Baby B: Addison

Addison in the NICU at 2 weeks.

So I guess it is strange to start with baby B but I just feel that way today. I don't think any mom loves any child more than their others, or at least I do not. Addison and I have a different bound however being the only 2 females in a house of men.

Addison in child number 3 for me. Hunter is her oldest brother and ever since she was in my womb he has said she is his baby. I am not sure why but I absolutely encouraged that. What better than an older brother to look out for his younger sister. I guess dating will always be impossible for her with 3 brother to scare away prospects....YES!!

Addi's first kiss

The hardest part

 Addison is the middle triplet being born a minute after Luke and a minute before Cole. She was 4 lbs. 8 oz. and arrived at 32 weeks with her siblings. Luke and her were born weighing the same weight. In the NICU she was the strongest. She need a oxygen, heart monitor and a feeding tube like you see in the picture for 3 weeks. She was the first to be held, about 24 hours after birth. When the trio was in the highest level of care, about 2 weeks, only 2 people were permitted back to see them at a time. For the first week we were only allow to touch them when they were being feed and changed threw the wholes in their isolet.  We had friends and family come. During the month in the NICU only a few people got to see them in person and even less got the chance to hold them. The only picture we got were mostly threw the windows. My friend Jane was kind enough to quickly take as many picture as we could that first day threw their isolets. Even though I already had a baby and felt very comfortable doing all the feeding, nursing and changing. Having 3 newborns hooked up to all kinds of machines, not being able to hold them or touch them. Praying that each day they would be stronger and closer to be able to come home, these days were filled with terror, tears and sleepless night. Premies don't know they need to eat, they are not ready to breath on their own, their organs are not ready for the outside world. At any moment thing could and did change. Which is why sometime it is easy to get mad at people that could never possibly understand. Looking back over these picture and where she is today I thank god. Anyone that has spent time in the NICU know that preemies have a lifetime of possible issues. Luckly Addison has only had had a few developmental delays, one being her gross motor and being the last one to walk, at 18 months. At 3 she is my most talkative and has good fine motor movement. At the moment she seems to be the only one that was possibly effected by the oxygen in the isolet, which might have been the reason why her eyes are weaker and the only one in glasses.

Her little womb, the isolet

Feeding time in the NICU

If you know what it is like to see one baby with tubes and wires, then triplet it, you would know how emotional that first year was for us. Addison had the smoothest ride threw the NICU. I don't like thinking back to this time in the NICU. I don't talk about it much. Looking at the pictures takes at air out of me. I am so blessed to have such healthy children and I work so hard with them in our daily life to overcome their early entry into this world.

First clothing 3 weeks into the NICU

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• Nicknames: Addi, AJ, princess
• Favorite Color: PINK, purple is a close second
• She knew the name of every disney princess before she count or say ABC
• Even preemie clothing looked like a huge sack after 3 weeks in this world. She was the first to nurse and I was able to at least sustain her for 8 months. Which I am extremely proud of.
• All the triplets have done time with the infants and toddler programs for developmental delays, Addi is the only one to graduate.
• Addi is all girl
• She was the last to walk and the first to talk
• Addison was the one that took the longest to sleep threw the night. By the end of 2 years the sleep deprivation was making me crazy.
• She potty trained herself before 2, being wet was not in her cards
• AJ is the only one in glasses since 2 yo. I was surprised when the first nap she knew to take them off and she placed them down on her side table.

Ledder photo shot, always my favori

• Everything is about Disney princesses. Right now she loves Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
• She has taken Ballet, tap and soccer.
• Last to get hair. Started off with cute little curls.
• If I was into pageants, she would be a star. She will sit forever and let me do anything to her hair. Has even slept with foam rollers in a few time by age 3.
• She was the first to want and then demand to dress herself.
• Being a girl you would think maybe she would be the cleanest and most helpful with the cleaning but no she is a slob and hard to motivate to clean up. Her room always looks like a storm blew threw it and dress up cloths are always scattered every where.
• For a while there the kids would storm Keith when he came home each emptying something from his pockets, Addi always went for the wallet.

To be continued when daddies good memory gets home!!

1 year old

First tutu!

First birthday cake

Our favorite rockers

2nd Easter, at 3 the dress still fits

This day we tried on every hat she was given, and looked so cute!

2nd 4th of July at my parents neighborhood parade. Family tradition
 since we moved to Potomac back when I was a young teen.

Developmental Intervention

When we returned home from the hospital one month after their birth we began Early Intervention in Washington County.Since three babies are squeezed into a space meant for one, then add the complications of being a preemie the triplets had different developmental delays.

• Addison worked mostly on gross and fine motor.
• At 7 months we were working on Rolling back to belly, reaching for toys, propped sitting

By 10 months we had moved to Frederick County where infants and toddlers picked us up and a team of experts came to the rescue. Physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, special instruction teacher, behavioral therapist, vision services and speech therapist. These people have been our saviors and we consider them part of our family. Some of her first goals:

• Holding rattle and transitioning it from hand to hand.
• Vocalizing spontaneously and responding, turning towards voices
• They commented on her being an observer, somewhat serious, but had good eye contact at this point
• She still needed propping to sit up, however her fine motor was beginning to develop. She was the last to do all gross motor activities and I think she was the last walker because she wasn't going to try until she knew she would be able to do it without falling.
• Addison will get stronger to explore her environment and find her favorite toys
• At 15 months Addison is enjoying fine motor activities, pretend play is emerging and she loves books
• She is Babbling spontaneously (and has NEVER stopped talking since) while have a conversation with you and is VERY vocal, these are the words of our specialized teacher not me, so if you read this when you are older Addi, its not just me that thinks you are a talkaholic. xoxo
• Socially interactive; very attached to mother- separation anxiety
• Attempts to put legs in clothing (dressing yourself before walking); independently finger feeding
• On the merge of of walking, can make 5-6 steps holding onto furniture.

  

  Second Halloween

• 18 months and up coming soon
  

third Halloween with I and T at Summers Farm.
 Enjoyed  a great trip with our dear Friend
Josephine and her wonderful Children.

Old Check stats:

• 11-18-09, 9 Month Checkup Weight: 16 lbs. 13 oz. (8%) Height 28" (70%) Concerned about constipation at this time and still at 3 yo we are fighting to find the right balance to keep AJ regular ;/ 
• During these first few year we spent a LOT of time at the pediatricians office with constipation, tons of ear infections, every cold on overdrive due to their weaker preemie immune system times it by 4 kids and 2 adults passing it back and forth. The first two and a half years were the hardest and felt like home was a jail holding us hostage with illnesses.
• 2-23-10, 12 Month Checkup Weight 19 lbs. 13 oz. (20%) Height 29 3/4" (75%) After this appointment we started seeing the GI specialist regularly
• 5-27-10, 14-15 Month Checkup Weight 24 lbs. 15 oz. (30%) Height 32 1/4" (95%)
• 3-1-11, 2 Year Checkup Weight 26 lbs. 13 oz. (12%) Height 36 1/4" (off the chart)



First Princess Dress up, Tiana

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Easter 2012 with Tarah, Trevor, their beautiful family and friends for their last Easter egg hunt in MD, before moving.

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