Gus, Kate and Claire update

Hi, Everyone,

Here is the latest on our three sweet ones...

Gus is acting more and more like a "rowdy" boy! He gets louder and louder, and his movements are becoming stronger and stronger. His Poppa Bear and MeMe even spotted him scooting on his back across the floor...yes, scooting on his back. I could not figure out how he was changing locations. I hadn't seen him crawling or rolling. But, Poppa Bear and MeMe SAW him scooting on his back to get to where he wanted to go. Gus is changing so quickly. He is now enjoying "tummy time" more and more and fussing about it a little less. He does a "skydiver" motion while on his stomach and also looks like he is a panicky swimmer at times. He is still such a sweet boy. He loves lots of affection (big bear hugs and lots of wallowing) and big slobbery kisses. And, he thinks that his MeMe is the funniest person EVER! Put MeMe in front of Gus (she calls him her Gran-G), and he is going to hurt himself laughing. It is so cute. His favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round" (seriously, he will stop what he is doing and grin from ear to ear and just let me sing the entire song to him). Also, he is taking more and more solid food and less formula. He especially enjoys carrots. So, I made baby food (carrots) for him today with the nifty baby food BEABA machine that Gus' MeMe bought for me. It is SO easy and fun, and it made me feel good to put fresh baby food into containers just for my Big G.

Kate is also changing so quickly. She smiles with her entire face and laughs all the time. She is getting so close to crawling that it is scary. I am still surprised that she isn't crawling yet. But, she is scooting a little, and she is bunching-up her knees underneath her. She also likes to be helped to stand-up. She will stand for as long as Chad and I will help her to do this...she absolutely loves doing this. She is also learning that her actions cause things to move and as a result has become quite proficient at spinning the rattle on her Exersaucer. It is fun for me to watch her concentrate on spinning that rattle! She is now enjoying rice cereal a little more, but is not quite on the same level with progressing to solids as Gus. Right now, she will take about four bites of rice cereal and move it around in her mouth, which is great. Also, she enjoys it when I plant kisses on her feet, knees and elbows and then end with one final BIG kiss right smack in the middle of her tummy! Her favorite songs are "The Wheels on the Bus" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" (yes, I know it isn't Christmas, but if your child enjoyed the song as much as Kate, you'd be singing it year 'round, too). Her favorite books are "Where Is The Green Sheep?" and "Little Jesus, Little Me".

Claire is doing so well. She is now able to do the "skydiver" motion that her brother and sister have been doing for a few weeks now, so I am very proud of her! She is definitely my "people watcher" baby. She watches people with such intensity. She really studies what is going on around her. Let me tell you that it can be a little creepy to see a baby just watching you like she does...I find myself wondering what she is thinking, or worse, wondering if she knows what I am thinking at any given moment! LOL! ;o) She is not enjoying rice cereal like her brother quite yet. She will take a bite or two and then clamp her jaws shut and turn her head. She is still the one who enjoys affection the most. And, she is also the hardest one to make laugh. She smiles all the time, but if we can get a giggle out of Claire Bear, we feel very blessed (she's not as easily amused as Gus and Kate). She also loves the songs "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Incy Wincy Spider", and her favorite book is also "Little Jesus, Little Me" (you think I'm kidding, but she will stop what she is doing and smile so big when I even show her the book).

Lately, I have been taking the babies on late afternoon stroller rides (when the weather cooperates). They love it and so do I.

We are making lots of plans to have the babies out and about once April gets here. I have already mentioned that we will be bringing them to church at Landmark in Mt. Enterprise for Easter (that's where our families live). We are planning to participate in the "March for Babies" walk that is being held at the end of April. Then, we will be participating in the parent/baby dedication service at our church here in Tyler on Mother's Day. And, we are also planning on bringing them for a quick visit to Encompass sometime in April or May. We are excited about all of these things, but it will still be difficult because the babies' schedule comes first. They still have to eat and nap, so our visits will be brief. But, at least they will be out of the house and seeing new and interesting people, places and things! Also, these things have to be done when Chad can be with me...I'm not quite ready to be out on the town with three infants by myself! Now, wouldn't THAT be a HOOT??! ;o)

Chad and I are already grieving the unavoidable ending to the babies' "infant" phase...it is coming, and there is nothing that we can do to stop it. While I was pregnant with Gus, Kate and Claire, Chad and I decided not to gripe about all of the things that are just part of having babies...late nights, early mornings, zillions of diaper changes, fussiness, feedings, feedings and more feedings, etc. We did not want to miss out on the joy of our babies because we were too busy complaining. I am so glad that we chose to savor each moment. The late nights, early mornings and fussiness (rare) provide us with more chances to hold and comfort our little ones. The zillions of diaper changes give us more opportunities to plant kisses on bare tummies and little naked toes. The numerous feedings allow us more time to look into the eyes of Gus, Kate and Claire and really SEE them...

Chad and I have been blessed beyond measure, and we do not take that lightly. We have never worked harder or been happier than we are right this very minute. Chad is definitely a proud dad. And, I am a proud, stay home mom. Recently, lots of people have asked if I am bored staying at home or have implied that I should be bored. What is boring about raising children? I have never felt as challenged creatively, intellectually, emotionally or spiritually as I do now...staying home is definitely NOT boring. It is without a doubt the most rewarding thing I have ever done, and I am so thankful to be able to be here.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us.

We love you and are counting the days until we can see you all again!

Love,

Leslie

P.S. The baby with the big grin is Claire. The baby with the wide eyes is Kate. And, of course you can recognize Gus...he's the boy in the blue hat! Oh, and we are on Facebook...look us up there if you want!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chad and I are so thankful to be spending our very first Valentine's Day with Gus, Kate and Claire. They are constant reminders of God's love and faithfulness to us.

The ultimate Valentine:

"God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life." John 3:16 (New Century Version of the Bible)

We love you all.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love,

Chad, Leslie, Gus, Kate and Claire

P.S. Pictured from top to bottom: Claire, Kate and Gus

Baby update...

Hi, Everyone,


We took the babies to the doctor this week. Gus weighs 18.14 pounds. Kate weighs 14.12 pounds and Claire weighs 15.2 pounds. They turned 7 months old on the 9th of this month.


All of the babies received their RSV vaccine for the month of February. Their last one will be given in March. RSV season is almost over, which means that Chad and I are making plans to take Gus, Kate and Claire for their first social outing on Easter Sunday. We will be going to Mt. Enterprise to Chad's parents' church (all of our Texas family go to the very same church, so, we will get to see everyone in one big swoop)! Well, I say that we are doing this...these are "Good Lord willing" plans.


I have said that I am looking forward to Spring so that I do not have to be quite so picky about visitors and outings. Others have said, "Won't it be great to be able to get the babies out?" Well, it occurred to me...OUT WHERE?? Where in the world am I going to go with three infants under the age of one year -- alone? LOL!! :o) I will still have to have a "buddy", or I will just have to plan outings for when Chad is home on the weekends and we can brave learning how to go out in public together. This is all new to us! I have mentioned that on doctor's appointment days, Chad's parents (MeMe and Poppa Bear) come to help me get the babies to and from the doctor's office (having one person per baby is AWESOME). They have seen how long it takes to diaper, dress and feed the babies and then, strap the unwilling participant into the car seat and then pop the car seat into the Expedition. But, I am sure that making all of this go more smoothly will come with time and more experience. I will figure out what works and what doesn't work. Or, if I am just being lazy and don't want to figure it out for myself, I can pick-up the phone and call one of the wonderful ladies in my Mothers of Multiples group. They have already "been there" and "done that", so, I don't have to think for myself...I just call them and they tell me what worked for them. They are VERY patient people! :o)

Gus is doing much better on his formula. We had yet another formula switch. He is tolerating this much, much better. The previous formula was just tearing-up his little tummy. He is back to his laid back, jolly little self, and I am so glad. It was awful to see him scream and cry and to not be able to help him in any way.

Kate and Claire are healthy and have not had any formula difficulties. We are working with them on taking rice cereal and applesauce. Some days they are interested and some days they are not. Chad's mom described Kate's anti-rice cereal/anti-applesauce face the best when she said, "It looks like I just gave her a sour pickle instead of applesauce." This is true. Kate makes a sour pickle face after we feed her the applesauce. I tasted the applesauce and it is not sour at all. But, then again, I am not a baby trying these things for the first time, so there is no telling what it tastes like to her.

When Claire is uninterested in eating rice cereal and applesauce, she looks at us and then clamps her jaws and lips shut. No way are we getting even one spoonful of that stuff past her tiny lips! Also, her hair is growing at the speed of light...she has enough hair now for all three babies. :o)

We have three very healthy, very happy, very funny, very precious babies and we are so thankful!

Enjoy the day.

Love,

Leslie

Watching my babies...

Hi, Everyone,

Today was one of those days that I was able to sit back and really enjoy the babies....

This morning, I watched Claire sitting in her Exersaucer. I noticed her studying her little hands. She would study them for a few minutes as if they were the most interesting things she had ever seen, then she would put them in her mouth and look around. She repeated this a few times. Then she noticed that I was watching her and she looked at me and gave me one of those adorable gummy grins that I love so much. And, have you noticed Claire's hair in her pictures lately? Her hair rests nicely against her scalp in some places, but right in the crown of her head, it stands straight up...just like a little gosling! I could have watched her study her hands all day long. I could have looked at her little floaty wisps of hair all day long...I just loved watching HER.

This afternoon, I had all three babies on their tummies on a play mat. I noticed that Kate was in deep concentration and trying to reach for something on the mat. As I followed her gaze, I noticed that the something she was staring at and reaching for was Gus' hand. His hand is pudgy and wiggly...much more interesting than a baby rattle that doesn't move! And, yes, after much wiggling and squirming on her part, she finally put her little hand on his, and he looked at her. Then, they sat and stared at each other's hands while still holding hands. So precious...

God is good, and I thank Him for giving me the desires of my heart.

Enjoy your day...

Leslie

The pictures I have posted are of when Kate found Gus' hand and of Claire studying her hands...if you look closely, you will be able to see her new "gosling" hair-do... LOVE IT!! :o)

Jumperoo...

Hi, Everyone,

We tried a new toy today for Gus, Kate and Claire. It is called a "Jumperoo" and was given to the babies by their Poppa and MaDJ (most of you know them as Wayne and Jill). The Jumperoo is a little contraption that the babies can sit in. If they move their feet and bend their knees, they can safely jump around. It is really cute!

I have mentioned before that the babies are all so different as far as personality types. The Jumperoo actually helped to prove my theory. Each baby's reaction to the toy was completely different (and so funny...but, let's not forget that I am easily amused)...

Gus shuffled his feet, tippy-toed, bent his knees, hopped, and boinged. He was all over the place!! His little face was so intense...his little mouth was in a perfect "o" and his brow was furrowed because he was concentrating on doing his very best moves. His little feet at times looked like he could be part of the Riverdance group (Michael Flatley...Lord of the Dance)...you know...his feet pointing, shuffling, moving and wildly dancing around, while his upper body remained perfectly still. At times he also reminded me of a guy you might see attempting to fast-dance at a wedding reception. He's doing all of his best moves: The water sprinkler. The running man. The lawn mower. But, he just can't pull it together. This was my little Gus Man...my wild little dancing man! I thought the child was going to sling-shot himself out of that thing! Thankfully, that is not possible.

Kate was very methodical about her Jumperoo experience. First, she sat and studied the new contraption for a while. She really took it all in. Then, she confidently and daintily hopped and rocked back and forth. She bounced up and down, squealing and giggling. There were a few times that I thought she might sling-shot out of the thing, too. I had to keep reminding myself that this just wasn't possible...if you watched the babies in the Jumperoo, you would start worrying about the sling-shot effect, too.

After watching the other two babies in the Jumperoo, I didn't quite know what to expect from Claire. I placed her in the seat. She looked at me and smiled and put her little thumb in her mouth. She blew a few spit bubbles. She looked around and studied the Jumperoo very carefully. She gently shuffled her little feet a few times and then just sat there and smiled shyly as if to say, "Did you put me in here just so you can look at me and see how precious I am? Because I AM precious, you know!" That's all she did...she just hung there and smiled...and slurped her thumb and blew spit bubbles. Bless her.

Can you tell I had fun today? :o) I videoed Gus in the Jumperoo, and all you can hear is me laughing and the sound effects of the Jumperoo going "Boing...boing...boing...boing!!!!" So funny!

I posted a picture of Gus, concentrating and trying to figure out the toy on the front of the Jumperoo. The baby with the bow is Claire. The one without the bow and still in pajamas is Kate (she was the first one out of bed and into the Jumperoo this morning).

The babies are all oh-so-sweet and oh-so-funny. We are having good days together. It is so nice when the sun shines because it shines right into their play area and really bathes everything in light. It really lifts the spirits!

Love and miss you all....still counting the days until Spring is here!

Leslie

Dog children and human children...

Hi, Everyone,

Well, it was an exciting weekend around here...

First of all, our two year old mini-dachshund, Henry B., was nearly poisoned -- by US. Next, let me tell you that Chad and I are those people who have absolutely zero patience for irresponsible pet owners, or for tough guys who want to whip an animal into submission...or, for those who just let their animals wander, and the animal gets run over and it's no big deal, or, they just don't bother to get their pets vaccinated, or get rid of the dog/cat because they do not match their new carpet (never mind the thousands of animals in shelters that need homes, etc.) Chad and I are THOSE annoying people that despise all of those actions. Well, we became all that we despise in the category of irresponsibility this weekend. It all started because Chad was determined to get rid of the moles or gophers that we have in the back yard. I didn't want to murder the little rodents, but he did (apparently, he is a rodent serial killer and I didn't know it). Anyway, he put out mole/gopher killer pellets. The fine print on the box actually said: Beware. These are actually "Henry B. will find these and kill himself" pellets. Well, wouldn't you know, Chad came running in the house saying, "Henry was digging in the spot where I put out the poison. I think he ate some. We better call the vet!" After calling the vet -- at home -- on a Saturday night (yes, he is a very nice, patient man) and explaining to him that we had managed to poison our own dog, we gave Henry a nice dose of hydrogen peroxide and everything came up. Thank goodness Chad reacted so quickly because Henry had actually eaten a couple of pellets (Henry weighs 10 pound or less, so this could have really hurt him)! As if this weren't bad enough, I panicked and decided to bathe Henry...just in case he had a little poison residue on his paws. Then, Chad thought it would be a good time to clip Henry's toenails, too. The picture of Henry posted here is after we accidentally poisoned him, made him vomit, bathed him and then clipped his toenails. He is wearing his, "Gee...these people must really, really hate me" look! We love you, Henry B. Really, we do!

Yes. We are the people who have three...yes, three...children! God bless our children with EXTRA protection...apparently, they will need it around here! :o)

As far as the human babies go, all is well...

Gus has learned to roll from back to belly at will. It is not even a struggle for him anymore. He gets a little aggravated sometimes when he ends-up on his belly because this is his least favorite position. When he gets aggravated about this, I have to roll him onto his back again (he gets so aggravated that he forgets that he can do this himself). Gus is also enjoying eating rice cereal and applesauce.

Kate is still our "dare devil" child. Because she can safely rock back and forth in her Exersaucer, she thinks that she can also do this elsewhere. Keep in mind, she cannot sit-up on her own yet, so this can be dangerous. I had her propped-up with two Boppy pillows behind her. I happened to glance at her just on time to notice that she was attempting to rock back and forth -- unsupported! I had to rearrange her to keep her from face-planting onto the floor. Kate didn't know the difference. She was just having fun.

Claire is still our little snuggle bunny. Last week, after her Poppa Bear and MeMe left, Claire was difficult to deal with, which is very unusual for her. She is normally the most calm of all three babies. She fussed, she cried and "demanded" to be held at all times. It took me a couple of hours to realize that her Poppa Bear had basically carried her around -- constantly -- for an entire weekend -- and that she was grieving for him. I mean, she was all out boo-hooing. It was funny, but sad. Bless her!

By the way, the top picture is Claire and the bottom picture is Kate. It is getting harder to capture any of the babies smiling because now they will just stop what they are doing and stare at the camera.

I hope that you enjoy your day.

Be kind to your animals today! :o)

Love and miss you all,

Leslie

Prayers for Baby Gabe

Hi, Everyone,

Gus, Kate and Claire would like to welcome their new baby buddy, Gabe, into the world (his last name is not mentioned for privacy purposes). Gabe is one month early and is currently resting in NICU. He is on a ventilator and is having some difficulty regulating and adjusting. Please keep precious little Gabe in your prayers for healing, rest and comfort. Please keep his family in your prayers, too.

Welcome, Baby Gabe. You are loved by many! We hope that you feel better soon!

Love,

Chad, Leslie, Gus, Kate and Claire