Big Scary Sound

So when everyone woke up today, they ALL had runny noses!! Of course, I have no medicine in the house and I'm broke until Friday. But I can go to Walgreens and buy over the counter med's and charge it to hubbys flex spending account. So I pack everybody up and head on over to Walgreen's, which is just down the road. As I'm driving down the road, I see a guy mowing the lawn of this business and he's in the parkway as I'm passing by. I hear the mower make a funny sound, then I hear a loud "BANG!!" Then Eva screams and says, "Mommy, the window is broke!" So I pull over and sure enough, my far back window is broken. I start to shake because if it had been forward a foot, it would have gone through the open window and hit one of the kids, possibly killing them!! Then I'm mad because I don't have the money to fix this and I can't report this to my insurance because I'd still have to pay for the whole thing anyway and it would just be an excuse to raise my rates. So I turn around and go back to the place of business. The owner happened to be there and he was really nice and offered to have my window replaced. So, I'm going back there tomorrow to have a new window put in. Oh, and the trips - they were all sleeping and didn't even wake up!!

Memorial Day Weekend 2007

Memorial Day CampOut 2007

(click on photo to see slideshow)

For Memorial Day Weekend, we decided to go camping at Jellystone in Fort Atkinson, WI, an hour and a half drive for us. Being the first campout of the year, we didn't have everything we needed right at our fingertips and it took us longer than we planned to get ready. But we got on the road only to discover that the bungees that were holding the choo choo wagon on weren't doing the job. So we crawled along until we got to Lake Geneva and stopped at the WalMart there to get a cargo net. Once we had that on, we were set. And yes, Plan B worked great! We got to Jellystone just in time to put the kids to bed. :(

The next morning, we set up the screen tent for the trips to play in. That should have been the 1st thing we put up, even before the camper. The pack n play is too small for all 3 now, so we had just Joey and Eddie in there while we were setting up the camper, but all 3 were screaming mimi's. The screen tent would've given them some room to stretch in while we were busy. Oh well, put that in the mental file for next time. Got the screen tent up in time as it started to lightly rain. It stopped so we took the kids to the playground. Eva played on the big kid playground while the trips checked out the little kids playground. Then we went back for lunch, but Eddie didn't make it, he fell asleep right away and Ella was right behind him. After their naps, it was raining again, so we got rain ponchos on everybody and walked up to the lodge. There was stuff for Eva to do, there was room for the babies to crawl around in, and I looked around their store for awhile. I bought some tumbled rocks for Eva (that girl is always putting rocks in her pockets!!) and some ice cream for the rest of us. Then Daddy and Eva played mini golf while the trips and I watched. Then we walked back to the campsite for Dinner. After dinner, we went to the Activity trailer where they had "Ice Age, the Meltdown" playing with popcorn and soda. Halfway thru the movie, the trips were asleep. When the movie was over, we went back to the camper and put everyone to bed.

Sunday morning, Eva and I boogied out of the campsite while Dad took care of the trips and made breakfast. Eva made a firecracker hat for the parade (which we didn't do because we did that last year and it was a really long walk for a 3 yr old then and at 4, I'm still sure I'd have to carry her!) The kids were all getting fussy and we needed firewood, so we piled everyone into the truck and decided to take a drive. Drove into Fort Atkinson and they had a reenactment going on at the old fort, so we went over there. That's when we realized that we had left the choo choo at the campsite. Oh well, we thought, we can do this!. So Gerald carried two, and I carried one and after about a half hour, Gerald says to me, "let's not do this again. we must carry a stroller at all times." And it was really hot out and I was getting burnt, so we went back to the campground in time for the ice cream social. Then the we went back to the campsite and everyone had naps (including mom & dad). Then we had dinner, put the trips to bed, had a campfire, then went to bed.

Monday, Eva & I went to the Crafts and she made a cute door hanger. Then we went back to the campsite to pack up. While we were packing up, somebody stopped that knew Gerald from work. Man! can't go anywhere without Gerald knowing someone!

It was a little hard trying to fit in the campground's schedule of activities within the babies schedule of eating/sleeping, so we missed some activities. But I still think Eva had a good time. It was also tough because our campsite was on the main drag, so everyone that came by noticed our choo choo first, then the kids if they were in the screen tent or the 3 high chairs. We heard a lot of , "Oh My God! There's 3 babies!!" yeah, glad you can count. Quite a few people had never seen our choo choo before and wanted to know where to get one.

I need to be more organized in the camper - with 3 new bodies in there, it's really hard to keep track of stuff and it quickly becomes a mess. But we'll get there. Gerald & I are already planning the next trip!

Eddie and his army crawl

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http://picasaweb.google.com/jmgrogan/EddieTheArmyCrawler/photo#5069995584714076898

Here's Eddie, strutting his stuff.

Year in review - busy year so far, and it's only half over!

The kids are doing fine. They are just over 14 months old. We decided to postpone the triplets first birthday party, which will be tenativly scheduled for the weekend of June 17th (not sure where yet)

Little Joey is starting to schooch (kinda like an inch worm). The pediasure is really making a difference. He is gaining wieght fast, and last I heard he weighs about 17 lbs. He is a lot more active now and seems a lot happier and cries less often. He's the one that has OT, PT, & Speech Therapy that come to the house once and sometimes twice a week (PT comes twice a week). June tends to line up his therapy sessions one after the other, which makes for a busy day for little Joey. He is also seeing feeding team up at Children's in Milwaukee (more weekly or perhaps biweekly visits to Milwaukee). The team of doctors & specialists finished their first round of recommendations for Joey this week (got the official papers yesterday). They layed out a plan that will assist in guiding us & his Pediatrician and helping Joey gain weight and strength so that he can develop at a normal pace (and perhaps catch up eventually). They placed him at the adjusted age of 6.5 months (he was 12 months at the time of the assessment). His siblings are at the adjusted age of 9-10 months and progressing normally. Joey is just starting to get in his baby teeth. Four teeth on top and two on the bottom are all coming in at once (the poor little guy). His favorite foods are stage 1 baby food (only a few table spoons when he is in the mood to eat), Cheetoes, Bumble Bee graham crackers, and of course Cheerios. He is also taking his bottle at the normal times which is now 100% Pediasure (Vanilla flavored - non fiber stuff). Joey still gets up once and perhaps twice a night for a bottle to feed, which the feeding team says is normal since he is developmentally behind. Joey an now hold his bottle by himself like an expert (a little wobbly sometimes). Joey still prefers to eat his bottle in the swing (all by himself with the music on and the mobile & lights on). We burned out the motor in the swing two weeks ago, but June called up Fisher Price, and they apologized sent us a new motor at zero cost (plus free shipping). This swing (like a swinging bassinet) has been a life saver for little Joey. Typically when Joey complains he gets picked up so we can hold him while he is eating his bottle, so that he will finish the entire bottle. Joey's recent hearing test showed that he didn't have any hearing loss, and zero fluid in his ears. Joey likes saying 'dadda' and occasionally will say 'mamma'. Joey likes being held and rocked in the chair. Joey has a great laugh and a huge smile that lights up his entire face and the rest of the room. Joey still loves his naps, but you have to put him down after the others are asleep or else he will not go to sleep.

Little Ella started to crawl forward (correctly) this week Tuesday (hurray!). She spent about one and a half weeks trying her best to go forward but only could manage to go backwards (and then get stuck under everything and yell for help). Ella now crawls a few feet (about a yard) and then sits back down to rest (all shaky and out of breath). Ella weighs in at about 19 lbs. Ella has a full set up baby teeth (a lot teeth anyhow). Little Ella is starting to eat table food (very picky), and any other finger food. She also likes just about every small snack food you will giver her. She likes the small bite size food & snacks that fit neatly in her mouth, or else mom has to chop or cut it up for her (yup - she is very picky). She is also an expert at using her pincer to pick up Cheerios and other small snacks one at a time. She has not figured out what to do with a cup full of milk with a straw. It was suggested to move ahead and start train the kids to drink using a straw (instead of a sippy cup), since it would be easier in the long run if they succeed in this skill (since everyone has straws laying around - but very few have sippy cups available). Ella had switched her bottles to be mainly 100% whole milk (& mixed with 1tb. of the last can of Similac Advanced until it's all gone) and also bottles of ice water when she needs an extra bottle (just to fill her up). She resorts to shrill screaming when she wants a bottle, which is signal few would find hard to miss. Ella has been holding her own bottle without trouble for about 3 weeks now. She can even hold it one handed now. This is a bid deal, since now we can just hand Ella her the bottle and then walk away. June is starting to train Ella to eat her bottle sitting up, which is going kinda slow, but she is making progress at it. Ella tends to get distracted and stop eating and begin playing with her many toys (if nearby). Then later she will complain that she's hungry, as if to say 'why didn't you feed me, Mom?' Typically, we will pick Ella up and hold her while she is eating her bottle so that she will finish the entire bottle without distractions. Ella's hearing test showed that she has significant hearing loss due to fluid in her ears (perhaps up to 70% loss). She tends to still babble and mumble, and most times she is very silent. You have to work hard to get her attention and to get her to smile. Ella has a great smile when she lets you see it. Ella likes saying 'mamma', but little else (did I mention that likes to babble endlessly?). Ella loves wearing her little spring dresses and playing in the cool grass in the back yard with her siblings. Ella is easy to put down for a nap. You just lay her down, turn on the music, hand her a bottle of ice water and she is all set.

Eddy is doing great. His favorite activities are eating, crawling army style, & taking the toys away from his siblings. He also loves playing in the yard, crawling down the sidewalk & driveway and picking dandelions. Did I mention he likes to eat? Anything you put in front of Eddy he will try to eat. He will rip it apart with his many front teeth. He is still drooling like he is breaking in some teeth, but you wouldn't know it since it doesn't seem to bother him in the least. Eddy has a great appetite and only complains when he thinks he missed a meal. All other times he rarely complains. Eddie can sometimes be a pain to put down to sleep. He likes to crawl around in his crib and play with his soft blankets. You typically can simply lay him down, turn on the music, hand him his bottle of ice water and he will play for a while and in about 10 minutes he will be a sleep. You always will find his empty bottles outside his crib when he is finished. Eddie takes his bottle with 100% whole milk (mixed with the last of the Similac advance until it's all gone). Eddie has no health problems or developmental issues, except for the fact that he has had one cold after another since about November 2006. His nick name these days is 'snot boy'. Eddy is big little boy weighing at around 24 lbs and is all muscle. He is now ready for the next stage of car seat and is too big for his infant sized car seat that you carry, which we have used up until now. Eddie's hearing test showed that he also has significant hearing loss.

We purchased our last can of powerderred formula two weeks ago. Hurray!

Eddie & Ella are both scheduled for tubes in their ears on July 9th, at which time Eddie will also get his adnois and tonsils removed (I am not sure about Ella's or Joey's adnois - I'll have to check with June to be sure). All three tend to snore and have sever apnea. Eva had the same issues when she was their age, and as a result Eva had her adnois and tonsils removed at that time also.

Eva is doing fine (she's now 4 years old). She still is taking dance lessons and has her recital in a few weeks on June 9th. She also enjoys swimming at the YMCA here in Kenosha (thanks to a huge Abbott employee discounted fee). We are very proud of Eva's swimming ability. Her efforts really paid off recently when she passed her swimming test and has now moved to the next level. Recently Eva underwent surgery to replace the tubes in her ears, and at the same time to fix a birth defect in her ear lobe that caused it to stick out and get in the way. Eva has fully recovered and is ready to get back to swimming. Eva loves to pretend, run around playing outside all day long and really loves springtime as a result. Eva really enjoys playing in her backyard 'wooden juggle gym swing set', which she calls her castle. She is finally gaining some weight and is slowly starting to eat a greater variety of foods (everything has to be just so). As a result of her better eating habits, Eva has finally grown into the size 5 clothes that we have for her. Eva loves helping around the house with just about everything. She is a big help with the babies. Eva also enjoys going to the Public Library for story hour on Fridays, and then to either McDonalds or Burger King playland afterwards. She likes being active, and everyday she wakes up and asks 'What are we doing today Mommy?' My wife now laughs and says that she is now acting as the chief activities director for the Grogan household.

We are still using the infant car seats for the triplets, and have not decided is we are going to move to the next size up (either the 'Runabout' deluxe model triplet stroller or the bike seats made specially for the stroller frame we have now). We also have started using the Coo Choo Wagon, which they really enjoy. So far we only have used it around the neighborhood. For Memorial day holiday, we are making final plans to go on our first family weekend camping trip to Jellystone camp ground (in our pop-up camper). We are nearly ready and anticipate a fun & excitement packed weekend (my wife June & I will be the only adults).

June was working part time in an a collection's dept office for a small firm in Racine Wisconsin, but we both decided it was best for her to quit, since day care & gasoline costs for out stripped the wages she was earning. June enjoyed the work and time away from home, and figurred she would look into it again in the fall perhaps. These days June is a stay at home mom, who besides taking care of the kids is concentrating on catching up around the house with day to day housework and her several quilting projects she had put aside before the babies were born. She is also busy once again around the yard replacing dead plants that were neglected last season (manily because she was pregnant back then). She also enjoys updating her blog website with pictures and stories of the kids. The blog website is really starting to take shape, and is starting to get hits from all around the globe. I think the triplets may even now have their own fan club (just kidding ;-).

Best wishes,
Jerry Grogan

Ella Stood Up!!

After our after dinner choo-choo ride, we were playing in the front lawn and I had Ella in front of me. She put her hands on me and worked her hands up till she found a spot that she liked. She grabbed on and stood up! Yeah Ella!!

Where are you from?

Look out world, here we come!

Today, Ella started crawling forward! A little slow, but she's doing it. Eddie is still dragging his body army style. He will crawl on his hands and knees 2 or 3 steps, then he drops to his tummy and lets his elbows do all the walking. Even Little Joe is starting to schooch! Guess the higher calorie Pediasure is working for him.

Joey ate a real meal for the 1st time!!

Yeah! Joey ate 2 T of cereal and half a jar of fruit baby food for lunch AND for dinner!! I am sooo proud of him. What worked was having a little bit on the spoon, not rushing him (it took almost 30 mins!!) and not having the other kids in the room. Ugh, I hope he grows out of THAT soon. There's 5 other people in this family, it's just impractical for him to eat by himself, but we'll just be patient and see if he outgrows this too.

Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here

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Here's the trips (Eddie,Ella,Joey) with their Daddy. And here's the trips with Daddy and their Big Sis.

What was that?

So we're at dinner and Eva hears a tongue twister on tv and tries to repeat it:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peckers!
(Thankfully, she wondered how pickeled woodpeckers taste!)

Mother's Day

Here's the trips, all lined up at Grandma's house. What will she do when they are out of their high chairs? She better hurry up and find a little table & chairs!

Feeding Team Appt

So I took Joey up to Children's today and left the rest of the kids at the babysitters. The Cliff Note version of the appt is that he's burning up more calories than normal because he's tummy breathing (like a newborn) instead of chest breathing and he's holding his arms stiff to try and keep himself in an upright position. Both of these should go away as he gets stronger from the Physical Therapy he's getting, but if after 2 or 3 months of therapy, if he is still tummy breathing, then we have to take him to a Pulmologist (lung dr) to find out why and what we can do about it. They also gave me some new tricks to try to get Joey to eat off of a spoon without fussing. So we'll see how THAT goes!

Eva has surgery

Eva had the tubes put back in her ears today. While they were there, they also did the procedure to pin back her right ear so it didn't stick out anymore. We're pretty happy with it!

Can you put a baby in the dishwasher?

ENT Dr's appt

So, Eva is all set for her surgry next week. Dr. Kerschner checked out the trips and this is what he found:
Joey has no fluid or infections in his ears and his hearing is fine (yeah! FINALLY something he DOESN'T have!!)
Edward still has an infection in one ear and has a 30% hearing loss in that ear, so he will be getting tubes in his ears and since he snores so bad, even when he's awake, he will also be getting his adnoids removed. (Also because big sis had her's removed due to sleep apnea).
Ella has fluid in both ears and a profound hearing loss in both ears. She will have tubes put in her ears and he's also going to run a scope down her throat when she's under to see why she "gargles" all the time. I'm glad about that because it's quite annoying and I'd love her to stop.