Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
We're One!
New pictures are up under Triplets at Home III album!
The last month and a half has been so much fun in the Clifford house! So many things have been happening between birthdays and the holidays. Peyton, Adah and Sam turned one year old on December 21. We can't believe it's been a year since they were born! We had a birthday party for the three of them, which was a blast! They had a lot of fun with all the people who came and they got some really fun and cute gifts (thanks to everyone!). Of course, as with all first birthdays, the cake eating was the highlight. All three had their own way of going about it, but it was fun to watch. We will post pictures and we'll try to get some video up sometime soon.
As for milestones, we are slowly reaching all of them. Everyone stands well and loves to push around their walkers. Adah stands for a long time by herself and took a step just the other day. Sam will most likely be the next to walk and then Peyton (but who knows, maybe she will surprise us!). Adah can say bye-bye and wave and Sam has mastered anything that requires using the index finger (mostly pushing buttons). Peyton regularly has elaborate baby talk conversations with her toys ... she will have a lot to say later in life.
All three babies had a great one year old check up with Dr. Walker. She says they all look great and are progressing well. Something interesting she told us is that they may not talk as soon as other babies their age because they have each other to "talk" to. Therefore, it's highly possible that they will develop their own triplet language to talk to each other and we will have no idea what they are saying! Could be interesting ... Here are the one year old stats: Peyton is 19.5 pounds and 29.5 inches; Adah is 20.75 pounds and 30 inches; Sam is 22.3 pounds and 31.25 inches. Sam is still in the 90th percentile for height, so he continues to be a tall boy. The girls are also tall for their age as well.
Christmas was great and we got to share it with the Hassel and Clifford families. We spent Christmas at Nonni and Grandad's house and had a blast. They had their first Christmas brunch and loved the french toast and egg casseroles! Santa was very good to them and they had a lot of fun playing with their new toys. After Christmas, we packed up and headed to Charlotte for "second Christmas" with Mimi, Ken, Bogey, and Marmee. They were spoiled with presents once again and, somehow, Daddy managed to fit everything into the car for the trip home. They had lots of fun hanging out with Aunt Meghann and FUJ (don't ask) and had some fun trips to the park. All in all, a great trip.
And now we're on to 2009. We have a lot in store for this year. In case you haven't heard, the Clifford family is going to be blessed with Clifford baby number 4 this May! We're having a boy, so Sam is very excited to have a brother. And, as one of our friends has suggested, all we need to do now is get Wilson a female canine friend and we will have a perfectly balanced family!! We are very excited though and are trying to get some rest before we start this thing all over again! Hope everyone had a great holiday season!
The last month and a half has been so much fun in the Clifford house! So many things have been happening between birthdays and the holidays. Peyton, Adah and Sam turned one year old on December 21. We can't believe it's been a year since they were born! We had a birthday party for the three of them, which was a blast! They had a lot of fun with all the people who came and they got some really fun and cute gifts (thanks to everyone!). Of course, as with all first birthdays, the cake eating was the highlight. All three had their own way of going about it, but it was fun to watch. We will post pictures and we'll try to get some video up sometime soon.
As for milestones, we are slowly reaching all of them. Everyone stands well and loves to push around their walkers. Adah stands for a long time by herself and took a step just the other day. Sam will most likely be the next to walk and then Peyton (but who knows, maybe she will surprise us!). Adah can say bye-bye and wave and Sam has mastered anything that requires using the index finger (mostly pushing buttons). Peyton regularly has elaborate baby talk conversations with her toys ... she will have a lot to say later in life.
All three babies had a great one year old check up with Dr. Walker. She says they all look great and are progressing well. Something interesting she told us is that they may not talk as soon as other babies their age because they have each other to "talk" to. Therefore, it's highly possible that they will develop their own triplet language to talk to each other and we will have no idea what they are saying! Could be interesting ... Here are the one year old stats: Peyton is 19.5 pounds and 29.5 inches; Adah is 20.75 pounds and 30 inches; Sam is 22.3 pounds and 31.25 inches. Sam is still in the 90th percentile for height, so he continues to be a tall boy. The girls are also tall for their age as well.
Christmas was great and we got to share it with the Hassel and Clifford families. We spent Christmas at Nonni and Grandad's house and had a blast. They had their first Christmas brunch and loved the french toast and egg casseroles! Santa was very good to them and they had a lot of fun playing with their new toys. After Christmas, we packed up and headed to Charlotte for "second Christmas" with Mimi, Ken, Bogey, and Marmee. They were spoiled with presents once again and, somehow, Daddy managed to fit everything into the car for the trip home. They had lots of fun hanging out with Aunt Meghann and FUJ (don't ask) and had some fun trips to the park. All in all, a great trip.
And now we're on to 2009. We have a lot in store for this year. In case you haven't heard, the Clifford family is going to be blessed with Clifford baby number 4 this May! We're having a boy, so Sam is very excited to have a brother. And, as one of our friends has suggested, all we need to do now is get Wilson a female canine friend and we will have a perfectly balanced family!! We are very excited though and are trying to get some rest before we start this thing all over again! Hope everyone had a great holiday season!
Monday, November 24, 2008
More Pictures
We've added more pictures to the website so please feel free to take a look (in the new Triplets at Home III album). We've had a busy last month. Peyton, Adah and Sam went as the Three Blind Mice for Halloween! They didn't like their sunglasses so much though, so they were mostly just the Three Mice! The costumes were a hit though and they did great. We went to our church's fall festival the week before Halloween and had a great time there. On Halloween we went to the Halloween festival sponsored by the JU students and it was a lot of fun as well. All in all, a great first Halloween.
We also took the babies to have their pictures done recently as well. We've added those pictures too. They did wonderful and we got some great pictures!
Things are going well in November too. We are excited for Thanksgiving and all the turkey! We'll put the tree up after Thanksgiving, though we still don't know how we're going to keep the babies' hands away from it. We can't believe that Christmas is only a month or so away. Even though it will technically be the babies' second Christmas, it will seem like their first since they will be home with us instead of in the hospital. We're planning a birthday party as well, so that should be fun. We can't believe they will turn one on December 21st!
We also took the babies to have their pictures done recently as well. We've added those pictures too. They did wonderful and we got some great pictures!
Things are going well in November too. We are excited for Thanksgiving and all the turkey! We'll put the tree up after Thanksgiving, though we still don't know how we're going to keep the babies' hands away from it. We can't believe that Christmas is only a month or so away. Even though it will technically be the babies' second Christmas, it will seem like their first since they will be home with us instead of in the hospital. We're planning a birthday party as well, so that should be fun. We can't believe they will turn one on December 21st!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Quick Update
We just wanted to give everyone a quick update on everything going on here. We are enjoying the cooler weather and everyone is getting excited for the holiday season coming up.
Everyone is growing so fast! Sam is 20 lbs, Adah is 18.5 lbs and Peyton is a little over 17 lbs. Peyton finally joined the ranks of the mobile, but she prefers the army crawl like her brother. Adah is pulling up on everything in sight and she's starting to climb things too, which is scary! Walking will not be too far off for her. Sam is starting to pull up as well. Sam and Peyton both have their bottom 2 teeth. Adah got her first tooth a while ago, but that's still all she has. We're waiting for the second one to come any day, but for now she's our snaggle tooth!
Everyone has started eating more food as well. They now eat bagels, cheese, cooked vegetables, yogurt, fruits, and their favorite, Cheerios. They love to eat "real" food and like to feed themselves. They are going to be the three blind mice for Halloween, so keep an eye out for pictures! We have some pictures posted from their visit to the pumpkin patch, so be sure to check those out.
Everything else here is going great. Dad is still moving along on his dissertation. He has gotten the first three chapters approved and is now ready to defend! Hopefully that will happen in the next couple of weeks. We are so proud of him!
Hope everyone is doing great and have a wonderful Halloween!
Everyone is growing so fast! Sam is 20 lbs, Adah is 18.5 lbs and Peyton is a little over 17 lbs. Peyton finally joined the ranks of the mobile, but she prefers the army crawl like her brother. Adah is pulling up on everything in sight and she's starting to climb things too, which is scary! Walking will not be too far off for her. Sam is starting to pull up as well. Sam and Peyton both have their bottom 2 teeth. Adah got her first tooth a while ago, but that's still all she has. We're waiting for the second one to come any day, but for now she's our snaggle tooth!
Everyone has started eating more food as well. They now eat bagels, cheese, cooked vegetables, yogurt, fruits, and their favorite, Cheerios. They love to eat "real" food and like to feed themselves. They are going to be the three blind mice for Halloween, so keep an eye out for pictures! We have some pictures posted from their visit to the pumpkin patch, so be sure to check those out.
Everything else here is going great. Dad is still moving along on his dissertation. He has gotten the first three chapters approved and is now ready to defend! Hopefully that will happen in the next couple of weeks. We are so proud of him!
Hope everyone is doing great and have a wonderful Halloween!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Movin' On Up
Sorry we haven't posted in a while, but things have been pretty busy around the Clifford house and the JU campus the last month. August was great and the babies have really grown lately. All three have been sitting very well for the past month or two. This was great for them as they experienced a new"point of view" from the upright position! They really enjoy getting to play and interact with one another and there is nothing cuter than when they sit and smile and laugh at each other. We're wondering if they will create their own triplet language down the road!
Another huge milestone that we were definitely not ready for was crawling. Yes, Adah is officially on hands and knees and making her way around the house. Baby proofing was kicked into high gear once this happened! Sam has also started to crawl over the last couple of days as well. His biggest motivation is a bottle sitting across the room. We have never seen him move that fast ... that boy loves to eat! Peyton is still very content to sit and observe, which is fine with us!
We've gone swimming a few times and all 3 babies now really enjoy it. If we have to live in the 90 degree heat half of the year, we might as well spend it in the pool! We've had a lot of trips out to lunches and to visit Nonni and Grandad as well. We're looking forward to October when we're making our first big trip with the babies up to Charlotte for Mimi's (Matt's mom's) wedding. It will be fun to see her as well as Bogey (Matt's dad), Marmie (Matt's dad's wife Martha), Aunt Meghann and future Uncle John. We're excited to see everyone in Charlotte!
We did go to the doctor at the beginning of August (7.5 months) and everyone was doing great. Dr. Walker has a lot of fun seeing her babies and they loved seeing her as well. Sam was 18 pounds, Adah was 17.5 pounds, and Peyton was 15.5 pounds. We will go back at the end of September (for their 9 month visit!!), so it will be interesting to see how much they have grown since then. We are now trying and eating a bunch of solids and so far they love the fruits and their oatmeal. Not such a big hit ... peas and avocado. I guess like most kids these three don't love their vegetables as much as fruit! They've also started using sippy cups in between meals just to get used to them. They somewhat have the idea of how they work and will drink for a little bit, but more often than not the cups end up being used as water-spewing projectiles or makeshift hammers for banging on toys!
Matt's busiest time of the year (August) has finally waned and he is enjoying having the students back on campus. I have to brag because he is going full steam on his dissertation and he has already written 65 pages!! If you know Matt, you know he tends to be a little "long winded", so this is probably only about 25% of the paper, but it's great progress. He's aiming for an ending date in December 2009 at the latest, but he's done so well that we're hoping he can possibly push it to August 2009! Peyton, Sam, and Adah are very proud of their Daddy for working so hard!
Until next time, thanks for keeping up with us! We'll post some new pictures as well!
Another huge milestone that we were definitely not ready for was crawling. Yes, Adah is officially on hands and knees and making her way around the house. Baby proofing was kicked into high gear once this happened! Sam has also started to crawl over the last couple of days as well. His biggest motivation is a bottle sitting across the room. We have never seen him move that fast ... that boy loves to eat! Peyton is still very content to sit and observe, which is fine with us!
We've gone swimming a few times and all 3 babies now really enjoy it. If we have to live in the 90 degree heat half of the year, we might as well spend it in the pool! We've had a lot of trips out to lunches and to visit Nonni and Grandad as well. We're looking forward to October when we're making our first big trip with the babies up to Charlotte for Mimi's (Matt's mom's) wedding. It will be fun to see her as well as Bogey (Matt's dad), Marmie (Matt's dad's wife Martha), Aunt Meghann and future Uncle John. We're excited to see everyone in Charlotte!
We did go to the doctor at the beginning of August (7.5 months) and everyone was doing great. Dr. Walker has a lot of fun seeing her babies and they loved seeing her as well. Sam was 18 pounds, Adah was 17.5 pounds, and Peyton was 15.5 pounds. We will go back at the end of September (for their 9 month visit!!), so it will be interesting to see how much they have grown since then. We are now trying and eating a bunch of solids and so far they love the fruits and their oatmeal. Not such a big hit ... peas and avocado. I guess like most kids these three don't love their vegetables as much as fruit! They've also started using sippy cups in between meals just to get used to them. They somewhat have the idea of how they work and will drink for a little bit, but more often than not the cups end up being used as water-spewing projectiles or makeshift hammers for banging on toys!
Matt's busiest time of the year (August) has finally waned and he is enjoying having the students back on campus. I have to brag because he is going full steam on his dissertation and he has already written 65 pages!! If you know Matt, you know he tends to be a little "long winded", so this is probably only about 25% of the paper, but it's great progress. He's aiming for an ending date in December 2009 at the latest, but he's done so well that we're hoping he can possibly push it to August 2009! Peyton, Sam, and Adah are very proud of their Daddy for working so hard!
Until next time, thanks for keeping up with us! We'll post some new pictures as well!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
7 Months
The Clifford triplets officially turn 7 months tomorrow and we can't believe it! It seems like the last few months have flown by and we can't believe it's already been that long since we first welcomed them in December. Summer has been going well so far and everyone has enjoyed having Dad home early on his half-day Fridays.
We last went to the doctor for their 6 month appointment at the end of June. Peyton was 14-3 and 26 inches. Adah was 15-6 and 26.25 inches. Sam was 16-1 and 27.5 inches! They had all caught up with at least the average 6 month old in terms of height and Sam was actually in the 90th percentile in height for 6 month old boys! This is amazing considering he was 2 months premature, so Dad is hoping he is going to get that "Clifford height" that he missed out on. Peyton and Adah were in the 50th-75th percentiles for height, so we have some long babies!
Unfortunately, July has not been a great month for us in terms of health. All 3 babies have just finished getting over their first "real" sickness (they have had colds, but that is it) in the form of a stomach flu. Adah had the bug first and hardly missed a beat. Peyton got it next and did not fair very well. She was very sick for about 4 days and lost about a pound (so she is now our smallest by about 2 pounds). She handled it as best as she could though and pulled through after a few days. Sam was the last to get it and had a middle of the road case. He lost some weight as well. All in all, the Clifford household was sick for about 2 weeks. Luckily, Mom and Dad didn't catch it and everyone is now back to normal. It will be interesting to see what they all weigh at our next doctor's visit at the beginning of August. We're guessing Sam and Adah are almost dead even and Peyton is a couple pounds behind (this is all determined by our very "official" guesstimation process that involves weighing the babies on our $10 bathroom scale).
We have had an eventful last week in terms of milestones as well. All 3 babies can now roll back to front and Adah often rolls halfway across the room before we blink twice. Sam is getting very good at holding his own bottle (which is wonderful news when it comes to feeding triplets) and Adah is not far behind, though she enjoys hugging her bottle more than holding it. We also all started eating rice cereal to try and re-gain some of the weight we lost while sick. Sam LOVES the extra food and the girls are enjoying it as well. The babies took their first trip to a restaurant with Mom and Dad this week too. Logistically, this can be hard with triplets, which is why we haven't done it by ourselves until they were 7 months old! We all went to Jason's Deli and they did great. Afterwards, we went to the park and all 3 of them enjoyed going on the swings and Peyton loved the slide. Sadly, we were cut short by those summer rainstorms, but we still had a great time.
Thanks to everyone who keeps checking the blog! We are going to put up some more pictures as well, so please check them out. Dad is working on a new video that we'll try and post as soon as we can ...
We last went to the doctor for their 6 month appointment at the end of June. Peyton was 14-3 and 26 inches. Adah was 15-6 and 26.25 inches. Sam was 16-1 and 27.5 inches! They had all caught up with at least the average 6 month old in terms of height and Sam was actually in the 90th percentile in height for 6 month old boys! This is amazing considering he was 2 months premature, so Dad is hoping he is going to get that "Clifford height" that he missed out on. Peyton and Adah were in the 50th-75th percentiles for height, so we have some long babies!
Unfortunately, July has not been a great month for us in terms of health. All 3 babies have just finished getting over their first "real" sickness (they have had colds, but that is it) in the form of a stomach flu. Adah had the bug first and hardly missed a beat. Peyton got it next and did not fair very well. She was very sick for about 4 days and lost about a pound (so she is now our smallest by about 2 pounds). She handled it as best as she could though and pulled through after a few days. Sam was the last to get it and had a middle of the road case. He lost some weight as well. All in all, the Clifford household was sick for about 2 weeks. Luckily, Mom and Dad didn't catch it and everyone is now back to normal. It will be interesting to see what they all weigh at our next doctor's visit at the beginning of August. We're guessing Sam and Adah are almost dead even and Peyton is a couple pounds behind (this is all determined by our very "official" guesstimation process that involves weighing the babies on our $10 bathroom scale).
We have had an eventful last week in terms of milestones as well. All 3 babies can now roll back to front and Adah often rolls halfway across the room before we blink twice. Sam is getting very good at holding his own bottle (which is wonderful news when it comes to feeding triplets) and Adah is not far behind, though she enjoys hugging her bottle more than holding it. We also all started eating rice cereal to try and re-gain some of the weight we lost while sick. Sam LOVES the extra food and the girls are enjoying it as well. The babies took their first trip to a restaurant with Mom and Dad this week too. Logistically, this can be hard with triplets, which is why we haven't done it by ourselves until they were 7 months old! We all went to Jason's Deli and they did great. Afterwards, we went to the park and all 3 of them enjoyed going on the swings and Peyton loved the slide. Sadly, we were cut short by those summer rainstorms, but we still had a great time.
Thanks to everyone who keeps checking the blog! We are going to put up some more pictures as well, so please check them out. Dad is working on a new video that we'll try and post as soon as we can ...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Father's Day
The Clifford's are officially uncool...we bought a minivan over the weekend. It was an inevitable purchase that we tried to fight, but we were starting to outgrow our cars. It is a nice minivan, but that doesn't do much to assuage the loss of our youth.
Matt took the week off of work and we spent some time at Nonni and Grandad's house. It was nice to have the extra help around and to play with all the fun things at their house. We took the kids into the pool for their first swim. It was quite an adventure. Sam really enjoyed it, which now has Matt dreaming of an Olympic swimmer. The girls didn't take to it the first day, but they liked it a lot better the second time around.
Sam is now a blabber mouth, talking to his hand, various inanimate objects, and when he wakes up in the morning. Peyton went a long time without talking, but she's found her voice again and is a big talker, too. Adah is trying to get over a cold that she probably picked up at Uncle Bryan's wedding.
Matt had talked to a lot of dads who were looking forward to a game of golf or some time on the couch. He decided against that and wanted to spend some extra time with the babies, although he lobbied against changing diapers successfully.
We put a new album on the website. Check it out here. Now that they're older, we'll try to update the photos monthly, so stay tuned.
Matt took the week off of work and we spent some time at Nonni and Grandad's house. It was nice to have the extra help around and to play with all the fun things at their house. We took the kids into the pool for their first swim. It was quite an adventure. Sam really enjoyed it, which now has Matt dreaming of an Olympic swimmer. The girls didn't take to it the first day, but they liked it a lot better the second time around.
Sam is now a blabber mouth, talking to his hand, various inanimate objects, and when he wakes up in the morning. Peyton went a long time without talking, but she's found her voice again and is a big talker, too. Adah is trying to get over a cold that she probably picked up at Uncle Bryan's wedding.
Matt had talked to a lot of dads who were looking forward to a game of golf or some time on the couch. He decided against that and wanted to spend some extra time with the babies, although he lobbied against changing diapers successfully.
We put a new album on the website. Check it out here. Now that they're older, we'll try to update the photos monthly, so stay tuned.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Here Comes the Bride!
We've had a great couple of weeks since our last post. Everyone is continuing to grow and get so big! It's hard to imagine Peyton, Sam, and Adah all used to weigh only 3.5 pounds just about 6 months ago. They have accomplished some big milestones for their gestational age of 3.5 months. Adah has rolled from her back to her tummy, which she is happy about since she loves her tummy! Peyton is halfway there and Sam shows absolutely no interest in laying anywhere but his back! I'm sure he'll turn over one day, but he's pretty happy just looking at the ceiling for now.
All three babies LOVE to stand up now. Sam would stand all day if our arms could hold him up that long. But anyone knows who has held him that holding him up for just 5 minutes of standing is a workout in and of itself! Peyton is the kicker of the bunch and we estimate that she has already run a marathon by this point in her life. Adah is our smiler and "loud mouth", she always has something to say! All three babies love to sit up and are showing the first signs of being able to do it on their own. It will still be a little while, but they are on their way!
This past weekend was Uncle Bryan's (and Aunt Ashley's) wedding. The babies did pretty well for the entire thing. Because our babysitter fell through for Saturday night, the babies ended up making an appearance at the wedding. Luckily we found a great babysitter for the ceremony, but the babies were lucky enough to get to go to the reception. Everyone was glad to see them and they enjoyed looking at all the people and flashing lights! We headed home from the reception early to get everyone to bed, but we all had a great time and loved celebrating with Ashley and Bryan. We hope they are having fun on their honeymoon!
We head to the doctor at the end of this month for the 6 month check-up ... we can't believe they are that old already! We'll keep everyone updated on their progress and we promise to post some more pictures soon!
All three babies LOVE to stand up now. Sam would stand all day if our arms could hold him up that long. But anyone knows who has held him that holding him up for just 5 minutes of standing is a workout in and of itself! Peyton is the kicker of the bunch and we estimate that she has already run a marathon by this point in her life. Adah is our smiler and "loud mouth", she always has something to say! All three babies love to sit up and are showing the first signs of being able to do it on their own. It will still be a little while, but they are on their way!
This past weekend was Uncle Bryan's (and Aunt Ashley's) wedding. The babies did pretty well for the entire thing. Because our babysitter fell through for Saturday night, the babies ended up making an appearance at the wedding. Luckily we found a great babysitter for the ceremony, but the babies were lucky enough to get to go to the reception. Everyone was glad to see them and they enjoyed looking at all the people and flashing lights! We headed home from the reception early to get everyone to bed, but we all had a great time and loved celebrating with Ashley and Bryan. We hope they are having fun on their honeymoon!
We head to the doctor at the end of this month for the 6 month check-up ... we can't believe they are that old already! We'll keep everyone updated on their progress and we promise to post some more pictures soon!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
5 Month Update
It's been a while since we posted and we have had a fun couple of weeks. Mother's Day was a lot of fun. Dad made Mom some yummy french toast (with Peyton, Sam and Adah's help of course!) and all 3 babies gave Mom a baby prints frame for taking their hand and footprints. Later in the day we all went over to Nonni and Grandad's house for Mother's Day dinner. It was a very fun day and special for mom since it was her first Mother's Day.
We've been on more and more outings as the weeks go by. Our favorite places are Costco, Lowe's, and the St. John's Town Center. Any place with big wide aisles is great so we can turn that huge triple stroller! Peyton, Sam and Adah love going out since there are so many new and exciting things to see. It can get boring in the same house after a few months! We do get lots of great comments/questions when we are out with the triple stroller. Here are some of the best and/or most common ones:
"Are those triplets?"
"How do you fit the car seats in the car?"
"Are they identical?" - (I don't know about you, but I have never seen identical boy/girl babies)
"Way to go dad!"
"Where did you get that stroller?" - (Why? Do you want one?)
"Are they usually this good or are they putting on a show?"
"How do you tell them apart?"
"Wow, you don't expect to see that coming around the corner!"
"Did you have all 3 of them at once?"
All 3 babies are smiling, laughing and "talking" a lot now. Peyton has a soft voice (we call it her "inside voice"), while Sam and Adah like to talk a little louder to make sure we can hear them! They are very good at holding their heads by themselves and they love to sit up and stand on mom and dad's laps. Everyone is still sleeping about 11 hours at night, which is great for mom and dad!
We went to the doctor this past week for their 5 month check-up. The doctor says they are making great progress and they are catching up with their "real" age of 5 months (instead of their gestational age of 3 months). Peyton is 12 pounds, 11 ounces and is 24 inches long. Adah is 13 pounds, 8 ounces and is 24.75 inches long. Sam is 14 pounds, 10 ounces and is 25.5 inches long. As you can see they are growing really fast!
We've got a big month ahead of us with Uncle Bryan's (JoAnne's brother's) wedding in a couple weeks. We're also planning on some more outings as well. Thanks to everyone who keeps checking the blog ... we'll keep you updated as much as we can!
We've been on more and more outings as the weeks go by. Our favorite places are Costco, Lowe's, and the St. John's Town Center. Any place with big wide aisles is great so we can turn that huge triple stroller! Peyton, Sam and Adah love going out since there are so many new and exciting things to see. It can get boring in the same house after a few months! We do get lots of great comments/questions when we are out with the triple stroller. Here are some of the best and/or most common ones:
"Are those triplets?"
"How do you fit the car seats in the car?"
"Are they identical?" - (I don't know about you, but I have never seen identical boy/girl babies)
"Way to go dad!"
"Where did you get that stroller?" - (Why? Do you want one?)
"Are they usually this good or are they putting on a show?"
"How do you tell them apart?"
"Wow, you don't expect to see that coming around the corner!"
"Did you have all 3 of them at once?"
All 3 babies are smiling, laughing and "talking" a lot now. Peyton has a soft voice (we call it her "inside voice"), while Sam and Adah like to talk a little louder to make sure we can hear them! They are very good at holding their heads by themselves and they love to sit up and stand on mom and dad's laps. Everyone is still sleeping about 11 hours at night, which is great for mom and dad!
We went to the doctor this past week for their 5 month check-up. The doctor says they are making great progress and they are catching up with their "real" age of 5 months (instead of their gestational age of 3 months). Peyton is 12 pounds, 11 ounces and is 24 inches long. Adah is 13 pounds, 8 ounces and is 24.75 inches long. Sam is 14 pounds, 10 ounces and is 25.5 inches long. As you can see they are growing really fast!
We've got a big month ahead of us with Uncle Bryan's (JoAnne's brother's) wedding in a couple weeks. We're also planning on some more outings as well. Thanks to everyone who keeps checking the blog ... we'll keep you updated as much as we can!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Slumber Party
We've had an exciting week! Matt's grandparents came to visit on Thursday and got to see the babies. They had a lot of fun and thanks to Aunt Rebecca for driving their great-grandparents down from Georgia.
Matt successfully finished his oral comprehensive exams for the doctoral program, so now he's a "doctoral candidate." The only thing standing between him and the degree now is that little dissertation thing. I'm sure that Peyton, Adah, and Sam will help him write it!
Nonni and Grandad came over on Sunday to spend the day with Peyton, Adah, and Sam. That meant that mom and dad got to spend the day out of the house. We went to church for the first time in months, and found some cute clothes to bring back for the babies. Adah is spending the night at Nonni and Grandad's house tonight (her first sleepover!), so mom and dad are trying out life with just two babies. Our conclusion: twins would be a piece of cake!
We finished Peyton's first video. You can see it online at the Clifford Triplets web site.
Matt successfully finished his oral comprehensive exams for the doctoral program, so now he's a "doctoral candidate." The only thing standing between him and the degree now is that little dissertation thing. I'm sure that Peyton, Adah, and Sam will help him write it!
Nonni and Grandad came over on Sunday to spend the day with Peyton, Adah, and Sam. That meant that mom and dad got to spend the day out of the house. We went to church for the first time in months, and found some cute clothes to bring back for the babies. Adah is spending the night at Nonni and Grandad's house tonight (her first sleepover!), so mom and dad are trying out life with just two babies. Our conclusion: twins would be a piece of cake!
We finished Peyton's first video. You can see it online at the Clifford Triplets web site.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sick Day
We went to our four month check up last week, and everyone is doing very well. Sam is up to 12 pounds, 15 ounces. Adah weighs 12 pounds, 1 ounce, and Peyton is 11 pounds, 1 ounce. Sam is 24.5 inches long, Adah is 23.25 inches long, and Peyton is 23 inches long (she's gaining ground quickly!). The doctor was very pleased with them! Sadly, they also got 4 shots, and they were anything but pleased. Sam was especially vocal.
Matt also brought home a cold from work and it wasn't too long before everyone caught it. JoAnne is mostly better, but the kids are all still a little sniffly. Overall, though, they've been really good and we haven't been able to tell any difference in their moods.
Peyton has joined her brother and sister and is sleeping through the night now, so mom and dad have been enjoying some good nights of sleep. Matt has the oral portion of his comprehensive exams for the doctoral program this week, so the sleep has been a welcome development.
We put a new video up on the website. This one is of Sam. Click here to go to the website. Peyton's should be up soon!
Matt also brought home a cold from work and it wasn't too long before everyone caught it. JoAnne is mostly better, but the kids are all still a little sniffly. Overall, though, they've been really good and we haven't been able to tell any difference in their moods.
Peyton has joined her brother and sister and is sleeping through the night now, so mom and dad have been enjoying some good nights of sleep. Matt has the oral portion of his comprehensive exams for the doctoral program this week, so the sleep has been a welcome development.
We put a new video up on the website. This one is of Sam. Click here to go to the website. Peyton's should be up soon!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Two Down, One to Go
The babies had their first outing yesterday! Mom and dad decided that it was time to venture a little farther afoot than the JU campus. We took everyone in the super stroller on a Costco shopping trip. Costco was a strategic choice...wide aisles, high ceilings (to drown out any crying) and lots of things to occupy them! All in all, it was a very successful trip. We were instant celebrities once inside. We got everything from cheers ("way to go, dad!") to exclamations of pity to astonished, blank expressions. It's amazing how much cuter babies seem to be when there are three of them! I think we'll be taking more trips in the future since this one was so successful.
Last night, Adah and Sam both slept through the night (7pm to 7am). Adah woke up a few times during the night, but she was able to put herself back to sleep pretty easily. We're so proud of both of them! Now we just need to work on Peyton!
Last night, Adah and Sam both slept through the night (7pm to 7am). Adah woke up a few times during the night, but she was able to put herself back to sleep pretty easily. We're so proud of both of them! Now we just need to work on Peyton!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Visit from Mimi
I realize it's been awhile since our last post when I've already taken my comprehensive exams for the doctoral program. Sorry about that! I hope I can make it up by not only posting here, but also adding more pictures and a video to the Clifford Triplets web page. The video is of Adah. She is not the favored child; I'm working in reverse birth order on a video for each of them.
This past week, while Nonni and Grandad (JoAnne's parents) were in Ireland, Mimi (Matt's mom) came to visit for the week. Aunt Meghann also visited for the first half of the week. It was great to have them see the babies and help us out. It was nice to have dinners fixed for us all week!
We've also made a great leap forward with the babies' sleep habits. Sam has slept through the night twice this week!! By sleeping through the night, I mean we put him to bed at 7pm, and he woke up at 7am. It's at times like these when we wish we could clone our son. Not that we don't love our girls, but they don't cherish their sleep like he does! They are still doing pretty well, going from 7pm to 7am with only one feeding in the middle of the night. We're pretty excited about these new developments!
They are also starting to really exercise their personalities. They have started to hit some newborn milestones. Although they're almost 4 months old, their "adjusted age" (based on their due date, Feb. 23) is 7 weeks. The doctors measure their developmental milestones (crawling, smiling, etc.) by their adjusted age until they've "caught up," usually by age 2. They've all started to smile at us (and Wilson) and are making the cutest baby noises. They're also very good at holding their heads up. They respond to mom and dad's voices and follow us across the room (usually when we have to grab brother or sister!). They're headed to the doctor this week for their 4 month checkup. We'll let you know their updated baby stats.
Don't forget to look at the new pictures and video at our web site.
This past week, while Nonni and Grandad (JoAnne's parents) were in Ireland, Mimi (Matt's mom) came to visit for the week. Aunt Meghann also visited for the first half of the week. It was great to have them see the babies and help us out. It was nice to have dinners fixed for us all week!
We've also made a great leap forward with the babies' sleep habits. Sam has slept through the night twice this week!! By sleeping through the night, I mean we put him to bed at 7pm, and he woke up at 7am. It's at times like these when we wish we could clone our son. Not that we don't love our girls, but they don't cherish their sleep like he does! They are still doing pretty well, going from 7pm to 7am with only one feeding in the middle of the night. We're pretty excited about these new developments!
They are also starting to really exercise their personalities. They have started to hit some newborn milestones. Although they're almost 4 months old, their "adjusted age" (based on their due date, Feb. 23) is 7 weeks. The doctors measure their developmental milestones (crawling, smiling, etc.) by their adjusted age until they've "caught up," usually by age 2. They've all started to smile at us (and Wilson) and are making the cutest baby noises. They're also very good at holding their heads up. They respond to mom and dad's voices and follow us across the room (usually when we have to grab brother or sister!). They're headed to the doctor this week for their 4 month checkup. We'll let you know their updated baby stats.
Don't forget to look at the new pictures and video at our web site.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
New Pictures
The Clifford family has been busy with Matt studying for comprehensive exams over the past couple weeks ... we know he'll do great! We promise we will write more soon. In the meantime, we've posted some new pictures to the Triplets at Home album ... enjoy!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Getting Big
Peyton, Sam, and Adah have been doing beautifully the last few weeks. All are getting so big and we can't believe how fast they are growing. Right now, they are 1.5 weeks past their due date. They are all already starting to lift their heads and scoot along during tummy time, which is great. We can also tell that they are starting to focus more on our faces and objects close to their faces.
Of course, as they are getting older, they are staying awake a lot more in between eating. When they were very small, all they did was eat and then immediately fall back asleep. Now they stay awake some more so we can play and interact with them, which is great. A lot more of their personalities start to come out when this happens. Sam is still our patient, serious little guy who is content most of the time. Adah loves to be held and likes to stay awake the most (especially in the middle of the night, but we're working on that!). Peyton is our sensitive little girl who probably has the best expressions of the bunch. It is really fun to see them develop and grow into little people with their own unique personalities.
The last doctor visit at the end of February went great. We don't have to go back until their 3 month check-up in mid-March! Sam was 9-14, Adah was 8-13, and Peyton was 8-2. Nonni went with us to the doctor for the first time and she grilled the doctor as all good grandparents should! She tried to convince him to let the babies go out to public places before the end of April (the end of flu season), but he wouldn't budge. Oh well. We're looking forward to when we can take them out to meet everyone!
Of course, as they are getting older, they are staying awake a lot more in between eating. When they were very small, all they did was eat and then immediately fall back asleep. Now they stay awake some more so we can play and interact with them, which is great. A lot more of their personalities start to come out when this happens. Sam is still our patient, serious little guy who is content most of the time. Adah loves to be held and likes to stay awake the most (especially in the middle of the night, but we're working on that!). Peyton is our sensitive little girl who probably has the best expressions of the bunch. It is really fun to see them develop and grow into little people with their own unique personalities.
The last doctor visit at the end of February went great. We don't have to go back until their 3 month check-up in mid-March! Sam was 9-14, Adah was 8-13, and Peyton was 8-2. Nonni went with us to the doctor for the first time and she grilled the doctor as all good grandparents should! She tried to convince him to let the babies go out to public places before the end of April (the end of flu season), but he wouldn't budge. Oh well. We're looking forward to when we can take them out to meet everyone!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Happy Birthday!
Peyton, Sam, and Adah have had a great couple of weeks since we last posted. They have been growing so fast and we can't believe how fast they are outgrowing all those cute clothes! We would suggest everyone invest in Gymboree, Carter's, and Babies R Us stock over the next couple years as the Clifford kids will be spending lots of money there!
We've taken the stroller out for several walks over the last couple weeks. We've visited the Advising Center so the babies could meet Leslie, Nancy, Glory and Stacey as well. We can't wait for them to keep getting bigger ... they'll be running all over campus before we know it!
The babies were 8 weeks old last Friday (February 15), so we visited the doctor for the dreaded shots (4 of them each!). There were definitely some tears, but Peyton, Sam and Adah handled it like champs. Everyone we talk with is always curious about the babies' current "stats", so here they are from the last doctor's visit on February 15:
Peyton
7 lbs 19.5 inches
Sam
8 lbs, 8 oz 20.5 inches
Adah
7 lbs, 0 oz 20 inches
As you can see, all three are growing great and putting on the pounds. Not bad considering their actual due date is this Saturday, February 23!
PS - We also want to say congratulations to our friends Stephen and Nathalie Potts who just welcomed Katelyn into the world on February 18. Matt, JoAnne, Peyton, Sam and Adah can't wait to meet her!
We've taken the stroller out for several walks over the last couple weeks. We've visited the Advising Center so the babies could meet Leslie, Nancy, Glory and Stacey as well. We can't wait for them to keep getting bigger ... they'll be running all over campus before we know it!
The babies were 8 weeks old last Friday (February 15), so we visited the doctor for the dreaded shots (4 of them each!). There were definitely some tears, but Peyton, Sam and Adah handled it like champs. Everyone we talk with is always curious about the babies' current "stats", so here they are from the last doctor's visit on February 15:
Peyton
7 lbs 19.5 inches
Sam
8 lbs, 8 oz 20.5 inches
Adah
7 lbs, 0 oz 20 inches
As you can see, all three are growing great and putting on the pounds. Not bad considering their actual due date is this Saturday, February 23!
PS - We also want to say congratulations to our friends Stephen and Nathalie Potts who just welcomed Katelyn into the world on February 18. Matt, JoAnne, Peyton, Sam and Adah can't wait to meet her!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Taking a Stroll
Today was a beautiful day with temperatures near 80 degrees and the sun shining. We took advantage of the great weather to take everyone out on a walk! We had a few people give us the triple take as we walked by. It was great to get them (and us) out of the house and into the fresh air! We took a walk over to the Student Commons on campus and visited everyone in the Student Life Office. Dr. Balog, Bryan, Kristie, and Susan all argued over who looked more alike. They were all really happy that we came by to visit, even on a busy Monday. We made it over to the Advising Center to visit Glory and Nancy before heading home to eat! It was a great day and great to get outside with them.
We put some more pictures up online.
We put some more pictures up online.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Puttin' on the Pounds
We had our first pediatrician's visit with all three babies yesterday, which was an adventure to say the least! Loading the three of them into car seats and into the car requires some advance planning. The pediatrician's office is great. They have us come through the back entrance so we don't have to wade through any potential germs. All three of them are doing very well, and growing so fast!
Sam is up to 6 lbs., 12 oz. and is 19.75" long.
Adah weighs 6 lbs., 4 oz. and is 18.75" long.
Peyton weighs 5 lbs., 9 oz. and is 18.875" long.
They also had a little photo session yesterday at home. Bev Pye is a friend of the Hassel's, and she came over to take lots of pictures. She does really great work! You can see some of them here, although she hasn't had a chance to put them all online quite yet. Everyone (including Mom) is sleeping right now, so I took some time to post this update!
Sam is up to 6 lbs., 12 oz. and is 19.75" long.
Adah weighs 6 lbs., 4 oz. and is 18.75" long.
Peyton weighs 5 lbs., 9 oz. and is 18.875" long.
They also had a little photo session yesterday at home. Bev Pye is a friend of the Hassel's, and she came over to take lots of pictures. She does really great work! You can see some of them here, although she hasn't had a chance to put them all online quite yet. Everyone (including Mom) is sleeping right now, so I took some time to post this update!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Peyton's Homecoming
We had gotten used to taking care of two babies when we got the call from the hospital to bring the car seat in. Truthfully, we were grateful to bring our visits to the NICU to a close. It is a wonderful place with great nurses and doctors taking care of beautiful babies, but we were ready to have everyone home for good. Peyton came home on Tuesday, January 22. She weighed 4 lbs., 11 oz. when she left the hospital! Peyton had the privilege of coming home during the daytime, and she was greeted by a big crowd at the Clifford house. Wilson was relieved to hear that this would be the last addition to the family.
Peyton had her first doctor's appointment (by herself!) on January 25. The doctor gave her a great report! She weighed 5 lbs. and was 18.25" long. Peyton is definitely the princess of the three. She is very particular about nearly everything from diaper changes to sleeping positions. We've struggled a bit trying to find out how she wants things done, but when we get it right, she lets us know!
Peyton had her first doctor's appointment (by herself!) on January 25. The doctor gave her a great report! She weighed 5 lbs. and was 18.25" long. Peyton is definitely the princess of the three. She is very particular about nearly everything from diaper changes to sleeping positions. We've struggled a bit trying to find out how she wants things done, but when we get it right, she lets us know!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
