Firsts.

OH.MY.GOSH. It's been so long!  I can't even address the time lapse.  Only to say it's part of my goals for 2013.  Post once a month and drink at least 1 glass of water a day.  Coffee can't continue to be the only liquid I consume.

Before I forget these things and have to make something up when my kids ask down the road, I need to document a few several firsts.

Crawler.
Dane took off a good month or so before Estelle got the hang of it.  I have to say though, the most exciting moment was when Betsy started to crawl.  The doctors had said that because of her MIC-KEY button she may never crawl.  Some children find it so uncomfortable and develop such a strong disdain for tummy time that they skip crawling all together.  Needless to say, when she did crawl I cried like a baby!

Word
Dane:  Either 'dog' or 'roar', like the sound a lion makes.  Yep, the lion on his exersaucer and in the color book we read must have made a big impact on him because it was his first sound/word.

Estelle:  'Ball'.  A good solid word followed quickly by 'outside'.  No joke!  She would look out the window and say the cutest infant compound word you've ever heard.

Betsy:  'Uh-oh'.  Equally as adorable was Betsy saying Uh-oh and then proceeding to drop something.  A trend that continues.

Steps
Estelle:  Since Dane was the first to crawl, Estelle had to take off on her feet first.  Her first steps were to Aunt Debra.  She wasn't wobbly long, and now rarely stops to sit and play but rather just walks aimlessly around the house just because she can.

Dane:  He took his first few steps around December 30th and by January 1st walking was his preferred  method of travel, regardless of the number of falls.  He's not as fast as his sister, but I'm sure he'll get there.

Betsy:  This girl thinks she can walk, but she's not quite there.  She has taken to bear crawling on her hands and feet as if without her knees on the ground she is essentially walking :)

The kids turned 15 months on Christmas!!  It was also our first Christmas with all three babies home, which was beyond amazing.  Crazy what can change in a year?!?  The day after Christmas we landed in the doctor's office, which is never fun.  But I'm glad we went because the kids each had an ear infection and an upper respiratory virus.  Besides getting medicine to help them feel better, another nice thing was getting their weights.  I was super curious to see how many pounds I have been lifting, mainly because it is my only form of exercise.  Very happy to be past the point of weight gain being a major concern and weekly checks.  
December 26, 2013
Dane 20 lbs 12 oz      Estelle 22 lbs      Betsy 19 lbs

As of now, we are down to 2 bottles.  Well, 1 and a half.  Same with Betsy's tube feedings, only twice a day.  I am more concerned about fluid intake than calories really.  Holding steady at 2 naps- 10:00 and 2:00.  Highlights of our day include story time, FaceTime with Aunt Dawn, visitors and Daddy coming home from work.  
It was a unbelievable 2013.  We feel tremendously blessed and are looking forward to a calmer year ahead :)