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.