Developmental Update

Sorry, some of the pictures are blurry and filled with food and messy babies but these are the only new ones I had. About 2 weeks ago we took the babies to their developmental pedi check-up. Because they were born so early their development is still closely monitored. Babies born at 30 weeks and 6 days like ours are looked at according to their adjusted age (when they SHOULD have been born) rather than their actual age. So even though they were just over 10 months we took them in, they tested them to make sure developmentally they were equivalent to an 8 month old.

We get a several page report for each baby which I'm still waiting on so I don't have the exact details from this 2.5 hour appointment but they looked at their fine motor, gross motor, social skills and physical development. One by one they tested each baby on things like if they put a red block in a shiny cup and shook it around, could they get the block out of the cup or would they be too interested in the shiny distracting cup. Or if they showed them how to pull a ring around on the table with a string would they also pull the string around or go straight for the ring. A few of the tests involved small object for which they used Fruit Loops. About halfway through I realized the babies were eating the Fruit Loops which freaked me out a little bit because they hadn't had any wheat yet but they did fine, no reactions. They L-O-V-E blue Fruit Loops.

Toward the end they were asking me questions like, "Does Beckett go from a sitting position to this hands and knees or belly?" I was like, "I don't think so unless one of his sisters kick him over." So he didn't get any points on that question. Later that day I saw him do just that. I could do much better at giving correct answers if I knew what they were going to ask ahead of time.

It is sad to say but I probably don't notice that kind of stuff as much as if I had only one. I'm thrilled when they are all happy and content playing. I used to tell the physical therapist that I don't have the luxury of purposefully doing things to make them cry and mad like putting them on their bellies all the time or letting them get frustrated reaching for toys. They will develop at their own pace and if it is a little behind but we have more peace in our house, I'm fine with that.
Turns out, they all tested at or above their adjusted age which was 8 months. Well, Eloise tested at 7 months and 3 weeks for fine motor. She couldn't, or wouldn't get the red block out of the shiny cup. She likes sparkle things and the cup was too distracting. She just kept trying to drink out of it. At this point given their rough start, I'm thrilled that they are developmentally where they are expected to be. The other good news is that Beckett has been officially released from physical therapy. They thought he looked great and his muscle tone and trunk/head control is markedly improved so no more PT for him. Addy tested at 10.5 months which was just above her actual age. The really good and bad part about that is the other two watch, imitate and learn from her.

Let's get to the good stuff.

Mr. Beckett

16 lbs, 5 oz, 6 teeth, crawling, follows Addy around imitating and fighting with her, likes to break dance (spins himself in circles on the floor by pushing with one leg), likes the pacifier, screams and cries when getting dressed, prefers to be naked, says Mama and Dada and pretty much talks non-stop, favorite toys are ones that have wheels or make A LOT of noise, kicks everything, very particular about food textures and if it was up to him would only eat yogurt, rice crackers and gingersnaps and the newest thing is collecting and hiding food behind him in his chair when he is done eating.

Eloise

15 lbs, 5 oz, 2 teeth, rolling, rocking on all fours and pushing herself backwards on her belly, very content to play with toys and not be bothered by the other two hooligans, likes her naps and food at the same time everyday- almost to the minute, says Mama and Dada, screams and shrieks when she is happy, pretty much gets pulverized on a daily basis by the other two knocking her over and stealing her toys, loves to eat and will eat anything, when she smiles it just melts your heart and when she cries it makes you come running and she has just started to really try to talk and engage her siblings- she fed Addy her cracker the other day. Hands down favorite toy is the riding lion.
No joke, she raises her hand up and hits the lion as if to say, "Giddy-up!"


What did I tell you she is happy to just sit most of the time. She is sitting on the lion petting his mane.

Addy

16 lbs, 4 oz, 2 TEETH!, crawling, pulling up, cruising along furniture, has stood up by herself by accident, fearless, constant bruises on her head from falling down, knows how to get from standing to sitting, can see an object from across the room and makes a beeline for it all the while shrieking and grunting and tossing toys out of way as she moves across the room toward the desired object. If the object is Beckett's pacifier, he usually gets scared and cries as she gets near. She hates to nap and there are days I can only get her to nap a total of 1 hour 20 minutes, has a difficult time comforting herself so we still pat her back to get to sleep, doesn't like formula or her bottle very much, loves tofu, says Mama and Dada, loves to spit and be a bad influence on the other two and by far is the biggest toy stealer. Favorite toy is anything that is out of her reach.

I took Addy to a pediatric opthamologist specializing in oculoplasty, or reconstructive eye surgery, for a second opinion on her hemangioma. He thinks there is some medication that will shrink it but we need to be followed by a cardiologist and at this point Rich and I are still trying to figure out if the benefit outweighs the risk at this age. I was given the name of a pediatric cardiologist to follow-up with but I'm going to get another opinion by the cardiologist that did the heart echoes on the babies in utero and in the NICU. It is a hard decision at this age. Although they are 3 individuals, it is really hard not to compare them, especially for people who see them for the first time. At what point will she start to notice that people always ask how she bumped her head?