The road to recovery....

Austin's surgery was a success on Wednesday.  He will wear an eye patch for the next few days as his eye recovers.  The doctors were able to remove the 3/4 inch cyst from the corner of his eye as well as the mole on his head with no problems.   There were fears the head surgery might have to be done a second time, but they were able to get it all in one shot.    He was a very good boy throughout the day, and the nurses/doctors were impressed with how brave he was. 

He did get sick to his stomach a few times during recovery so we ended up being at the hospital for about 8 hours total, making for a long day.    Might have been the anethesia, or the popsicles and 7-up he slammed down when he was finally able to eat/drink something after 20 hours without.

Austin was given Versed prior to being taken back to surgery.  Versed is a benzodiazepine, a drug that causes relaxation, sleepiness and can cause a partial or complete loss of memory during the use of the drug. This is the third or fourth time I think he has been administered this in his short life.   Although it is always a serious situation, he is an absolute riot for the 15 or 20 minutes from when he takes the drug until he is taken back for surgery, or in a few cases, a CT scan.  His speech slows down to about 50% speed, he gets the giggles, and he starts giving us a favorite hits medley of everything important in his life, namely his trains, various books, and a few select toys.  Every two minutes or so he will also stop and loudly exclaim, "It's dark in here,".....even though we are in a bright room at the time. 

On a side note, Kettering Hospital has the best darn cafeteria I have ever come across.   Courtney and I had a delicious meal that would not have to take a back seat to many fine Dayton restaurants.  I was surprised by the incredulous looks I received from the cashier when I inquired about whether a reservation was needed for Saturday nights, as I had hoped to take Courtney back there for our anniversary.  Oh well.......

Here are some pictures of our little man.....

Our pirate.....

stitches on his head

Big Brother

Big brother Austin is having surgery tomorrow morning.  He has had a quarter sized spot on his head since birth that appears to be a birthmark, but the doctors actually call it a mole of some sort.  They have suggested having it removed before it causes problems later on.  Since he is already going to be under, we figured why not throw in a second surgery.  He also has a good-sized growth in the corner of his eye that gives the appearance of a blocked tear duct.  It's not that, but instead termed a orbital dermoid cyst.  He will have that removed as well.  

Courtney went to great lengths to coordinate two surgeries at the same time to save her little boy from going through two separate traumatic events.  I would have never even thought it possible, but she made it happen after many phone calls, consultations and appointments.

We will head to Kettering Hospital tomorrow morning at 9:00am for the 11:00am procedures.   He will be able to come home tomorrow after recovery.  He is not allowed to eat or drink after midnight, so we kept him up until 10:00pm for a Thomas/Chuggington/Sesame Street marathon.   Hopefully that will make the morning go better.

It has been about two years since he had surgery in May 2010 to remove part of his lung as a result of the bronchopulmonary sequestration issue he had.  Although he is a healthy kid, it is amazing the odd surgeries he has had to have in his 2 3/4 years.   Makes us appreciate how blessed we have been in that regard with the triplets.         

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Four Kids (and mom and dad) in a Tub.......

We generally give the triplets baths twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday.  It is usually a mixed experience.....the boys don't mind it, but Ryleigh tends to cry loudly.  The. entire. time.

Sunday was a challenging day, so when bath time arrived, we got the bright idea to mix it up and take a family soak in the master bath.   Like many things around here, it was equal parts entertaining and stressful. 

Austin always enjoys the rare treat of bathing in mom and dad's bath.  He excitedly was first in, and naturally, within seconds, proceeded to unleash what appeared to be half a day of pent up urine upon our freshly drawn tub.   Eventually we squeezed 12 arms, 12 legs, 60 fingers and 60 toes into the bath (sorry, no pics).    Surprisingly, keeping three squirming babies above water, while a two year old practices his back stroke proved to be manageable.  The pleasant surprise was that Ryleigh did not cry and actually enjoyed her family bath.  I'm sure we will attempt it again some time soon. 

Reminiscing...

Saturday I was putting our Christmas pictures in our photo album. I had filled one up as a result and started to flip through. The album starts with pictures from when the babies were born (yes, a very large album). It amazed me to look back on those pictures. One that struck me in particular was me holding Ryleigh a few days after birth. She was curled up in the fetal position on my chest. Her little bum and feet were in my hand, up on my chest. Her little head was nestled on the bottom of my neck. So tiny. A sharp contrast to now. Cayden woke early yesterday morning due to congestion. He fell back asleep on me and I just left him there. His feet and bottom rested on my lap. His head was on my shoulders. By comparison to day 1, these babies are just huge. They really do grow so fast.

9 months is quickly approaching (this coming Friday). So hard to believe we are quickly coming to one year. They've been hitting some major milestones lately, with both Gabe and Ryleigh crawling forward. Ryleigh promptly started to crawl into laps and pull herself up to standing. She will even take a few steps if you hold both of her hands. We are in trouble! C ayden is content to watch it all from a sitting position - which for him is legs spread and arms out to his sides. He is more interested in balancing. Of course he tries to crawl and has conquered reverse. All in good time Cayden!

As of last Wednesday, Ryleigh weighed in at 15 lb 13 oz, Cayden 16 lb 10 oz, and Gabe has regained the lead at 16 lb 11 oz! Size wise, the boys are always neck and neck. Although they still look very similar, their personalities are really starting to help tell them apart. We've had a lot of visitors lately and Cayden has won the 'most laid back baby' award each time. He has no problem holding down the couch and watching football with the guys. Ryleigh is too busy for such things, preferring to crawl around and see what else is going on. The minute she gets bored, or stuck, she will let you know. Gabe just enjoys jumping away in his exersaucer and flirting with the ladies. Yikes. Their nanny was sick today so I had the pleasure of spending the day with the trio. Today was the first time they all 3 wanted in my lap - with Ryleigh and Gabe crawling up themselves and Cayden just reaching out his arms and crying till he got held too. It was amazing how quiet it got once they all 3 were there - oh yes, it can be done! One on each leg and one in the middle and we were all happy. At that point they all looked at each other as if to say 'now what do we get her to do?!' Oh the fun we are in for.....

A quick thank you to Nana and Grandpa Sowers who watched the whole crew yesterday so that Jon and I could go see the Buckeyes beat Michigan. It was such a treat to have some time to spend together. Happy Birthday Big Daddy!

Results

As  expected, Ryleigh takes home the first Cayden John Baby of the Week Award. 

Baby of the Week

Court and I decided last night to begin a Baby of the Week contest.  Best sleeper, eater and overall behaved baby will take home the crown and gain the coveted acknowledgedment on the refrigerator.  While Connie will be placing her vote at close of business on Friday, Courtney, Austin and I will each vote Sunday evening.  This will come as an absolute shock to those who know the trips well, but little Ryleigh Roo may have a slight lead and seems to be inching away from Cayden.  Cayden is pretty much baby of the year and has no peers......my sisters nearly ripped his left arm off when it was time to choose a baby for an overnight stay in November.  However, Rye has cleaned up her act this week, big-time.  She has slept later, ate better, and required a little less attention.....not to mention she has far and away the best hair.   I even tested her tonight by putting her in her crib while wide awake.....and we didn't have to return (crossing fingers as of 11:00pm).    Gabe appears to be teething and dropped out of the contest within 45 minutes. 

Stay tuned as this epic battle continues.....

On a side note, i was preaching to Courtney this evening how Rye was a serious contender for the baby of the week.  Shortly thereafter, Austin proclaimed that his sister was "not a chicken tender."  I gazed at him dumbfounded as the dots were not connected right away, until Courtney figured out that he thought I said his baby sister was a "chicken tender", not a contender.   Maybe, you had to be there.......

More blog updates forthcoming........soon.

Easily entertained......

Dad of the Year

During the holidays we get a chance to (hopefully) slow down and remember what is important in our lives and reflect on all of our blessings. As I have reflected this season, I am struck be how blessed we are to have four beautiful and healthy children. They are growing so fast and bring so much excitement to our lives. I have also been blessed with a wonderful husband and our babies have been blessed with an amazing Dad.

Not only can he handle our little herd, but he does it willingly and with amazing patience. Jon has an amazing way of keeping the babies calm and distracted.  Granted, he can hold them all at the same time (see below) which does wonders for distracting them. However, despite a stressful full-time job, he is willing to watch the kids on his own so that Mom can get some much needed away time with her friends or let Mom go to Florida with Austin for a long weekend to visit her sister, leaving him with the 3 babies. It takes a super Dad to be able to pull that off.

Even though things are stressful, he goes out of his way to make things easier for me and the kids, from sending flowers and being supportive of my decision to return to work to taking time off to take Austin to the zoo and ride on Thomas the Train. The kids and I could not have asked for a more loving and devoted Dad. We love you Daddy!

 Dad balancing Ryleigh, Gabe, and Cayden

Austin and his Daddy

Memorable Moment

Last Saturday Jon and I were able to take Austin to a Christmas party Santa also attended. Austin was not a bit shy about telling the big guy what he wanted (mainly trains from Thomas & Friends). Austin was rewarded with a present on the spot - low and behold, Hiro! (One of the Thomas & Friends trains for those of you not in the know). Needless to say, Santa is now high up on Austin's favorite list of people and he is proudly showing his train off to all who are interested. It was definitely a moment we will remember. Hard to believe Austin is old enough to be able to really enjoy the magic of Christmas. Thank you to our neighbors who watched the trio and helped make this memorable night happen!

Growing personalities

It is hard to believe that 6.5 months have gone by. The babi3s are really growing and starting to develop their own personalities.

Cayden is the biggest, having achieved 14 pounds 1 ounce as of his 6 month check up on the 9th of November. He will play with rattles and jump around in the exersaucer but is all business when it comes to napping - which might be how he is the biggest. He is especially good at taking naps in the van, the only one Austin can't seem to wake up with his shouting out things we are passing ('Field!') . Cayden is ready to chat at any moment, and won't hesitate to chat with his toys if no one else is around. He is also fascinated by the tv - I think we have found our next couch potato! At first, Cayden didn't seem to like cereal but he has really taken to it now, if you can get him to stop chatting long enough to eat a few bites :) We have been practicing sitting the last few weeks but Cayden is far more interested in standing. Even when it is bath time, he is trying to stand!

Gabe is pretty easy going and was 13 pounds 12 ounces at the last check up. He loves to smile. He will smile the second you look at him with this half smile that highlights the dimple he got from his Dad. Watch out ladies, he is cute and he knows it! Gabe has always seemed to like cereal - darting forward in his chair everytime he sees a spoonfull coming (which makes a giant mess). Of course, he often wants to smile at you too, again making a giant mess. One of Gabe's favorite activities is the exersaucer. He loves to jump and gets his legs going so fast that it looks hilarious - and he finds it very funny too!

Ryleigh has the most personality of all of the triplets and was 13 pounds 5 ounces. She finds it difficult to squeeze daytime naps in while trying to make sure she misses nothing that is going on. Recently she has taken to squealing in order to get attention. As soon as you look her way, she breaks into a wide grin. Even if Ryleigh ends up being a tom-boy, we know she has some girl in her! Unfortunately she has picked up one of her Dad's traits - once we switched to all formula a week ago, she has become very spitty. But don't worry, it doesn't slow her down anymore than it did her big brother when he was a baby. Austin has taken to dancing and playing for the babi3s. Ryleigh will laugh and giggle at his antics - she finds him hysterical.

There seems to be an odd connection between Gabe and Ryleigh in particular. If one cries out, the other one puckers his bottom lip and cries shortly thereafter (unless Dad intercedes and says 'put that lip in there'!). Same with laughter - if ones giggles, usually that gets the other one going. Cayden will sometimes join in on the crying or laughing but it takes him a little longer to react to those two. The only exception to this observation is at night when the boys are too busy sleeping to pay Ryleigh's cries any attention. I figure they have reacted all day and are worn out from all her daytime cries :-)

Overall they have been amazing babi3s. Knock on wood, we have had a few nights when everyone has been able to sleep till at least 7:30 am (from about 8 pm) without needing to be consoled. It is hard for Jon and I to figure out how we got here - and definitely don't know how we got so lucky! We have both had the opportunity to be alone with all four kids in the last few weeks. It is quite a sense of accomplishment to be able to say you can take care of all of them on your own. Of course, we better know how since they are our kids! They definitely have a super Dad, who can handle four kids at once and is willing to do that often so mom can spend some time with friends.

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to say a special thank you to all the friends and families who have helped us with meals, bottles, cleaning, words of encouragement, and time to get out of the house. We have been incredibly blessed with all the support and could not have come this far and be as sane as we are without it. Thank you!

The many faces of Ryleigh

Trick or Treat!

A short video of our farmer's first stop trick-or-treating with his animals.

Adventuring

As October winds down, I will remember it as the month we got busy living and headed out and about with our small army.  Prior to October, our trips with the trips +1 consisted of Labor Day travels to mom and dad's in Anna and Courtney's parents at Indian Lake, doctor appointments, and church for baptism and one service.  I don't recall any other excursions.

During October we were able to do the following:

• Church with Leslie, Taylor and Zach
• Fulton Farms to pick pumpkins
• BW3 for dinner on Friday October 14
• Meijer for groceries on Sunday October 23
• Visit to Dad's office
• Several trips on various errands as mom or dad would take one of the babies along
• Mom of the Century travels to Delaware, Ohio, alone with all four kids, to see her family

Grocery shopping at Meijer went pretty well.  We had two carts.  Ryleigh and Cayden in car seats in dad's cart, one on the base, and one up top.  Austin and Gabe rode in mom's cart.  Somehow we found a way to squeeze our purchases in too.  Cayden is apparently partial to Kroger as he spent 1/3 of the time crying.  We really didn't receive many incredulous stares, as we were separated quite a bit trying to expedite our trip. 

Dinner at BW3 was also a success.  We took Aunt Abby, who stayed with us several nights during her Fall Break from college, along which made it possible.  The boys were not phased by the new environment, however, Lady Roo (as she occasionally likes to be called these days) spent a good part of the time being held by mom.  The lights, noise and people proved to be a little too much for Miss Social to process.  Gabe gives two thumbs up to the Sam Adams Octoberfest on tap at the Troy location. 

Court's trip to Delaware went very well.  She left Friday afternoon during nap time and returned Saturday during the same time.  The babies were good in the van and Austin kept her entertained pointing out every field, truck, and cow for the 80 mile journey.  Court sent Dad to the riverboat Friday night to bring home more diapers and formula money.  Mission accomplished.

Finally, we were also able to take many walks in the subdivision the last week of September and first two weeks of October as the weather improved.   The community playground and Stone Lake were two of our favorite destinations.  As the weather cooled and rains came the last two weeks of the month, our ability to take walks at night has ended.  We both cringe as a long, cold winter approaches that will leave us home bound most of the next four months.  Hopefully we are still able to get out and about from time to time. 

Current Weights

Per the home scale.....

Gabe  13 lbs 
Cayden  13 lbs 1.5 ozs
Ryleigh   12 lbs 10 ozs

I think 8 ounces is the most that has ever separated the triplets, with the non-identical, identical boys liking to stay within an ounce or two. 

Bellying Up

This week we test drove our new triplet table. This was a generous present from several of our neighbors.  The babies seemed to enjoy sitting up and checking things out.

The first taste of cereal went okay - Ryleigh definitely liked it the most. Gabe liked it until he decided it was too much work. Cayden was not impressed. Maybe another day...

Cayden, Gabe, and Ryleigh

A pumpkin-picking good time.....

We recently went to Fulton Farms with the entire Stangel family to pick pumpkins in what is an annual tradition.  A few pictures from the outing -

Takin' it easy

Looking for the perfect pumpkin

Austin meticulously painting his pumpkin

A Grand Idea

Courtney got together for dinner and drinks last Friday night with three fellow triplet moms from the Dayton area.  She came home with some good advice, including one idea that was soon implemented -

This system of using blankets to prop bottles and letting the babies feed themselves has accelerated the feeding process when only two people (or one) are at home.   Instead of individually feeding and burping and holding all three, one person can monitor all three and pick them up intermittenly for burping.  The babies have adjusted well to taking many bottles in the above manner. 

Five month achievements

As the babies turn five months old, many milestones have been reached, including the all important sleeping through the night. This has also been the most chatty month we have had. Gabe is by far the most chatty. He must be following Austin's example, who never seems to stop talking these days. Ryleigh is quick to let you know she is not getting enough attention- and smiles from ear to ear as soon as you turn her way. Cayden was the first to laugh - when Mom planted dozens of kisses on his neck. The five months stats, as taken at home:

• Cayden - 12 lb 5 oz, 23 and 3/4 inches tall
• Gabe - 11 lb 15.5 oz, 23 and 1/4 inches tall
• Ryleigh - 11 lb 10.5 oz, 23 and 1/2 inches tall

One of the most enjoyable milestones they have reached is smiling and laughing. Nothing can make you smile faster than a smile on a little one! And here is the proof:

Austin on his way to see Thomas the Train

Ryleigh is all smiles for anyone giving her some attention

Cayden has a half smirk - probably for all the silly things we say to him to get him to smile

Gabe cracking up during a 'photo shoot' (the occasional day when Mom dresses them all in matching outfits and attempts to get good shots of the crew).

Shenanigans....

As the triplets turned 5 months old the other day and we were discussing how far we have come, it made me think about how challenging things were when we first brought the kids home. It wasn't that long ago that we were getting up every 3 hours to feed the babies and now we are down to four times in a day. We still have the very challenging 6:30 pm to 8 pm hours every day but it helps to think that it could be much worse. Jon and I are even starting to get brave enough to try to handle that 'witching hour' on our own. Here is a pictoral of one such attempt...

Pay no attention to the chaos Austin was allowed to make in the background and the upside down baby, everyone was happy for at least a few minutes! The picture should come with a warning - this works until it is time for the babies to burp! The only other attempt at feeding two at once worked better, mainly because one of the babies fell asleep. Of course, when all else fails - just distract them:

Austin thought this was pretty cool. Poor Gabe (in the middle) wasn't so sure of it.

-- Courtney

Summer Fun with Austin

Our thomas the train outing referenced in a prior post went well.  We had a great time and Austin still talks about riding that train.   A big part of the outing was to give him some time with just mom and dad.  That being said, Courtney and I couldnt help but laugh about what happened shortly after arriving at the event site.  We sat down to eat lunch in a tent where a magician was performing.  The crowd was very, very sparse....excluding us, there were about another 5 adults and 5 kids.  The magician first pulled a girl from the crowd to assist him....she was named.....Kayden (sp).  A few minutes later he pulled a little boy......he of course was named Cayden too.  We got the heck out of there at that point, before a Riley and a Gabe were introduced to the crowd. 

Today we took Austin to the Cincinnati Zoo.  While it was sort of a gloomy day, the rain held off and we had a great time checking out a large variety of animals.