Merry Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas everyone. We are going to attempt 3 Christmas outings this year. We're hoping for a wonderful change in the weather and easy-going triplets.

We'll keep you posted.

Here's a few pictures from this week of no school! Enjoy! k

Hey! I'm Walkin' Here!

Ever take walking for granted? Until you can't walk? It all seems so easy.

One leg in front of the other, right foot, left foot, right foot left. Turn right, or left how about a backwards step?

We've been watching the boys try and put everything together for the past few weeks. August has nearly put everything together, enjoying every second. He is able to take about a dozen steps on his own. August is a determined kid and it shows - he wants to go fast, right now. Once he figures it out, there will be some collisions between House and August. We'll see who wins.

Max has been inspired by his 'big' bro and as soon as Augie started pulling himself up on things in the house, Max was next. Cruising along walls, chairs and any stationary object? Max picked it up from you know who. Max is in his own as an accomplished crawler now (ever seen a baby make a crawl-dash to the open front door?) and has mastered the dump truck and walker-saucer. Max is a missile on the truck, challenging anything in his way. By the way, my foot hurts.

Livvy loves her books and things satisfying her insatiable urge to chew. She has no interest in moving, however. Most of the time, she is unbelievably sweet and smiling wide. Her chatter nearly always fills the room. Her communication is clear once she's done playing: I want mom or dad, preferably mom. NOW! She's our black and white girl, at least lately. Livvy has moved up in sizes, however, hitting some growth spurts. She's challenging Max for the Best Eater title and is adventurous in her food choices.

Fun Games: Max and Augie love to play the closet game. One crawls in our hall closet, the other stays outside and shuts the door. The other one opens the door, and they laugh. Rinse and repeat. We could really watch this all day.

Travel award: Livvy loves to sing in a mono tone on our walks. For 5 minutes at a time.

Sizes: During their shots, I like to get them on the scale quick before the nurses come in with the goods. Max - 28 lbs, Livvy 23 lbs (arm estimate), Augie 22 lbs.

Christmas Lights: The kids love them. On our recent walks, we've got a few choice houses we hit each night. There are three or four we visit regularly and the kids love them all.

Luckily, we were able to see both sides of the family on Thanksgiving. The Muscatine side came down to Burlington on Thursday and brought a feast with them. The kids had their first taste of custard pie, and it was a hit.

Saturday, we all trekked to Trenton, IA for the Pella side of the family's Thanksgiving at Uncle Reynolds and Aunt Sandy's place. The kids did well, we enjoyed family and some great food. After a couple hours, it was time to go and we were glad we made the trip.

Thanksgiving also helped kickoff some more home renovation. As many of you know, we've been working on finishing our basement for the past couple of years. Some leaky areas in the fall of 2008 put us back a ways, but after some waterproofing, we're back on track. We chose flooring, paint colors and even put in a new steel door for the basement. The past few days, we've been working to get everything painted and the flooring and subfloor ready to finish. We are really exited to enjoy the space.

Thanks to Grandma Kooley and The Best Babysitter in the World...Kortney...for taking such great care of the babies while we worked! We couldn't have gotten all we got done without you. We also had a lot of fun! So thanks Kort for coming down with Grandma K.

Christmas is coming soon, and the holidays are definitely taking on a new meaning for us. We're doing well, come by and visit sometime.

Enjoy the pics!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

This little piggy went to market.



This little piggy stayed home.



This little piggy ate roast beef.



This little piggy had none.



This little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home!



Here are the out takes:

There is life past the first birthday. Team Norris has had a busy October after the party heard 'round the world.

August is starting to walk with toys around the house. He likes to mutter under his breath, which we think is 'baby swearing'. Sorry, no translation available! Augie can also balance all by himself standing up, which is a Team Norris first. Master August has some serious chops on the exersaucer, too. He rolls forward, backward, can turn on a dime and is gone in a flash.

Livvy sure knows how to impress new people - it seems like she saves her best for people other than mom and dad. Standing is becoming more interesting to her along with books. Actually, all three are taking a greater interest in books, more for the content than the wonderful hinged binding. Our little miss has also hit a growth spurt, rivaling her little bro Max for dominance at the dinner table.

Max is world-wide now. Er, make that first-floor wide. His crawling skills have taken off in the past two weeks. Surprisingly, he's quite content to explore on his own, only looking back for the occasional approval from mom and dad. We think he's trimmed out a little bit from all the crawling, but he's still a robust baby boy.

Mom and dad have found the munchkins have quite a sophisticated palate already. Philo dough, creamed peas, spinach, chicken stew, roasted vegetables have all been on the menu. Honestly, the philo dough was an experiment and they all hated it. We are encouraged by their curiosity and willingness to try nearly anything we put in front of them. The last thing we need is picky eaters when the bottles are gone!

The leaves are dropping and fall is here

When temperatures fall we keep the babies near

We can't wait for them to walk

But could hold off on their time to talk

Until next time!

525,600

That's right you trivia nerds! The total number of minutes in one year, non-leap. The trips turned on Oct 3, and we are eminently thankful for what we have been given.

In one year...the kids went from not being able to breathe on their own to taking in all the breaths they want.

In one year...the kids have transitioned from breast milk to formula to anything mom and dad will put in their mouths.

In one year...the kids' total weight changed from 11 to 66 pounds.

In one year...we went from the holding the head burp technique to knee bouncing.

In one year...the kids changed from fitting in one crib all together to all having their own crib.

In one year...the kids went from being premature babies to remarkably normal kids.

In one year...we went from feeding them .51 oz to 8 oz of formula or milk.

In one year...we have washed about 4,930 bottles.

In one year...we have used about 5,500 diapers.

In one year...we have spent four nights away from home (more than we thought we would).

In one year...the kids went from zero teeth to 17 teeth.


We cannot describe how much we enjoy watching the kids grow, change and just be kids. It's hard sometimes to enjoy them, because we are worried about work, money, our house, each other, our family, nuclear proliferation, etc. The little buggers always shake us out of it by a smile, a laugh or one of the 'looks'.

Some family and a few friends helped us celebrate the kids' birthday, and everyone had a good time.

Thanks to everyone that has helped us and we praise the Lord for all of our blessings. Enjoy the pics!

Fall Fun

The babies are beginning to not look so much like babies anymore. They are slowly progressing toward toddlerhood. Here's an update on each one:

No one is officially walking, but we swear Augie dreams about it. If you hold him up long enough he will air walk in the sky. He has also taken to stairs. He has learned to angle himself enough (with help of course) where he can high step up to each stair and take each one with one step. If he's not walking or climbing he's crying or whining about walking of climbing. I think he's inherited his mother's impatience. He loves riding in the stroller and is becoming much more verbal. We feel like he's got a rogue sense of humor in that he doesn't laugh a good laugh often but when he does, we just relish it because it's so different from the other two and very hit and miss.


On the other hand, good ol' Maxie is the life of the party. He's cute. He's cuddley and best of all, all he wants in life it to be loved and make everyone laugh.

He really does seem to love to laugh. Whether it's by burping or pulling hair or smacking us in the face, he thinks ITS ALL funny. Yeah, we're working on that. Max is officially crawling. But by no means is he doing laps around the house at all. He kinda sits for a bit, then gets on his haunches, then crawls to what he wants, then sits, la la la la la. He's just happy to be. Glad we got one of those. Aunt Linda sent us this picture of this wonderful sleeper we're thinking about purchasing. Finally functionality in baby clothing. Only in Japan. (I'm allowed to say that.)



Olivia has become known as the flirt. It seems she's become very social and the first to smile at every stranger on the street. The other day a guy was jogging, stopped to take a look (yes, it happens at least once or twice a walk) and Livy perks up, turns her head to the side and gives him the best grin on the planet. Needless to say he melted right there. I took his sweat bands and sneakers for a souvenir of the encounter. She really has no interested in movement of any kind. She just wants to be held by momma. She is my beautiful girl and I can't help but abide by her requests each and every time. She's only this age once, and I know if she's anything like me, she will not let me hug her again until she graduates college.




And finally...we are approaching the babies first birthday. I find myself trying to make it low key and not a big deal. I have this obsession with keeping us grounded and stable, not making every event a production with stress and money. BUT IT"S SO HARD. I'm not going to lie. I tell myself, they will never be one again, you have to make this a memory, yada, yada, yada. But I'm fighting it. We will definitely get together, but it's more for all the wonderful friends and family who have taken care of us over this crazy year.

And you know who you all are.

Thank you so much for everything you've done for us. Really. There is no way we could have handled all this tripletness if it weren't for all of you. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Come to the birthday party. October 3rd. Perkins Park.
B-town. We love you.

Adventure Seekers

Team Norris has been big top exciting lately! Tons of adventure and risk taking around every corner for us. Just a week or so ago, we went hog wild and took the mini van out for sushi! Called in not 3 but 4 fish rolls for pick up, then ate IN THE CAR while the kids slept. CRAY ZEEE!

We also decided to change up the normal night life for something a little more spicy! Loaded the triplet stroller downtown last weekend for walking along the river. INSANE! Even took a little stroll up Jefferson Street. MADNESS!

Here are some more examples of all of our recent adventures:

Mike is working out more. He's not only power lifting triplet babies, he's upping his reps and weight limits to real live toddlers and pre-schoolers. By the looks of this photo, cousin Josie is getting a bit more used to uncle mike.


Max and I get crazy on Friday nights. You know THOSE pictures.


August and Mike are into ultimate fighting.


Olivia grew four teeth at once. NUTS!

Back to School!

August (the month) has been full of new growth and preparation. The triplets had their 10 month Neonatal check up in Iowa City on the 10th. All babies are progressing well. Olivia is in about the 50th percentile for height and weight, August has moved up to the 25th (even thought Livy has passed him up in weight), and Max is pushing the limits in the 90th percentile. All children cried normally through the poking and proding and giggled and enjoyed the "Denver Test," as the nurses call it.

It seems like after a checkup, the babies all decide to hit a growth spurt. August is eating way more than he normally does. Max is starting to talk in little gibberish words and Olivia is exploring her world even more.

The teeth have also been popping in like nosy neighbors! (We don't have any, but you might! :) Max has a huge front tooth that's about to totally change his appearance. Livy has two little front teeth that are taking their sweet time, giving her pain daily. And August? Well, he has one lone, ity bity bottom chip, that just might make it before September.

Mom is preparing to go back to school. It's been a good summer, and the change in routine is going to be hard. But, Shana our nanny will be here all day starting Monday. She is so kind and patient, we're super lucky to have her.

Here are some other things the babes have been doing:

August is getting some more hair.

Livy has mastered the art of biscuit eating.

And Max has taken to wrestling. He pinned his father just last week. Ah...toddlers.



Here's a few more:


Also! We forgot to say hey to our new friends: Mike, Joe, and Dana. They came all the way from California and Washington D.C. to ride RAGBRAI. They were the best guests a mom of triplets could ever ask for. They were gracious, kind and super fun to hang out with. There's a picture of Mike and then Mike again...not sure why we didn't get one of Dana and Joe. They were buddies in the Navy, photographers, and decided to do something exciting to get back in touch! We learned a lot and made some great new friends! They're welcome back in B-town anytime.

Dog Days

Life in the kids' tenth month has been...routine. Weird to say that but July has been all about routine. Get up, wash and fill bottles, warm bottles, eat breakfast, read the paper, dress, wake the kids up, change diapers, dress the kids, feed the kids, Mike goes to work, kids play, nap at 9, clean up and do laundry, wash bottles, relax, kids up at 1030, feed the kids baby food, play, prepare bottles, nanny comes, feed the kids, play until 1, kids nap, do laundry prepare bottles, kids get up, feed the kids, Mike gets home, kids go for a walk, prepare dinner and kids' food, feed kids, mom and dad eat, play with kids, change diapers, warm bottles, dress kids, feed kids, kids go to bed, mom and dad clean up, do chores, relax and BED.

We think this is pretty typical of any new parents. But the routine gets you by but also locks you in, and once you're locked in sometimes you need a change. So we've been doing a bit of traveling. Muscatine, Iowa City, driving around Burlington, is enough of a change of pace to reset the routine.

So what about the kids? Everyone is doing great. The kids were weighed at their nine month standard checkup in Burlington, and Max was 24; Livvy 17 and August 18. Everyone is on the growth chart and normal, and that was all we hoped for.

We are starting to see a lot of interaction among the kids. In the stroller Max, in his middle position, likes to poke and prod his smaller siblings. And they reciprocate. They also like to take toys from one another, and scratch each other's faces.

Everyone can stand supported now, like if they lean up against the couch or a chair. And we've found a new snack: prawn sticks from the asian food store...only as a treat!

We can hardly believe we are where we are, nearly 10 months after a lot of time in the hospital and experiencing how tiny our kids were.

Pictures:

Nine months, here we come!

We are so exited for the kids' nine month birthdays, mostly because it brings us closer to the one-year milestone. Not that we're in a hurry to get there, but we really need an excuse to throw a sweet party!

As babies do, ours are changing almost daily, before our very eyes. Great example: plastic cup prowess. We have started playing with plastic cups after their evening solid foods while the kids sit at the counter in the their chairs and mom and dad nourish themselves. The first night we tried this, their reactions were a little slow and basic things like changing grasps depending on the cups' position was lost. Not one day later did all this change. One day before, and it was difficult for any of them to grasp one cup. The day after, the kids were holding two cups and trying to eat both. Amazing!

Kelly and I have been extremely lucky (thanks Grandma Diana and friends!!) the past few weeks to have been able to get out and about without the kids. The breaks were needed and effective at recharging our spirits.

The second week of June we traveled to Minnesota for our friends wedding. We stayed with other friends and had a great time. We had great beer, great conversations and a relaxing time. Thanks Eric and Amy for the excuse to get away, and to Mike and Amy for your gracious hospitality!

This past weekend, we were able to enjoy a dinner party with live band. As you might imagine we had a good time. Thanks to our friends Kim and Joe for helping us get away! And to grandma for watching the kids.

Back to the kids. No complaints, but we have our general parental worries. When will August get his first tooth? Why is Livvy so darn hard to feed? Is Max eating too much? But they are really great kids.

We've had our first taste of sibling relationships with the kids starting to take away toys from one another. Great. The attention span isn't that long right now, so the grudges are short. August and Max have begun to pick at each other. During solid food feedings at the counter, August will instigate some exploratory poking at Max. Luckily, he can only reach his arm, but today he pulled off Max's bib. Max reciprocates with some poking of his own, but it doesn't seem like he really knows why he is poking at August. Max is fulfilling the gentle giant role - for now.

Livvy has begun to do a little two-step during her bottle feeds, making it next to impossible for her to finish her bottle. Hopefully it's just a phase she'll grow out of. We've also got to be very careful of her sensitive skin. Bath time, outside or any other chance of skin irritation, and she will get it. We're battling skull-cap right now.

Visitors have thankfully graced our doorstep often in the past few weeks. My sister's family stopped by along with my parents for Father's Day. We had a great time and watching our nearly 4 and 2.5 year-old nieces tear around the house gave us a brief glimpse into the future. It was great to catch up with everyone, and we're still getting used to the idea that we've moved up in the family food chain up to parents. It's still strange because we remember being the kids running around the house!

Kelly is enjoying her days off before the next school year, but there is never a shortage of things to do. We've been keeping Wal-Mart and Target on their toes, buying diapers and formula in bulk. The formula will stop soon enough, but the diapers are here to stay for awhile...unless we can learn that ancient Chinese method of potty training infants we've heard about.

Pictures:

MORE PHOTOS & New Tooth

We know it's not as exciting for the rest of you, but Livy got her first tooth: 6-7-09!!! Which, we realized from a text this morning from my mom, is our 6th wedding anniversary. Yes, we both know the date of our anniversary, but neither one of us remembered it THIS YEAR. It really shows how fast time flies by. Funny how those kids like to mark their coming of age too.

Max's 1st Tooth = Mother's Day
Livy's 1st Tooth = Wedding Anniversary

We're thinking Auggie may go for Father's Day to round out the significance. Or maybe we'll just happen to stick our finger in his mouth that day like we did the other two and find out he's got razor sharp gums instead of smooth safe ones.

In other news, babies had another photo shoot this weekend. They just don't stop asking us, "PLEASE Mom and Dad, can we get dressed up again and have our pictures taken JUST ONE MORE TIME?" It's pretty much constant now, so we basically have to humor them until they've had their fix. They also DEMANDED we post the recent job, so here they are:

8 Month Photo Shoot

It's been 8 months since the Three Amigos were pulled from my loins.  Gross but true.  Their newest trick is sitting up on their own long enough for mom and dad to snap some pictures.  

Our days this past weekend consisted of two photo shoots.  One, bright and early after breakfast on Saturday and the other after lunch on the same day.  Both sessions took less than 10 minutes each.  We walked out our front door, put some pillows under a blanket and danced behind the camera like our lives depended on it.  (I'm a way better dancer than Mike.  You'll know by looking at each photo of smiling cherubs...that was my fancy foot work, of course!) 

We think we're going to try and push our luck this weekend too.  Try for a few more outfits and smiles to put in the baby book.   Oh, ok, we'll put them on the blog too.  

HAPPY 8 MONTH BIRTHDAY BABIES!   

Chew on This

As you might have guessed from the title, we have some new teeth in the house. 

Max started his tooth in earnest about 10 days ago and now we can see the results. It's been difficult not letting him gnaw on our fingers like we used to.  After one bite in Max's vise-like jaw, we didn't want our fingers to become his next meal.  Strawberries and apples our fingers are not. 

It's been difficult, too, knowing that our days of gummy smiles are near an end.  But the beginning of chewing. Yes! 

Olivia and August should be getting their first tooth soon, too.  Our babies have temporarily been taken over by drool monsters that require all-day bibs!  We are also seeing some signs of stress: poopy diapers at night, rash, and flush faces.  

Other than cutting teeth things have been going relatively well for Team Norris.  The kids are eating well, sleeping well and getting lots of fresh air on our daily walks.  

We'll see how they adjust to a routine change when Kelly goes back to school.  Grandma Diana won't come during the week anymore, and nanny Shana will come for five half days, instead of three full days.  We are looking forward to summer and the extra time Kelly will be able to spend with the kids and think they will adjust well to the change. 

All three are getting pretty good at rolling over.  None are sitting up or crawling quite yet, but we're close. We think that more practice might help the sitting up, but crawling seems like it will have to come on its own.  The kids have also started to figure out the exer-saucer.  This is the contraption that supports the kids, but they can walk in it too.  Max likes to go backwards, Livvy hops, and August sprints forward.  

Everyone is communicating is so many more ways than just a month ago.  We have the outstretched arms for 'pick me up', the three-stage process for 'play with me' which includes: the playful squeal, the fake cough, and the short, but real-sounding cry.  The looks they give to see if their effort works are priceless. 

And we now have real attention jealousy.  It's almost a political process to decide which one to pick up now with everyone paying attention to whom is getting what from mom and dad.  Livvy is probably the most jealous of her time with mom and dad, followed by August.  Max just seems to be content doing his own thing most of the time.  The best way to mitigate the jealously is to give the child not being held some attention by talking to them for a little bit to let them know you know they're still there.  That works most of the time. 

Mom has been busy at work and organizing all of the kids' things around the house, while finding some time for outside work.  Dad has been building a new shed for the family's anticipated storage needs. A 12x12 gambrel, the shed is affectionately known now as the 'barn'. We're not sure how happy the neighbors are with it, but it will look better than our railroad tie garden did! 

We are looking forward to cousin Mikayla and Heath's wedding in KC - it will be our first overnight away from the kids in about five months.  Memorial Day Grandma Chris and Steve will spend some time in Btown, and in mid-June we are going, again without the kids, to a wedding in Minnesota for our friends Amy and Eric.  

Slideshow: 

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Turning the Corner

Easter came and went. It seems like such a long time ago. Since Easter, we seem to have turned a corner. No longer do Max, Olivia, and August just sit in the Exersaucers, look around, then cry because they can't touch the bottom. They are spinning and chewing and moving. They are laughing and even able to keep themselves busy.

We now wake up to the "BOOM, BOOM, Booms" of all three slamming their legs on their crib mattresses. The boys are now in the same room, allowing them to discuss the days coming events. Livy is in her private suite where she enjoys all the comforts a girl of her stature should.
Livy is doing well sleeping through the night. She holds the title of best napper. There is no rash to speak of (thank you cortisone) and she has the most hair. Livy is also the talk show host of the family. She is a non-stop noisemaker, either having a conversation with me her brothers, dad, or herself... she doesn't seem to mind who listens, as long as something or someone is showing interest. If not, she'll just talk louder until she gets some attention.

We'll post some pictures very soon.

Max is big Mr. Happy. He's the easiest to make smile or laugh hysterically. He's also making some BIG baby noises...if you know what I mean. He will be moving on to Size 4 diapers this week after the last two morning diapers have been overflowing with love. He knows himself quite well too. As soon as he gets tired, he will cry some, put his thumb in his mouth, and conk out. If we're smart enough that day, we'll get him to a crib for a nice snooze.

August is the active one of the bunch. He's taken to showing off his prowess by pounding his fists to his chests when he wants something or likes something. He also can put both feet on the floor and do pelvis lifts when really excited. He IS the first born, so we're sure there's some entitlement issues there, but the gorilla-like behavior is kinda funny coming from the little skinny wiggle worm he is. He's talking more and is still quite professor-like. Just the other day, I was holding his hand and pressing it to some squeakers. He proceeded to look at me, take my hand, and press my hand against the squeakers and laugh. We traded hands back a forth until he got bored with me. It was fun.

All three babies are loving the outdoors. Their three wide stroller is getting some serious use. We've popped the back tires twice on thorns or nails or other stuff in our way. There's a lot of off road activity due to our size, but we manage. We don't experience much crying in the stroller anymore so the babies are out as much as possible. They also enjoy watching dad build his mega-shed in the backyard. Max is kinda spooked by the powertools though. They get stopped a lot on their walks around B-town. But like Grandma Kooley said, it's just part of your life now. For the rest of your life.

Happy Easter from the Norris Bunnies!

Max Bunny

Livy Bunny

Auggie Bunny

We attempted an Easter picture today.  We're so biased, but our babies are the cutest little bunnies on the planet!  We love them to pieces.  

Happy Easter everyone!  

Baby Profile #3 Maxwell Hughes Norris

The third born of the Norris triplets, Max was in no hurry to get out. Perched in the penthouse suite, on top of his siblings, Max had a unique vantage point on the goings on. He is the youngest, by a minute, and has been making us smile ever since. Here is our sweet boy.

Baby profile #3: Max

Name: Maxwell Hughes Norris

Nickname: Bubba

Birth order: #3, turned back on Dr. when it was his time to come out! 

Birth weight: 5lbs 1 oz

Present weight: 21lbs (estimate) 

Interests: 

• Laughing. Max laughs out loud more than anyone. He enjoys silly faces, airplane rides, tickles, and funny voices.  His laugh is contagious. 
• Eating. Max is a very good eater. He has taken to formula, rice cereal, and our ever-expanding variety of baby foods.  Max is the easy one to feed, and whoever has Max has to take someone else to even out the work.  
• Gripping. Max has fairly large hands for a boy his age, and they are put to good use.  He grabs anything within reach and either tries to strangle it or put it in his mouth. His gripping repertoire includes: skin, hair, earrings, beard, clothes, toys, bibs and anything else within reach. 

Little known fact about Max: although he is the largest of the three, he is by far the most sensitive. A sneeze, laugh or inadvertent sound can set him off into a fit.  He also gives sympathy cries to his bro and sis.  It's also apparent in his need to snuggle, throwing his arms around us when we hold him - the other two don't do this. 

Possible jobs if Max was looking: Best buddy; Max would laugh and cry and always be there for a friend. Food critic; Max would not be afraid to tackle the most creative haute cuisine. Best of all, he would enjoy it.  Salesman; Max's kung-fu grip would seal the deal with almost anyone. 

Slideshow: 

Updated heights and weights: 

August height: 24 7/8", weight: 15 3/4 lbs

Olivia height: 25 3/4", weight: 15 1/4 lbs

Max height: 27 3/8", weight: 20 1/2 lbs

Baby Profile #2: Olivia Lee Norris

The second born of the Norris Triplets, she has grown stunningly. Olivia was part of the reason everyone was born October 3. She was experiencing some distress in the womb (and who wouldn't with Max laying on you), and all three came out. She entered the world with a cry and she has let us know ever since exactly how she feels. Here is our beautiful daughter.

Baby Profile #2: Olivia Lee Norris

Name: Olivia Lee Norris

Nickname: Livy Lou

Birth order: #2; cried very loudly at birth. 

Birth weight: 2lbs 10oz 

Present weight: 15 1/2 lbs (one-arm estimate) 

Interests: 

• Smiling.  Livy loves to smile. Just give her a nice look at a 'hi' and she is really happy.  Or a funny face, that usually gets a smile too.  
• Standing. Supported by mom and dad, Livy excels at standing.  She is ramrod straight and can stand for a long time. And she is usually smiling while she stands. 
• Music. Dad plays guitar for the kids and she really likes it, staying focused on the instrument and dad's hands. 

Little known fact about Olivia: She does not have a crying filter.  Any feeling other than pure happiness is displayed with a cry, and after a simple question to her like 'What's wrong, honey? she is all smiles again. Usually.  So she has her own unique form of letting us know what's going on. 

Possible jobs if Olivia was looking: Trainer; she would bust some tail with her endurance.  Lobbyist; she is an effective communicator.  We always know what's going on with Livy because she tells us. 

Slideshow: 

Baby Profile #1: August Everett Norris

Our babies are alike in many ways, but different in so many others.  We've had a lot of people ask us, "So what are the babies like?" or "Tell me something different about each one." So with that in mind, we'd like to showcase each baby on their own individual time.  Each trip will get their own special post. We'll post what we've noticed so far, but I'm sure it will change tomorrow!

Baby Profile #1: August Everett Norris

Name: August Everett Norris

Nickname: Auggie Doggie

Birth Order: #1  

(Actually cried when pulled from womb!  Only baby I got to see right after birth)

Birth Weight: 3lbs. 9oz.

Present Weight: 14lbs. 11oz.

Interests: 

• Moving.  August likes to be moving.  When he's not moving, he's either crying because he wants to be moving or sleeping while moving.  He's the first one to wake up in the morning wriggling all the way up to the top of his crib until he hits his head on the sides.  

• Smiling.  August smiles a lot.  He's a fairly happy baby.  He crinkles his nose up when he smiles and is starting to giggle.  

• Books.  His legs move a mile a minute when we open up a book.  He's especially into the rhyming books.  (We've heard most babies are, but Auggies seems to more than the other two we have.)

Little Known Fact About August: 

The anesthesiologist who talked to us before August's hernia surgery said, "Ahhhh! Aw Goost!  Zat meanz ztrong en German!"  So August means strong...in German.

Possible Jobs if August Was Looking:  

• Professor (always using the eye brow and wanting to figure things out.)
  
• Acrobat (specializing in contortion)

Hello, Teeth!

At nearly five months, the kids have started teething.

Drooling, gnawing, fussiness, we've got it all. The past couple weeks have been tough at night, usually between 4pm - 8pm.

Max started the trend, followed by Olivia and August. Some days it's OK, other days it's tough.

The main thing is that they are all sleeping through the night, usually about 10-11 hours. For whatever reason, we've been really lucky with getting to sleep at night. We tried to follow the book "12 Hours in 12 Weeks", but didn't do exactly as it described. But we really worked at following their formula. In any case, we express our thankfulness every night for the hour and a half we have before bed to relax, clean the house and talk.

The kids are growing consistently, and we are very happy with their progress. Extrapolating from their appointments three weeks ago, I would Max is about 18lbs, Olivia 14 and August about 14.5 lbs. They are all remarkable in their own little ways...

Max is, of course exceptionally large but is a really sensitive baby. Any sudden noise, even from himself, puts him to a fuss. But he's also the quickest to smile usually and is a pretty good self-soother since he found his thumb. He is also the undisputed feeding champ, sometimes finishing his 8oz bottle in around 10 minutes or less.

Olivia is probably the strongest pound for pound right now. She can stand up on her own, with a little help for balance. She also always is ramrod straight whenever she is picked up or doesn't have solid footing. She also coos the most of the three right now and is developing an annoying habit of laughing while she is eating. It's actually really funny, but the less distractions during feeding, the better.

August is the most interested in the books we read to them, just going by his reactions. He always looks studious and curious; really he's been that way since he was born. He's got the most varied facial expressions and is coming into his own by downing his bottle at least as fast has his little bro. And he is the undisputed champion sleeper, going out almost immediately when he hits the crib. When he doesn't sleep at night, he is pretty quiet, being content to make a few sounds but rarely crying.

We've had several guests the past two weeks. great aunt Peggy, Molly, JD, Tori and Katie all came down from Wapello on President's Day to see the tykes. They helped feed and wear out the kids for a quality afternoon nap. Just yesterday, grandma Chris and grandpa Steve, great grandma Irene and great aunt Linda came down for a visit on the way to Josie's b-day party in Iowa City. And last weekend Lilly, John and Cheryl Newell paid a visit to see the kids and catch up. Lest we forget cousin Sam's visit when the kids were less than cooperative. Thanks for coming, everyone!

The warm weather has brought us hope in that spring is near, and with spring comes the opportunity to leave the house regularly. I wouldn't say we've had cabin fever, but a change of scenery is always welcome. Usually we are so busy that we don't have time to worry about cabin fever! But the triple threat stroller did make an appearance last week as the mercury hit the mid 50s. Walks will definitely be a part of the daily regimen when the weather warms up.

Picture mixtacular:

Happy Valentine's Day!

The triplets are four months old! Wow, how fast/slow time has gone by.  Fast because it can't be that long since we were all living in the hospital.  And slow because every day and night can sometimes seem like it goes on forever. 

But on a good note.  Max, Olivia, and August are all basically sleeping through the night.  Sometimes we get up to give Max a pacifier and flip Olivia for an hour or so, but other than that, we are all sleeping.  At night that is.  Daytime naps seem to be a foreign concept some days.  Those are those long ones we were talking about. 

We went to the high risk clinic last week also.  Olivia and August were growing as expected and doing well.  They are in the 10th to 25th percentile for weight and height gain.  Max is in the...you guessed it...90th %tile.  They said it was ok and supposedly normal.  We're supposed to see him "level off" soon.  We'll see how that goes.  I hate to think where we'd be had he been a full term newborn.  

We're pretty open in our house about bodily functions and our babies are no exception.  All three have been having the hardest, we'll call them poop nuggets, to date.  We stopped the iron supplements, and have added Karo syrup to some bottles, but the pain that goes across their faces is still just heartbreaking. So we're looking for any suggestions anyone has.  We heard prune juice is good, but I'm not sure we're quite their yet.

Mike has been working on getting the garage more able for baby delivery into the house. AKA Garage Loft.  So far we've been parking out front, but now I can get them out in the garage.  Hallalujah!  We also had another on the couch photo shoot for Valentine's Day.  I took some more blanket pictures of the babies too.  Max and Olivia did pretty well, but thank goodness for digital cameras.  I must have went through about 30 frames with August to get a good one.  He's not really into smiling yet.   

Happy Valentine's Day!  

Weight Updates

August: 13lbs 6 oz

Olivia: 12lbs 7oz

Maxwell: 16lbs 7oz

The kids got their Synergys shots (RSV protection) today from our visiting nurse so the babes got weighed.

We're just happy they're growing!

Video: Max's first cereal...around mid Jan, '09

Video: 

I Want My For-mu-la

Let's go back to the early 80s.  Dire Straits put a video on MTV called 'Money for Nothing'.  Anyway, if you know the melody, apply it to the title.  It goes, I promise. For those of you too young, old, or that never heard the song, here it is: 

Anyway, the babes have been voicing their ever-emerging feelings more than ever.  Especially at feeding time.  I won't say we're immune to it, but we're taking it better than before.  Now we know they are not in immanent danger - but just really hungry.  Still, there is only so much wailing you can take before it's Captain Similac to the rescue.  

We've settled into a pretty good routine since both of us have gone back to work - thanks to our child care team.  Sunday night - Tuesday afternoon Grandma Kuhlenbeck (Kelly's mom Diana) arrives and gets us pumped for the workweek.  And then she does more than anyone could expect and keeps coming back despite our irascibility after work sometimes. 

Wednesday - Friday our nanny (or au pair for you of the upper-crust) Shana comes from 730a-400p.  She's reliable, on-time, and is great with kids.  She even gave Augie the baby heimlich last week when he choked on some spit up.  Yep, she's on the ball.  

We have help five days per week during the day and two nights.  I don't know what we'd do without it. 

The young 'uns are sleeping almost through the night now.  Our book we are loosely going by, called 12 Hours in 12 Weeks said the kids would start sleeping 12 hours at 12 weeks old as long as the kids are 10lbs and eating 24oz per day.  We're closer to the 17-week mark but the general principles we've stuck to in the book seem to be working. Granted, we are blessed that the kids don't have colic or another situation that would prevent them from sleeping...but we are only getting up maybe 3 times a night now, and if we do have to feed the babes it's only a couple ounces.  So things are getting better for sleep.  

Pictures: 

We've had visitors nearly every weekend. Last weekend Grandma and Grandpa Norris and Great Grandma Norris stopped by for a morning visit. This weekend, the Schwartz's dropped in from Iowa City for a mattress and a quick chat. Their girls, Annie and Josie are in the slideshow. Our friends Jason and Tami from Des Moines made a run today for some baby time. Visitors make us feel like we're still part of the world and that's usually a good thing.

We'll keep on going in our routine until June, when school is out for Kelly. Then, Grandma K will stop coming during the week and we'll have a new routine to start. However, nothing about caring for three babies is routine.

Our new activity at night is giving everyone rice cereal. It looks like paste, tastes a little better and is really hard to clean up. So then it makes sense why the kids like to put it everywhere except in their mouth. It's seriously funny to see a baby with cereal all over their face laughing. Life is really simplified at that moment and no matter how much crying or poopy diapers you've dealt with that day, the dirty face, laughing, pushes the reset button and makes everything all right again.

Smile at your Momma

Now that the babies have started to smile more, they are even cuter than before. 

Not that we don't like to feed and change babies that don't acknowledge your presence, but the smiling has made things much more fun.  

Everyone is doing fine.  All are growing; Max is in 9-12 mo. clothes, August in 9 mo. clothes and Olivia in 6 mo. stuff. 

Our nighttime feedings are usually down to one per night per kid, but they do like to fuss a little bit.  Regardless, we're getting a lot more uninterrupted sleep than before.  

Nanny Shana and Grandma Kuhlenbeck have fulfilled our childcare needs and more; they are providing care Kelly and I would be proud to give. 

Below: Exiting Picture Mega-Mix including Never Seen Before Christmas Pictures! 

Grandpa Norris surprised everyone on Martin Luther King, Jr. day by making a spontaneous trip to see the kids.  And what a trip it was - he held all three babies for the first time!  

We are really looking forward to warmer weather.  We need to get the kids out of the house and into some fresh air!  It'd be good for us, too.  

3 Little Fairies Come a Calling!

Yay! What a pleasant weekend to be had by all! The triplets were visited by 3 beautiful, talented, and generous fairies this past weekend! Annalonda, Lindsayina, and Jillaweena all from the Land of Middle Iowa. They came to bless the babies with exciting gifts and love. They blessed mom and dad with some fantastic food too!

August, Olivia, and Max also became proud owners of their very own sleeping quarters. They each are now in an official sized crib! August and Max are taking to it well, but Livy doesn't seem to know what to do with all that open space! She was snuggled in her bassinet for a long time. Grandma assures us that she will take to it soon enough.

Here are some pictures from the weekend visit. (Oh- Max is also enjoying the Bumbo Seat!)

New Peas

The new year brought in new changes in our lives.

1) We are now consistently only getting up once in the night to feed

2) The kids are growing like July corn

3) Kelly and I are back to work full time


The kids are really great. It seems like after Jan 1 things really started to get easier for Mom and Dad. Maybe we're just used to things or we're getting more sleep, but we feel like we are enjoying the babies more instead of just trying to get through the day and avoid any major meltdowns!

We had our first roll-over this week:

Kelly's first week back at work was good, but tiring. My first full week back was busy. Our nanny, Shana, started this week too with good results. We think she's going to work out pretty well.

Once again, we've been overrun by generosity. So many have given us food, diapers and encouragement and we are so appreciative!

Some recent pictures:

What have we done to pass the time between babies and work?  I've been making beer, Kelly has been reading and working out and somehow we all are staying sane.