Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
10-11 months - Hold on! I can't keep up!
The girls are 11 months old this week and I'm delighted and overwhelmed at the thought of celebrating their first birthday. I get all bent out of shape just thinking about the year. Their joyous but scary birth, the rollercoaster NICU ride, the months of horrible reflux, the Early Intervention, and all the incredible firsts. I'm already starting to see signs of my "babies" disappearing and turning into little toddlers. This makes me incredibly happy and incredibly sad.
I am struggling to keep up with their milestones, because they're happening fast and furious right now. The babies have been sick, and uncharacteristically clingy, so it's made it that much more challenging to not only care for them, but to keep track of it all.
Here are my utterly incoherent observations of the last month, mostly to document it for posterity before I forget it all. Disclaimer: as you're reading this, just know that it's jumping around from milestone to milestone, with no bridge in between (who has time to work on flow!) I'm writing this on 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep after a horrific week of having sick, snotty, cranky babies.
****
On August 30, Julia crawled on her hands and knees instead of sailing on her tummy for the very first time. It was just a few "steps" but still! Now she's crawling properly all the time and it's so cool to watch her zoom. I thought she'd go from commando crawling to cruising, but she stuck with it and figured out "true" crawling. I can no longer tell Julia and Emma apart when they're crawling away from me. They're both super fast and so coordinated. Such determined little babies too.
Ada has had an explosion of movement the past week. She's so much less frustrated. She is such a bubbly, happy baby during the day. She is content to play on her own and observe what everyone else is doing, but is very independent.
Ada manages to travel farther and farther without actually crawling. She turns and scoots on her butt. It's pretty funny. At first she just turned and then wiggled and wiggled until she inched closer to toys, but now she's flyin' on her butt. She will literally "walk" on her behind, cheek by cheek, from the nursery to the living room! It's way adorable.
She used to pull her sisters over by yanking on their bibs to reach their toys. Now she snags whatever she wants. It's payback time, because her sisters have been snagging her toys and crawling away for weeks now! Missy Ada now wants to pull up and stand. She's not quite strong enough to pull herself up, but will reach for me with outstretched arms to help her stand up. Once she's up, she giggles. It's too cute. She is balancing a bit better every day and will soon be standing for a few seconds on her own, the way Emma and Julia do.
She now waves bye bye and will say, "ta ta" while waving goodbye. She did this the first time last week Wednesday as I was leaving for work. It was extra hard to leave them after that overdose of cuteness!
She started handing me her toy today and I gratefully accepted, thanking her, and then handed it back. Now it's a game. We were handing toys back and forth for goodness knows how long, but neither she nor I can get enough of it. I just love that she's figuring out give and take. She's also figured out that the stacking ring hole is fun to peer through, and that the shape sorter silos can neatly fit through the largest blue stacking ring. I think because she was stationery for so long, it forced her to do more detailed exploration of toys while her sisters were zooming all over the place. She's also talking more than them, and started making "sss" and "shh" sounds yesterday.
Ada clapped hands for the first time today! This felt like such a huge milestone, because she has low muscle tone and it's a little harder for her to bring her hands together. Her sisters have been clapping for a few weeks now, and she has been doing the "chicken dance of excitement" whenever they clap. But today her hands were open and she brought them together to clap while I was standing a few feet away. Beautiful.
Ada cut her 5th and 6th teeth on September 1. One next to top middle teeth, and one next to bottom middle teeth. I think another bottom tooth is on its way, because she's been feeling her gum in that spot with her tongue all day.
***
Emma clapped hands for the first time on September 7 and that same day, stood on her own for a good 20 seconds. I was like, "Wait! What?! You're STANDING!" I couldn't believe it. Since then, she's been practicing this newfound skill every chance she gets. She's so sturdy on those tiny little legs of hers. She'll clap hands while standing without losing her balance.
She's working on standing up from a crawling position. She'll stand on all fours, with her butt in the air. Or she'll dive down from a standing position to swipe a toy off the floor. Pulling up against anything is 2nd nature for her now. I'm just amazed that our littlest monkey, who had the roughest NICU ride, is leading the pack in terms of gross motor skills. She's made incredible progress since her initial EI evaluation. The smart money is on her walking first. But I'm not the betting kind.
She likes to take these huge T-Rex type steps. She'll lift her leg way up and then plonk it down. Walking is probably still a ways off, for which I'm thankful. Once they can all walk, we're so screwed. Seriously.
***
Julia is breathing down Emma's neck with every single skill mentioned above. They are developing so similarly that it's uncanny.
Julia stood on her own for about 10 seconds on September 10 and has been getting better at it ever since. She wants to cruise and take steps, and will pull up on everything. She loves to lie down on the Boppy pillow and then slide over it on her back until her head touches the ground. Then she'll look at the world upside down and just let out these bursts of giggles that seem to say, "Look at me! I'm being silly!." I love that she laughs like my brother. Her personality reminds me a lot of my own, which is sure to spell trouble down the road. She's mostly amused, but reserves the all-out belly laughs for the special tickles or raspberry games I play with her 1:1. She's always watching when I play with her sisters, and always smiles along, even if the game isn't being played with her.
This poor kid is still struggling the most with reflux. She loves her puffs and Cheerios, but gags on pieces of banana or anything that isn't dry-ish and firm. The speech pathologist suggested I try peeled, cooked apple and she vomited. Just lovely. I felt so bad for my little munchkin and she looked so miserable and helpless when it happened. I never knew eating could be this hard!
Today she turned a toy over to look for the on/off switch. She knows it has a vibrating function and there's something I do to make it work... or not work (when I need peace from the incessant silly ditties.) It's only a matter of time.
***
There were about 2 weeks where I'd go into their nursery to find Emma standing, Julia sitting and Ada lying down. Now that Julia can pull to stand, she and Emma are almost always standing up and chit-chatting. Ada is still lying down, but she's rolling over from one end of the crib to the other to get the best eye contact with her sisters.
They talk up a storm in the nursery every morning. I often leave them for a few minutes while I stand outside the door, just listening and being intrigued by their "conversations." Sometimes it really sounds like full sentences. They are starting to imitate one another (and us). One will cough, and the others will follow with an utterly fake cough. Or one will blow a raspberry and the others will respond with the same.
I just love this age. As hard as the nights have been (they've been BRUTAL!), the days always make up for that. They wake up with smiles, giggles and hugs for me and are such fun to be around. This summer, we have been going on tons of fun outings. They were in a parade, we took them to a museum, the zoo, a picnic with colleagues, a state park, etc. We go hiking on a local trail with them a few times a week.
Sadly, we've packed away their swimming pool, but they loved every second of "swimming" in our backyard this summer. Such water babies. We have a swing set in the backyard that they tried out for the first time on September 6. They love the swings, and I love it, because I can swing all 3 simultaneously.
I'm looking forward to the fall and winter, but we'll have to get creative during RSV season. If this week's colds are any indication, I really want to avoid having sick babies all winter long.
I am struggling to keep up with their milestones, because they're happening fast and furious right now. The babies have been sick, and uncharacteristically clingy, so it's made it that much more challenging to not only care for them, but to keep track of it all.
Here are my utterly incoherent observations of the last month, mostly to document it for posterity before I forget it all. Disclaimer: as you're reading this, just know that it's jumping around from milestone to milestone, with no bridge in between (who has time to work on flow!) I'm writing this on 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep after a horrific week of having sick, snotty, cranky babies.
****
On August 30, Julia crawled on her hands and knees instead of sailing on her tummy for the very first time. It was just a few "steps" but still! Now she's crawling properly all the time and it's so cool to watch her zoom. I thought she'd go from commando crawling to cruising, but she stuck with it and figured out "true" crawling. I can no longer tell Julia and Emma apart when they're crawling away from me. They're both super fast and so coordinated. Such determined little babies too.
Ada has had an explosion of movement the past week. She's so much less frustrated. She is such a bubbly, happy baby during the day. She is content to play on her own and observe what everyone else is doing, but is very independent.
Ada manages to travel farther and farther without actually crawling. She turns and scoots on her butt. It's pretty funny. At first she just turned and then wiggled and wiggled until she inched closer to toys, but now she's flyin' on her butt. She will literally "walk" on her behind, cheek by cheek, from the nursery to the living room! It's way adorable.
She used to pull her sisters over by yanking on their bibs to reach their toys. Now she snags whatever she wants. It's payback time, because her sisters have been snagging her toys and crawling away for weeks now! Missy Ada now wants to pull up and stand. She's not quite strong enough to pull herself up, but will reach for me with outstretched arms to help her stand up. Once she's up, she giggles. It's too cute. She is balancing a bit better every day and will soon be standing for a few seconds on her own, the way Emma and Julia do.
She now waves bye bye and will say, "ta ta" while waving goodbye. She did this the first time last week Wednesday as I was leaving for work. It was extra hard to leave them after that overdose of cuteness!
She started handing me her toy today and I gratefully accepted, thanking her, and then handed it back. Now it's a game. We were handing toys back and forth for goodness knows how long, but neither she nor I can get enough of it. I just love that she's figuring out give and take. She's also figured out that the stacking ring hole is fun to peer through, and that the shape sorter silos can neatly fit through the largest blue stacking ring. I think because she was stationery for so long, it forced her to do more detailed exploration of toys while her sisters were zooming all over the place. She's also talking more than them, and started making "sss" and "shh" sounds yesterday.
Ada clapped hands for the first time today! This felt like such a huge milestone, because she has low muscle tone and it's a little harder for her to bring her hands together. Her sisters have been clapping for a few weeks now, and she has been doing the "chicken dance of excitement" whenever they clap. But today her hands were open and she brought them together to clap while I was standing a few feet away. Beautiful.
Ada cut her 5th and 6th teeth on September 1. One next to top middle teeth, and one next to bottom middle teeth. I think another bottom tooth is on its way, because she's been feeling her gum in that spot with her tongue all day.
***
Emma clapped hands for the first time on September 7 and that same day, stood on her own for a good 20 seconds. I was like, "Wait! What?! You're STANDING!" I couldn't believe it. Since then, she's been practicing this newfound skill every chance she gets. She's so sturdy on those tiny little legs of hers. She'll clap hands while standing without losing her balance.
She's working on standing up from a crawling position. She'll stand on all fours, with her butt in the air. Or she'll dive down from a standing position to swipe a toy off the floor. Pulling up against anything is 2nd nature for her now. I'm just amazed that our littlest monkey, who had the roughest NICU ride, is leading the pack in terms of gross motor skills. She's made incredible progress since her initial EI evaluation. The smart money is on her walking first. But I'm not the betting kind.
She likes to take these huge T-Rex type steps. She'll lift her leg way up and then plonk it down. Walking is probably still a ways off, for which I'm thankful. Once they can all walk, we're so screwed. Seriously.
***
Julia is breathing down Emma's neck with every single skill mentioned above. They are developing so similarly that it's uncanny.
Julia stood on her own for about 10 seconds on September 10 and has been getting better at it ever since. She wants to cruise and take steps, and will pull up on everything. She loves to lie down on the Boppy pillow and then slide over it on her back until her head touches the ground. Then she'll look at the world upside down and just let out these bursts of giggles that seem to say, "Look at me! I'm being silly!." I love that she laughs like my brother. Her personality reminds me a lot of my own, which is sure to spell trouble down the road. She's mostly amused, but reserves the all-out belly laughs for the special tickles or raspberry games I play with her 1:1. She's always watching when I play with her sisters, and always smiles along, even if the game isn't being played with her.
This poor kid is still struggling the most with reflux. She loves her puffs and Cheerios, but gags on pieces of banana or anything that isn't dry-ish and firm. The speech pathologist suggested I try peeled, cooked apple and she vomited. Just lovely. I felt so bad for my little munchkin and she looked so miserable and helpless when it happened. I never knew eating could be this hard!
Today she turned a toy over to look for the on/off switch. She knows it has a vibrating function and there's something I do to make it work... or not work (when I need peace from the incessant silly ditties.) It's only a matter of time.
***
There were about 2 weeks where I'd go into their nursery to find Emma standing, Julia sitting and Ada lying down. Now that Julia can pull to stand, she and Emma are almost always standing up and chit-chatting. Ada is still lying down, but she's rolling over from one end of the crib to the other to get the best eye contact with her sisters.
They talk up a storm in the nursery every morning. I often leave them for a few minutes while I stand outside the door, just listening and being intrigued by their "conversations." Sometimes it really sounds like full sentences. They are starting to imitate one another (and us). One will cough, and the others will follow with an utterly fake cough. Or one will blow a raspberry and the others will respond with the same.
I just love this age. As hard as the nights have been (they've been BRUTAL!), the days always make up for that. They wake up with smiles, giggles and hugs for me and are such fun to be around. This summer, we have been going on tons of fun outings. They were in a parade, we took them to a museum, the zoo, a picnic with colleagues, a state park, etc. We go hiking on a local trail with them a few times a week.
Sadly, we've packed away their swimming pool, but they loved every second of "swimming" in our backyard this summer. Such water babies. We have a swing set in the backyard that they tried out for the first time on September 6. They love the swings, and I love it, because I can swing all 3 simultaneously.
I'm looking forward to the fall and winter, but we'll have to get creative during RSV season. If this week's colds are any indication, I really want to avoid having sick babies all winter long.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Waving Talking Crawling Standing Madness
Ada started saying "Ada" very clearly. Last week it was just "ah" "dah", but now she's putting it together.
Ada waved to the dog and then her dad today, opening and closing her hand. Her sisters aren't waving yet, but are mesmerized when I open and close my hand to show them how to wave. It's like I possess a magic power. They look at my hand, crinkle their nose in fascination, look at theirs, wiggle their fingers, but can't quite get it yet.
Ada isn't crawling yet, but she managed to turn around while seated - 180 degrees. It's funny how she can scoot without getting out of a sitting position. She has figured out how to pull toys towards her, and she benefits from her sisters dropping toys wherever they crawl.
She's starting to want to stand more and I suspect she's going to give this crawling thing a pass altogether. It's beneath her, methinks. Little Miss Ada gets incredibly upset when she's on her tummy. It's a reflux thing. She arches and straightens her legs to get out of that position. She can almost get herself into a seated position from lying down.
What a wondrous day that'll be, because she gets so frustrated and tantrum-screams when she topples over and can't get herself off the floor again. Then when we help her up, she's all smiles and giggles again.
Emma is pulling to stand, and letting go with both hands, standing on her own for a few seconds at a time. She did it the first time on the 25th (10 months from birth day) and has repeated it a few times since then. She's so solid when standing - she really has great balance for that tiny little body of hers.
Julia stood by herself for a few seconds today. She and Emma are hitting the same milestones very very close to one another. It's uncanny. They rolled over on the same day, sat unassisted on the same day, cut the same teeth on the same day...
Julia is getting herself stuck in her crib almost daily. She's such a little wriggly worm. She figured out she could lift her bum off the mattress and slam down with both her legs and does that repeatedly. Now Emma has caught on and is doing it too. The two of them are such little monkeys. They rev one another and will sit and say, "aah" "aah" to one another, increasing in intensity and taking turns and then burst out laughing. It's such a funny game to watch. Ada just smiles and looks at them like they are nuts.
They're all starting to be more uncertain around strangers - an important developmental milestone. Especially Emma needs more time to adjust to new places, people and situations. She had a quivering lower lip today when a friend picked her up, and started bawling when we bathed her in our big soaker tub. It was the first time we bathed all three together in our big bathtub instead of one by one in their baby tub and I guess the sudden shift caught her off guard. She did acclimate eventually and was kicking and slapping the water while shrieking with laughter towards the end. Hopefully tomorrow night's bath time will start happier, too.
Ada waved to the dog and then her dad today, opening and closing her hand. Her sisters aren't waving yet, but are mesmerized when I open and close my hand to show them how to wave. It's like I possess a magic power. They look at my hand, crinkle their nose in fascination, look at theirs, wiggle their fingers, but can't quite get it yet.
Ada isn't crawling yet, but she managed to turn around while seated - 180 degrees. It's funny how she can scoot without getting out of a sitting position. She has figured out how to pull toys towards her, and she benefits from her sisters dropping toys wherever they crawl.
She's starting to want to stand more and I suspect she's going to give this crawling thing a pass altogether. It's beneath her, methinks. Little Miss Ada gets incredibly upset when she's on her tummy. It's a reflux thing. She arches and straightens her legs to get out of that position. She can almost get herself into a seated position from lying down.
What a wondrous day that'll be, because she gets so frustrated and tantrum-screams when she topples over and can't get herself off the floor again. Then when we help her up, she's all smiles and giggles again.
Emma is pulling to stand, and letting go with both hands, standing on her own for a few seconds at a time. She did it the first time on the 25th (10 months from birth day) and has repeated it a few times since then. She's so solid when standing - she really has great balance for that tiny little body of hers.
Julia stood by herself for a few seconds today. She and Emma are hitting the same milestones very very close to one another. It's uncanny. They rolled over on the same day, sat unassisted on the same day, cut the same teeth on the same day...
Julia is getting herself stuck in her crib almost daily. She's such a little wriggly worm. She figured out she could lift her bum off the mattress and slam down with both her legs and does that repeatedly. Now Emma has caught on and is doing it too. The two of them are such little monkeys. They rev one another and will sit and say, "aah" "aah" to one another, increasing in intensity and taking turns and then burst out laughing. It's such a funny game to watch. Ada just smiles and looks at them like they are nuts.
They're all starting to be more uncertain around strangers - an important developmental milestone. Especially Emma needs more time to adjust to new places, people and situations. She had a quivering lower lip today when a friend picked her up, and started bawling when we bathed her in our big soaker tub. It was the first time we bathed all three together in our big bathtub instead of one by one in their baby tub and I guess the sudden shift caught her off guard. She did acclimate eventually and was kicking and slapping the water while shrieking with laughter towards the end. Hopefully tomorrow night's bath time will start happier, too.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
10 months - pulling up to stand
Whoa - we have busy bodies in this house! They are all hitting so many milestones at once that I'm losing track and just had to post to catch up before they're onto the next thing.
We have stopped charting and keeping track of every bottle. This is a big milestone for me, because I'm finally trusting that they're eating enough. Emma isn't on the official growth curve yet, but, like her sisters, she is following her own growth curve nicely. They are all still getting breastmilk, but we have been supplementing Julia and Emma's bottles with high calorie Neosure. As of this week, they are off the Neosure! In addition to the breastmilk, they're now drinking just regular Enfamil. Phew - so much easier to prepare their bottles and mix only one kind of formula for all 3 in addition to the breastmilk.
Ada is leveling out after rocketing up the weight charts at a 45 degree angle. She's in the 84th percentile for weight, which is incredible compared to the 3 pound 14 oz preemie she was at birth. Julia is somewhere in the middle. On the growth curve, but below average for weight.
I've cut down on the number of times I express milk for them, and they're now getting about 50/50. It's been hard for me to let go and start to wean them, but as they're eating more solids, I can at least try to rationalize it. I try to feel good about what I've provided to them these past 10 months, but it's still challenging. My body and mind need a break from the constant pumping. I'm still pumping 3-4 times a day despite my part-time work schedule, but it's nowhere near the 6-8 times it used to be. Not feeling chained to the pump has been wonderful, but it's also hard not to feel guilty about cutting back and reclaiming some normalcy.
This past week Julia and Emma have been pulling up to stand. Emma managed to do that in her crib on August 16, which prompted an emergency lowering-of-the-mattresses on all 3 cribs. They go into 4x4 mode and bulldoze over our legs when we're on the floor with them, and pull themselves up while holding onto our clothes. They are so busy, but we also have our hands freer than ever, because they can sit without falling over, and two out of three can crawl to where they want to be.
They are much less frustrated than just a month ago, and such a joy to be around now.
They have been eating puffs for about two weeks now and are doing well with it. No gagging when they feed themselves, it works great to keep them busy while I mix their cereal. I've also been able to eat breakfast at the feeding table while they eat their puffs. It's been amazing to watch them improve their pincer grasp and how many puffs actually make it into their mouths as opposed to dropping on the floor. We tried cheerios today and they did fine with it. Emma was even preferring the cheerios - she picked them out between the organic apple puffs!
They are all eating pureed apple, pear, banana, sweet potato, butternut, zucchini, green beans and peas. They've tried pureed blueberries with mixed success. On Thursday, they tried banana pieces and did fine. We cook and puree most of their food ourselves. Whatever is not in season, I buy premade, but that is in the minority.
The speech pathologist was here this morning to check their progress with the solids (they were struggling because of the reflux.) On a side note: she told me clapping comes before waving. I tried showing them all how to clap hands. Julia looked like she was going to get it, so I held her on my lap and moved her hands towards one another (still in fists), then showed her how to open her hands and with fingers curled made the clapping motion. I showed her my open hands again, she then opened hers, and without my help, she clapped her hands together! She had it down in about two minutes. I was so excited - I couldn't believe it.
Now she has a new party trick and claps hands all the time, even above her bottle, while I'm feeding her. It's hilarious to watch. I'm still working with Ada and Emma. They can all bang toys together, so I guess it's just a matter of time before they get it too.
When their dad came home yesterday, they were super excited. Ada "flapped" her arms like a flailing little bird, and Julia and Emma crawled toward him. It was the first time he received such a big reaction from the trio. They have just started reaching out to us to be picked up. Not every time, but it's so special to see them communicate that they want our attention.
When something new or strange happens, they all have this curious expression on their faces: their eyebrows perk up and they scrunch their noses. It's pretty funny.
There is so much joy in every moment now. There's an explosion of interaction. We're just soaking it all up after all the hard months. This is the most fun I've had. Ever.
We have stopped charting and keeping track of every bottle. This is a big milestone for me, because I'm finally trusting that they're eating enough. Emma isn't on the official growth curve yet, but, like her sisters, she is following her own growth curve nicely. They are all still getting breastmilk, but we have been supplementing Julia and Emma's bottles with high calorie Neosure. As of this week, they are off the Neosure! In addition to the breastmilk, they're now drinking just regular Enfamil. Phew - so much easier to prepare their bottles and mix only one kind of formula for all 3 in addition to the breastmilk.
Ada is leveling out after rocketing up the weight charts at a 45 degree angle. She's in the 84th percentile for weight, which is incredible compared to the 3 pound 14 oz preemie she was at birth. Julia is somewhere in the middle. On the growth curve, but below average for weight.
I've cut down on the number of times I express milk for them, and they're now getting about 50/50. It's been hard for me to let go and start to wean them, but as they're eating more solids, I can at least try to rationalize it. I try to feel good about what I've provided to them these past 10 months, but it's still challenging. My body and mind need a break from the constant pumping. I'm still pumping 3-4 times a day despite my part-time work schedule, but it's nowhere near the 6-8 times it used to be. Not feeling chained to the pump has been wonderful, but it's also hard not to feel guilty about cutting back and reclaiming some normalcy.
This past week Julia and Emma have been pulling up to stand. Emma managed to do that in her crib on August 16, which prompted an emergency lowering-of-the-mattresses on all 3 cribs. They go into 4x4 mode and bulldoze over our legs when we're on the floor with them, and pull themselves up while holding onto our clothes. They are so busy, but we also have our hands freer than ever, because they can sit without falling over, and two out of three can crawl to where they want to be.
They are much less frustrated than just a month ago, and such a joy to be around now.
They have been eating puffs for about two weeks now and are doing well with it. No gagging when they feed themselves, it works great to keep them busy while I mix their cereal. I've also been able to eat breakfast at the feeding table while they eat their puffs. It's been amazing to watch them improve their pincer grasp and how many puffs actually make it into their mouths as opposed to dropping on the floor. We tried cheerios today and they did fine with it. Emma was even preferring the cheerios - she picked them out between the organic apple puffs!
They are all eating pureed apple, pear, banana, sweet potato, butternut, zucchini, green beans and peas. They've tried pureed blueberries with mixed success. On Thursday, they tried banana pieces and did fine. We cook and puree most of their food ourselves. Whatever is not in season, I buy premade, but that is in the minority.
The speech pathologist was here this morning to check their progress with the solids (they were struggling because of the reflux.) On a side note: she told me clapping comes before waving. I tried showing them all how to clap hands. Julia looked like she was going to get it, so I held her on my lap and moved her hands towards one another (still in fists), then showed her how to open her hands and with fingers curled made the clapping motion. I showed her my open hands again, she then opened hers, and without my help, she clapped her hands together! She had it down in about two minutes. I was so excited - I couldn't believe it.
Now she has a new party trick and claps hands all the time, even above her bottle, while I'm feeding her. It's hilarious to watch. I'm still working with Ada and Emma. They can all bang toys together, so I guess it's just a matter of time before they get it too.
When their dad came home yesterday, they were super excited. Ada "flapped" her arms like a flailing little bird, and Julia and Emma crawled toward him. It was the first time he received such a big reaction from the trio. They have just started reaching out to us to be picked up. Not every time, but it's so special to see them communicate that they want our attention.
When something new or strange happens, they all have this curious expression on their faces: their eyebrows perk up and they scrunch their noses. It's pretty funny.
There is so much joy in every moment now. There's an explosion of interaction. We're just soaking it all up after all the hard months. This is the most fun I've had. Ever.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
9 Months - teething is out of control
Boy, are they teething! Julia is leading the pack with 8 teeth, 6 of which are cutting simultaneously (2 top front, 2 top eyeteeth and the bottom two next to her bottom front teeth). Emma is cutting her two top front teeth and 3rd and 4th bottom tooth simultaneously. Ada is taking it slower, with her 3rd cutting now.
Suffice it to say we haven't slept much in this household. They've been taking turns waking up at all hours. We are as exhausted as we were those first five months.
Emma sitting up from crawling position as of yesterday. Saying, "mama, tata." Ada is making "bwa bwa" sounds. Julia is saying "mama" (she has been saying this the longest) and making these funny Spanish-sounding rrr sounds. She talks more when she's tired and then it becomes a whiny "mwa mwa mwa mwa" sound interspersed with "rrrrs."
Emma started crawling last week and has become more coordinated and faster with every passing day. Julia started commando crawling the same day Emma figured it out. Julia gets from point A to point B faster than Emma. She is stronger on one side and places her right hand over her left hand and then pulls with both arms. She loves it when we have the Superyard gate down and she can slide from the foam mat onto the hardwood floor. Whoa, is she fast! She's constantly crawling towards the forced air grates over the vents and towards the dog.
Trying to take a photo with all 3 in the same position ended up feeling like I was herding cats. It's quite the adjustment for me that they're no longer staying where I put them. Scary!
Miss Ada is sitting and watching, but is just not motivated to follow suit yet. I'm sure she'll get there. She is taking her sweet time to do things, but is such a content, happy baby. I suspect she'll be our little day dreamer. I can already picture her sitting with a book somewhere, lost in thought.
They are snagging toys from one another left right and center. Yesterday I observed Ada taking a toy from Julia and Julia promptly snatching it back. Oh boy. I'm sure triplets will learn sharing before singleton babies, by necessity. I don't suspect it will be any easier, though. Fortunately, there's equal opportunity snatching of toys. Although Ada isn't crawling to get toys, she certainly benefits from her sisters crawling and dropping toys near her.
It's too cute when Julia and Emma pick toys up, make a "run" for it (sometimes with the toy in their mouth like a little puppy), sit and play with it for awhile, and then when they're done with it, drop it behind them. It looks like they're hiding it! It cracks me up every time.
Suffice it to say we haven't slept much in this household. They've been taking turns waking up at all hours. We are as exhausted as we were those first five months.
Emma sitting up from crawling position as of yesterday. Saying, "mama, tata." Ada is making "bwa bwa" sounds. Julia is saying "mama" (she has been saying this the longest) and making these funny Spanish-sounding rrr sounds. She talks more when she's tired and then it becomes a whiny "mwa mwa mwa mwa" sound interspersed with "rrrrs."
Emma started crawling last week and has become more coordinated and faster with every passing day. Julia started commando crawling the same day Emma figured it out. Julia gets from point A to point B faster than Emma. She is stronger on one side and places her right hand over her left hand and then pulls with both arms. She loves it when we have the Superyard gate down and she can slide from the foam mat onto the hardwood floor. Whoa, is she fast! She's constantly crawling towards the forced air grates over the vents and towards the dog.
Trying to take a photo with all 3 in the same position ended up feeling like I was herding cats. It's quite the adjustment for me that they're no longer staying where I put them. Scary!
Miss Ada is sitting and watching, but is just not motivated to follow suit yet. I'm sure she'll get there. She is taking her sweet time to do things, but is such a content, happy baby. I suspect she'll be our little day dreamer. I can already picture her sitting with a book somewhere, lost in thought.
They are snagging toys from one another left right and center. Yesterday I observed Ada taking a toy from Julia and Julia promptly snatching it back. Oh boy. I'm sure triplets will learn sharing before singleton babies, by necessity. I don't suspect it will be any easier, though. Fortunately, there's equal opportunity snatching of toys. Although Ada isn't crawling to get toys, she certainly benefits from her sisters crawling and dropping toys near her.
It's too cute when Julia and Emma pick toys up, make a "run" for it (sometimes with the toy in their mouth like a little puppy), sit and play with it for awhile, and then when they're done with it, drop it behind them. It looks like they're hiding it! It cracks me up every time.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A mother's lament
The girls are starting to crawl. I'm trying hard to embrace their newfound independence, but we are utterly unprepared for this next phase. Of course we knew it was coming, but it still feels like it happened overnight.
We rushed out and bought an extra tall gate for the stairs that lead to the basement, hastily plugged all of the electrical sockets, and have the XT Superyard up around their play area.
Suddenly, our entire house seems like a danger zone - a choking, pinching, toppling over hazard. They crawl towards the dog, the camera, grab at my coffee cup while I'm drinking it, poke one another in the eye, want to crawl inside the exersaucers and underneath the bouncy seats. They demand constant vigilance now and I realize it will only get worse.
They are growing and developing so fast. I choke up when people comment that they've lost their infant-look, when I pack away clothes they've outgrown, or when I think about their first birthday just three months away. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited by their progress, proud of how far we've come, but I can't shake the sadness that I'll never get to experience this particular kind of baby magic again.
I feel like I've hardly had a chance to enjoy their babydom. It has consumed almost every minute of every day, but having triplets immerses you so fully and completely in the experience that you rarely have a chance to step back and recognize time has past.
I force myself to come to a standstill sometimes and just breathe. I watch them sleep, or linger a minute to snuggle their necks and steal kisses before I lay them down after a middle-of-the-night feeding. I play peekaboo, tickle games, and blow raspberries on their tummies, but there's never enough time between everything else that needs to happen to just enjoy being with them. It always feels like stolen moments.
It's almost with a shock that I realized I've stopped burping them, or that they no longer wail for every little thing.
Mostly their cries are now related to frustration at not being able to get into a specific position or reach a specific toy. Even though they don't have separation anxiety, they often let out a quick displeased cry when I dare walk away.
They crack us up when they talk to one another, giggle at one another's antics, or mimic one another. When they're in the exersaucers and one starts to jump, it causes such a ruckus when the others join in and it leads to lots of belly laughter. They really do amuse one another. It's adorable to watch.
I often sneak a peek into their bedroom when they've woken up to see them "chatting" with and cooing at one another. Sometimes they'd coo a bit before falling asleep too. There are lots of conversations happening in their nursery that we're not privy to.
Their personalities are really starting to show. They're such little people now.
We rushed out and bought an extra tall gate for the stairs that lead to the basement, hastily plugged all of the electrical sockets, and have the XT Superyard up around their play area.
Suddenly, our entire house seems like a danger zone - a choking, pinching, toppling over hazard. They crawl towards the dog, the camera, grab at my coffee cup while I'm drinking it, poke one another in the eye, want to crawl inside the exersaucers and underneath the bouncy seats. They demand constant vigilance now and I realize it will only get worse.
They are growing and developing so fast. I choke up when people comment that they've lost their infant-look, when I pack away clothes they've outgrown, or when I think about their first birthday just three months away. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited by their progress, proud of how far we've come, but I can't shake the sadness that I'll never get to experience this particular kind of baby magic again.
I feel like I've hardly had a chance to enjoy their babydom. It has consumed almost every minute of every day, but having triplets immerses you so fully and completely in the experience that you rarely have a chance to step back and recognize time has past.
I force myself to come to a standstill sometimes and just breathe. I watch them sleep, or linger a minute to snuggle their necks and steal kisses before I lay them down after a middle-of-the-night feeding. I play peekaboo, tickle games, and blow raspberries on their tummies, but there's never enough time between everything else that needs to happen to just enjoy being with them. It always feels like stolen moments.
It's almost with a shock that I realized I've stopped burping them, or that they no longer wail for every little thing.
Mostly their cries are now related to frustration at not being able to get into a specific position or reach a specific toy. Even though they don't have separation anxiety, they often let out a quick displeased cry when I dare walk away.
They crack us up when they talk to one another, giggle at one another's antics, or mimic one another. When they're in the exersaucers and one starts to jump, it causes such a ruckus when the others join in and it leads to lots of belly laughter. They really do amuse one another. It's adorable to watch.
I often sneak a peek into their bedroom when they've woken up to see them "chatting" with and cooing at one another. Sometimes they'd coo a bit before falling asleep too. There are lots of conversations happening in their nursery that we're not privy to.
Their personalities are really starting to show. They're such little people now.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Eight Months - Sitting!
Ada has been sitting up unassisted since June 29. She's not comfortable on her belly and doesn't roll as frequently as her sisters. It'll take some time before she starts crawling, I think. She still falls backwards sometimes, and struggles to go from a seated position to a crawling position, so we still have a Boppy pillow behind her, just in case.
For a few weeks now, Emma has been rocking back and forth in an attempt to start crawling. A couple of days ago she finally managed to free her hands one at a time and scootch her knees forward. She's so darn close now. Be afraid!
She started cutting her first top front tooth last week, and a 3rd bottom tooth cut yesterday. Our littlest peanut, who struggled the most in the NICU, is blazing a trail. The past two weeks eating cereal has finally clicked for her as well and she now anticipates the spoon coming towards her and opens her mouth. I'm sure they think I'm a riot because there's lots of bee buzzing and chucka chucka toot-toot train sounds as the spoon approaches them. It's so much faster to feed her now than it was in the beginning. Emma and Julia both have a pretty significant gag reflex. When I tried peas and sweet potato (different feedings), she gagged and barfed.
Julia is close to sitting unassisted and can get herself into a crawling position, but hasn't been able to move forward yet. Her first top tooth is just under the surface. She doesn't particularly care for solids and clams shut if it's anything but cereal and fruit.
They're clinging on to us when we pick them up. Just like little monkeys. They're not stretching out their arms to be picked up yet, but I noticed Ada reaching somewhat when her dad bent down to pick her up yesterday.
We've been teaching them basic sign language and yesterday Julia made the sign for milk. She opened and closed her hand several times in a very deliberate way. It was an approximation of the sign, but I'll take it.
I suddenly realized last week that we're no longer burping them. They tend to take care of it themselves when they start moving around. It's the best. With them sitting a bit better, I suddenly have my arms free while playing with them and it's so much easier!
For a few weeks now, Emma has been rocking back and forth in an attempt to start crawling. A couple of days ago she finally managed to free her hands one at a time and scootch her knees forward. She's so darn close now. Be afraid!
She started cutting her first top front tooth last week, and a 3rd bottom tooth cut yesterday. Our littlest peanut, who struggled the most in the NICU, is blazing a trail. The past two weeks eating cereal has finally clicked for her as well and she now anticipates the spoon coming towards her and opens her mouth. I'm sure they think I'm a riot because there's lots of bee buzzing and chucka chucka toot-toot train sounds as the spoon approaches them. It's so much faster to feed her now than it was in the beginning. Emma and Julia both have a pretty significant gag reflex. When I tried peas and sweet potato (different feedings), she gagged and barfed.
Julia is close to sitting unassisted and can get herself into a crawling position, but hasn't been able to move forward yet. Her first top tooth is just under the surface. She doesn't particularly care for solids and clams shut if it's anything but cereal and fruit.
They're clinging on to us when we pick them up. Just like little monkeys. They're not stretching out their arms to be picked up yet, but I noticed Ada reaching somewhat when her dad bent down to pick her up yesterday.
We've been teaching them basic sign language and yesterday Julia made the sign for milk. She opened and closed her hand several times in a very deliberate way. It was an approximation of the sign, but I'll take it.
I suddenly realized last week that we're no longer burping them. They tend to take care of it themselves when they start moving around. It's the best. With them sitting a bit better, I suddenly have my arms free while playing with them and it's so much easier!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Checking in at the doctor's office
Being a triplet momma often elicits big reactions from strangers. Even without my kids present. I've gotten used to the idea of having triplets. As used to it as is possible, I guess, because it does still feel weird to use the word, "triplets." I just think of them as my 3 children, born minutes apart.
So there I was, presenting myself to the receptionist at the doctor's office. She asks me all the usual questions to confirm my identity. "My personal information is unchanged and my insurance number is the same. But there are a few new names on the card, in case you wanted to scan it again."
I hand over the insurance card.
She: Which name is new?
Me: There are 3 new names - my babies.
She: Wait. What?
Me: I have triplets.
She: YOU had triplets?
Me: Yes.
She: YOU?
Me: Yes. Almost 8 months ago now.
She (incredulous as she sizes me up): You BIRTHED them yourself?
Me (smiling): I did.
She (now elbowing her colleague to share her disbelief): Hey, SHE (pointing at me) had T.R.I.P.L.E.T.S?! Can you believe it?!
Now I have all 6 employees behind the window staring up at me, asking questions simultaneously. I answer them all, and then drift away on a cloud of ego-stroked bliss.
So there I was, presenting myself to the receptionist at the doctor's office. She asks me all the usual questions to confirm my identity. "My personal information is unchanged and my insurance number is the same. But there are a few new names on the card, in case you wanted to scan it again."
I hand over the insurance card.
She: Which name is new?
Me: There are 3 new names - my babies.
She: Wait. What?
Me: I have triplets.
She: YOU had triplets?
Me: Yes.
She: YOU?
Me: Yes. Almost 8 months ago now.
She (incredulous as she sizes me up): You BIRTHED them yourself?
Me (smiling): I did.
She (now elbowing her colleague to share her disbelief): Hey, SHE (pointing at me) had T.R.I.P.L.E.T.S?! Can you believe it?!
Now I have all 6 employees behind the window staring up at me, asking questions simultaneously. I answer them all, and then drift away on a cloud of ego-stroked bliss.
The girls' development at seven months
The girls are all starting to sit up, but they are not able to sit unassisted yet. They laugh out loud - easily and frequently - and it's just the best sound ever. It melts my heart. Of course, they think their parents are a riot. We pull faces, play tickle games, make funny sounds as we touch their noses and blow raspberries. Any game that works with anticipation is just the ticket.
In general, getting belly laughs and giggles now is so much easier than two months ago. It's bliss! I love love love this fabulous stage.
They light up when they see my husband or I and what could be better than that? They are totally okay with being picked up and held by our friends, but they definitely keep tabs on my whereabouts, which is so cute. They're starting to be a little less sure around people they haven't met or seen in a while, so we're seeing a few quivering lower lips every now and then. It usually just takes a quick reassuring expression from me or them just catching sight of me, for them to settle down and enjoy the interaction with the "new" person.
Ada finally rolled from stomach to back and once she figured it out, she couldn't stop doing it. They all go to sleep on their tummies because of reflux, but when they aren't tired enough, they'll flip themselves over. This usually goes along with a ginormous grin observed out of the corner of my eye as I'm trying not to make eye contact. Sometimes there's a giggle for special effect, and a fabulous, "Look what I can do! I'm so totally adorable. Come on, pick me up!" expression.
We resist the urge to interact when they're going down for a nap, but I often walk out of the nursery, close the door and then crack up because the cuteness factor is simply off the scales.
Julia and Emma are rolling both ways now. They're not able to roll multiple times yet. Emma almost did it yesterday, but then a toy distracted her and stopped her in her tracks. Our littlest is the most mobile of the three. She has been making crawling motions and will get her one leg under her and rock, but then doesn't know where to take the movement. She scootches after toys, and is quick as lightning when it comes to snagging toys away from in front of her sisters. Emma has been tummy "surfing" in circles recently. She completed two 360 degree circles in the spate of a few minutes.
We often joke how true it is that kids would rather play with the cardboard box than their toys. They love the shadows on the walls, the tags on their toys, bouncy seats and Boppy pillows, and playing with their own fingers and toes!
On that note: we have 3 little toe suckers now. Eek! I know it's a developmental milestone when they find their feet and can bring their toes to their faces, but yikes. I've even caught them suckling on one another's toes, which is just one more wonderful benefit to being a triplet: 30 toes to suck on!
I often find them holding or touching one another's hands, faces and hair. Those are the sweetest moments. There is, of course, lots of accidental slapping of their sisters (darn those fine motor skills), accidental face poking and scratching, but for the most part, they're as gentle as they can be at this age.
In general, getting belly laughs and giggles now is so much easier than two months ago. It's bliss! I love love love this fabulous stage.
They light up when they see my husband or I and what could be better than that? They are totally okay with being picked up and held by our friends, but they definitely keep tabs on my whereabouts, which is so cute. They're starting to be a little less sure around people they haven't met or seen in a while, so we're seeing a few quivering lower lips every now and then. It usually just takes a quick reassuring expression from me or them just catching sight of me, for them to settle down and enjoy the interaction with the "new" person.
Ada finally rolled from stomach to back and once she figured it out, she couldn't stop doing it. They all go to sleep on their tummies because of reflux, but when they aren't tired enough, they'll flip themselves over. This usually goes along with a ginormous grin observed out of the corner of my eye as I'm trying not to make eye contact. Sometimes there's a giggle for special effect, and a fabulous, "Look what I can do! I'm so totally adorable. Come on, pick me up!" expression.
We resist the urge to interact when they're going down for a nap, but I often walk out of the nursery, close the door and then crack up because the cuteness factor is simply off the scales.
Julia and Emma are rolling both ways now. They're not able to roll multiple times yet. Emma almost did it yesterday, but then a toy distracted her and stopped her in her tracks. Our littlest is the most mobile of the three. She has been making crawling motions and will get her one leg under her and rock, but then doesn't know where to take the movement. She scootches after toys, and is quick as lightning when it comes to snagging toys away from in front of her sisters. Emma has been tummy "surfing" in circles recently. She completed two 360 degree circles in the spate of a few minutes.
We often joke how true it is that kids would rather play with the cardboard box than their toys. They love the shadows on the walls, the tags on their toys, bouncy seats and Boppy pillows, and playing with their own fingers and toes!
On that note: we have 3 little toe suckers now. Eek! I know it's a developmental milestone when they find their feet and can bring their toes to their faces, but yikes. I've even caught them suckling on one another's toes, which is just one more wonderful benefit to being a triplet: 30 toes to suck on!
I often find them holding or touching one another's hands, faces and hair. Those are the sweetest moments. There is, of course, lots of accidental slapping of their sisters (darn those fine motor skills), accidental face poking and scratching, but for the most part, they're as gentle as they can be at this age.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Sunday, June 06, 2010
It Finally Happened
Imagine that: a good night's sleep! All 3 girls slept through the night and we did too. No waking, no fussing, no feeding, no nothing between 11 and 7. Not a peep!
And miracle of all miracles: both Dh and I slept straight through too. Usually, we're anticipating their wake cycle and struggle to go back to sleep despite being overtired. Dh thought I was up with them and I thought he was up with them. It took us a while this morning to realize they had slept through the night.
I was so uncomfortable during the IVF cycle and pregnancy that there was no sleeping through the night. Therefore it is the first solid night of uninterrupted sleep in more than 14 months!
And miracle of all miracles: both Dh and I slept straight through too. Usually, we're anticipating their wake cycle and struggle to go back to sleep despite being overtired. Dh thought I was up with them and I thought he was up with them. It took us a while this morning to realize they had slept through the night.
I was so uncomfortable during the IVF cycle and pregnancy that there was no sleeping through the night. Therefore it is the first solid night of uninterrupted sleep in more than 14 months!
Friday, June 04, 2010
Out & About
We've been getting out much more often, which is phenomenal. The girls love it, and I get a sanity break. It is a heck of a lot of work to pack, load, unload, feed, diaper, load, unload on my own when we're on the go, but I manage. Whenever we venture out with the minivan, I'm exhausted by the time we're home. But it gets easier the more we do it.
Going out for walks around the neighborhood is much easier and faster. We regularly go on a 2 mile hike on a nearby trail. It used to be a railroad track, so it's not too uneven with the stroller. Just a good enough shakey shake to help them burp!
We participated in a parade recently and it was awesome. I mean, we're a freak show anyway with the triplet limo, so why not flaunt it? There were lots of exclamations along the lines of, "Triplets? Awesome!" or "Look, cute babies!" and "Wow, triplets!" Wonderful, supportive shouts of "Yay for the mommy!" which was just magic to hear. I loved seeing the crowd's reaction and my husband had a video camera pointed at the crowd so we could capture it for posterity. My face hurt, I was smiling so much.
The girls get tons of attention whenever we head out, of course, because who can resist a baby? Any baby. And 3 of them, well, that's just 3 times the magnet.
I've learned to embrace it rather than resent it, since they'll blend in soon enough once they start walking and we ditch the stroller. I realize spotting triplets is a novelty, and I would probably have reacted the same way if I suddenly encountered a set of adorable triplets.
We're lucky in the sense that we haven't had too many awful comments and that not a single stranger has attempted to touch the babies. There are often very strange and quirky questions, comments and responses that amuse me. People are clearly caught off guard and then say the funniest things. The best one from yesterday, "Are they REAL triplets?" I just laughed proudly and said, "Yes!" But it left me wondering: real... as opposed to?
Since we were in a huge parade, I knew people would be taking photos and I was sort of trying to be okay with that. The only annoying encounter we had was when a woman walked up before the parade as we were crossing the street and without even making an attempt to talk to us, she just put her cell phone camera in their faces to take a photo. I purposefully stood in front of her, made a face, and said in an offended tone, "No. Please don't." Ugh. Thankfully, she retreated and said, "Sorry." I think people don't realize in that moment that these are my children, not some oddity. She had kids with her, and I'm sure she'd be mortified if some stranger walked up to her, randomly pulled out a camera, and took close up photos of her kids! Sheesh, people.
On a happier note, there was a surprise bonus: we spotted 2-year old triplets in the crowd during the parade! The mom was waving like crazy to get our attention. LOL. And afterwards, a woman came up to me to tell me her best friend was 10 weeks pregnant with triplets. I gave her my contact details to share with her friend, and I hope she reaches out to me. It's so scary in the beginning when you have no idea what the outcome of your pregnancy will be. If she contacts me, I'd love for her to meet our kids and hopefully, that will give her some encouragement to see how they're thriving now.
Going out for walks around the neighborhood is much easier and faster. We regularly go on a 2 mile hike on a nearby trail. It used to be a railroad track, so it's not too uneven with the stroller. Just a good enough shakey shake to help them burp!
We participated in a parade recently and it was awesome. I mean, we're a freak show anyway with the triplet limo, so why not flaunt it? There were lots of exclamations along the lines of, "Triplets? Awesome!" or "Look, cute babies!" and "Wow, triplets!" Wonderful, supportive shouts of "Yay for the mommy!" which was just magic to hear. I loved seeing the crowd's reaction and my husband had a video camera pointed at the crowd so we could capture it for posterity. My face hurt, I was smiling so much.
The girls get tons of attention whenever we head out, of course, because who can resist a baby? Any baby. And 3 of them, well, that's just 3 times the magnet.
I've learned to embrace it rather than resent it, since they'll blend in soon enough once they start walking and we ditch the stroller. I realize spotting triplets is a novelty, and I would probably have reacted the same way if I suddenly encountered a set of adorable triplets.
We're lucky in the sense that we haven't had too many awful comments and that not a single stranger has attempted to touch the babies. There are often very strange and quirky questions, comments and responses that amuse me. People are clearly caught off guard and then say the funniest things. The best one from yesterday, "Are they REAL triplets?" I just laughed proudly and said, "Yes!" But it left me wondering: real... as opposed to?
Since we were in a huge parade, I knew people would be taking photos and I was sort of trying to be okay with that. The only annoying encounter we had was when a woman walked up before the parade as we were crossing the street and without even making an attempt to talk to us, she just put her cell phone camera in their faces to take a photo. I purposefully stood in front of her, made a face, and said in an offended tone, "No. Please don't." Ugh. Thankfully, she retreated and said, "Sorry." I think people don't realize in that moment that these are my children, not some oddity. She had kids with her, and I'm sure she'd be mortified if some stranger walked up to her, randomly pulled out a camera, and took close up photos of her kids! Sheesh, people.
On a happier note, there was a surprise bonus: we spotted 2-year old triplets in the crowd during the parade! The mom was waving like crazy to get our attention. LOL. And afterwards, a woman came up to me to tell me her best friend was 10 weeks pregnant with triplets. I gave her my contact details to share with her friend, and I hope she reaches out to me. It's so scary in the beginning when you have no idea what the outcome of your pregnancy will be. If she contacts me, I'd love for her to meet our kids and hopefully, that will give her some encouragement to see how they're thriving now.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Miss Personality x 3
Over these past 6 months, I've learned to distinguish my babies' cries from one another, to pick up on their tired and hungry cues before it reaches epic proportions, and to be in the moment with them.
They're acting more like little girls these days rather than fragile preemie infants and it's wonderful to see.
Ada has started cooing more frequently and with a larger repertoire of sounds. She laughs out loud more often and giggles in reaction to the games we play with her. She can go from frowning and looking very serious to the widest, happiest, beaming smile. She's such a joy and was first to laugh out loud. Ada is more content during the day than at night. Her fussy periods are thankfully shorter than they used to be. She still doesn't settle herself, though. When she gets overstimulated or overtired, it's really hard to calm her down. She has the saddest sob ever and it takes a long time to calm her down after she cried. Sometimes I can't soothe her at all regardless of trying all "The Happiest Baby on the Block" techniques and it just breaks my heart when she cries uncontrollably like that. I don't want to rush this precious stage she's in right now, but I can't wait for her to outgrow the GERD (reflux) and colic.
She loves eating solids and we have progressed from rice cereal to veggies and rice cereal with fruit. So far, she's tried carrots, peaches, green beans, pears and apples. She made the FUNNIEST "What are you doing to me?!" face when we offered her the carrots and peaches, but ate it anyway. She waves her arms and kicks her legs when I approach her with the bowl and spoon and then proceeds to smack her lips once she tastes the food. It's a riot watching her eat as she's now taken to blowing raspberries and "speaking" with her mouth full of food. I've also been sneezed upon with a mouth full of sticky cereal!
Ada is not that into her toys yet and struggles with gross motor movements. She is pretty sturdy in the sitting department, but movement? Not so much. She can hold her head up and push up, but is not interested in aeroplaning or rolling.
Julia is grasping toys with both hands and studying them. She coos and blows bubbles and makes lots of different sounds. Unlike most babies, she decided to make consonant sounds before attempting the vowels. She likes to say, "rrrr" like the Spanish would pronounce it. She had a few fussy days recently and the drooling has increased a million fold, so we figured teething was imminent. We were right. Two days ago, we noticed her first bottom tooth, and today she's sporting another. She's cutting them fast and furious.
Julia was the last to come home from the NICU, but first to roll over from stomach to back, and she's first in the teething department. She was first to push up when lying on her tummy. Now that she knows how to coo, giggle, push up and roll, it takes some effort on our part to get her to keep doing it. She seems to bore easily. As soon as she acquires a new skill, she wants to move on to the next big thing. Her latest maneuver is lying on her back and lifting both legs up. Once she realizes she can sway her body to the side by doing that, she'll be rolling to her tummy in no time.
She has a slightly more serious disposition than her sisters. She finds my games amusing and will laugh out loud when I persist, but I have to earn it. Tough crowd. Sometimes I'll only get half a smile. She does this almost teenager-like expression where just the corner of her mouth is turned upward, like she's throwing me a bone. "Here, mom, here's your consolation prize for trying so hard."
Julia has tasted all of the same foods as Ada, but isn't as keen on solids at this point.
Emma is our tiniest pixie (we call her "Pixel" sometimes because she's so small). She has struggled the most with reflux. Despite that, she is such a content baby. She soothes herself to sleep by sucking her thumb and is by far our champion sleeper.
Emma has such a sweet, calm disposition. She rarely cries and fusses and now that we have switched to Prevacid for GERD, she is eating much better. A few weeks ago, I struggled to get 22 oz in her per day, but now she is regularly eating 26oz+ and less symptomatic. She isn't into solids at all and gags easily, but we've been having her taste whatever Ada eats, just for practice.
Now that her cheeks are filling out, you can see her dimples!
Even though she's much smaller than her sisters, she is pretty darn strong. During tummy time she pushes herself up the farthest and was the first to figure out that she can extend an arm to reach toys when she pivots to one side. She stares at her hands, opens and closes them like they're the best thing since sliced bread, and has clearly figured out that they're useful appendages. Just yesterday she snagged a toy that her sisters were looking at and I thought, "Oh boy, here we go."
Nobody is aware of their feet yet. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they realize they have feet and start chewing their toes. Tee hee.
They're acting more like little girls these days rather than fragile preemie infants and it's wonderful to see.
Ada has started cooing more frequently and with a larger repertoire of sounds. She laughs out loud more often and giggles in reaction to the games we play with her. She can go from frowning and looking very serious to the widest, happiest, beaming smile. She's such a joy and was first to laugh out loud. Ada is more content during the day than at night. Her fussy periods are thankfully shorter than they used to be. She still doesn't settle herself, though. When she gets overstimulated or overtired, it's really hard to calm her down. She has the saddest sob ever and it takes a long time to calm her down after she cried. Sometimes I can't soothe her at all regardless of trying all "The Happiest Baby on the Block" techniques and it just breaks my heart when she cries uncontrollably like that. I don't want to rush this precious stage she's in right now, but I can't wait for her to outgrow the GERD (reflux) and colic.
She loves eating solids and we have progressed from rice cereal to veggies and rice cereal with fruit. So far, she's tried carrots, peaches, green beans, pears and apples. She made the FUNNIEST "What are you doing to me?!" face when we offered her the carrots and peaches, but ate it anyway. She waves her arms and kicks her legs when I approach her with the bowl and spoon and then proceeds to smack her lips once she tastes the food. It's a riot watching her eat as she's now taken to blowing raspberries and "speaking" with her mouth full of food. I've also been sneezed upon with a mouth full of sticky cereal!
Ada is not that into her toys yet and struggles with gross motor movements. She is pretty sturdy in the sitting department, but movement? Not so much. She can hold her head up and push up, but is not interested in aeroplaning or rolling.
Julia is grasping toys with both hands and studying them. She coos and blows bubbles and makes lots of different sounds. Unlike most babies, she decided to make consonant sounds before attempting the vowels. She likes to say, "rrrr" like the Spanish would pronounce it. She had a few fussy days recently and the drooling has increased a million fold, so we figured teething was imminent. We were right. Two days ago, we noticed her first bottom tooth, and today she's sporting another. She's cutting them fast and furious.
Julia was the last to come home from the NICU, but first to roll over from stomach to back, and she's first in the teething department. She was first to push up when lying on her tummy. Now that she knows how to coo, giggle, push up and roll, it takes some effort on our part to get her to keep doing it. She seems to bore easily. As soon as she acquires a new skill, she wants to move on to the next big thing. Her latest maneuver is lying on her back and lifting both legs up. Once she realizes she can sway her body to the side by doing that, she'll be rolling to her tummy in no time.
She has a slightly more serious disposition than her sisters. She finds my games amusing and will laugh out loud when I persist, but I have to earn it. Tough crowd. Sometimes I'll only get half a smile. She does this almost teenager-like expression where just the corner of her mouth is turned upward, like she's throwing me a bone. "Here, mom, here's your consolation prize for trying so hard."
Julia has tasted all of the same foods as Ada, but isn't as keen on solids at this point.
Emma is our tiniest pixie (we call her "Pixel" sometimes because she's so small). She has struggled the most with reflux. Despite that, she is such a content baby. She soothes herself to sleep by sucking her thumb and is by far our champion sleeper.
Emma has such a sweet, calm disposition. She rarely cries and fusses and now that we have switched to Prevacid for GERD, she is eating much better. A few weeks ago, I struggled to get 22 oz in her per day, but now she is regularly eating 26oz+ and less symptomatic. She isn't into solids at all and gags easily, but we've been having her taste whatever Ada eats, just for practice.
Now that her cheeks are filling out, you can see her dimples!
Even though she's much smaller than her sisters, she is pretty darn strong. During tummy time she pushes herself up the farthest and was the first to figure out that she can extend an arm to reach toys when she pivots to one side. She stares at her hands, opens and closes them like they're the best thing since sliced bread, and has clearly figured out that they're useful appendages. Just yesterday she snagged a toy that her sisters were looking at and I thought, "Oh boy, here we go."
Nobody is aware of their feet yet. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before they realize they have feet and start chewing their toes. Tee hee.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Getting the giggles
The girls have been smiling and cooing for quite some time and every now and then we heard Ada giggle. Yesterday, suddenly, they all got the gigggles. What a delight to hear all 3 laughing out loud! It was more of a gasp-giggle sound, but I'll take it.
Now I know it's easy to entertain any baby with "tickle tickle," peekaboo, funny noises, face pulling and blowing raspberry games, but mine had been looking at me like I had two heads. Not that it deterred me (hee hee), but I was starting to wonder if our sense of humor gene had skipped a generation.
That's until yesterday. Close friends came over and their almost-teenage son helped to entertain the girls. It all started with a soft toy frog. He made, "doob de doob de doob" sounds as the frog slowly "jumped" toward their faces. They thought it was hilarious. Granted, the frog is pretty goofy looking with its tongue sticking out and it is one of their favorite toys, but something just clicked for them. Once they figured out they could laugh audibly, there was no stopping them.
Every game from that point on solicited chuckles and belly laughs. It is the most beautiful sound. Ever.
Now I know it's easy to entertain any baby with "tickle tickle," peekaboo, funny noises, face pulling and blowing raspberry games, but mine had been looking at me like I had two heads. Not that it deterred me (hee hee), but I was starting to wonder if our sense of humor gene had skipped a generation.
That's until yesterday. Close friends came over and their almost-teenage son helped to entertain the girls. It all started with a soft toy frog. He made, "doob de doob de doob" sounds as the frog slowly "jumped" toward their faces. They thought it was hilarious. Granted, the frog is pretty goofy looking with its tongue sticking out and it is one of their favorite toys, but something just clicked for them. Once they figured out they could laugh audibly, there was no stopping them.
Every game from that point on solicited chuckles and belly laughs. It is the most beautiful sound. Ever.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Bonding
This post has been brewing in my mind since the early days of infertility. I've often wondered how I would bond with my child(ren). Would it be an instantaneous feeling at some significant "safe" point during pregnancy, a progressive realization culminating in birth, or a combination of experiences and interactions prior to and post birth?
I felt an instant connection when I first saw 3 little flickers on the ultrasound. I knew they were my babies, but it didn't feel real for many many months. I went ahead with a CVS procedure to help ease my mind or help prepare me for a child (or children) with special needs. There was never any doubt that I loved these peanuts who were growing inside me. Even though I was thrilled, scared, intrigued and mesmerized by them on every ultrasound, it still felt strangely unreal. It just wasn't sinking in that I could actually have children - let alone three.live.babies.
I guess it was self-preservation in the event I miscarried one or all, sheer overwhelmedness at the prospect of raising triplets, and continued disbelief that I was fortunate enough to be pregnant at all.
Now that I'm on the other side of the birth, have had the life changing experience of meeting my children, and have had the benefit of a mere 5 months of perspective, I'm still not entirely sure. But somehow, in the past few weeks, I've felt more bonded to these babies than I did during the pregnancy, their birth and shortly thereafter.
Anyone who has had a C-Section can understand how robbed one feels after the birthing experience. If having children is one's singular focus for so many years, it's hard not to feel a little cheated by the way the actual birth happens. You are shielded from seeing your children's first breath, censored from the full experience. It is bizarre. After having carried them for so long, there is no moment of recognition, no skin-to-skin snuggle, no meet and greet. Just a frenetic, sterile OR with babies briskly whisked away by NICU staff.
You are left pondering the biggest moment in your life while being stitched up, sedated and unable to move. There is no post-birth bliss, no time to exhale and just breathe, no moment untainted with fear over their well being. I heard their cries in surround sound as they were born, and listened as it faded down the hallway when they were being wheeled to the NICU.
The NICU ritual is even more distancing. You sanitize your hands, cover your clothes, touch your babies through isolette port holes at designated times. It is regimented, structured, clinical... There is no privacy, nowhere to bond with your babies or flee when the fear and guilt at their premature birth and suffering overtake you.
It's no wonder then that our bonding has progressed slowly. With each glimpse of their personalities, each prolonged stretch-after-waking that resembles a slow thaw, each snuggle, each smile, each cry, their being is etched deeper onto my heart. I'm so in love with them. Even more profoundly, I am so fond of them.
I find myself staring at each of my babies in wordless wonderment, even when I'm exhausted beyond comprehension. I feel strangely empty when I'm away from them, like I'm missing an essential body part. I know I will never be whole again unless they are in my life.
They look at me knowingly, with the expectation that I will feed them, clean them, entertain them, ease their pain. Their cries are like shock waves of electricity to my soul, a visceral reaction requiring immediate attention.
They are barely five months old, but in this short period of time, they have made me a mother. Finally.
I felt an instant connection when I first saw 3 little flickers on the ultrasound. I knew they were my babies, but it didn't feel real for many many months. I went ahead with a CVS procedure to help ease my mind or help prepare me for a child (or children) with special needs. There was never any doubt that I loved these peanuts who were growing inside me. Even though I was thrilled, scared, intrigued and mesmerized by them on every ultrasound, it still felt strangely unreal. It just wasn't sinking in that I could actually have children - let alone three.live.babies.
I guess it was self-preservation in the event I miscarried one or all, sheer overwhelmedness at the prospect of raising triplets, and continued disbelief that I was fortunate enough to be pregnant at all.
Now that I'm on the other side of the birth, have had the life changing experience of meeting my children, and have had the benefit of a mere 5 months of perspective, I'm still not entirely sure. But somehow, in the past few weeks, I've felt more bonded to these babies than I did during the pregnancy, their birth and shortly thereafter.
Anyone who has had a C-Section can understand how robbed one feels after the birthing experience. If having children is one's singular focus for so many years, it's hard not to feel a little cheated by the way the actual birth happens. You are shielded from seeing your children's first breath, censored from the full experience. It is bizarre. After having carried them for so long, there is no moment of recognition, no skin-to-skin snuggle, no meet and greet. Just a frenetic, sterile OR with babies briskly whisked away by NICU staff.
You are left pondering the biggest moment in your life while being stitched up, sedated and unable to move. There is no post-birth bliss, no time to exhale and just breathe, no moment untainted with fear over their well being. I heard their cries in surround sound as they were born, and listened as it faded down the hallway when they were being wheeled to the NICU.
The NICU ritual is even more distancing. You sanitize your hands, cover your clothes, touch your babies through isolette port holes at designated times. It is regimented, structured, clinical... There is no privacy, nowhere to bond with your babies or flee when the fear and guilt at their premature birth and suffering overtake you.
It's no wonder then that our bonding has progressed slowly. With each glimpse of their personalities, each prolonged stretch-after-waking that resembles a slow thaw, each snuggle, each smile, each cry, their being is etched deeper onto my heart. I'm so in love with them. Even more profoundly, I am so fond of them.
I find myself staring at each of my babies in wordless wonderment, even when I'm exhausted beyond comprehension. I feel strangely empty when I'm away from them, like I'm missing an essential body part. I know I will never be whole again unless they are in my life.
They look at me knowingly, with the expectation that I will feed them, clean them, entertain them, ease their pain. Their cries are like shock waves of electricity to my soul, a visceral reaction requiring immediate attention.
They are barely five months old, but in this short period of time, they have made me a mother. Finally.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Strange encounters of the third kind
Today a year ago I took a home pregnancy test and well, the rest is history. I can hardly believe our babies are five months old already. As I was packing away their 0-3 month clothes, it just hit me how fast they're growing.
Ada is 16 lbs, Julia 12 and Emma 11. Ada is in size 3 diapers - rapidly approaching size 4 - and wearing 6-9 month clothes. Julia and Emma are wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes.
Although their newborn phase is a blur of NICU visits, sleepless nights, refluxing and horror feedings, I'm sad that it has gone by as fast as it did. If infertility has taught me anything, it's to enjoy every moment, but I feel like I've barely blinked and they're almost halfway to toddlerhood.
Our time is even more precious now as I am planning to return to work. I don't know how on earth I'm going to manage it. I'm excited to be back at work, even just part time, as I love my job, the place where I work, and my colleagues. However, I'm filled with trepidation about the level of juggling it will entail. I don't want to be spread so thin that I'm both a bad mother and a bad employee. I guess time will tell. Perhaps being forced to lower my standards will be a good life lesson to learn. Gmph!
It's been a loooong winter of being cooped up and quarantined. I'm looking forward to getting out more often with the trio, and introducing the babies to the big, wide world. Fortunately, our cocooning efforts have paid off during the RSV season as we have managed to avoid illnesses so far.
In recent weeks, whenever the weather has allowed, we've been getting out of the house for walks using the Triple Decker stroller (we affectionately call it the "limo"). Today, as cars were driving by, I noticed how many people were rubbernecking. It was rather entertaining to watch drivers go, "What the hell was *that*?!" as they whip their heads around and then continue to stare from their rear view mirrors. I was afraid we were going to cause an accident.
Once we start heading out more frequently, I'm sure we'll get all sorts of "wonderful" questions and comments...
The girls received their last Synagis shots for the season today. Afterwards, to calm them down, we went for a stroll in a nearby park. There's no being inconspicuous with the "limo," but fortunately people were very friendly and respectful. I was braced for the stares and comments when a woman piped up from a minivan, "Excuse me! Are those triplets?!" I thought, "Ha! Here we go." I smiled politely and nodded affirmatively. She absolutely floored me when she responded with, "Because I have 5-year old triplets here in the car with me! Did you want to meet them?"
What are the chances of THAT happening on our first outing to a public park?! And so we met the most adorable, delightful, freckle-nosed 5-year old GGB trips who made me so excited for our future. We asked them who was born first, and they pointed to their sister. When I asked the little boy, he claimed he was the 2nd born, but then his other sister vehemently disputed that fact. It was so cute to watch them duke out their birth order.
They were with a friend of the family and therefore we didn't get to meet their parents, but hopefully they wouldn't mind being in touch with us.
All in all, a successful trip to the park was had by all.
Ada is 16 lbs, Julia 12 and Emma 11. Ada is in size 3 diapers - rapidly approaching size 4 - and wearing 6-9 month clothes. Julia and Emma are wearing size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes.
Although their newborn phase is a blur of NICU visits, sleepless nights, refluxing and horror feedings, I'm sad that it has gone by as fast as it did. If infertility has taught me anything, it's to enjoy every moment, but I feel like I've barely blinked and they're almost halfway to toddlerhood.
Our time is even more precious now as I am planning to return to work. I don't know how on earth I'm going to manage it. I'm excited to be back at work, even just part time, as I love my job, the place where I work, and my colleagues. However, I'm filled with trepidation about the level of juggling it will entail. I don't want to be spread so thin that I'm both a bad mother and a bad employee. I guess time will tell. Perhaps being forced to lower my standards will be a good life lesson to learn. Gmph!
It's been a loooong winter of being cooped up and quarantined. I'm looking forward to getting out more often with the trio, and introducing the babies to the big, wide world. Fortunately, our cocooning efforts have paid off during the RSV season as we have managed to avoid illnesses so far.
In recent weeks, whenever the weather has allowed, we've been getting out of the house for walks using the Triple Decker stroller (we affectionately call it the "limo"). Today, as cars were driving by, I noticed how many people were rubbernecking. It was rather entertaining to watch drivers go, "What the hell was *that*?!" as they whip their heads around and then continue to stare from their rear view mirrors. I was afraid we were going to cause an accident.
Once we start heading out more frequently, I'm sure we'll get all sorts of "wonderful" questions and comments...
The girls received their last Synagis shots for the season today. Afterwards, to calm them down, we went for a stroll in a nearby park. There's no being inconspicuous with the "limo," but fortunately people were very friendly and respectful. I was braced for the stares and comments when a woman piped up from a minivan, "Excuse me! Are those triplets?!" I thought, "Ha! Here we go." I smiled politely and nodded affirmatively. She absolutely floored me when she responded with, "Because I have 5-year old triplets here in the car with me! Did you want to meet them?"
What are the chances of THAT happening on our first outing to a public park?! And so we met the most adorable, delightful, freckle-nosed 5-year old GGB trips who made me so excited for our future. We asked them who was born first, and they pointed to their sister. When I asked the little boy, he claimed he was the 2nd born, but then his other sister vehemently disputed that fact. It was so cute to watch them duke out their birth order.
They were with a friend of the family and therefore we didn't get to meet their parents, but hopefully they wouldn't mind being in touch with us.
All in all, a successful trip to the park was had by all.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Retrospective
Today, a year ago, I woke up in the depths of despair. The first self-pay cycle had failed and I just couldn't see us continuing to throw money down the drain for a shot at parenthood. I was lost, sad, angry, frustrated. I had spent months researching procedures, clinics and stats, reading forums and coming up with a plan, only for it to end in failure. Sure, my Endo surgery was successful and I had quality of life back, but still no baby.
I know one failed IVF/ICSI is nothing compared to what so many go through, yet I saw it as a sign that it would never work for us. I was thinking, "How do I pick up the pieces today only to be crushed by another failure a month or two from now?" What would be the point of torturing ourselves with failed cycle after failed cycle?
It all felt hopeless. I just couldn't see a way forward. My Dh wasn't keen on using donor sperm, even though he had relented. Adoption is too expensive, and our age would count against us. Yet I couldn't imagine my future without children in it.
I listened to a lot of Annie Lennox, specifically, "Songs of Mass Destruction" while my husband traveled internationally. The time alone was a blessing. I could lose myself in the despair without him witnessing the downward spiral. I could sob and feel sorry for myself without increasing his guilt. My days were spent trying to come to terms with our childless future while trying to keep it together at work.
The frozen lake near our house, the weeping willows surrounding it, and the stillness of late winter mirrored my state of mind. I was stuck in a perpetual winter.
Then my clinic offered to enroll us in a grant program. I couldn't believe we qualified to get a portion of the next IVF/ICSI cycle covered, but we did. The grant covered enough of the cycle to enable us to try one more time. Just one.more.time, with feeling. I was in a daze. Cycle #2 started just two days after the previous BFN. My husband was still out of the country. I just jumped in, blindly, as soon as my progestorone level normalized.
I was still numb when I went to buy the second cycle's meds. I didn't think it would work, but there was no other viable option on the road to parenthood. One foot in front of the other: inject Lupron and Gonal-F, ultrasound, repeat. I tried not to think too much, and just do.
And then I peed on a stick and was dumbstruck. I POAS again and again and again until there was no denying the second line. It was so early, I thought it was the trigger showing up, but then it got darker and darker instead of disappearing. Disbelief. Even after beta number one, two and three, I didn't dare hope that I could actually end up with a real, live, perfect baby of our own. The ultrasound showed three sacs, and later three heartbeats. Triplets.
It scared me. High risk. So many things could go wrong. The more I read about the risks, the more petrified I became.
Yet, here I am, with three real.live.healthy.babies. Despite the odds, despite my disbelief, despite the risks, despite preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome, despite their prematurity. I know I played roulette and won.
I'm incredibly thankful they made it, I made it, we made it. I know how rare it is to have a happy ending (or in our case, this happy beginning), to have this abundance, this instant family. I cherish my children. Always.
Although I do not wish a high risk pregnancy on anyone - and know of too many tragic outcomes - I do wish for everyone struggling with infertility to have the family they dream of.
I know one failed IVF/ICSI is nothing compared to what so many go through, yet I saw it as a sign that it would never work for us. I was thinking, "How do I pick up the pieces today only to be crushed by another failure a month or two from now?" What would be the point of torturing ourselves with failed cycle after failed cycle?
It all felt hopeless. I just couldn't see a way forward. My Dh wasn't keen on using donor sperm, even though he had relented. Adoption is too expensive, and our age would count against us. Yet I couldn't imagine my future without children in it.
I listened to a lot of Annie Lennox, specifically, "Songs of Mass Destruction" while my husband traveled internationally. The time alone was a blessing. I could lose myself in the despair without him witnessing the downward spiral. I could sob and feel sorry for myself without increasing his guilt. My days were spent trying to come to terms with our childless future while trying to keep it together at work.
The frozen lake near our house, the weeping willows surrounding it, and the stillness of late winter mirrored my state of mind. I was stuck in a perpetual winter.
Then my clinic offered to enroll us in a grant program. I couldn't believe we qualified to get a portion of the next IVF/ICSI cycle covered, but we did. The grant covered enough of the cycle to enable us to try one more time. Just one.more.time, with feeling. I was in a daze. Cycle #2 started just two days after the previous BFN. My husband was still out of the country. I just jumped in, blindly, as soon as my progestorone level normalized.
I was still numb when I went to buy the second cycle's meds. I didn't think it would work, but there was no other viable option on the road to parenthood. One foot in front of the other: inject Lupron and Gonal-F, ultrasound, repeat. I tried not to think too much, and just do.
And then I peed on a stick and was dumbstruck. I POAS again and again and again until there was no denying the second line. It was so early, I thought it was the trigger showing up, but then it got darker and darker instead of disappearing. Disbelief. Even after beta number one, two and three, I didn't dare hope that I could actually end up with a real, live, perfect baby of our own. The ultrasound showed three sacs, and later three heartbeats. Triplets.
It scared me. High risk. So many things could go wrong. The more I read about the risks, the more petrified I became.
Yet, here I am, with three real.live.healthy.babies. Despite the odds, despite my disbelief, despite the risks, despite preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome, despite their prematurity. I know I played roulette and won.
I'm incredibly thankful they made it, I made it, we made it. I know how rare it is to have a happy ending (or in our case, this happy beginning), to have this abundance, this instant family. I cherish my children. Always.
Although I do not wish a high risk pregnancy on anyone - and know of too many tragic outcomes - I do wish for everyone struggling with infertility to have the family they dream of.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Survival guide: things I couldn't live without
Expecting parents ask this question on Triplet Connection all the time. I hope this post helps parents-to-be, specifically those with multiples. When I was pregnant, I fashioned my own list of things to register for based on the information I found on blogs and forums, but I wished that someone could have done this legwork for me.
I'll be adding to this post as I think of more can't-live-without items.
TRIPLET MUST-HAVES
Triple Decker stroller. We use the Graco Safeseat infant carriers that click into the frame and it's worked very well to not load/unload 3 babies in and out of the car seats in cold weather.
3 Boppy pillows
3 Boppy covers
12+ Dr Brown's bottles (we bought the glass version and they've worked beautifully). We initially used Munchkin's glass bottles and love them too, but with 3 reflux babies, it was more important to switch to bottles with an internal vent. Read the post about glass bottles.
Bottle brush (we use Munchkin brand)
3 Munchkin drying racks
Crockpot or electric kettle to always have hot water on hand to warm bottles
24+ burp cloths. A friend bought more than two dozen "old style" cloth diapers for us to use as burp cloths since they're more absorbent than the commercially available muslin burp cloths. They're like hand towels, but square, and work beautifully. We go through *all* of them! It's handy to have enough to not do laundry every day, and to keep 3 in a diaper bag. We always have a clean one on the changing pad as an easily removable "cover" in the event that a baby pees while we're in the midst of a diaper change. It prevents urine from reaching their clothes in an "accident."
Bibs. We go through dozens of bibs with our refluxers. I like the Koala Baby bibs from Babies R Us as they're more absorbent than others we've tried.
3 Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe Blankets. I've heard good things about Miracle Blankets too. Alternatively, buy any 60x60 blanket large enough to swaddle securely. At 4 months, we do not swaddle the babies for naps and nighttime sleeping anymore, but it still works wonders when they're fussy. I know of many parents who swaddle their babies until 9+ months of age.
Swing(s). We have 3, but have only used 2. You could get away with 1.
Baby Björn or Moby Wrap. We have 3 Baby Björns, but only use 1.
3 Bouncy seats. We have used all 3, all the time, from the time that they could hold their heads up.
3 Cribs. Initially, you could get away with 1, or a Pack 'n Play. Our babies have slept in separate cribs at night from day 1, but we had them co-sleep in one crib for naps until they were about 3 months actual.
3 Bumbo seats. Our babies will start using these in the next few weeks. We've tried them, but at 4 months (2 months adjusted), the babies still tire easily.
Playmat(s). Get different mats with different toys to prevent them from getting bored.
Crib sheets. We have 6, but I'm going to buy more. We have crib sheet savers, but haven't used them yet.
Sleep & play suits with zippers. One caveat, these won't work if your babies come home on monitors. Fortunately, ours didn't use monitors and LIVE in these outfits. It's faster for diaper changes, especially the middle-of-the-night ones. Refluxing babies hate wearing anything with a waist band, so even though they have tons of cute outfits, they hardly get to wear them. Constantly chasing down 6 little socks gets old fast too.
Gripe water. This has made a HUGE difference. Even though the babies are on prescription meds for reflux, I see a marked difference every time I stop giving them gripe water.
PUMPING
Hospital-grade breast pump. I've used Medela Pump in Style Advanced (portable) and Medela Symphony (at the NICU) and both are very efficient. Unfortunately, my first Medela PISA broke after a month, which is the absolute worst fear of anyone who is exclusively pumping. Fortunately, Medela has terrific customer service and replaced it immediately by overnighting it to me. No problems since.
3 sets of breast shields so you don't have to wash pumping parts in the middle of the night. Many moms just rinse them and place them in a container in the fridge and wash them once daily. I prefer to wash them after each use, but that's just me. Having 3 sets allows me to toss them in the hot, soapy water after use and deal with washing them when the babies are napping.
Extra 8 oz Medela collection bottles (you could use a different brand too; anything with a standard opening fits on the Medela equipment). Glass is too heavy, though, but the glass bottles do fit if you've run out of clean collection bottles!
Hands-free pumping bra. You can buy one, or create one yourself by cutting holes in an old sports bra.
I'll be adding to this post as I think of more can't-live-without items.
TRIPLET MUST-HAVES
Triple Decker stroller. We use the Graco Safeseat infant carriers that click into the frame and it's worked very well to not load/unload 3 babies in and out of the car seats in cold weather.
3 Boppy pillows
3 Boppy covers
12+ Dr Brown's bottles (we bought the glass version and they've worked beautifully). We initially used Munchkin's glass bottles and love them too, but with 3 reflux babies, it was more important to switch to bottles with an internal vent. Read the post about glass bottles.
Bottle brush (we use Munchkin brand)
3 Munchkin drying racks
Crockpot or electric kettle to always have hot water on hand to warm bottles
24+ burp cloths. A friend bought more than two dozen "old style" cloth diapers for us to use as burp cloths since they're more absorbent than the commercially available muslin burp cloths. They're like hand towels, but square, and work beautifully. We go through *all* of them! It's handy to have enough to not do laundry every day, and to keep 3 in a diaper bag. We always have a clean one on the changing pad as an easily removable "cover" in the event that a baby pees while we're in the midst of a diaper change. It prevents urine from reaching their clothes in an "accident."
Bibs. We go through dozens of bibs with our refluxers. I like the Koala Baby bibs from Babies R Us as they're more absorbent than others we've tried.
3 Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe Blankets. I've heard good things about Miracle Blankets too. Alternatively, buy any 60x60 blanket large enough to swaddle securely. At 4 months, we do not swaddle the babies for naps and nighttime sleeping anymore, but it still works wonders when they're fussy. I know of many parents who swaddle their babies until 9+ months of age.
Swing(s). We have 3, but have only used 2. You could get away with 1.
Baby Björn or Moby Wrap. We have 3 Baby Björns, but only use 1.
3 Bouncy seats. We have used all 3, all the time, from the time that they could hold their heads up.
3 Cribs. Initially, you could get away with 1, or a Pack 'n Play. Our babies have slept in separate cribs at night from day 1, but we had them co-sleep in one crib for naps until they were about 3 months actual.
3 Bumbo seats. Our babies will start using these in the next few weeks. We've tried them, but at 4 months (2 months adjusted), the babies still tire easily.
Playmat(s). Get different mats with different toys to prevent them from getting bored.
Crib sheets. We have 6, but I'm going to buy more. We have crib sheet savers, but haven't used them yet.
Sleep & play suits with zippers. One caveat, these won't work if your babies come home on monitors. Fortunately, ours didn't use monitors and LIVE in these outfits. It's faster for diaper changes, especially the middle-of-the-night ones. Refluxing babies hate wearing anything with a waist band, so even though they have tons of cute outfits, they hardly get to wear them. Constantly chasing down 6 little socks gets old fast too.
Gripe water. This has made a HUGE difference. Even though the babies are on prescription meds for reflux, I see a marked difference every time I stop giving them gripe water.
PUMPING
Hospital-grade breast pump. I've used Medela Pump in Style Advanced (portable) and Medela Symphony (at the NICU) and both are very efficient. Unfortunately, my first Medela PISA broke after a month, which is the absolute worst fear of anyone who is exclusively pumping. Fortunately, Medela has terrific customer service and replaced it immediately by overnighting it to me. No problems since.
3 sets of breast shields so you don't have to wash pumping parts in the middle of the night. Many moms just rinse them and place them in a container in the fridge and wash them once daily. I prefer to wash them after each use, but that's just me. Having 3 sets allows me to toss them in the hot, soapy water after use and deal with washing them when the babies are napping.
Extra 8 oz Medela collection bottles (you could use a different brand too; anything with a standard opening fits on the Medela equipment). Glass is too heavy, though, but the glass bottles do fit if you've run out of clean collection bottles!
Hands-free pumping bra. You can buy one, or create one yourself by cutting holes in an old sports bra.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
On a roll!
Our little "middle" monkey is on a roll. This morning, Julia flipped herself from stomach to back. We didn't witness this incredible milestone, but I placed her on her stomach, changed her sister's diaper and when I returned, she was lying on her back with her head against the crib railing. So either she flipped herself over, or the aliens surreptitiously took her for a spin in their UFO.
**Edited on March 14 to add**
Our littlest pixie rolled over yesterday. She is one strong little peanut despite being way lighter than her sisters. She has struggled the most with reflux, and is lagging in weight, length and head circumference, but hit this milestone on her 3 month adjusted age "birthday." Not too shabby, my itty bitty baby. Emma is such a cutie - she's our very talkative, friendly, happy baby. Whenever she gets overtired or fed up with the reflux, she makes these babbling moaning sounds. Not crying, not grating on the soul, just a sad moan moan moan that sounds like "auwa auwa auwa." It melts my heart and makes we want to just rescue her and hold her tight.
We're still waiting for our beautiful firstborn chunky monkey to surprise us!
**Edited on March 14 to add**
Our littlest pixie rolled over yesterday. She is one strong little peanut despite being way lighter than her sisters. She has struggled the most with reflux, and is lagging in weight, length and head circumference, but hit this milestone on her 3 month adjusted age "birthday." Not too shabby, my itty bitty baby. Emma is such a cutie - she's our very talkative, friendly, happy baby. Whenever she gets overtired or fed up with the reflux, she makes these babbling moaning sounds. Not crying, not grating on the soul, just a sad moan moan moan that sounds like "auwa auwa auwa." It melts my heart and makes we want to just rescue her and hold her tight.
We're still waiting for our beautiful firstborn chunky monkey to surprise us!
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