22- 23 Months Old

Quick peek at life with our 22 (edit: now 23) month olds:

• It finally happened- I didn't get my act together in time to write a monthly update while they were 22 months old. I started this list several weeks ago, and they just turned 23 months a couple days ago. So, a combined 22-23 month list. I seriously can't believe my babies are almost 2!
• I am regularly amazed at how well they understand what we're saying. Last night we played a game for about 15 minutes where I just asked them to point to or bring me random objects- the slide, the couch, chairs, a giraffe, a truck, a telephone- and they didn't miss a beat. Our smart little cookies.
• Their language is also exploding. More and more they are starting to string together 2-3 word sentences. They love to randomly shout out and sign words, too. Lately we're on a kick where they sign and say Mama, Nana, Dada, and Papa.
• I think their favorite word right now is "No". Any time we ask them to do something, the answer is no. "Do you want to share that with your brother?" "No." "Do you want to brush your teeth?" "No." About the only thing that they will say yes to is going outside to play.
• Trucks, cars, and tractors are still their favorites. They have also started acting interested in bikes, which is funny since they don't have one of their own. The sign language DVD that we watch taught them how to say bike, and now the like to pretend to cycle by turning a shopping cart on its side and straddling it. We would like to get them balance bikes for their birthday- I think they would LOVE them! The question now is- do we get one for them to share (and inevitably deal with screaming tantrums when the other 2 can't use it) or get them all their own (and risk having one of them make a break away if we get distracted by the other 2)...these are the tough decisions triplet parents have to make! 
• They've also recently become interested in "panes" and will actively search for airplanes in the sky when we are outside.
• All 3 of them are getting better at using their fine motor skills. Every night when I am putting on their PJ's they love to help me zip them up, and then cheer and applaud their success. :)
• Their morning wake up is getting earlier and earlier. Boo. In the past, they would sleep solidly until about 7:45 or 8:00 each morning. Lately, though, they've been up and atem anywhere between 6:30 and 7:00. Fortunately they are content to hang in their cribs and play with each other, but I have a feeling 7:00 AM is the new 8:00 AM in this house.
• We are trying to get them outside to play in the backyard as much as we can these days. They truly love nothing more than exploring the yard. We look for bugs (or bums, as Cooper calls them), sticks, rocks, golf balls, birds, trees, leaves, grass, and air planes. They are endlessly entertained by the golfers who drive by, and I think they equally entertain the golfers when they run up to the fence and yell "hi!" as they pass by. Almost every time we go outside we find at least one golf ball in our yard- those are prized possessions. One afternoon a golfer saw one of the boys carrying around a ball, and when he saw that the other 2 didn't have one, he dropped a few more off with us. People are quite charmed by our little men. :)
  
  

  

  These 2 love climbing

  
  

  

  Sweet smile

• Griffin is our biggest explorer outside. He loves digging in the dirt and will often run around with a stick in one hand and a rock (or several) in the other. He knows exactly where the rocks are in the landscaping and will make a beeline for his rock stash as soon as we let them outside. I do periodic checks to be sure he's not eating any of the rocks- he's gotten good about opening his mouth very wide and showing me his tongue when I ask him to show me his mouth when we are outside.
• I think Will is going to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a golfer. The kid loves to play with golf clubs and is getting pretty good at making contact with the ball! We were outside the other day, playing with our newly found golf balls, and I caught Will using a stick to try and hit the ball. I foresee lots of daddy/Will time at the driving range as soon as he's old enough to have his own set of clubs!

  

  Kid loves his golf!

• They are getting very good about acknowledging each other by their names. Will is still the easiest name for them to say. Griffin is still "Der" and Cooper is still "Per" for now. 
• Tantrums are becoming more and more of a thing around the house, especially for Cooper. Will and Griffin can both carry on with the best of them, but they are still easily distracted if you redirect them. Griffin can usually be calmed as soon as the offending brother hands him back his truck. Cooper, though, has entered into the stage where he will scream and carry on for what feels like forever, and nothing can calm him. Last night he was mad because he didn't want to eat his grilled cheese and broccoli tots for dinner. So he screamed for the ENTIRE meal. Ugh, it's exhausting. Thankfully he is very capable of being a sweet, happy boy, too...most of the time.
• They are still obsessed with books, and have many of their favorites memorized. We're at a point now where we can stop mid-sentence, and they will finish the line for us. I'm looking forward to lots of library story times this summer!

  

  Reading with Aunt Cari (Terri as Will calls her)

• We're not there yet, but I think potty training is on the horizon. They increasingly show interest in the potty, and are definitely starting to show signs that they are almost ready to take the training plunge. I've started putting them backwards on the toilet as their bath water fills up. No one has gone in the toilet yet, but I want them to get used to it. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• We have started working on counting, currently the number 2 is their favorite. Will happily yells out that he is "TWO!!!" when you ask him how old he is, and they all love to point out when they are holding two of anything. 

  

  How Will eats pancakces- stack 'em up

  
  

  

  3 peas in a pod

• Speaking of counting, we have been giving them a countdown lately- "one more minute until bedtime". They have taken to asking for "one more" minute now, especially when it involves getting to stay outside for a few extra minutes! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Probably time to face the fact that they won't all fit on my lap any longer!

  
  

  

  I caught Will and Cooper sitting like this at the computer the other day

21 Months Old

The boys, 21 months

 Some quick notes about the boys at 21 months old, days before they turn 22 months old:

• Personalities are continuing to shine through. We have entered the stage where they actually have a preference and opinion about seemingly-trivial things. Like what color cup they want to drink out of during meals. Will is a master negotiator and can often convince one of his brothers to switch with him if he doesn't have the cup that he wants.
• Trucks continue to be popular toys for all, especially Griffin. We have one pair of pajamas with a fire truck on the front that Will and Cooper constantly request to wear.
• We're noticing more and more that Cooper and Will are developing quite a bond. Will has noted, especially this past week, that those two will pair up a lot during the day and play together while Griffin does his own thing. Admittedly, that somewhat hurts this mama's heart to think that Griffin is being left out. But in truth, he doesn't seem to mind his solo play time.
• Will taught them how to do the "robot" yesterday. It is hilariously adorable to see them imitate their dad.
• They love to be outside and will ask and sign to go "outside" over and over and over again. Taking them into the backyard is getting easier as they don't make a beeline for the edge of the patio. They love to explore the landscaping, search for golf balls in the yard (and usually we find at least one!), and say "hi" to the golfers that pass by. And in typical boy fashion, we search for bugs, play in dirt, and pick up and carry sticks around.
• They recognize familiar faces and will often play roll call, pointing everyone out. Will is especially good at this. He knows Mama and Dada of course. He calls himself "Vill", Griffin is "Der" and Cooper is "Per". He also knows Papa, Nana, Sue, Cari, Avery ("A-eee"), Olivia ("LoooLooo"), Luke ("LUUUUU"), and he even surprised us on Easter by pulling out a "Pete!" Griffin and Cooper certainly know everyone too, but they spend most of their time asking for Mama, Dada, Sue, and A-Eeee. 
• In addition to being good at naming people and negotiating the ideal cup to drink out of, Will is starting to step out of his shy-guy personality. He is still the most reserved of the trio when it comes to new places or meeting new people, but he's quicker to warm up these days. He is still a daddy's boy, though mama is starting to get some love here and there. Usually when we are walking somewhere, he'll prefer to hold my hand. He makes the best facial expressions lately. I'll have to try to get a video of it because it's hard to describe. Basically he looks at you a little sideways while pursing his lips together, almost like he's ready to reprimand you...then explodes into a fit of giggles. It's hilariously adorable.



Will, 21 months



Will, 21 months

• Cooper is our little lover of the group. He is quite the mama's boy, though Dada gets his fair share of love from him, too. He is the first one to run and greet me when I get home from work, and his immediate request is "Bup, pwease". He will whine to be held the whole time we're downstairs prepping dinner, and once we go upstairs to play for a bit before bed, he will settle in as close as possible to either Will or me. It's not enough to be beside us- he has to be physically touching us when he sits. He has started playing the "bye/hi" game with us. He'll walk away saying "bye bye!" then immediately turn around and run back to us and say, "oh, hi! Back!" Repeat over and over and over again.

  

  Cooper, 21 months



Cooper, 21 months

• As I mentioned above, Griffin is extremely into trucks and will spend quite a bit of time independently playing with them. He's still a lover of soft things and sleeps with at least 2 stuffed animals and his blanket, often more items. He'd love to sleep with a truck if we let him! In the past couple weeks we've been lining his stuffed animals up on the edge of his crib during bedtime routine. He then goes down the line, brushing each of their teeth. It's pretty cute.



Griffin, 21 months



Griffin, 21 months

•  They love books and will happily sit with you and read 5 or 6 books in a row. Generally all 3 will clamor to sit in your lap on the floor. They can't sit next to you while you read- they must be sitting in your lap. It's becoming somewhat challenging to do that since they're growing so quickly, but we make it happen most days. Fortunately we have most of their books memorized so I don't need to actually see the pages!



Book time with Lou Lou

20 Months Old

I am getting worse and worse about posting these monthly updates in a timely fashion. I'm challenging myself to keep posting these updates until they hit two years old...they really do change so much in such a short time and I want to remember everything I can about this stage in their life! So, without further ado- a look at our 20 month olds:

• Griffin and Cooper have developed a bit of a hoarding issue at bedtime. They now each have at least 2 stuffed animals in their cribs with them. Cooper used to just want his baby bear. Now he has both baby bear and Maple the Moose. And Griffin has gone from having his small lovie blanket (with his name on it) and Raffi to having all 3 of their lovies plus Raffi, plus his baby bear. They keep piling the stuff in. Will, meanwhile, still prefers a clean crib. If we put any stuffed animal in with him he will immediately throw it out.
• They have known how to sign "sorry" for awhile now. (You rub your fist around your heart area to show that you are sorry). We are teaching them to sign "sorry" to their brothers when they hurt each other. There is an awful lot of biting, hitting, and pushing happening among all three lately. Usually not malicious, but still- we want them to know when they've hurt their brother somehow and apologize. We still have to work on getting them to fully understand what sorry means! For example, if Griffin hits Cooper and we instruct Griffin to say he's sorry, Cooper will be the one to sign it. :) Something else they've started doing is to sign "sorry" on the other person's chest when they apologize. So if we tell Cooper to apologize to Will, Cooper will walk up to Will and rub his fist on Will's chest and say "sorry". It is so stinking sweet!
• They are some chatty little boys these days! Lots of babbling with an occasional coherent word slipping in. 
• Will had a sudden infatuation with taking his pants off. 
• They love to "dance"- their dance consists of turning around in circles and then plopping on the ground. Same moves. Every time.
• They still request Baby Signing Time every day.
• They requests baths nearly every day, too.
• They're getting better about using utensils for meals. They'll ask for "foks" specifically at meal times. They're able to use spoons, but man- is it messy!
• Will is getting very good at saying his name. He will say the names of whomever you point to- "Mama!", "Dada!", and if you ask him what his name is he'll say "Vvvillll!" He knows his brothers' names, too, but he very rarely tries to say them. Cooper will also point to Will and call him by name, but won't say his own name yet. 
• We brought out some of the toys that we had in hiding for a few months and they have been big hits. They love to play in their tent, though it drives their OCD mama crazy. I have tried numerous times to set it up (properly) with all the different tent pieces attached with velcro. It is pretty pointless to even try because their favorite activity is to barrel through it and break it apart. Because what fun is entering the tent through the openings when you can jump into it from the top?!
• We also brought their mega blocks back out. It's amazing to see how much better they are at playing with them now. Griffin will entertain himself with the blocks for long periods of time and actually builds things. And all three can easily put together stacks of blocks that are the same size. 
• They all enjoy playing with trucks and cars, but Griffin is by far the biggest fan. He will often have at least one truck in his hand while he's playing throughout the day.
• Jumping in their cribs is a favorite activity lately. They can get pretty high!! 

19 Months Old

Again, on the eve of their turning 20 months, here's a quick peek at life right now with our 19 month olds:

• The boys are at a very affectionate age! They've recently started blowing kisses, and it's about the sweetest thing ever. They will also give us hugs on demand, and occasionally a smooch or two.
• If Cooper falls down lately, he'll often cry and come over to one of us for a kiss, then go about his business, all better. Similarly, if Will falls, he will cry and come over to us and have one of us kiss his finger (regardless of what part of his body he bumped) and then he's OK.
• They are all climbers these days, but Griffin is the one who gives us mild heart attacks every day. He is such a daredevil! Will caught him climbing into their play kitchen sink the other day. He is a little kamikaze and has no issues flinging himself onto or off-of objects. 
• They love messing with the computer area in the kitchen lately. I left them for a minute last week, and came back to find that Griffin had pulled over one of our tall kitchen table chairs to the computer area, and climbed up onto the chair so he could mess with the printer and mouse. 
• They love, love, love Baby Signing Time and ask us to watch it constantly- signing "baby" and saying "Bae? Bae? Bae?" over and over again.
• Watching those DVDs has certainly paid off, though! Their signing vocabulary continues to grow, which is also helping their word vocabulary, too. They can sign (and say): bird, cat, dog, play, sleep, eat, drink, please, thank you, sorry, car, friend, share, cracker, milk, juice, pear, apple, cookie, water, banana, cereal, all done, potty, shoes, hat, ball, bath, bear, wash hands, brush teeth, book, nice, hot, cold, game, telephone, stop, go, and music.
• All three boys could use their first hair cut. Griffin is most in need- he's rocking a particularly impressive mullet. I have suggested many times that we take him in for his first cut, but Will has firmly declined the idea. I am not sure if it's a "holding onto the baby" thing, or if it's that he wants all 3 to get their hair cut at the same time, but whatever his reason is- I'm going to let him decide when the time is right. Will often accepts that I have trouble letting go of baby things (things like holding on to their infant clothes, sobbing over selling their car seats, keeping bottles around that we no longer use, etc...) so I'm going to let him have this one. Don't get me wrong- it makes me sad to get rid of their baby hair, but I also think it's past time for Griffin to get his first trim. 
• Boys after their mama's heart: they have discovered a love of ranch dressing. I give them some ranch in hopes of getting them to eat more vegetables or chicken. Instead, they will literally scoop the ranch up with their fingers and eat it by itself. And when Cooper's done with his ranch, he'll reach over and help himself to Will's ranch, too. They also really love hummus lately, and use the same finger-full approach to eating it, even when offered crackers to help them scoop it up.
• Speaking of eating, very little eating seems to happen these days. What they love one day, they won't touch the next. And they have developed an annoying (and yet oh-so-funny) habit of throwing food over the side of their table, and then sweetly saying "bye bye!" while waving. Griffin is especially bad about clearing out his part of the table with one giant sweep of his arms. Meals have become very trying on our patience lately! Their favorite foods right now, besides ranch dressing and hummus, are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, yogurt, string cheese, and smoothies. And cookies of any kind. 
• Speaking of meal times, we have separated them again. Griffin has a tendency to pick on the brother that gets stuck in the middle seat of the triplet table. We spent many mealtimes refereeing the boys, and often yelling at Griffin to stop biting or picking on his (usually crying) brother. We brought our clip on high chair back out and have started rotating one baby in the high chair during meals. What.a.difference. Meals are so much more relaxing and quiet now that all 3 boys have their own space. I worried that they would see sitting separately at the island as a punishment, but they love sitting over there and will often protest if they get put in the triple table instead of the high chair.
• Cooper has recently formed an attachment to his own stuffed animal- a little brown bear that his great Auntie Ann gave us before the boys arrived. It's funny because we have 3 of the same bear, just different colors. But he only has eyes for the dark haired bear. He will bring it to bed with him, and like Griffin, will insist on bringing it downstairs with him for meals.
• I started a little game with the boys a couple weeks ago where I'd say "shhhhhh" and put my finger to my lips so we could listen for sounds (birds outside, an airplane, daddy coming up the stairs, etc...). They now "shh" us often so we are all very quiet and listen for noises.
• Now that the weather is warming up, we're starting up our neighborhood walks again. It feels good to get out of the house! And the boys are enjoying the walks, seemingly more than they used to. Now they are very observant and will point out all the things they see- birds, dogs, "tucks" (they LOVE trucks!). 
• I've also started taking one of them outside with me to get the mail when I arrive home from work. Will, especially, loves to go with me to get the "mae".
• We have officially transitioned the boys down to one nap during the day. I'll have to write up a separate day in the life post that highlights our new schedule. While Will and I really loved the 2 nap schedule (meaning 2 breaks for us!), the boys weren't sleeping all the long. It seemed like they were ready to transition before we were! 
• They love baths and request them almost every night...but we're still only bathing them twice a week. 
• Their favorite seat in their playroom right now is the windowsill next to the couch. They can perch themselves on the windowsill and look at everything outside. Only one can really fit up there at a time where their feet still touch the couch, but they sure try to cram two or more on to the seat by shimmying into the corner spot!
• All three love to jump these days. Sometimes on their mini trampoline (which has recently been removed from the playroom due to misuse) and often in their cribs. They can actually jump really high in their cribs when they hold onto the side rails!
• Will is still our little sweetheart. The way he looks at you with his big blue eyes can just melt your heart! He loves to talk and is getting very good at using his signs along with the actual word. I noticed the other day that he is really starting to form opinions and is getting better about sharing them with us. I gave him milk during breakfast the other morning, and he pushed it aside and signed and asked for "duice" instead. I love that we can communicate like this now! He is still our little shy guy in public, but he has a big personality at home. His laugh is infectious- it's so adorable when he gets excited about something and starts laughing! While he is not our "biter", he has certainly pulled out the chompers from time to time. He has started flipping around on the changing table during diaper changes, but he can be easily distracted with a book or toy. Will still loves his Dada the most; every night I am allowed to say goodnight and take him over to see their "ter-tuh" Tranquil Turtle, but as soon as he's seen the turtle, it's immediately back Dada's arms to go into the crib. And any morning when I come in the room to wake them up, his first question is "Dada?" Will loves "talking" on the phone- he is almost always talking to either Papa or Dada. 
• Griffin. Oh how Griffin can try our patience! He can be the sweetest little boy in the world one minute, and then one minute later go into crazy mode and attack his brothers. We are still having issues with his biting. He bites when he's mad, when he's excited, or when he's playing. He is starting to understand that he hurts his brothers when we catch him in the act and discipline him. But a lot of times we aren't aware the biting is happening and only find out when the bitten brother cries and runs over to us. He's also started hitting us in the face when we're holding him. Again, he'll do it when he's mad or excited- it's just his way of showing emotions. Like I mentioned above, he's also our daredevil who loves a good climbing surface. And he's gotten very good at ignoring us when we say something he doesn't want to hear, like "don't climb on the chairs". He is our little Hercules- I honestly can't believe how strong he is! Just yesterday he tore the cabinet door off their play kitchen sink. Diaper changes have become a big struggle with Griffin. He hates sitting still and will fight you the entire time you're trying to change his diaper. We have tried distracting him with books, random objects, even our phones to get him to hold still for us. He can seriously make you want to pull your hair out just trying to do a simple change. As much as he is a source of frustration, he is also so much fun at this age! He can be the most cuddly of the trio, and loves to be read to. He'll curl up on your lap for a long period of time if you're reading to him. And he is great at giving big bear hugs, and positioning his face so you can smother him in kisses. 
• Cooper is just a ball of energy, from the time he wakes up until he goes to sleep. He loves to jump, all the time. On any surface. It's a toss up between Cooper and Will for who asks for Baby Signing Time the most, but I'd have to give it to Cooper for being the most persistent. As I said above, he's recently developed an affinity for his "ba ba" baby bear, and will sleep with him in his crib at night. He has recently started saying "I love you" back to us, and I melt every time I hear his little voice say, "Eye-ewe". He is fantastic at making animal sounds and can very accurately moo, bah, hoot, tweet, bark, oooh, oooh, ahhh, ahhh, and growl (which covers lions, tigers, bears, and dinosaurs)- but the funniest impression he's caught on to is beating his chest like a gorilla.  He still enjoys being close to his mom and dad when he can, and still really enjoys being an only child whenever possible. While Will and Griffin distinctly ask to be picked up ("Up, pweeeee"), Cooper has a different way of saying it: "Ba, pweeee". He loves to blow kisses, and tell us "bye byeeee" as he runs away from us. Cooper is not a biter like his brothers, in fact he manages to avoid most fights with his brothers. He is pretty laid back- even when one of his brothers steals a toy he's playing with. He will either not care, and move on to a different toy, or throw a little crying fit, but quickly get over it. He's not one to retaliate. He's becoming a bit of a mama's boy, which I'm totally OK with- I can often count on him to give me hugs and kisses on demand. 

18 Months Old!

A year and a half old already?! I honestly can't believe how fast they are growing up these days. Some notes about the boys at 18 months:

Will, 18 monthsDesign

Griffin, 18 months

Cooper, 18 months

• Their vocabulary continues to grow each day. They are starting to put together phrases- Will and Griffin will both say "up, pwease!" when they want to be picked up, complete with a very dramatic signing of "Please". Their sign language vocabulary is also growing. They pick up on things from watching their Signing Time DVDs that I don't even realize that they know, which is fun. Out of nowhere the other day Will signed and said "Pway" (play). He now requests to go pway as soon as he's done eating or while we're changing his diaper. They know how to sign and say "hot" and will point to the oven and repeat "hot hot hot" over and over again. Pretty sure that they don't realize what hot means yet, but glad they are relating the word to an off-limits item like the oven.
  
• They have watched Will and I fill up our water bottles at the refrigerator and are just tall enough that they can reach up and push the water dispenser. Thankfully we can lock it but there have been a few occasions when we've forgotten to and the guilty baby ends up soaked!
• I came home from work the other night to find the boys dressed like Texans. I had to take some pics and share them with my Texas grandparents!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Griffin has developed a strong attachment to his Jellycat, Raffi. He will bring it around with him all day, and sleeps with it every night. We take it away from him during meals, but as soon as he is out of his high chair, he's reaching for Raffi again. Raffi is one toy that is, for the most part, off-limits to Will and Cooper...he belongs to Griffin. Will has a woolly mammoth and Cooper has a cat, but neither of them have development the attachment that Griffin has to his Raffi. They won't even keep their Jellycats in their cribs with them- they get tossed out almost immediately. I guess time will tell if they develop the same affection for their Jellycats that Griffin has for his.
  
  
  
  
  
•  Their relatively picky eating continues. They will still eat just about any fruit we offer them, though we did learn that Cooper is not a fan of clementines. He'll eat mandarin oranges out of a can, but won't touch fresh cuties. We gave them blackberries last week for the first time. Cooper and Griffin devoured them, but Will wasn't as into them. There are very few vegetables that they will eat these days. They, of course, enjoy french fries (regular or sweet potato) and will eat butternut squash, but haven't been as interested in roasted sweet potatoes, which were previously a go-to veggie for us. We recently started buying the Green Giant Veggie tots that are made out of broccoli and cauliflower and they will eat those, so we take it as a win.
  They pretty much consist on a steady entree diet these days of cheese quesadillas, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hot dogs, chicken cordon bleus, english muffin pizzas, grilled cheese, and grilled chicken tenders from Chick Fil A. They are still boycotting pasta, though admittedly, it's been awhile since we've offered it to them.
  
  They love, love, love muffins ("muh muh", not to be confused with "mama") and will request them just about every morning. We go through quite a few packs of mini muffins each week. I've made several large batches of mini banana and blueberry muffins, too.
  
  
  • They have a new favorite bedtime book- Llama Llama Red Pajama. It's requested by all three of them over and over again ("Mama? Mama? Mama?") until we read it. 
  
  
  
  
  •  All three boys have pretty much mastered walking/crawing up the stairs on their own, and we are actively working on teaching them to go downstairs alone, too. Our constant reminders to "go onto their bellies and slide off" the couch must be sinking in because they all instinctively will turn around and slide down the stairs on the bellies. We still have a long way to go before we will confidently let them go up and down the stairs alone, but they made a lot of progress, especially in the past couple weeks!
  • I think we are getting closer and closer to the big potty training moment, too. Will, especially, seems to be very aware of when he is filling up his diaper. He will often tell us what he's doing when it's obvious he's pooping ("poopoopoo"). And all 3 are seemingly aware of when they are in need of a diaper change. Just tonight, when I asked Cooper if he had poop, he gave me a gigantic grin and squatted down and grunted. Yup, pretty sure he knows what I was talking about.
  • Our pediatrician recommended that we start using the bathroom with the door open and talking about what we're doing so they get a better idea of what it means to go potty. They are certainly intrigued! I had to snap this picture the other day as they were very interested while Daddy used the bathroom- he had quite the audience! :)
    
  • Speaking of understanding us, it is amazing how much they comprehend these days. You can ask them to get you something very specific and they will seek it out for you. Their imagination is starting to take off, too. They like to pretend a lot right now- they will wash their hands in their play sink and take fake drinks out of water bottles. 
  • We took the boys to a gymnastics center last week for their preschool open play. For an hour each week they open the whole gym up for kids under 5 to have play time. The boys really enjoyed running around! It was well worth the $5 per child and proved to be a pretty good workout for Will and me, too. Chasing around 3 toddlers who have free reign to run where ever they want is pretty tiring! 
  • Cooper has recently started saying "Bye!" very clearly. He thinks it's pretty funny. Will does a good job of showing off his jumping skills in this video, too:
  
  
  
  

  • They have been enjoying all their Christmas presents. The tent my parents got them is perfect for playing peek-a-boo with each other, and the slide has yet to get old!

   

   

17 Months Old

On the night before they turn 18 months old (I'm really getting bad at doing these on time!), I wanted to jot down some things about the boys at 17 months old:

• I shared a video a couple weeks ago of the three of them smooching each other. They are so incredibly affectionate at this age. I love it!
• I have not been able to pick the boys up once since they have been 17 months old. I had my surgery on November 21, their 17 month birthday, and am on lifting restrictions for (hopefully only) a couple more weeks. I am able to hold them in my lap so I've been creative about lifting them into my lap with my legs!

  

  Lots of floor time with the boys these days until I can pick them up again!

• In the past month, I've also started a new routine with them at bedtime. Typically I will lean over the crib to kiss them goodnight, but in the days following my surgery that wasn't possible. Instead, I started squatting down and getting smooches from them through their crib rails. They love this new routine and treat it like a little game. I will probably keep it up long after I am medically cleared to pick them up again!
• Speaking of my surgery, it's been an incredibly frustrating 4 weeks for Will and me both. I'm frustrated because physically I feel fine, but can't do much to help Will with the boys these days. And Will has been frustrated on more than one occasion as he is left to deal with so much alone. Changing diapers for 3 squirmy toddlers all day, every day, can get the best of anyone. They can be so irritating when they just won't hold still long enough for you to change them! Grrr. 
• Temper tantrums are unfortunately becoming more and more of a regular occurrence, particularly with Griffin. Luckily he's at an age where he's easily distracted so the tantrums are often short-lived. 
• The fighting. Oh, the fighting. They always want whatever toy their brother has, and instead of waiting to take turns, they steal things from each other. Which leads to tears and, unfortunately, biting. Something that is another daily frustration with us. Cooper rarely, if ever bites, but Griffin and Will will bite (usually each other) nearly every day. All 3 boys are covered in bruises in the shape of little teeth. Sigh. 
• Exhibit A of the stealing and sharing of toys:
• We've somehow lost all of our sign language DVDs (how does this happen?! How do DVDs just up and disappear?!) with the exception of one that was still in the DVD player. This particular signing DVD teaches them how to sign "share" which is something we are working on doing with all our toys!
  
• All 3 boys continue to sign to us daily, though they haven't added many new words to their vocabulary ("share" is a new one that they use regularly)- perhaps if we hadn't lost the other DVDs we may be further along by now!
• We've begun to be a bit more lenient with screen time and let them watch something in the evenings a few nights a week, mainly when we need a few spare minutes to finish a project ourselves. The only show that will fully capture their attention is Baby Einstein- they love, love, love the Baby McDonald show on YouTube.
• We've started practicing using forks with meals. They do a pretty good job of stabbing their food and are remarkably accurate at getting the food to their mouths. We've tried spoons a couple times, but that is quite messy so we're perfecting the fork first.
• Other new "tricks" at the dinner table: they will take turns saying "bite, bite" and feed each other! 
• We replaced our Thanksgiving art work on the fridge with some Santa artwork. I let the boys play with the old art, and they found it so, so funny to rip the paper up! Wouldn't it be fun to be so easily entertained all the time?!

  

  New fridge art

• They talk all the time. We usually don't understand what they're saying, but we're starting to pick up more and more words from them. Cooper and Will can say quite a few words; Griffin probably could if he wanted to, but he is more of a grunter (has been since he was born!)
• All 3 boys are still dealing with the nasty stomach virus, which has led to way more diaper changes (see frustration from Will above) and laundry than normal. My heart goes out to the boys, but man- it is so gross to deal with! I'm looking forward to when we (all) finally kick this bug and get healthy again!

  

  This is the look Cooper gave us all day long when we were having to feed them in very small bits every 10 minutes. He would stand in the corner and look longingly at the crackers and pedialyte and cry and whine until the 10 minutes are up and he got to have more.

  
  

  

  Sick Griffin, Sick Mama

  
  

  

  Sick Will and Cooper, (amazingly resilient and not sick) Dada

• Their favorite toy for the past week or so has been a gigantic box that we let them play with. Seriously, they would spend an obscene amount of time running in, out, and around the box. It was entertaining to watch! I let them draw all over it with crayons one day- they loved that, too! 

  

  Final days in the baby jail

  
  
  
  
  
  
   
  

  

  Who needs real toys when there are giant boxes to play with?!

• I found a Learning Tower for the boys for a great price via the NextDoor app- we haven't used it a ton yet, but I really look forward to having the boys "help" me around the kitchen as they get older. We did test it out a couple times- all 3 boys can fit on it at once, though only 2 can use the counter so we'll probably continue to use the solo high chair in addition to the Learning Tower when we're doing group activities. 
  
  
  

  

  First order of business: check out the Toys R Us ad for Christmas ideas!

• We found a cute little plush Christmas decoration at Target recently- it's a "mama" Penguin with little triplet penguins and plays "Holly Jolly Christmas"- the boys LOVE it! Every night after dinner when we are taking them upstairs for bedtime, they run directly to the penguin and wait for us to turn it on. They'll be so sad when the Christmas decorations come down and the penguins go away!

  

  Griffin usually leads the charge over to the penguin

• The kitchen area is officially baby-proofed as of this past weekend, which means that the boys are now free from baby jail. My parents brought the boys a kitchen set for Christmas, and we knew we were going to set it up in our kitchen so they had a play area downstairs, which meant the baby jail had to go. It was time- they had outgrown the jail (probably a couple months ago) and I wanted them to have a little more freedom to run around while we're in the kitchen area. So far they've done pretty well with their new found freedom. The room isn't 100% baby proofed, but it is good enough that they can roam without getting into too much trouble. Our boys are growing up!



As I said, not completely baby-proofed. They are experts at finding our weak spots.

16 Months Old

Since they'll be 17 months old in a week, it's probably time for me to make some notes on life with these babies at 16 months old.

• Their vocabulary is ever-expanding. They understand so much more than they can currently say, but they are starting to repeat things back to us with more frequency. Will is really good about signing and uses quite a few signs with regularity (milk, please, cracker, all done, daddy, banana- which is funny because we never feed them bananas). Cooper and Griffin will sign the basics (please and cracker mainly) but don't seem to be interested in learning new words right now. 

  

  Where most of their signing takes place

• They love phones- looking at themselves on the camera, seeing it light up, and FaceTiming with my family. 
• Griffin has an obsession with socks right now. He loves to walk around saying socks. I wish I could get a video of him saying it as it's pretty funny. He makes it into a 2 syllable word: sah-ocks. Of course as soon as my phone comes out to film it he's completely distracted so I doubt I'll ever get it documented.

  

  This sock-loving kid sent me on an extra 2 mile hike around the park a couple weeks ago when he decided to ditch his shoe mid-walk. Luckily a 5K was taking place on the same trail and a Good Samaritan turned his shoe into the lost and found!

• Cooper is our little bouncing bean. He loves to jump in his crib and can actually get some pretty good air time! He also loves to jump while he holds our hands. I think a trampoline is in his future. He is also starting to get the hang of animal sounds- he knows what an owl says, and just tonight he said "moo" when he saw a cow.
• Will is the last one we expected to be the climber, but he's the closest to climbing out of his crib. We are not at all ready for a transition to toddler beds, so here's hoping he doesn't fully figure out how to get himself out of his crib!

  

  He climbed into the exersaucer himself the other day!

• That's not to say that they don't all love climbing. Lately their favorite activity is climbing on the couch repeatedly. They are so darn proud of themselves when they get up there!

  

  Rare moment of quietly sitting on the couch

  
  

  

  
  

  
  
  
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• They also have gotten good about using objects to help propel themselves up. Lately they like to pull their cozy coupe up to a chair and use that to prop themselves up onto the couch.
• Will and Cooper continue to be Mr. Affectionates, and will offer us numerous hugs and kisses throughout the day. There was a stint where they weren't as into the smooches, so I'm particularly glad that they like to give them out again! Griffin is not quite as quick to dole out kisses, so when he does offer you one it's extra special.  
• The belly button obsession continues. They love to look for their own belly buttons, but they also really love to look for mine! As soon as I lay down on the floor with them, they immediately pull my shirt up to find my belly button. Cooper then proceeds to zerbert my belly, which makes me laugh, which makes him laugh, which makes him do it again. Will likes to lay down and use my belly as a pillow. And Griffin enjoys sitting right on my head with a book. Because that is apparently a great place to read books. 
• They all still love books and being read to. We have already worn through our copy of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and there are several other books that are on their last days. They will happily entertain themselves in their cribs while we are changing diapers as long as they have a book to look at. Granted, it has to be the right book- not just any book will do. They definitely have preferences! They will often jostle for prime lap position when it's time to read a book. While you would think there's room on my lap for at least 2 babies, they prove that only one baby at a time will fit.   
• All three have molars coming in, although poor Griffin has had the most trouble with them. He has 4 popping through at once, and his temperament reflects that these days. We're really struggling with his biting. He bites all. the. time. His brothers, his parents, blankets, books, toys. He's basically a teething puppy. He knows well enough now to know that biting is wrong, but it doesn't stop him from doing it. Will and Cooper are covered in bite marks from our little teething monster. I really hope he grows out of this phase soon.
• All 3, but especially Will and Cooper, will practice "baby yoga" on command- again, it's hard to get on video, but it is hilarious when they do it:
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• The toddler tempers are starting to show themselves more and more. All 3 will throw little tantrums if they don't get their way or are told no. They have a flair for the dramatics and will throw themselves onto the floor and cry big crocodile tears. Then seconds later, they have moved on.
• Will still is a daddy's boy, through and through. His favorite word is Dada. His favorite phrase is "Hi, Dada!", and his favorite spot is sitting in Dada's lap. Daddy is still the only one who can put him in his crib for bed at night. Occasionally I am OK with him, too. :)

  

  Rare Will/Mommy day date at Hobby Lobby, though the shirt is fitting.

•  Cooper remains our social butterfly- always quick to offer a smile and a wave to strangers when we are out and about. He loves the attention! 

  

  Always smiling, our little Cooper

• Griffin continues to love all things soft and cozy. He will often take a little breather in the play room and lay down on a pillow or use big bear as a pillow. He also likes to lay on his belly and look at books.

  

  Kid loves his cozy spots!

  

  With his pillow and a good book

  
  
• Yesterday we set up a high chair at the kitchen island- we let Griffin sit up there and "help" me cook dinner and then put Cooper in there to "help" us clean up after dinner. They really seemed to enjoy having the one-on-one time. I've been thinking more and more about trying to find ways to let them have a little downtime from each other. They are together 24/7- I'm sure they get tired of being stuck together all the time. Letting one of them sit separately from his brothers for a stint of time is a small step, but hopefully will help minimize bickering.
• They still love their accessories. They like to wear hats, except when they are outside and should wear them. I brought a hand-me-down puffy vest in to the play room one day to try it on for size, and ever since then they love to wear it while they play. As mentioned, Griffin loves to wear socks, and Will loves to take them off.

  

  I think he looks like Mikey from "Look Who's Talking"!

  
  

  

  Hipster baby

  
  

  

  This kid is nothing, if not stylin'

• They love exploring outside, and being out and about in public. We're still very fortunate that they are extremely well-behaved when we're out to eat or running errands. It's still quite a bit of work to get out of the house, but we're trying to be more open to getting out with them.

  

  Post-lunch walk. Extra hands make for happy explorers!

  

  They discovered the next door neighbors' dog

  
  

  

  Saying hi to Daddy!