7 Months

7 months old already!  We are in a nice little groove these days.  Things are definitely getting easier.  We have been getting out more and more.  One Sunday after church, Derek and I were feeling particularly confident after a smooth morning that we decided to go out to eat for lunch instead of picking something up on the way home.  This was the first time we had gone out to eat with just our family.  I was not prepared for the attention we received.  I guess when we go out with friends it is not as obvious that all 4 children belong to us or that the babies are triplets even though they all have coordinating car seat covers.  As we waited for our table, we received lots of comments and were asked lots of questions from the people around us.  A man even came up to me and handed me a $20 bill and said he was paying it forward.  I tried to give it back, but he insisted.  Turns out it was very helpful.  Derek had left his wallet at home and my purse was in the car.  We were able to use the money to pay for our lunch.  After about 5 minutes into lunch, I was asking myself what we were thinking.  The restaurant was crowded, which made getting to our table with a small child and three car seats and very large diaper bag challenging.  The babies had to be seated on the floor in their car seats because it would have been too difficult to get them situated on high chairs.  All three began to fuss immediately.  Derek and I juggled all three back and forth across the table while taking turns eating and fielding questions from the people around us.  I'm sure it was very comical to watch.  Thankfully, Ben was on his best behavior the entire time.  In the end, I am glad we went.  We are determined to continue to live the same way we did.  We laughed at ourselves the entire time.  I am so proud of the way Derek and I communicate and work together.  It was a learning experience and I think we handled the situation very well.  Next time we will pick a more spacious and less crowded restaurant.

The boys love to play and explore.  Their hands are always busy grabbing whatever is in reach so they can explore.  When you are holding them they reach up and touch your face and when they are next to each other they grab each others' hands, feet, nose, or ears.  They also like to rub each others' hair or stick their hands in each others' mouths.  It's funny and cute to watch.

Earlier this month we all got the stomach virus.  Derek, Ben, and I got over it fairly quickly, but the babies had it for over a week.  I thought it was never going to end.  I think I used two entire cans of Lysol spray in a week's time.  I would spray the living room every time I put the babies down for nap.  I had to feed them from separate bowls and spoons, sanitized pacifiers and toys after every use, and separate them at night to sleep in different rooms so not to breathe each others germs all night long. Needless to say it was exhausting.

I believe we are in full teething mode.  There is a lot of drooling and gnawing on anything and everything they can get into their mouths.  Chase drools the worst.  It is constant.  He has a puddle drool  in his bed every time he wakes up.  We should have some cute little toothies soon!

Ryan, Chase, and Tyler

Chase loves to smile!

Chase
Sitting up all by himself!
18 lbs 5 oz

Ryan
16 lbs 5 oz

Tyler
16 lbs 12 oz

Ben the Pirate
Loves to dress up and use his imagination.
The closer he gets to being three years old the more fun he gets.
He is an awesome big brother and a wonderful helper.