Tomorrow will mark two weeks that I have been back at work. I will celebrate by taking a three day weekend, going back for one day, and then taking Wednesday off for the babies' four-month doctor's appointment.
This also means that Joe has been home with the babies for the past two weeks. Did I mention the twins family my dental hygienist told me about at my last cleaning? She said she had a patient with two and a half year old twins whose father had never been alone with them. Can you imagine that? For two and a half years, this woman had never been able to leave the house to run an errand or even get her teeth cleaned and just leave her children home with their father.
Luckily, my situation is far different from hers. My husband actually enjoys being home with the babies. He diapers them and feeds them and chats with them all day long. AND, he vacuums! Which is not to say that it is easy for him to be home alone with three babies. It is not. They are on a good schedule now, which is great, but it also means that they all eat at the same time. Three babies, three bottles, two arms. Not a good scenario.
For the morning feeding, it's not so bad. Normally, there's a bit of Salvateenie staggering as they get up anywhere between 8:30 and ...what? I was supposed to get up? just five more minutes, Dad! That means that whoever is up first can get all of Daddy's attention for his diaper change and feeding (yes, it's almost always a "him"). Then on to the next one and then the third. But even when this staggering takes up to an hour and a half - meaning Caroline might not have finished eating until 10am - they are all still hungry at 1pm on the dot. Or sometimes a little earlier. Like 12:30. And you have to play with them and distract them WHILE changing their diapers and warming their bottles. Alone.
During the last month I was home, we started talking about hiring a mother's helper - someone who could come in for the middle of the day and help with a feeding or with little errands around the house. We figured we might be able to employ a college student with a mid-day hole in her schedule for $10-12 an hour. Of course, we didn't know where we would find this person, or the $80-$120 a week to pay her, but it was a little ray of hope that kept us thinking that maybe Joe could do it.
But we haven't needed to employ a mother's helper because we have amazing friends. Tom, the Master Baby Wrangler, has come by the house practically every day at 12:30 to help with the mid-day madness. He and Joe have tagteamed the 'teenies, exploring the world of propping up one child and holding the other two (I'm sure they keep detailed notes about who is propped to avoid scarring the sucker for life). On Thursday last week he came for the feeding and stayed to help Joe schlep the babies to their very first multiples play date, enduring the inevitable San Francisco assumptions of male partnership beyond the bonds of friendship that are immediate when you see two men and three babies walking down the street. This week he accompanied the brood to their multiples' support group meeting. And he's even come over early to help Joe bundle the babies into the car for their trips to Livermore to see the grandparents!
On Mondays, Tom's girlfriend Carla has come along with him to take a baby off their hands (or, rather, rescue one from the boppy), and the two of them regularly collect Joe and deposit him at work on the weekends, even obliging for the return trip. This past Monday, when I had an afterschool meeting that kept me on the Peninsula until after 5, Joe's sister and her friend Sabrina came to help handle the five o'clock feeding, and Lee Ann will be coming back this coming week when I've got another meeting, rearranging her work schedule so she can be here.
This evening we got a call from our friend and neighbor, Sherrie, asking Joe if he'd need any help tomorrow, but he's having visitors who are bringing him lunch and staying for the 1pm feeding. So she's offered to come Tuesday to help him out!
As soon as we found out we were having triplets, people told us we would need to accept all the offers of help we would get, and they told us that we'd find out who our real friends were when it came time to actually follow through on all those offers. I'd say they were right on both counts!
So, to all the people who brought us food, friendship, and an extra baby arm while I was home ... thank you! To all the folks who have pledged to help Joe out while I'm at work ... thank you even more!! And to Tom, an extra special heaping of THANKS!!!!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Too many to choose from...
Today the Salvateenies turn 17 weeks old. They haven't been weighed in a couple of weeks, but I'm beginning to suspect that Daniel, chunk that he is, probably weighs about as much as all three of them did combined 17 weeks ago.
In fact, they're getting so big that the weekly Myrtle pictures seem more and more ludicrous.
So, I focused on headshots of the three of them today. And they were all just so cute I couldn't decide. I apologize for the bazillion variations - but how could I choose just one or two?
After the photo shoot, Caroline was really interested in trying to figure out how the little music and lights machine worked.
And the boys decided to show off their mirror image drooling capabilities.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Back down to Earth
Have I mentioned how much I enjoy the videos on the Mompetition blog? If not, I do. I enjoy them quite a bit, and if you have about twenty minutes you should go waste them watching videos about moms' inhumanity to moms.
That being said, I haven't experienced much mompetition first-hand. While I'm pretty sure that there are many aspects of my parenting style (in its infancy though it is) that are worthy of criticism, it seems that by being a mother of triplets I am somehow exempt from much of the one-upsmanship that seems to be inherent among the parents of young children. I get high praise for getting out of the house with matching socks on and getting my children to see the outside world. When I'm then asked the inevitable question, "Getting much sleep?", and am able to answer that yes, in fact, the babies have been sleeping through the night for X weeks now (knock on wood) ... ever since we got them on this feeding schedule where they eat every four hours...well, this is usually met with choruses of amazement, as well as the occasional dirty look from the parent of a two- to six-year old who has not yet slept a solid ten hours straight.
It would be easy to bask in the impression that we are the perfect parents and thus our children are developing into amazing and above par little people. But, of course, that's not so. I know it's not...I'm here when they all decide to scream at the top of their lungs at the same time, or spit up on the activity mat and rub their hair in the puddle. Or when Caroline rolled right of my lap and face-first onto the carpet...and then LAUGHED about it after a brief screeching fit. So, I know we are just very lucky parents with very sweet babies who are doing all the things that normal babies do.
They are not exceptional. I was reminded of this recently when I saw an old acquaintance. She has two older children and was trying to remember where in the developmental spectrum my kids (at 3 months and a bit) were. "Oh - so they're rolling over and pushing up now, right?" I told my adorable little story of how much Caroline likes her daily pilates routine and how good the boys are at their upward facing dogs. And I shared that Caroline had recently started rolling from front to back, but that the boys, who had first rolled at 7 weeks old, had stopped when they put on too much weight to push over. "Oh! Well, when my child was just three weeks old she was already flipping over! In fact, we had to stop swaddling her for fear she'd roll over in her sleep and not be able to get back." I almost got caught up in it and said, "Well, since ours WERE four weeks early, I guess rolling over at seven weeks is just like your full-term baby doing it at three weeks," but then I thought about it for half a second and realized I really didn't care. So I let her brag on about her amazing child and smiled and then went back to mine.
Another time I was talking with a mother of a newborn (much newer than ours). She was expressing amazement at how we handle three and commented that we must just be feeding them "all the time". I imagined that since her baby was so small she was probably still nursing her every two to three hours, so I explained that it was easier because we were bottle feeding the Salvateenies, and that they were on a schedule now and just ate four times a day - once every four hours during the day. No chorus of amazement. She just persisted that it must just take so long with three of them to feed. Stupidly, I continued to explain that it just didn't take as long when you were bottle feeding. Besides, I said, we usually have two people for most of the feedings, and if the third baby insists on being fed at the same time, they're actually pretty good at being propped up on the boppy with the milk in their mouth.
Now...I know this is a controversial topic. A friend of mine who used to run a childcare facility mentioned to me that she'd always been "pretty against" propping bottles, but she had learned that with multiples it was like a godsend if they would take them. Back when I was pregnant I was looking for information about Podee Bottles and came across a website with information on all sorts of bottle propping gadgets. The comments at the bottom of the page were all by singleton moms who basically felt that if you were so busy that you needed to employ a propped bottle, perhaps you shouldn't have bothered to have your child in the first place. At the time I thought it was ludicrous that anyone could be that judgmental.
Then I met this mom.
When I mentioned that the babies were pretty good at being propped with their milk, her jaw dropped. "Do you at least rotate who you do that to?" I let the "do that TO" pass and just responded, "Well, we try to keep track of it, but really it depends on who's in the best mood to be propped at that feeding and who will be the most successful." Her: "Well, I hope you rotate it - I mean, talk about giving a kid a complex!" And then she rolled her eyes at me!
Oh, the things I wanted to say...they all jumbled into my head at once and so none of them came out, luckily. And really, what was I going to say? "Yeah, well MY baby started licking his brother's head last week! Bet your baby hasn't done THAT."
Did I mention I think HER baby was rolling over at three weeks old, too? There must be something about babies who roll early that makes their moms competitive.
But now I'm past it. My babies are sweet and adorable and healthy and anything else they do developmentally, whether it's early or late or right on time, is gravy at this point.
And speaking of developmental growth...Joe caught them really noticing each other during feeding time today.
That being said, I haven't experienced much mompetition first-hand. While I'm pretty sure that there are many aspects of my parenting style (in its infancy though it is) that are worthy of criticism, it seems that by being a mother of triplets I am somehow exempt from much of the one-upsmanship that seems to be inherent among the parents of young children. I get high praise for getting out of the house with matching socks on and getting my children to see the outside world. When I'm then asked the inevitable question, "Getting much sleep?", and am able to answer that yes, in fact, the babies have been sleeping through the night for X weeks now (knock on wood) ... ever since we got them on this feeding schedule where they eat every four hours...well, this is usually met with choruses of amazement, as well as the occasional dirty look from the parent of a two- to six-year old who has not yet slept a solid ten hours straight.
It would be easy to bask in the impression that we are the perfect parents and thus our children are developing into amazing and above par little people. But, of course, that's not so. I know it's not...I'm here when they all decide to scream at the top of their lungs at the same time, or spit up on the activity mat and rub their hair in the puddle. Or when Caroline rolled right of my lap and face-first onto the carpet...and then LAUGHED about it after a brief screeching fit. So, I know we are just very lucky parents with very sweet babies who are doing all the things that normal babies do.
They are not exceptional. I was reminded of this recently when I saw an old acquaintance. She has two older children and was trying to remember where in the developmental spectrum my kids (at 3 months and a bit) were. "Oh - so they're rolling over and pushing up now, right?" I told my adorable little story of how much Caroline likes her daily pilates routine and how good the boys are at their upward facing dogs. And I shared that Caroline had recently started rolling from front to back, but that the boys, who had first rolled at 7 weeks old, had stopped when they put on too much weight to push over. "Oh! Well, when my child was just three weeks old she was already flipping over! In fact, we had to stop swaddling her for fear she'd roll over in her sleep and not be able to get back." I almost got caught up in it and said, "Well, since ours WERE four weeks early, I guess rolling over at seven weeks is just like your full-term baby doing it at three weeks," but then I thought about it for half a second and realized I really didn't care. So I let her brag on about her amazing child and smiled and then went back to mine.
Another time I was talking with a mother of a newborn (much newer than ours). She was expressing amazement at how we handle three and commented that we must just be feeding them "all the time". I imagined that since her baby was so small she was probably still nursing her every two to three hours, so I explained that it was easier because we were bottle feeding the Salvateenies, and that they were on a schedule now and just ate four times a day - once every four hours during the day. No chorus of amazement. She just persisted that it must just take so long with three of them to feed. Stupidly, I continued to explain that it just didn't take as long when you were bottle feeding. Besides, I said, we usually have two people for most of the feedings, and if the third baby insists on being fed at the same time, they're actually pretty good at being propped up on the boppy with the milk in their mouth.
Now...I know this is a controversial topic. A friend of mine who used to run a childcare facility mentioned to me that she'd always been "pretty against" propping bottles, but she had learned that with multiples it was like a godsend if they would take them. Back when I was pregnant I was looking for information about Podee Bottles and came across a website with information on all sorts of bottle propping gadgets. The comments at the bottom of the page were all by singleton moms who basically felt that if you were so busy that you needed to employ a propped bottle, perhaps you shouldn't have bothered to have your child in the first place. At the time I thought it was ludicrous that anyone could be that judgmental.
Then I met this mom.
When I mentioned that the babies were pretty good at being propped with their milk, her jaw dropped. "Do you at least rotate who you do that to?" I let the "do that TO" pass and just responded, "Well, we try to keep track of it, but really it depends on who's in the best mood to be propped at that feeding and who will be the most successful." Her: "Well, I hope you rotate it - I mean, talk about giving a kid a complex!" And then she rolled her eyes at me!
Oh, the things I wanted to say...they all jumbled into my head at once and so none of them came out, luckily. And really, what was I going to say? "Yeah, well MY baby started licking his brother's head last week! Bet your baby hasn't done THAT."
Did I mention I think HER baby was rolling over at three weeks old, too? There must be something about babies who roll early that makes their moms competitive.
But now I'm past it. My babies are sweet and adorable and healthy and anything else they do developmentally, whether it's early or late or right on time, is gravy at this point.
And speaking of developmental growth...Joe caught them really noticing each other during feeding time today.
And then there's just Daniel being adorable after his bath:
And Max, putting Grandma to sleep again!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Daddy's first week alone
It is Friday night and the babies are all still intact. Joe has made it through his first week of solo parenting relatively unscathed. And now the babies' eyes follow HIM around the room...oh, fickle allegiances of the newly born. What am I? Chopped Liver? (as if they'd even get that reference...maybe I should rephrase..."What am I? Powdered formula?")
Monday went pretty well. I rushed home in time for the 5:00 feeding and was filled in on the day. Joe had handled the morning feeding, then Tom and Carla came by and each took a baby for the 1:00. Uncle Kelly was also on hand if there'd been any problems. Then came Tuesday. Daniel woke up before I even left the house and I had to hug and coo and bounce him back to sleep, which made my day that much harder. And it meant Joe was awake, on the alert for someone to make a sound. Max awoke at 7:30, but played happily in his crib until 8:30, or as much as you can play when swaddled. Then came news that Tom had a "please take the day off and let your body rest" type headache and Daddy was on his own for lunchtime. Add to this the fact that I had an after-school meeting and would be getting home JUST at Salvateenie dinner time, and Tuesday amounted to a challenging day on the homefront.
But babies rallied for Wednesday. Everybody was asleep when I left. Nobody called with concerns during the day, and everyone seemed pretty happy when I got back. This is when Max pulled his trick on Joe. He (Max) cried and cried until Joe picked him up. Unable to console him, Joe figured he should check his diaper. Max calmed down the instant his butt hit the changing table - we've found the problem, right? WRONG! His diaper was completely dry, but Max had found what he wanted...a nice warm spot to lie down, where Daddy has to stay within arm's length! I came home to find Max grinning goofily on the changing table with Joe hovering beside him, and the other babies napping in their little chairs.
Thursday was the really big day. The morning schedule unfolded as it had the past few days - whoever woke up first got to eat right away. Then babies were fed as they awoke - but this time Daniel and Caroline both wanted to get up together! And Joe successfully propped up a baby with bottle! YAY! After the 1pm feeding...it was time for a play date! A woman from our multiples group (who always says we're her inspiration on really bad days with her twin girls ... I guess she thinks of us and says to herself, "it's not that bad...they could be triplets") had offered to have anyone from our "Play Group" (babies born between July and December of last year) over to her house to get together. I had encouraged Joe to go because 1) she's a nice lady, 2) it would be good to get out with the babies, and 3) she lives in our neighborhood! During the prep to leave, I got a wonderful phone call. Joe, very calmly, informed me that putting on the little seat belts in the car seats was not quite as easy as he'd thought it would be. Oops...guess I should've let him do that a couple of times... They weren't that confounding, though, because Joe and Tom made it out to the lady's house, got a great parking space, and carried armsful of car seats in. And it's a good thing they did - nobody else's babies made it! (No judgment, of course...it's super hard to get yourself out of the house with one baby, I'm told. With multiple babies it's, well, exponentially hard.) In fact, one other woman did come, though without her babies this time. And it turns out SHE'S the one we just bought a crib from so that we'll have three relatively matching ones for the new nursery. Small world.
Giddy from a successful outing on Thursday, the Salvateenies braved the Bay Bridge to visit their grandparents in Livermore on Friday. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa have heat, because it was under 40 degrees most of the day!
Daddy had some time to take pictures during his week:
And, of course, there are the Week 16 pictures:
Monday went pretty well. I rushed home in time for the 5:00 feeding and was filled in on the day. Joe had handled the morning feeding, then Tom and Carla came by and each took a baby for the 1:00. Uncle Kelly was also on hand if there'd been any problems. Then came Tuesday. Daniel woke up before I even left the house and I had to hug and coo and bounce him back to sleep, which made my day that much harder. And it meant Joe was awake, on the alert for someone to make a sound. Max awoke at 7:30, but played happily in his crib until 8:30, or as much as you can play when swaddled. Then came news that Tom had a "please take the day off and let your body rest" type headache and Daddy was on his own for lunchtime. Add to this the fact that I had an after-school meeting and would be getting home JUST at Salvateenie dinner time, and Tuesday amounted to a challenging day on the homefront.
But babies rallied for Wednesday. Everybody was asleep when I left. Nobody called with concerns during the day, and everyone seemed pretty happy when I got back. This is when Max pulled his trick on Joe. He (Max) cried and cried until Joe picked him up. Unable to console him, Joe figured he should check his diaper. Max calmed down the instant his butt hit the changing table - we've found the problem, right? WRONG! His diaper was completely dry, but Max had found what he wanted...a nice warm spot to lie down, where Daddy has to stay within arm's length! I came home to find Max grinning goofily on the changing table with Joe hovering beside him, and the other babies napping in their little chairs.
Thursday was the really big day. The morning schedule unfolded as it had the past few days - whoever woke up first got to eat right away. Then babies were fed as they awoke - but this time Daniel and Caroline both wanted to get up together! And Joe successfully propped up a baby with bottle! YAY! After the 1pm feeding...it was time for a play date! A woman from our multiples group (who always says we're her inspiration on really bad days with her twin girls ... I guess she thinks of us and says to herself, "it's not that bad...they could be triplets") had offered to have anyone from our "Play Group" (babies born between July and December of last year) over to her house to get together. I had encouraged Joe to go because 1) she's a nice lady, 2) it would be good to get out with the babies, and 3) she lives in our neighborhood! During the prep to leave, I got a wonderful phone call. Joe, very calmly, informed me that putting on the little seat belts in the car seats was not quite as easy as he'd thought it would be. Oops...guess I should've let him do that a couple of times... They weren't that confounding, though, because Joe and Tom made it out to the lady's house, got a great parking space, and carried armsful of car seats in. And it's a good thing they did - nobody else's babies made it! (No judgment, of course...it's super hard to get yourself out of the house with one baby, I'm told. With multiple babies it's, well, exponentially hard.) In fact, one other woman did come, though without her babies this time. And it turns out SHE'S the one we just bought a crib from so that we'll have three relatively matching ones for the new nursery. Small world.
Giddy from a successful outing on Thursday, the Salvateenies braved the Bay Bridge to visit their grandparents in Livermore on Friday. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa have heat, because it was under 40 degrees most of the day!
Daddy had some time to take pictures during his week:
 |
| Joe caught Daniel practicing his stance for pitching out of the stretch |
 |
| See how all those eyes are following Daddy? |
 |
| Looking at Daddy again! |
 |
| This one is for our friends who complained there were no pictures of the babies with their Mom - now you see why! |
 |
| Caroline checking out the new sweatshirt Sam sent - and wondering when she gets to go fishing! |
And, of course, there are the Week 16 pictures:
 |
| In this one, Caroline looks like she's just finished one of her big sighs...but mostly, look at how SHORT she is compared to her two big brothers! |
Monday, January 3, 2011
Their first day without me
As anticipated, I had mixed feelings about today. I got to school and everything seemed normal. Everyone I met welcomed me back enthusiastically and told me how much I'd been missed. And yet, school seems to have gone on without me...a little deflating, I have to admit. Well, maybe not really deflating - I mean, you WANT things to be able to continue in your absence, otherwise you could never leave to do important things like give birth to triplets. But still, would it have killed them to let everything fall apart just ONCE because I wasn't there?
Anyway. School went well. Partially, I'm sure, because the students aren't back yet. Today and tomorrow are meeting days, which means I got to spend the day being welcomed and quizzed about the babies, which also gave me permission to brag about them all day. People kept asking if I was missing the babies, and I would respond that (glance at watch) they probably weren't even awake yet.
I kept my phone out in case Joe called with some sort of baby waking/changing/feeding emergency. But he didn't call. And when he did, I missed it! I saw the missed call and quickly excused myself from the meeting to see what he needed. And guess what? He was just calling to report that everyone had fed themselves just fine! Daniel awoke first - at 8:32 - and got a private audience with Daddy for his diaper change and feeding. Then Max awoke at 9:10, followed by Caroline, who always has been the best sleeper in the bunch. Everyone was changed, fed, and settled by 10.
So they didn't really need me at home either. Sigh.
Tom and Carla (known to you as the MBW - Master Baby Wranglers) came over to help with the 1pm feeding. I'm pretty sure Joe could've handled it on his own, but it's always nicer when you don't have to. I finished up work and headed out to my car. At 3:25 I called to say I was on my way home (it takes about 45 minutes door to door), and Joe said the babies had been amazing all day, but Daniel was just starting to get fussy.
When I got home, I found Max up on the changing table, Joe standing next to him. It seems that Daniel calmed down and Max then got fussy. Playing, pacifier, and walking/bouncing did not solve the crying, so Joe decided to check his diaper. He immediately calmed down when he was placed on the changing table, which would seem to indicate the problem had been identified. But his diaper was spotless. Nevertheless, he was only happy while he was lying on the changing table, and he held his poor father hostage there until I came home. I suggested perhaps next time to lay him down on the floor and play with him there.
Tomorrow it is back to the salt mines for me - I have to be a student in a demonstration class for a new instructional method we're learning about and after lunch I have to get a tutorial on the new attendance and grading system everyone's been using for a semester. Oh, and I have to figure out how to introduce myself to my classes and what to teach this week!
Anyway. School went well. Partially, I'm sure, because the students aren't back yet. Today and tomorrow are meeting days, which means I got to spend the day being welcomed and quizzed about the babies, which also gave me permission to brag about them all day. People kept asking if I was missing the babies, and I would respond that (glance at watch) they probably weren't even awake yet.
I kept my phone out in case Joe called with some sort of baby waking/changing/feeding emergency. But he didn't call. And when he did, I missed it! I saw the missed call and quickly excused myself from the meeting to see what he needed. And guess what? He was just calling to report that everyone had fed themselves just fine! Daniel awoke first - at 8:32 - and got a private audience with Daddy for his diaper change and feeding. Then Max awoke at 9:10, followed by Caroline, who always has been the best sleeper in the bunch. Everyone was changed, fed, and settled by 10.
So they didn't really need me at home either. Sigh.
Tom and Carla (known to you as the MBW - Master Baby Wranglers) came over to help with the 1pm feeding. I'm pretty sure Joe could've handled it on his own, but it's always nicer when you don't have to. I finished up work and headed out to my car. At 3:25 I called to say I was on my way home (it takes about 45 minutes door to door), and Joe said the babies had been amazing all day, but Daniel was just starting to get fussy.
When I got home, I found Max up on the changing table, Joe standing next to him. It seems that Daniel calmed down and Max then got fussy. Playing, pacifier, and walking/bouncing did not solve the crying, so Joe decided to check his diaper. He immediately calmed down when he was placed on the changing table, which would seem to indicate the problem had been identified. But his diaper was spotless. Nevertheless, he was only happy while he was lying on the changing table, and he held his poor father hostage there until I came home. I suggested perhaps next time to lay him down on the floor and play with him there.
Tomorrow it is back to the salt mines for me - I have to be a student in a demonstration class for a new instructional method we're learning about and after lunch I have to get a tutorial on the new attendance and grading system everyone's been using for a semester. Oh, and I have to figure out how to introduce myself to my classes and what to teach this week!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Transitions
OK...this is it. I'm going back to work tomorrow. Nine hours from now I will be on the road, headed South to school. Eleven hours from now (hopefully), the babies will be waking up for their first morning feeding without me. Luckily, their daddy will be here to handle it, so maybe they won't notice that anything is different. That'd be great.
But it would also be sad.
The signs have been coming for a while - signs that life is going back to "normal".
First it was the mental signs - I've been having much more active dreams the past few weeks, and more often than not they in some way include my classroom or my students. I've caught myself lesson planning in my head - how will I introduce myself to classes that have been together for a whole semester with other teachers? What's the first unit I'm going to cover? How many pictures of the babies is it appropriate to force on them?
Then it was the physical signs. The pregnancy hormones are wearing off. My fingernails, indestructible for nearly a year, are snagging and tearing like the paper-thin excuses they've always been. My hair, which hadn't succumbed to any of the pregnancy horror story scenarios I'd read about, now takes up residence in clumps in the shower drain every morning (or afternoon, depending when the babies let me get to the shower).
I think the babies can sense the change coming as well. The boys were extra fussy during the day today, and tonight Max and Caroline simply refused to finish their bottles. I'm going to have to lay out my clothes ahead of time so I don't keep the light on in the office adjacent (and visible through a glass door) to their nursery for too long so that they can sleep in as long as possible.
People keep asking if I'm "ready" to go back to work. I think I am ready to be back, though I'm not sure I'm ready to leave the babies for nine to ten hours a day. I know I have to go back - we can't afford to have me take unpaid leave, and we really, really need the health insurance. :) And after seven full months constantly together, I think it'll be good for me and Joe to have some more time on our own (though his will be with three infants and mine will be with a hundred and fifty or more teenagers).
At least the first two days are meetings so I'll have time to ease myself into being away from my kids and with all my students.
On our last day together, the babies met some new friends - Alanna and Ashling visited. Alanna had already met the babies - when they were teeny tiny 'teenies - but they'd slept through most of that visit, so this was new! She helped feed them, and Ashling cuddled with them and told them how cute they are. She swears Caroline said her own name, which is interesting because our friend Quynn was sure she said HER name when she visited earlier in the week. High expectations for this little one!
Earlier in the week, we had our final Xmas celebration with our friends the Linerts, who have been very generous with the babies and whose daughter even serenaded them!
But it would also be sad.
The signs have been coming for a while - signs that life is going back to "normal".
First it was the mental signs - I've been having much more active dreams the past few weeks, and more often than not they in some way include my classroom or my students. I've caught myself lesson planning in my head - how will I introduce myself to classes that have been together for a whole semester with other teachers? What's the first unit I'm going to cover? How many pictures of the babies is it appropriate to force on them?
Then it was the physical signs. The pregnancy hormones are wearing off. My fingernails, indestructible for nearly a year, are snagging and tearing like the paper-thin excuses they've always been. My hair, which hadn't succumbed to any of the pregnancy horror story scenarios I'd read about, now takes up residence in clumps in the shower drain every morning (or afternoon, depending when the babies let me get to the shower).
I think the babies can sense the change coming as well. The boys were extra fussy during the day today, and tonight Max and Caroline simply refused to finish their bottles. I'm going to have to lay out my clothes ahead of time so I don't keep the light on in the office adjacent (and visible through a glass door) to their nursery for too long so that they can sleep in as long as possible.
People keep asking if I'm "ready" to go back to work. I think I am ready to be back, though I'm not sure I'm ready to leave the babies for nine to ten hours a day. I know I have to go back - we can't afford to have me take unpaid leave, and we really, really need the health insurance. :) And after seven full months constantly together, I think it'll be good for me and Joe to have some more time on our own (though his will be with three infants and mine will be with a hundred and fifty or more teenagers).
At least the first two days are meetings so I'll have time to ease myself into being away from my kids and with all my students.
On our last day together, the babies met some new friends - Alanna and Ashling visited. Alanna had already met the babies - when they were teeny tiny 'teenies - but they'd slept through most of that visit, so this was new! She helped feed them, and Ashling cuddled with them and told them how cute they are. She swears Caroline said her own name, which is interesting because our friend Quynn was sure she said HER name when she visited earlier in the week. High expectations for this little one!
Earlier in the week, we had our final Xmas celebration with our friends the Linerts, who have been very generous with the babies and whose daughter even serenaded them!
 |
| playing peek-a-boo with Anjali |
 |
| Playing air hockey with Anjali, Ajay, and Uncle Kelly |
 |
| Getting a cuddle from Anjali (with an assist from Chris) |
 |
| hanging out with Anjali and Chris |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
We celebrated New Years Eve Day with Joe's parents in Livermore, then braved the traffic to get back into the City. It was nice to realize as we approached a near stand-still at the toll plaza approach that we are now an official car pool and could get in the nearly empty lane at the side and pay a discounted toll. Of course, if they snap a picture to confirm, we may have to point out the three rear-facing car seats in the back that are all filled with babies! Fingers crossed!
Before leaving Livermore we stopped at a gas station and picked up a lottery ticket. People kept teasing us that with our luck in 2010 (the great pregnancy, the healthy, happy, sleeping-through-the-night triplets, the Giants winning the World Series), we should play the lottery. I've never gotten a ticket before, so I didn't really know what to do, but my father-in-law mentioned the words "quick pick" as I left their house, so at least I had the lingo. We got 5 quick picks, which are identified as A, B, C, D, and E on the ticket - for baby A, baby B, baby C, Daddy, and Edith, we assume. We'll see if our 2010 luck holds out for tonight's 1/1/11 drawing. I guess we could have more fingers crossed for that.
Tom and Carla came over to help with the 9 o'clock feeding, then my family came over and we had a champagne toast at 10 to celebrate with Chicago (though CNN's coverage was from Nashville). We slipped next door for a moment to make an appearance at our neighbors' party while my folks sat with the babies and were sort of a conversation piece there. And then it was home to make sure the pops and whistles of the illegal fireworks up and down the block didn't unsettle the babies too much and off to bed for us.
We wish you all a very happy and healthy 2011!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)