Stats: Sydni weighs 30 lbs. and is measuring 3 feet
Jacob weighs 28 ½ lbs. and is measuring 35 inches
Caleb weighs 31 ½ lbs. and is measuring 3 feet
It’s been a while since the last update. I’ll try to make this as brief as possible.
The kids had all been doing great and had not caught any bugs/colds up until now. Caleb and Jacob both have a horrible cold and cough. We took all three to the doctor today and she put them all on medication. Sydni will most likely get what the boys have too. This will definitely put a damper on Christmas since the boys can’t go out.
They are finally able to understand, somewhat, about Christmas. They are looking forward to Santa coming to the house and bringing presents. We have had to take them to see a lot of lights. They are all in awe of the Christmas decorations around town. They have been learning about Christmas through some of their favorite characters – Dora the Explorer, Barney and the Wiggles. Their favorite Christmas song is Feliz Navidad. They all have jingle bells that they ring and they dance around when this song comes on.
We’ve had to use Santa as a tool to get them behave on occasion. They were running wild and wouldn’t listen to Auntie D one day so she picked up the phone and asked information for a phone number for Santa at the North Pole. They were all listening and Sydni said “yeah, the North Pole”. Then Auntie D pretended to talk to Santa and ask him what to do about their misbehaving, and Caleb came up and tried to take the phone – he was insistent on talking to Santa Claus. As soon as Auntie D hung up, the phone actually rang. Caleb screamed out “Santa Claus”. They were all over Auntie D because they thought Santa Claus was calling them back.
We took the kids to see Santa quite a bit this season. When we ask them what they’re going to ask Santa for Christmas, Sydni says a doll; and Caleb says a car – usually blue but it changes depending on what time of the day it is. Jacob doesn’t say what he wants but Sydni and Caleb have decided he too wants a blue car.
The kids visited with Santa when he was at Heritage Square. None of them wanted to sit on his lap at first but then Granny Gran coaxed them up there and they stayed but wouldn’t talk to him. As soon as we left and got back in the van, Sydni started saying how nice Santa was because he had given her a candy cane. Now she thinks every Santa is going to give her candy canes.
We took the kids to Lakeline Mall to get their picture taken with Santa there. Caleb and Sydni reluctantly sat on his lap but Jacob wouldn’t. He sat at his feet. Once again, they wouldn’t tell Santa what they wanted.
Sydni and Caleb asked us if they could go see the lights and Santa again so we took them once more to Heritage Square. Sydni walked right up to Santa and sat on his lap. After a little prodding, she asked him for a doll. She got the biggest smile on her face when he handed her a candy cane. Caleb was next and he walked right up to Santa too. He wouldn’t tell him what he wanted but he did sit on his lap. Jacob wouldn’t let go of Mommy or Auntie D so he didn’t get to sit on his lap. Sydni wanted to take his candy cane for him.
Earlier this month, Sydni helped Auntie D make cookies for our family’s annual Cookie Exchange, which was held on December 8th. She loves to help out in the kitchen. She also loves cookies. It’s safe to say she had a ball at the party. We’re still eating the cookies from that party.
Mommy, Granny Gran and Auntie D took the kids to see the Trail of Lights on December 17th. We all went with Cousin Jessi and Aunt Eleanor. It was fun but a lot of walking/strolling. The kids loved seeing all the lights. It was beautiful.
They continue to learn a lot. All three can make the sign of the cross. Jacob has his own version where he starts with his palm on his nose and ends with clapping. Caleb is sometimes too busy eating to pray but he joins in where he can. Sydni makes a perfect sign on the cross and just about has the actual prayer down.
They have some new favorite videos – Ice Age (this may be the adults favorite too), Like Mike (they all want to be like mike), Stuart Little 2, and Barbie as Rapunzel. We’re expecting Country Bears for Christmas so that will more than likely become a favorite too.
All three kids are doing great. They have been learning so much lately. They'll be ready for college soon.
Granny Gran, Grandpa and Auntie D took the kids to the pumpkin patch two weeks ago. They had fun. Jacob picked up pumpkins and put them where he thought they should go.
They are all still on their nebulizers until the end of flu season. The Doctor is just being extra careful.
This past weekend, Mommy, Daddy, and Granny Gran took the kids to a "Multiples" picnic in Georgetown. They had fun playing with all the other kids.
Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Auntie D is the keeper of the site and with this being election season, her time is very limited.
Caleb and Sydni both got viruses two weeks ago and Caleb had an ear infection but those seem to all be gone. Jacob, luckily, did not get sick.
All three continue to learn their ABC's and numbers. They are coloring up a storm and Jacob seems to be doing the best at trying to stay in the lines.
They are all sitting in "big" chairs now -- no more booster chairs at home. Their chairs are color coded and if someone sits in their chair, they will go and push you off.
Jacob has the beginning of an ear infection. He hasn't been eating very well lately and just all-around a little cranky. Mommy took him to the doctor and she said it's another ear infection.
Mommy got the kids a huge pool and they have enjoyed playing in that for the last couple of days. They actually try to swim in the little water that is in there. Caleb and Sydni also do this in the tub. When all three take a bath together, one usually drops to the ground and tries to swim.
The kids had a great birthday weekend. They were so excited on Thursday night at the thought of going to Chuck E. Cheese's on Friday that they could not sleep. We woke them up on Friday morning and brought them out to open some gifts. Caleb and Jacob were so mad that we woke them up that it took them a little while to get into the groove. Sydni finished opening up her gifts and tried to help Jacob and Caleb. They got lots of toys and clothes from Mommy, Daddy, Granny Gran, Grandpa and Auntie D on Friday.
Aunt Lola brought over three birthday cakes Friday morning so we sang Happy Birthday to the kids during their breakfast and had them blow out their candles. They played and played with their new toys and then went for a nap. When they woke up we had more gifts for them to open and then we went to Chuck E. Cheese's. Chuck E. was there live in person so they got to see him. We had a cake there for the kids and they got to play a lot.
We got home from Chuck E. Cheese's and the kids took a little nap. When they got up, we had yet more gifts for them to open. Then we went to Aunt Tina's for Cousin Heaven's first birthday party. The kids got in the pool with all their cousins. Cousin Paul took Caleb around the pool and he had a blast. Jacob was a little frightened of the water but he splashed around quite a bit. Sydni was having a ball going around with Cousin Courtney and Cousin Laura.
Saturday we had the Torres Family Reunion in Taylor. We all had navy blue t-shirts with the number of our order into the family. Sydni is #120, Jacob is #121 and Caleb is #122. We have quite a large family.
Sunday was the kids "official" birthday party at Gymboree in Round Rock. Once again we had to wake them up but once we arrived at the party, they went wild. They absolutely loved playing with everyone and all the toys. Bubble time and parachute time were favorites for the kids. They received so many great gifts and loved everything. They all did great blowing out their candles and opening their gifts. They are pros. We just hope they don't think every time they eat they are going to get cake or get presents every time they wake up!
Tomorrow the kids turn two. It is so hard to believe that they are growing up so fast. They are just the cutest things and we as a family are so blessed to have them in our lives. We will be celebrating with the immediate family on Friday -- the kids favorite breakfast, lunch at their favorite place (Chuck E. Cheese's), and then it's off to a birthday party for their cousin Heaven who is turning one.
Saturday we are having a family reunion all day.
Sunday the kids are having their birthday party at Gymboree. The kids love Gymboree so it should be fun to see them with other family and friends playing.
We all went overboard on presents so we're having to start early giving out gifts. Auntie D, Granny Gran and Grandpa gave them tricycles built for three. Mommy was putting them together and the kids woke up while she was still in the process of putting them together so they have already seen them and played with them. Sydni commandeered the first seat and quickly let Caleb know that his was the third seat. She knows their order and makes sure everyone follows that at all times. Sydni took off their colored tapes on their chairs and went and put them on their new tricycles so everyone knew who went where.
Mommy and Daddy gave them each character pillows and blankets on Sunday night. They loved them. Sydni got a Hello Kitty pillow and Dora the Explorer blanket. She posed appropriately on the pillow and covered up with her blanket. Jacob got Bob the Builder on both his. He covered himself completely. Caleb got a Buzz pillow and Bob the Builder blanket. He will not put his head on Buzz's face. The pillow has to be turned over. We think he thinks Buzz is real. Sydni has fits because she knows the pillow is supposed to be turned the other way so she goes over and turns it for Caleb and he throws a fit and has to turn it back the other way.
Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Ray bought the kids a playhouse. They love it.
Sydni has started to form sentences. She is growing up too fast! She is still our little worrywort. It is a full-time job keeping her brothers in line. She's learned how to put her pants on too (and her brothers too!). The other night Auntie D was taking each one a bath and Sydni went first. Granny Gran was dressing Sydni while Auntie D was taking Jacob a bath and when she came out with Jacob, Sydni was pulling up his pants on top of her nightclothes.
Jacob is enjoying playing with the little wooden puzzle pieces that Mommy bought them on Saturday. He is also showing us more of his dance moves. He's still very generous with his great hugs. When Jacob (and Caleb too) takes a bath, he likes to drink the water from the shower head. The other day he drank too much water and he thought he was choking. He started patting his own back and coughing. It was priceless.
Caleb is biting a little less now. He bit his tongue the other day and he's so used to us kissing his boo boo's away that he went up to Mommy to kiss him. She was giving him a peck on the cheek and he turned and stuck out his tongue so she could kiss where he bit himself. He also entertains us when we're watching videos. If there's a spot where someone is going to scream he'll scream right before they do and then laugh.
Oh those wacky kids. Auntie D was at work today and the phone kept ringing and she could hear someone punching the numbers like they were still trying to dial the phone but then the line would go dead. Everyone in the office was wondering who was prank calling the office. On the fifth or so call, Auntie D started saying hello, hello, hello, can you hear me--and then she heard Granny Gran's voice in the background--then she heard Grandma Sherry's voice in the background--then more number punching and then the line went dead. So Auntie D called Mommy and told her, "the kids are prank calling me!" Everyone was confused but it turns out Caleb was playing with Granny Gran's cell phone and was turning the phone on and speed dialing Auntie D. So, we are sure this has happened before, and will probably happen again, so if you're a family or friend who we call on our cell phones, you can probably expect a call from the kids soon. Hopefully they'll refrain from calling 911.
The kids went to see their first movie at the movie theatres on Sunday. Mommy, Daddy, Granny Gran and Auntie D took all three kids to see Stuart Little 2. They loved it! They were all good for the first 30 minutes or so of the beginning of the movie then Jacob got a little restless and caused the other two to want to walk around. But they got focused on the movie again by the last twenty minutes of the show. It was such a cute movie. Jacob was laughing out loud when there was silence from everyone else.
Auntie D gave the boys each a talking Buzz Lightyear. Jacob opened his gift first and Caleb saw it and didn't want to open his -- he wanted Jacob's. Then he got spooked by Buzz and didn't want anything to do with it. After a while he would walk up to it and look at it and then walk away (all the while Toy Story was playing on the TV). He finally took to Buzz and wouldn't let him go. He took him with him to take a nap and gave Auntie D a hug and kiss when he woke up and said "Buzz". Sydni got a talking Barbie spanish teacher since her "Toy Story" doll hasn't arrived yet.
All three kids participated in a "photo shoot" for a local politician. We're not sure if they'll be in any of the advertisements since they didn't cooperate completely but Auntie D took plenty of pictures.
The kids are all doing great. Uncle Louie gave all three a haircut last week. The boys got a summer buzz cut (with tails) and Sydni got her hair cropped. They look so cute. The tails will be coming off soon -- they were an experiement gone bad from Mommy.
This past weekend the kids went to their cousin Maddy's first birthday party and had so much fun playing in the moon walk and eating cake. Granny Gran wants to buy a moon walk for them to have at the house. We're trying to convince her that a trampoline would work just as well.
Sydni is our own little Mike Tyson. She bit Caleb's ear last week. She didn't bite anything off but it hurt him so much. The boys love to give Sydni hugs and take her toys and usually she'll cooperate with them but there are times when she does not want you to touch her or even look at her and Caleb just happened to catch her at one of those moments.
Jacob has started throwing horrible tantrums. They usually come while he is sleeping or right after he gets up from a nap but he's also started throwing them when he doesn't get his way. The ones during his sleep are awful because you can't calm him down. He has to work through it himself and then he'll let you hold him. He still gives the best hugs ever.
Caleb still shows his excitement by biting -- but he's getting better. If he get's overly excited he'll squeal or he'll bite. He walks around the house saying "Buzz" for Buzz Lightyear. When the video's over he says "another one". He gets so upset when you don't let him watch video after video. When it's time to watch a video he will run up to the bookcase and hold his arms up for you to pick him up so he can pick out the video. He almost always picks Toy Story or Toy Story 2. The case doesn't even have to be on the tape -- he knows the writing on the tape to know it's a Toy Story tape.
Happy Birthday Auntie D!!! XOXOXO
It was a relatively quiet Fourth of July for us all. The kids enjoyed Grandpa's delicious BBQ chicken. We tried to get the kids to stay up for the local fireworks show but they would not cooperate. They fell asleep about thirty minutes before the show began. The noise didn't bother their sleep one bit.
Happy Birthday Mommy!!! XOXOXO
The kids celebrated Mommy's birthday with cake and presents at home. They were in awe of the birthday cake with the candle. The cake was decorated with the kids colors (blue, red and yellow). Caleb and Sydni loved the fact that their tongues turned blue with the icing.
Granny Gran is sick. She had to go to the emergency room and we found out that she has inflamed intestines. They are running tests on her and we are anxiously awaiting the results. She is at home resting. Grandpa is helping take care of the kids and keeping a watchful eye on Granny Gran too. Grandma Sherry is going to help out as well. She is going to spend the night on Wednesday night -- her first time so hopefully the kids will be kind and sleep through the night.
The kids have a new favorite video -- Toy Story 2. They also enjoy Stuart Little but Toy Story 2 keeps their attention for the entire movie.
All the kids are doing well. Last weekend Sydni had a fever all weekend so Mommy took her in to see the doctor and it turns out she has adenovirus again. This virus, unfortunately, has to run its course. Jacob has also come down with a fever.
We are changing hosts for the website so hopefully now we'll be able to have more current updates. There were too many problems with the last host and we couldn't get in the system to update as frequently as we would have liked.
We all went to San Antonio on June 9th to see Blues Clues Live. It was such a blast. Those that went included: Sydni, Jacob, Caleb, Mommy, Daddy, Granny Gran, Auntie D, Cousin Noah, Aunt Yolanda (Noah's abuela), Cousin Jessi Jo and Aunt Eleanor (Jessi's mommy). We all had a great time. Sydni was so tired because she had not taken a nap all day but she was a trooper and didn't go to sleep until the minute we got in the van. We had barely turned the corner and she was out. All three stayed awake during the entire thing and loved it. You could tell by their expressions that they were enjoying it. Next up -- Barney in 2003.
Caleb has become obsessed with Grandpa's red truck. Anytime he's in the van, he is on the lookout for red trucks. If he sees a truck he points at it and starts whimpering. We have to tell him that it's not grandpa. He follows the truck until it's out of sight then he puts his hand over his mouth and then says "bah" and throws both hands out.
Jacob is starting to talk more. He is the one who is into giving tons of hugs right now. All of a sudden he will come up to you and just grab onto your neck and hold you tight. He says hi and bye-bye with a southern twang. It is too cute. When he gets up in the morning or from his naps, he sits up in bed and when you walk in he says "hi". We're going to have to record him so he can hear it later in life.
Sydni continues to expand her vocabulary. She repeats every last word you say. She is doing good with her colors, numbers and ABC's. For a while every letter was "D". But now she recognizes quite a few of her ABC's.
June 5, 2002
Stats: Sydni weighs 26 lbs. 12 oz
Jacob weighs 24 lbs. 8 oz.
Caleb weighs 28 lbs. 8 oz.
We'd like to send along our deepest sympathies to the Blomquist family on the loss of "Grandaddy", LeVerne Carlson Blomquist. He was at a nursing home in Taylor and passed away on Sunday, June 2nd. He loved these kids.
Auntie D has been late with updates because we have had problems with our use of too much space on the website. You will notice that quite a few of the old pictures are gone now so hopefully this will alleviate the problem.
Now to try and get you caught up on what has gone on in the past month.
The kids went to their Cousin Gaby's second birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's on Sunday 19th. They all had so much fun....but at a cost. Monday morning Jacob developed a fever and Mommy called the doctor and had to take him in. He ended up being diagnosed with Adenovirus. It resembles the flu and is contagious. With this virus comes fever, sore throat, ear infections, diarrhea, etc. All three ended up getting sick and are on tons of medication. Sydni even devloped a horrible diaper rash where she was only comfortable with no clothes on the lower region and being fanned constantly. Luckily that only lasted a day.
All three are talking up a storm. They all recognize their colors and throw fits when you give them something that has one of the others colors on it. Sydni walks around pointing at yellow objects and saying "Ka Kay" and blue objects and saying "Jay Jay".
Since their illness they haven't been any place other than the doctor's office so there isn't too much to report on.
We are taking the kids (depending on their health) to see Blues Clues this weekend in San Antonio. This will be the first type of event for the kids so we're anxious to see how they do.
Happy Birthday Granny Gran !!! XOXOXO
The family went out to dinner on Sunday night to celebrate Granny Gran's birthday. We had a hard time getting Caleb in the van after letting him run around outside for a few minutes. He threw a major temper tantrum. When we got to the restaurant and got off the van, Sydni saw Caleb and asked "Ka-kay Okay?". (Sydni calls him Ka-Kay instead of KK) Sydni is such a little caring person.
None of the kids liked the food much. They did enjoy drinking from straws. Jacob and Sydni devoured corn on the cob. Jacob set it down in front of him and proceeded to eat it without using his hands. He just bent down over the corn and attacked it with his mouth. He ate the entire thing before it fell to the floor. It was definitely a photo opportunity but Auntie D was without her camera for once. They all had ice cream cones for dessert and absolutely loved it.
The kids went to their cousin Blythe's birthday party a couple of weeks back and had the best time playing with her kitchen set and jumping in the trampoline and moonwalk. Auntie D had a kitchen play unit shipped to them that week and Granny Gran is now working on getting them a trampoline. Now that the weather is getting nicer they'll be able to get outdoors more often -- much to the delight of Caleb. At the party, Jacob was awestruck watching his cousins, Colby, Kyle, Johnathan and Tony, wrestle in the moonwalk. That boy is going to be a professional wrestler or football player.
We went to the 27th Annual NICU Reunion in Austin this past weekend. Jacob got to try watermelon for the first time and he loved it. Sydni and Caleb didn't care too much for it. They all loved the petting zoo that was there. Caleb tried to ride a goat. They all rode a pony with Mommy. Mommy and Daddy visited with the parents of twin girls who were in the hospital at the same time as the kids. There were about five other sets of triplets there too. We all had fun -- it was very hot, but fun.
The kids had a busy Saturday last weekend. They went to Waco for their cousin Christopher's 3rd birthday party. They had so much fun running around. Caleb even got in the pool. The water was too cold for Jacob. The theme was Bob the Builder. They all took turns hitting the pinata but when it came time for their cousin Steve to hit the pinata, Jacob got so upset because Steve was really letting Bob the Builder have it. Poor little thing screamed his head off. Mommy had to shield him. But he went and grabbed candy when the pinata was busted open.
After the party, we drove home and changed the kids into their 50's attire for their first "50's party". The party was for Auntie D's godmother, Mary Alice Ruiz. It was her birthday and they went all out with great music. The music was both oldies and mexican music. Caleb kept screaming because he was so excited. The kids enjoyed themselves. They all danced the night away. The evening ended a little early when Sydni had an accident on the dance floor. She was dancing the twist with Mommy and Daddy (and looking cute at it too!) when a lady twisted her behind right into Sydni's face. She started crying and we had to leave. They had such a busy day that they slept through the entire night without a peep.
Caleb had a follow-up doctors appointment on Tuesday. He was on medication for a sinus infection and has to continue it as a precautionary measure for ten more days. Other than that they are all doing great.
This weekend the hospital where they stayed in the NICU for the first few weeks of their lives is having a "Reunion". The entire family is going. It will be nice to see the nurses and doctors who were all so wonderful to the babies during that time in their lives.
April 3, 2002
We all had a wonderful Easter. It started off with the entire family going to mass together. The kids did remarkably well for not having attended in a while due to their recent illnesses. Father Tom was glad to see everyone in attendance. From there we went to have lunch at Outback Steakhouse. The kids were so excited to be out of the house that Caleb and Jacob squealed practically during the entire meal. Sydni flirted with the busboys and waiters the whole time. They behaved so well we may have to try that more often.
Then we went back home and had a little easter egg hunt for the kids. They were so excited to be outside. Sydni dropped her basket and went around and picked up the eggs and brought them back to her basket. Jacob found the first egg and proceeded to sit down, open it, and eat the contents. He was so happy. We had to coax him to get back up and find more eggs and to stop eating. He would shake the eggs to make sure there was something in them. If the egg didn't make a whole lot of noise, he would drop it and start over. Caleb found an egg and then bolted for Grandpa's truck. Grandpa is always telling the kids that his truck is their truck so Caleb wanted to get in his truck. Everytime someone would get him to come back to the hunt he would get to the eggs and then run as fast as he could to the truck again. He was too cute. They all had so much fun.
After the easter egg hunt, Auntie D thought it would be cute to get the kids to dye some hard boiled eggs. BIG MISTAKE! Their hands are still blue, pink, and green. Jacob made the biggest mess (big surprise!) and just kept dunking his egg and getting water all over the table. He even managed to crack most of his egg open by himself. Sydni left her egg (and her hand) in the cup. She had the prettiest pink egg we've ever seen. She decorated hers with stickers, which happens to be her favorite thing right now. Caleb dunked his over and over but didn't make a big mess like his brother. He threw a little tantrum when we had to take the egg away from him due to the messiness. But Auntie D got the pictures she wanted.
Granny Gran and Auntie D took the kids to get their pictures taken on Friday. First, we went for a visit with the Easter bunny. Caleb took his Tickle Me Bugs Bunny with him to show the Easter bunny. He walked right up to the bunny and all three sat together for a while. We told the photographer to snap the picture as soon as all three were sitting because we don't have a good track record of them posing for too long. It took some coaxing but she finally took the picture. Then they couldn't get all three to print out in the same frame so we had to try again. By this point Caleb had enough and started to cry. Jacob and Sydni stayed on the bunny and just sat there having a good time. We got their picture and were getting ready to leave when Caleb walked up to the bunny again. When we tried to get him to sit on the bunny's lap, he started to cry so we had to take the picture with him standing beside the bunny. At that point he didn't want to leave the bunny's side.
It's getting harder to take pictures of the kids around Caleb. He wants to play with Auntie D's digitial camera and Grandpa's camcorder all the time. We've got lots of (blurry) pictures of him running towards the camera. He has Grandpa carry him and he has to look through the viewfinder and shoot a few seconds worth of film or else he will get very upset. He's going to be the best filmmaker or photographer yet.
We have the best video of Sydni getting dizzy and falling down. She loves bubbles and Mommy bought the kids a Toy Story bubble machine that will constantly blow bubbles. Sydni dances around and around when the bubbles are going and the other day Grandpa was videotaping her when she got really dizzy and fell down, but it was a cute falling down and she didn't get hurt. It is the most hilarious thing to watch. We are definitely going to send that in to Funniest Home Videos.
Jacob knows Italian! One of the kids favorite books is an Italian Picture Dictionary that Auntie D bought them (Auntie D likes to think of herself as Italian). They all love this book. The other night Jacob took the book to Auntie D for her to read it to him so she proceeded to read while he was flipping the pages and all of a sudden he started talking and saying things that we completely did not understand. It was in a totally different language. Grandpa and Auntie D just looked at each other in astonishment.
We have a little thief on our hands. Mommy and Granny Gran took the kids shopping yesterday. They were riding around in their Runabout stroller (you can see a photo in the 2002 Photo Album)when they went into one store to see what Mommy was buying. Granny Gran took the kids out of that store and around to the different kiosks. They stopped to look at some sippy cups and when Granny Gran was about to pay she looked at Jacob, who was trying to get her attention, and he handed her a shirt he had grabbed off of a display in another store. Granny Gran was horrified and went back to the other store to return that shirt. She didn't even get to buy the sippy cups because she rushed to return the shirt. She said Jacob looked so proud like he had bought something for his Mommy. I guess he did this because during Christmas they each picked out something for Mommy themselves by going around the store and grabbing what they wanted. But Granny Gran knew about that and payed for them that time.
Jacob got a clean bill of health on Tuesday. His ears look good and his eating has improved. He still looks tiny but he has a lot of energy. Once he started attacking Caleb and Sydni, we knew he was going to be OK.
Sydni is trying her hand at singing. The other day she was buy herself while the other two were napping and we were watching a video. All of sudden she starts imitating what the kids were singing on the video. It was too cute. A couple of weeks ago she threw such a temper tantrum when Auntie D left after her weekend visit that Mommy had to call Auntie D to get back to the house to calm her down. By the time Auntie D got back, Granny Gran and Mommy had calmed her down and she was fast asleep.
This past weekend, Sydni went to a baby shower with Granny Gran and Mommy. She did so good. Auntie D forgot to pack her pacifier and she didn't miss it until she was almost home. She's getting to be such a big girl. She paid Auntie D back by eating the piece of cake that Granny Gran was going to bring home for Auntie D.
Caleb continues to be our little dare devil. He controls the thermostat in the house. He will get on top of the recliner and reach for the thermostat and turn the AC on to 70 degrees. He will also stand at the top of his slide and inch forward like he's going to go down the slide feet first. That little boy has no fear whatsoever. He terrifies everyone in the house.
We are looking forward to Easter. The kids are going to decorate eggs for the first time this year. They have already started playing with their Easter baskets. Since the weather has been wacky this year and we've been dealing with one illness after another, the kids have not been out much. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that it will be a pretty day so we can have a nice Easter egg hunt outside. If not, we'll do it inside the house.
March 22, 2002
Stats: Sydni weighs 24 lbs. 14 oz
Jacob weighs 24 lbs. 4 oz.
Caleb weighs 26 lbs. 1 oz.
Last Thursday Sydni came down with a mild case of Rotavirus, again. She went to the doctor and got the OK to go home. The boys also ended up getting sick with the same thing on Friday. They all went for a checkup on Monday and are doing OK. Jacob seems to be the one who is suffering the worst of it. He still has a case of diarrhea and refuses to eat his BRAT diet. The poor thing has lost so much weight. He really looks skinny.
Sydni has taken to wanting to be the only one around or loving her brothers to death. She will run around from one to the other giving them kisses. Or she'll hold her hands out to keep them away from her. She also does this hand motion when she doesn't like an outfit you pick out for her. Auntie D bought her an outfit and she refused to put it on. Auntie D put one arm in and Sydni would take the other arm out. Sydni won. Mommy and Granny Gran took the kids shopping for their Easter clothes and Sydni was very picky about what she got. She eventually chose a very cute outfit.
Caleb is still a little dancer and pointer. He will point to just about anything you say to show you what it is. He is going crazy with his videos. One is barely over and he is running to pick out another one. They all have to pick out their own videos now. We have some very strong-minded children. Caleb is also very attached to his Tickle Me Bugs Bunny. He has to sleep with Bugs and when you pick him up out of his crib, Bugs has to come with him. With the battery pack, Bugs can get very heavy (especially at 2:00 am).
Since Jacob has not been feeling good for quite some time he pretty much just wants to be carried -- usually by Grandpa. He will get bursts of energy and run around and play with his toys but he just doesn't have the energy to do much. He still gets pleasure out of going through Auntie D's purse. That's one of the perks of only seeing Auntie D a couple of days a week -- when she comes over she usually brings so much of her stuff with her that her purse usually ends up on the floor and the kids run to it and start taking everything out of it before she even realizes what they've done (not that it would matter if she did). Jacob has yet to get his 18 month well-check since he's been sick for a while now.
The weight stats are from Monday, March 18, 2002.
March 10, 2002
Well Sydni and Caleb also came down with bronchitis. They all still have runny noses, coughs, and congestion. They are in relatively good moods for being sick.
All three are into dancing around. Caleb especially loves to dance in your arms. Sydni exercises to Elmocize and dances with all the Barney tapes. Caleb also loves to dance to Barney and the Wiggles. Jacob just squeals with delight when the videos are on.
We are back to getting woken up in the middle of the night. The other night Jacob and Sydni woke up at 11:00 pm and stayed up until 1:30 am. They were giggling with each other and kissing each other in the dark. They managed to wake up Caleb but he quickly went back to sleep. Their wake up time is now 5:30 am. Hopefully their clocks will get back on track soon.
Granny Gran (Oviedo) is adjusting to taking care of the babies on her own. Auntie D has moved out of town to work full-time again but comes home once during the week and on the weekends to help out. Grandpa (Oviedo) continues to come over every night to play with the kids. We only wish Jacob would squeal with delight when we all walked in the door as he does when Grandpa comes over. Mommy still works nights three to four days a week and Daddy works days four days a week. Granny Gran can't stay away--you can usually find her at the babies house seven days a week. She's busier now than she was when she was working full-time.
March 5, 2002
Just when we thought the babies being sick were behind us for a while -- Jacob was diagnosed with bronchitis and an ear infection today. Mommy has been sick with a bad cold so we knew someone would probably get sick -- even though we were keeping our fingers crossed. We are still holding out hope that the other two won't get sick.
Other than this they are all doing great. Their appetite is ferocious. Once they were given the green light to eat solid foods again, they went crazy (especially Jacob).
Yippee! The kids are all coming home tonight. We got the word around 7:00 pm that they were all being released. This came as quite a shock because Dr. Brown last visited the kids last night around 11:00 pm and at that time told us they definitely weren’t going home on Sunday and probably not even on Monday. They all still had diarrhea at that time and Sydni and Caleb still had IV’s providing nourishment.
Jacob was off of the IV. The first IV (on his foot because the nurses couldn’t find good veins on his arm) came off because he was doing so good. He was given another IV (also on his foot) because he continued to have diarrhea. That IV was blown and his right leg got horribly swollen. Another IV was put – this time in his left arm. That IV was also blown and his arm got swollen. They left the IV’s off this time.
Jacob went on the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) diet on Saturday. He loved it. Caleb and Sydni went on a clear liquid diet on Saturday. They both got a burst of energy when they saw they could eat actual food. They ate a lot in the morning but didn’t want anything more to do with the broth and jello at lunch or dinner. Sydni and Caleb went on the BRAT diet on Sunday. They loved that diet better.
Their diarrhea subsided on Sunday. Dr. Brown was so impressed with how they were eating and the lack of diarrhea that she proclaimed them ready to go home. It came just in the nick of time. The poor babies were so tired of being poked and prodded I’m sure the nurses were ready for them to be released as much as they were ready to go home.
They go back to Dr. Brown in a couple of days for a follow-up. Hopefully they’ll continue to improve. Thank you to everyone for your prayers during their illness.
February 22, 2002
On Monday night we had to take Jacob to the emergency room because he started vomiting a lot. He couldn’t keep anything down so off we went to the Round Rock Hospital Emergency Room. When we finally got in to see the doctor, he said Jacob had acute vomiting (it actually wasn’t very cute ;-). They gave Jacob a suppository to control his vomiting. We got home but he continued to vomit. So at 2:00 am off we go to the emergency room again. They gave him more medication around 4:00 am and kept us there to see if it stopped the vomiting. When we were waiting to see the doctor, Mommy and Auntie D thought they had made a mistake coming back to the ER because Jacob actually started playing around. He got a burst (a little one, but a burst) of energy. The doctor sent us home at 6:00 am thinking Jacob was going to be OK.
Mommy called the doctor on Tuesday and she wanted to see him so we took him back to Round Rock at lunch. Dr. Brown gave instructions for controlling his vomiting/diarrhea and sent us home.
By Wednesday Jacob had no energy whatsoever. He was limp and started throwing up again. Mommy took him back to the doctor who had one look at him and sent him to Children’s Hospital. He was admitted and immediately had an IV put in to rehydrate him. Jacob and Mommy spent the night at the hospital. He was eventually diagnosed with Rotavirus (the worst form of a stomach virus you can get).
Back at home, we were all thinking that somehow we had gotten lucky with Sydni and Caleb because they had shown no signs of getting sick. Well, at 3:08 am Sydni woke up Auntie D with her vomiting. Caleb started stirring (which is a little unusual for him lately) so Auntie D called Granny Gran and Grandpa and asked them to come on over because she thought it was about to start up for him. We called the Doctor and she prescribed medicine for both of them to stop their vomiting. She scheduled us to come in and see her at 9:00 am. By that time, Sydni had thrown up about 12 times and Caleb 20 times. She said they too were going to have to be admitted.
On the ride over to the hospital Sydni got worse and was severely dehydrated when we finally made it to the hospital. Caleb was already pretty bad. But knowing how fast and furious this was getting to them, Dr. Brown didn’t take any chances and had them admitted right away. They both got IV’s going and were thrilled to see their brother. We were lucky that they were able to find a room that could hold all three of them.
They are doing better now but will stay in the hospital for two to three days to make sure they are OK. They aren’t able to eat anything still and cry for their agua (water) and juice. This virus is highly contagious (Granny Gran has a touch of it now) so visitors are limited.
Now back to a regular update:
Sydni enjoyed watching the Olympic ice skaters. She stood up on the couch and kicked up her leg behind her and acted like she was skating. She also dances around the house (she twirls around but somehow doesn’t get too dizzy).
All three know their colors and they love pointing to objects when you say their name (eg. tree, bear, sun, moon, etc.)
Caleb also loves to dance. His current version is like the dance from the movie “Flashdance” but without the waving hand movements. He also likes shhh’ing people. He learned this from “The Wiggles” video. He puts his finger to his mouth and then shhhh’s.
Jacob has no fear. He climbs the chairs in the dining room. He likes to just sit on the dining room table. The other day he threw off the cushion that was on the chair and fell down on top of it. Luckily he wasn’t hurt.
Whenever someone comes to the house, the kids want them to take off their shoes and then they go and throw the shoes in the trash can. I guess this is their way of keeping people at their house.
February 16, 2002
Happy Anniversary Mommy & Daddy
Stats: Sydni weighs 24 lbs. 14 oz and 32 inches
Jacob weighs 24 lbs. 11 oz. and 32 inches
Caleb weighs 25 lbs. 12 oz. and 33 inches
The kids had their 18 month check-up (a little early) today. Jacob wasn’t able to get his well-check because he still had an ear infection in his left ear. For some reason the medicine wasn’t clearing this up. He is on his third round of medication.
January 29, 2002
Sydni developed a high fever last week so Mommy called the doctor. After taking her to the doctor, she was diagnosed with a viral infection (a form of RSV). Sydni had to spend six days with Auntie D, Granny Gran and Grandpa. Auntie D and Granny Gran split their time between taking care of Sydni and watching Jacob and Caleb. Sydni didn't even act like she wasn't feeling well. She got spoiled a little bit more (if that's possible) but she missed her brothers terribly. Every picture of them that she saw in the house she would yell "JJ" or "KK". Anytime someone came through the door she would yell "Momma". On Saturday she wasn't ready to go home but by Sunday she was carrying her diaper bag with her and waving goodbye.
Jacob and Caleb have not shown any signs of getting what Syndi had yet. They will all go for their eighteen month checkup tomorrow so we'll know then if they caught anything. The boys missed their sister but they were a little angry with Mommy, Granny Gran and Auntie D. They didn't know where their "Sissy" went -- they just knew that none of us brought her back real soon.
Jacob and Caleb had a follow-up doctors appointment today for their ear infections. Caleb's has cleared up but Jacob's has gotten worse. He was prescribed a higher dosage of medication so hopefully that will clear it up. He's been a perfect angel while he's been ill so there was no clue that he had gotten worse.
All three still continue to love Barney. Sydni is also developing a fondness for Elmo. Granny Gran has baby-proofed the kitchen so they can roam around there too. They go crazy running around -- it seems to wear them out quicker than the living room.
January 7, 2002
2002 is off to a good start. Jacob and Caleb were asleep when 2002 rolled around but our little night owl, Sydni, was wide awake. Sydni thought since the entire world was out partying she should get to enjoy the night too!
They are all still enjoying playing with their new toys. Barney is still a huge fixture in our house. Jacob enjoys standing at the top of the slide and threatening to walk down the slide. Sydni is never far behind pushing her way in front of him to stand up on the slide too. She still has her shoe fetish. She has to have one in her hands to go to sleep. Caleb is enjoying riding on a bike that Grandpa brought over this weekend. He can stay on that bike forever.