17 Months Old!!!

We are 17 months old!!!

Andrew - Our Silly Clown....
Jared - Our sensitive tenderheart....
Wild Wesley - Our confident dare devil....
Don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up! These days are so much fun and flying by way too fast.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Our Bed Time Reading...

When you have triplets, some things have to be done differently. With a single child, a parent has the privilege of scooping up their child and holding them while reading a book and jointly flipping through the pages before putting them to bed. I don't have that luxury but the boys get a bedtime story every night.

The boys have a bookshelf in their room that holds all of their books. Each evening, the boys run to the bedroom as soon as we say "bed time." One of the primary reasons they are so excited is the ability to get their hands on some good books. The first thing each of them get to do once inside their room is "grab a book." They stand in line at the bookshelf which each picks their book. Once a book is in their hands, I put each one in their crib. It's actually funny to watch their decision making process. Some times they dig to find the 'perfect' book. They have their favorites!

They proceed to 'read' their own book while I read a story to the group. Once the story is over, the boys hand over their books and it is time for bed. I hope the boys always have a joy for reading.

Here are some pics of the boys 'reading' before bed...

Jared...
Wes - very typical that he is reading it upside down... so his personality!...

Andrew - I love the look on his face. It's like he is saying... "could you leave me alone, this was just getting good!"....

We are still very lucky that the boys enjoy their bed time routine. No matter how wild the day gets, we know it is all quiet by 7:30pm!! But, it starts all over again at 7:30am...

Take care,

First Words

It's exciting times! The boys are actually starting to say some real words. I bet it will not be long before we are longing for the days when they were not saying any words but until that day, woo hoo... we are starting to talk.

Wes was the first to really start saying an actual word other than Ma-ma-ma or Da-da-da. He made is mother so very proud by saying "Ball" as his first word. It almost brings a tear to my eye.

Andrew was the next one to spout an official 'first word.' He was probably saying this word before we actually realized what he was saying. We started to notice that he would notice Chewie, our Yorkie, he would make the sound of "shu." I started to think he may be trying to say "Chewie." How exciting to see he was going to say "Chewie" as his first word. Well, after paying a little closer attention, I realized the truth of the matter. His first word was actually "HUSH." Seriously, hush???? How much do we really say this that he picks it up as his first word????

When the dogs bark, we issue a gentle "hush, Chewie" or "hush, Murray" or a general "hush." It's not an angry "hush" but still a "hush." Well, our responsible eldest male, decided to step up and help us issue these directives at appropriate times. When Chewie barks, he runs to the gate to Chewie's room (aka. the living room) and proceeds to tell him to "ha-shhhhh."

I have tried to catch video of him issuing his edict but I have not been very successful. Here is a little video with two clips. In the first clip, he hears Chewie bark and I catch him running to the gate and if you listen closely, you can hear the soft... "haaa-shhh." In the second clip, he says it at the start and then I beg for him to say it again but no luck. Enjoy....

I am so proud! During our efforts to get Andrew to say "haa-shhh" on video, I accidentally caught a hysterical moment. Let me set the scene. My mom is visiting and we had just arrived home from dinner at Sonny's. We are all working to get Andrew to say "haa-shh" on video. This involved several of us (mostly me) barking like a dog in the hopes that he would issue a "ha-sh" to me. Well, while trying to do this, the video was running. In the following video, you can see the challenge we were having with Andrew and then see how Wesley decided to jump into the act and help out...

Jared is still the strong silent type but I am sure he will be telling his brothers to be quiet very soon!

Take care,

GRANDMAMA VISITS

Before the boys were born, Kellie and I discussed how they would address her mother as they got older.  What we came up with was "Grandmama" as a joke and it has stuck.  I believe it was said it in a stuffy British accent.  So Grandmama came for a visit this weekend, and of course we took lots of photos.

We wanted to take the boys back to the big park since we had two extra hands.  It was easier last time because they were in a state of shock and didn't move around too much.  Jared didn't move at all and I ended up carrying him the whole time.  So we assigned Grandmama to Jared, thinking that he wouldn't be too hard to follow.  He ended up running around more than anyone.  Poor Wesley had gotten some suntan lotion in his eye, so we cut our trip short.

Anxiously waiting for the gate to open.

Jared and Grandmama at the park.

Team Darnell invades the playground!

"Walky Mouse" is a game that Grandmama plays with the boys.  Using only two fingers, she will send the boys into giggling fits.  Just saying the words "walky mouse" is rewarded with laughter and smiles.

Walky Mouse is gonna get you!

Andrew is helplessly pinned on the couch.

Wesley saves the day!

Jared flips the cushion looking for the elusive mouse.

We finally finished painting the boys room, and it was time to move them out of the nursery.  So while Daddy was moving cribs and furniture, everyone else went outside for some fun in the sun.  Daddy opened the bedroom window which attracted the boys like moths to a flame.  Of course we had the camera ready.

Jared's curiosity got the best of him.

Nice hair, kiddo.

Kilgore was here.

"Excuse me, is this where we rent the surfboards?"

Andrew and Wes at the activity table.

The following evening we all went out to dinner at Sonny's BBQ.  The boys have been pretty good at restaurants, and they get the opportunity to try new things.  Instead of ordering 3 child's meals, we gave them a little bit of everything that we ordered.  They ate BBQ pork, baked beans, garlic bread, coleslaw, french fries, and chicken. 

Andrew's baby blue eyes complemented his baby blue shirt.

Jared has perfected the over the shoulder pouty look

Grandmama and Wesley share a moment.

Pardon me...which wine pairs well with the pulled pork?

Andrew is paying close attention to the daily specials.

Jared is putting it away like a pro!

Andrew is just getting warmed up.

Sometimes Wes only uses his fork for balance.

Soon after we headed home and the boys had their baths, then off to bed.  We had lots of fun with Grandmama, and hope she visits again soon!

Spoons...

The boys have improved with their use of forks and have become pretty proficient at keeping food on their plates. The next big hurdle is.... spoons!! I know the day would have to come when we needed to tackle this so I figured to bite the bullet and start today. When we started using forks, the food they were trying to stab is solid and they could grab with their hand if the fork would not work. Food eaten with a spoon is much different... it's messy. But, alas no pain no gain!

I started by passing out the spoons and letting the boys take turns taking spoonfuls of chocolate pudding. I have to admit, they were much better than I expected and the mess was much less than I expected. There were some moments when they scooped up the pudding and turned the spoon the wrong way on the way to their mouth... plop. It was a good step in the right direction... utensil independence....

Andrew...
Jared - He grabbed the spoon way down by the scooper so his hand was covered with chocolate...

Wes...

I enjoy watching them experience new things. This experiment convienently occured on bath night. After the experiment... straight to the tub!

Take care,

TODDLER TAILGATING

Ahhh, football season. The boys are quickly becoming fans, and they like to show their support in different ways. They applaud and cheer when people around them do, they know the hand gestures for "touchdown", and of course they wear the appropriate apparel for their favorite teams. In this house that would be the Florida State Seminoles, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

Grandma came for a visit this weekend, and she brought the boys Tampa Bay shirts. We put them on that morning to get psyched up for the big preseason game against Houston that evening. The following photos will illustrate how the boys are becoming fanatics in the making.

In anticipation of the game in 12 hours, we started tailgating that morning.

Andrew practices his touchdown celebration with some "air guitar".

Wes ponders, "Chics dig this, right?"

Andrew on the edge of his seat.

I have this funny feeling that someone is sniffing my behind.

Jared has his game face on.

Well, this is how they wear it for the European League.

Look guys, I'm the Pope! No, I don't know what a "pope" is, either.

I don't think this is right, but I am starting a trend!

C'mon people, I can't hear you. MAKE SOME NOISE!!

Oh, well, it was only a preseason game. We have another shot with the Cowboys next week.

More August Moments...

The month of August has been a memorable month for the Darnell family. The biggest change is that Mike became a Stay at Home Dad and we are finally getting to experience our weekends together as a family!! In addition, we turned 16 months old, started using forks, started to 'help out,' fell in love with Yo Gabba Gabba and most of all spent a lot of time playing outside in the backyard. The following are some photos that did not make their own post but could not go without posting. Enjoy....

As mentioned previously, August was a month in which we spent a lot of time playing outside in our backyard. The boys have a small pool, a water table, a sprinkler ball and usually just love playing with the hose. When we come inside, I get the boys out of their wet bathing suits, wrap them in their towels and then they get to spent a few minutes drying off - 'in da buff.' Here is Andrew walking around..... (photo edited to add the red bow for modesty)
Jared decided to spend his 'naked time' playing in the toy box...

Taking a picture of the boys sitting together has become darn near impossible. This picture was not staged. Wesley was first sitting on the ottoman, then Andrew and then Jared climbed up. The magical force that drew them all together was none other than the great show "Yo Gabba Gabba!"...

No explanation needed for this one - silly Andrew...

Daddy and his "mini-me" Jared.....

Every night we put all of the toys away. For the past couple months, I started to believe that toys were disappearing. Tonight, we could not find one of the puzzle boards and it was too big to misplace. We looked all over and then last place we looked was under the stove. Well, we found it and many of the other "disappearing" toys. The next day, we also watched the boys slide the toys under the stove....

Jared, our thinker....

As the boys are growing taller, we needed to add another layer of baby-proofing on the door knobs. When the boys woke up the next morning, they were immediately drawn to the new cover on the door handle. They spent a while trying to figure out this new contraption...

As the boys are becoming much more self-sufficient while eating and eating in their presence is not pleasant for any of us, I have started to join for meals. Their table is made for them and not for company. In an effort to expand the table, I used a stool with a TV tray on top. This is my expansion so I can eat at the table with the boys....

Our new favorite toys are the diaper wipe containers. There are so many different ways to play with these. Jared is showing off the container as a hat...

Since we have been playing outside all the time, it is very sad when a rainy day keeps us trapped inside...

Don't worry, we just bring the summer fun inside. How about a little beach ball basketball? Please note we have already raised the goal up one notch and are ready to move it up another level....

Daddy just can't sit still!! His new project is building a small deck for the area between our patio and the fence. The boys sure look up to and LOVE their Daddy.....

Dogs, like children, learn the rules and learn how far they can push the limits without actually breaking a rule. Murray is not allowed to sit up on the couch or the ottoman. He knows he is not allowed to get up on the ottoman but he has learned that he can lay on it as long as he keeps his feet on the floor. Here is a pic of Murray relaxing.....

During the month, Uncle Lance and Aunt Kim came for a visit. We had a great time and during the day on Saturday, they took the boys for a walk. This picture makes me laugh because of Wesley sitting straight up as if to show them around the neighborhood. He definitely has natural leadership potential....

The following series of photos show of Wesley and his silly personality:

Here is his "I make this look good" look....

Say "oooooooooo".....

Wes - what do you think of the Gators? BLAH....

Funny kid....

Each morning, Andrew loves to dump the blocks over his head. Once the box is empty, he will wear the box on his head...

Everything goes on the head....

Murray takes a moment to rest while the boys are napping....

This is our time out spot. When we put one of the boys in time out, he is quickly joined my his bros. Which one do you think is the offender in this photo?

All clean, lotioned up, jammied up, relaxing with our last milk of the evening and watching Wheel of Fortune. The day must be drawing to an end....

Wes looks so sweet in this photo! He is hanging out in his pillow pile in what will become their new room. ...

August was a month full of a lot of fun times! Bring on September...

Take care,