First Vacation and City Strolling

We made it all the way from Ethiopia to Kansas with just us and three babies and little hitch and yet now a simple jaunt to the store seems like too much work. So last Saturday a group of international adopters met in Kansas City to share experience and Ethiopian food. Jerry and I took this opportunity to finally get brave (again) and spent the weekend in the city. Then came our first dinner out with three babies (three LOUD babies) in a crowded city . . . where’s that wine, hurry!? Phew . . . it went great, the babies had a blast and many restaurants and crowds later, I rate it as a great mini-vacation; our first family vacation. The trick is to eat at loud places where cries and screams are muffled, with roomy floors to maneuver a couple of strollers through, and populated by young people who don’t care much about babies, even triplets. And the babies were always good when we kept strolling or riding.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. So all I have is the babes in car seats in our minivan (oh, I know, it’s embarrassing, really, I’m not a soccer mom . . . the van was cheap, used, and we rarely drive it and there was just no way we were going to fit three car seats in our little car . . . we tried . . . oh, BTW, we actually turned down one van we looked at for the very fact that it actually had a soccer decal on the side window!); and below is Jerry in his groovy shirt with the babes in strollers. Note, we do not always separate Tsega like this; we rotate who sits where.

About these strollers, love them! They are Instep Safari Swivel Strollers, a double and a single. We got jogging strollers because they are smooth, lightweight, and the best at maneuvering since the single front tire swivels all around so they turn on a dime. And where we live all-terrain is a must. The best part is, they are not something from Dr. Seuss like our older stroller (see previous post for picture) so we can more easily walk through crowds either without notice or they don't realize what happened until we're already past. We still got attention and it’s mostly all good, but I feel much more relaxed now out in public. It’s actually pretty cool when you’re waiting to cross the street and people shout “too much cuteness!” at you from their cars (referring to the babies, or maybe they were talking about Jerry and me . . . ?), or a street vendor yells out, “I love your babies!”. The only bad comment came from a nut bag who old Jerry he should shave his beard (never!).

Before we left Jerry gets out a bag and announces he is taking this particular bag. I thought it looked heavy like it was already occupied. So I take a look and totally scream when I see a baby inside. Wasn't expecting that! (Sira doesn't look happy being screamed at.)

Since I flaked on pictures, here's another poor quality video to see these high quality boys in action.

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How do Parents of Singletons DO it?

Are we missing something here? Why is it that everybody widens their eyes or gasps at the thought of twins, let alone triplets (too bad we don't have quads or quints to really get people frazzled)? Parents who have had four and more children close in age will wave their hands at us to dismiss such a horrible thought. It's funny to here them say we have our hands full. Even parents of multiples will describe endless chaos and misery that have left them exhausted and teary (albeit happy and grateful. . . I guess?). Is there something we should know? Does life suddenly fall apart into 911 mode at a magic age or should it have hit by now? I guess we'll brace ourselves but so far I don't see the big deal. What did we do with our time before three babies? Americans love to brag how busy their lives are and on the verge. Triplets are the way to go although I'm not prejudiced against singletons.

Really, I don't know HOW parents deal with singletons, I mean, how DO they do it (what is it?)? How do they ever get anything done with just one baby? They must have their hands full. . .

We're no saints and the babies get their "night mads" among other things, but I'm not so sure our lives are more chaotic or hectic than families without multiples. I'm not even sure life is harder post-adoption. . . just different. Triplets are not like having thirty babies as one mom suggested and possibly not exactly like 3x one baby, if that makes sense. Although throw in a colicky baby or more and then I can see where it gets scary. Guess we lucked out with three super babies.

My only regret is that they're all leaving babyhood together. They turn one next month and soon will be toddlers. What will we do without triplet babies. . .how will we manage without moments like these. . .

Don't Touch Me!

Bereket is just coming out of his "don't touch me" phase. During this phase just about anytime a baby hand touched him he started crying. And he always knew when it was his brother's hands vs. a welcomed mama or papa hand. Of course he entered this phase right when Tsega started grabbing his brothers for squeezes and kisses. He seems to be coming out of it and is starting to enjoy his brother's company again. He and Sira crawled around together all weekend. Where one would go, the other would follow. At one point I think they were playing tag or peek-a-boo around the dining room table.

Tsega is now crawling, by the way (yay! and standing like a pro), and will soon follow his brothers around the house as he picks up the pace; that is, if he can stand parting with his favorite person (me!). It's like watching little puppy dogs wrestling around together on the floor. They're all so darn cute!

On a side note, Sira opened his first cabinet. We watched him crawl towards the bad cabinet (the one under the sink with all the cleaning supplies. . .yeah, I know, baby proofing!) reach up, grab the handle and pull it open like he knew excatly what he was doing.

Here's some more grainy action shorts. The first is of all three (notice I mix up Bereket and Sira in the beginning) and Tsega showing his brotherly love, sort of. The second is Bereket and Sira showing off their crawling skills as they chase mama around the room (until the bouncy chair becomes more appealing).

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Triplets Out and In Public

This is one way we transport 3 babies out in public (old picture of me with Tsega in Ethiopia). I carry or wear one baby, Jerry somehow holds the other two with one typically in a car seat. It worked well while in Ethiopia.

And people thought we would never make it home from Ethiopia by ourselves with three babies. . . little faith. Airport luggage carts can make great car seat holders with the right men's belt, by the way.

Here's another. Looks like something out of Dr. Seuss. We've almost outgrown this triplet stroller and looking for alternatives (maybe something less conspicuous?).


I don't recommend holding babies this way and I told Jerry not to do this (no babies were harmed in the making of this picture).

So what's it like going out in public with triplet babies? We don't go out much I have to sadly admit (don't feel too sorry, our 5 country acres are more fun and enriching than town anyway). It's so much work with three babies in terms of getting everybody ready, transporting and juggling three, and then there's the public. Sweet adoring fans surround us everywhere we go but it's hard being a celebrity. Don't get me wrong, these babies can really get the good in people to shine through and I have to admit it's kind of fun being the center of attention (Jerry and I look at couples with a mere one or two babies with such pity, lol!). . . but just remember to never tell me that we got our hands full or that you are "glad it's you and not me" (to which Jerry will reply, "that makes six of us"). Watch this hilarious youtube video I ran across of another triplet family and you'll see what it's like.

Kissy Brothers in Action

Here's my first attempt at posting a video! It's grainy and short, taken with my digital camera, so forgive the low tech and simple story line. You can barely hear Sira (left) and Bereket (right) smacking their lips at the same time. Tsega was sleeping (we'll see more of him in the future).

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Milestones and Development: History and 10 Month Update

When we picked up the triplets at 5 months old, the boys were about 10 lbs each, had little head control, and only Tsega could bear weight on his legs. They were evaluated by a team of development specialists and were diagnosed as delayed in gross motor skills (but otherwise healthy--in fact we've only had one cold since homecoming--with good social skills). No big surprise since they had been in care since 6 weeks old and lacked stimulation and exercise.

Like many of the babies adopted out of Ethiopia, none of the boys were on US growth charts at homecoming. Tsega grew (and grew) almost overnight while his brothers remain small but growing steadily. Tsega is currently 22 lbs, that's 70th percentile for weight! Bereket and Sira are now 15th percentile for height and 18 lbs, below 3rd percentile; no surprise since they still easily wear 6 month clothing. I guess they're just little shorties :). I'm imagining Tsega as this huge figure in our house, with his arms around his shorty papa and shorty brothers and everybody in public asking if B & S are twins (these are triplets, Tsega is their triplet brother. . . really he is! And for the umpteenth time, we are also glad it's us and not you). . .

Because Tsega had such rippling muscles, lol, had good head control and could stand with assistance so well, nobody seemed concerned with him. So we worked with Bereket and Sira to get their muscles pumped and bodies moving. It worked, they caught up fast.

Then Tsega caused worry. He hated tummy time so we spared him much of this. His mobile brothers were roaming circles around planted Tsega. At 8 months he could not roll over, get into sitting position, nothing. He just sat there (after we would sit him up and prop him back up again and again after his numerous head-crashing falls). I think he suffered from "sudden-big-baby-syndrome"; he didn't have time to adapt to his new big body. Or maybe he was concentrating on his charm (he's our crowd pleaser).

Despite the protests we put him on tummy more and more. From sitting he started flopping to his belly without the grace of his fluid brothers. Then he bridged. Still protested. Now I was constantly helping him out of positions he had maneuvered himself into. Then he rolled belly to back and despite all his tummy torture time, rolled from back to belly. Now he is almost caught up to his brothers without the months of preliminary practice and exercise that got them crawling and standing. He can now get into a sitting position, rolls both ways, crawls backward (forward is on the horizon), lunges, thrusts, and pivots around the room, and just started pulling up and getting into a standing position. All this in about 6 weeks!


Bereket and Sira can do all this and crawl. As it has always been, Bereket first masters a skill, then follows Sira about a day later (ahhh, the power of genetics!). Tsega has his own method and time schedule. Bereket crawls around the house and grabs onto everything (bouncy chair and my leg are favorites) and pulls to standing all day long. It's so funny to see hear him slapping the ground with his hands as he comes towards me from the living room to the kitchen and I look down and see this little baby climbing up my pant leg. Sira and Bereket look like little vampires descending upon Tsega as I'm trying to bounce him to sleep in the bouncy chair (bouncing the heck out of him in this chair works like a charm for soothing this baby to sleep, BTW). I find myself leaping from floor to couch so the three can't pull and claw me into abyss!


Short story long. . . the boys are doing great and no more worries about being behind, including Tsega-mega.

Next stop, walking and talking. Oh, sigh, but the baby stage is short and I will miss it dearly :(

BTW, Bereket & Sira each have two bottom teeth, no real hair; and Tsega has no teeth but nice curly hair :)

Play Nice

Let's just say our house is LOUD these days. (WHAT?!)

I love the toy in this picture below; er, I mean the boys love it and they can play with it together. I don't know what it's called or who makes it (it was "donated") but they don't make toys like this anymore. Besides dinging the bell and squeaking the squeak, they love to turn it upside down a million times.


Sira is papa gaga lately; that greasy sock is indeed Jerry's (gross). Poor Tsega's head is getting crushed in Sira's excitement.



Be nice to your brothers, baby boys.

Ahhh, that's better.

How to Feed Triplets

How have we stayed sane with night feedings and constant formula for THREE babies? Podee bottles!


If it weren't for these bottles, I'd have to take it all back and admit our house is indeed a train wreck. So please don't accuse me of bad attachment parenting; with multiples you modify. It took the triplets practice in the beginning, we would lead their tiny hands up to the base of the nipple to keep from sliding out of their mouths and squeezed nipple bases to siphon milk up so there was no delay of milk delivery. Tsega took to it immediately. Bereket and Sira, especially Sira, would at times get mad when the milk wasn't in mouth at first suck and they couldn't quite get it up through the tubes fast or efficient enough, or the nipple would fall out. Sometimes they'd hold onto the tube and yank out the nipple reflexively, not knowing what they did and unable to retrieve it. They'd throw their helpless arms out to the side and scream (oh, the tragedy!) and I'd get the old fashioned bottles back out.

Now they're so proficient they can find the bottle, grab it by the tube, and swing the nipple in their mouths. Jerry and I love to tease them and get them all squirming and noisy by holding onto the tubes and twirling the bottles over their heads. But you have to watch and make sure they don't steal their brother's bottle. Watch Sira steal Tsega's bottle:


Don't worry, Tsega gets it back.


Another good idea is to make large pitchers of formula in the mornings and keep them in the fridge so you aren't keeping crying babies waiting and mixing formula all day. By the way, we don't have a dish washer so we do wash bottles constantly and Podee bottles aren't the easiest to wash. Somebody should invent a mini automatic bottle washer that's fits on counter tops (or do they make these!?) 'cause I am tired of washing bottles ("Jerry, you do it!" is a common statement in our house along with, "get a rag!").