The Big Doctor Visit !

OK, I am still working on a birthday party post. I am waiting on a few camera pics and I have a cute video of the cupcake eating - I just have to figure out where and how to get it up. It is too big for blogger. I will post a link once I have it up - Promise!

Today was the trio's 1 year well baby appointments. Here are the latest stats:

Will: height 28.5 inches (10%)
weight 18.2 pounds (below 5%)
head circumference 19 inches (90%)


Logan: height 29.5 inches (25-50%)
weight 19.1 pounds (below 5%)
head circumference 18.5 inches (50-75%)

Jess height 27.5 inches (5%)
weight 16.1 pounds (below 5%)
head circumference 18.25 (75%)

The appointments went well. We always have three back to back to back so that we can have everyone seen at the same time. We got the go ahead to drop formula and start whole milk! The doctor recommended that we drop bottles by 14 months, but they do so well with the straw sippies now that I figure we can just go cold turkey on the bottles. Besides I want them to get the idea that milk is in sippies not bottles. I am sure that the next few days may be tough, but I think that we can handle it. I am very excited about not having to make formula. I even boxed up the bottles and put them away so that I won't be tempted to revert. I just took count and I have 18 straw sippies in the house - LOL! That equals six cups per kid! I plan on keeping one set in the van, one for the diaper bag and the rest for the house with two sets in the frig all day - one with milk and one with watered down juice and then the last two sets as backups.

There were really no major concerns with Will or Jess. Logan has an abdominal hernia that will need to be watched for the next year. If it does not heal by the time he is 2 - he will need surgery to fix it. I hope it doesn't come to that, but we will cross that bridge when we get there! They are all hitting milestones on track for closer to their actual age than their adjusted age which is great news! We are supposed to start watching for more real words, walking, and a few other things by 18months. They all had to have a finger prick to check their hemoglobin counts and two vaccines. They were not happy, but the boys did not fuss for too long. Jess got really really mad though! I was able to pull out a snack and they all calmed down. They will get two more at their 15 month appointment instead of all 4 today. I felt better not having so much at one time.

Tomorrow we are having their 12 month photos done. Let's hope for a few smiles!

Monday Update - Halloween and Birthday Sneak Peeks

Jessica Ann Dudley

Jessica was our extra gift. We had ultrasounds done at 6 weeks - twins, then 8 weeks-twins looking good and wait- we see another baby! The specialist at Yale thought that baby was too small and would probably never grow and develop. He could not have been more wrong! We had another ultrasound at ten weeks and we heard all three heartbeats going strong for the first time! We also got to see their first tiny little movements. For the rest of the pregnancy the extra small baby was baby B but ended up baby C at the c-section. Jessica did not want to be left behind without her brothers and once her bag of waters was opened she literally popped right into the doctor's hands! She was the tiniest at only 3 lbs 12 ounces, but never needed any extra help! They told us that preemie girls do better than boys and she was no exception. It took her a few days longer to move out of her isolette into a crib, but other than that she did great. She was soo tiny - I was a little scared at first - she looked like a tiny porcelain doll!






When it was decided that the boys would go home from the NICU, Jess wanted to go home too and picked up her pace and got better at eating and keeping her temp up. I am very glad to say that all three of my babies got to come home together! I found out from a lot of other triplet moms that does not happen often!

Once she was home, Jess took her place and became the princess of the household. She was and is still a very easy baby as long as she gets what she wants! She is a total daddy's girl! I love watching her get so excited to see him and play with him. It is melt your heart stuff! LOL Even though she was the tiniest, she has really caught up and can give her brothers a run for their money. She was the first to really sleep thru the night. It was then that we got a little bit harder on the boys - if she could sleep thru at her weight and age- they boys should be able to!

She has always been very close to them developmentally. Usually within a few days to a week of them reaching a milestone, she would to! She was also the first to really master sitting - so much so that she never was excited to crawl. She did the army crawl to perfection for a lot longer than the boys, but started working on her standing first. She and Logan are in a constant battle for alpha triplet. They can really go at it and now she has started to voice her opinion on the matter! Jess, being all girl, was the first to really start to make noise and turn that into words. She has the cutest voice, but I am biased! With the boys now working on walking, she does not want to be left behind and is also trying hard but is just not ready. She is always happy and smiling when Dave gets her up in the morning. Her favorite game is peek-a-boo. She loves to thru a little cloth over her face and then drop it.
OK, I better go fix the crew their lunch. Here are her random photos - Enjoy!

Logan Aaron Dudley

Logan was baby C through out my pregnancy, but turned into baby B during the c-section only because that was the the side the doc was standing on! Logan needed help breathing when he was born. He was on a ventilator for about a day and then on and off the nasal cannula for a few days until he figured out how to breathe on his own. He never needed any extra help after the first few days and came home with his brother and sister after only 10 days in the NICU.





After we got Logan home he had a hard time with reflux. We did not know what was wrong at the time and it was almost 4 weeks before we saw the specialist. It was heartbreaking to hear him cry and be in so much pain. He was held a lot and he even slept on my chest while I reclined on the coach for several nights as that was the only spot that he would get comfortable. I was very thankful that we got the reflux under control with medication and he became a much happier baby. My only regret was I did not push to have him seen sooner! We were able to take him off the medication at 10 months and he has been doing great since!

Logan has been the first one to sit, crawl and even cruise. He is now working hard like Will on walking. He was last one to start getting teeth at around 10-11 months and still only has 4. He has three on top and 1 on bottom. whenever he eats he spills a lot because there are no teeth on bottom to help food stay in his mouth. This does not deter him and I think he is one of the better eaters. He just has peach fuzz for hair and when Dave introduces the kids he tells people to just remember - "Logan - lack of hair" LOL!

We call Logan "bear" because a while back he started to growl like a bear and he still tries to hold his bottle with his feet just like a little bear cub would do! He is a very determined little guy and gets upset when he knows what he wants but can't get his body to comply. I almost forgot - he was the first to start climbing onto the couch and now he is the fastest at it! He has not been talking much, but has recently started to vocalize a lot more. He has learned to clap his hands and do the sign for "more". He has a great smile and I love to hear him laugh! I can't wait to see what he learns to do next!

Here are some random photos taken through the year to close. Enjoy!

William Aaron Dudley

Will was baby A throughout my pregnancy. The baby laying low on bottom while his brother and sister fought for space up top! Very early in the pregnancy we were given the option to selectively reduce. They usually take the baby closest to the cervix - that would have been Will! I am so very thankful that we decided against the procedure - even with all the high risks associated with a triplet pregnancy. I can not imagine my life without him - his smile- his laugh- his snuggles- they all melt my heart!
When they were born his was the first cry I heard. It brought me to tears. He was absolutely beautiful! He did pretty well in the NICU. He had a nasal cannula to help him breath the first few days and needed time under the lights to get rid of some jaundice, but was otherwise just a feeder and grower the 10 days he was there.





Once home, he was a very easy baby as long as you kept him fed, changed and swaddled. He was the last one to start sleeping thru the night - I think in part because he was so used to the schedule!

He was the first one to start popping teeth and he seemed to pop them all at once! He now officially has 8. He has been right on track for most of the usual milestones. He has not been first for many, but catches on real quick when he sees Logan or Jess doing something. I swear he watches them and then works on the skill til he gets it right.

Will is the snuggler of the trio. He loves to be held and just snuggles down in your arms. It is the best feeling once he snuggles in and smiles at you - priceless!
Will enjoys "reading" books, playing with his toys and loves to listen to music. Recently, I have watched him and Logan start to laugh and crawl after each other. He is cruising and like the last post said - taking several steps! He has started talking and now says Dada, momma and something that sounds like more. He is learning new things at a rapid pace. When he gets a new toy- he spends tons of time trying to figure it out! I swear he will be the engineer- LOL.

Anyway, sorry this post was all over the place and so jumbled. It is just hard to believe that in a few short days William will be 1! Tomorrow is Logan's day, but for now a few more totally random pics of Will through this first year. enjoy!

NICU Signs and Big News!

If you have never been to our house you have not seen these. These signs were on the triplet's individual isolettes first and then their cribs the whole time they were in the NICU. They makes them for each baby there. They mean a lot to me, not really sure why, but I have them hanging on the wall at the main diaper change area. I always show the kids their names when I change them and they like to look at them.


What is the big news you ask? Logan and Will are starting to walk on their own!!! They have each been practicing hard and can now take about 3-5 steps before falling down. We are trying to get video, but they are still too wobbly. By the time I have the camera ready- they have already fallen. LOL Logan is a little more steady than Will, but not by much and they both love to go back and forth between Dave and I!
Jess is standing really well and she will walk all over the house if you hold her hands, she just has to get her confidence and some extra muscle and she'll be off!

OK, it late but I wanted to share. Tomorrow, actually later today since it is already Wed., will be a post all about Will so check back this afternoon.

What a Difference A Year Makes!

I want to try to post everyday this week leading up to the big birthday bash on Sunday.

Today is a remember when post. This first pic is the bottles the came home drinking -(they only hold 2 ounces) intermixed with the bottles they use now - (they hold 8 ounces).

I can look back and remember than when they came home they were only drinking about 1ounce to 1 1/2 ounces every three hours round the clock! It used to take them 20 minutes or more to eat! It was a very exhausting schedule and I am glad it only lasted about two months. Sleep deprivation is NOT a good thing!
Now, we have a morning, lunch and bedtime bottle of 7 ounces each! They usually finish their bottles without too much trouble in about 10 minutes.


This pic just shows the preemie diapers they came home in and wore for several weeks and the size 3 they wear now.



This is a pic of all the bands we wore and their bassinet signs while at L & M. I have them in birth order : Will, Logan and Jess. Under their sign is the band they wore on their leg. They look soo tiny! They wore them for their whole hospital stay and I admit a day or two at home until we felt confident to tell Will and Logan apart - LOL! They were not tight even then and were able to slip off! Underneath the babies band are the bands Dave and I wore. We also kept them on until we had everyone home safe and sound from the NICU!

The last pic is just to show you a preemie outfit that was too big on them when they came home and the size of a sleeper they wear to bed now. WOW !

Monday Update- the Great Nap Experiment

OK, it is a late night post. I was running around getting stuff for the party on Sunday. We have a had a lot going on this weekend.

I have been having some issues with the nap schedule- Jess has been skipping the morning nap a few times and they are talking longer to go to sleep after lunch. So after taking with some of my triplet mom friends we decided to try a nap time experiment and for 5 days skip the am nap and put them down early for the long afternoon nap. Saturday went very well - the kids stayed up and played, we went to the store, fed them lunch and bottles and had them upstairs by 1215. The did not fall asleep until almost 1245, but they had a great nap and got up very happy around 330. I was hopeful. Sunday did not go as good. They stayed up, but were definitely more cranky and even though they were in bed by 1230 they again took 30 minutes to fall asleep. Then they had a meltdown after dinner. They went to bed with no problems and I was still hopeful.

Today was a total disaster! I had everybody fall asleep for a 30 minutes power nap at some point late morning. Will snuggled with me and fell asleep around 1015 until 1045. He got up unhappy, but calmed down meanwhile Jess and Logan were starting to get fussy. I left the room for a few minutes and when I returned this is what I saw --



Jess was completely exhausted! She woke up- sat up and then right back down for about 20 minutes from 1100-1130. My mom came in to help me and while she was holding Logan --



He totally crashed snuggling with her! Tonight was another meltdown after dinner so I think that the experiment has failed for now. I don't think that they are quite ready for only one nap. I will try again in a few weeks. Tomorrow I am going to try a new schedule which will give them a 30 minutes power nap from 930-1000 and then long afternoon nap time back to 100. I will let you know how it goes!

Thinking Back 1 Year

It is exactly one year ago today that Dave took a trip to get mom to come up for the babies births. Today he is driving down to get her to come celebrate their birthday with us!

I am just amazed at how fast time has gone by. I was looking thru my pregnancy journal and up til now I had only been to the hospital twice for complications. Once very early at 15 weeks (I had some bleeding issues)and then again at almost 30 weeks (too many contractions, too close together). Both times were scary, but I never had to stay overnight. Dave drove down to get mom after work and they came back late Saturday morning. We almost had babies that night! I went into the hospital around 9-10pm again for lots of close contractions. They gave me meds and thankfully everything stopped and we were able to go home in the very early am. I was very uncomfortable and ready to have the babies, but knew the longer they stayed put, the better off they would be, but boy it was ROUGH!

I am so glad that I kept a written journal. Those days seem so long ago, yet it has only been a year! I look back on that time and realize how truly amazing and wonderful the whole experience has been.

I plan on blogging lots this upcoming week, with individual posts about each of the triplets so stay tuned! Have a great wekend!

A few quick updates

Dave just called me and things are starting to look a little better. He was told that he still needs to put in for conversion, but with so little time left it would most likely be denied. The chief in charge of his case then said after he is denied, he would be able to find him a billet here! The more people Dave talks with the more confusing the situation gets, but most have never heard of anyone having this much trouble getting final orders or being involuntarily separated after more than 18 years in!! This Chief on his case told him not to worry that it would all be straightened out - he would get a billet and he would not be getting kicked out! He also told Dave to tell Me not to worry - right. I 'll stop worrying once he has his final orders and we can move into housing! How long to get denied the conversion? Who knows, but I hope it does not take long - I WANT ORDERS AND A MOVE INTO HOUSING ASAP!!! Unfortunately, I have no say and it could be a while yet!
OK, I told you as soon as I knew anything I would post. I mean it really is still just a waiting game, who know for how long, but now we both feel a little better.


In totally unrelated news, Logan has bottom tooth! His gum has been white for a bit now, but yesterday evening you could feel the tooth poking thru! That makes 3 teeth for him with another top one on its way.

Jess and Logan are both starting to really get better balancing themselves. Logan even likes to shake a toy or clap his hands while standing. Yesterday while Jen was here we had Jess and Logan practicing their walking. Jess took a few steps between her and I, but Logan was the shining star. He very carefully took about 5 steps! I did not get it on video, but maybe Dave and I can try tonight to get it and post.

Grandma is coming to visit! Dave is going down Friday night to get mom so she will be here for the triplet's birthday! I am excited for her to get here - we have lots to do and PSU football games to watch!


All 4 of the kids are either coughing or have very runny, congested noses! The little ones are miserable and just want a lot of hugs and Lucas is fighting us about taking what he calls "Blech, Blech cough medicine."

Anyway, now you are up to speed. Have a great day!

Tuesday Update

Hi Everyone,
I know that I usually post on Monday mornings, but with the holiday and Dave and Lucas home - it just never happened. What is new with us? Unfortunately, not much. It was a pretty relaxing long weekend. We watched a lot of football, went to a fall festival and just relaxed here at home. Dave finally got the birthday invites in the mail on Fri. I am working on getting the stuff for the party and looking forward to seeing everyone and enjoying the day. I know that I forgot to send a few out, so if you are local and will be free on Sunday Oct 26 from 4-6 please email me and we can discuss where the big event will be. Don't want it posted on the web!


Saturday afternoon was a fall festival in Groton, so we got every one dressed and out of the house for a few hours. We got back for a little afternoon nap and the trio went to bed extra early since they were so tired.

Saturday night I had a really great time talking with my sister while we watched Penn State whip Wisconsin! We talked for almost 3 hours! It was like a girls night out- only in! K - next game - I'll call you! How about for the Ohio game?

Sunday and Monday were pretty much stay at home and relax. We worked on getting the trio back on schedule, but all three are getting a cough and snotty and miserable so it has been interesting. Jess decided to skip the am nap again today, but she is soo tired - hope she can last until nap time!

Lastly, no news yet on what the Navy is going to do with Dave. I promise as soon as I know anything I will update! Hope you had a great weekend and enjoyed the fall weather while it lasts, cause winter is coming!

P.S. thanks for the blog award Nicole! I'll blog it this week!

A New Wrinkle

Well, Dave got a message today and it is NOT what we wanted! The message is basically submit a package to be considered for conversion to another rating or be administratively separated within 30 DAYS! We are very shocked to say the least. So instead of just giving him the shore duty here in Groton for the next 20 months until retirement (which he is due for anyway after back to back sea tours), the powers that be are making him get packages ready to change his rate and probably move us to a whole new duty station! I am just so upset right now. I think that this is an awful situation for Dave to be put in. He has done his duty for the Navy for the last 18 years without complaining and this is the thanks he gets! We have moved so many times and been apart for months during deployments and what is the end result - convert or you are out! Money is super tight so we really have no choice but for him to try to convert to stay in. He is understandably upset and is actively talking with people higher up his chain of command to try to understand what his options are at this point. I will update as soon as we know anything! Hope your day is going better than mine!

A Better Video

OK, we got a better, longer video of Will and his great reaction at dinner tonight. I love how Logan "talks" to his food. They do this at almost every meal. Enjoy!

Monday Morning Updates

It was a great weekend here. The trio and I attended their Uncle Larry's Navy retirement ceremony on Fri afternoon. Dave was part of the ceremony and Lucas had school, so it was me and the trio. It was a beautiful ceremony. Since I let the babies sleep for a longer am nap, they were all very good. I ended up with several helpers and we kept them quiet for the most part - Will cried the first couple times everyone clapped, but soon got over it and almost fell asleep in my arms- his body just so used to our schedule! I scheduled it so that they had bottles and snack during the ceremony. Logan and Jess each had a fussy moment or two, but nothing too disruptive. I even had s few people tell me they did not realize that I had three babies with me because they were so good! There was a party afterwards and they again did great - they were exhausted on the way home and were in bed by 7:00.

I had my MNO with my fellow triplet moms from Rhode Island Friday night. It was as always a ton of fun. I really enjoy getting out and talking with moms who understand the whole triplet experience first hand.

Saturday was a stay-at-home day until after the afternoon nap. The best part was the Penn State game was on during nap time! I got to watch the game and enjoy it uninterrupted - that hardly ever happens! It was a great game and Penn State won -they are now 6 - 0 WOOHOO! After nap it was over to one of Dave's co-workers for a autumn party. It was lots of fun and again the trio behaved for the most part. The party was outside and it was a little chilly, but I had everyone bundled very well and they enjoyed crawling all over the blanketed area that I arranged. They ate great and played well. We again got home with very tired babies - pj's, bottles and in bed right around 7:15. I then headed over to Jen and Larry's to hang out with everyone who traveled in for the ceremony. Dave and Lucas stayed home and played their new Xbox game and relaxed. Lucas was feeling very sick and started to cough and sneeze, so I made him stay home. I got home around 10 and then watched some more college football until bed.

Yesterday was errand day. Lucas again looked bad, so I made him stay home from the birthday party he was supposed to attend to try to kick whatever he has, before school today. Dave and I took the trio out - commissary for groceries, Walmart for other stuff, Staples for printer ink, McDonalds for lunch - it was hectic, but fun. The trio slept on the way home,around 2-3, but not really much after that so we had fun keeping them entertained and happy until dinner and it was bath night. They were again very tired and went down without a peep at 7:15. All in all it was a great fall weekend.

Here is one of the other videos I promised to try to put up last week- sorry for the delay. This is what Will does whenever you shake the cereal/cracker container - just hit play even though the screen is black - it should work. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Kayla!!!

Today is my neice's 3rd birthday. It seems like it was not that long ago when Dave came back from a month long submarine deployment and we traveled to PA to see our neice! I talked to her today and she sounded so "grown up". I know that my sister had a fun filled day planned for her and the party is on Sat. I wish we were able to attend, but have a busy weekend here in CT.

Kayla,
I am so sorry that we can't come to the party, but I promise I'll have your gift when we next see you! Enjoy your special and day and we love you!!

Aunt K and Uncle Dave and the crew