Hugs & Kisses

Probably one of the newest developments in our house is giving kisses and hugs. The kids love to give each other hugs and kisses but when Jason or I want one they don't seemed to be interested for the most part. I like to think of it as Jason & I wear them out with kisses and hugs that they don't feel the need to anymore and that is fine. They can continue to love on each other and we will continue to love on them. I guess you can say we are good examples to them.

Another thing I have noticed is the eagerness to get each other their sippy cups. Sometimes when I get them up, the one that is already up will grab another's sippy cup and just before I can say to get their own sippy cup, they hand it to the correct person.

Collin also is very bothered when things are out of place (gets it from his mom?). For the most part, it is safety stuff. We put a gate up every morning so they don't go up the stairs. We have started letting them go in the girls room to play and we put a door stop under the door because they are very interested in opening and closing the doors. We unplug things and put the covers on so they aren't playing with the outlets, etc... These are just some of the things we put in place so they have free reign (or at least they think they have) over the house. Collin has taken special note of this and is bothered when it isn't done. I got him up out of bed and then proceeded to get Anniston out of bed and before I could even get to Bailey he was bringing me the door stop to put under the door. He usually lets out a little wine and points to the problem (in this case, no door stop). Sure enough after it is in place he is fine. I think this also comes some from how we have learned to survive so much on routine and it works for us.

We are so proud of each and every one of them. They are so well behaved and are learning so much about loving one another and sharing with others and well just a lot of good stuff.

We look forward to the many years ahead to see their little personalites continue to develop.

Thanks for staying updated on our kiddos. We will try to update again soon:-)

The Latest Updates!

It has been a while since we have updated our blog.  I keep apologizing and I am sure some of you have blogs of your own and you know as kids get older it gets harder and harder to update but, at the same time, you want to tell people about them.  We'll try to get better.  

Anyway, the kiddos have been very busy this spring and going into summer and a lot has happened since our last update in April.  Some things I won't even mention, I am sure, because there is so much I can't think of them at this point. 

All the kiddos are still on two naps a day which is wonderful.  I need my time.  They are wanting to go outside and play on a new swing set found by Grandma & Grandpa.  They enjoy it very much although we wish they could make swing sets available with three swings instead of just two.  They like the slide & little clubhouse too but their attention soon gets diverted when the other two are on the swings.  We bought them a water table and they have had a ball with that.  It is their favorite thing.  We even took it on vacation with us this past week.  They enjoyed that more than even the pool at our beach house.  We will probably buy them a baby pool.  They love their baths and with it being smaller than a big pool it won't seem so intimidating to them but we'll see.  

We have taken them to the pool only once this spring/summer.  They enjoyed the very small fountains so small they could just walk on them.  They enjoyed the kiddy pool but just stayed at the very edge of it which is fine because there were only two of us to watch them.  They especially like exploring the grounds for leaves, any kind of wrappers, used bandaids, people's shoes, etc.... so if you are ever at the pool and your shoes are missing or anything for that matter we may be present somewhere.  

We still go for walks down to the nearby Dairy Queen, Danville square, Wiggles, local park, etc... which they enjoy.  The only thing is that when both Jason & I go Collin seems to want me to hold him.  When Jason goes by himself Collin seems to do fine.  I feel that I need to walk behind them to keep an eye on them and they tend to throw their shoes and sippy cups out when they are done playing with them.  We are trying to teach them to sit it in the cup holder when they are done and sometimes if I say, "Hold on to it...", it seems to help.  They are noticed by everyone everywhere we go because of their brightly colored choo-choo wagon that we take them in and there are clearly three of them sitting in it looking the same age so everyone knows they are triplets.  We have enjoyed getting to know a lot of people to and from the places we go.  Everyone wants to know where we got the choo-choo wagon from and all the kids that see it definitely want one.  I even heard one kid at the zoo say to his mom that he wanted a bigger one which would mean that it would have atleast 4 compartments on it.  You can add on as many as you want.  It could get pretty long (haha:-)).  If you are interested in one (it is in one of the pictures on this blogsite) you can only get it at steptwo.com which they only have them some times so good luck.  We enjoy it though and they do to.

The kids are starting to say words and they recognize things and point them out.  The girls especially.  I think they say girls learn faster.  We'll see.  Anniston says "meme" sometimes to tell me she wants food.  Too cute.  Bailey tends to say "nana" to tell me she wants food.  Maybe from banana? Who knows.  It is cute though to hear their own little language and the little things they pick up on.  Among the three of them they can say tiger, bye bye, eyes, pretty, paw paw(grandpa), gaga(grandma), tree, cracker, etc.... They are also able to recognize trees, flowers, slide, swing, different kinds of food, ball, etc....  When we say, "Do you want to go for a ride?", they go straight for the door and waive their hands bye bye.  They are really understanding what we are saying even though they can't necessarily say all of it yet.  We are constantly having to figure out what they want and normally can when they take us to things and show us what they want.  However, sometimes it can be challenging.  Anniston will bring me my shoes when she wants to go outside which we can't always necessarily do at that moment but it is cute.  The kids are at different levels with this but can put shapes in the correct holes which is amazing to me.  Anniston is especially good at it.  She can pick one up and put it directly in the correct one and will turn it directly to the correct side in which the shape is on.  The others are good at it too.  They also help me pick up the balls and put them in the basket when it is time to clean up for a nap or bedtime.  Amazing kids.  They also climb the stairs and go down the slide.  Anniston will do it 20 times in row.  The others are quite interested also.  Although we have to teach them to climb up and immediately slide down so not to keep the others waiting because they will push the other down the slide if they don't.  I am constantly amazed every day with new things that they say, do or understand. 

Although there are new challenges at every stage of their life their is plenty of rewards that come from them too and more than make up for the challenges. 

That is all I can think of for now.  We will update pictures soon. I am trying to collect all of our vacation pictures before we do.   Thanks for keeping updated on our kids.  

JKABC

Spring is here!

Hello all. The kids all say hi. OK, they can't say hi, but they can wave bye-bye. All three kids are doing well.
This last Sunday was the first time we put them in childcare at Kingsway. We put their nametags on and handed them over to the childcare workers. No crying, no fussing, this was way too easy. We hung around and watched them through the one-way window and they seemed to be enjoying the toys and exploring the new area. Kristy did think that Collin was looking around for us, but I didn't think he was. It was a bittersweet moment for us--nice to see our kids growing up and being independent enough to not need us around and sad to see that they are growing up so fast. We headed to service and began to worship. 15 minutes or so into it, our number came up on the little display. We both headed back (I was going to let Kristy handle it, but if more than one of our kids was having problems, I figured we'd need more hands) to find little Collin just crying and crying. The girls were content to play with the toys completely unphased by Collin's situation. Kristy was able to calm him down and told them to give Collin some food and his sippie cup. We didn't get called back anymore, but it was obvious when we picked him up that Collin had still been crying at least off and on.
We have been able to take the kids for bike rides in our two passenger pull-behind vehicle and our ride-on-the-back seat (thanks grandma & grandpa). We quickly found out that Bailey does not like the pull-behind vehicle. Once we switched her to the seat, she was fine. They have enjoyed going to the park or just riding around the neighborhood.
This last Saturday we went to the zoo with grandma and grandpa Bum. The kids enjoyed being out but weren't necessarily interested in the animals unless they could see them moving. They did seem to enjoy the dolphin show.
We've been very pleased with the warmer weather. It is so nice to get out with the kids and let them explore or just enjoy the scenery. We feel extremely blessed with our children!

JKABC

Spring is almost here!

Just wanted to update everyone really quick on the babies well kiddos now. They have been very active lately. They are climbing, running, playing, banging, exploring (getting into things) etc... It is getting pretty noisy around the Bumgardner house these days. We can't wait to get them out to play outside. I let them out the back door one day last week and they absolutely loved it. Anniston just took off running. Collin was just taking it all in. Bailey was fine until she felt the grass and then it was slowly going down hill for her. She enjoyed being outside though.

The kids had a checkup recently to evaluate them on how they are doing in the area of development. They have caught up both based on their chronological age & adjusted age which is great. They don't have to go back for a whole year. We are so proud of them. I sat there and watched each of them and it was like getting a report card for each one of them and I couldn't be prouder of them. There were some things they did that I didn't even know they could do because they don't do it very much. Bailey lit up the stage though which I was pretty shocked about. Bailey is pretty lay low or at least we thought. She does things in her own time and no one can push that. She was being tested on her fine motor skills which is the area she excels in even more then the others. They were putting three blocks out, one at a time, to see how they would problem solve and figure out how to pick all of them up at one time. They put the first block down and she picks it up. They put the second block down and she picks it up with the other hand. When they put the third block down she put the second one in her mouth and picked up the third one. We all thought it was too cute including the therapists. They thought that was pretty clever of her. They are all walking (Anniston is running) now and are eating mainly table food. They are learning to use sippy cups now. We are trying to get them prepared for our trip to Florida this summer so we want them to be able to drink from sippy cups on the trip down so it will be easier for them and us.

We have explored a few places just to get out during the cold season. We went to Jump N Play which we highly recommend even for kids as young as they are. They had a blast. They loved bouncing around and it was an area for kids their age so they weren't trampled all over. They even seemed to rule the place since there are three of them. Bailey isn't quite so excited about the bouncing but she loved going down the big slide with mommy and daddy. Collin & Anniston did also. We look forward to visiting again here soon for their cousin, Xander's, 3rd birthday party. We also checked out the play area at the Children's Museum. Unfortunately we could only go in certain areas with the three of them. I was having to play the zone with them. There are three of them and only one of me. Cousins Xander & Riley and also Grandma Bum got to join us. We had lunch and then headed home so they could nap. We have also arranged lots of play dates. They tend to enjoy those even if the kids are older because it is something different. I have found play dates have helped keep us sane through the winter months and I think we will continue to do those in the spring summer but more of them outside of course.

We are having a great time with them. They are able to play more, they try to talk a lot, they want to explore more and it has been an amazing time watching them grow and become who they are today. You parents out their totally understand what I am talking about. It is a very unique experience that only comes in the raising of your children.

Thanks for keeping up with our family! We are so glad to have great friends and family that are so eager to hear about them and how they are doing.

Thanks again!

JKABC

Spring? Not Quite Yet

Hello all. Once again, it has been too long since we updated this blog. The kids are all doing so well. All three are up walking around. Bailey was the last to get there but she is toddling all over the place with the rest of the crew! Since it was nice this last weekend, we were able to get out of the house. We went to Jump N Play on Saturday and turned the triplets loose on the inflatables. Anniston & Collin enjoyed the under 3 area. Bailey wasn't so impressed. They all enjoyed going down the big slides with mom or dad though. On Friday, we went shopping at Target. Mom & twin sister did some shopping while dad and the kids did laps around the store in the choo-choo wagon. The kids really enjoyed seeing new sights! We did try to get out and take some walks around Danville, but there was still too much snow on some of the sidewalks.
Anniston has been able to identify herself and her siblings in pictures on several occasions. She has also been able to identify a ball and a monkey. All three of them are jabbering a lot. We are working on words with them--I think they understand us, but just can't spit out the right sounds just yet.
We're enjoying the temporary heat wave and are looking forward to spring! We feel very blessed.

JKABC

Our 1st birthday!!!

It's hard to believe, but our little ones are a year old today. The time has been flying by. The triplets official birthday party won't be until next weekend, but we will celebrate with them today anyway. They all have their one year checkup on Monday to analyze how they are doing.

As far as new developments, Collin is now walking. He is pretty shaky but he can string several steps together and get where he wants to go. Give him a week or so and I'm sure he will be picking up speed. Little Bailey is standing independently and has even been seen taking a step here or there. She will join the other two soon.

Mom and dad enjoyed their first evening and overnight without the triplets. It was strange with no gates and doors left open. We didn't know how to act since we could leave things on the floor without fearing one of them would shred them and/or stick it in their mouth. We didn't have the monitors on or have to worry about getting up early this morning. It was good to get some extra rest and relaxation. Thanks Tim & Kathy!

Thanks for checking up on us.

JKABC

First Christmas

Hello all! It has been a few weeks. The little ones and their parents all enjoyed the triplet's first Christmas. Kristy loaded some new pictures on the site last night, so be sure to check them out. The kids got lots of great presents. We got the kiddos a choo-choo wagon (see the picture with the multicolored wagon). They seem to love it. Collin enjoys going down a step in the wagon. He thinks it is hilarious. Bailey prefers a smooth ride. We were able to ride around the house and even get outside the day after Christmas for a ride through the neighborhood. The kids got lots of toys from their grandma/grandpa and their aunts/uncles. Thanks to all for the cool new toys. Aunt Sharon was able to help us paint our play room and get it ready for new toys.

Other than a runny nose or two, the kids have been pretty healthy this winter season. Praise the Lord! Life is so much easier when they aren't all sick. It's hard to believe, but they are almost 1 year old. Time has been flying by!

Anniston is walking around everywhere. She is a climber. We can't keep her off of the hearth (where she can access the Christmas tree, ottoman, etc). Collin is starting to take some steps on his own. He also does really well with the walk-behind toy. He can turn it anywhere he wants to go. Bailey can stand on her own and has been seen taking a step here or there, but she will do things in her own time (like normal for her). Anniston will give you "five" if you ask and hold your hand up. She will also sometimes clap her hands if you ask her to. Bailey is the best sound maker. She clearly can say mama or dada (and almost any other combination of consonants with the letter a). Collin and Anniston are talking too. We've found that Collin likes to get loud before bedtime--lots of loud incoherent sounds. Anniston prefers the word baba. They are all so different and sweet. It is neat to see three completely different kids interacting with each other. They often times think one (or both) of the others are hilarious. It is fun to hear them laugh!

Thanks for checking on us! We are staying really busy. We hope you all had a merry Christmas and that you have a happy new year!

JKABC