Holidays 2010

Can't believe its New Year's Eve! So much time has gone by now. The girls will be 18 months on January 10! They are doing so great and growing so much! We have had a wonderful holiday season this year.

The girls went trick or treating for Halloween this year! They did just a few houses but they did great! Madi was a puppy dog, Sydney was a monkey and Caelyn was a lion. Too cute for words! Next year they will be in full swing Im sure and really get into it!


For Thanksgiving, we had Joe's parents, John and his kids and our older girls for dinner. Great times as usual! Grandma and Papa Holmes came for the weekend after Thanksgiving and we had a really great visit. The girls were in true form and were showing off all their latest talents. They are talking up a storm now, lots of words and make animal noises too. We got them to Gobble Gobble for Thanksgiving and started getting them to say Ho Ho Ho! By Christmas they were pros!

For Christmas we had Joe's family over for the annual Kris Kringle on Dec. 18th and had a fabulous time. The girls were very social of course and loved all the paper, lights and ornaments.

We celebrated Christmas with Aly, Hannah and Miranda on Christmas Eve and opened gifts with the babies. These little ones aren't so much babies anymore! They got baby dolls, barbies, a play grocery cart and food set, and a tent with a tunnel that they can crawl through and have a ton of fun! After all that, they loved the paper more than anything!

On Dec. 26th, we had a 50th Birthday party for Daddy (Joe) at the Fenton Hotel. We had about 45 family and friends attend and we all had a really great time celebrating this wonderful milestone for Joe. The girls were the life of the party and had a great time!

Below is a summary of how the girls are doing on their growth and development. This is for their 15 month check up. It will be really interesting to see how much they have grown when they go back in a few weeks for their 18 month.

Madison - height 33 inches, weight 24 lbs., 7 oz
Sydney - height 29 1/2 inches, weight 20 lbs..
Caelyn - height 31 1/2 inches, weight 21 lbs., 6 oz.

Hope everyone has had a great holiday season. Happy New Year to you all!

Happy 1st Birthday Madison, Sydney and Caelyn!

On July 10, the girls had their 1st birthday party and celebrated being the healthiest triplets ever! We had a joint open house for Miranda's graduation and the babies birthday celebration. We had about 75 to 80 people come through and it was great! The weather was sunny and 90 degrees!

Everyone got lots of gifts and it was really nice seeing everyone that came to celebrate with us. The girls enjoyed their cupcakes, although it was their nap time when we did it and they got cranky and cried through part of it. Syd, though, was a trooper and kept her bday hat on the whole time and ate all her cake! Afterwards, we gave them baths outside because they were a big chocolate mess!

On July 15th, we took them for their 1 year checkup and the doctor said they were the healthiest triplets she had ever seen in their office. Yeah girls!!! Here's the breakdown:

Madison - 22lbs, and 30 1/2 inches tall

Sydney - 17 lbs, 6 oz, and 28 1/2 inches tall

Caelyn - 19 lbs, 6 oz and 30 inches tall

Over the birthday weekend, Sydney made her walking debut and she hasn't stopped walking since! Sooo....we have three little walkers and Madi and KK even run sometimes (usually trying to get away from me when Im trying to get them!) Madi has 4 bottom chompers and one on top, KK has two bottom teeth and Sydney is getting her first tooth on the top! They eat nothing but table food now and we are starting to wean them off the bottle, using half whole milk and half formula. So far so good! Bella is the best fed person in the family, permanently planting herself under the highchairs so she can get every little morsel the girls decide to drop. I think KK even purposely drops food so she can watch Bella eat!

Where has the time gone?

On Thursday, June 10, the girls turned 11 months. It was then I realized I have one month until they are one and I haven't update this blog for 3 months! Things have been so busy I could just never find the time! So I decided I needed to get their 9 month info up before they go for their one year appt and have a big birthday blow out! :)

First, the stats and a pic. This is from Easter :)

At 9 months, the girls are right on track and growing like a weed.

Here's the breakdown:

Madison, 19 lbs, 6 oz, 28 1/2 inches

Sydney, 15 lbs, 7 oz, 27 inches

Caelyn, 16 lbs, 8 oz, 28 inches

I can't even imagine where they will be at one year. Madison is in 12 to 18 months clothes now and has been walking for a couple of weeks now. Every week she walks longer distance. Its wild to watch. She has two teeth and living up to her name (Chompers!)

Caelyn of course can't let anyone else have all the attention so she has picked up standing and taking some steps too. Im sure she wont be far behind Madison, its a guarantee!

Syndey is just now taking a step or two. She is the big talker. Her favorite word now is Bop! She also says momma and dada and baba like the other girls. She is our little lover, loves to give lots of kisses to everyone, including Bella and her little sisters. We call her lovey or turkey or Syd Lou Whoo :)

Caelyn (KK) is a daddy's girl and says dada the most. She hangs to him like glue and is always looking for his attention. She is quite the drama queen and a little manipulator already.

The girls have already gone swimming in their baby pool and really enjoy it. They also have been taking walks in their stroller a lot and really like outdoors. Will be nice when they can run around in the grass and let off steam. Of course we will be getting our exercise too keeping track of them!

We are looking forward to their big birthday party on July 10. Miranda will be having her open house for graduation that day too. Should be a blast and is quite an accomplishment for everyone!

Spring 2010 is almost here!!

The girls are 8 months now and boy has a lot changed! They are all crawling, sitting in high chairs and eating baby food! It is non-stop with them and we can't leave them for a minute! Madison crawls the fastest, she would go all around the house if we let her. They all LOVE Bella. Ive never seen them smile and squeal so much as when Bella is around. It is so cute!

We took them for the first outing to Babies R Us last weekend. Laura, Aly and I took them and they did so good! We didn't get too many stares, I think it was good we were in a baby store. People were occupied with their own babies to notice we had three! They are all saying words now, mainly baba and dada (of course!). We keep trying to get them to say mama but we have only heard it a few times, usually when they are hungry or super tired.

We are ready for spring around here. It was in the 60s this week and most of the snow has melted...finally! Im looking forward to walking the babies around the property in their stroller and just not having to wear a winter coat for awhile!

Next month is their 9 month check up. I bet Madison is well over 20 pounds now. Caelyn is probably 17 or so and Sydney is still a peanut, Im betting maybe 16. We shall see! Will update in a few weeks. Love to all!

6 month update

On January 10th, the babies were 6 months old. It is so hard to believe that it has been 6 months already! They are getting so big and taking on their own little personalities. It is so adorable! We took them to the doctor for their 6 month visit and here is how they stacked up:

Madison - 16lb 7 oz and 27 inches

Sydney - 13 lb 11 oz and 26 inches

Caelyn - 14 lb 3 oz and 26 inches

They have been eating cereal for awhile now and are almost done with trying all the veggies. Next week they are on to fruits! They like carrots and sweet potatoes the best I think but they eat it all!

The babies spend a lot of time playing with toys on their blanket now. Madison is getting close to crawling and sits with support of her hand. Caelyn is on all 4s but goes backwards, she hasn't figured out how to go forward yet. But, she moves around a lot and just loves her binky and anyone elses around her. She has mastered putting it in her mouth herself, which is great because she loves having it in her mouth pretty much all the time! Sydney is happy playing on her stomach or on her back. She hasn't show much signs of crawling but she is the talker of the group! The girls tell me she said boot a couple weeks ago and she has started saying baba already! Not sure she knows what she is saying yet but thats ok!

We have started to take them out more now that they are older. Not to malls or anything crazy like that but we are going to get them exposure to the world. Joe and Miranda took Caelyn on her first adventure alone to Costco. She loved it and was a perfect angel for them.

Life is good. Busy but good. Pretty soon they will be eating cheerios, drinking from a sippy cup and walking. Hopefully not too soon though, we like having them babies :) Thats it for now. Love to all!

Christmas 2009 (30 photos), by Gina Bono

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
Click here to view photos

Christmas 2009

The parties of 2009 have begun. This week had a team party at my house and then had the Bono Kris Kringle on Saturday. We had 34 people in attendance! The girls had their first big Bono gathering and they did really well! We put on their Christmas outfits, with their little hats, and it didn't even bother them! Sooo cute! I had to fight off a few aunts and cousins that tried to sneak a baby home with them! :)

Today I was getting the girls ready for their first baba, they were hanging out in the boppies and all of a sudden I looked over and Madi was sitting up! Oh my! She's been showing signs of crawling too and is getting rosy cheeks. Apparently that is a sign of teething. Oh my, we aren't ready for them to grow up so fast!

Looking forward to Christmas and some time off to hang with the babies. Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanksgiving

The girls are continuing to get bigger by the minute now. Both Madison and Caelyn are flipping over from back to tummy now and are showing signs of crawling. Can't believe in about a month or so they will be sitting up and starting to crawl. Next week they will be 5 months!!

Below are the latest pics of the little and big girls. Thanks Laura for the adorable Thanksgiving shirts!!

http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2639358008/a=54985411_54985411/

Four month update

Its been a loooong time since we have posted and Im feeling guilty! There is so much to report, I don't know where to begin. But, Ive decided I need to be a good mom and keep this blog updated for our little darlings so that someday they can see all their great progress!

First of all, Ive been back to work for about 6 weeks now and its going pretty good. We have a nanny, Sami, and she is working out great. She is here 4 days a week with Joe. Grammie and Papa Joe are here on Wednesdays. We have always had a lot of help from the big sisters or family to watch the girls and it has been great! Joe and I have gone on one date night so far but Im thinking we need another real soon!

On November 10 the girls were 4 months!! They are doing so well, the doctor was so happy with their growth. Here is the low down:

Madison weighs 13 lbs, 13 oz and is 24 1/4 inches

Sydney weighs 11 lbs, 12 oz and is 22 1/2 inches

Caelyn weighs 11 lbs, 12 oz and is 23 1/2 inches

At 3 months, Madison was 10 lbs and Sydney and Caelyn were 9 lbs. At birth, Caelyn and Sydney were both 4.5 lbs. They have stayed exactly the same weight as each other since birth. Very interesting!

Since about 6 weeks they have been sleeping through the night about 9 to 10 hrs a night. We give them a baba at 9 pm, down by 10 pm and they wake up the next day around 6:30 or 7. Just like clockwork! Its amazing and I know all of you think we give them something but we dont!

They all have their little personalities too. Madison is a smiler and she is the chugger! She drinks every drop of her bottle, every single time! She drinks like she hasnt eaten all day. Very cute. Sydney is our little peanut. She started talking first and tells us stories all the time. She still yelps when she wants something and really is the one that cries hardest if she is hungry and can't wait anymore. Caelyn is true to her middle name, Joy. She is happy go lucky and very laid back. And, she smiles ALL the time. Its so adorable. She does it kind of in a shy flirty way. She also does motorboat very well and has a wet shirt most of the time with all her drool. She is teaching Sydney how to do it, but Sydney has not quite perfected as of yet.

All of them are doing great at tummy time and have flipped from their stomach to back. Im just waiting for them to take off and start crawling! It wont be long now. We must baby proof the house soon!

We had our first family photo shoot a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. Below are some pics and also a link to some shots we took for Halloween. Enjoy! I promise to stay current from now on with how they are doing. Check back often! Love to all.

http://www5.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2375041008/a=54985411_54985411/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

album 07/24/09 (75 photos), by Joe Bono

Enjoy our first set of photos of the girls!

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
http://www2.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=753241248479697541/l=2611687014/g=127584851/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=1760995014/a=127584851_127584851/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=75%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Homecoming

On Tuesday July 14th; Gina and all 3 of the triplets (Madison Grace, Sydney Faith, and Caelyn Joy) came home from the hospital.

We are very thankful to God for an amazingly smooth delivery and excellent health of Mom & babies. The staff at the hospital are all very amazed at how well everything went. For triplets this was the best possible outcome. Healthy babies and Mom, and all coming home together after just a short stay.

After a very slow and delibrate drive home, :) ( no I didn't put the flashers on)... we got setled in nicely. The babies are sooooooo good. they are very content and feeding very well. they are alert and happy, and don't even fuss a bit. They are such a delight....We are very happy. Here are some photo's of the homecoming.

Joe

3 beautiful baby girls!

On 7/10/09 at 10:40 AM we witnessed the arrival of 3 miracles..... In the order they arrived Introducing a) Madison Grace (5 lbs 8 oz) b) Sydney Faith ( 4 lbs 5 oz) , and c) Caelyn Joy (4 lbs 5 oz). All babies and Gina are doing fantastic and all are expexted to be home Tuesday 7/14.

Here are a couple of snapshots of our beautiful baby girls....

2 days to go....All is well

We had our doctors visit today, and they measured the babies by ultrasound. It's an estimate so their actual weight could vary by as much as 15-20 % . Baby 1 is 4 lbs 6 oz, baby 2 is 5 lbs 3 oz, and baby 3 is 4 lbs 14 oz's. The C-section is scheduled for 10 am this friday (July 10th). All prayers are certainly appreciated.

Gina is doing very well. We are both excited and looking forward to friday.

Here is a last Jiffy pop pose before the delivery (taken on July 4th) .

God Bless. We'll post updates when we can.

A Poem for Gina (posted by Joe)

"Triplets?"
Your voice barely squawked out, "triplets?
"Yes, there on the screen were three tiny embryos.
Tears welled up in your eyes as the thought overwhelmed you.

"I wanted to be pregnant, but I didn't want this!"How will I ever manage?
Three babies all at one time.I'll go crazy!
The house isn't big enough;
the car's not big enough.
I'm not even sure we can afford them
My life will never be normal again!

And all those weeks I have to spend in bed.
What will happen to my friendship with my husband?
Oh, this isn't how I planned it at all!

Then the Lord said,"Now, you didn't plan it this way, but I did.
Remember my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways.
My plans are for the good of your welfare, and not for your calamity.

Have you forgotten?
My way is perfect.

"Yes, God has chosen you to be the mother of triplets.
He must have looked down from heaven one day and said,
"Where is the woman I can entrust with three little ones?

Ah, there she is.
She loves me.
She loves her husband.
She loves her children.
I know that she is the best one for this responsibility.
And it is a responsibility.

"There will be days when you'll feel like giving up.
But when those three little ones "rise up and call you blessed
"You'll forget about the bad days.
When they wrap their arms around your neck and say,
"I Love You, Mommy!"
You'll forget about the tears.

Yes, you're going to be the mother of triplets.
And one day they will know That God gave them the best mother they could have.

-- Author Unknown

In the Home Stretch

All Great News on the home front. I just returned (Tuesday night) from my follow up visit to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda Maryland. The CT scan showed that everything has remained stable, and the plan is to wait 2 months and return for another CT.

Gina is now at 34 weeks! We had a doctors visit yesterday and Gina has retained her "Rock star" status ! (the doctor even said she has moved up to top venues like our namesake Bono of U2)

We have one more visit a week from next Tuesday (July 7th), and the babies are still scheduled to arrive via C-section on the morning of July 10th. I have included Gina's latest Jiffy Pop pose-- Can I get a collective "Whoa" ! :)

We are very excited. For those of you who missed it here is the link to the tri-county times article about us and the triplets

http://www.tctimes.com/articles/2009/06/21/living/features/doc4a3bec3c8bbf6385059653.txt

God Bless,

Joe

Baby Update

We just got back from the doctor this afternoon and all went great! Dr. says Im still at rock star status, which is awesome and a great boost for me since Ive been trying so hard to do all the right things. So far Ive gained 67 lbs, is that unbelievable or what??!!? Good news is I should loose at least 35 or so right after I give birth!

Baby 1 weighs 3 lbs., 9 oz
Baby 2 weighs 4 lbs
Baby 3 weighs 3 lbs, 11 oz.

All are looking good and growing like a weed! Dr. thinks we can get them to at least 5 lbs each if I stay on track.

So Im still set to deliver on July 10th. I go back next Thursday for my last appointment before the big day. Can't believe how quickly time has flown by!

We put up the pack and play they will be in when we bring them home, boy does that make it feel real!

Thanks for all the prayers....love to you all!

The Babies Room

We are now at 30 weeks. 6 weeks to go if all goes well; Gina continues to do great. She is working at home, and being a good Mom adhering to the bedrest that was ordered. We found a great group of pediatricians about 20 minutes from the house in Brighton, MI Our next doctors appointment is Monday.

Here are the pics of the baby room, and the latest Gina "jiffy Pop" pose... ;) ...... Hope you enjoy ! JB & GB

Fenton Baby Shower

On Saturday May 9th, we had the final baby shower at our house in Fenton. About 50 people were on hand to help us celebrate the anticipated arrival of our three new baby girls. Alyson, Hannah, Miranda, and Gina's parents (Steve & Bev) and sister (Laura) were there in addition to many family members and friends. Gina's family flew in on Wednesday for the big event and helped us set up the guest room in the lower level and the new nursery (baby room). Both the basement and baby room are done. Yeah!! We couldn't have been ready without their help. Thank you ! I'll post pictures of the new babies' room and the lower level on my next update.

The shower was great, and everyone chipped in so that Gina could continue to rest. Special thanks to Mom (Grammie Bono), Cathy, Claire Anne, Christa, and Denise. The food and decorations were outstanding and house was filled with flowers. We had games, laughs, and great conversation, catching up with everyones lives. Everyone was so generous in giving to help us prepare for the babies arrival. Thank you everyone ! Here are some pics of the event.

Bedrest!

There's a lot to catch up on here. About 11 days ago we had our appointment with Gina's doctor, and the ultra sound showed good progress with the babies each now about 1 pound 7oz's ish (1-11, 1-7-1-4).

However, triplet 1 was the smallest at 1 pound 4 oz. and her fluid in the sac was considered low. As a result the doctor ordered Gina on bedrest, and to increase fluid intake. He also talk about the possibility she might go early if baby 1 was endangered, and there could be dilema's faced because all 3 have to be born at the same time. So do you risk all three to save the one?

Now the Great news; Yesterday we had our follow up appointment, and baby 1 shifted position, her fluid level is now normal, and all 3 triplets are looking good again.

Gina is approaching 27 weeks. At 30 weeks the survival of the babies jumps considerably.

We are still shooting for a full 36 weeks. Please keep Gina & the babies in your prayers, we have already seen our prayers answered with the great change in events yesterday. praise God!

Saturday is the final shower. Guests will include the Bono clan, Gina's Mom , Dad & sister, and friends and neighbors around Fenton. We are really looking forward to a great visit and weekend!

The Lower level is done Yeah ! Carpet is being installed right now and will be done by the end of the day. Here is a pic of the fireplace that Cleve and I did. So glad we decided to do it, despite stretching the budget a bit. We added 1,750 sq feet to the house. Cleve did an awesome job, he is very focused on quality.

Finally here is the latest Jiffy pop pose (taken 10 days ago ) Gina continues to amaze. She is an awesome woman and wife.

Gina's Trinity (work) Baby Shower !!

On Friday April 17th Gina's work friends gave her a most awesome baby shower! There were many, many, many people in attendance, and the support and love we felt was very reassurring and appreciated. I must say it was a little intimidating walking into a conference room of 75-100 people (mostly women) as I arrived after it started. Amy, Jennifer, and Noor did an outstanding job putting this together, and it really made Gina and i realize how blessed we our in our life. We are so amazed at everyone's generosity and warmth-- Wow, just a few months ago we were wondering how we were gonna do this. Now, more than ever we see God's hand in placing such great friends and family in our lives. Thank you everyone ! Joe