5 months today!

Hello, we all hope that this email finds everyone safe, happy, healthy and well! The Messerle family is doing great!

The babies are doing really well. They all went last week for their RSV shots, no problems with that really, we are fortunate that our insurance carrier is covering the cost. January and February are another story when our deductible ($6k) resets to $0! At $1000.00 per shot, per baby, it is NOT a cheap date. We'll figure it out...

The boys are all trying to inhale some rice cereal about once a day. Quite honestly I think more gets pushed out than goes down but it is fun to make a mess with them! Here is Drew giving the whole cereal program a shot!

Claire is doing good too, she is really starting to eat well out of her bottle and those cheeks are getting super chubby! She sleeps a ton and when she is rested she is just a total and complete doll, but when she is tired and cranky, LOOK OUT! She has a set of lungs on her that will wake the neighbors. She is wearing the same size diapers as the boys right now #2, the boys will go into 3's pretty soon though. Here is Claire when she is in a great mood, is she not a doll or WHAT?

We are off to Mason next week after Thanksgiving to spend some time with Katie's parents and my family as well. The babies are going to be Christened the Sunday after Thanksgiving at Mason Methodist Church. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Mason when we are down there. It has been since March that we have been down to the ranch, Katie was not up to any long rides when she was pregnant after spring break, so that was the last time we have been down to the Hill Country. Katie and I both need a break away from the house and a change of scenery, she really has been pinned down to this place for months now and I am not sure how she isn't completely climbing the walls yet. We are spending Christmas at the ranch as well with Katie's parents and family and my dad will be coming up on Christmas day to spend the day with us. Are the boys ready for the ranch and the hunting program or what?!

The babies teased us a little bit last weekend by sleeping about 7 hours and sleeping in till about 4:30am for a couple of mornings, but we are back to getting up at 2:30am now for feeding. Hopefully they will come around and get the sleeping through the night deal under their belt. We are not pushing them and just letting it come when it comes. All three babies are now on the Similac Alimentum formula for the reflux and the spitting up. It really seems to be working GREAT! The heaving because of the reflux is more of an exception rather than the rule. Claire has taken to it well too and it has helped her as well. The stuff isn't cheap at $28 a can per day, and we go through a can a day. But I have been able to get some sweet deals on Ebay and getting the formula for as little as $12.50 a can! That helps SO much!

Matt is still on the breathing treatments twice a day with the Pulmicort to help clear up his lungs. He doesn't seem to mind it too much. He is such a happy little boy! Here he is during "tummy time"!

We are moving the crib that we have set up in our bedroom upstairs into their nursery this weekend. I had the nursery painted several weeks ago, it looks nice. The boys are getting to the point where they need their own crib. Currently they share a crib and Claire sleeps in a swing. I suspect within a couple of weeks they may be upstairs sleeping in their own cribs. That will REALLY be crazy! We are so used to them all being downstairs and close to us.

Shannel our nanny is doing wonderful, the kiddo's love her and I really think she is Claire's BFF (Best Friend's Forever!)! We are so lucky and blessed to have her in our home helping us with the stuff around the house, complete God-send.

Well, that is a little update on what is going on over here, same old deal for right now. Please pray for our safe and uneventful, quiet and peaceful 4 hour drive to Mason next week! LOL We are doing great and just so blessed by everything the Lord has given us. Indeed amazing! We hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Stay tuned for updated pictures from our Thanksgiving and trip to Mason after the holiday! Be well!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt

17 Weeker's!

Hello! Just a quick update before feeding time! The babies turned 17 weeks today and they are doing great. We had their 4 month check up with the doctor on Monday and they are doing very, very well and rapidly catching up to where they should be size wise for their gestational age. Matt is 14lbs 14 oz, Drew 14 lbs 5oz and Claire was 11lbs 12oz. They are all right at 22-23 inches long now too! We put Claire on the same formula now as the boys since she was having what seemed to be an upset tummy sometimes, hopefully it will work like it did for the boys. Matt is going to continue his breathing treatments, his lungs are still sounding a little congested from the reflux. Drew is doing fine although his little head is getting a bit flat and not as round as it should be. He is going to be a pretty good candidate for one of those helmets to get it back in the proper shape.

The babies seem to be starting to sleep a little longer at night now too! We put them down to bed at 10pm, they had been waking up around 2am hungry, but several nights this week it has been 3:30am-3:45am when they have been getting fussy. Maybe by Christmas we'll be sleeping through the night!? Please LORD! :)

Katie is doing a wonderful job around the house and taking care of the babies, she is such a "mother" and is really doing great taking care of the babies! Shannel, our nanny is just a complete doll and God send really, she is awesome with the babies, especially a screaming Claire at times. How she gets her calmed down and sleeping is really beyond me!

We go for the RSV shots next Friday the 13th for all of the babies to help keep them from getting the nasty cold, sickness and RSV.

We are really looking forward to getting down to the Branch ranch and to Mason for their Christening the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That is going to be our first major road trip, keep your fingers crossed for us! In the spirit of the ranch, Katie got them all suited up in their cammo gear, they may be a little young for the hunting action, but they are going to LOVE the ranch and being out there with Papa and Mimi! Here is Matt on the left and Drew on the right!

We had a real nice Halloween too! Katie's mom, Caroline came in for the weekend and we had a real nice visit. We are looking forward to seeing her and Tom again in a couple of weeks in Mason. Katie and Caroline got the costumes for the babies and since we have three, they went as not just a pumpkin, but a whole pumpkin patch!! Here are our little pumpkins! Matt,Claire and Drew.

There seems to be so much going on and the time is really flying by. Another week gone already! I promise to write again maybe over the weekend and talk about Claire sucking her thumb now and Matt taking his first big boy bites of rice cereal! Our entire family hopes that this note finds everyone happy, healthy and blessed! Have a wonderful fall weekend!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt