TRIPLETS, WEEK 1.

I'm not sure what the date is anymore or the day of the week. I can tell you that it is exactly 1 hour and 15 minutes before the next feed, that I have mixed 24 bottles in the last 24 hours and have changed 27 diapers including 2 blowouts and spent about 8 hours feeding babies.

Steph and I brought our triplets home on Saturday at 4 days of age. Steph had the most remarkable triplet pregnancy by having zero complications and made it to what is considered “full term” for triplets which is 35 weeks. The babies were born 2 and ½ minutes apart. They came out crying and the first thing we said to each other is “they are so big and hairy!” We had two 5 pounders and 1 just under. Steph and I were expecting a NICU stay and didn't pack a baby bag figuring we wouldn't need it until they were discharged. We were very shocked when we found ourselves with 3 tiny babies the first night all to ourselves. 

If you were to walk into our house these days you would find babies scattered about like throw pillows, maybe 1 on the couch in their lounger, another in the swing and 1 probably on the changing table getting the zillionth change of the day. The biggest advice we got from everyone was keep a schedule in order to keep your sanity. Due to the small size of our babies we feed them around the clock every 3 hours. It functions similar to a production line. The bottles go into the warmer about 5 minutes before feed time. 1 baby at a time gets changed and then placed into a pair of empty arms to be fed. So far at least once a night 1 baby gets mistaken for the other but we are getting there! The exact amount of formula (or minutes on the breast because Steph breast feeds 1 baby a feed) gets recorded in our triplet time book. This book is a lifesaver! The feedings consist of coaxing the preemies to stay awake and drink. Feeds take about an hour then it's clean up time, Steph pumps and it's practically time for the next one. Night shifts are rough and I find myself nodding off to sleep right along with whichever baby I may be feeding. 

We have ventured out of the house twice to doctor appointments. We jigsaw our 2 strollers, 2 diaper bags, snacks, and 3 car seats without an inch to spare and only had to turn around once for a forgotten item. We high fived each other as we rolled in right on time.

We are slowly adapting to this new life and know as soon as we get this stage down, we will be on the to next. We are beyond exhausted but keep each other laughing at every step. Our conversations have evolved to the intricacies of what newborn poop should look like, nipple shapes, and lot's of “is this normal?” The coffee pot is always on around here, showers are a treat and if you can sneak in a nap longer than a few hours you feel fantastic! Sometimes it seems like we are on auto mode, changing diapers, feeding, recording but we are slowly getting better and adapting to this new life. We are brand new to being moms and have a fantastic support system in place to make sure our 3 new littles keep thriving. 

All 3 babies are so different and we love getting to know them every day. I have never been this exhausted in my life but I would not change it for anything. Thank goodness for the Oiselle lux tights, flyte long sleeves and basically everything else lux. It is soft and baby snuggle approved. Plus, it can handle the spit up, pee and poop that constantly seem to be flowing around here. We laugh a whole lot and sometimes cry a little. We nap when we can and enlist friends and family for night help and meals. Each phase is fleeting that will pass before we are ready and we are trying to stay in the moment and soak it all in.