TWIN BOYS! TWIN BOYS! TWIN BOYS!!!!!!

We made it to Jan. 3rd, 2012 and were blessed with two amazingly handsome twin boys. Rowan John and Liam Paul. Liam was baby A weighing 6lbs even and Rowan was baby B weighing 5.4lbs. Both were 18inches long and with full heads of hair. They are in good health and boys and mommy should be going home from hospital today, Sunday, Jan 8th. We are once again blessed, not once, but twice......scratch that..........blessed 5 times! We can now start our crazy, exciting, busy life together as a family of 7! We are lucky!

THE DAY IS HERE! Not many have 3 best days of their life.......We are lucky!

So, Jan. 3rd is finally here. 9am tomorrow will be our c-section and finally, we will get to meet these two precious little angels. I can't tell you all of the emotions that are running though our bodies right now. Probably won't sleep a wink tonight. Stay tuned.............................................

17 DAYS AND COUNTING!

Yes you read that right.....the twins will be here in 17 days and HOPEFULLY, not sooner. Ali and I are as ready as we will ever be for this new, amazing addition to our family. Up until now, we have been blessed with a very easy and healthy pregnancy......but Friday we hit a little speed bump. All is still well and the babies and myself are doing just fine, but I have unfortunately been put on bed rest until Jan 3rd. This is easier said then done when you have 23 month old triplets running around at home, but we will do what we have to do. I will keep this updated more now that I'm just lying around all day looking for things to do. :)

NEWS FLASH!!!! We are expecting again!

Most of you may know by now, but, for those of you who do not know, Ali and I are expecting again.  This time it's my turn.  We found out I was pregnant back at the end of May/early June.  Not only was it very exciting news to know we only had to try one round in order to get pregnant, but we had another shocker as well......I'm carrying twins!  Yes, TWINS!  We have triplets with twins on the way.  How crazy and awesome is that all at once.  At first, we were very shocked.  Probably more shocked than when we found out about the triplets, but the overwhelming feeling wore off quick and we realized how very lucky we are.  Many try for years and years and can't even get pregnant, and we are blessed with 5 in just two short years and two tries.
Amazing.......we were meant to be moms for sure!

21 MONTHS OLD!!!

Hello again!  I know I have not updated in a very long time, but I will be back at it more now.

We cannot believe that we have reached 21 months so quickly?  Time sure does fly.  I remember people telling us this over and over while they were newborns....."enjoy them while they are little, because they grow up so fast."  I think at that point we were so sleep deprived that we didn't really think it would happen as fast as it did, but it does.  The triplets are doing great.  

Reese (the oldest) seems to be growing the most hair with Stella (the youngest) right behind her.  We finally took them for a first real haircut, and they all did so well.  Two weeks later, the girls needed their bangs cut again.  Other than that, Reese is definitely the leader of the group.  It's amazing how they all act out their part in their birth order.  Reese shows the others how to get in trouble and teaches them all the silly, funny and dangerous things to do, while at the same time, being the motherly figure of the group.

Declan (also know as the Sensitive Guy) plays his role of "middle child" very well.  He is the first one to jump on top of his sisters, steal their binkys/bottles/food, you name it, and then go hug and kiss them all to make them feel better.  He is the bigger one out of the group, but is such a loving little boy.
Stella is the comedian of the group.  She knows how to make you laugh and be a little stinker at the same time.  I never met such a young person with such a funny personality. She is the only one who has a stuffed animal that she needs with her all the time.  The others don't seem to care for one much, but Stella can't live without her "Stripes."

It is so interesting to see how similiar, yet how different the triplets are.  These past 21 months have been so amazing and both Ali and I have cherished every minute of it.  We look forward to what is to come.

HALF A YEAR OLD!!!!!!

I really can't believe it, but we made it to 6 months and Ali and I are still keeping our sanity! 6 months old today and what a great and super fast 6 months it has been. All three are growing in all directions and with each day we see a new side to them. It seems like they are always changing their habits and routines and always surprising us with new things. Declan cut his first tooth on Saturday and the other two are not far behind. Reese seems to be the most active and loves to roll around all over the place. Our money is on her that she will walk first, because she is already trying her hardest to scoot and or crawl. Declan is by far the strongest and the biggest and is ALL BOY. He is constantly moving and talking and eating. Stella is our little angel from God and seems to be the easiest at times. She wins you over with her soft eyes and beautiful smile. All three are just precious.

Here are a few recent pictures of bath time, pool time and more.....

EASTER PICTURE DECLAN PUTS REESE IN A HEADLOCK GOTTA LOVE REESE'S FACE THEY LOOK GOOD IN BOSTON COLLEGE COLORS :) MR. AND MRS. GIGGLES

BEAUTIFUL STELLA

STELLA PAULINE (YOUNGEST) Stella is so sweet and has the softest eyes. Like the others, she has many things that we love about her, especially her very LOUD and POWERFUL vocals. She is for sure going to be an opera singer. When you get her going, oh man, the whole neighborhood must wake up. We think Stella looks the most like Declan and sometimes, at four in the morning, when we are all half asleep, we get them mixed up.........until we change their diapers of course. :) She weighed just a little more than Reese at her 3 month checkup and I think she probably still does. She sleeps great and at one point, had no problem sleeping through the night. Lately, that isn't so much the case, but we are working on it. Here are some pictures of the beautiful, kind, sweet, soft STELLA!

BIG BOY

DECLAN ALBERT (MIDDLE CHILD)

For those out there that still do not know how to pronounce his name, it sounds like "DECK-LIN" ....NOT, DE-Clane. :) I know many still have some trouble with that one.

To show you how much this boy has gone from a little peanut to a BIG BOY, I have two pictures below, one from when he was 2 weeks old and the other one is from when he was 3 months old.

This little guy is turning into a man before our eyes. He loves to eat(if you couldn't have guessed that). He is usually the only one that still can't sleep more than four hours at night, without needing to be fed. That is fine, because he's needs to grow up big and strong, because he's got a lot of women in his life that he needs to protect and look out for.

Declan was the first one to smile and giggle, then Stella and then Reese followed. Now we can't get him to stop smiling. He is a very happy boy!..........and a VERY STRONG boy. I wouldn't be shocked if he starts crawling and walking first as well. He can easily push himself up and is almost able to roll himself over. Ali and I are both convinced that he is going to be such an active boy because he is constantly kicking and moving his legs and arms. We can just picture him now running all over the house and us trying to catch him. He will keep us in shape, that is for sure.

Other than that, he is a very healthy, strong, growing boy and it is so nice to discover the differences between raising a boy compared to a girl. Both are wonderful and very different in their own way and we are loving every minute of it.

Tomorrow............Stella!!

MANY FACES OF REESE MARGARET

REESE MARGARET (oldest of the group)

Reese is a funny character. As you can see from the photos below, she loves sticking her tongue out in many pictures. She has also been the first one to master the act of sucking her thumb. She does it on demand now.

She seems to have the best eye contact out of the group and can give you many different facial expressions, from goofy to very, VERY serious. She is the smallest out of the three and at her 3 month checkup, she weighed in at 9.4 lbs. She probably is around 10 and a half now.

Other than all that, she is doing well, sleeping very well and keeps us on our toes everyday. What a joy she is for us.

Tomorrow...........DECLAN!

11 1/2 WEEKS AND COUNTING!

First off, I just want to say sorry for not posting anything in so long. The past 2 months have been a blur and have seemed to fly by. Babies are doing wonderful and with each week that passes, they get bigger and they pick up and start new habits.

Last time we were at the doctor was last week and we had their weights checked.

Declan is growing the fastest and he seems to think that he needs to become a big boy right away and skip being a little baby. He is already 11.4 lbs.

Girls are 9.4 and 9.8 with Stella being the second biggest and Reese the smallest.

Their health is great so far and we couldn't be more blessed to have them. A new big habit that they have been doing lately is smiling and giggling. Declan started it a couple of weeks ago and now laughs and giggles most of the day.

Stella and Reese have been showing their big gums lately this past week. Seeing their smiles has to be the best thing in the world. All your worries and cares go right out the window and nothing else matters.

Now that it has been getting warmer out, we have been taking the kids out for strolls around the neighborhood. We nicknamed out stroller the "train" since it is so big and long. You can't go anywhere without people starring with amazement. We walk by people and you just here them say "congratulations" or "god bless" or "OH MY!" It's too funny. Here are some pictures from our walks.

More to come..............

FIRST EASTER

TRIPLETS FIRST EASTER! HAPPY EASTER!!!!

DECLAN WEIGHS HOW MUCH?!?!?!???

We had our one month doctor appointment on Tuesday and got to how we are progressing. The best part about going to the doctor is seeing how much the babies weigh.

Two weeks ago, here were their weights:

Declan 5.9

Reese 5.8

Stella 5.6

As of Tuesday, here is where they are:

Declan 7.13

Stella 6.15

Reese 6.11

It is amazing and sad at the same time to see them grow right before your eyes. We all are happy they are gaining weight and doing well, but a little sad to think that time flies by so fast and they will be big and grown before you know it.

Ali and I are doing well and taking one day at a time. We have our good nights and our rough nights, but we are surviving and still loving every minute of it.

Stay tuned.......

HAPPY ONE MONTH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 WEEKS AND COUNTING.......

We hit the three week mark on Friday and it is amazing to us how fast time goes by. All three are gaining weight and should be over or close to over 6 lbs by now. Next doctor visit isn't until their one month birthday, so we won't know how much they weigh till then.

So far all is good. Nights are long and we have our good days and our bad, but we are all adjusting and enjoying each moment. We can't imagine just having one............as weird as that may sound to some people, but it is true. I guess you just get into a routine and you don't know any better. Don't get me wrong, three is a lot of work, but with that work, some three times the fun. These first 6 months may be a blur to us, but it will be worth it in the end.

Ali and I just want to say thank you so much to all our friends and family that have been sending gifts, clothes, blankets, diapers, etc. We really appreciate it all so much and they are already being used and come in handy. ESPECIALLY THE DIAPERS AND WIPES. We almost go through a pack a day, which isn't surprising with three I guess.

I will try to update you more often, but it is hard since I started back to work this week and between the two of us, time is short and precious. We will do our best to keep the pictures and videos coming.

Thanks again

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF BEING A MOTHER OF TRIPLETS

Many people ask us what our days are like...........so I thought I would explain it in detail.

Starting in the am, our first feeding of the day is around 2am, then 5am and then again at 8am it switches over to every two hours during the day and then back to every 3 hours at night. The first week we had to feed them every hour and a half. To feed all three by yourself, it takes about 45mins to an hour............so, that meant if you were feeding them all by yourself, by the time you were done with all three, you had about a half hour till you started your feeding cycle all over again. Thank God, after our doctors visit this week, we got to switch back to every 2 hours during the day and 3 at night, because we got all three to gain about a pound from birth, which was a great accomplishment.

So, feedings start every three hours at about 8pm.........therefore, our nights are very very long. Up at11pm, 2am, 5am and then again at 8am. Not to mention that Ivan wants to be fed at around 6:45, so we are up for him too.

To keep our sanity, Ali and I have been switching back and forth, taking shifts at night to get through each night. Lucky for us, for the most part the babies sleep in between feedings fairly well, and seem to eat and sleep on somewhat of a schedule together. Trust me, we have had our nights where we were both up and thought we would never get back to sleep.

It seems like Reese and Declan are the fussiest at night...........and feed off each other. If one starts crying, the other one starts too. Stella just sleeps through it all. It is amazing that you can already tell their differences in personality, even at such a young age.

As far as how many diapers we go through in one day, well WHO KNOWS. I feel like we are constantly changing diapers and onesies. Not to mention doing loads after loads of laundry and we are CONSTANTLY washing bottles........and CONSTANTLY warming formula.

In the end it is all worth........we have three AMAZING children and we would go through a thousand sleepless nights for them. It is so worth it!!

TRUE LOVE...........

WE ALL ARE HOME SAFE AND SOUND

Sorry that I haven't written in awhile, but I have a very good excuse......we are trying to get in a routine with three babies, while at the same time trying not to neglect three dogs. NOT EASY!!!! All babies and Ali were discharged from the hospital on Tuesday. The fact that the babies were healthy enough to stay in Ali's room in the hospital and now come home when she does, four days later, is truly a miracle. Our first public appearance pushing the triplet stroller was leaving the hospital and we didn't get far before we were asked questions and had many people starring at us. We have come to realize that it takes us about 10 mins to get in a car and about 10 more to get unloaded and out. We figured we are bound to be late for everything from here on out. :) At least we have an excuse. As for the dogs......our initial introduction was a lot easier than we thought. They barked, sniffed and got over the babies real quick. NO BIG DEAL. They actually have been pretty good and if I had to guess which one is taking it the hardest, I'd have to say it is Striker. She seems a little bit off lately, but maybe she'll get over it. When I have a chance, I'll update the blog with some videos that we took of the babies. Tomorrow is our first doctor visit, so hopefully all goes well. Thank you again to all our visitors and all those who have made us dinner and all. We appreciate your love and support, and especially.......your cooking. :)

NEWS FLASH!!!!

All along, Ali and I said that we wouldn't name the triplets until we met them and their names fit with their little face and personalities. We wanted to wait for something to jump out at us.....well something did, but it was after I had posted the three names yesterday. After spending many long hours with Baby "C" we realized that "Quinn" didn't quite fit her and we kept coming back to this one name. To make a long story short.......I would like to announce her FINAL and new name.......Baby C is Stella Pauline It fits her perfect......she looks like a Stella and it is just a beautiful name. Sorry for any confusion Love you all!

THE NAMES ARE IN.......HERE ARE THE FIRST AND MIDDLE NAMES

BABY A - GIRL- REESE MARGARET (MARGARET IS MY MOTHER'S NAME) BABY B - BOY - DECLAN ALBERT (ALBERT IS ALI'S FATHER'S NAME) BABY C - GIRL - QUINN PAULINE (PAULINE IS ALI'S MOTHER'S NAME)

A and B are set but we are stuck with baby C's name.........

NAMES WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY 12 NOON TOMORROW!

STAY TUNED FOR WHAT OUR THREE LITTLE MIRACLES WILL BE CALLED.

PICTURES BY THE ONE AND ONLY...BRANDI FITZGERALD.

Brandi, these pictures are just amazing.............thank you so much!

WE JUST HAD THE BEST DAY OF OUR LIVES

For all those parents out there that told us over and over again that you never knew how much you actually could love somebody until you saw your newborns face.........WE GET IT NOW. We feel like a new life has just begun today. 2 GIRLS and 1 BOY Whoever voted correctly..................GOOD JOB! What a long day it has been, but I just couldn't fall asleep tonight unless I updated you all. Ali was amazing like usual. Very rarely complained and in 8 months produced 3 of the most beautiful human beings that I have ever laid eyes on. So perfect........I know now what all you parents were trying to tell us all along. It's a love and a feeling that you can't just describe and I cannot believe we were so blessed and so lucky to have three healthy beautiful babies. Here are the details: (I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to text many people today......it was very busy) A was the first one out. 4 lbs, 8 ounces and is a GIRL B was the middle child. 4lbs, 9 ounces and is a BOY C was the last one out, 4lbs, 12 ounces and is a GIRL. All are breathing safely on their own and all seem to be doing just fine. Ali is recovering well and is in pain (which is normal) but is so far doing well. It truly was a miracle. More details: A is the peanut and has blondish looking hair. B is the boy with dark brown curly hair. NOT SURE WHERE THAT CAME FROM. C is the BIG GIRL, who has been the biggest all along and has light brown hair. All are so precious in their own little way. NO NAMES YET.........check blog tomorrow and we may have them posted by then.

THE TEST RESULTS ARE IN....

WE ARE A GO FOR TOMORROW!!!!

We had our amnio today to check the babies lung development. Not only did they pass, but the doctor said their numbers were through the roof and that these babies are ready to meet the world. At those words, Ali and I broke down in tears. I can only imagine what tomorrow will be like. For anyone going to the hospital, I apologize now for being a crying, slobbery mess. I'm the lucky one that gets to tell Ali and the family what their genders are. (that was our deal all along....you make them and I get to be the first one who tells you what they are) I know I probably will cry the whole time. We are so happy and so excited for tomorrow that it is almost impossible to put into words. For some reason, we were very blessed up until this point with such a healthy pregnancy and almost NO complications. We pray that it continues and thank you all for your love, support and prayers. Ali said today that she thinks we were destined to have triplets. I told her that she was destined to make babies.........maybe we found a new career for her. Who knew she was such a great baby making machine. She has amazed me many times in these past 5 years, but what I have seen from her in these past 8 months tops it all. Without complaining, and with a smile on her face, she just dealt with the struggle of carrying around almost 15 lbs of baby and totally giving up her body for months to create three lives. I admire her so much and I am so amazed at how strong she really is. These babies are lucky to have her and will be loved more than they can imagine. We both look forward to sharing their lives and experiences with all of you. 23 hours and counting....... TOMORROW AT THIS TIME WE WILL BE MOMS! :)

THIS IS IT!!!!

This week has been a busy one for us. Running around....(well, I've been doing most of the running, not Ali) ......trying to get all of our last minute things done. I feel like I've been going through the "nesting" period for Ali since she can't do too much these days. Even though she has spent most of the last week resting with her feet up, we have been soooooo fortunate to have made it this far without any major problems.

We saw the doctor on Tuesday and he is just amazed at how well she has done. He said it is really rare to have a mother of triplets make it all the way until her C-Section date.......never mind, make it the whole way without any real major complication or problem. Kicker is, our doctor only deals with triplets or more, so he works with a ton of mothers of multiples.

We got our last set of measurements on Tuesday. All seem to be growing well and the funny part is, is that our little peanut, "A" decided to make a big weight gaining push near the end compared to her brothers and sisters. "A" is no longer the small one, and had the most weight gain in three weeks, growing from 3.12 to 5.4. "B" on the other hand has now taken over the small category. He/she went from 4.5 to 4.11 and our BIG girl/boy of "C" has gone from 4.12 to 5.5.

So, in all: A=5.4, B=4.11, C=5.5 About 15 or so lbs in her belly. AMAZING!

IT WAS A SAD DAY........

It was a very sad day when we had to say goodbye to our cool, SUV and trade it in for a MINI VAN. (also know as a GROCERY GETTER)

One week later, we are over it and over the fact that we are now MINI VAN MOMS. :( Only thing we are not over is the color. Unfortunately we didn't get the color we wanted, but we are just glad we got the car we wanted. 5 DAYS LEFT!!!!!!