The "stats"...

   The girls had their 15-month appointment last Friday and I'm pretty sure we were the talk of the office upon leaving... Hadley and Ryann put on a show - as did Bryn in a completely different way! Travis was able to meet us for the appointment as well, which ended up being a blessing. While I have no doubt that Mollie and I could have handled it - man-on-man was so much easier. So, to recap the visit...
   We each manned a baby and headed into the office... Ryann wanted to walk in, which made Hadley want to walk - however, while Ryann will take your finger and walk WITH YOU, Hadley does NOT! She would much rather head in the opposite direction. However, we did all make it into the office... While I checked us in, Ryann and Hadley explored the waiting room - yep, we were THAT family. I should mention that no one else was around, and after a few minutes we did each gather our assigned baby. Thank goodness we didn't have to wait long before they called us back - the girls were NOT excited about being held.
   Once in the examination room the girls could run wild - and boy did they. I think the office has learned from experience and now sends in TWO nurses to get through the questions and vitals. I sat and answered questions about each of the girls... allergies? no; concerns? no, well... maybe; how much eating? drinking? pooping? how many words? walking? You get the picture - but wait, TIMES THREE! Meanwhile, Travis and Mollie got the girls stripped down to their diapers for measurements. Hadley and Ryann were troopers, didn't mind sitting on the scale and getting measured (height and head circumference); however, Bryn was less than enthused... and this was the non-invasive part! This is also when things got a bit wild - for whatever reason Ryann and Hadley kind of went nuts. They were exploring every inch of that room - running around in their diapers... to be honest, it was pretty cute and the nurses were laughing - but wow. We were already tired and we still had the exam and shots left! While we waited for the doctor (and his resident) to come in, Bryn sat on my lap and watched Hadley and Ryann dance it up on the exam table - they loved the sound their feet made on the paper and put on quite a show. We also had time for a quick milk break - our appointments are long so we come prepared! The doctor(s) came in and the fun started all over again. I "got" to hold Bryn and she - I was told - acted very normal... meaning she was crying, yelling, and squirmy throughout the exam. Meanwhile, Ryann sat ever so still and let the resident do the entire exam while she studied everything - that girl cracks me up. Couldn't have two more opposite personalities in her and Bryn. Hadley didn't get as upset as Bryn, but wasn't exactly cooperative for her exam. But whatever, they all checked out just fine... phew. But wait, still not quite done... time for the shots! Thankfully the nurse was speedy and since there were three of us, the process went much smoother than when we have to switch out with the stroller! The hardest decision? what order to go in... Bryn went first - wasn't happy about it, but recovered quickly. Then Hadley, and then Ryann... only Ryann did the silent cry and then about melted my heart with her sobs - poor baby doesn't cry like that very often. The entire appointment lasted just shy of 75-minutes... not too shabby (yes, sympathy please). Mollie, the girls and I headed home while Trav went and got a quick 9-holes in (he had a tournament the next day and needed to practice). All in all, a successful trip... and it made me thank God that the girls have been pretty healthy thus far, because the appointment sure wore ME out! Girls' stats are below - all following their own growth curve nicely. Oh, and I learned something new - "moo" (or other animal sounds) counts as a word! Who knew?! Therefore, when asked how many words the girls know... I did NOT answer correctly - I only count real words... whoops! They'll just look that much smarter at their 18-month appointment this way! Pictures to come later...

15-MONTH STATS:

Ryann Gale: Height = 30.75 inches (55.97%); Weight = 20 lbs 4.5 oz (11.39%)... she grew almost two inches!
Brynley Cade: Height = 29 inches (10.30%); Weight = 18 lbs 5 oz (1.27%)... we're pretty sure that's not her height, because she her and Hadley stand next to each other there isn't too much of a difference!
Hadley Marie: Height = 30 inches (32.09%); Weight = 18 lbs 14 oz (2.71%)... however, her head circumference is in the 78th percentile!

Gone are my babies... Hello Toddlers!

I think it's official - my babies are gone and in their place are three feisty, fun, and stubborn toddlers! Such a transition - and for the most part, it's been good. They love their new-found independence and are playing more by themselves and with one another... without interference from mom, dad, or Mollie! We absolutely adore it when they play with one another - it's pretty fascinating to watch.

After a week and a half with Gama here to help out so I could log a bunch of hours working on my dissertation, I took a break from the office and enjoyed a day with friends and family! Ashley, Joe and Holden (and Baby Fandel) came over yesterday from Des Moines for the night/day and we made the most of it! We went to the zoo for the first time this year and the girls enjoyed it much more than last summer! Lots of pointing and "da-ing"... everything is "dah" - cute and annoying at the same time. Ryann saw lots of birds (and signed "bird" at every sighting) which made her very happy (sorry Grandma Miles). Hadley liked the Tigers (she "roared" at them) and Bryn was pretty happy petting the goats. Best of all, we got to enjoy the zoo with the Fandel family - pretty good start to Easter weekend!

Bryn is still mainly just walking back and forth between people - but we can tell she's wanting to walk more and more... she's just much faster at crawling. Instead of walking on her feet - which is very risky - she enjoys walking on her knees around the room... Between the worm-crawl and now the knee-walk, we will have lots of stories to tell! Ryann seems to have gotten her first molar - or some tooth in the way back... which explains some of the crabbiness earlier this week. Hadley is as stubborn as ever and still quite the high-stepper. Her walk is hilarious - elbows bent so her hands are up next to her armpits and then she highsteps it... not sure what to make of her walk, but it looks like Brynley will have that same gait. It's fun to watch at any rate.

While I was at work, Travis and Gama gave the girls a bath the other night... they took a video of their splashing, and splashing, and splashing... it's a bit long - but fairly entertaining! To watch: http://youtu.be/c1r7i5WLoV4. And below are a few pictures from the week...