I (Shannon) have noticed lately that we seem to get the same questions about the kiddies when we meet new folks and visit with friends. I thought it would be fun to answer some of them here on the blog. Here are a few common ones and their answers:
Q: Is your house a circus?
A: Surprisingly, no. During the day, our little apartment is quiet and peaceful. I keep the windows open and the music playing, and I really enjoy being home with the kids. How is this possible? Simple - we have three VERY easy babies. They rarely cry, they sleep well, and they wait their turn for feedings and being held. I don't know why they are like this - maybe God is just being gracious with us - but I sure am grateful!
Q: How do you decide who to take care of first?
A: The rule in our home is, "He (or she) who asks shall receive." So, basically, whichever baby I hear talking in the morning first gets fed first. Poor Avery usually gets fed last because she is infinitely patient. Really, she almost never cries. It's a good thing, too, because she has a terribly heartbreaking little feminine cry. Tom and I are both suckers for her, which is going to be a problem, I think.
Avery is a sweet girl.
Q: What do you do if they all cry at the same time?
A: Take a video. Because it almost never happens. Then I take care of them in order of who is crying loudest. They stop crying as soon as you give them whatever they need (I'm not kidding about them being easy), and that usually only takes a few minutes. So we don't have too much crying around here.
Grayson crying.
Q: What's the hardest thing about having triplets?
A: Keeping them healthy. Our little family is a walking biohazard. I don't think that we have all been perfectly healthy since they came home; it seems like we always have some kind of sickness or infection. Preemies are especially susceptible to illness, so I am constantly trying to find a balance between quarantining the babies and having some sort of social life. It's a work in progress. And it's a good thing that we have a fantastic doctor - we practically see her every week!
The saddest picture. Ever. Graham has to do breathing treatments this week for a cough.
Daddy tells him he looks like a fighter pilot.
Also, he's wearing his sister's bib - don't tell.
Q: Do triplets run in your family?
A: Not yet. They're still working on crawling. Just kidding - no. These are the first on either side.
Q: Do you have family in town to help you?
A: Yes and No. We don't have our parents in town, unfortunately, but we do have our church family. There are some things that you just can't do on your own. When tough situations come up our faithful friends from church have stepped in to help us. Shortly after the babies came home Grayson and Avery had to be hospitalized for two days for a skin infection. It was terrible and scary. Six different people from church took shifts caring for Graham at our home, even spending the night with him, so that Tom and I could stay with Gray and Ave. Our kids are five months old now, and we still have friends bringing us a meal once a week and babysitting for us once a month. I don't know how we'd pull off our life without them.
