Meet Grace. Grace and her triplet brother & sister, Thomas and Elizabeth, were born the same month as Steven, Sammy and Amaya. Over the past 18 months, I’ve grow close with Grace’s mom, Carrie, and have watched Carrie’s kids grow alongside my own. On Friday, sweet Grace was diagnosed with leukemia. I can’t imagine being in their shoes and am amazed (but not surprised) at the family’s spirit and strength. As much as I can, I’ll be by Grace’s side through her journey and ask that you all keep Grace in your hearts and your thoughts.
Here at the home front, it was a quiet week but not short on adventure. We’ve started using the new water table that Nana and I put together last week. It’s a hit!
We’re also trying out our new (and first ever!) swimsuits.
Sammy was so excited about my sunglasses that I grabbed his for him and he was happy, happy, happy!
Steven
Amaya
Three babies who aren’t quite asleep yet.
Mommy snuggles!
Daddy snuggles!
For a host of reasons, we’ve moved on from plastic straw cups and are excited about our new Pura stainless steel cups!
From the week…
Steven standing! He’s getting better and better at it!
Sammy wants to be sure you see him, too.
Sammy says “Cheese”!
I think he looks like he’s FOUR in this photo.
And Amaya!
Finally! I was in Charleston (Folly Beach) this weekend for Bitcherie Weekend 8.0. Not pictured is Erin, who took the photo, and Deena who couldn’t make it this year. Three days of relaxation with some of the best women I know. LNVE to you all, my dear friends! And thank you to Jason and Grandma Sunshine to who held down the fort so I could get away.
Miss Amaya is now a WALKER! She took off!! It was only a matter of time and it finally clicked this week. My sweet, sweet girl.
And, Sammy stood by himself right in the center of the room. He got up off the floor himself with his wide legged stance and stood! He doesn’t want to be upstaged by his sister!
The tail end of a standing Sammy with cameos from his sister and brother.
Sammy even took his first few steps!
And! With new, better fitting shoes, Steven is starting to stand unsupported, as well!
This weekend, Steven, Sammy and Amaya went to their first con! My kids! At a con! It’s amazing. I went to my first Star Trek con in high school and it’s crazy to think that this is still something I’m interested in and that I get to share it with my family.
It’s super convenient because Motor City Comic Con is less than 2 miles from our house.
There was so much to see!
Enthralled by a Storm Trooper!
We met Terry Farrel from Star Trek: Deep Space 9. She was wonderful and so excited to get down on the ground and spend time with Steven, Sammy and Amaya. There was a game of peek-a-boo and high fives all around!
Sammy was totally smitten. When we left her area, he just kept signing, “more, more.” So cute!!
And here’s Amaya being cute with her sippy cup.
Amaya and I waited on line together for Gates McFadden (Star Trek: TNG). (And, sorry, Jason. In my blog, it’s on line!) Amaya was saying hi to everyone and just generally excited to meet Dr. Crusher.
Fortunately, she was just as excited to meet us!!
What a thrill. Seriously. A THRILL.
Today, I had a play date with another triplet mom. Her boys are 7 months old and we’ve been trying to plan this for a while. It was a lot of fun but also difficult because of the age difference. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are way too young to know how to be gentle with babies or not to throw things at them. We’ll definitely do it again, though! There’s nothing like another triplet mom. We are one. 🙂
Steven played in the mix for a bit but he’s so independent that he was also happy playing on his own.
This past week we showed some Cavs pride as they make their way through the NBA playoffs! So stinking cute.
If you’re cleaning in the kitchen and need to keep 3 toddlers occupied, paper towels do the trick quite nicely.
Amaya loooooves Steven. She loves to hug him and roll on him and it’s adorable. Sammy loves ME!
And we all love selfies! (Though Sammy loves them best!)
Nana is visiting this weekend which means lots of fun and lots of hugs. We played with new toys, explored our bean bags and put together our new water table! Thanks for the help, Nana!
Steven!
His sneakers were too big so we gave him the size 6 sneakers that we just bought for Sammy. (Poor Sammy! He loves shoes but still doesn’t have a pair of his own. His are on the way so hopefully this will be remedied soon.) Steven’s much more stable in these smaller shoes.
This kid!
He’s doing great with his Y bike.
Sammy!
Turns out, Sammy loves shoes and Sammy loves the Swiffer. I mean, looooooooves it. He sat and played with it for a long, long time and actually understands the concept of how it’s used.
Sammy in the shoes we gave to Steven. Sorry Sammy!
Happy as can be in Daddy’s shoes.
Amaya!
Earlier in the week I was home before a meeting and Amaya kindly helped me with the bills. She’s so curious and sassy and smiley.
Amaya has the brightest smile but she is very sad when she doesn’t get what she wants.
I can’t end the blog on Sad Amaya so I’ll end with cheez-its! Flour, cheese, butter. Super easy. But don’t cook them for too long or they’ll get a little over crispy. Yum! Yum! Yum!
It’s my second Mother’s Day and it’s still hard to believe that I’m part of this celebration of moms. Being Steven, Sammy and Amaya’s mom is such a gift.
It was a wonderful day. I slept in and came down to my family and a display that showcased evidence of my labor and love over the past year. It was so sweet.
I also got some extra special help with the morning dishes.
The weather wasn’t great in the morning but we decided to go to the zoo anyway. It was perfect. Cool enough in the early part of the day and the sun came out just before lunch.
We’re really getting the routine down. Steven, Sammy and Amaya (though pictured as Sammy, Steven and Amaya) were able to enjoy some raspberries and sweet potato cookies before we got on our way.
We saw fish and seals and camels and ducks!
We also stopped to have a caricature drawn of the kids. He did a great job capturing their personalities. Amaya was a total ham the whole time.
And our Phil & Ted lobster chairs work perfectly for lunch out. Pizza & french fries! We looooooove french fries.
After lunch, we had a few more adventures with babies who were growing sleepier and sleepier.
Sleepy from our adventures!
Our final work of art!
My Mother’s Day recap wouldn’t be complete without my amazing new bag that Steven, Sammy and Amaya worked on with Megan. I take a tote bag to work every day so it will get a ton of use. Hopefully you can see how much I love it from the smile on my face. <3 <3 <3
Yesterday I had to spend most of the day at a commercial shoot so Anna came to spend the day with Steven, Sammy and Amaya. They had a blast!
I did have a chance for some play time before I left.
These next three pictures came with a text that said, “They all woke up in magnificent moods!”
I also received some videos on the Y Bike. Don’t miss Amaya’s cameo at the end of Sammy’s video.
Plus Steven, on Friday.
You hear about simple things that make kids happy. Right now, it’s a shoe box. As head gear. Because why wouldn’t a shoe box be headgear?
A few of Steven this week.
Sammy
He loves wearing shoes. He’s going to be so happy when his arrive!
But more than shoes, Sammy loves a selfie!
Amaya
And, when you don’t have 3 boxes to play with, sweet potatoes will do!
What a week!! Jason and I planned our first vacation away together since Steven, Sammy and Amaya were born. The plan was to leave Wednesday night and fly home on a Sunday night red eye. Unfortunately, a work meeting delayed me by a day so Jason headed on without me and I rescheduled for the next night.
Though, if I can’t be vacationing with Jason, it’s hard to beat spending time with these kiddos.
Sammy explored the fridge.
Fun with good old fashioned pots and spoons!
But I made it to Vegas! And, at this point, I should stop to introduce Ichabod, our good lizard friend who lives at McCarran Airport in Vegas and greets us whenever we arrive.
Also!! My secret sister in my triplet group is amazing and had this waiting for us in our room when we got to Vegas!! I love my fellow triplet mommas. I don’t talk about them in the blog but they are an amazing source of support and have become, I hope, lifelong friends. There’s no one else who can relate to this journey I’m on the way they can. <3
And here we are!! Jason got in a ton of gambling time, I read 3 books and got two massages and we ate some fantastic food. It was a such a welcome, needed break.
Back in the Land of Cheltenham, Steven, Sammy, Amaya and Megan had a pizza party!! They loved it!
Steven’s orthotics finally arrived. They’re smaller than I thought they’d be and they don’t seem to bother him at all so hopefully they’ll give him the stability he needs and he’ll be off and running! All he needed now were shoes that fit with his orthotics. (In general, his physical therapist said it’s preferred that young kids don’t wear shoes unless they need to but Steven will have to wear shoes all the time.)
We’re so grateful to Nana and Grandma Sunshine for coming to stay with Steven, Sammy and Amaya for the weekend! Everyone was ready for fun and adventure!
And there was lot of adventure, starting with a trip to the grocery store!
And, on Sunday, there were two trips to shoe stores to get some new kicks for Steven. He’s an extra wide with his orthotics and they’re hard to come by. I’m so appreciative that my mom and Sherry were willing to run around town to be sure Steven is ready to run.
The cutest, right!?!?
Sammy and Amaya were measured for shoes, too. We got Sammy’s online but, boy, is he excited to wear shoes!!
More fun with Nana!
We arrived home on Jason’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Daddy! Here, Jason is teaching everyone how to tap out a cool beat on a table.
And there’s always time to ride on shoulders.
Steven this week. With lots of crazy hair!
Always smiling!
And always curious.
Sammy is a puppy. A puppy, I say! He has big puppy dog eyes and the kid loves to carry stuff around in his mouth.
He’s a happy Whammy, with his daddy’s laugh.
PUPPY.
Sammy was ready for the big fight!
Sammy the climber!
Amaya!
This is a Y Bike and it’s used to help transition to walking. Steven’s physical therapist let us borrow it for a bit. She’s sooooooo close!
Mohawk!
Amaya was first to discover the joy of sitting under the table between the bungees.
She loves their birthday blanket!
And shenanigans.
Amaya is so close to walking! And look at how she mimics the “walk to me” hand motions. (2 videos.)
And a few more of playtime for everyone!
Finally, Mommy and Daddy get a BREAK! Together! In Vegas!
We turned 15 months on Monday and had our 15 month well check on Wednesday. Everyone is well!
We love our wagon at the doctor’s office. And Steven, Sammy and Amaya are finally old enough to really enjoy the fishies.
Between weights with the nurse and the visit with our pediatrician, we had to keep occupied. So paper towels it was! Lots and lots of paper towels.
Here are the official stats:
Steven: 20lbs 5oz (15th percentile) and 30.5″ (25th percentile)
Sammy: 21lbs 14oz (36th percentile) and 31.5″ (62nd percentile)
Amaya: 22lbs 13oz (72nd percentile) and 32.5″ (96th percentile)
Poor Sammy had a fever as a reaction to one of the vaccines.
Luckily, the chance to take a selfie cheers him right up!
Until morning. My poor Bubba.
Aaaaaaaaand, then on Friday, Steven broke out with a rash on his face. As they day went on, it got worse so we had to call an audible on the day and make a doctor’s appointment. We suspected it was a reaction to the amoxicillin for his ear infection but wanted to be sure. This time, though, I was able to make the appointment from work and Megan had the keys to the van to go the appointment.
But not by herself! Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy are visiting us from Iowa and Grandma Betsy joined everyone for the visit.
It was, in fact, an amoxicillin reaction and all is well. (With Sammy’s fever, too, though Sammy and Amaya both still have their colds. And lots and lots of snot. Lots and lots.)
Here are some fun photos from the visit.
There were birthday presents to open!
Girl talk to be had.
Walks to take!
Here, Steven wanted to see something that was over Sammy’s shoulder. So cute. And Amaya just chatted away for the entire walk.
Some guy talk, too!
Quality time with Amaya
Outside time while Daddy grilled!
And even more presents!
It’s cute. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are really starting to notice each other in a new way.
Notice Steven’s post-bath curls? ^^^
I’m not sure exactly why but I’m really pleased with this meal. It’s rotini with chicken, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and goat cheese. It’s delicious and I’m so excited that the kids like the artichokes.
Earlier in the week, Grandma Sunshine came to visit which gave Steven, Sammy and Amaya a chance to play together at the table Grandma Sunshine gave them for their birthday. With 3 babies in an unsecured area, you really do need more than one adult to manage this safely.
I can NOT believe how BIG these kids are! Where did my babies go!?!?
When I got home from work, there was also a chance for some “Free Play” when Steven, Sammy and Amaya can just crawl freely around the house.
They love playing the piano!
Sammy even figured out that he can reach the keys standing.
The big news for the week for Steven is that, last weekend, he graduated from Honey Bear to a regular straw cup. I’m really going to miss Honey Bear.
I call this Banker Bobo.
He is a CUTIE.
He’s got a raspberry on his finger. 🙂
Do you notice where Sammy is standing to reach the posterboard sign
Mommy and Sammy. Goodness, this boy loves seeing himself on the screen. He must know how cute he is.
His imitation of the Steven face?
Selfies! Selfies! Selfies!
Miss Amaya is SASSY. Megan and I looked up the definition of “sassy” to be sure we were using it correct.
sas*sy adjective
informal
1. lively, bold, and full of spirit. cheeky.
And finally! We made a BIG change in the house! Over the course of 24 hours we (Jason, really) baby proofed our entire family room and kitchen so that Steven, Sammy and Amaya have more opportunity to really get around. Their playroom is great and the staple of their activity but they all loooooooove to go! go! go! and to explore and now they have the chance to do it regularly, instead of just when we happen to have 3 adults around. It’s a great set up!
No blog next Sunday night but hopefully sometime on Monday. Have a great week!
Hello! This blog post is coming to you from Steven, Sammy and Amaya’s 39 year old mother. 39! We had a wonderful birthday celebration. I woke to birthday balloons, we relaxed at home and then all went out for a frozen yogurt adventure.
You’d think that our kids would love the chance to eat sweet, tasty frozen yogurt but not so much!
A wonderful day. It’s so nice to finally start getting out to enjoy the sunshine.
Especially after the week we had! Everyone in the Land of Cheltenham has been siiiiiiiick. On Wednesday, we finally went to see our pediatrician. Steven had a fever on and off since Friday night and couldn’t seem to shake it. My poor Bobo!
I should also mention that I was so proud of myself. I called the pediatrician from work and made the appointment. Megan was all set to take the kids to the doctor on her own. The first sick visit I’d miss! But she couldn’t find the car keys. Because they were in my pocketbook. With me. At work. Best laid plans. I guess the kids need their mommy at the doctor.
Even though there were now two of us, we took the whole gang because Amaya had a persistent cough and Sammy was getting sick.
Good thing! Both Steven and Amaya have their first ear infections. We have antibiotics and we’re all slowly on the mend.
And even with the colds and ear infections, everyone was still able to have fun this week!
This week we’ll start with Amaya who still loves her cubby and standing and is the sassiest little girl I know.
Mr. Sam Man
Showing Megan his ears. Everyone is learning body parts. Head, ears, nose. So cute!
Sammy looooooves seeing himself on the phone screen.
Steven
Sleeping babies. I love taking photos of my sleeping babies!
And, finally, I left the Land of Cheltenham for a night to go to Washington D.C. for The Military Child of the Year Awards. Where I connected with my new BFF – General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
We have a big week ahead! Tomorrow, we’re 15 months old! On Tuesday, Grandma Sunshine is coming for a visit and, at the end of the week, we have our long awaited visit from Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy!!
This blog post is later than usual because we were having family adventures until Tuesday and I’ve been recuperating since! Visiting for the long weekend were Savta, Nana, Papa, Aunt Sara, Uncle David, Chase, Charlie, Uncle Austin, Aunt Dena and Lavinia! A house full of people and a house full of fun!
Everyone jumped right in the mix!
Amaya loooooooves her big cousins!
Sammy had some puzzle time on Friday afternoon, and both boys explored with the push walker… a new skill! Steven really loves walking. Now that he has the hang of it, he wants to walk all the time!
On Saturday morning, Steven, Sammy and Amaya dressed in their Sparty best!
We had lots of playtime throughout the day, in the baby jail and in the playroom.
We all went out for lunch, where Steven, Sammy and Amaya had lots of people to keep them occupied while we waited for our food.
My big guy and I, hard at work on a word search.
And later that day I got in some special time at Fun Zone with the Goldbergs.
Saturday night, Uncle Austin & crew arrived which was perfect timing because Sunday morning we all headed off to Great Lakes Crossing to go to the aquarium.
With Amaya and Steven
Sammy and Daddy
Free to see the sting rays!
Sammy is FREEEEEEEEEEEE!!
After the aquarium, we went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch and then walked around the outlet mall for a while. Thanks to my mom for arranging a birthday sparkler in my paella!
Uncle Austin did a great job caring for the boys.
On Sunday night, we had our (delayed) family Seder.
On Monday morning, Jason headed back to work. We all celebrated baseball opening day. Twice.
We had the Tigers in the morning and the Yankees at the Detroit Zoo! Nana and Papa got us a zoo membership for SSA’s 1st birthday and this was our first outing! It was also Sammy and Amaya’s first trip to the zoo. Steven came with me last April when Sara, David and Chase visited but now everyone got to share the adventure.
Checking out some ducks. Quack!
Everyone loved the llamas!
My Amaya.
We skipped afternoon naps to get to the zoo but, with some hard work from Uncle Dave and Megan, Steven, Sammy and Amaya all caught their Zzzzzzzzs.
And, finally, here’s our very own prairie dog – Charlie!! <3
After the zoo, we had just a bit more time to play together.
Steven and Papa
Nana and her grandkids!
Tuesday was our last day together. Sad, sad, sad!
We had time to go out for lunch before it was time to leave. We also had a chance to try out our portable high chairs! Steven was a fan.
Sammy occupied himself with sugar packets while we waited for our food.
And Amaya occupied herself with a lemon. A lemon!!
Steven was impressed and wanted to try it, too.
And that was our wonderful, wonderful family weekend! We love you teams Weintraub, Shifrin, Goldberg and Verona!!
Here are some other photos from the week.
Steven!
Steven stood independently during our weekly early intervention appointment!
Megan was in CA on Monday and Tuesday so I stayed home with Steven, Sammy and Amaya on Monday and Jason stayed home on Tuesday. We also had Grandma Sunshine with us from Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning.
Our early intervention team brought a craft with them. (With glitter, omg!) We made cupcakes with thumbprints for the cherry on top!
The finished product!
Monday was also a chance to test out the awesome bean bags from Aunt Sara, Uncle David and cousins Chase & Charlie. We still have some growing to do before we can use them every day but these are going to be fun for a loooooooong time!
Steven’s a climby guy
Sammy’s a lounging guy
Amaya’s a nervous girl
Steven had physical therapy on Friday. He was measured for his ankle braces and should have them in a week or two. They’ll have dinosaurs on them! His physical therapist mostly worked on activities to build core strength while sitting, standing and kneeling.
And see this toy they’re working with? It has these colored pegs that fit in the little holes. Sammy was able to place the pegs in the holes and stack them on top of each other. Jeannette, our PT, said she usually doesn’t see that until age TWO! Clever Sammy!
This weekend, Amaya had adventures! She went to the grocery store with daddy and to Best Buy with me.
Amaya knows how to live. 🙂
In our continuing quest to master utensils, today we tried cottage cheese. Small curd. It was Megan’s idea and it was a good one. We’ve got a long way to go but we’re getting better and better at it!
This obviously isn’t a food blog but I’m pretty excited about this meal so I took photos. It’s baked mac & cheese muffins with ham! They look so tasty.
We also moved our kitchen set up around this weekend. Well, Jason did. 🙂 Our hope is that this will keep our walls from further distress. Flinging cups of milk and flying food takes its toll! It has a nice flow, too. Brings Steven, Sammy and Amaya into the mix a bit more than with them tucked in a corner and they can look outside while they eat.
Steven had crazy hair this week. This is his Flock of Seagulls look.
A mohawk with Cookie
A mohawk at mealtime
And a mohawk at bedtime!
Happy Steven
Steven working on milk at bedtime instead of a bottle
Steven looooooves sports balls!
Someone found the light switch!
Cutie in a cubby!
Sammy’s such a BIG kid!
He’s also a joker
But so is Amaya!
Amaya has pretty much mastered standing independently! And this week she actually took 3 steps! It was a one time thing, so far, but as she stands more and more I expect her to take off at any moment.
Amaya loves to say “uh, oh!”
We have daytime playtime!
And we have bedtime playtime!
This video is from last Sunday when the boys and I were playing catch.
Finally, everyone still loves cookie!
This week (Friday!) we’re excited to welcome my mom, Gene, Savta, Aunt Sara, Uncle David, Chase, Charlie, Uncle Austin, Aunt Dena and Lavinia to the Land of Cheltenham. We’ll be partying all weekend, into next week, so look for our next blog post after the festivities!
When we left off last week, we had moved Steven, Sammy and Amaya to the table. Well, it was short lived! We’ll try again soon but, for now, they need a bit more structure at meal time.
See what I mean?
I’m continuing the attempts at spoon feeding. It’s fun but soooooooo messy.
Today we took the triple wagon out for the first time. I think it’s a hit!
Before some more group photos from the week, here are everyone’s individual adventures.
Megan is in CA for a few days & I came home early on Friday so she could catch her flight. Steven woke from his nap first so we had some time together in my bed. Goodness, he was so happy to just lie there and look up at the ceiling fixture! I love these pictures of him!
Yesterday, Steven and I had a Mommy/Steven trip to the mall. (How do I pick who to take? Randomly. I assign a letter to everyone and Jason picks a letter for me. Otherwise I’d spend the whole afternoon trying to make the decision and feeling badly about whoever I left home.)
I didn’t have any specific objective so we ended up at the Build-A-Bear store where Steven created his new friend, Cookie! One paw roars. The the other paw says, “Steven, Sammy and Amaya… Mommy loves you!” He has to share Cookie with his brother and sister.
Two more of Steven from the week.
The Sam Man. Happy as a clam in a chair.
Sammy had the chance to go with Daddy on Daddy’s weekly grocery trip. So much to see!
This morning, I went into the nursery just after 7am and Sammy was faaaaaaast asleep. I got Steven and Amaya out of their cribs, turned on some lights and still… faaaaaaast asleep. Lucky boy!
We’re in the long process of weaning off night bottles. Steven, Sammy and Amaya still take almost full 8oz bottles at night so it’s not a fast process. On Thursday, we started offering a cup of milk before bottles to give them a chance to drink from the cup instead.
Last night, Sammy took a bit from his sippy cup and then held it while he drank his bottle.
Tonight, he drank 7.5oz of milk from his cup! BYE, BYE BOTTLES, SAMMY!!
I should mention, too, that today Amaya drank 24oz of milk! She still likes her bedtime bottle but she’s got the daytime milk routine down pat.
Finally, Sammy learned a new trick! He can climb on the furniture. Holy cow, are we in trouble!! Go, Sammy go!!
Amaya! Amaya likes Cookie a LOT. In fact, I think her brothers will have to fight hard for their time with Cookie.
Amaya loves to sit. Not on the floor, but on a chair or stool or ledge like a big girl.
So Jason had a great idea… we moved the shelf up so she can sit in her book nook more comfortably. Amaya approves!
Still sassy.
She can even be fancy in PJs.
This is what we live with, haha.
Sleeping babies
Holding hands while Steven tries to settle himself at bedtime.
Playtime with daddy!
Early Sunday morning fun.
And, finally, the first walk outside of the season! On Monday, my mom and Megan bundled up Sammy, Steven and Amaya and took them for a walk in the neighborhood. The cute coats are from cousins Spencer and Jamie and the gorgeous, hand knit hats are from Louise Mandelman.
I wasn’t there but, from their faces, you can tell that they are ready for spring. And so am I!!
*Today’s enthusiastic blog title brought to you courtesy of Daddy.
“I always get stuck on blog titles.”
“Call it The Super Duper Blog.”
Done.
