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.