Royer Triplets: Happy half-birthday to us...

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the girls' 6 month birthday. It is hard to believe how much they have grown. We took them to the park and let them swing in the baby swings for the first time and I also took each of them down the slide one time (that was enough up and down the stairs for me). There were only two baby swings at the park (yet another case of multiples discrimination :)), so I had to swing with one of them but they seemed to like it for the most part. As for development, they all are rolling like crazy. You can't take your eyes off them for a minute or they will be down the hallway. They are staring to reach, grab and pick up things on their own. They are not sitting up yet, but that is the next milestone we are looking forward to. We don't have any teeth yet, but we are expecting them soon.

A couple of days after their half birthday we had to do all of the other things that come along with turning 6 months. I took the day off and we first went to get their pictures taken. They turned out really good, but by the end of it the adults were exhausted. We put A LOT of effort into getting them to smile. They seem to understand when the camera comes out and they of course stop smiling. After pictures we got lunch and then took them to doctor.

They all got a good report from the doctor. Chloe now weighs 15 lbs 9 oz, Jillian weighs 14lbs, 13 oz, Payton weighs 14lbs 8oz. They are all between 23 and 24 inches. They are all just about average for their weights but are below the 5th percentile for their heights. This is just due to being premature and it will just take them time to catch up. They all got 3 shots (including a flu shot) and 1 tasty shot of liquid by mouth. The doctor told us to start them on some vegetables so far we have tried green beans, peas, carrots, and squash. Next on the list is sweet potatoes. So far we haven't found anything that they won't eat but we think they like the squash the best. As 2 new and curious parents, we feel it's our job to taste all of the food we put in their mouths. So far we think squash is the worst (can't figure out why they like it so much) and peas, carrots and green beans are edible.

All along we have recognized how blessed we are not only with three babies but also with a lot of help. We feel so lucky because we always have triple the smiles, laughs, hugs, and kisses, but along with triple the fun comes triple to work. The things that we didn't think about multiplying by three...laundry, dishes, diapers, trash, etc. can sometimes be overwhelming. I don't know where we would be without the help of my family. Mark and I work opposite shifts so we are able to stay home with the girls and not have to put them in day care. That makes a lot of work for one person. As many of you know, my mom has been down here since August. She will be leaving here in a couple of weeks and my grandma just agreed to come down here to help us out for another month and a half. She will be staying with us until we go home to Indiana for Christmas. This will be both my mom and grandma's second trip down here. They have both helped us out tremendously. With the help of them and a few other family members (Grandpa Dimmick, Great Grandma Lawler, Uncle Derek, Aunt Jessica and Uncle Conor) we have not been alone with the girls with the exception of a couple of weeks in July. This means that we have had help for the first 9 months of their lives. We are truly blessed!

Here are LOTS of pictures...