Tricks of the triplet trade...

Ok, our babies are now 4 weeks and 1 day old....and what have we learned so far? I thought I'd see if I could come up with at least 10 things I've learned....So let me share some of my new found knowledge about raising triplets. (Don't worry, this shouldn't take too long!)

1. Peeing and Pooping: When it's time for a diaper change, take cover. (And remember to cover important parts..)I can't count the number of times Brian and I have been peed and pooped on by our little pee and poop launchers.

2. Bottles: Make as many bottles up as you can at one time and keep them ready, and labeled in the fridge. This has been most helpful at midnight and 3 in the morning. Nobody wants to remember the recipe for fortifying breast milk that early! It's easier to just grab a bottle, heat and go!

3. Proximity: I'm sure this one goes for all babies, not just multiples. Keep things close by...diapers, wipes, blankets, extra clothes, snot suckers, etc. Especially if you live in a two story house, which we do. I'd go insane without our "downstairs" baby area.

4. Clutter: Ok, this one is probably the toughest for me. Clutter. I don't even like when Brian keeps 5 magazines on the coffee table. Now I have 2 swings, 2 bouncy seats, 3 boppy pillows, 1 boppy lounger and a partridge in pear tree...ALL in my living room. Ahh, deep breaths...But, accepting that this is our new life makes it OK.

5. Sleep: Ok, I realize how much I love sleep now, and yet I cannot force myself to take naps. Everyone offers to come over so I can nap and I simply can't. So if you offer and I turn you down, it's not that I don't trust you with my kids, I just don't nap unless I'm truly exhausted. Now Brian on the other hand will take you up in less than a full second. And he needs it. Because when he's tired, he's GRUMPY. And nobody likes a grumpy dad or husband.

6. Help: Ok I'm getting better at this one. A little bit. When people offer to help you, say YES. When they offer to bring you a meal, say YES. I think my mom has finally stopped asking me if I need help with anything. She knows full well I do and so she just does things for me without even really asking or if I say, "No, that's ok", she persists. And I'm glad. Like Nurse Lori, my mom has also been a lifesaver. It helps that she's been waiting to be a grandma for as long as I've been waiting to be a mom, so she's eager to do anything that involves babies. It ought to be said publicly how much I appreciate her. She is selfless. When Ethan and Hunter came home, it became far more difficult for Brian and I to get to the hospital during the day to visit Colton. So since we couldn't be there, my mom would go. Every day. For hours. She'd feed him, sing to him, read to him, etc. If you read the entries just before this one, you might recall my story about how Colton had to spend the night alone in his "isolation/procedure room". Well, I think my mom spent literally 7 or 8 hours there with him during the day so that he wouldn't feel so alone. And then, at night, she would come to our house and babysit Ethan and Hunter for a few hours so that we could go to the hospital, AND she does laundry or cleans the refrigerator, or puts photos in my photo albums while she's there! If she was tired or babied out, she certainly did not let on...because she knew how much it meant for me to be able to go see my baby. So mom, thank you for ALWAYS going out of your way for me. I know I can be darn stubborn, but you know how to break me! It has been so much fun watching you be a gramma. Our babies are lucky to have you and so are we.

7. Schedules: Create one. Stick to it. Brian is absolutely obsessive about this. :) Particularly where feedings are concerned. We eat at 12, 3, 6, 9, 12, 3, 6, 9, etc. So if you want to come over and visit, these are GREAT times to stop by! This is when we can really use the help!

8. Flexibility: On the other hand, if things don't go exactly as planned, (like maybe we feed babies at 3:40 instead of 3, accept that it's OK...)there are after all, 3 infants in our house and the sooner we accept that things are gonna be crazy, the easier it will be. And if all else fails, just call mom again. :)

9. Humor: Find humor in the things that immediately seem frustrating...3 babies in a screaming match at bedtime, spilled bottles, spit up on the brand new outfit, poop in the baby's hair, etc. These things will happen and there really IS humor in all of it. Accept it. Love it. Laugh at it.

10. Teamwork: Do not try to outdo one another. Be on the same team. Help eachother. Love eachother. Enjoy the babies together. This one is important and so far, Brian and I are doing extremely well in this department.

Hooray! I did it! Maybe in a few more weeks, I'll have learned 10 more things...stay tuned!