Happy Birthday, Gus, Kate and Claire!!

Hi, Everyone,

I wrote this on the babies' birthday (July 9th), but I am just now getting around to posting it...

As most of you know, today is Gus, Kate and Claire's official FIRST BIRTHDAY! Chad and I just cannot believe it! It has been an incredible year for Chad and I to literally see the hand of God in our lives and in the lives our children. We have experienced what we believe to be miracles overflowing! In spite of the statistics and in spite of what we were told would probably happen during my pregnancy, we have three healthy, happy little ones.

If you didn't believe in miracles before, I hope that you do now. I hope that when you think of Gus, Kate and Claire you will also remember that God is good, He loves you, He is merciful and He is still a God of miracles.

Thank you all for your prayers for our family. Because you prayed for us, you are also a part of these many miracles...

So, you are wondering how their first party went, right? Well, it was so fun! The babies were so sweet. The girls were dressed in little pink tutus, with big bows in their hair and t-shirts with cupcakes with "1" on them. Gus was in little khaki shorts with a t-shirt and a camo "1" on it. The babies' MeMe and Poppa Bear, Poppa and Ma DJ, Great MamMaw, Uncle Matt, Aunt Brandy and Cousin Hunter, and Auntie A and Uncle T-Boy came to help celebrate. Gift opening went slowly...the babies were easily distracted, so that part was pretty funny. But, of course, the grand finale for them was the CAKE. Each baby had their own "smash" cake with their name on it. When presented with his cake (while only wearing a diaper and a birthday hat), Gus kicked-back in his high chair seat like he had been eating cake every day for his entire life...he ate half of that little cake! Kate, also wearing only a diaper and a cute little birthday tiara/hat, looked at the cake, touched the cake, briefly tasted the cake and then flipped-out because icing was on her hands. Claire, also half naked and in a birthday tiara, was pretty laid-back about the whole thing. She took her time looking at the cake, playing in the icing and attempting to eat some of the cake. It was a HOOT! We all sang "Happy Birthday" to each baby...

I posted a few pictures so you can see how much fun we had! (from top to bottom...picture of Kate, then Gus, then Claire, a family photo and then a cake photo).

Happy Birthday, Gus, Kate and Claire! Your dad and I are so glad we had you. You are blessings that fill our daily lives with joy. We love you!

Update on Gus, Kate and Claire

Hi, Everyone,

Well, we have three little busy bodies on our hands! So much has happened since the last time I posted. I will just hit the high points...

• I celebrated my first Mother's Day...WOOHOOO!!
• Our family participated in the Parent Commitment/Baby Dedication Service at our church on Mother's Day. My Maw Maw and Uncle David, Chad's parents, dad, Jill, Matt, Brandy, Hunter and Hannah all came to share in the day with us, which made it even more special. Matt was our extra "baby holder" during the service. He did a great job!
• All are crawling! Yippee!! Claire has been scooting around for quite some time...she still isn't on her knees. But, she looks like she is swimming on the floor. LOL! She is FAST! Kate was the first to actually crawl. Gus has been crawling for a few weeks now. When he decided to crawl, there was no struggle for him. He just did it.
• All have two bottom teeth. Sweet, quiet, loving Baby Claire is a biter...she will bite to move her humongous brother out of her way when she wants something...we are having to tell her, "NO BITE, CLAIRE!!").
• All can open cabinets. Gus and Claire closed-up Kate in the toy cabinet the other day...fortunately, Kate was so absorbed in playing with the toys in the cabinet that she didn't realize that she was being held captive.
• All are holding their own bottles, which has taken feeding time down from about an hour to about 15 - 20 minutes. Another WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!
• All are enjoying Stage 2 baby food. We are advancing them to more and more textures very slowly due to their previous feeding issues/aversions. They are making progress.
• All are pulling-up. Yikes.
• They all really enjoy books. They really like the "touch and feel" books with the different textures. And, they have a terrific attention span for most books...seriously.
• All are babbling and saying "Mamamama" and "Dadadadadada" and "Babbababaa" and various other noises.
• They are playing well with each other and even make each other laugh.
• They all still sleep in the same room at night and are still sleeping well through the night. But, for naps, I had to start putting them all in different rooms. Why? Because my girls were "talking" and laughing with each other for 45 minutes when they were supposed to be napping. This threw the nap schedule WAY off for a couple of weeks because they were just starting to fall asleep when Gus was almost finished with his nap. Having them napping in different rooms is working like a charm.
• Gus is covered in bruises from his rowdiness and lack of fear of injury. Good grief.
• Speaking of Gus, he reminds me of a baby rhinoceros...he is SO rowdy AND, he makes these little snorting noises when he is trying to play a little bit rough. LOL!
• Lesson learned: Never (and I mean NEVER) give one baby a sippy cup without giving the others one, too (immediately). I made this mistake the other day and got mobbed.
• Kate is doing much better with being touched and wallowed by her brother and sister. She does not freak-out anymore when they come near her, which is great progress for her.
• The babies all swam in their little splash pool for the first time last week. Claire didn't have a care in the world...she is a true water baby. Kate didn't like the water for long because it was COLD (which was mom and dad's fault completely). Gus liked it and would play a while and then would take a break...then, he'd want back in again.
• Claire continues to be my tiny "stick-tight"/shadow. She wants ME and doesn't like it when I am far.
• Gus went through a phase of screaming and crying for 45 minutes to an hour -- four or five times daily -- for a few months. At first, we thought it might be reflux. So, he's back on medication, which has decreased the crying. Now, we realize that part of this behavior is just his temperament. He wants things how he wants them and when he wants them. Oh, boy.
• I had my first outing ALONE with all three babies this week. It was just to a follow-up appointment, so it was short and sweet. Claire was fussy, but otherwise, the outing was uneventful. Whew!
• They all love it when Chad or I just plop in the middle of the floor and rest on our backs. They climb on us, pat our bellies, pull our hair, squish our noses, wallow us, etc. They love it and we do, too. It is SO funny to be clobbered by such a tiny little mob!
• All of the babies are sampling Cheerios. Gus and Claire just play with them. Claire will gag if I put one in her mouth. Gus could take or leave the Cheerios. Kate is in TOTAL focus with the Cheerios...busy, busy, busy...and she is learning how to put them in her mouth herself.
• Kate and Claire adore eating bananas. Kate loves fresh mango and bananas. Those girls can put away some bananas!! Goodness!
• We now bathe all three babies together in our big bathtub. This is definitely a two person job. Holy Toledo!! One baby splashes and face plants into the water while another baby is trying to climb out while another baby decides to bite the other baby....I could go on and on...but I won't.
• Gus, Kate and Claire had their first overnight visit with their MeMe and Poppa Bear (Chad's parents) a couple of weeks ago. It went really well. I'm not sure who had more fun...Chad's parents or the babies.
• All of the babies continue to be healthy. No illnesses...so far...thankfully.
• The babies will be 11 months old on June 9th. Where did the time go?
• On a more serious note...Due to a skull malformation, Gus will be wearing something called a DOC band from the end of June through September. The skull malformation is due to his unfortunate position in the womb. I like to say that he had the bottom "apartment" and that his sisters had the upstairs penthouses. In other words, he was SQUISHED. Please keep him in your prayers because he will have to wear this 23 hours per day, and the band cannot get wet. So bathing, swimming, dressing, etc. will all have to be planned and not exceed one hour.
• Question: Is anything ever REALLY baby-proofed??? I think NOT! Inability to baby-proof EVERYTHING = exhaustion/paranoia.

Chad and I are enjoying being parents so very much. It is one-hundred times more difficult than we could have ever imagined. But, it has also brought us more joy than we could have ever imagined. We are so blessed and so thankful for our sweet little ones.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers. With God's help, we are doing our very best with Gus, Kate and Claire.

Love to you all,

Leslie

In Loving Memory of Paw Paw

In Loving Memory of our Paw Paw, Charles Strong...

Dear Paw Paw,

We are so glad that we had a chance to know you and be snuggled by you. Thank you for loving us and praying for us before we were even born. Thank you for being such a good Paw Paw. We love you and we will always miss you.

Love,

Gus, Kate and Claire

March of Dimes/March for Babies Walk

Hi, Everyone,

Saturday was the March for Babies walk.

It rained, but not enough to be miserable during the walk. The walk organizers shortened the route because of the rain. Gus, Kate and Claire did great -- they were just along for the ride. No one fussed, and they did not get even a little damp, thanks to the humongous visors on their strollers.

The main reason I am writing about this is because Chad and I want to say a great big THANK YOU to every family member and friend/co-worker who donated money on behalf of Gus, Kate and Claire to this cause. Because of you, our Moms of Multiples team raised $3065 for March for Babies! YAY!! THANK YOU!!

Also, Chad and I viewed March for Babies day as a day to celebrate the fact that we have three NICU Graduates who are healthy, happy and thriving in every way possible. We are so blessed and so thankful! To celebrate, we gave each baby a big old smooch from us. Notice that they are wearing NICU Graduate t-shirts from March of Dimes. :o)

Love to you all, and thank you again for your generosity.

Leslie

P.S. The top picture, left to right: Claire (in recline position), Kate, Gus. The next picture is of Claire being smooched by us. The next is of Kate being smooched. Then, the next is of Gus being smooched. Oh, and the humongous bruise in the middle of Gus' forehead is from his "meeting" with the See 'n Say toy. Goodness, the bumps and bruises have only just begun!

Happy Easter!!!

Hi, Everyone,

Chad and I hope that you all had a very Happy Easter!

Chad and I took the babies to Landmark Baptist Church in Mt. Enterprise to celebrate their first Easter. For those of you who do not know, this is the church that Chad grew-up in, and I was a member there for a while when Chad and I were engaged/newlyweds. So, Landmark has always been special to us. We are THRILLED that Gus, Kate and Claire finally met all of the sweet people who had prayed for them for such a long time!

So, our Easter went like this:

We left here at about 7:30 on Easter morning. We fed the babies their breakfast and plopped them into their car seats while they were still in their pajamas. We drove straight to their MeMe and Poppa Bear's house (in the rain) and fed them again and then we all got dressed for church. When we got to the church, Chad's dad met us at the door to help us unload and carry Gus, Kate and Claire. We took the babies into the sanctuary just before Sunday school got out. When we got to the sanctuary, we discovered that our niece, Hannah, had made a sign that said, "Reserved for Moore Triplets and Family" and placed it on the end of the pew! Now, if THAT doesn't make a person feel special, then I don't know what will! Chad and I put the babies on the pew while they were still in their car seats. As people got out of Sunday school, they stopped by "The Moore Pew" to say "hello" to Gus, Kate and Claire. The looks on Gus, Kate and Claire's faces were priceless! Their eyes were SO big as they watched all of the new and interesting faces around them. Everyone that stopped by to see the babies was SO nice. Chad and I also had just a few minutes to chat with some of the other parents. It was great to see the Jones twins -- they are BEAUTIFUL -- we had heard so much about them that it was wonderful to be able to see them and chat with their parents for a few minutes. And, one really big treat for me was that got to see Mrs. Jan Creel. I have to tell you that she is one of my "mom" inspirations! She has raised four AMAZING children (they are all grown now). Out of those four children, she has a set of twins, Austin (babies' honorary Uncle Austin and my "brother from another mother") and Tiffany. I always think that if Mrs. Jan could manage with four little children all so close to the same age and maintain such a sweet spirit and so much faith, then I can manage, too. She is my real life "Jon and Kate Plus 8" role model!

Of course, we also saw two sets of great-grandparents (Matlocks/Charles Strong) and my dad and Jill (Poppa Wayne and Ma DJ to the babies). It was great to see everyone all in the same place. My dad was a good sport and toted Kate and Gus around a little bit. He also helped us load the babies back into the car once church was over.

Prior to the sermon, we had a chance to take the babies down to the front of the church for their official "viewing" (I borrowed that word from Mrs. Deanna). Chad was able to thank the church publicly for their prayers for us and the babies. We fully believe that our babies are alive and well because of the prayers of many. It was wonderful to finally be able to thank just a few of our prayer warriors all in one place. To God be the glory -- great things HE has done!! Thank you, Lord, for saving our babies! Thank you for giving us such a sweet Easter Sunday with friends and family. Thank you, Lord, for our prayer warriors!

Once the sermon started, Gus and Kate did really well and sat with Chad, Matt, Brandy, Hunter and Hannah. But, poor little Claire went into meltdown mode. At first I thought it was because she was overstimulated with the new surroundings, new noises and faces. But, I soon discovered it was because she was exhausted! Church started right about the time she would normally be napping. So, we went and found an empty Sunday school room, and Claire zonked-out on the floor on her little blanket for the remainder of the service. Claire is usually a quiet baby and doesn't protest too much about anything. I'm not too worried about this because when she needs something, she will let it be known! She SCREAMED and SCREAMED loud and then SCREAMED some more until I put her down for a nap. Yes, I'm a little slow, but I finally got it! Meanwhile, Gus was enjoying being in church and looking around and listening to the music. And, apparently, Baby Kate decided that she wanted the tour of the rest of the church, so her Uncle Matt obliged and took her for a little stroll (thanks Uncle Matt and Aunt Brandy).

My only disappointment about the church experience was that I was unable to take all of the major family photos that I had planned to take once the service ended. I had planned to get pictures with The Moores, The Cooleys and The Matlocks. But, Claire fell asleep and I wasn't going to wake her for a few photos. One thing that pregnancy, bedrest and being the mom of baby triplets has taught me is that I AM NOT IN CONTROL!! No, correction...it has taught me that I am DEFINITELY NOT in CONTROL!!! :o) So, the big family pictures will have to wait just awhile longer, but that's okay.

After church, we had our first Moore Family gathering where everyone was present. It was so great to finally have everyone under the same roof! We had a terrific Easter lunch, and then MeMe and Poppa Bear gave Gus, Kate and Claire personalized Easter baskets filled with a few toys, new sippy cups and some really spiffy sunglasses. Our nephew, Hunter, loaned Gus his John Deere cap, which was really nice of him to do. He even posed for a few pictures with the babies so that we could get the first pictures of all five grandchildren together. Our niece, Hannah, spent most of the afternoon on the floor with Gus, Kate and Claire and getting to know them better. And, by the way, Hannah is FABULOUS with the babies. She is such a tremendous help and is so loving with them. We took TONS of pictures, needless to say!

I could just go on and on because it was so exciting for Chad and I to finally have our babies out and about and to admittedly show them off just a little. It's okay to be just a little proud of our babies, isn't it?

It was just such a great first Easter. We are SO blessed, but, I have already said that! :o)

We love you all,

Leslie

P.S. Kate is wearing the mint green dress with white bunnies and Claire is wearing the pink dress with chocolate bunnies. The pictures of the babies in car seats are of them sitting on the reserved church pew with cousin Hannah (left to right...Kate, Gus then Claire).

Update on Gus, Kate and Claire

Hi, Everyone,

A couple of Saturdays ago, we went to Mt. Enterprise to Chad's parents' house. We had a great day! Gus, Kate and Claire were able to spend time at their MeMe and Poppa Bear's house for the very first time and visit with their GREAT grandfather, Charles Strong. I took tons of pictures. If you are on Facebook, you have already seen some of those. This half day trip was a great learning experience for Chad and I on what we need/do not need for trips. We looked like the Beverly Hillbillies because our Expedition was so loaded down!

Gus now has two little teeth, and he is also sitting-up all by himself. He is still rolling to get to where he wants to go, and he is starting to scoot just a little more this week. He is extremely accident prone (I know..he's a boy...I might as well get used to it). He has already had a small black eye from having his arm slip out from under him on the play mat. His face met-up with a baby rattle. Ouch! Now, he has a small bruise on his forehead because his head met-up with the "See And Say". Poor little guy! Otherwise, he is still rowdy, sweet and jolly!

Kate also has two little teeth. She has been sitting-up the longest, so she is the most stable at it. She prefers to sit as opposed to be on her tummy. She will roll to where she wants to go, but does not really scoot that much yet. She does do a maneuver that looks like she is bobbing for apples while she is on her belly. She is trying to figure out how to get herself to move forward. She will also tuck her knees underneath her and get into a crawl position, but then gets frustrated because she does not know what to do next. She is still a little anti-social with Gus and

Claire and is not fond of having them touch her or her toys. I think that the poor little thing is still in denial about the fact that she is a triplet and that someone will be in her space for the rest of her life!

Claire does not have teeth yet, but it looks like she will just any day now. She can also sit-up, but prefers to roll around on the play mat. She is now able to scoot herself forward -- very quickly -- and get to wherever she wants to go, which is great, but scary. She looks so proud of herself! She is a snuggler, so any toy that is soft is what she loves. We are trying to stay away from too many stuffed animals, but we do have some "snugglies" that she loves (has a stuffed animal's head attached to a blanket). She enjoys studying Gus and Kate and just loves being near them. She is a very content baby.

Otherwise...

We are still planning on visiting Landmark with the babies at Easter. We are excited that we will get to see everyone -- it has been such a long time!

We are still looking forward to the March for Babies walk that is coming-up at the end of April. Thank you to EVERYONE who donated on behalf of Gus, Kate and Claire. We appreciate you so very much!

Also, we will be participating in the Parent Commitment service (aka "Baby Dedication" in some churches) on Mother's Day Sunday at 9:45 at Green Acres. Chad and I are very excited about this! So, if you happen to be at Green Acres on Mother's Day, come by and say "hello" to us if

you have the chance.

Please continue to keep the babies in your prayers. They have appointments with their developmental pediatrician in Dallas next week, and prior to that they are all scheduled for hearing screens.

Love and miss you all,

Leslie

P.S. Picture order from top to bottom: Gus, Kate, Claire

Triplets' progress...

Hi, Everyone,

Gus, Kate and Claire are still doing so well!

A few weeks ago, Chad and I dropped their 10:00 p.m. feeding and moved their last feeding of the evening to between 6:30 and 6:45. The babies are in the bed no later than 7:00 p.m. and sleep uninterrupted until at least 5:30 a.m. Sometimes they will sleep until 6:30 a.m.! Yes, I know...I have SUCH good babies. Yes, I also know that you are all thinking, "Wow! That's great! Now, you and Chad can finally sleep like ROCKS and be SO well rested!" Well, if we were normal people, that would probably be the case. But, I think we are both "sleeping with one eye open". I think Chad and I are both halfway expecting the babies to wake-up in the middle of the night. But, they don't. And, we are still sleepless! LOL! When we become more experienced parents, I hope that we will sleep a little bit better. But, my mom always used to say that once she had my brother, Norris and I, she never slept peacefully again. She said that there is always something that keeps moms halfway awake at night. It's that "mom antenna" that seems to sprout once babies are born, I guess. But, mom was right. I am not sleeping well and I am sure it is because I now have the "mom antenna".

Recently, we went through a phase of trying to get Gus to stop taking naps in his swing. The swing only holds 25 pounds, and he is now almost 20 pounds, so we had to start this process eventually (it would be a little embarrassing to have a five year old still trying to climb into an infant swing, wouldn't it?). For a couple of weeks, his nap times were horrible. He was screaming and crying -- obviously exhausted and in need of a nap -- and I felt like mean, horrible mom. Then, it finally occurred to me that he just did not want to nap in his regular bed. So, I started putting him in his "Pack 'n Play" in the guest room, and now he will sleep at least 45 minutes to an hour. Whew!

One of Gus' latest big accomplishments is that he is now working on sitting-up just a little. He is still in the "tripod" pose and tips over easily, but he is working on it. He is also rolling to get to wherever he wants to go. Today, he made his first trip from the soft, play mat area to right smack in the middle of the cold, hard kitchen floor. He was not happy about rolling around to suddenly find himself in this position. He was happy once I "rescued" him and put him back on his cozy play mat.

Kate is now officially sitting-up like a big girl! I put a Boppy pillow around her so that if she pitches backwards she will not whack her head on the play mat. She just started doing this a few days ago, and she looks so proud of herself! Now, if she tips over, she lets out a high-pitched scream -- not because she is hurt, but because she needs help to sit-up again. She does not like to be kept waiting! :o)

Claire is also working on sitting-up. But, her biggest accomplishment right now is that she is rolling all over the place! She rolls all over the play mat and gets herself into a few predicaments that she needs help out of. She also rolls into the middle of the kitchen floor, but she doesn't protest like Gus. She just rests there and has that "no problem" look on her face. I was cooking dinner the other night (yes, I know...SHOCK) and I saw that she had rolled into the middle of the kitchen floor from the play mat. I said, "Well, hi there, Claire!" She grinned at me and looked so proud of herself.

Health wise, everyone is doing very well. The main thing that we are battling is eczema and various other rashes, which is extremely frustrating. About the time we think that we have got them cleared-up, here comes the rash again.

In April, Chad and I will be taking the babies to see their developmental pediatrician in Dallas. They will also be getting repeat hearing screens prior to that appointment.

As for me, this is all fun. It is strange to be down to only five feedings per day after starting out at eight feedings in a 24 hour period. But, the feeding sessions are not getting any shorter now that solid foods are on the menu. Most of the time, if I start feeding babies at 9:00 a.m., I do not finish until close to 10:00 a.m. Sometimes, it takes longer if they are distracted, which is happening more often as they are maturing and taking-in everything around them. Then, of course there are their nap times that I use to scramble around to do laundry and re-organize/regroup before the babies are up and ready to eat and play again. If I am lucky, I might get a little time to make phone calls to family or hop onto Facebook and see what everyone is up to. But, otherwise, it is non-stop activity around here!

Chad is doing great and is absolutely my equal in being able to care for the babies. He has got this routine down! He is still staying busy with work and is hoping to get to play golf again eventually in this lifetime.

We are still being asked when/how soon we will be getting the babies out. For certain, they will be out of the house a little by Easter. But, we are waiting for the official word from the Centers of Disease Control on when the dreaded flu/RSV season is finished here. They still cannot be around school age children until RSV season is over. Sometimes, it is over in March and other times it is over in April. Also, I am waiting for Chad to be able to have a morning or day off to help me get the babies out a little.

Just for kicks, here is the breakdown on what it takes to get the babies out of the house:

Two diaper bags -- one just for bottles, formula and bibs. The other is for diapers, wipes and clothing changes. We are about to have to a diaper bag per baby because the diapers are getting bigger, as are the clothes.

Gather car seats and line them up. Make sure each baby has a blanket waiting for them in their car seat.

Change diapers and feed three babies.

Get babies dressed (each baby has a different lotion to apply for a different rash, etc.)

Put babies into car seats (actually, wrestle with baby who is protesting being put into the car seat).

Pop babies into car seat bases in the car.

Load diaper bags.

Travel (sometimes the babies are happy while in the car and other times they are not).

Unload and carry three car seats and two diaper bags in to wherever we are going.

Get babies out of car seats.

Change diapers.

Try to keep babies happy at given location.

Feed each baby -- again.

Babies are cranky because it is already nap time -- again.

You get the point.

It takes about an hour and a half from start to finish to get out of the house -- and that is just with the things that ONLY include the babies. And, that is with just taking the bare necessities. That time also does not include Chad and I getting ready to leave. So, outings are difficult to plan right now while the babies are still small. But, as they eat more solid foods and nap a little less, it will get easier. Once again, this is not something that I am able to do alone at this point. But, eventually, I will. It is just all part of learning to be the mom of triplets. I am constantly seeking the advice of other twin and triplet moms, and they have been so wonderful about sharing their experiences and wisdom with me. I am so grateful for that! Many of the decisions that Chad and I have made are based on the wisdom of the babies' Dallas physicians AND the Moms of Multiples.

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers...we are still learning and doing the very best that we can! Hang in there with us!

We will see some of you very soon!

Love,

Leslie

P.S. Picture order...from top to bottom: Gus, just waking up from his nap and peeping at me through the bars of his baby bed. Then, there is Claire in her pretty little blue dress with her sparkling blue eys. Then, there is Kate in her little dress with cherries on it...doesn't she look oh-so-prissy? Then, the next picture is of Kate on her official first day of being able to sit-up on her own. See how proud she looks? Then, the last one is a group shot of Chad with Gus, Kate and Claire (look at her sweet little grin).