Triplets Are Now Two, But Can't All Say It

So-o-o-o Big!

Ann Arbor’s first triplets in two decades are “so-o big!” on this their second birthday. Mary Catherine, left, Nancy Adele, center, and Becky Louise are the daughters of Mr. and Mrs James C. Handy, II, of 606 Wilton Ct. They were born within five minutes of each other at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital two years ago today.

Cake, Of Course, Is Angel Food:

Triplets Are Now Two, But Can’t All Say It

By Dick Emmons

This is a red-letter day at 606 Wilton Ct. on Ann Arbor’s west side.

In fact it’s a triple red-letter day—because this is the second birthday of the triplet daughters of Mr. and Mrs. James Handy, II.

On the menu tonight is a special order of angel food cake topped by six little candles — two for Nancy Adele, two for Becky Louise, and a pair for Mary Catherine.

If the little sisters run true to form, says Mrs. Handy, Nancy (center in the picture) will be the first to blow at the candles and the first to get her baby fingers in the gooey icing.

Nancy, The Older, Is Leader

Nancy is three minutes older than Mary Catherine and holds a clear five-minute seniority over Becky. She’s the leader, according to the triplets’ mother.

“Nancy’s the figurer-outer, the first one to get into mischief.” She’s also the most motherly of the tiny trio and is constantly picking the others up after a treacherous rug edge has laid them low.

Mary Catherine (left in picture), the only one of the three to retain her double name in family conversation, has the best disposition of the trio. She has picked dad for special attention, the King-Seeley Corp. employee admits.

For no reason that anyone understands, when Mary Catherine cries, Becky joins her. Nancy remains aloof.

Becky Is The Actress

Becky is the actress of the troupe. She’s temperamental, given to little poses that anyone over the age of two can see through, and yet makes friends more quickly with strangers. She’s also the lightest sleeper.

The triplets, first to be born in Ann Arbor in more than two decades, entertain each other much of the time. "They seem to work together on their little schemes,” Mrs. Handy says.

“One day they managed to take their play-pen apart and just walked out, pleased as anything. I think they’re easier to take care of than three children of varying ages,” she said. “I’m just thankful they aren’t boys.”

Happily, there's not much jealousy between the three little sisters, except that the Handys have to be careful not to pick up one of them repeatedly to the exclusion of the other two.

At the end of their second year, they’re as healthy as any other threesome. Mary Catherine weighs 25 pounds, Nancy, 24, and Becky, 23.

One Key Word

Like other two-year-olds, they’re beginning to talk quite a lot now. The odds-on favorite expression is “Whazzat?”

Mrs. Handy has been teaching them to say “I’m two” in honor of today’s anniversary.

Perhaps when the six blue eyes fix on the glowing candles tonight, they’ll manage it, but yesterday afternoon everybody had a little different version:

Nancy: “I two!”

Becky: “Hi!”

Mary Catherine: “      .”