The Rainbow Connection

Bo, Tate and Sofie - those are my precious little peas. They turned 15 months old yesterday. Life with three 15 month old kiddos is exactly what you would expect it to be. We have a lot of laughs, cries, bumped heads and new sounds (words in their world). We are starting to copy-cat, push each other over and try things just to see the reaction. I've come to realize that this particular phase is one to be cherished and held onto as long as possible, because my babies are (insert flowing tears) not really babies anymore.
When I was pregnant, I never wanted to read any books or blogs on pregnancy because I didn't feel it was relevant to being pregnant with a litter. Trying to wrap my head around a triplet pregnancy was intense and when turning to books or the Internet I found that most information just freaked me out (do a Google image search of "triplet belly" or "post triplet belly" and you'll catch my drift).  I decided early on that I would follow my heart to get all of us through this life.
I was scared. Scared that they would be okay, scared that I would be okay, scared that I would never look the same, scared that I would lose myself, scared that we would be able to afford this new life, scared that we could raise a child (let alone three at the same time)...the fears were tremendous.
So, what did I do to overcome all of this fear? I followed my heart. I woke up every day and ran with my dog, worked, did yoga, went grocery shopping, cleaned the house, did the laundry, cooked dinner...I couldn't just sit waiting for an unknown amount of time. We had numerous doctors appointments and everything was moving along without a hitch. They could be born at 24 weeks or 37 weeks; I could either sit inside worrying and wondering or I could take care of myself, stay happy, comfortable and sane for as long as I could.
I had an amazing pregnancy. I loved taking them out with me each morning and practicing with them on my mat in the afternoon. The last couple of weeks were uncomfortable as they are for everyone; I was still strong and I wasn't scared anymore.
After they were born, Bo, Tate and Sofie spent 4 weeks in the NICU. They had a few early hiccups that most premature babies have. After about two weeks, they were on the fast track out of there. They needed to weigh 4 lbs to come home. At 36 weeks gestation, exactly 4 weeks from their birthday they came home. And then, of course, I was scared again. Many of the same fears came up along with a plethora of new ones.There is so much pressure on new moms to do everything right and follow all of the guidelines. Between breastfeeding and they kind of bottles to use; to pacifiers and taking monthly pictures documenting every step of the way (which I did maybe 4 times). Then there are the outfits, Lord help me. I kept picturing our kids to be the ones looking disheveled, boogers and all in Walmart clothes.
With all of these new set of fears, I decided to follow my heart. I woke up fed the kids, ran with my dog, fed the kids, pumped, did laundry, fed the kids, pumped, fed the kids, pumped, fed the kids, pumped, did yoga, fed the kids...they were eating 8 times a day and I was pumping rather then breast feeding them. I started doing baby exercises with each of them, timed them everyday on their tummy time  (we started with 5 minutes and worked our way up). My mom bought all of their clothes and toys (and they weren't from Walmart).
Once the peas were about 3 months old, the toy envy ensued. Then I was worried that they wouldn't be getting enough stimulation. How could we possibly work with three babies enough on gross motor and fine motor skills? What about cognitive development, problem solving, the list goes on. I kept trying to think back to an early childhood education class that I had; with no luck. And again, I followed my heart.  We went for walks, read to them as long as everyone was calm and sat outside on a sheet in the sun. We used what we had and did what we could.
My point to all of this is I wasn't hemming and hawing over the little things that are easy to get caught up in when you're new at something. I don't like not being sure of myself and so I simply wasn't. I made decisions and stuck with them. I stopped giving them breast milk when they were two months old. Surprisingly, everyone is alive and thriving. The most amazing thing about children is that they don't need all of the 'things' you think they need. Walmart clothes are okay, especially when they get spit up on everyday. Reading the same books over and over is okay too, because they're learning to recognize and recall words that are repeated to them. Formula isn't going to give your baby a bad immune system and feeding him or her from a bottle still gives you an incredible bond.
My mom said something to me the other day that resonated with me...don't forget all that you had already done for them when you were carrying them. I thought back to that point in their life and in mine. They're needs were the same then as they are now food, warmth, shelter and love. However now, we need a little dance party, bike riding and chaos each day too.
I found this excerpt when looking up motherhood quotes and although this book is probably a great read; I will likely never read it...

“The Only Thing That Really Matters:
There are millions of books, magazines and web sites that cover every facet of parenting out there. They can make you feel pressured to be the perfect mom and raise the perfect child. You should celebrate and enjoy your baby’s milestones. But remember, how early they roll over, stand, walk, talk or potty train doesn’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things. I have found that in the end there is only one thing that really matters. You can give your child every comfort and luxury in the world, but all they really want is you. Mommy and me classes, baby sign language and the latest and greatest toys are not really what it’s about. You don’t have to give your child any of these things to be a good mom. All you have to do is be there. And that, my friends, is the Mommyhood. (As I see it anyway).”  [excerpted from Secrets of The Mommyhood: Everything I wish someone had told me about pregnancy, childbirth and having a baby. Alexander, Heather]