Happy Birthday Sam, Leona & Gabe

"It be Sammy's bifday here! Happy Bifday Sammy. Happy Bifday Ona and Happy Bifday Geeby"! Yes, Sam. Your birthday is finally here. You've been waiting and talking about it for a week now at least. We've practiced the birthday song a few hundred times. We've talked about presents and cake and a party with Mickey Mouse plates. And you are so excited that it is YOUR birthday as well as Leona and Gabe's birthday.

I'm so proud of all of you. My sweet teeny tiny babies. Babies who in a year have made me laugh and cry and shake my head wondering how on earth I am going to make it another day. Then you make me laugh all over again and run into my arms and snuggle in with a giant hug and a big, wet, sloppy, wonderful kiss.

My sweet funny kiddos. This year your birthday was a bit easier for me. Your second birthday was pretty bittersweet. I spent a lot of time remembering last year. Last year on your second birthday you officially became toddlers. You left that tiny baby stage behind. This year you continue your journey into toddler hood.

This year you have changed but you have grown more mentally and not as much physically. You were already experts and walking, running and Gabe's favorite, climbing! You can use the potty like big kids! No more diapers for you guys anymore!!! I think that is MY biggest accomplishment of the year without a doubt! You can peddle your tricycles and love to cruise around the neighborhood.

You have all learned so many fascinating things this year. I'm amazed at your ability to soak things in like a giant sponge. We have fantastic conversations. They crack me up. "Yook it, Mommy!" is probably one of your favorite phrases. You love sharing what you've discovered with me and with each other. Sometimes I wish you wouldn't teach each other some of those things!

I love listening to your conversations with each other. You are so incredibly blessed to have each other. You will be the longest relationship of each other's lives. Not your parents, not your friends, not your spouse but each other. My siblings have been an incredible blessing to me and I pray that you will be to each other. You have been and will be together for the rest of your lives. And most of the time you really enjoy each other. Not always of course as is true with any siblings but most of the time you are so amazing together. You help each other, share without asking, comfort each other and laugh at things I can't even begin to understand what is so hilarious.

My memory has also faded. The older you get the harder it is to remember just how tiny you were and to think how hard your first few months were. It's hard to remember the medications, the weight gain worries, the oxygen tanks and the hours of therapies. You are all so wonderfully healthy it's so hard to imagine that you ever struggled so much in your first few months of life.

As a triplet you will always be a identified as a group. Your own special troupe. And yet when people meet you they are always amazed at how different you are from each other. You all have so many wonderful things that make you unique.

Sam. You are my Momma's Boy. Tonight at dinner you told me that "I wub Sammy's Mommy!". You melt my heart. You have thick wonderful blond hair and a quick mischievous grin. You can be so silly that I can't help but laugh at what ever it is you are doing. You have a sweet sensitive nature and love to snuggle. We marvel at your flexibility and wonder if you'll have a future in the circus! You are tall and thin and in the last few months look like such a grown up little boy. You love to figure things out. If you can't figure something out right away you keep working at it and focus on things and you eventually figure it out. We laugh that you will be an engineer just like your Daddy. You are fascinated by anything with buttons and all things electronic.

You know all your numbers and letters and that "Sammy" starts with an "S"! You take such pride in learning new things. You have a stubborn streak. You got it from me. We've certainly had our battle of wills. You know just how to bug Gabe and especially Leona. I guess that is in the big brother's job description, isn't it! The park is your favorite place on earth. You have each park categorized by the color of equipment and ask if we can go to the "blue park?" or the "red park?". You love sleeping with your Little Mickey and your Big Elmo. You need your time alone from all of us and I often find you sitting and playing so sweetly with something on your own. You love to snuggle. Especially with your Mommy.

Leona. Lovely Sweet Miss Leona. I often joke with your Daddy that I could have ten of you. It's true. If I could clone you and have ten of you the world would be a more loving place. But there is and will only be one of you. Our sweet, sweet girl. You are a little lover. You often wake us up in the morning by lightly touching a cheek and saying "Mommy". You have the world's sweetest voice. Daddy wonders how it is possible that everything you say is adorable because it is spoken using your sweet sugary girly voice. You love to snuggle up next to me and you'll just start lightly petting my arm, stroking it with such a light, sweet, gentle touch. This is something that your Great-Grandpa Nielson does and it always makes me smile thinking of your "Leona" connection.

You are very silly and your smile will light up a room. Your hair is getting so long and pretty. You hate when I comb it and start whimpering even before I touch you! You love animals. Kitties, horsies and Molly bring a giant smile to your face. You are fascinated by airplanes and recently said, "Yook it, Mommy! Ders a BEEEEEEG aiwpwane up over der! Aiwpwane go up up up in da sky!!!". Maybe someday you and I can take flight lessons together. You love to eat. I think Strawberries are your favorite food. Your laughter is the most beautiful music I've ever heard. You love to sleep with your Snoopy and you have to be covered up when you are sleeping. You are the BEST sleeper and you almost always go right to sleep at nap time and bedtime. You look so peaceful and sweet I wish you could stay this way forever.

Gabe. My tiny man with an old soul. You have these amazing long eyelashes and these incredible blue eyes. You have always been a fighter. You still are. Sometimes we fight with each other. You have definite opinions on things and you have a difficult time when things don't go the way you think they should. You always think you should have Fruit Snacks for breakfast. For being such a tiny little man you are always asking me for a snack! Sometimes just ten minutes after we've had a meal. You call your self "Geeby" and you have a Geeby Giggle that makes me laugh every time I hear it. You are VERY ticklish and you want us to come tickle you.

You LOVE Winnie the Pooh. You sleep with a giant assortment of Winnie the Pooh's. You love them all. You also love your doggies and your froggies. You were the first to be completely potty trained. You always seem to be first in things. You like things to be orderly and in their place. You like lining up your cars and your choo-choos. You have a red car that you drive inside and outside. You are the peacemaker. You play so well with both Sam and Leona. Your laughter is infectious and they both say "Funny Geeby" at least once a day. You cling to both Daddy and me. You get pretty upset if we are too far away from you. You do a little Gabe dance when you are happy. When you are happy there is no one else in the world that is happier than you are.

Happy Third Birthday Samuel, Leona & Gabe. Thank you for another wonderful year!!!