Tripletville Adventures : Week 4 @ home ~ Due date & Visitors

Coming up to a month home with the babies and I'm still not sure I know what I'm doing... but will I ever?? It's funny because I often hear "Well they say that you should do...", my question is: WHO IS THIS OMNIPRESENT THEY?? Who is the mighty authority on baby raising and have they met my babies? I understand that "they" all have doctorate degrees and have studied the art of baby raising way more than me, but each book has a different "they". Whether it be the neonatologists, the NICU nurses, the L&D nurses, the discharge nurses, the public health nurse or the nurse practitioner at my family doctor's office, there is a different opinion on the details of child rearing. Then who the heck do I listen to? I know I know, I listen to my gut, but I've never done this before, how do I know that my gut is right?!? Just like the other night, Zachary decided he was going to give me my first sleepless night and poor little buddy cried and cried and cried... I decided to try to let him cry it out a little, maybe too long... he finally fell asleep and the next day I knew that I had made a mistake because he didn't feed well all day as he had spent way too much energy crying all night. So now I've learned that my babies are still too little to cry. It broke my heart to do it, but again, I tried to do what my gut told me, and my gut was wrong... case in point! The only way he would sleep that night was on me, so I let him, and I fell asleep with him on me. Again, many would gasp that I slept with my baby on me... what if he fell off? What if he rolled off and his face ended up in the blankets and he stopped breathing? What if, what if, what if? My son needed sleep and I, trying to be a good mom, gave him what he and I both needed... Now, I won't let him do that all the time, I still put him in his crib whenever I can so that he doesn't think that mommy's chest is where sleeping happens but my little man was in pain so I comforted him, sue me! I know I sound angry and defensive but I just needed to vent and this seemed to be the appropriate forum as I now many of my readers are parents and have felt the way I'm feeling. If you haven't, please tell me your secret! I didn't read any books while I was pregnant and I made it through my pregnancy and gave birth to three beautiful boys. I'm not currently reading any books as I know that every book I read will say different things, so I rely on my Facebook triplet momma group (you mommas rock btw) and on my mom friends and even there opinions vary on what worked for THEIR baby. I'm sure I will read some literature when I am truly lost (I'm most likely going to buy "The Wonder Weeks" as I hear nothing but good things), I'm not against studies nor do I want to come across as belittling the doctors, dulas, nurses, etc. who have spent their lives studying babies... but I'm not sure I can follow one person's view or opinion on how I'm going to raise my boys. I plan on taking it all in and hope that I make the best decision based on my gut and as previously stated, sometimes my gut will be wrong, but I think that 90% of the time, it'll be ok. This week was the first week that was really trying; on me, on the boys, and on my relationship but I think that I need tough weeks to help me really understand my boys. I'm scared about when my mom leaves, but the next few weeks are going to be about trying to make my life easier when I am alone. We are going to set me up to feed three babies at once, we are going to try to get Zach and Sam to skip the middle of the night feeding (not sure if they're ready, but we'll see, it can't hurt to try). I've been told by a "they" not to wake a sleeping baby... well this "they" has never raised triplets!! I can't imagine going on demand for all three babies! I would really never sleep so now I'm still waking the other two up once one baby is crying just to keep my sanity and some type of schedule. So this week we will try dividing and conquering... I've asked a friend of mine to lend me a bassinet and I will separate Jacob from the other two boys (as Jacob is still too little to skip a feeding). My mother will have Jacob in her room and will feed him right there when he wakes and I will try to let the other two sleep... they haven't been sleeping too well but it doesn't hurt to try. If it doesn't work the first night, we'll wait a few days and try it again. Anyways, wish us luck!! Poor Gab will have to deal with me getting up and going back down over and over again... oh well, hopefully he can sleep through it!
I believe the hardest thing will be when I have to bring the boys to a doctor's appointment by myself or when they are crying all at once and I can only get to one, maximum two babies at the same time. I'll make it through, it'll be tough, but we'll make it. It's a good thing they're so freaking adorable!!
The best part of this week was being able to share them with friends... it was their due date on Saturday and we decided to let people in, well healthy people in anyway. I was sad when some of my friends couldn't come because they, or someone in their family was sick and they respected me too much to risk my boys getting sick. Of course, I can't protect them from every virus out there as I go outside of the house, my mother goes out of the house, my husband works outside of the house and visitors may have unknowingly come into contact with germs that will get to my babies, but I won't welcome them with open arms! It was a good weekend filled with love and laughter as I missed my friends too and it was great to spend time with them, but we are all exhausted, boys included. They gave us a few "bad" nights in a row and we're in the process of trying to find out why... we think they may have been going through a growth spurt and "they" (haha) say that it can last up to three days.
We have been so tired that strange/funny things have been happening... Here are just some examples: my mother burnt not one, but two of my pots, forgetting she had put them on to boil... my husband, thinking he had one baby when he had another, tried to lay Samuel in Jacob's bed, and thinking Jacob was a blanket, laid him right on top, only realizing it was a baby when the "blanket" started moving... feeding the wrong bottle to the wrong baby, changing a baby twice, forgetting dirty diapers EVERYWHERE, my mother falling on her ass after putting a baby in the swing, etc. It makes for some tear filled laughs when all we want to do is cry sometimes...
As far as the boys' development, they are eating more and more, sometimes I think I'm feeding them TOO much, but if they're drinking it, they must be hungry right? Especially when Jacob spills at least half, yes, he still hasn't learned to probably suck... poor little buddy! They're growing like weeds! On Thursday, Zachary was 7lbs 10oz, Samuel was 7lbs 4oz and Jacob was 6lbs 5oz. Zachary is getting soooo big, I'm sure at least he had a growth spurt!! I keep lying to myself and saying that their cramp smiles are actual smiles and their passing glances are eyes that are focusing, but soon right? I can't wait for them to start responding to us!!
So yesterday was their due date... I can't believe that as they've already been in our lives for 2 months!! If they had gone to their due date, there would have been over 22lbs of babies in my belly!!! That's nuts!! I'm so glad to have had them in our lives already for 2 months, we have cherished (almost) every moment!

Here are some pics of the week:

Babies enjoying Papa's guitar

Zachary after a bath

Papa taking care of all three... this was after a very difficult few hours...

Jacob chillin' in the bath

Zachary's shifty eyes... this is a total "Caption This" photo!

Naked and waiting for the doc... Jacob seems to love being naked!

Cutest little bums around!

This is the face Samuel gives when he says "I'm done, stop trying to feed me!"
The true story is that he does this for about 5 minutes and then screams at the top of
his lung as if to say "WHY AM I NOT EATING ANYMORE???"