Happy First Birthday!

Happy first birthday to our babes! We had the best day. Daddy took the day off to be with us, and grandparents came up too. We ate at Corner Cafe - yummy home cooking for the kiddos. Then we went to Carolyn's Pumpkin Patch. It was the perfect fall day! Just the right chill in the air. The kids had fun looking at the animals and playing with pumpkins!

Here's a little triplet update:

Samuel Alexander. Sailor Man Sam. Little Buddy Boy. Sam is the sweetest little boy! He's oh-so full of energy. Nothing gets in the way of our little bulldozer – not toys, not furniture, not even sisters! He crawls, he cruises, walks behind his push-along toy, dances... he just loves to move! He has discovered that he can climb onto the hearth and crawl around a little higher than he's used to – what fun! I've been trying to tell him how it's nicer to get down by going feet first rather than headfirst... no success so far though! There is nothing more exciting for him as when I open the baby gate and actually allow him to climb the stairs. (With me close behind of course). I'm met with a look of shock, a squeal of delight, and a flash of wind as he zooms by me to get to his beloved stairs.

Sam is very talkative. His babbles range from low, manly grunts, to sweet high pitched squeals. So cute! My favorite look of his is when he turns to me and innocently puts his pointer finger to his lips. “Mommy, how can you resist my cuteness? You cannot... come and give me a hug!” And I do. Every time!

He is a mommy's boy. He will push his way into my lap, much to the dismay of Julia, if she's already sitting there reading a book. But Sam just needs a quick hug and then he's off again to play. Most likely with something with buttons, which he pushes with one finger – what a pro!

Eating is one of Sam's favorite things. He gobbles things down so fast! I seriously don't think I have ever seen him get full. He's the reason we'll have to start shopping at Sam's Club. He's got a good pincer grasp when he uses it, though he still prefers the full fist method because he can get more at once. He can wave bye-bye, show you he's one, and do the open-close-them song.

Sam can wave hi/bye and give you five. He's got 3 teeth, 2 on top and one on the bottom. He's a super napper and prefers to be sung to before going down. I sing “Come to the Window” to him, which is a nursery rhyme put to a tune that my mom made up when I was little. It's always so hard for me to put him down though – he is the snuggliest and just lays his little head on my shoulder...Mommy Heaven.

Julia Brooke. Julia Bee. Our Sweet Baby J. She has always been our little princess! Dainty and beautiful. Julia is such a sweet natured girl, very contented to sit and play by herself. She has the most precious little voice – all breathy like like Pebbles Flintstone. She has recently developed a little temper though! She can get pretty annoyed if Sam or Sophie enter Her Highnesses' personal space bubble.

Jules is a great eater. She has a good pincer grasp and actually uses it a lot. She takes one piece of food at a time and swallows it before considering another bite. If I try to give her a spoonful of something while she's still chewing, she just turns her little head. A lady doesn't overfill her mouth after all.

Julia went to the eye doctor a couple of months ago. She, along with the others, was born with a clogged tear duct. Hers had never cleared up and it was just so red all the time. The doctor said that if it hadn't cleared up by 10 months old that it probably wouldn't. How lucky for Julia though, that it cleared up just a few days after her appointment. Amazing! And no surgery!

We are so proud of Jules. She's getting so strong these days – crawling (well not traditional crawling), pulling up to stand, and finally getting a little more assertive with Sam and Sophie when they clobber her. She also seems so bright to her mommy and daddy – she picks up on things so quickly. She really loves clapping her hands, and does it during all the little songs that are supposed to include clapping. She can show you where her head is, give you a kiss, wave, show you she's one, do the sign for “more” and “all done.”

She naps twice a day but not always as long as the others. I think she just wants some one-on-one time, which is fine with Mommy! We take those opportunities to snuggle or read a book. Jules is quite the bookworm. She also loves stuffed animals. Her favorite is a little bumble bee – of course! She's just an all-around precious soul with a heart-melting personality.

Sophia Cayden. Soph-a-pia. Sophie Little Bit. Everybody's favorite fighter, Sophie is our little spit-fire! She's full of spunk and silliness. The things she does crack us up on a daily basis. Her latest funny is making these little “durdle durdle” noises that sound like the pet sugar glider that we used to have. She has the biggest brightest smile, with two little teeth on the bottom.

Soph is such a charmer. When we go out to eat, the waiters are always greeted with a big ol' Sophie smile and cute little head tilt. “I am the cute one – flirt with me!” When all the babes are in the stroller, out and about, people always comment on how Sophie is “the smiley one.” :)

She's still our smallest little bit. Small but mighty, as always! But her size does not get in her way. She is a speedy crawler, can tackle the stairs, and can stand with no support for the longest. She LOVE to cuddle. Cheek to cheek is her favorite and we always do this before naps. Speaking of naps, she is our champion sleeper. She can easily take two two hour naps. Nice!

Sophie is the group trend setter. Sam and Jules really love to mimic her! Head shaking, scrunchy nose sniffing... Sophie starts it all and the others follow her lead. She hates it when someone walks away from her, leaving her behind a baby gate. She'll hold onto the bars and wail oh-so-pitifully. Then just stare after you with those sad soulful eyes.

She's a pretty good eater. She doesn't love food as much as the other two, but she'll eat. She still gets high calorie formula mixed with breast milk. We'll see at their one year appointment if this needs to continue. She takes her bottle best from her Daddy!

Babies, we love you more than you will ever know. We thank God every day that He gave you to us. We are so blessed – God trusted US enough to be your mommy and daddy. What an awesome responsibility. One that we are enjoying with every fiber of our being! You're growing and learning new things so fast and it's truly amazing to watch. You've been with us a whole year but we've been praying for you for so much longer. Our little miracles, thank you for being ours! ~Loves~