2.27.11: Floater

It was bound to happen. The girls are 20 months old (equivalent in months to one five year old). Brant is crazy stressed and I am sick. We are both in rough shape, desperate to get the kids to bed so we can relax. Tonight is bath night...that means another 15 minutes of awake time. We just needed an easy night.

Fiona had been removed from the group bath and was getting her pjs on. Stella was trying to stand up in the bathtub, not something that is allowed. Why is Stella still trying to stand up, usually she listens? Daphne was happily splashing. Then I hear coming from Brant "Oh No! Stella you didn't?!?!"

Then I see it....a floater. It happened. For the first time in ~200 baths, poop in the bathtub. I suppose we were overdue. We could do nothing but laugh.

2.22.11: Oatmeal vs. yogurt

Fiona, Daphne and Stella feeding themselves some yogurt (with blueberries). With Grandy's final day in town, it seemed like a great time to test out the mess (and cleanup) associated with self feeding yogurt rather than oatmeal. The girls did great! Stella is excellent at getting the food into her mouth with a serious intensity, Daphne likes to see how big of a spoonful she can fit into her mouth, all while Fiona prefers to create swirls in the yogurt with her spoon. The cleanup was a cinch compared to oatmeal, now there is no turning back...yogurt it is!

2.20.11: Nene

(left to right: stella, daphne, fiona, grandy)

Well the girls decided that 'Grandy' was too difficult to say right now, so they renamed her 'Nene'. It is pretty cute because they have Nana (brant's mom) and Nene (my mom). I'm sure eventually they will be able to pronounce Grandy, but until that time - Nene it is. Here is a picture of a group peek-a-boo. They all hid under the blanket and surprised me - countless giggles ensued.

2.19.11: Spontaneity

Spontaneity and triplets, not something that typically goes hand in hand. Somehow (and I'm still not exactly sure how) Nicole convinced me that we should come and visit them in Santa Barbara for a night (where they are temporarily located). The catch is that she did this Thursday afternoon and by the nap on Friday we were on our way.

Yes, I realize spontaneity typically implies immediate action, but with three kids and a 2.5 hour drive, less than twenty four hours IS spontaneous in my book. Besides I had to acquire two more playpens and strategically pack three booster seats, double stroller, single stroller, three playpens, day clothes, night clothes, feeding supplies, food and entertainment - oh and of course Grandy and I needed some overnight supplies too. It ALL fit (go civic go!).


Stella, Fiona, and Daphne showing Nicole how they eat in their new booster seats, such big kids!


(peter, nicole, fiona, dan, stella)

Peter was really great about sharing all his toys and books with the girls. When Nicole was reading, the girls made themselves comfortable and sat very still listening.


Peter and Daphne spent the most time playing together. Well, I suppose the reality is that Daphne liked taking his legos and trains apart while Peter (very patiently) rebuilt them over and over again.

2.15.11: Transition complete

(left to right: fiona, daphne, stella)

Well we did it, we have officially transitioned to one 3-hour nap each day. While Grandy was in town, it made sense to attempt the transition since I had full time help for over a week. We prepared for the worst; sleepless nights, cranky kids and screaming naps...but got nothing. Decreasing the morning nap by 15 minutes each day while increasing the afternoon nap just as much, there was minimal fussing. I have preserved 30 minutes of 'quiet time' in the morning where the girls just talk, play or relax in their cribs while I get ready for the day.

We made sure to stay very busy during the mornings to help with the transition and adventured to a new indoor playground. The girls loved going down the slide, getting off at the end...not so much.


(front to back: daphne, fiona, stella)

2.12.11: More purple

Today Stella said her first phrase which caught both Grandy and me off guard. While eating her lunch she said 'more purple'. Turns out she wanted more grapes. The odd thing is, we never called the grapes 'purple'. She came up with that description all on her own. And yes, she promptly got more grapes...mama was very proud.

2.11.11: Twenty months old

(left to right: fiona, daphne, stella)

This month can be summarized in one word....puzzles. Even though we have had puzzles out for several months, apparently they clicked with everyone this month. The girls LOVE puzzles. I can get them to do almost anything if I promise a puzzle afterwards...it is amazing.

It has been a rather intense month as Brant has been traveling almost every weekday for work. The girls and I are hanging in there, doing the best we can, and staying as busy as possible. Thankfully the traveling is almost over (and I am still sane...yay!).

I am convinced the girls (especially Stella) are having a growth spurt. I swear I feed these children and they are never full. I will split 2.5 adult servings of oatmeal across all three of them and they finish still wanting more...FOR A SNACK! I had to begin carrying cheese, green beans, bread, etc just for our nightly walks to keep everyone happy. You'd think they wouldn't eat dinner after all that snacking, but they still do. It has to be a growth spurt....or perhaps a tape worm...nah, let's stick with growth spurt.

2.7.11: Closeups

With Auntie Kelly in town, there was an abundance of photos getting taken. She taught everyone to smile when she said 'cheese' and the camera was pointed at them (although daphne preferred to say 'cheese' back to her). I couldn't resist posting some closeups since the girls so rarely sit still. (fiona/white, daphne/dark pink, stella/light pink)

2.6.11: Mama gets the leftovers

(left to right: stella, fiona, daphne)

Today we decided to try feeding the girls some of my burrito (yes, real food)...well they absolutely loved it. They promptly all sat on my lap and each took turns taking bites. Unfortunately this left little lunch for me, but that is what being a mom is all about. Thankfully, Daphne decided that she could spare the rice that fell on the floor and feed it to me.....THEY only wanted to eat straight from the burrito.

2.4.11: Lady Kochmans

(left to right: auntie kelly, daphne, stella, fiona)

Making the most of the weekend with Auntie Kelly in town, we adventured out to the zoo. Thanks to all of our practice with animal noises at home, they were able to teach Kelly all about their favorites. The girls love making monkey noises. Coincidentally the monkeys at the zoo were going crazy making their own noises. The girls were in awe. Perhaps they thought only mama made such crazy noises when imitating a monkey.

There was a reunion of lady Kochmans later in the day. With Catherine going to school nearby and Kelly and Jane in town for a well timed visit, there was some quality lady Kochman time - while entertaining the girls of course. Thankfully, Catherine and Jane were able to get some dog images on their phones....so the girls were thrilled!


(left to right: catherine, daphne, fiona, jane)

The girls even sat very quietly on the couch and posed for several pictures...perhaps because they are not normally allowed to sit on the couch and they were just hoping I didn't notice.


(left to right: kelly, stella, fiona, daphne, catherine)

2.3.11: Monkey see monkey do

(left to right: daphne, stella, fiona)

Today the girls simultaneously wanted the monkeys around their necks....so of course I had to take a picture. The hilarious part was what happened next. One by one, they all started pulling the monkeys off of their sisters once they discovered the arms were velcro. The monkey-less child would get really upset until I put the monkey back around their neck. The scorned child would then go and pull a monkey off of another child, repeat, repeat, repeat.