This pic is self-explanatory! Adorable onesies
from my great-aunt and uncle in PA
Wow, can you believe it? The boys are 16 weeks old now, so it's probably time to start calling it 4 months. It seems like a tiny miracle that we've all made it this far, but as they grow, I think we're all starting to get used to the idea of living and working together. When the babies were first born, of course I knew they would grow up and develop, but I guess that with lack of sleep comes lack of brain power and I never had the vision to see that things would be different. I thought, "How can I go without sleep for months?" and "Will they ever do anything?" Well, I have some answers now that are heartwarming for a first time parent!
Sleeping is hugely improved. Last night, Luke woke up around midnight. They went to sleep at 9 pm, so this was not when he was supposed to get up at all. He had been doing this for a couple of days, so I let him cry for about 15 minutes then he went to sleep. Then, around 2:15, Eli got up. I let him go for a while then tried to chill him out by rocking him with a pacifier. This didn't work so well so I gave him a small snack at 3. After that, he slept with the rest of the guys until 7 am. So two events all night - not too bad. I long for the days of easy bedtimes and zero events through the night, and I know that this will come eventually (maybe when they're 10??). For now, with three babies, I consider myself lucky! Daytime napping is still not very consistent - it's hard to get them all to sleep at the same time so that I can get some things done. They generally start out well but as the day progresses, napping gets more sporadic. I'm hoping this will change once they can start eating cereal.
Sleeping is hugely improved. Last night, Luke woke up around midnight. They went to sleep at 9 pm, so this was not when he was supposed to get up at all. He had been doing this for a couple of days, so I let him cry for about 15 minutes then he went to sleep. Then, around 2:15, Eli got up. I let him go for a while then tried to chill him out by rocking him with a pacifier. This didn't work so well so I gave him a small snack at 3. After that, he slept with the rest of the guys until 7 am. So two events all night - not too bad. I long for the days of easy bedtimes and zero events through the night, and I know that this will come eventually (maybe when they're 10??). For now, with three babies, I consider myself lucky! Daytime napping is still not very consistent - it's hard to get them all to sleep at the same time so that I can get some things done. They generally start out well but as the day progresses, napping gets more sporadic. I'm hoping this will change once they can start eating cereal.
As for the "doing stuff", I'm amazed at how they've changed. They have toys that hang above their bouncy seats and play gyms, and they all bat at those pretty accurately. They will sometimes hold a rattle and try to eat stuffed animals that are around. They love their fingers and play with them a lot; when that gets boring, they try to eat their fingers. All three are babbling now, which is one of our favorite activities! Zach probably does the most, then Luke, and finally Eli. We encourage it every time they say "Goo" or "Ahuuu", and in the back of my mind, I wonder if I'll ever regret the encouragement. I mean really, if we have 3 kids that talk as much as me, poor John will never get a word in!
Luke, Zach and Eli in hand-knitted camo sweaters
made by a friend of a friend - aren't they sweet?
The other major events we've been having aren't anyone else's ideas of major, but it's our lives! My Mom's friend Mary came to visit, so I have to give a shout out to the staff at HCQU, who have followed the triplets since before they were born and are always so kind and supportive. Hey everyone!
Dulcy with Zach, Robin with Eli, Mary with Luke
I went to a dinner with a bunch of triplet and quad moms one night. That was both encouraging and deeply disturbing. I'm really not sure if I left more or less secure, but at least I got information! One thing that really disturbed me was talk of duct-taping diapers on. Really? That and all that it implies scares the... well, let's not go there. At least I saw a lot of normal-looking, healthy-looking women who still had hair, and their kids were generally older than mine. And I got out for a night, which was fun.
Mom and I took the boys on their first field trip to the Arizona Rock Museum. This is a 1/4 mile walk that takes you past original Indian pictoglyphs, which are like hieroglyphics but just pictures that the Indians either painted or etched. Some go back 7000 years. It was really cool, and the boys did their best at being good and looking cute. They still seem to be the main attraction wherever we go. A nice lady took our picture (Since I forgot the camera) and said she'd send it to me, but I haven't received it yet.
Oh, we also had another photo shoot with a budding professional photographer. I've attached some of the pictures - I think they're great! The boys are really getting to be little hams - they're so used to having a camera in their faces it doesn't bother them at all!
Finally, the biggest event - my Mom left on Saturday. I'm officially on my own during the days, and this is my first day. So the real reason for this blog is to ask for prayers! Seriously! I think the fear of the unknown is the worst for me right now, because I've never had the babies alone for more than 3 or 4 hours. I can handle short chunks of time, so I'm just going to focus on getting through hour by hour, instead of the big picture. I have a lot of people who have offered support, and I will take them up on it if I need to. I'm not sure what this will mean for blogging - things may start to take a decidedly darker tone! I hope not. I love these guys so much, and I've learned over the last 4 months that things change, get better, and with God and my friends and family with me, we can handle anything, as evidenced by us surviving this far!
Eli, Zach (top), and Luke
Luke
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