How much food do Triplets eat???

How does 15 containers of baby food per day sound?

1 for breakfast

2 for lunch

2 for dinner

times 3 kids

That is about $7.00 per day. At the end of the month it is $210.00 per month. But who is counting. All I know is that the recycling bin is getting full days before our pick-up. And we use two bins....

Here is a picture for you to enjoy.

Next time dirty diaper..... ;-)

Feed, Change, Sleep, Feed, Change, Sleep!

As the weeks went by we became better and better at the schedule. We were on a 3 hour schedule and it continued for 5 months. The hardest part was the nights. Cutting back the 11 p.m., 2 a.m. feeding were hard. But worth every minute. We did it by being on "Binky Patrol". That is right. We rotated who was on-call for popping the Binky back in their mouth. As long as they had the Binky they were fine. Every once in a while one would wake up fully and need a bottle.

Once we got past the overnight feedings everything got better. They started eating baby food by 6 months. It was great to see them evolve so fast. We started with the baby cereal but they did not enjoy it as much. They were on stage 1 foods for only a month or so. By 8 months they were gobbling down stage2 foods easily.

We cut back on the amount of formula we used, only 4 bottles per kid per day. But they were now eating 5 containers of baby food per kid per day. That is equal to 105 per week, 420 per month .The cost was $46 per week or $186 per month, for beechnut baby food purchased at BJ's. They sell them in boxes of 18. So I get 7 per week.

Formula is still very expensive. One is having Alimentum which costs $9.00 per day, the others are on Enfamil Lipil for $7.00 per day. That is equal to $112.00 per week or $448 per month.

But we can't forget the diapers. Each box of 200 diapers costs$45.00 We go through almost 1 box per week. So that would be $45.00 or $180.00 per month.

Are you adding it up? Well the total bill is:

$203.00 per week

or

$812.00 per month

This is only on food and diapers. Every time we go to the doctor with the three girls it costs us $60.00 in co pays. Plus clothes, baby gear, toys and snacks (Gerber finger foods).

So where are we now?

To be continued..........

Home Sweet Home

The triplets were home faster then we expected. It was really a blessing considering all of the things that could have happened. We were really fortunate to have very healthy strong kids. Once they were home we just picked up where the hospital left off. We followed the schedule they had in place, the processes they had already created, and improved on it day by day.

We had family helping us everyday, so that was a plus. We were on a three hour feeding schedule with three kids that meant we only had 1 and 1/2 hours between the last kid and the first kid. Not enough time to do much. It took us 30 minutes to feed each a miserable 2 ounces. Really! 30 minutes, sometimes 45 minutes.

We changed diapers every time we fed them. That translated to 8 diaper per kid per day, total of 24 diapers per day, or 168 diapers per week, or 720 diapers per month. We are now down to 5 to 6 diapers per day per kid. So it does get easier with time.

Two of the girls were on breast milk, and one on special formula. She has milk protein allergies, which is more common then most people think. So we save on formula for a little while. But that did not last long.

The girls were sleeping most of the day. Which help a lot. But they did not sleep for more then 3 hours each. We were on a constant rotation at night. Early shift 3 a.m. wake-up call, late shift 3 a.m. bed time. So I would go to bed at 3 a.m. and my husband would wake-up at 3 a.m. to be with the girls.

Are you tired yet.... We have only started the journey....

8 Long Days in the NICU

Once the triplets were born, they were sent directly to the NICU. Not because there was anything wrong, but just in case. I actually did not get to hold them until 12 hrs after the delivery. I was hoocked to a morphine drip, so I don't remember much. the first time I saw them in their incubadors I cried. Because it is hard to see your child in such a scenario, with lots of cords every where. But I was thankfull that my little ones did not need oxygen, IV liquids or a feeding tube.

Those little peanuts were eating from a bottle the minute they were born. After speaking with the nurses and the Neonatologists on staff, we found out that they were very healthy. But no one could tell us how long they would be in the NICU. The only thing they could do is give us milestone to watch for.

In order for the babies to come home they needed to be doing three things: eating well, gaining weight and maintaining their body temperature without assistance from the incubador. The first few days were so hard on me, I was feeling bad from the c-section. The pain pills were only helping slightly. My body was swollen, I could barely stand up for 5 minutes.

Every visit to the NICU was painfull phisically, and emotionally. It seamed like they were taking two steps forward and one back every day. But everyone was very optimistic. By day four, they sent me home. I was feeling better but still not enough to be active with my two year old.

We made sure that there was always someone at the NICU with our babies. I visited them every day. By day 7 the nurses had told us that baby A and C were ready to go home any time now. I got confirmation from the Neonatologist that we would be able to bring them both home on the 8th day. But baby B was still slowly catching up.

By that night, baby B had made a huge progress on her weight gain, so she was allowed to come home with her sisters the next day. We were so excited. I could not wait to have them in our home, in their bedroom, at arms reach.

We placed all three in the same crib and snapped this picture.

They looked so adorable. But this is when the true work began. We were on a three hour feeding schedule. And believe me we followed it to the minute. We had lots of help but it was very hard to get enough rest. My two year old did not understand that mommy needed to sleep. She wanted to be on the go all the time. Who can blame her? Three screaming babies at home, what else would you want but to run away. I amde sure that she did not feel left out, so she got to hold them (to an extent), kiss them, hold their bottles. She was truely happy to be the big sister.

At Last They Have Arrived.....

As I laid on the operating room table, wondering "Has it started yet?". I thought I was supposed to feel something, but instead I felt like a warm blank over me. The anesthesiologist kept asking me if I was OK. Yes, so far I am OK. But I was worried, "Has it started yet?" My husband was next to me, but I could not see much. He had a huge mask covering most of his face.

All of a sudden, here comes the first cry. It sounded so beautifully. It is baby A, she sounds strong. Only one minute later, another cry. Oh My! It is baby B. She also sounds strong. My husband moves towards these little crying babies. And before I knew it, one more cry. There she is, baby C. They are here. And they sound great.

This is probably the only time I would be glad to hear all three crying at the same time. The room was busy. People moving everywhere. All I could see were the nurses backs. I want to see my babies! Where are they? The nurses got them cleaned up, and brought all three little bundles over to me. It was amazing to see them together.

I could not believe it. My babies are here, healthy and strong. They were taken straight to the NICU for assessment. For the next 24hrs, we would know how long they would stay. My job was done. Or has it just started......

Delivery Day Arrives.... Finaly we are going to have triplets!!

So the day we were scheduled to deliver was very exciting. The surgery was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. I was very nervous, after all, everything was going great. In my mind, I kept thinking if we should wait another week. The last thing I wanted was to deliver too early. Were they really ready to come at 34 weeks. The doctors kept assuring us that it would be fine. But I did not want my babies to stay in the NICU one single day more then needed.

There was really no way to predict what would happen once they were out. The doctors could not tell me if they were healthy enough. All they could do is say that the time was right, and that the more we waited the risks would increase.

That morning, I walked into the hospital very scared. I really did not know what to expect. Everyone tells you that c-sections are not bad, but you can't know for certain until you go through it yourself.

As they guided me to the waiting area, I kept thinking "Is this the right day?". Should we wait. But at that point I was so big that my body was hurting. My skin was burning, my legs were hurting. Everything was hurting. I was ready. My belly was 50 inches round. I weighed in at 220 lbs. Smaller then I thought I would be at this point, but the babies were measuring 4 lbs each.

The nurses came to get get me ready. IV here, fluids there, monitors were everywhere. I was getting even more nervous. But my family was around me, keeping me calm and tranquil. But I was still worried. I had not met my doctors yet??? Yes, the actual doctor scheduled to do the surgery. I had not met him. I had been going to a group, so there was not a specific doctor. It would be the on-call doctor doing my surgery.

At 8:20 a.m., I was wheeled into the operating room. There must have been 30 plus people in the operating room. The anesthesiologist advised me of the spinal. He got his work done. It was enough time for me to lay down, and that was it. I was numb. But as i looked around, spread eagle on the table, I saw several nurses running around, getting ready. But no Doctor. Where is the doctor? Stuck in traffic. Come on.... Lets get this over with.

I was very nervous. Soon after they connected me to all of the machines, here comes this skinny guy, with a mask on. "Hi" he said, "I am your doctor, do you have any questions?". What was I supposed to say: "hi Doc, nice to meet you!"

If you ask me today, I don't know how he looks like. So with the introduction out of the way, he got started on me.

to be continued.......

A pregancy with triplets..... Now what

As soon as we found out that I was going to have triplets, all of our plans changed. We had to think about all of the logistics involved with having multiples. From what car to buy to how many diapers we were going to use a day. We also had to consider the posibility of having complications. And just the though was very scary. We were advised of everything that can go wrong, from having premature labor to children with health problems. We were also told by our Neonatologist that we could choose to reduce the amount of babies we had. Something that we would never do. In our hearts we wanted all of them. The price was steep (it could cost my life or the life of the babies). But we could not play God and choose one to be reduced.

It is our belief that God only gives you what you can handle. And he is right. The first 20 weeks of pregnancy were mild in comparison with what other have gone through. I went to the emergency room only twice. Just to be safe, and get check up.

At 18 weeks, we were able to find out if they were boys, girls of a mix of the two. My husband had his heart in his hands during the ultrasound. The technician started with baby A. Well, this one was easy, its a girl. And then baby B, another girls. When she got to baby C, my husband already knew, it would be another girl. I could see his heart breaking and rejoicing at the same time. He would not have his highly desired boy this time, but three more beautifull girls.

At 20 weeks, my doctor put me on bed rest. But as you know, I have a two year old, who at the time was only 18 months. She could not understand why Mommy could not carry her anymore. It was very frustrating for both of us. She was still a baby after all. But I could not jeapordyze the health of the three babies.

So with time she accepted this new situation. but bed rest was not a piece of cake, as most may think. i was feeling very odd, my heart was racing, I felt dizzy at time, tired all the time. i was not able to stand for long periods of time. It definetly made things harder. But as time went by, we kept thinking of how the little ones were growing. And they did that very well. Every visit that we had showed them healthy and growing according to plan.

By 27 weeks I started having contractions frequently. These were what they call braxton hicks contractions. I was very scared. we went to the ER another 4 times. During one of these visits we actually stayed for two days. The doctors decided to give me steroids for the babies lungs, in case I was having premature labor. But luckly the contractions went away and we were sent home.

By 30 weeks, the doctors were very hapy with our progress, and determined that the best time to deliver the girls would be at 34 weeks. I was a little skeptical. I wanted them to be in my belly until they were ready. I seam odd to me to determine the day they would be born. But the doctors were certain they would be ready at 34 weeks, and if we waited longer the risks would almost doubled.

We were getting close to the delivery day, and we began to have doughts about delivering at 34 weeks. Was it really the right thing to do?

to be continued...........

Who are the Richardsons

So now you may be asking yourself "How did it all begin?" Well here it is....

About five years ago, T and C met, and before you knew it were getting married. Only a few months later I found out I was pregnant with A, our first daughter. She is beautiful, and very smart. But C and I always wanted to have more children. Our goal was to have at least 3. So a year and a half later we decided to try again. We wanted our kids to be close in age, so it seamed right to start soon after A turned 1 year old.

In February of last year I started to feel odd. Most women can tell when they are pregnant. I had my doubts but I figured I should check. I had a pregnancy test left over from when I got pregnant with A, so I decided to take.

Long and behold, I saw the little box light up with the two pink lines. That was the confirmation I was waiting for. We were pregnant. Only this time, it seamed very different. But everyone tells you that no two pregnancies are alike. So I figured that was the case with this one.

I decided that it would be best to wait until I got the OK from my OB/GYN before we celebrated. So a few weeks later I went for a visit with him. He examined me and confirmed that I was. For some reason C and I started joking around about being pregnant with twins. I ask my doc if it was possible, he said he did not think so.

At our 8 weeks check up we had an ultrasound, and the first thing out of the technician's mouth was : "Did you guys use Fertility?", NO. And then "Did you guys use IVF?", NO. Oh My GOSH! She said: "You are having triplets!!!" Our reaction: "No way! Your machine is broken", 'Are you sure?". We saw the three little peanuts floating on the screen. I almost passed out. Natural triplets, how was that possible.

I found out from my family, then, that we had a case of triplets in our family. My grandmother's sister had triplet girls, 30 years ago. How come no one told me I could have them too? We were delighted and at the same time scared.

This meant that we would be faced with some hard decisions. We were going to have to endure a bunch of Doctor visits, possible complications, the unusual delivery. The possibilities were endless. But the only thing in our minds at that point was how are we going to manage three more babies.

As with most multiples pregnancies, there are several medical complications that could happen at the blink of an eye. I was sent to a specialist, a Neonatologist, for the duration of my pregnancy. I was also told to be prepared for the worst. Although my first pregnancy went smooth, this one was very unusual. Right off the bat it is considered a high risk pregnancy.

I was also told to expect to be on bed rest at 20 weeks. I figure it would not be a bad thing considering the out come. I could stay in bed as long as needed if it meant having healthy babies. So the journey began, on February on 2008, we were in for the long hall.

to be continued......

Welcome to the Richardson Family Blog

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to the Richardson Family blog. We are delighted that you decided to check us out. We are new to this blogging thing, but we hope we can keep up with it and be able to share our experiences with all.

As a family of 5 girls, we have rescently had the addition of three beautifull girls. Yes, triplet girls. You must be thinking fertility, IVF? No, they were natural. I guess no one told us that it runs in our family. We are very blessed to have three healthy little baby girls after an uneventfull pregnancy. They were born at 34 weeks, via a scheduled c-section with no complications.

So who else is part of this group of 5? Since you asked, we have the 6 year old who is so happy to be the big sister. She is great help on a day to day, by putting binkies back on, shaking rattles, holding bottles. She is slowly graduating to more complicated tasks such as changing diapers, etc... But she is really looking forward to having three little sisters running around the house chacing her.

And there is also the two year old, who is still a baby herself. She has accepted her three new sisters very gracefully. We catch her hugging and kissing them often. She is very gentle, as gentle as a two year old can be. She is at the point where she can speak in full sentences, so we alsway get an earfull of opinions. The newest one is "no, mommy, i don't like it".

As the years go by we realize how lucky we are to have such a beautifull family and an amazing life. God has blessed us in every way. Stay tunned for more updates on our family.

Sincerely,


The Richardsons