Happy Birthday Babies!

I can't believe it has been a year since I gave birth to three beautiful babies. It seems like just yesterday I was staring at the four walls of my hospital bed, day after day, waiting for them to get here and hoping and praying they would all be okay. This year has been amazing, full of ups and downs as we cherish every minute with our survivors and grieve the loss of our angel Hadley. Here are a pictures of the babies one year ago today...

Baby A- McKenna 2lbs. 10 oz. at birth





Baby B- Parker 1lb. 14oz. at birth





Baby C- Hadley 2lbs. 5 oz. at birth, always our angel





Happy Birthday babies, we love you SO much!!!

Party!!

Yesterday we celebrated the babies' first birthday. Because we are about to begin RSV season (I will post all about that soon) we had an early party and just invited a few friends and family over. The kids were a little overwhelmed by all the activity so not their usual selves but looked REALLY cute in their birthday outfits. They received great gifts from everyone and are having a blast playing with everything today.

Parker playing with his friend Dylan and cousin Gracie.

Having fun with their new toy from Nana and Papa

Opening presents with Mommy and Daddy

Trying to get big sister to sit with us for a family picture

Someone hated her party hat...

and their cupcakes frosted with applesauce weren't a big hit either!

Basketball

Ashlyn is almost a month into her basketball season and I am WAY behind on posting pictures of her game. They didn't come out very well so I'm hoping to get some better ones at the next game. She is doing a great job, all of the people, the noise of the gym and playing a new sport can be very overwhelming but she is hanging in there and doing so well. As always, I'm so proud of her and in awe of how far she has come.

No sitting still around here

Well our house is very busy these days. The babies have crawling down to a science. They will crawl on carpet, wood, tile, anything and fast. And now that crawling is getting to be old news they are pulling themselves up to stand on everything. It is amazing to watch how fast they are changing now. I am so lucky to be able to stay home with them each day.
Ashlyn has started her basketball season too so we are running around to practices and games each day. As soon as I have the pictures from her first game I will post them, I'm so proud of her I could have cried through the whole game!


Coordinating outfits... Mom loves to do this to us!


In case you are wondering what Parker is chewing on that would be the childproofing device we put on the cupboard doors that you see next to him. Apparently I hadn't tightened it enough so he came by and decided it would be put to better use as a teether.


The only way to keep them out of trouble!

Playtime at the Watson's

I finally got a video to load on our blog so now you can see the kids in action. All they want to do these days is pull themselves up on everything. I'm sure I'm biased but they are just so cute!

And they're off!

Well now everyone is crawling, Parker just started and he is very fast. McKenna takes her time and will crawl a little here and there but not Parker, he is off and running, or crawling, constantly. He has also learned to open all of the cupboards and the oven from his walker. We are doing some major baby-proofing this weekend! AND, last but not least... Ashlyn made the basketball team! She is now on the Oakview Middle School 7th grade team and we are so proud of her. I'm not allowed to post more pictures of her though because I was told, "Mommmm, I am a teenager."

Watch out! (notice all of the toys he has left in his dust)

Standing in Parker's crib, their other new talent.

First day of school

I am a little late in posting our first day of school pics but I don't have much down time around here for some reason :) Ashlyn was so excited to start 7th grade and is adjusting really well. She has come so far, years ago I never dreamed she would be able to attend a typical middle school and enjoy all of the usual ups and downs of life as a teenager. She is one tough, confident, smart girl. I am so proud of her. Keep your fingers crossed for us, she is trying out for basketball this week!

Of course, now that Ashlyn is back to school the babies and I are on our own again. I definitely miss the extra set of hands but they are keeping me entertained as always.

Playing in their new favorite spot

All clean... and happy!

Fun in the sun

We spent Labor Day enjoying the lake. Parker LOVED the water and McKenna spent her time playing in the shade with Mommy.

Testing out the water with Daddy

The two handsome guys

Parker swimming in the lake, he loved the waves. The wilder the better!

McKenna in her bathing suit just for show... she wanted nothing to do with the water!

The weekend

We are having lots of fun enjoying a long weekend with Daddy home. Big sister Ashlyn is hiking up north so we are just hanging out at home. Parker has acquired a new goofy habit, he has this little smile that he keeps on his face all the time. It looks very fake and we can't help but wonder if he is just humoring us in our attempts make him laugh. McKenna is still working on her crawling skills. She does great on the carpet but freezes when she hits the wood floor. She is trying a new move that looks like a push up but hasn't figured out that it doesn't get her anywhere yet.

Thinking about crawling on the wood floor


Showing off his new silly smile

We have a crawler

McKenna started crawling this weekend! She's been trying for ages and she finally has it. So far she is only crawling towards trouble though... plugs, cable cords, anything dangerous and she is on her way. Parker is trying so hard so he shouldn't be far behind.

Ashlyn and the kids in their new favorite toys... walkers!

The last 10 months...

1 month


2 months


3 months


4 months


5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

Getting the blog going again

I haven't posted in ages but thought we would start keeping up our blog again. Parker and McKenna are growing so fast, they were 10 months on the 9th (7 months adjusted). I will post pictures soon!

Jessica

The birth update

On October 9th, McKenna, Parker, and Hadley (in order of appearance) were born. All were doing well and then suddenly, on October 11th, we lost Hadley. Please, please continue to hold the strong, beautiful little Watson family in your prayers. We are grateful for all your thoughts and ask that you give Jessica and Mark their privacy right now.
Carol

And now...a birthday!!!

McKenna Karen, Parker Murphy, and Hadley Jane (in order of arrival) were born late Tuesday night. All are doing well despite their tiny sizes, it is like looking at a miracle x three. The first time father is running back and forth from NICU to his wife and holding up like a champion. Jessica is improving and got to touch her little ones this morning. I have never been so proud of her in my life. Bruce and I are overwhelmed with the love, prayers, and support.

27 weeks today

Today is 27 weeks, just a week away from our next big goal of 28. Our growth scan was today and the girls are 1 lb 15 oz each followed by their brother who is 1 lb 10 oz. They all showed great lung development, heart function and blood flow so things with the babies are going as good as they could be.

I'm posting a tummy picture after many requests. I am growing by the day at this point, I can't believe I can grow this quickly and that there is still room for more!

Thanks as always for your prayers and well wishes,

Jessica

26 week update

26 weeks yesterday and the babies are still doing great! We've been in the hospital for 6 weeks now. I don't think anyone thought we would get this far when I was admitted. The babies are growing and growing and growing. As big as I am starting to get, it is so encouraging to watch my stomach expand and to know that they are getting stronger everyday and will be here before we know it.
As always, everyone in the family has been so supportive, helping with Ashlyn everyday. She is hanging in there and had been handling all of this so well. Mark is doing great too. He is so supportive and gets me through all of the emotional ups and downs of being in the hospital.... dealing with 3 criers should be no problem for him after this. He is working on the nursery now while I shop online to stock up on the last of things we need. I think our house has become a daily UPS stop :)

Thanks for all of your support and prayers,

Jessica and the babies

Everyone's growing!

We had our 25 week growth scan today and everyone is doing great. All babies have normal heartrates, lung function and are growing perfectly. Baby boy A is 1 lb 4 oz, baby girl B is 1 lb 7 oz and baby girl C is 1 lb 8 oz. All of the doctors are very happy will how well they are progressing and are amazed that all three babies are doing so well. Things are getting pretty squished in there though, watching them through ultrasound now, you can see them kicking and swinging their arms at each other trying to find a little room. I can't believe they have so much longer to go. No wonder why I have so many contractions, they are probably dying to get out!

Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. These babies are certainly blessed with wonderful friends and family!

Jessica

24 weeks and counting

We have finally made it to 24 weeks. When I was admitted four weeks ago we weren't sure we would get to this point (and it seemed so far away!) but we have. Getting this far will give our little ones a much better chance and everyday from here on out is just one more day for them to grow and get stronger.

Thanks so much to everyone for their prayers, support and help. We couldn't do it without you.

Love,

Mark, Jessica, Ashlyn and the babies

Nana's Prayers

Ashlyn, Bruce & I just left the hospital after visiting Jessica, Mark, and the tiny little Watson Three. Jessica's spirit and sense of humor are nothing short of remarkable. Mark hovers protectively every day, and Ashlyn...she misses her mom but we are keeping her busy, or she is keeping us busy.
Over three weeks in the hospital and I am convinced that all our wonderful, wonderful friends and relatives prayers, as well as some special intervention from Grandpa Riney in heaven, are keeping the babies where they need to be. The triplets are in for quite a life with such great parents and a host of relatives, all just waiting and praying...thanks to all of you!!