The Madeira Fearsome Four

We are turning THREE!!!

2010-09-15T09:37:00.014-04:00

Today is Alex, Jacen, and Ty's third birthday! In honor of this happy event, I have sat down to update the blog with all the pictures we have taken over this past year. Chloe is not to be left behind in the birthday category; she will turn 1 on October 3rd! This year has been packed with activities, and we all been very busy (hence, no updates). That should change in the near future as I am nearly finished with my book, and as I get the new fall semester under my belt.

'Twas the night before Christmas 2009...

Someone loves their dino!

Rock n' Roll Construction Alex

Chloe is tuckered out...

Jacen tries on Daddy's boot...

Grandpa and Grandma Madeira with Chloe

The Madeira family Christmas shot--2009

Grandma Madeira has a birthday!!

Snow Ty

For once, everyone loves the snow!

Ty riding his "Tygrrr"

Jacen buried under stuffed animals in his crib

Pirate Ty putting on a musical parade

Chloe lounges on the couch!

Ty doctoring his monkey and his train

Alex with drums

Jacen with a drum and a strainer hat

Trikes!

Jacen on the Easter egg hunt

All three on the lookout

Kitchen Buccaneers
Chloe with egg :D

Outside in the Easter sunshine!

Spaghetti night...

It just gets messier and messier!!

Some pictures of all the kids together, taken in June...

Life with Four...

2009-12-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

Lesson learned...one is much easier than three! In fact, we went gallivanting around in October with Chloe in toe. We started on Oct. 20th with the Indianapolis Children's Museum--the largest in the world!

Here we all are in a dinosaur nest!

And in the model train section...

Matt found Jaba the Hut around the corner...

The boys loved playing in the water playzone!

Alex and Ty enjoy a little quality time with construction equipment...thank goodness this thing didn't have power!

Look! Brother vs. brother. The goal was to cycle along with your hands; against two, Ty lost.

Then we went to Appleworks on Oct. 25th--it's an apple orchard with a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, pony rides, ride-on train, and lots of other things to do and see. We had a blast!

We all went for a train ride...Daddy was probably too tall to fit in the car.

Jacen takes his first pony ride...

Ty says NEIGH!

Alex waves while enjoying his ride...

Alex thinks that he could totally take this turkey in a fight.

Leaves are falling, attracting the attention of small frys everywhere...

Goat! Maaaaa....

The search for the perfect pumpkin...

Ty is a serial pumpkin-hugger.

Riding the "Cool Bus"...

Trick-or-Treating at the law school!
Daddy and his skeleton crew...

Trick-or-treating at the mall...ARRRRGGG! There be no candy here, matey!

Chloe poses in her costume.

She enjoyed herself...every girl loves a trip to the mall, we guess!
Cuddling with Mommy on the couch...

Super Ty!

Uneasy is the head that wears the crown...

Super Alex waves hello.

Super Jacen is strong enough to pick up a whole bus.

Mmmm handy!!

"Grammy" reads to the boys.

Thanksgiving...we ate while the kids napped. Ahhh peace! They got their turkey later. Jody's Aunt Sue came in for the holidays, and her colleague Leandra joined them for dinner as well. Everything was scrumptious.

Chloe cuddles up with Aunt Sue...

Introducing Chloe!

2009-10-10T21:13:00.000-04:00

Well it looks like it might be time to rename the blog...our little Chloe bear arrived on Oct. 3rd at 6:01 a.m. Here are some pictures of our new arrival!

Here she is...new to the world! She is a bit puffy, but this photo was taken very shortly after she was born.

She begins the process of wrapping Daddy around her finger...

Two little baby feet!

One sweet smile, captured the week that she came home.

Sleeping is hard work!

We're Two! And Not So Terrible Yet...

2009-09-26T13:45:00.001-04:00

On September 15th, Alex, Jacen, and Ty turned two. We celebrated with a small party this time, figuring that they are still too young to miss anything. We were right. Although their birthday was on a Tuesday, we celebrated it on the Sunday before. Matt had a great idea to take the boys to Build-a-Bear for the first time to let them pick out their own stuffed animals to love. Ty picked out a brown, soft dog that plays a "Happy Birthday" song, Jacen picked out a patriotic-themed dog that barks, and Alex picked out a snow leopard that roars. They had a blast! When it came to opening presents, however, they really didn't have a clue what to do until we showed them, but they sure liked playing with everything when it was unwrapped! And they didn't like their cake at all, although they did manage to smear it in their hair. Silly boys!

We have also gotten the boys out to several different types of activities in the area as well. There is a gym near us that has a "tumble tots" program for an hour several times a week, and so we tried that out on September 25th. The boys had a lot of fun, and got to run off energy that had accumulated during the long, rainy week.

The other upcoming event, of course, is the impending birth of our daughter. The boys don't really have a clue what to expect there, either. It will be interesting to see them--and us!--adjust to a new wee little bundle!

Here we all are outside Build-a-Bear, pre-bear-building...

Ty is debating between a fluffy bear and a fluffy puppy...

Jacen has latched onto patriotic puppy...

Alex opts for the snow leopard!

Alex loves choosing a sound for his animal...

Jacen helps to stuff his puppy!

Alex is very happy with his leopard. Roaaarr!

Ty on the other hand does not like the stuffing process for his puppy.

Hmmm...will we all take after Daddy? Computers are fun!

Here we all are, post-bear-building.

Alex, of course, is the first one to find an inappropriate alternative use for his box.

Unwrapping presents...so much to play with!

Their big present was a train table. They liked it from the first.

Ty rejecting his cake...MOOOOOM don't make me eat it, c'mon!

Alex dispersing cake and crumbs from his tray. Note the flying crumb action.

Post-cake trauma, Ty decides to take his puppy for a walk.

Here we are at Tumble Tots...they have a slide that goes right down into a foam-filled pit. Fun!

Ty discovers the joy of hula hoops...

Note that pesty look on Alex's face!

Not-So-Lazy Summer Days

2009-09-06T13:25:00.000-04:00

It's been over two months since our last post! That's pretty shameful, especially since we haven't had any large adventures as in the earlier part of the summer. Our non-work-related home projects have been fairly large-scale--landscaping the backyard, going through old possessions, getting ready for our new baby--and we have made good progress on completing them. There's always something else that needs to be done, it seems, however. Fortunately, in this household, we're content with imperfection. Jody's book project and other research as well as preparations for the new school year have taken up much time as well.

We have had a wonderful summer, however. It was cool throughout July but things heated up in August, and now that it is September it is starting to feel like fall. Highlights include joining the Y and introducing the triplets to a swimming pool on a more routine basis, getting together often with friends, spending time with the boys and attending (NOT traveling!) to Pennsylvania for Matt's parents' surprise 50th anniversary party. It was so much fun to see beloved friends and relatives, especially since we anticipate being home-bound at least until spring.

Coming up we have the boys' 2nd birthday on September 15th. Is it possible that it has been two years already? We have a bunch of eager little boys who are learning to talk and help and who already know how to make one heck of a mess and are experts in being cute.

Here are some pictures from the past two months:

We made the discovery in June that big blue $3.00 plastic buckets from Michael's Craft Store were a big hit. Especially for playing "bucket head"...

We didn't put up our "big pool" this year because the weather was so cool, so we bought the boys a giant inflatable pool shaped like a frog. It got a hole in the bottom and was otherwise a pain, but the boys seemed to like it...

As Jody's lap shrank, and the boys were more reluctant to share what remains, we thought it would be a good idea to get chairs for the boys...they LOVE books!

Brotherly love?

Here is our second attempt at a baby pool; this one worked out better. No leaks!

The boys got an early present...a water table. They loved it and got just as wet as they did in the pool!

Much to Matt' s horror, Alex found a new friend...

Here's Wild West Alex!

This is one of our favorite photographs from Grandma and Grandpa Madeira's 50th anniversary party!

Driving home from Pennsylvania...Alex decided to take the wheel as Diaper Driver.

In August, my friend Rebecca visted us with her son Theo, who was about 11 months at the time. Check out this hair!

Rebecca and Jacen relax together...

Last week, Granmy Burkett and I went to the Indianapolis zoo with Rachel, a good friend of mine, and her threesome. Alex is keeping Rachel and Zoe company here as the rest of the boys run around the zoo's "sprayground"...

Alex strides out looking for some new wet thrills...

And he found them!

Ty, hesitant at first, found some wet fun that wasn't too scary...

Here is a frolicking Jacen...

Rachel and I pose for a photo with the giraffes!

Granmy Burkett and Jacen...

Summertime, and the Living is Easy (At Least, Most of the Time...)

2009-06-25T21:26:00.000-04:00

Well, the last two months have flown by, and we at last are sitting down to post pictures to the blog. What with vacation, grading, conferences, and house projects, we've been swamped! And there is, of course, the little matter of taking care of the boys as well. Whew!

Our vacation to Disney was lots of fun--except for the drive down and back, which was actually a bit too long for everyone, especially the boys! We stayed in a wonderful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom timeshare less than a mile from Disney. It had just been renovated, and so there were plenty of new things for us to mess up! Things got much easier after Tuesday, when the boys adapted to the new place and to the idea of amusement parks. We visited Magic Kingdom on Monday, Animal Kingdom on Tuesday, Sea World on Wednesday (a big hit!), Epcot on Thursday, and Sea World and Magic Kingdom on Friday. It was hot most days, but not unbearably so; with lots of sunscreen and air-conditioned breaks, it was certainly bearable. The lines were not too bad either. Here are some great pictures:

Camping out, Hampton Inn triplet style...

It's curtains for Alex...

The boys at LegoLand at Downtown Disney

Pirate Ty is preparing to board...

Our first time through "It's a Small World" at Magic Kingdom...Alex likes it!

Lunchtime, plotting further adventures in 97 degree heat...this is how we roll...

The boys at Splash Mountain (sorry, guys, you're too short)...

Jody and the gang at Pirates of the Caribbean, which they were just the right size for...

Alex steals a cuddle from Dad...

Are the boys amused by their private concert? Or alarmed?

Tigger...he put a bounce in our step!

The gang at Seaworld, waiting for the Shamu show to start...

The gang on Shamu...

Three little lumps of sugar in a tea cup!

Little Alex, big Clydesdale...

Alex sleeping face-plant style...

Mom and the gang at Epcot...note the new stroller (the old Peg Perego lost a front wheel at the end of the day at Sea World, so Dad had to wheel them tilted back all the way to the front of the park). The new stroller was much easier to push, but weighed a ton and took up hordes of space.

In the belly of the shark...

At Epcot, in merry ole' England...

Back at Sea World, Alex glimpses some sting rays...

And Ty does too!

Everyone loves walking through the underwater tunnels at Shark Encounter...

Dad trying to get the boys started on some early video gaming...

How appropriate. Enough said.

The boys in front of the Magic Kingdom castle...

Mom and Jacen at the Indianapolis Zoo.

Alex meets some rhinos.

At the Indianapolis Air Show, for Matt's 35th birthday...yet another set of strollers. These are terrific.

Mom and the boys in front of a plane.

The closest Jacen will ever come to a gun...

Can I fly this thing? You bet. Just hop in.

Jacen is ready to take off as well...

Matt and his flaming cake!

Spring Fever!

2009-05-04T21:36:00.000-04:00

Well, it's time for another post! Motivated by "spring" and the desire to get rid of some old baby toys, we "sprung" for a Step 2 kitchen and larger outside playhouse so that we could wear them out without taking them to a park and watching all three run in different directions! Grandma Burkett and Jody put the kitchen and a few parts of the climber together with Matt's power drill when he was at work. Matt did not know that the kitchen was going to make an appearance until it was too late; since then he has been subject to all kinds of "taste tests" as the triplets "cook" and then feed all three of us. The climber started out in our backyard, but we moved it onto our porch after worrying about sunburn, mud, and the triplets walking through dog poo. The triplets also love a workbench that Grandma and Grandpa Madeira got for them, and they will play with it for a long time.

Grandma and Grandpa Madeira visited us for a week in late April, and we had a fabulous time! The boys not only loved the extra love and lap space, but they also had a blast with the balls and toy cars and trucks that came along too. The week went too fast, however. But we think they'll be back soon :D

On May 7th, we leave for our first real family vacation...to Disney World in Orlando, FL! We'll be driving down and staying in a 2-bedroom condo timeshare right near the gates to the park. We can't wait.

Here are the pictures we know that you've been waiting for!

Ty is intent on trying to saw some plastic wood on the workbench.

Alex has decided to don a utility belt and undertake some house repairs...probably building some kind of infernal machine.

Playing on the porch...Jacen and Alex wonder why their bikes won't go very fast! Perhaps it's time to go back to that workbench again...
Jacen and Ty in the kitchen...hmm, what do all these drawers and cabinets hide?
Which pan is a skillet, Mom? I hear those are good to bang brothers on the head.

Ty tries to clean up his act in the sink...

Jacen tries one of his new concoctions on Dad. Mmm...tastes like plastic chicken, little man.
The new woodland climber debuts in the backyard. Jacen explores the backyard rather than the large hunk of plastic that we bought and put together for him.

This climber has something for every...dog.

But Orc isn't left out either...Grandma Burkett got the boys a Cozy Coupe police car over a year ago. It drove Matt and Jody crazy trying to put it together, and then drove the boys crazy once they figured out only one of them would fit in it, which drove Jody and Grandma Burkett crazy when they had to put up with them. It is now in a closet where the stickers keep peeling off and the roof pops loose. But Orc got a ride in it first...

Granma Madeira let Alex in on some important family beauty secrets. Alex watches intently as she installs the curler in the first part of the beauty ritual...the other part consisted of all three boys pulling out the curlers.

The ritual continues...

Curl complete! There was a little boy who had a little curl right in the middle of his forehead...

We joined the local children's museum, the Wonderlab. It has a contained area that the triplets loved to explore...

Alex investigates a pipeline down which you can drop golf balls to do goofy things...

Ty loved to push around a big green ball...

Alex preparing to get wet at the water table...

Even Grandma and Grandpa Madeira found new science projects to interest them...

No area rug is safe from Jacen...

Whoa, dude, calm that hair down...

Ty is having a ball on the porch...

Alex conjures up new ways to get into trouble...and looks devilishly cute while doing it!

Easter on our Keasters

2009-04-13T21:17:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend! Rain was in the forecast, but it held off and it was actually quite warm. It was wonderful to romp with the boys!

We definitely know who the Easter ham in the family is now...lest you have any doubt, check out these shots.

All of the triplets loved their Easter cards!
Especially the Easter ham.

We believe in starting them out young in the Madeira household...

When you just can't decide what to carry with you...carry it all!

Easter egg hunting...

On Sunday, we celebrated Easter with the first annual Madeira Triplets Easter Egg Hunt. Dad hid the eggs, and afterward we all piled out onto the front lawn to hunt for brightly colored pieces of egg-shaped plastic. Note the look of profound competitive concentration and devilry...what side of the family could Alex possibly have gotten that from?

Ty is getting into it as well...YEAH! MY egg is in the basket too!

Ty is plotting "How do I get all the eggs BEFORE all my brothers?"

All three team up on the hunt with Grammy.

Jacen is sweetly making his way around the yard, oblivious to the competitive strategies of his brothers. Alex performs the ritualistic egg dance as Dad and Ty look on...

Ty looking angelic.

Alex and Grammy having a blast...

Another Post, Later Than Most!

2009-04-07T20:25:00.001-04:00

Whoo! We are back in business with the camera at long last. Jody's computer was reloaded, and somehow the Canon camera software disk walked off to parts unknown. Imagine that. Needless to say, it was a while until we could upload photographs!

So much has happened since January. The boys are getting so big; well, all except Alex. Alex weighs 20 lbs. 11 oz., Ty weighs 23 lbs. 5 oz., and Jacen weighs 24 lbs. 6 oz. Though he may be the littlest, Alex is definitely the pestiest! He is always so mischievous, into everything. The boys really love their climber still and their wagon, and in addition have gotten into blocks and Fisher Price Little People playsets. Since it is spring, they also love going for walks and being outside!

The boys are also talking so much. Jacen is the biggest talker, and he says lots of things; his favorites are "up," "bottle," "more," "moo," "meow," "arf," "mama," "dada," "uck!" and "bye-bye." Alex is especially fond of "hi!," "dada" and "see." Ty specializes in "up" and "see" and making wonderful lovey noises when he gets hugs. All of the triplets love to say "book." It is such a joy to see them playing together and having fun!

Jody also got a book contract for her dissertation, which was one of her goals this year. It will be published through New York University Press and is due in by August 2010. It will be coming out in 2011. Exciting!

Here are some great pictures from the past few months...

We had only one really "big" snow this year of 7 inches or so. We couldn't wait to get the boys all dressed up in their snowsuits and outside. Their snowpants were so bulky that none of the boys could really stand up or walk that well, and they kept falling over, especially after their boots were on!

Here are all the boys with their snowsuits on...

No one is thrilled with the winter wonderland!
None of the boys really liked the snow, but Alex had the most dramatic reaction:

Jacen poses with his bib...

Ty is hiding out in the climber...

All of the boys have started to really get "into" the dogs. Jacen loves to tackle Orc, who really isn't too fond of that sort of behavior.
Ty has taken to riding all sorts of strange vehicles that he isn't supposed to...
The boys love to play together!

Ty takes his first steps back in January...

Some imps found Mommy's sweatshirt...

Two boys do not fit very well in the wagon at the same time!
The boys loved Valentine's Day, and really enjoyed the balloons and cards they received from all of their grandparents! A very drooly Jacen loved to drag the balloons around the house.

Ty LOVED his cards!

Another one of Ty's favorite rides...

SOCKS!

We're entering the stage of silly things on heads...

Everyone loves books!

Ty adores pushing strollers now, which we discovered on one of the first very nice spring days...and Alex was happy to go along for the ride!

Ty perched on his favorite fire truck, again...

A Very Merry Holiday Season

2009-01-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

Well, this is going to be a long post--and well it should be, considering that the last post was just after Halloween! For shame--we know, we know. But our New Year's Resolution is to update the blog at least every two weeks.

Our holiday season was grand. The boys got their Christmas present early--a Kangaroo Climber gym by Step 2. They loved it from the first, and they run in and out of the playhouse and try to climb the slide. We love to watch two boys try to climb it at once--the first climber will lose his balance and slide down, wiping out his brother as well. Heehee!

Here are some pictures of the mayhem.

Jacen and Alex having fun...

Jacen thinks he broke something on the gym already (note the hammer)...

Ty pushing his ride-on car sideways (with wrench in hand--is he OUR child?).

Ty and Santa Claus

Jacen looks like he wants another lap...

Alex is hoping he doesn't get coal for Christmas.

Everyone with Santa!

Here's Alex all dressed up in front of the Christmas tree.

Jacen is looking for some trouble to get into...

Ty with his combover!

On Christmas Eve, we headed to Carlisle, PA to spend the holiday with Grandpa and Grandma Madeira. Aunts and Uncles poured in as well, and we had a wonderful time!

Breakfast on Christmas morning at Grandpa and Grandma Madeira's house.

Alex picking up one of his favorite presents...a BOX!

Sheriff Nicholas (Wild West Nephew) has rustled the wrapping paper.

And his Uncle Matt!

We also saw several dear friends who had not seen the boys for over a year.

Cary and Jennifer Burkett with the boys.

Sheriff Nicholas is helping to rustle up some grub for the boys.

Our old friends Shane and Alyona, their daughter Lily, and the gang

The boys were dedicated at the Carlisle First Church of the Brethren on December 28th.

As a very special touch, Grandpa Madeira performed the dedication.

Ty sits on the Steelers mat...a future fan?

Jacen, the present elf...Cousin Laura Beth looks on.

Aunt Beth and Alex

We returned home on December 31st and celebrated the New Year with Grandma Burkett and Great Aunt Sue. Everyone had a great time!!

Back home, Alex admires the Star Wars Christmas tree (thank you Hallmark!)

Ty, a future drummer.

Great Aunt Sue with Alex.

The dogs took advantage of one of the triplets' favorite Christmas presents from their cousin Kobe to catch up on their rest while no one was looking.

Coloring with Dad!

A Very Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T23:32:00.000-04:00

This Halloween we were haunted...by cuteness! We stocked up on the Halloween costumes before we left Boston last year. The boys not only donned pumpkin costumes, but they were cows as well. I guess this was the agrarian-themed Halloween, in keeping with Indiana! And as you can imagine, we did take tons of pictures.

Earlier in the week we went to a pumpkin patch right near our house to pick out our special Halloween pumpkin. They had a petting zoo of sorts set up in the barn, so we took the opportunity to introduce the triplets to some large smelly animals.

Alex meets a real cow...

Grandma Burkett and Jody in the pumpkin patch (err, hay field)...

Another hay field/pumpkin patch shot...

Of course we had to try on the costumes ahead of time to make sure they fit (and to get some pictures!).

Our first jack-o-lantern!

Jacen says "Mmmmm, pumpkins are yummy!"

The whole gang and the pumpkin...

Three little pumpkins in a patch...

Matt's raided the pumpkin patch...he must be out of his gourd!

Ty in pumpkin form...

Alex as a laughing cow...

Jacen giving us a load of bull...

Ty looks like disco calf...

-

On Thursday, October 30th, the boys went trick or treating at the law school. Here are the highlights!

Here are the pumpkins, all loaded in the trick-or-treat wagon...

Navigating the hallway in the wagon was lots of fun...we were kind of like a traffic jam for the other trick-or-treaters!

Alex gets the hang of this "candy" thing...

On Friday, Oct. 31st, the boys went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. This time they were dressed as cows. Here's Grandma Madeira posing with the boys on the porch...

We thought we'd round up the cows for another family picture...

Here we are on the big adventure...

Playing until the cows come home!

Life after Turning 1...

2008-10-29T11:30:00.000-04:00

Since the boys turned 1, life has become a lot more fun--and hectic! Alex started to walk on September 28th and now his little world has no bounds. Jacen began to walk about two weeks later on October 17th. The boys are now into anything and everything. To defend prized possessions, we have been forced to finally babyproof cabinets with magnetic tot locks. They were the only locks that we could find that weren't adult-proof as well as child-proof!

Household objects that before held no appeal are now objects of great fascination. The dishwasher is especially awesome for Alex and Jacen...note that Jacen is toting along a red dog pull toy. These also are wonderful toys for the boys, who greatly prefer them to their own toys!

Alex loved his birthday balloons until they were all deflated. He would grab them and shake them to hear them rustle...

No one thinks that the vacuum cleaner is particularly interesting, however. Jacen and Alex seemed to find it downright terrifying.

The boys also love riding around on their fire trucks. Ty in particular
loves to race around the center island, and laughs if you chase him.

Jacen loves to hold a foam swimming noodle as he races around on his fire truck...he looks as if he is jousting.

The boys love a giant stuffed bear that Jody has had for ages. We recently brought the bear out to see how the boys would react to it. Here are all three posing with Mr. Bear...

Oh no! Jacen has to endure a bear hug!

Alex wants to bite Mr. Bear back...

We've also unearthed some very cute octopus chairs that we bought in Boston while the boys were just home from the hospital. The kids don't seem to really be into the chairs, but the dogs sure think that they are pretty nifty!

Grandma and Grandpa Madeira visited for almost two weeks in the middle of October. In addition to just hanging around the house and outnumbering the boys for a change, we all went to Nashville, Indiana, which is a "crafty" type of town. It gets pretty crowded in the fall because people visit not only shop but to see the leaves at the height of "leaf season." Here is the whole crew, strollers and all...

Jody and Jacen showing off a very cute horse tire swing...

Here's Grandma Madeira playing with the boys...

Alex loves pushing Ty in a wagon...and Ty is all for it!

We also finally upgraded the boys' carseats from the baby Graco SnugRides to "big" Sunshine Kids Radian 80s. These supposedly are the only car seats they will ever need. We certainly hope so...they were expensive! They have a "super cool" fabric on the seat to prevent the boys from getting too sweaty in the car. So far, everyone seems to like their new rides!

We are One!!

2008-10-29T10:52:00.000-04:00

On September 15th, Alex, Jacen, and Ty turned one!! Preparations were all set for a groovy outdoor party in a local park with a tot playground, but the party had to be moved indoors because the remnants of Hurricane Ike came through Bloomington. Luckily, the faculty lounge at the law school was free, and it made an excellent party site. With decorations and ribs from Texas Roadhouse, we couldn't go wrong!

Here are a some pictures from the big event!

Grandma and Ty are excited about turning 1!

The party action is hot (but the weather outside is not)...

We ordered a special cake for the day, and it was still cute, although our bug theme didn't make quite as much sense indoors as it would have in the park!

Everyone thought the ribs were yummy...

Jody's fellow professor Aviva and Alex are getting into some mischief...

Alex loves his birthday ballooons.

Time to demolish the cake!

Ty gets his first taste of icing...

Alex just grabs a handful and looks mystified at what it is...

Ty is worn down from all the partying!

Back at home, it's time to unwrap presents...but first, it's time to put on birthday hats!

Birthday hats are more fun when they're OFF your head!

YEAH! Bring on the presents!

Ok, it's time for the smash cake. Everyone ready? What? No one likes to SMASH???

Ty apparently is Mr. Clean!

Then again, Jacen and Alex aren't too keen on mess either.

Daddy shows them how it's done...

A Birthday Around the Corner...

2008-09-13T22:34:00.001-04:00

This past month has been action-packed for the boys. All three are now crawling; Ty started to crawl around the time we moved into our new home. Alex and Jacen have been pulling from sitting to standing for quite a while now, and Alex is very good at standing by himself for short periods of time. It won't be very long before these guys are walking!

Here are some pictures from this past month. There sure are plenty of cute ones!!

Ty is sporting some cool new specs...

Alex doesn't look particularly happy with his...

Jacen is reaching up to take his off!

Ty doesn't look thrilled about helping to fold the laundry, does he?

Alex loves his new push toy!

Here's Alex crawling happily around the new house...

Jacen's got places to go, and cool wheels to get him there...

Here's Ty on his wheels...

Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub...

Here is the triplets' composite picture that Matt made for their first birthday announcements...

Babies in boxes!

Alex is trying to put the toy on top of his head like a hat...

Ty looks like he is begging for coins!

Jacen proudly sports a plastic bowl hat as well!

We've Moved!

2008-09-13T22:21:00.001-04:00

Meet our new home!

This is the reason that we haven't posted in a while. We moved on August 28th, and it was a very long, very hot day. We did move all of the large items and much of the smaller clutter, however. Since then, we've been going back and forth between the old home and the new home (which fortunately are about 1 minute apart, in the same neighborhood) to move the rest of our belongings. We never knew it was possible to have so much in cabinets and closets!

Jody's fall semester started on August 27th, and we have also kept busy with replacing the carpeting and countertops in the old house and hiring landscapers and fence builderes for the newe house. And then there's the little matter of the triplets' first birthday. We've never been busier, but we continue on our merry way and get a little bit done each day.

"Wagon" Our Tails!

2008-08-13T21:41:00.000-04:00

Tonight Matt left for the weekend so Jody, who is taking care of the boys alone (Disclaimer: like Matt, who is SuperDad, has many times before!), got very bored and decided to take strange photos before taking a walk. Luckily, some of them turned out very cute! And yes, all of them involve the Choo Choo Wagon...with some four-legged passengers, too!

Here is Ty...

And Alex the goofball...

Jacen is proudly displaying his four teeth!

All three boys are finally looking at the camera (after lots of strange sounds from Mom).

And here Orc and Hobbit, our Boston Terriers, decided to hop in on the photo fun as well.

Happy Birthday!!

2008-08-07T22:14:00.000-04:00

The triplets begged me to post this next photo, to wish Tiffany a fabulous 30th birthday! They wanted me to send her a celebratory bottle of formula, but I nixed that idea. It's the thought that counts though, right?

August Adventures

2008-08-07T21:53:00.000-04:00

The triplets have been getting into lots of things lately...standing up, drawing pictures, demanding to be taken for walks, you name it! So I thought I would post pictures of our latest adventures.

Alex has taken to sleeping with his rear in the air...

Alex and Jacen are peering out from the walls of their play yard (a.k.a. "baby jail").

Here are the boys in their Choo Choo wagon, ready to go for a ride...

Ty looks confused, as if he needs to ask directions!

A Perfect 10 (Months)...

2008-07-21T23:50:00.000-04:00

The triplets turned 10 months on July 15th...it's hard to believe that their 1 yr. birthday is just a short two months away. Jody loves being at home with her little men! But just the same, she is so happy when Matt gets home from work and it's time to play together or go on a walk. We found this great walking trail near our house known as the Clear Creek trail. We try to go out there about 3 to 4 times a week. Lately, it's been too hot and humid to get out, however; the boys are little sweat machines in their car seats.

When we were going through baby clothes, we found a caterpillar costume that was adorable, and so we had to pop each of the boys into it and have a photo shoot. We were laughing so hard that it was a difficult task to take any pictures at all! We decided that each boy should be introduced to the grass, since that is where caterpillars are usually found, other than trees (and it would be a terrible idea to put the triplets in a tree, of course). The boys didn't like the grass at all, as you'll see...

Alex loves to read baby books...apparently here he's about to discover an exciting story about a leaf.

We decided to put Jacen in the caterpillar costume first--this led to a lengthy photo shoot. Jacen seemed to like the torture!

Here he is, meditatively crawling along...

But he's not a big fan of the grass.

Now it's Alex's turn for some humiliation...he doesn't seem to mind. Any attention is good attention when you have two brothers!

Daddy loves his little worm...

Alex takes to being a caterpillar like a fish to water...

Until you put him on the grass, that is.

Finally, it's Ty's turn. He turns to Dad and says, "I'm cute, aren't I?" Of course Dad says yes.

Ty reveling in his buggy-ness...

Ty says, "C'mon, guys, this grass stuff is lame...and this outfit is hot!"

Ty's not going to stick around to become a butterly.

We took the camera to the Clear Creek trail, and took some photos of the boys on a rock by a creek. Apparently Jacen decided to do his best impression of a frog on a rock; perhaps it's the green hat...

We thought this was a cute picture of Ty...

And last but not least, here's Alex with Mom, investigating the intricacies of his finger...

Nine Months ?!?!

2008-06-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

We can't believe it--the boys are nine months old (actually, at the time of this posting, nine months, 1 week). That birthday is coming up--and the summer seems to be flying by, too. Each day is a very full day, with its routines and surprises. In one respect, each day seems ordinary--wake up, eat, play, nap, wake up, eat, play, nap, wake up, eat, play, eat, and down for the night. But in other respects no two days are the same, and each one is magical as these little guys explore the world. And it's such fun to see them!!

We've had a wonderful June so far; the weather has been very good much of the time, and we've all been getting out in the neighborhood, on local walking trails, and to the stores and restaurants together. The boys are so well behaved that we can pretty much take them anywhere for a couple of hours or so. And whenever we do go out, we inevitably are asked, "Are those triplets?" and told, "You must have your hands full!" Of course we do, but we wouldn't have it any other way. At this point, it' s as hard for us to imagine not having triplets as it is for most people to contemplate their lives with three babies. And the most appropriate phrase, we've found, is that the worst day with the triplets is better than the best day without them. That pretty much sums it up!

That said, we've seen and done so much in the past couple of weeks...here's a few shots!

One day we were sauntering up the driveway on a walk around the neighborhood when we saw a butterfly with injured wings on the concrete with a hungry-looking bird looming over it. We rescued the butterfly and took several pictures with it, and then took it inside and gave it some fruit to eat. It died two days later, but it must have had a feast beforehand.

The pictures of the butterfly are so clear!

Alex studies it carefully...

Will it eat me, Dad?

Don't let it bite me, Mom!!

Ty plays peek-a-boo with the towel...

We're starting to try to teach the boys how to hold their bottles. The problem is that they just don't tip it up high enough. Alex has got the general idea, though...

Work while you eat, sleep while you play...

We're ready to go swimming (yes, you read that right, read on). Note the "Little Mermaid" swim diapers. Mom accidentally got the wrong ones for us, but we're too little to know the difference, thank goodness!

Here's our new pool...it's 30 inches deep, and 12 feet wide. And (for those of you who will worry--you know who you are!) we only take the boys in when both of us are home and we keep a hand on the baby floats at all times, and we slather the boys up with sunscreen beforehand. We're actually quite happy with it. Ty and Alex seem to really like it and kick their legs. Jacen on the other hand doesn't seem really into it.

Can we get out yet?

Alex loves hanging out in his float...

Ty is tuckered out by his swimming experience...

Family hug!

Ty is now sitting up very well, just like Jacen...

Alex is part bat!

Jody with the boys...

A happy Jacen!

Now it's Ty's turn to hang from Mom...

Alex with Ty's foot in his mouth...toe jam has extra protein!

Hot, hot, hot little men!

2008-06-07T22:24:00.000-04:00

It's been forever since we've updated the blog. Jody accomplished some conference travel to Chicago and Montreal in May, and has been meaning to add the latest news and pictures for some time now, but somehow it seems that this summer has been inordinately busy so far. We have embarked on home improvements, replacing most of the lighting upstairs and repainting, and are pretty happy with the results. Grandpa and Grandma Madeira visited for a week in late May, which was so much fun for everyone--lots of good times with the grandkids, and of course lots of food and games at night. It was wonderful to see them again...of course, it's hard not living close to family.

The boys are doing very well--Jacen has two teeth now, and we're predicting that Jacen or Alex will crawl any day now!

Here are the latest photos!

When carrots attack...

Pffft to you too! (When Jacen's first tooth appeared, he loved to run his tongue over it, and so he would stick his tongue out over and over again.)

Alex sniffs Orc...

...and suffers the consequences!

Someone just couldn't wait for his bottle...

Grandma Madeira and Jacen...

Alex standing up...so big!!

Grandpa Madeira and Jacen in the Exersaucer...Orc's in the picture too!

Ty and Jacen showing off the very cool flag outfits that their Great Aunt Sue got them...

Grandma Burkett is ready to take the boys out for a walk...one, two, three, yep--they're all there!

Matt giving Ty a hug...

For Matt's birthday, we went out to eat at the Scholar's Inn, reputed to be one of the best restaurants in Bloomington. The triplets came with us and were perfectly behaved. Unbeknownst to anyone, however, Alex had an explosive poo blowout, which we discovered when we got back to the van. We cleaned him up, but we hadn't changed the spare outfits in the diaper bag for a while. Needless to say, Alex didn't really fit into his bottoms!

Springtime and seven months!

2008-04-20T13:38:00.000-04:00

Alex, Jacen and Ty turned 7 months this past Tuesday. We didn't have a big photo session like we did last month, but we still have some cute shots that we've accumulated this month. This has been a pretty uneventful spring thus far. We've been able to get the babies out for several walks around the neighborhood. Now that Jody's finished teaching for the spring semester, we're looking forward to taking them out during the week when the stores/sidewalks are a bit emptier.
We had been feeding the boys at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. and then putting them to bed. Last night we decided to cut out the 11:00 p.m. feeding and to put them to bed around 9 after they finished their 8:30 p.m. bottles. Ty woke up around 10:00 p.m. and roused Jacen as well, but after a while those two went back to sleep and all three slept until 9:15 a.m. this morning. We were surprised! We expected them to get up around 7 a.m. hungry and crying to be fed. This has the effect of allowing them to play right after they eat, and then they take a nap after they get exhausted before they are ready to eat again.

We do have some cute pictures from this last month as well...

Ty asleep on Matt...

Jacen sitting up...

Alex sitting up...

Alex ready for a luau !

Ty's ready for the beach...

Jacen says "Mmm, sunshine!"

The Easter Bunny found Ty...

Alex in a silly Easter hat...

Alex snuggling with the Easter Bunny...

Some bunny loves Jacen...

The boys together after their egg hunt...

Here's Ty pesting Alex!

And Jacen likes his mom's feet...

Six Months! No, Really!

2008-03-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

Wow...on Saturday, the boys turned six months old. We can't believe it. We had a very fun day. We dressed the boys up in groovy orange outfits that their Great Aunt Sue thought they would look adorable in. And they did!

But first, we captured two of the boys on film performing an amazing stunt:

Jacen and Ty can hold their bottles for (very) short periods of time! But genius has to start somewhere, right?

Here's some other cute photos of the boys...

Here's Ty playing. He's very deliberate now in his hand movements.

King Ty...

And here's a boatload of photos from Saturday. Here's Matt and Ty...

And with Jacen...

Jody with Alex...

Jody with all three (left to right, Ty, Alex, and Jacen)...

The boys propped up against each other...

And with Matt!

Springtime is Coming...

2008-03-09T14:25:00.000-04:00

...and the Madeira Triplets are almost 6 months old! We can't believe it.

This week my mom is in Florida and I am on Spring Break, so Matt and I are home with the boys. I know we promised to post more frequently, but when I was able to finish my article and get it out the door, it was time to work on a grant proposal. These are all good things, but they definitely keep you busy. So I intend to use this week to finally finish unpacking some of my things from the move in December (Matt's been unpacked for about 2 months now!). I blame my slow pace on the triplets...with babies that cute in the household, how can you do anything else?

We tried solids for the first time about three weeks ago. It didn't go too well. We made the mistake of trying to feed them solids first when actually what they wanted was a bottle. So next time we will feed them at least half a bottle and then see if they are willing to take a few bites of something else! But it did give us some good pictures. We are going to dress them up later this week when they turn six months (March 15th!) and take many more pictures then.

Here's Jacen giving Alex a squeeze...

Grandma Burkett getting ready to feed the triplets. Note: no mess as of yet! This is our triplet table. We decided that we couldn't stomach cleaning out three high chairs so many times a day. Ew...

Jacen looks a little mystified, and Alex (to his left) has decided this "solids" thing really isn't for him...

Now it's Jacen's turn to learn what this is all about...

No one really likes this experience, least of all Ty (all the way to the left).

This is what Ty has to say about the entire affair. I love this picture and I think it could cheer me up even on the baddest of bad days!!

The horror of attempting solids for the first time stuck with Ty, affecting him even after bath time...

Jacen has started to make a weird grunting sound and will "talk back" to us when we make the same sound! It's adorable. Here, he's learning to make this sound, and he's concentrating very hard...

Happy Valentine's Day--We're 5 Months Old!!

2008-02-11T01:17:00.000-05:00

Well, a whole month has gone by since our last post (sorry--we promise to post more often!!). So much has happened this month. Jody has been teaching at IU for 4 weeks now and is in the middle of revising an article for publication, which always takes up a lot of time! Matt has finished his website and is on the job market. The triplets are doing fantastic--as of Feb. 1, Jacen weighed 14 lbs 11 oz, Ty weighed 13 lbs 13 oz, and Alex weighed 11 lbs 16 oz. Alex and Jacen are both rolling over from front to back and from back to front now.

The triplets want to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day, especially their grandparents! Grandma Burkett gave them 2 jumperoos for Valentine's Day, which Jacen and Ty especially love. They have a certain effect though...they induce sleep after an energetic jumping spree!

Check out these photos!

Here's Jody and Alex...all dressed up for the pediatrician!

Jacen loves his duds...

Ty loves his Dad pillow.

Alex and Ty holding hands...

Jacen in his exersaucer!

Alex in his Rainforest Jumperoo...

All three triplets out cold!

Ty cuddling his giraffe...

Jacen eating his gloworm...

Alex just hanging out in his swing...

And with his doll...

Jacen is worn out from the Rainforest Jumperoo...

Alex asleep in Dad's loving arms...

Ty asleep in his Galloping Fun Jumperoo...

All three triplets busily bouncing away!

We're Four Months Today!

2008-01-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it? Four months already! The time has flown by so fast. The boys have an appointment with our new pediatrician in Indiana on Thursday for a well child visit. We'll get the latest weights then...two weeks ago Jacen weighed 13.7 lbs, Ty weighed 12.7 lbs, and Alex weighed 10.11 lbs.

Who knew that by four months all three boys would be sleeping through the night in their cribs as well as they are? And rolling over? We're two very proud parents!

Howdy from Hoosier-ville!

2008-01-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

We apologize for the long break in updates! On December 15th, we moved from Boston to Bloomington, IN. Of course, the weather that weekend was terrible. Hardly a weekend that made you want to move two cars, three babies, two dogs, and household plants! Packing started on Thursday and spread into Friday due to a blizzard; the movers loaded Friday and Saturday and we hit the road Saturday afternoon. We managed to get to Scranton, PA the first evening and stopped overnight in Clearfield early the next evening because visibility was practically zero. Fortunately, Matt's dad was able to assist with the driving. Nonetheless, it was a long weekend. We reached Bloomington at 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning after a less than stellar detour dreamed up by the $@!& GPS (think 50-60 miles of rural roads).

One big thing happened, however, on the trip--we found out that the boys would sleep through the night if left in their car seats. Jody was so happy to give up the 3:30 a.m. feeding!

When we arrived, we found out that scarcely an appliance worked in the house. That's right...the dishwasher was so beat up that you could barely pull the racks out, let alone put breakables in them, and the washer only washed on hot. There were also broken shelves in the refrigerator. The sad thing is that these appliances were about 5-6 years old. Thank goodness Matt's parents had traveled out to Indiana in early December to clean the house and do some painting. We can't imagine what our reactions to the house would have been had we seen it in the condition in which the former owners had left it.

That said, the layout of the house is wonderful for raising triplets, and new stainless steel appliances make things very liveable. We intend to post pictures on the web after everything is unpacked...triplets make it difficult to spend a lot of time on such activities!

The boys had a great Christmas and New Years, even though they were of course unaware that the true import of those days. We had fun dressing them up in Christmas PJs and posing them with a tiny triplet-sized tree.

We're very lucky that Jody's mom will help take care of the triplets!! She arrived on December 29th to help take care of the boys, and will be staying at least until the Spring. This will help tremendously since Jody steps into the shoes of a law professor and officially enters the classroom on January 14th.

Here are some great pictures that we've taken since the last post...

We finally caught Alex in an act of baby cannibalism--hungry for a bottle, he tried Ty instead.

Ty, however, survived and was able to lounge around on Christmas Eve...

But he wasn't smiling on Christmas Day when he got together for a group photograph with his brothers!

Jacen and Alex also posed in front of the Christmas tree...

And Matt gave all three of the boys (and the two dogs) a big Christmas hug!

Ty likes his swing so much that it's easy to get him to grin while he's rocking away.

Here are all three of them swinging away...

A bath brought out the grins from Alex!

Jacen likes his swing too.

Here's Alex cuddled up on Mom's shoulder...

And Ty in a silly baby carrier...

Ty swaddled like a mummy in his swing...

Jacen tickled at the thought of getting a bottle...

And Ty and Alex saying how much they love dinner time!

Our holiday photo session

2007-12-03T01:16:00.001-05:00

On Sunday afternoon we braved some triplet temper tantrums and got some cute pictures! We integrated three of them into a Christmas card insert through Walgreens' Snapfish site. It actually turned out to be adorable.

Here's some other cute shots...

Alex...

Ty... (note the Christmas wink!)

Jacen... (He's saying "Aw, presents for me? You shouldn't have!")

Of Triplets and Turkeys

2007-11-30T18:06:00.000-05:00

It's been eons since Jody and Matt last posted--chalk it up to the holiday season and the impending move to Bloomington, Indiana, where Jody will begin teaching at Indiana University School of Law in January. The move is scheduled for December 14, and then the five of us will hop in our two cars for the convoy from Boston out to Indiana. Matt will drive the Rav-4 with our dogs, and I'll drive the van. We'll get as far as we can as fast as we can! It will be a zoo--there's no escaping it--and we hope that we have good weather for the drive.

But meanwhile we have been having triple the fun as usual, and have lots of pictures to show for it!

Here's Ty, packaged and wrapped for loving...

Ty wearing his bib as a hat...

And Ty in his bumbo seat...

Jacen sitting in the bumbo...

Alex sitting in the bumbo!

Someone's peeping out from underneath a towel!!

Jacen's eyeing that turkey drumstick on Thanksgiving...

Aunt Lynne gave us 3 pea-in-a-pod costumes...Jacen proudly models one, but looks like he's "bean" martyred...

Matt and Ty hanging out together...

One of the cutest things that happened Thanksgiving weekend was that Alex and Jacen finally discovered each other when they were on the play gym together! They stared into each other's eyes and kicked their legs madly. Quite cute!

Grandma Madeira with Ty.

All three snuggled in the arms of Grandpa, Aunt Beth, and Grandma.

Aunt Beth with the trio...

Grandpa gives all three a squeeze!

Ty in his swing, looking rather bored...

In the Middle of a Triplet Mess!

2007-11-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

We're learning that nothing clutters up a house like triplets! Here's Jody in the middle of the triplet mess, with the three excuses for a messy house:

On the other hand, these guys are seriously cute, and give us many laughs as well as sleeplessness. All three are gaining weight at an incredible rate...we have to take tons of pictures just to keep track of their growth! Here's some of the highlights of the last two weeks!

Jacen has decided he likes to do fish impressions. That's why he's now nicknamed the Big Tuna! Matt and Jody think that this picture looks like that Billy Bass singing fish that was such a disgraceful success about three years back...it's still sold at Cracker Barrel, right next to the eerie assortment of John Deere souvenirs.

The triplets also like to make goofy faces waiting for their bottles...here's Alex, Ty and Jacen hamming it up...Ty is exhibiting some very fat cheeks--the cheeks attempt a takeover of his bib every feeding.

Alex sits in his bouncy seat after supper. He looks like he doesn't have any legs. Those jokes about the men with no arms and no legs come to mind...

We continue to have fun with the boys on their Rainforest play gym every night too!

And finally Saturday night is bath night...these guys need it!

About RSV (Or, Why We Need to Take Out Stock in Purell)...

2007-10-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

Now that Fall is upon us and Winter is right around the corner, it is RSV season. Many friends and family members have asked us what RSV is. So we wanted to post information on what RSV is and how it impacts preemies.

RSV causes respiratory tract infections in patients of all ages. It is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infection during infancy and childhood. In temperate climates like Massachusetts there is an annual epidemic during the winter months. In tropical climates, infection is most common during the rainy season. In the United States, 60% of infants are infected during their first RSV season, and nearly all children will have been infected with the virus by 2-3 years of age. Natural infection with RSV does not induce protective immunity, and thus people can be infected multiple times. Sometimes an infant can become symptomatically infected more than once even within a single RSV season.

It is very, very easy to contract RSV. It is spread by physical contact (such as shaking hands with an infected person) or thru the air (usually from sneezing or coughing). RSV can also live for several hours on surfaces, such as doorknobs, telephones, faucet handles, counters or used tissues, towels, etc. RSV infections are very common in areas where people are crowded together. In homes where there are multiple children, such as us, RSV can spread very rapidly from child to child. And older siblings can even bring the virus home from school or a friend's house.

For most people, RSV produces only mild symptoms, often indistinguishable from common colds and minor illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control consider RSV to be the "most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age." Infants born at less than 36 weeks gestational age are at a significantly elevated risk for severe RSV disease. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, up to 125,000 children are hospitalized with serious RSV disease and some of these children may die from RSV complications. RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for children under 1 year of age. And severe RSV infections may increase the risk of wheezing and asthma-like illness through childhood.

The practical implications of RSV are scary. At best, recuperation takes place at home with 2-hour breathing treatments through a nebulizer. Multiply those breathing treatments times three, and add other difficulties of having sick babies, not to mention the daily schedule that life with triplets brings, and you have a recipe for a long three weeks. But the worst part is that it would take years to repair the damage RSV does to premature lungs, including vulnerability to respiratory infection, likelihood of asthma, and continued reliance on nebulizers and steroids to clear bronchial passageways.

To illustrate, here's how RSV affects lungs (courtesy of the Synagis website). To see the pictures better, double-click on them.

Severe RSV disease is more likely to develop in babies with the following risk factors:

1. Premature birth. In infants born prematurely (ie, more than 4 weeks early), RSV can become a serious respiratory tract infection that requires hospitalization, especially early in life.
2. Being born with lung disease. Babies younger than 2 years old born with chronic lung disease who have needed medical care for it within 6 months before RSV season are at high risk.
3. Being born with heart disease. Babies younger than 2 years old born with serious heart disease may be at high risk.
4. Low birth weight. Low birth weight (less than 5½ pounds) greatly increases the risk of death from RSV.
5. Older brothers and sisters. Babies in contact with school-aged siblings can get RSV, particularly during the cold and flu season.
6. Going to daycare. Babies who go to daycare are at higher risk for getting RSV.3 (Daycare is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] as any setting outside the home where a child regularly spends ≥4 hours/week with ≥2 unrelated children.)
7. Family history of asthma. There is a higher risk for severe RSV in children with a family history of asthma.
8. Tobacco smoke and other air pollutants. You should never allow anyone to smoke around your baby. Tobacco smoke and other air pollutants can irritate your baby’s lungs and make it harder to fight RSV.
9. Multiple births. Multiple births (for example, twins) increase the risk for RSV because of low birth weight and an increased number of young siblings in the household.

Of these factors, we have several--premature birth, a baby with a mild heart condition, family history of asthma, and multiple births, at least. That makes our triplets high-risk. Even though they appear healthy, our boys' lungs are still immature, and so we have to be extra careful.

There are simple steps that we can take. Thus we ask that:

1. Visitors and family members and caregivers wash their hands with warm water and soap before touching the babies.
2. Visitors must be free of cold symptoms for five days and should delay visits if they have been in contact with someone who is sick. It is a must to avoid being around the babies if you have a cold or fever. Even if the babies don't catch anything, we could, which means that either one of us would have to care for the triplets or that the sick parent would have to constantly change clothes and wear masks.
3. Avoid exposing the babies to other children with cold symptoms.
4. Please try to get a flu shot before they run out.

In essence, we're "quarantining" the babies and ourselves as much as possible this RSV season. Unfortunately, that means that we have to miss out on a lot of fun events, and risk angering people who may not understand the seriousness of RSV. We really want to make it through the triplets' first winter without ending up in the hospital. Their lungs have come a long way. But believe it or not, they are still very fragile, at least until they are 2. Then we can all breathe a little easier!

Grumpy Pumpkins and Grandma!

2007-10-28T16:56:00.000-04:00

The boys are doing very well! Everyone's gaining weight and growing like weeds. Jacen (4.7 lbs at birth) weighs 7 lbs 7 oz, Alex (3 lbs 7 oz at birth) weighs 6 lbs 7.5 oz, and Ty (3 lbs 13 oz at birth) weighs 6 lbs 12.5 oz). In fact, Jacen's working on his third chin and Ty and Alex are plumping up their cheeks. Everyone's getting so round that we decided to take a series of grumpy pumpkin pictures. We tried the pumpkin costumes on Alex first...

A sleepy Alex pumpkin...

Ty got stuffed in a pumpkin as well...

The pictures were so cute that we took all three outside on a warm day and planted our own pumpkin patch!

Jody's mom couldn't resist picking two of them (that's all she could hold)...

We also started putting the boys on their play gym mat.

All the boys also got new bibs, courtesy of their Grandma...

The Boys' First Week at Home...

2007-10-17T13:29:00.000-04:00

You might wonder why we haven't updated the blog in about a week...happily, it's because the past week has been as uneventful as a week spent taking care of triplets can be. The boys eat, and sleep...then eat, and sleep, then eat, and sleep...then eat, and sleep...then eat, and sleep...then (you guessed it) eat, and sleep. That's pretty much a triplet day--six cycles of feeding and snoozing. Jacen likes to deviate a bit from that schedule to weedle on Jody or Matt now and then while he's being changed. What a life, huh?

On Saturday the triplets (dirty boys, all of them!) enjoyed their first bath. Afterwards we wrapped them in bathrobes that their Grandma Trisha had gotten them which supposedly are "newborn" sized. We probably could have fit Ty and Alex in each sleeve of the robe. What resulted were cute pictures of babies wrapped in oversize terry robes. Think of the triplets as hapless victims of the shrinking ray on the old Rick Moranis movie "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids"--or think pint-sized Hugh Hefners.

Other than that, the pictures this week are of--yes--the triplets sleeping. We think it's cute how they will curl up together. Alex, who sleeps in the middle, has cuddled up to both Jacen and Ty. How cute!

Here's Ty wrapped up in his robe...

And lounging around on the changing table...

Here's Alex, burrowed in his robe (see how big the sleeves are!)...

Note Alex's spiky blond hair...that definitely comes from the Madeira side!

Here's Jacen in his robe...(he has his lip curled up for some reason...perhaps he's trying to look a bit snooty and spoiled!)

Here's Alex curled up to Jacen...

And Ty curled up to Alex...

And Alex asleep in his boppy...

A strong wind must blow through the nursery to blow off the triplets' hats...either that or they all have miniature geysers on the tops of their heads. This is so odd.

Finally...A Party of 5! (Jacen comes home!)

2007-10-09T21:50:00.000-04:00

At noon on October 9th Matt and Jody made their final trip to the NICU, to pick up Jacen. This time all three boys traveled in style in their triple decker stroller, which caused a lot of stares and comments. People would actually pull out their cell phone and make a phone call to tell someone else that they saw triplets! Matt and Jody know it's just because their boys are so darn cute.

Here's some pictures from the happy event...

Jacen's all ready to go, and bundled into his car seat...

Matt and Jody proudly stand by their trio in the deluxe triple decker (a.k.a. triplet limo...)

Here's Alex, in the front...

Ty in the middle...

And Jacen brings up the rear!

You can tell that all three are so excited to be home...

Reunited!

All Bottled Up and Nowhere to Go

2007-10-08T22:24:00.000-04:00

Tonight Matt and Jody tentatively tried a technique known to triplet parents as "bottle propping," in which you nest each triplet in a boppy pillow (a U-shaped soft pillow) and then give them their bottles, which are then balanced on rolled flannel blankets or some other surface. It was a runaway success. Ty especially loved the boppy pillow and looked extra comfortable. It definitely made the 3:30 a.m. feeding go quickly as well; it cuts the time that each feeding takes down a full half-hour to an hour. That leaves more time to cuddle them afterwards!

Here are pictures from the bottle propping experiment...

The boys belly up to the bar...er, boppy...

Alex waiting to be fed...

Mmmm...efficient and tasty!

Ty contemplating a yummy bottle!

Orc wants his too...

Ty and Alex Come Home!

2007-10-07T23:17:00.000-04:00

This week something exciting happened! Ty came home on Friday, and Alex followed on Sunday!

Ty proved to be an extremely easy baby to take care of, leading Matt and Jody to believe that one is "easy." Alex's addition proves that two are more difficult. Apparently the boys have a competition as to who can unswaddle themselves first. Matt and Jody are splittiing the feeds, so we'll see what Jody thinks after she completes the 3:30 a.m. feeding cycle by herself...

Here are some pictures from this weekend...

Jody gets Ty dressed in his (rather large) coming home outfit (it's newborn sized!)...

Ty says "Oh no! I need to grow to fit into my own clothes!"

Fortunately, however, Ty does fit into his carseat...

And so Matt is able to pick him up and carry him out of the NICU after all! Ty is hiding beneath his blue cap...

Ty gets more alert however when he's home and dressed in something more comfy and is allowed to hang out on his own changing table before the first feeding...

Ty dines in style on the new leather Lazy Boy rocker recliner (Matt and Jody didn't tell him that they bought it for their own comfort!)...

And after Ty gets to relax on his own in a big crib! He looks lonely though.

Fortunately on Sunday Alex gets to join Ty at home. Here's Alex dressed and ready, next to a sleeping Jacen...

Jacen's left on his own until Tuesday morning...

Well, Alex is ready to join Ty at home...Ty (on the right) looks exhausted by the whole affair!

Now when they get home both brothers are snoozing...

Ty is so happy to have Alex home he just can't stay away and keeps breaking out of his swaddling to cuddle with (and bat at) Alex!

October is here!

2007-10-05T15:01:00.000-04:00

This week the boys continued to grow and gain weight. All three were put on a four-hour feeding schedule and spent the week adjusting to that.

Jody brought in clothes from home for the boys, and they were styling in their new duds!

A mellow Ty decked out with alligators...

Alex says "I will eat my sleeve!"

But he looks as cuddly as a teddy bear...

Jacen finds his rainbow stripes way too exciting and lets loose with a huge yawn...clearly not much of a fashion mavin, is he?

Also, two of the triplets had baths with Matt and Jody. Matt scrubbed Ty first...

Ty says, "I'm not sure I want to go in there..."

Matt scrubs Ty...

Ty relaxes during the bath...

Jody gets ready to soap up Alex...

Everyone poses for the camera!

The Madeira Triplets--Life from 34 to 35 Weeks Old

2007-10-01T09:48:00.001-04:00

After an action-packed first week of life in which the Madeira triplets greeted the world, bottled feedings, were transferred to the step-down NICU in the Brigham and ultimately to another hospital closer to home, this second week was a welcome respite! It's tough being a premie these days! Of course it's tough being a NICU parent too, which is why Matt and Jody didn't have time to update the blog much of last week. What with traveling in to see the boys and putting the final touches on the nursery, things were hopping. It helped, however, that Jody was able to start driving again on Tuesday, September 24, which allowed her to go in to see the boys more often during the day.

And just what were the boys doing this week? They were focused on gaining weight and on getting even bigger on feedings. Highlights from this week included being moved into a single crib, getting double chins and getting feeding tubes taken out. Ty is still the slowest bottler of the three--but he vows to get better!

Matt giving Alex a bottle, Sept. 23

Matt feeding Ty...

All three are reunited in an open crib on Monday, Sept. 24...that's Jacen on the left, Alex in the middle and Ty on the right...

Jody's proud of her sons...

Matt figured he better put a swing or two together after seeing how well the boys were doing!

Some silly photos were taken this week too. Here's Jody getting love from Ty (right) and Alex (left)...

Alex has a death grip on Matt...

Give me a bottle...or else!

It's unclear here whether Ty is trying to lead a revolution (power to the premies?) or whether he's happy about finishing his own bottle at a speedy pace for once...talk about "Formula" One racing :D

The boys also drew some curious cousins up from Pennsylvania--Matt's cousins Jenny, Cary and Kavala came to visit over the weekend! Here's Cary and Jenny with the boys...

And Kavala...

Here's the triplets in their crib again at 35 weeks old, Sept. 29...

And individual mug shots! Alex...

Ty...

and Jacen...

Sunday, Sept. 23--The Triplets are Transferred to Another Closer Level 2 NICU

2007-09-24T11:14:00.001-04:00

The boys had their first car ride this morning--each was taken by ambulance from the Brigham to Winchester hospital, which is much closer to us and out of the way of city traffic. The boys now occupy the back right corner of the Winchester Special Care nursery. They all arrived and were settled in by noon. We visited them at 1 p.m., and they all hung out as a family until the evening. It's much quieter here, and even more private than the Level 2 room in the Brigham.

Here's the Special Care Nursery...

Jacen not only moved into new digs at Winchester, but he also got to leave behind his isolette for an open crib because he can maintain his body temperature without it! So this is his first "big boy bed"...you can see how happy he is to be one step closer to going home!

We also gave all three boys little birthday presents that had been given to them by another triplet mom...cute and very soft blankets shaped like a tiger, ducky, and froggy. The boys really received these new presents enthusiastically by continuing to slumber away in their beds.

Here's Alex with his ducky...

And Jacen with his froggy...

And Ty with his Tyger, of course!

And here are some other photos of the Madeira five-some hanging out together...

Matt holding Alex...

Alex taking a bottle...mmm, good!

Jody with Ty...

Matt with a very burrowed Ty burrito...

We're in NICU Level 2! Thursday-Saturday September 20-22, Days 6-7

2007-09-24T10:44:00.001-04:00

Before Jody went home on Wednesday, the triplets got moved into much quieter accommodations in one of the two NICU Level 2 rooms. Now they're all together along one wall, and there's much more space and privacy to walk around and enjoy all three babies. Jody stayed the night overnight in the parent room from Thursday to Friday to be with the three little wee fiends, and it was a wonderful experience to wake up and have the triplets so close.

On Saturday, the triplets turned 34 weeks--their first birthday!

Here are some pictures from the triplets' stay in the NICU Level 2...

The boys' new home along with wall of NICU 2

Matt kangarooing Ty (left) and Jacen (right) on Friday, Day 6

Jody and Matt with Alex, on Saturday--34 weeks!

Alex winking on Saturday--34 weekers can really start to do lots of cool things!

Jody with Jacen on Saturday

Matt with Alex on Saturday

Tuesday 9/18, Day 4

2007-09-20T10:51:00.000-04:00

Today was a busy day; Jody was up and about a lot more and is able to do quite a bit more now. In fact, when she and Matt came down to feed the triplets and do kangaroo care in the evening, she was able to change a diaper of her own. However this one didn't go as smoothly; Ty was ready for her and made sure to pee and poo during the diaper change to make things extra difficult. Needless to say, everything was messy and wet, and Jody was holding her belly because laughing hurt so much! Jody should follow Matt's example a lot more often.

Jody got her revenge though. Later that evening she crept down at midnight to help feed and to bathe Ty. Ty liked having his hair shampooed, but didn't appreciate Jody's efforts to get the rest of him clean. He certainly protested effectvely with his lungs. But Jody won and with the nurse's help Ty got clean.

Wednesday 9/19, Day 5--Jody Goes Home

2007-09-19T10:57:00.000-04:00

Jody went home from the hospital today--the first time in 11 weeks that she had seen something other than the walls of her bedroom at home or the hospital. Matt came in and spent the afternoon with her and the babes. The boys were all taken from the intensive care NICU room to the intermediate room and are now enjoying their own (much more private and much quieter) quarters along one wall.

Then Matt made Jody's day by taking her to the mall for her first outing in 11 weeks. They ate at the Cheesecake Factory and then got Jody's hair cut and did some other shopping. It was so good to get home, but Jody misses her kids and can't wait to see them again.

Monday 9/17, Day 3--We Accept Bottles and Love to Cuddle!

2007-09-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

Today was just amazing. All the boys are getting fed by bottle instead of by feeding tube! Matt and Jody got to feed and then burp them, and then did kangaroo care--a special time where the baby is placed on the parent to get skin-to-skin contact. We just couldn't ask for anything better in life right now!

Alex in his shirt, looking (according to Matt) like a little Jedi...

Jody feeds Alex a bottle for the first time...

Good 'til the last drop!

Kangaroo care on Jody with Alex and Ty

But under the blanket Ty takes out secret aggressions on his brother, who was after all on the bottom for 8 months...old habits die hard, we guess.

Who likes this more--Matt or Jacen?

Mmmm, says Jacen!

Pictures from Sunday 9/16, Day 2

2007-09-16T22:03:00.000-04:00

Jayce and Ty are off C-pap, so we can see their cute little faces! Also, all three were getting feedings of preemie formula; Jayce got 7 cc's and Ty and Alex got just over 5 cc's apiece. These guys are little troopers! Ty and Alex were sacked out in their isolettes and we didn't want to disturb them, so we spent most of our time with Jayce, who was more interactive.

Visiting Jayce...

Ty

Alex

Matt changing Jayce's Diaper!

We're Here! Pictures from Saturday 9/15, Day 1

2007-09-16T21:50:00.001-04:00

The proud dad!

The proud mom!

Alex!

Jayce!

Jayce again!

Ty!

Jayce!

Ty!

Mom and Dad with Alex!

Jayce on C-pap, breathing room air...

Ty on C-pap, breathing room air...