 full ounces! And it is really showing in their weights.....Emmerson: 2260 grams or 4lb. 15 oz. (WOW...almost 5 lbs. !) Brody: 2575 grams or 5 lbs. 10 oz. and Logan: 4 lbs. 6oz (still the smallest, but what a gain from his 2lb 11 0z. start!!!) One more piece of good news: Brody came off the caffeine on Saturday and since then NO SPELLS! This means that he has "grown out" of that "side effect" of his prematurity. They are all doing wonderful and we know that God has truly heard all of our prayers. Thank you for continuing to keep them in yours!

Quick Bottle Feeding Update...

Today, at breakfast, Emmerson took a whopping 32 ml by bottle and only need to have 18 ml given by her feeding tube. That was great! Logan also did very well taking 21 by bottle which is almost half his feeding. We hope they continue to do this well as the days go on... Once they can take their entire feeding by mouth every time and gain weight for 24 hours, they can come home!

Guess Who is 4 lbs? Guess Who is 5 lbs?

Today was "big"! Logan made it to 4 lbs!!! We are so proud of our little peanut! Brody also had a "big" day...he is now 5 lbs! Emmerson is not far behind at 4 1/2 lbs. and growing stong. Each of them has had very good weight gain since birth, gaining over 1 lb. 5 oz. in 3 1/2 weeks.

We are still woking on the bottle feeding and each day is a new adventure. Logan did great taking 20 ml by bottle. Brody is still not exactly sure what to, but he seems to be eager. Emmerson still takes around 15-20 each feeding. Tomorrow marks 34 weeks for them, so hopefully they will catch on soon!

Emmerson Was Our Rock Star Today!

Emmerson at the bottle

Today was our 3rd day bottle feeding and although yesterday was a bit discouraging, today was great! Logan and Brody both did well, taking 12 ml and 8 ml each. But our little rock star was Emmerson, eating 25 ml by mouth. That is over half her feeding!!! She did very well and her stats looked great while she was eating. (sometimes babies will de-sat or have heart rate drops while they eat if they don't have the suck, swallow, breath pattern going) Fingers crossed and prayers that she will continue strong and her brothers will catch up. Weight update: Emmerson 1980 grams or 4 lbs 6 oz. Brody 2230 grams or 4 lbs. 15oz. and Logan 1725 grams or 3 lbs. 13oz.

Logan at the bottle Brody at the bottle

A Quick Update...

Today was a slow day in regards to bottle and breast feeding. Each baby chose to just sleep in Mommy's arms rather than take any food, but that's the way this goes I'm told. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. They have been waking up early and "rooting around" looking for food, so those are great signs that they are ready for the feedings by mouth. Weight updates: Emmerson is 1960 grams or 4 lbs. 5oz. Brody is 2195 grams or 4 lbs. 13 oz. and Logan is 1685 grams or 3 lbs. 11 oz. Logan is now up to 45 ml at each feed and Brody and Emmerson are still at 50 ml and 45 ml at each feed. They are doing really well tolerating their feeds. Please continue to keep them in your prayers!

The Babies Took Their First Bottle!!!

Today marks another milestone in Emmerson, Brody and Logan's life...they took their first feed by bottle. Well, it wasn't their whole feed by any means, but they all did very well. Emmerson took 8 ml, Brody took 5 ml and Logan took 6ml. The speech path was very impressed. Although Emmerson took the most, she had less control over her pacing than the boys did. Logan and Brody would stop sucking if they had too much milk or needed a break to breath. Since they all did so well, the doctor wrote orders to be able to breast feed and bottle feed once a day. The more practice they get the better!
Weight update: Emmerson 1880 grams or 4 lbs. 2oz; Brody 2135 grams or 4lbs. 11oz.; Logan 1600 grams or 3 lbs. 8 oz.

Emmerson, Brody and Logan...All Reunited!!!

We are so excited! Logan did very well and he was able to join his brother and sister...now they are all together again...Three's Company for sure! They have also done well gaining weight...As of last night, Emmerson was 1845 grams or 4 lbs. 1 oz. Brody was 2145 grams or 4 lbs. 11.5 oz. and Logan was 1575 grams or 3 lbs. 7.5 oz. Last time I measured their length, they were all over 17 inches long...they are really starting to grow! The speech pathologist is going to re-evaluate them tomorrow night and hopefully give the "go ahead" to "nipple" (take food from the breast or bottle). This will be great news, because once they master this, they will be coming home! Learning this can take a while since they are still learning how to suck, swallow and breath all at the same time, but practice makes perfect!

Our Lucky Number 3...

We realized while we sat in my hospital room, glowing over the birth of our babies, that there were many number 3s that crossed our path. Here is a little story about our lucky number 3...

Starting with the most obvious, we had 3 beautiful babies. I started having contractions and went into labor at 3:00 am. The babies were born on the 3rd floor of the hospital in operating room 3 on the 3rd of July. This came right before our 3rd wedding anniversary on the 30th. Each baby had a team of 3 people working on them and I had 3 people as well. I was sent to recovery bed 3 after the c-section. The babies have 3 sets of grandparents and John and I are both the oldest of 3 children. We have 3 dogs waiting to greet the babies at home. John and I don't think this is any coincidence. We believe everything is because of the Holy Trinity (3), the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Logan is in an Open Crib!

Finally, our littlest is trying an open crib again. They decided that since he has been gaining weight consistently, they would try him again. So far he has been holding his temperature, and if all goes well, all three babies will be put into one large crib together (co-bedding). So far Emmerson and Brody are now together,and we can't wait until Logan can join them...hopefully, it will be tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer. It would be so nice to have them all together again!

Emmerson is in an Open Crib!

Today the nurses took Emmerson out of her incubator and put her into an open crib as well. So far, after 8 hours, she has held her temperature. This is very good news! We are keeping our fingers crossed that she will continue to be successful. Brody is still in an open crib and has passed the 24 hour test! YEAH Brody!!! The nurse even sent his incubator out of the room today. Logan will be next. I am hoping that they will give him another try in the next couple of days. They are waiting until he gains a little more weight. Speaking of weight...as of last night, Logan was 1515 grams or 3lbs. 5 oz. Emmerson was 1770 grams or 3 lbs. 14.5 oz. and Brody was 2020 grams or 4 lbs. 7 oz. He broke the 2000 gram mark! These are great weight gains and the doctors and nurses are all very pleased, as are we! They will be weighed in again at midnight and hopefully they will have gained even more. Everyone continues to tolerate their feeds and is doing very well. Breastfeeding has its good days and bad, but again, since we are expecting very little, they are still surpassing our expectations! Here is a picture of Brody and Logan snuggling on Mommy's lap after being at the breast. It is one of Mommy's favorite times of the day...

Brody had Moved to an Open Crib!

Brody was moved to an open crib yesterday and has done very well so far! He has been out and maintained his temp now for almost 17 hours, so hopefully he will be able to stay out. They are thinking of trying Emmerson next. This brings me to our other great news... it turns out that Emmerson's scale in her crib has been broken since she arrived. After some weird readings yesterday, I asked the nurse to re-weigh her on Brody's scale and the other one in the room that they used to weigh the diapers on. She did, and we all were shocked...Emmerson is actually 1740 grams, NOT 1248 as we thought yesterday! I couldn't believe it! The nurse even asked for another scale to be brought in just to confirm again...and sure enough, 1740 grams or 3 lbs. 13.5 oz! I am SO relieved. I know they kept telling me not to worry about her weight loss, but when they started her on extra calories yesterday, I knew even they were starting to get a little concerned. So now we are on the right track! The boys are also doing well with weight gain. Logan is now 1480 grams or 3 lbs. 4.5 oz. and Brody is 1985 grams or 4 lbs. 6 oz.
Brody and Emmerson continue to have minor "spells" around their feeding time, but nothing that is concerning to the doctors. Breastfeeding is still going well. We are not expecting very much at this point, but they are at least all latching and sucking for a little while. Other than that, everyone is progressing very well!

Another Quick Update

Not too much has changed since yesterday, but I usually get many calls when we don't post for a day, so I wanted to make a post. And since we are doing this for our memories as well, it is good that we post often. :) Anyway, Logan had to go back into his incubator. He ended up getting a little cold by the night, so they put him back in for now. They will try him out again when he reaches 1500 grams...this way he will be big enough to hopefully hold his temp better.
Brody went up on his feeds today. He is now at 40 ml per feeding and he had his IV locked today. If he tolerates his feeds, the pic line will come out tomorrow. Emmerson and Logan stayed at their same feeds, 45 and 40. They are so little that they need to gain more weight before they can go up on their feeds again. Logan is doing this, but little Emmi (who is now the littlest) is still not gaining weight consistently. The doctors said that she may just have a high metabolism and they are not worried at this point. Fingers crossed and prayers that she will start gaining soon. But I said if it is truly just her metabolism, she will love that when she gets a little older! Other than that, everything continues to be going very well. We again wanted to thank all of you for your prayers and kind words. We love reading the comments you all post and we appreciate all the cards and phone calls of congratulations. Not only do we feel so blessed to have these three little miracles, but we also feel blessed to be loved by so many!

Logan Was Moved to an Open Crib

Today was a a big day for Logan. He has been holding his temperature and gaining weight consistently, so he was moved to an open crib. He will be monitored closely to see if he can maintain his temperature for the next 24 hours. If he can, this is one step closer to coming home!

Other big news for the day was that today was our first attempt at breastfeeding. Each baby had a chance to try to latch on and taste the breast milk for the very first time. Emmerson and Logan both latched on and took a couple sucks and Logan swallowed once. Brody was our champ with this. He latched on and sucked and swallowed for almost 5 min. intermittently. This was a big surprise to the nurses and the speech pathologist and to Brody too. It was quite funny to see his reaction the first time he got a mouth full of milk...it was much different than when he sucks his pacifier!

Everyone is doing very well and have moved up on their feeds. Logan and Emmerson had their pic lines removed today and Brody will be taken off the IV tomorrow. They are each progressing very well and the doctors are thinking they might be home in 2-3 weeks. We are very blessed!

Little Logan has reached the 3lb mark!!

I am happy to say that the littlest miracle is now 3 lbs.! He is 1350 grams. Emmerson has finally started to gain weight again and is now at 1337 grams or 2 lbs. 15 oz. (almost at that 3 lb. mark again). Brody continues to be our heavy weight at a whopping 1960 grams or 4 lbs. 5 oz. They all are continuing to do very well. Emmerson has been holding her tempature so good that they might try to take her out of the incubator and put her in an open crib.
Each baby has gone up on their feeding and now eat over an ounce at each feeding. Needless to say I am having a difficult time keeping up with their breast milk demands, but we are just supplementing with formula. This past Saturday marked their 32 gestational week and this means that they will be assessed to see if they will be able to start sucking on a bottle or breast, although they are not expected to fully latch on until 33-34 weeks. This is one of the most crucial factors on how long their length of stay will be. Good eaters = out sooner; poor eaters = in for a little longer.
Brody is expected to come off his IV tomorrow and he was put onto clear fluids today. So far Emmerson and Logan have been tolerating their feeds and they should have their pic lines removed tomorrow or Tuesday.
John and I are planning on giving the babies their first baths today. We are wondering how that is going to go...we'll keep you posted.

A Quick Update

The babies are all doing well. Emmerson is now up to 33 ml per feed which is a little over an ounce. Logan is at 30 ml which is exactly an ounce and Brody is moving right along now eating 25 ml per feed. Since he is so much bigger it will take him a little longer to get up to enough milliliters before they can remove him from his IV fluids. They are all still breathing on their own at this time and hopefully it will stay that way. Emmerson and Brody seem to be suffering from reflux, and unfortunately there is nothing the doctors can do unless it becomes very bad and they can not tolerate their feeds. This is because they never want to give babies medicine unless they absolutely have to since there can be side effects. Brody is the only one to gain weight as of this morning, but hopefully, now that Emmerson and Logan are eating more, they will be gaining weight soon!
Overall, the doctor said today that they are progressing beautifully and we "shouldn't worry about anything"....hahaha...new parents with 3 babies in the NICU not worry...what is he crazy?!? Anyway, keep up those positive thoughts and most importantly those prayers, because somebody upstairs is really listening. We thank God daily for keeping our babies healthy and for giving us the chance to be parents to such beautiful angels.

We Have a Private Suite!

Due to an over flow at the NICU, the charge nurse asked us if we would like to be moved to a private room upstairs. Now we have a window, our own bathroom and one nurse for all 3 babies. The quiet and privacy are great and we are very happy with this move.

Baby News: Today we found out that Emmerson and Logan will be taken off of their IVs and will now recieve all of their nutrition through their NG tubes. This is great news! They have each increased in their feedings. Emmerson is now at 28 ml every 4 hours and Logan is at 25 ml every 4 hours. Hopefully they continue to tolerate their feeds. They are also going to be getting a fortifer added to the breast milk to help boost the calories and hopefully help them gain weight. Oddly enough, they are both the same weight now, 1315 grams. This is a drop for both of them, but the doctor is not worried and we all hope to see the weight gain soon. Brody is weighing in now at 1865 grams, and they are now increasing his feeds again since he is no longer on the medicine for his murmur. He is up to 15 ml per feed and they will go up on his feeds daily to get him back up to where he was over the next couple of days as long as he tolerates his feeds.

Both Brody and Emmerson are still having some "spells" throughout the day, and the nurses are watching closely to see if they might need to be put back on their nasal canulas or possible be treated for reflux which can also cause de-sats (or drops in their oxygen levels). It is good that even when they drop in their oxygen level, it is more like a small dip and they come right back up to acceptable levels. Logan continues to have no spells and is still doing very well.

Emmerson is also doing well holding her body tempature with her incubator turned down as low as it goes. This means that with a little weight gain, she could be out into an open crib soon.

And finally, we heard "unofficially" today that in the opinon of the ultra sound tech and our doctor that Brody's PDA ( which caused his murmur) is closed and he will not need any further treatment. We need to wait until the pediatric cardiologist at Lutheran check the films and gives his diagnosis until it is "official", but this looks like good news! Our neonatologist seems pretty confident that everything is fine. So...YEAH!!!

One Big Happy Family!

Today we actually got to hold all three of our babies at the same time. It was incredible and a little akward at times. :) As you can see from the pictures, Brody really is our moose...he is so much bigger than his brother Logan. They were weighed today and Emmerson is now 3 lbs even, Brody is 4 lbs. even and Logan is still our peanut at 2 lbs. 14.5 oz. He is almost to the 3 lb. mark.

We re-introduced Logan and Brody and Emmerson and Brody. The way they are positioned in the NICU, allows Brody, who is in the middle, to say hi to both his siblings. This is funny because he was in the middle in the womb too. It was great to have them all out at once because we didn't feel like we needed to hurry up and take another one out before their next feeding. They are all doing great and they love spending time with Mommy and Daddy...Its a good thing too, because we are there all the time and love spending time with them too!

The triplets arrived safely at Copley!

Early this morning we received a call letting us know that the triplets were on their way to Copley. We got everything together and headed to the hospital. We were so anxious about their arrival. The ambulance pulled up right before we did, and when we got inside, the transport team was there getting them all ready to be put into their new incubators. When I saw them I started to cry. Last night was very nerve-wrecking for me and I was so relieved to see them there safe and sound! The trip was flawless and they are all doing well...comfy in their new (temporary) home. John and I are really pleased with Copley so far. The doctor is almost always in the room and the nurses really give the babies the personal attention we like to see. Overall, this seems to be a great move.

As far as Brody goes, he is doing very well. The hole that I referred to is actually on the outside of his heart, and funny enough, it is supposed to be there. This design feature is actually put there by mother nature and in full term babies it is closed by the time they are born. Since Brody came early, his body just hasn't "sealed" the gap yet and the medicine is supposed to help that process along. He is tolerating the medicine well and we should have word on his progress by Friday. We will keep you posted.

All of the babies are doing really well. Logan is now 2 lbs. 14 oz. (up 3 oz. from his birth weight) and Emmerson is 2 lbs. 15 oz. She has lost a little more weight, but they have increased her feeds and expect that to change in the very near future. Brody is our moose at nearly 4 lbs. (3lbs. 15 oz.) They are all still breathing completely on their own and are almost eating enough to be moved off of the supplemental IV food. This is great news!

Today was the first time I put them in clothes. It was so fun and they look so cute. Check out their adorable pictures on the right side of the screen. John and I are both feeling more comfortable with picking them up and holding them. We are really starting to feel like Mommy and Daddy now. Please continue to keep them in your prayers..they really seem to be working.

Our last day at Lutheran General

Well today was a big day. Both Emmerson and Brody came off all of their breathing support. This means that all three babies are breathing completely on their own. WE are very proud parents!
But this is a rollercoaster ride, and just as we peak, we also had a little dip...The doctors discovered that Brody has a heart murmur. Although this sounds bad, the doctors and nurses assured us that this is VERY common in preemies and it normally resolves itself shortly after birth. He will be given some medicine through an I V and we should know how effective the medicine was in the next 48 hours.
Tomorrow is the big transfer day. We will let you all know when the babies arrive safe and sound at Copley. Until then, please keep them in your prayer.

An update on Mommy

I was discharged from the hospital yesterday around 9:00 pm. We loaded up the car and spent the next 3 hours holding our beautiful babies before we had to head home. That was one of the toughest things I had to go through so far! Physically I am doing well. I am in the slow process of healing and feeling better each day. Mentally, I am a wreck and will be until my babies are close by again. We went and visited the NICU at Copley today and although it is very different than the NICU at Lutheran, it seems as though it will be a great place for our angels to grow. Unfortunatly, this website will be the only way for anyone other than us and the grandparents to see the babies until they come home as their policy does not allow any other visitors. I am really glad that we have this website now so that I can still show off my sons and daughter. Keep us in your prayers as the babies are at the hospital all alone and their Mom and Dad are struggling to be away from them. We will let you all know when their transfer is complete and they are safe and sound at Copley.

Just the facts...

Here are some medical updates for the triplets:

Brody:
Although he still needing assistance breathing, he has now been moved back to the nasal cannula. This device provides a small supply of oxygen to him but offers less support for the actual breathing. He has been tolerating his feeds and has moved up to 12 ml of milk through his feeding tube every 4 hours. He has not had any "spells"( drop in heart rate or stop in breathing) since he was first put back on the CPAP a couple days ago. This is why they are trying to move him back to the less supportive system again. From birth, he has lost about 5 ounces, but of course, just like with any newborn, this is very normal. All in all, he is doing very well and the doctors are hoping to have him off any breathing support by the time they transfer him to Copley on Tuesday. We are "holding our breath"- every pun intended! Cute Story: Yesterday when Daddy was taking Brody from the nurse, he let out a pretty loud toot...come to find out later that he pooped while in Daddy's lap...Thank goodness that his poop really doesn't stink yet.

Emmerson:
She is still on the nose cannula to help her breath. However, she is now at the lowest level of support that it can offer and the next step will be to take her off and have her breathing totally of her own. She too lost some weight since birth, about 6 ounces and is doing very well with her feedings. She is actually eating more than both her brothers- 14 ml every 4 hours. To give you an idea of how much that is, 30 ml is an ounce, so she is eating about 1/2 ounce every 4 hours. Emmi is really starting to become alert and shows us signs that she knows when Mommy and Daddy are there. She is doing very well and the doctors hope to have her breathing on her own by Tuesday as well. Cute Story: When Emmi was on Mommy's chest, she was smiling and flirting with Daddy...well maybe it was yawning, but it was still cute.

Logan:
He is our little "rock star"! He has continued to do just excellent since the day he was born. He is beating all the odds and proving every statistic wrong.,,that a boy! He is still breathing completely on his own and his vitals are usually text book. He was taken off the Bilirubin lights the day after he went on them as his levels dropped and he was no longer at any sort of risk. He is the most alert out of the three of them and refuses to miss a second when Mommy or Daddy is holding him. He struggles to keep both eyes open as not to miss anything...it is absolutely adorable! He lost about 4 ounces since birth, but is doing great with his feedings. He is actually eating the same a Brody which the nurses say is great since he is a whole pound lighter than his brother. Cute story: The other day when a nurse was changing him, he peed all over himself...including his face.

So, as you can see, things are going very well for the Kelsey Triplets and we know that all of your prayers and well wishes are helping them along this terrific path to growing and developing so that they may come home soon! Please continue to pray for them each day...

Emmerson and Mommy share in Kangaroo time too!

Emmerson and Mommy have share Kangaroo time too!
Originally uploaded by shelli5309

Today was my special time with Emmi. She was so sweet as she laid on my chest. Daddy was talking to her also and she would follow our voices with her eyes. She liked the songs we sang together. We were very excited that Emmi was given a pretty pink hat for her pretty little head. She has gone up on her feedings and is tolerating them well. She is still recieving some support for her breathing, but she is doing very well.

Brody and Mommy have Kangaroo Time

Brody and Mommy have Kangaroo Time
Originally uploaded by shelli5309

I was very excited to find that Brody was stable enough with his breathing yesterday to participate in the skin to skin contact with Mommy! It was an incredible expereince since neither Mommy nor Daddy had been able to hold him for very long yet. The Kangaroo Care lasts for at least 1 hour and he was so sweet and comfortable the entire time.
Unfortunately, a couple hours after Brody returned back to his isolette, he experienced several breathing "spells" and was put back on the CPAP. They will watch him closely and ween him off as soon as they can. Please say a prayer for his breathing to become strong.

Daddy and his Little Girl

Daddy and his Little Girl
Originally uploaded by shelli5309

John is so enamored by his beautiful little girl. When he is holding her, he finds it hard to take his eyes off of her. She is really going to be a Daddy's girl. She looks up at him and it is the sweetest thing to see their instant connection.

Logan and Mommy experience Kangaroo Care

Logan and Mommy Kangaroo Care
Originally uploaded by shelli5309

Today was one of the most moving experinces I have had yet with my babies. I was able to participate in what they call "Kangaroo Care". It is a skin to skin experience where the baby is placed directly on the parents chest. My body warmth holds his tempature while he is fed through his feeding tube. Logan was able to listen to my heart beat and be comforted by my smell. He was so content that during this time his vitals were perfect. We are hoping to have this same experience with Emmi tonight and Brody as soon as he is stable enough. This was powerful for me as well since I was able to produce more breast milk after this experience in one time pumping as I did for the past 3 days combined.

Daddy changes Brody's diaper

Daddy changes Brody's diaper
Originally uploaded by shelli5309

Yes, it has finally happened. John finally has touched and changed a diaper. Changing it like a pro, even the nurses were impressed. We find that one of the odd challenges of having your babies in the NICU is actually asking if you can change the diaper. The more we get comfortable with their medical needs, the easier it is for us to step in and do the traditional parental duties.