all is well...almost

So, they survived their immunizations with no issues this round, thank God.  A bit of whining and fevers, but no major side effects...so we will continue with round two in a few weeks...or maybe in January after the holidays just to get us through the craziness of late November and December.  We got their 9 month photos back and they were adorable. They did really well at the photo place again, those Kiddie Candid people at BabiesRus are a life saver. Anyone who can get triplets in and out with smiles in the pictures in 45 minutes is my hero.  Mikey did not feel very cooperative but in the end we got a pretty good photo or two of him. He doesn't do well with loud squeaks or hooting and of course the photo lady was squeaking toys and making loud noises to get them to look. He had his sad little lip out and he was not pleased. Eventually we just took him out of the room, got photos of Zach and Konrad and then brought Mikey back in and used different sounds for him. This seemed to work. I don't know why he gets so spooked by some noises, but he does. Organ music, squeaking, and loud high pitched sounds he just cannot tolerate, he cries immediately and looks at you so accusingly like you did it just to traumatize him...poor baby.  We just have to work around it, the world is full of noises....but of course we don't get out much so maybe that's why.  

I feel quite accomplished, we got the Christmas cards ordered and I have briefly started Christmas shopping. I don't really know how much we are going to buy them...they need new carseats, boring but true...and after that expense there really isn't much left for fun stuff. Plus, let's be honest, they are going to be 10 months old and their birthdays are a month away from Christmas...how much stuff do they really need....I am cheap these days...or poor these days...we are definitely having a low budget holiday...but really our house is already exploding baby stuff and I know that other people will buy them some of the older baby toys and fun things that they need in the next stages and so I don't want to over do it.  I do want them to have things like blocks and push walkers and stand tables and all of those types of things, but if we don't get them then I will buy them later.   I am thinking of getting them some baby sign language videos or some other baby einstein videos...we have a few but they are getting a little tired of them I think. I usually put them on once a day in desperation for 15 minutes of self time and it has always worked in the past but lately they are getting distracted more quickly.  I think they just want to crawl...in some ways I wish they would but in others...well its okay that they are immobilized still.  

They are getting so very observant of each other and of the adults around them. They are very, very aware of any disparities in attention. This morning, Mike and Zach started fake crying and whining when Konrad whined and successfully got picked up...I looked over at them and smiled and talked to them and they immediately started hooted and laughing like they knew that they had gotten my attention and they knew that their plan worked. I am definitely out numbered and I feel it more and more these days but in new ways. When they all see a bowl of food or a bottle come out, they know that someone is getting it and they all start jumping or crying or yelling to be the one, even if they were perfectly content before they saw the food. If I walk in a room full of perfectly happy babies and pay more attention to one then the others, like get down on the floor to play with whoever is there, then the other two go berserk and start crying and yelling and whining until I turn and pay attention to them too. It is most obvious when Mike gets home. He walks in the door and they all smile and jump up and down and run over to him in their walkers, but when he walks by to put his coat down or leaves the room without picking them up, then they all cry and act so insulted, Zach especially, he is definitely Daddy's boy. 

I don't know. I guess in some ways it is good because they can't really get spoiled, but in other ways it makes me sad because they have to share everything, including their parents and they have to vie for attention all the time...it is definitely the squeaky wheel dynamic in our house. I try to be fair and pay attention to who is getting what and when so that things are equitable but sometimes it just isn't possible. If one is crying, he gets fed first or picked up faster, that's just life here. 

Michael- 9 months!

Konrad- 9 months!

Zachary- 9 months!