The Miles' Trio: September 2011

   How can my babies turn 9 months tomorrow?! It doesn't seem possible... and while each day we cheer on their attempts to become more independent, it also kind of breaks my heart. In one weeks time Ryann figured out how to crawl, hold her bottle, and got her first tooth. All very exciting developments, but on the flip side - I have to admit I'm kind of sad to see the girls grow up so fast. I suppose that's one of the downsides of having triplets - we're so focused on getting through each day and helping the girls become more independent (try feeding three babies at one time and you can see why this is something we really encourage), yet we're not sure that we'll ever get to do some of these things again - it's a catch-22 and something we'll be dealing with for many years to come!
   The girls have their 9-month appointment on Monday and we're excited to meet their new pediatrician and find out how they're doing. In our opinion they're wonderful (and according to Grandma Miles - they're "perfect"... we haven't asked for her definition of perfect however!) We have days that are trying (ask Gama P about no-nap Ryann or Hadley) but overall the good days far outweigh those that are trying. We've also hired a nanny! Yeah!!! We're so excited for Mollie to start - it will be wonderful to get into a set routine and let the grandparents just be grandparents when they come for a visit.
   As of this morning between the three girls we have 2 teeth (Ryann and Hadley), though we're expecting Brynley's first tooth to pop up any time (she's acting exactly as Hadley did on Monday and her tooth appeared on Tuesday). Ryann's the only one truly crawling - and boy is she getting faster by the day. At night she likes to follow dad out of their bedroom and into the bathroom across the hall (he gives the girls their bath) - she's still not sure about the tiled floor... very different from carpet so she'll try to crawl without using her knees... not so successful! Hadley is beginning to master army crawling, and boy can that girl pivot! She gets pretty much wherever she wants to go, and we're trying to help her learn how to crawl (hand, hand, knee, knee). Brynley - the first one actually up on all fours - still scoots backwards and is quite happy about it. We know it's just a matter of time. The girls love "petting" (grabbing) the dogs and are quite fascinated with their paws. Surprisingly, Bena is the most cooperative about this new found love - Tehya isn't quite sure she needs any additional loving from her buddies! They're all trying out new sounds these days and some of the sounds are quite odd... no one is really babbling yet, but they are actually starting to sounds like they're "talking". I realized yesterday how crazy it will be when they are all able to talk - yikes, and here I was just worried about mobility!
   Overall, we continue to feel so blessed... especially with the arrival of October. It was just over a year ago that our world was shaken with the finding that two of our babies were seriously sick. I feel sick every time I think about that time and the uncertainty - sometimes I just sit and stare at Brynley in awe of all she went through in utero... and then Travis and I sit and see three happy (usually) and healthy little girls and can't believe we're their parents.

Thanks Aunt Gail for visiting us!

GreenBay fans - First game of the season

Game day gear at their "new" table

Let's Go Hawks!!!

Brynley's goofy grin

Dad and Ryann cheering on the Hawks

Watching the game - what a come back!

Brynley was a little flabbergasted

Talking strategy...

Then they were ready to cheer on Mizzou! (night game)

Holding her own bottle - Hadley

Feeling stripey! Brynley, Hadley, & Ryann

How many pacifiers do you need?

SWINGING!!!

Loving every minute

Ryann found some of the dvds...

Playing in the grass - Hadley

Brynley loves the swing

Headed home from the park

Bad mommy... here I am supposedly not only updating the girls' many fans and loved ones, but also recording memories for their baby books - and yet I seem to get further and further behind. I need approximately 4 more hours in each day, wait, make that 5 (I'd only use like one of those hours for sleep). A friend recently posted the following statistic: "A study by the Australian Multiple Births Association showed that it took 197 hours per week to care for baby triplets and to do the household chores. The problem is that there are only 168 hours in a week!" I should print it out and put it up as a warning label before people enter our house - which could also be described as a disaster zone during the day. In the evenings when the girls go down and the toys are picked up - there's this sense of calm that I really can't describe... not that I'd change the chaos that is our lives one bit!
Anyway, on to the more important stuff... how are the girlies doing?! In one word - FANTASTIC! (sidenote: this rating is based solely on their parents evaluation). Rather than talking about them in general... here's a bit about each of our little darlings (in A B C order of course... will that ever change?!)

RYANN - aka 'Roly Poly'

   Growth report: Unofficially, we think Ryann is probably about 15 and a half pounds - getting closer to 16 every day. She's got some meat on her bones and the cutest, squeezable, loveable cheeks. She's getting into some of the 9 month attire, though the whole size discrepancies between brands continues to irritate me.
   Development report: This crazy little girl continues to surprise us all. First, there's the day she decided she would roll over (and over and over) - no practicing, just studied her sisters and then put that knowledge to work. She's a thinker... Then earlier this week, she decided she was ready to sit by herself. Brynley and Hadley have been doing a great job sitting up on their own for a few weeks, but Ryann has been more inclined to lounge/recline. When you tried to help her sit she'd scoot her little booty forward until she was in a more comfortable reclined position - silly girl. However, on Tuesday, she just up and decided enough was enough and there she sat - still a bit wobbly, but she doesn't mind a good tumble. Ryann is all but crawling - she a little routine she goes through... up on hands and knees, one knee forward, up into a downward dog position (for those of you not into yoga - on hands and toes, butt in air) back down to hands and knees then into an airplane - she then looks around to see if she went anywhere (she didn't). She's starting to get super frustrated and the last couple days she's started reaching forward with her hands before going into airplane mode, so I'm guessing within the week we'll have a crawler... she already gets wherever she wants by rolling (over her sisters if necessary) so this could be interesting.
   Personality report: Ryann is definitely our thinker and studier... yet she's also a giggly little girl - especially when Daddy gets her going. She definitely knows what she wants and believe me, if she doesn't want a bottle, there's no way you're going to get her to take that bottle! Frogger is still her buddy - she loves him so much and somehow is always able to find him amongst the toys. It's so fun watching their personalities develop and grow - each is so different!

Brynley - aka 'Goofball'

   Growth report: Again, unofficially, Brynley is probably around 14 and a half pounds... how can she gain weight quickly when she won't. stop. moving. ever. We watch her legs and I swear they rarely stop kicking no matter if she's on her tummy, her back, or sitting! We've had people tell us that they think she now has the rounder face compared to Hadley (vice versa a couple months ago). She's our little eater - food that is. The girl loves to eat and it doesn't seem to matter what we feed her - she loves it all.
   Developmental report: Miss Bryn was the first (or was it Hadley???) to sit up on her own... I think. Her and Hadley were within a day of each other, so it's hard to say who was technically first - we'll say it was a tie (Travis - Mr. Competitive - will love that!) Hadley and Brynley have become great entertainment for one another - they've really started reacting to one another. The other day they were laughing back and forth at each other - cracked Travis and I up! We tried to capture it on video, but the little devils immediately stop and stare any time they see that little white camera come near them! We've got to learn to be sneakier... Brynley continues to get up on her hands (and knees somewhat), but is content to scoot backwards. I swear I thought she'd be our first crawler, but she seems happy doing her own thing. This week her big trick is to fake laugh... she looks at us and then lets out this big fake chuckle - it's hilarious. She's such a goofball and there's a distinct possibility we have a future class clown on our hands! Both her and Hadley are also great pivoters... while they don't technically crawl anywhere, they can pivot (and scoot backwards) quicker than I thought possible.
   Personality report: Brynley is still our easy going (most of the time) and goofy little girl. She can entertain not only herself, but all of us with her goofy grin and laugh! Bryn & Hadley also sign themselves to sleep at times... our little talkers. I have a feeling our house will be very loud in the years to come! Brynley loves her mama and daddy - when she sees us coming she gives us the biggest grin - so heartwarming!

Hadley - aka 'Only Child'

   Growth report: We guess that Hadley and Brynley are within a couple of ounces of one another - who weighs more depends on the day and time! So, like her sister, she's probably around 14 and a half pounds (thanks to Holden for telling us how much he weighed - gave us a good comparison)! Like her two sisters, she's a pretty good eater - when she feels like it. Sometimes she'd rather play with the food that spills than eat - but that's an 8-month old for you!
   Developmental report: As I reported - Hadley tied her sister on the sitting-up competition! However, unlike Ryann, she does NOT like to take a tumble. Yesterday I watched as Ryann got a little too close, took aim (not really) and caught Had's right in the chest with her foot. Over Hadley went and boy was she MAD! Poor girl, I got some good cuddles in after that happened! She is the fastest backward scooter in the world... probably. One minute she's on the blanket playing with the toys, the next she's backed clear out of the room - not sure how it happens, but it's funny and annoying all at the same time! She's also very good at yoga poses - downward dog was her favorite for quite awhile, though she's look for more advanced moves these days! Hadley is definitely the closest of the three to babbling... she's beyond cooing, and actually sounds like she's talking at times. However, whenever we do the whole "dadadadada" or "mamamamamama" thing all the girls do is laugh - not sure what's so funny, but apparently those noises are hilarious to them.
   Personality report: Hadley is somewhat temperamental, she can be a great eater when she's in the mood, but then sometimes she is definitely not in the mood. She can be as big of a goofball as Brynley (they egg one another on), but sometimes more serious than Ryann! What can we say, she's an enigma and uniquely herself!

Overall

We continue to be so blessed - the girls are healthy, happy, and growing... we're not sure how 8 months can go by as fast as they have! We've also been lucky (and thankful) to have grandma's around to help us watch the girls. We're getting close to hiring a nanny - thank goodness - but we couldn't have done it without the grandparents (and aunts for that matter)!