Sorry again. It's getting away from me, isn't it? We've had a long (or short, depending on how you look at it) couple of weeks here, with our first real fever, ear infection, etc. A summer cold struck our house - starting with the sore throats I mentioned last time - and Eero took it hard with an ear infection. Caring for two babies and Hurricane Axel while another baby has the demands of an ear infection is as exhausting as it sounds! But, we're better now.
We've had weekends of fun in between, though. After realizing the weekend in Duluth 'for Axel' was kind of a bust, we decided to try again. This time we made time for just Jesse, Axel, and I - giving us our first night away from babies since having them home, and Grandma Mary her first chance for an overnight with triplets. She said it was fine, but other people told me she seemed concerned about the task. I wouldn't have asked you if I thought it would be too much for you, Ma.
The Nelsons, zans triplets, visited King Tut and the rest of the Science Museum. Axel had a blast. He went nuts in there, running from artificial tornado to "how much blood is in you?" to triceratops skeleton and back. Jesse was worse. I was sort of grossed out at King Tut. . .there was a little coffin that the enbalmers put his stomach in. Something is not quite right about taking things out of a tomb that someone purposely put there for his afterlife, then shuttling them around the world for people to gawk at. It's unsettling, I think.
We went to Target Field that night and bought decent tickets at the window, like the old days when the Twins were not good. They were not good again that night, but it was a beautiful evening to sit outside, we got Jim Thome wind-up walkers (even though he'd left the team the day before), and a helicopter circled the field for much of the game, pleasing Axel to no end.
Axel visited the State Fair for the 3rd time in his four summers of being alive. I didn't go until I was 12. We went up in the Space Tower, ate cotton candy and big pretzels and food- (and beer-) on a stick, and took a trip down the big silde. It was a good day.
Conversations with Axel:
Axel: Do you want to go see the fish with us?
Random Guy in Front of Grandstand: No, thanks, I better wait for my wife.
The next week we brought the babies to their 6 month check-up. They're doing well, making gains on the chart. Eero is the tallest, at 26 inches, and weighs 15 lbs 4 oz. (started at 17 3/4 inches, 4 lbs 0 oz). Rex is in the middle heighwise, at 25 inches, but on top for weight at 15 lbs 11 oz. (started at 16 1/4 inches, 4 lbs 2 oz.). Magnus is still playing catchup at 24 1/2 inches and 13 lbs 2 oz. (but started at 15 3/4 inches, 2 lbs 14 oz.). He's stayed two pounds behind for a long time, and I think that's pretty good, but the doctor wants to start checking his weight regularly now because she thinks he should be making bigger strides. He also visited the ENT guy, who thought he was doing a lot better and didn't even bother to scope him, based on his chest movements improving and his not sounding so rattly.
This past weekend we took a Nelson-family jaunt to Brainerd to introduce Axel to Paul Bunyan. He was very curious as to how Paul knew his name, and a little skeptical of him, so he would not sit on his boot for a photo like Paul asked. We also spent time at the little carnival surrounding him, which was fun because the rides were unlimited, the lines were short or nonexistent, and the weather was beautiful. An old lady on a golf cart stopped me and my stroller as I headed back to the car (babies had enough after awhile) and said she heard there were triplets in the park and she was hoping she'd meet them. Apparently she's usually at the front desk but wasn't when we got there, and the other old lady working told her she missed "the excitement of the season". Not much happening at Paul Bunyanland, then, is there?
On the way to Brainerd we stopped in Little Falls at the zoo (did you know there was a zoo there?), where we saw a tiger taking a nap, turtles eating grass, and donkeys mounting each other. It was good to stretch our legs if nothing else.
Tomorrow we have to take them to Maple Grove for a NICU follow-up exam. Apparently they like to track how the babies who spent time in the NICU are doing down the road. They like to track it at 9:00 a.m., so we have to get up quite early to be there. I requested anything later in the day, but that is the only time they do this. It's a tad inconvenient! Sometimes I think they forget not everyone lives in the metro area.
Another quote from Axel, since I missed a week:
"Mom, I need to put on all these necklaces so I look pretty for Paul Bunyan."
We could have left the kid at this exhibit for hours watching the ball float. Most of the other pictures here are just showing the real happiness these rides brought to him. That was worth the whole trip.
That's Jesse's Dad in front of him and Axel - I think he regretted his willingness to ride.
After seeing Axel power himself up and down on this airplane ride we see a bright future for him as a crop duster.
