Two Sisters and a Mister

Today I had a perfect hour of being a mommy to Charlie. Charlie was a little grumpy today. He went down for a nap, but only slept for 20 minutes. I peeked in to check on him and he caught me. I picked him up and he immediately snuggled in and closed his eyes. Leila was napping and Aunt Katie had Mackey downstairs, so I figured 'What the Heck?' I sat down in the recliner and figured he would sleep for 5-10 more minutes. After 15 minutes, I realized just how comfy he was. For a solid hour, it was just me and Charlie. I forgot about the laundry in the washer and dryer, the countless bottles that needed washed and I just held him. He smiled in his sleep and I just got to sit there and thoroughly enjoy it. This might not sound like much, but as a mom of infant triplets, these opportunities are few and far between. I am actually tearing up as I type this. As hard as I try, there are just not many chances to be a mommy to just one baby at a time. I would not trade any of these munchkins for anything, sometimes I just fear that they are getting a little short changed. I am sure I will elaborate on these feelings at some point, but this is a happy post! I am so thankful I had this chance to just cuddle with the little man. He woke up happy and although I did not sleep, I felt amazingly refreshed.

Just Started, Already Behind

So, as most of you know, the triplets are now 10 months old! I realize I am WAY late starting a blog, but better late than never, right? My goal is to keep everyone updated going forward and maybe throw in a little history along the way on how we became The Myers 5!

Here is a little background for those of you who don't know...On January 7, 2010, Neil and I went in for our first ultrasound. We had a feeling we may see TWO sweet little peas since the #'s from my blood draw were elevated. As the ultrasound tech was doing her thing, I could barely contain my excitement. Once she asked if I was ready for this, I excitedly said, "I think I saw two!" She quickly responded, "You did! And if I move over to this side, there is ANOTHER one!" I honestly thought Neil was going to faint. We had really prepared ourselves for two, but THREE??? As I was only about 7 weeks, we were not able to get heartbeats on any of our tiny miracles. I cannot express all the emotions we were feeling - excitement at the prospect of being parents, anxiety about the fact that there were THREE, and sheer panic that there were not any heartbeats. I could not fathom ALL these little guys not making it. Two weeks later, I went back for a second ultrasound and all three had great heartbeats.  Our little peanut (the smallest by far) actually had the strongest heartbeat. I will post about the pregnancy issues later. I would much rather get to the good stuff.

Fast forward to July 4, 2010. The triplets were delivered at 9:22 am (yes, Dr. Eggs was able to get them all out in the same minute!). Charles Bryan (Baby A) weighed in at 3 lbs. 2 oz., Leila Ann (peanut, and Baby C throughout the pregnancy) came second weighing in at 2 lbs. 5 oz. and Mackenzie Evelyn (Baby B) debuted last weighing in at 2 lbs. 11oz! They were only 31 weeks and 3 days, but they were tough from the beginning. Although they were on CPAP for 24 hours, no one needed oxygen. They just needed room air pushed in to keep their lungs expanded.
As a new mom, my heart broke that I was only able to hold each of them for an hour a day in the beginning. Most days I even had to split this time with Daddy! Each morning before he would leave for work and I would head to the NICU, he would remind me to save him a baby to hold! :-) We had only a few health scares during our stay and sweet Charlie headed home in just 5 weeks! This was still 4 weeks before his due date! Mackenzie followed 2 days later and Miss Leila just 4 short days after her sister. I cannot express how amazing it was to have our family home and for the babies to be 'wireless!' Our time in the NICU definitely made me appreciate the small things in life. Those first few days the babies were home can only be described as pure magic. Being able to hold them, pace the house with them and just finally be able to be a mom was indescribable. I will cherish the memories of those first few days (and the sleepless nights) forever.

I will post later about the first few months. Since I am starting so late, I think I will work backwards. So at 10 months, here is where we are:

Sir Charles - Sir Charles is a man on the move. He crawls everywhere and is pulling himself up any chance he gets. He sidesteps along the couch and is a little too brave for mommy's liking. He loves Scotch and starts each morning by petting Scotch through the gate and offering him a toy or two! (See photo below) He is by the far the biggest cuddler of the group.  I love the first few minutes after he wakes up because he just wants to be held!  It is hard to keep him still much longer than this!

Leila Ann - Sweet Leila is really coming into her own. After a rough start (she was on some really nasty medicine for her hemangioma), she amazes me everyday. She was the last to roll over, but now rolls any where she wants. She is our most opinionated baby and is not afraid to let you know what she wants. She loves to talk and has the absolute sweetest smile. She is also our most selective eater. She will stick her tongue out to taste what you are offering. If she likes it, she will eat an entire serving. If not, you will not get her to open her mouth again! Although it is not funny, I can't help but laugh. I am a very picky eater so I can't fault her too much!

Mackenzie - Miss Mackenzie will answer to any of her numerous nicknames (Mackey, Mack-a-roo, Mackey-Mo, etc.). I have no idea how she ended up with so many nicknames, but we all call her something different. (Good thing she is a baby genius and can remember all her names...lol) Mackenzie is the most expressive baby I have ever been around. She has more personality than her little body should be able to house. When Neil or I enter the room, her face lights up. She can have a tough day and Neil can come home and she immediately starts giggling. She is trying so hard to crawl, but just can't seem to get it. She rocks and rocks, but has yet to take off. I have a feeling once she does, I will not be able to catch her!

All of the babies are eating well and love finger foods! They can all drink from sippy cups now as well! We have had an amazing 10 months with them. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

Here are some pictures: