Life is good...

We are totally adjusted to our new house! :) Who wouldn't love a little extra space? We have a company set that will come build us a fence and then we're set. This Memorial weekend Dan has been getting our old house ready for the new tenants. They move in on Wednesday and we will be working until then. Dan's been such a good worker.

Our girls are fun like always. We are transitioning to one nap a day. It's hard for even me to get used to! The pictures under each girls' updates are from today after their nap. They were pretty photogenic!
Sofia's latest thing is to speak gibberish... a lot different than the baby babble- this actually sounds like a language only she understands (maybe her sisters get it too, who knows!) It is so funny and I need to catch it on film. I would still say Sofia is a bit of a bully to the others (sometimes she is really nice and gives her sisters their blankies) but when they're all playing nicely, Sofia can get impatient if she doesn't get what she wants right away. (And she hogs the sit and spin!)

Sofia so happy!

Sofia with HER doggy! (looks suspiciously like Odin!)

Josephine is doing well! She seems to have the biggest laugh-attacks, where she's just looking for something to be funny...she especially loves to be chased or tickled by mom or dad. She is no longer afraid of the sport court, thank goodness! Josie is also starting to become a little more adventurous outside. Normally, it would be Sofia or Madeline who wanders off and the others follow, but now Josie wanders all by herself. I have noticed that both Sofia and Josie are becoming empathetic like Madeline. Maddie was always the one to bring blankies to the others, but now they all do it! We are so lucky to have girls who look after each other!

Josie's pretty face!

Josie is pondering something...!

Madeline is great too. I still see her as the leader of the pack- usually the first to wander while the others follow. You can tell she's sensitive, though. If a sister steals something she gives it up quickly. Lately, I've noticed all three girls can get major temper tantrums. All three seem to be equally likely to get a tantrum. It's actually a little funny to watch, admittedly. An example would be if someone steals Maddie's blankie and instead of chasing to get it back, she'll throw herself on the ground...walk a little...then throw herself on the ground again. Another example would be if Josie is having a fun time with dad, but then he pays attention to another girl or he gets up, she will flip out! Then when he wants to play with her or hug her she'll be pouting and mad/ignore him!

Madeline's turn!

The most genuine smile you can get!

 The video below shows Madeline pushing Sofia in their Cozy Coupe. Look how Madeline knows how to turn the car to avoid going in the rocks! Nice job!  There's just a couple more pics too.

Group shot! I didn't get one where all three are looking at the camera...oh well!

You can see the thought process going through Sofia's brain. Hmm, this rock looks tasty...should I eat it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josie especially LOVES to take off her shoes!

This weekend is another busy one, but in a good way. First, Saturday morning is the NICU reunion for St. Paul Children's Hospital. We will see some familiar faces hopefully- nurses and docs. They won't believe these are the same girls! After that, we go straight to the St. Olaf FIVE year reunion! I'm signed up just for the picnic lunch, but Dan is staying the night in the dorms. Reliving college, eh? Also, we have some of Dan's family in town for Dan's cousin's high school grad party. Lara, Peter, and Dane will be here- FOR GOOD! Tomorrow, all of them except Charlie will drive to Minnesota- their forever home! That is just too exciting for everyone!!! So I know we'll be seeing them this weekend. Poor Charlie has another month 'till he joins his family.

Have a great, short work week! I'm so excited it's almost June!!

Josephine and the Roach (and some new pics!)

My brother, Jon Langager is in the middle of his thesis film, "Josephine and the Roach". He has much of it done but he needs more money to finish it up. Even if you donate a couple bucks, it could help! (If he doesn't reach his goal of 4,000 then your credit card won't be charged, that's how Kickstarter works.)   You're going to see him get nominated/win an Oscar someday! Seriously! :)

We are heading to Duluth for the first time in a LONG time! We are going to a wedding and seeing family. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Here are some fun pics from a couple days ago... enjoy!

Sofia, Josephine, Madeline

The girls and Odin

Sofia!

Josephine!

Madeline!

Sometimes the girls like to just hang out right there, looking at wood chips and pine cones.

On the sport court.  Many years ahead to enjoy playing here!

We're so lucky!

This is the BEST part about having triplets... they are pure entertainment to each other and to us! They just make me smile and laugh and think about how lucky we are! I love them so much!!

17 Months Already?

I've been so busy the last week and a half (and before that getting ready to move and the FL trip!) Like I said in the previous post, I had a lot of family in town too. Jon was the last to leave yesterday. The girls are adjusted to the new house. They have so much space inside and out.

House view from the back (photo by brother Andy)

The girls on move-in day, exploring the upstairs (Sofia, Maddie, Josie)

Odin and the girls enjoying the backyard

The move itself was very tiring, and I didn't even do much heavy lifting. We had lots of help from family and friends, so THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN! Our old house is almost ready for our tenant to move in (oh, we signed someone for rent-to-own- woohoo!!) June 1st.

We promised the old owners that the girls would become concert pianists someday (they left their grand piano in exchange for one month's rent- one sweet deal) (M, S, J)

Our favorite room in the house is the sunroom- a 4 season porch. We also love the sport court in our backyard. We  have some summer play toys outside already- the school bus slide, the cozy coupe car, and a swing that attaches to a tree branch. The girls like the toys but love exploring...which is why we need a fence ASAP! They are constantly either going to the neighbor's driveway or towards the street. They aren't good enough at listening so I'm always chasing after them and bringing them back to our safe yard area. What a workout! 

Grandpa showing the girls a book of themselves! (J, M, S)

Madeline and Sofia checking out the school bus slide

Our family! (Dan has Josie and Sofia, I have Maddie) (photo by Andy)

My whole family! (photo by Andy)

My mom, me, and the girls (S, M, J) on Mother's Day (photo by Andy)

Yesterday the girls went to the NICU follow-up clinic. It's an exhausting couple hours for mom/grandparents and toddlers alike. The assessment is hit or miss depending on the girls' moods. I was worried about the stranger-danger but all the girls eventually felt comfortable. There were three therapists and one guardian per toddler. I was with Madeline and she was off-and-on cooperative. At different points during the session, she would just have enough and would try to arch off my lap. She was just getting antsy and frustrated!  Anyways, this is how they did.

Sofia-
Cognitive: 15 month level
Motor (fine and gross): 14 and 13 month levels
Language (expressive and receptive): 8 and 14 month levels

I really don't think the language is an accurate portrayal because Sofia is making the most effort at home to talk. My mom said she was really quiet the whole session.
  Lately, Sofia has been such a ham and clown! She seems to devour attention and does things to attract. She just cracks us up! We also noticed that for the last month or so she has been the most adaptable and "easy"...going with the swing of things more so than the other two. We need at least one of them to be like that! When all three girls get a minor bump, a lot of times there are no tears but they will need a hug from me or Dan. It is so cute!

Pretty Sofia (photo by Andy)

Madeline-
Cognitive: 14 month level
Motor (fine and gross): 14 and 15 month levels
Language (expressive and receptive): 12 and 14 month levels

Madeline still has the most stranger-danger and is quite sensitive. With that, though, comes a very compassionate and empathetic girl! When her sisters get hurt and/or cry she is sad with them and brings them their blanky/dog. What a sweetie.
   The last two days, Madeline has a problem walking on the hard floor- carpet is fine, but the tile and kitchen floor aren't. I have no idea what's going on with her. I really hope this goes away... I don't know if she has a pain or if she developed a fear randomly.

Beautiful Madeline (photo by Andy)

Josephine-
Cognitive: 16 month level
Motor (fine and gross): 16 and 15 month levels
Language (expressive and receptive): 12 and 14 month levels

Josie is a daddy's girl currently and loves to cuddle in general. She takes a while to grow accustomed to things. It took 4 baths for her to be alright with the new house's tub. She also refuses to walk on the sport court! Maybe it feels funny to walk on? Who knows!
    Josie's smile still melts anyone's heart.

Gorgeous but messy Josie! (photo by brother Andy)

In my opinion, the girls are pretty even with their development compared to each other. One walks first, another talks more, and another can do fine motor better. Then they switch up on me! All in all, everyone is pleased with their development: Dan and I, and the therapists and the neonatologist that reviewed with us. They are still below their actual age growth curve (under 3rd percentile except their heads are on the curve). The girls go back to the follow-up when they are 2 years old, and they will no longer be compared to their adjusted age, but rather their real age. The follow-up clinic was also helpful to me to get new ideas on what we can do together!

A couple nights ago, Dan got tickets to the MN Twin's game from work. They were awesome seats in the Champions Club! I don't know if we'll ever have such good seats again but it was great. Free food and drinks and we got to sat behind home plate (6 rows up). Too bad they lost by 8.... oh well, it was worth it!

Morneau!

I think that is all I wanted to update you all on. It's been awhile so sorry it was a long post!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I wish I had a nice long update with tons of pics but I really don't. One of the main reasons is I'm not sure where my camera charger is so I can't upload pictures. Really quickly, all 3 brothers plus Aimee were able to come see our  new house this weekend. The photo below is courtesy of Andy who does know where his charger is.

Anyways, happy mother's day to all the moms out there, ESPECIALLY my mom and Deb! You two are the best!! :)

Dan was good to me on mother's day... some nice meals and some BEAUTIFUL hanging baskets for our front porch! Major points!!
Until next time....

The girls and me on Mother's day (l to r Maddie, Sofia, Josie)

The Official Florida Post

Where do I begin? First, a huge thanks to Dan's parents, Mike and Debbie for inviting chaos to their rented condo! They rented a condo close to the beach in Florida for the month of April so we went for one week. The whole crew was in FL- Mike and Debbie, Lara and Charlie with their boys Peter and Dane, and Pete and his girlfriend, Erin, and US- all five of us! Dan's grandparents Jim and Sue, plus the Purdy family (cousins)- Connie, Dave, Tessa, Jenna, and Jack were also there. Fun group!

On the way out to Florida, we had a really early flight, and we were so nervous and anxious to see how the girls would handle their first airplane ride. We were lucky to fly with Dan's brother and dad to help out. One baby was able to sit on Mike's lap, and the other two with Dan and me. All three girls ended up sleeping for half of the first 2 hour flight and basically all of the following 45 min flight. So far so good....!  We were pleasantly surprised. The girls attracted a lot of attention at the airport and on the plane and people were nice about everything. 

So...what'd we do for cribs and highchairs, you ask? WELL, there's a thing called the "Triplet Connection" where people ask each other for advice and I have seen people reaching out for help when traveling. I posted whether there were any families in Pensacola so we could borrow three pack and plays...and guess what! It worked and we picked up three cribs on our way to the condo (not even out of the way, really) to borrow! I love Triplet Connection! For highchairs, we recently got gifts from a family friend, Anita. They are fabric highchairs and they work well! (You have to really supervise because they aren't completely fool-proof.) I included a pic below showing how they work. They are such a great alternative and pack really small! Perfect!

Madeline showing off the highchair for the week.

The girls needed a couple of days to adjust to all the new-ness. You could tell they were overtired and overwhelmed. They were scared of the ocean for the first half of the trip and didn't even want to touch the sand at all. A lot of crying went down and I was a little scared it would be a long week. Madeline was the hardest to adjust, Sofia the easiest. It's so funny because that's not always the case. They weren't into the pool at first either! We eased them into it and evenutally they had so much fun with the pool AND beach. It was even more fun to watch them! (They started to like the sand TOO much and started putting handfuls in their mouth. YUCK! We definitely had to stop that new habit).

 We went to see the Blue Angels practice- the first attempt the clouds were too low but we saw it the following day. The girls didn't love it, but I did! (They especially didn't love me covering their ears and sitting too long). On that first day we attempted, we went to the Naval museum instead, which was very interesting. The best part, of course, was a little playground they had. The girls went hog-wild! They were running (no, walking really fast!) all over the place! Even though they weren't together and didn't have matching outfits, they still attracted a lot of attention. Everyone was asking about them!

Sofia and Maddie

Hi Peter!

Sofia and Josie LOVING the museum playground

Here's some fun pics!

The girls loving the pool (not at first)

Sofia hard at play outside the condo (we were on the first floor so we had a communal yard for them to enjoy!)

Madeline

I just love this picture of Josie

Lara and Peter enjoying the beach

Dan and Josie- she was the biggest daddy's girl in Florida!

I tried to get a group shot with my girls but they are too busy!

Josie! (and mom keeping a close watch!)

(Maddie) Yes, they DID eat a lot of sand (quickly taught them NO!!)

What do you see, Maddie?

Surfin' babes!!

Grandpa dipping Sofia's toes in the ocean!

Easter was our last day. (Side note: my triplet mom friend, Elizabeth- yes, the same one who gave me the Choo-choo wagon- gave me these handed down Easter dresses! I was so thankful I didn't have to go shopping for them when I was so busy with getting ready/etc. Thanks again, Elizabeth!) We brought them to church and they lasted, oh, maybe 3 minutes into the service. We brought them to a big empty room (Lara and Peter joined too) for them to run around in. They had fun but no service for us! After church we had a delicious brunch while the girls napped. After nap they got to go on an Easter egg hunt! Dane had a blast and the girls got in on it too. Their eggs had some baby treats- lucky them!

Grandpa and grandma with ALL the grandkids!

Family Easter picture- windy and bright!

Easter Dresses- Madeline, Josie, Sofia

Josie found an Easter egg!

Daddy showing Maddie what to look for

Sofia and Maddie

 The trip back went alright too. Dan's brother, Pete, held a baby on the flights back home. The problem was when a baby would see me and had to be with me! Plus, the first flight was at 5 pm, a notoriously fussy time of the day. We played musical babies for sure. I felt badly for Pete- not a very relaxing way to travel. Thank you so much again, Pete! Thanks to Charlie too who helped us out until we parted ways in Atlanta. I don't think we could have handled any of that by ourselves! The second flight was better because they slept the whole way (the flight was at bedtime).

All in all, the trip was a success! Tiring, yes, but we had a lot of fun. I have realized that vacations are no longer vacations with young kids, but it was life in better weather! :)  Thanks again, to everyone. Now, we have the countdown to the big move! Our first night in our new house is Saturday. THIS Saturday. Wish us luck! (Luckily it is just a move across town, not the country.)

If you made it through the whole post, good job! Sorry it was so long!

PS. BLOGGER, WORK ON YOUR FORMATTER! It is impossible to work with and this post looks screwed up!