Tag Archives: Family

Routines in the White House :: Transportation

One of the first things we knew we needed to address after finding out we were having triplets was the car. Can’t bring the kids home from the hospital if we don’t have a big enough car! Our Honda CRV was just NOT going to cut it, which seriously broke my heart {I LOVED that car}.

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We waited until the end of the Summer, figuring that we’d pick up on some great deals. Fortunately, our bank was doing a promo-financing thing with a car dealership we’ve used before.

I had a very specific list of requirements in our van: It had to be beige/gold/tan {whatever that color is called}, it had to have an aux input {for my ipod}, remote doors, and a roof rack….very specific right? I figured I’d have to compromise on something.

Let me tell you a little secret: I didn’t, not even one thing, AND I got heated seats and remote start!

Our car was only the beginning of how we were seeing God’s blessings in providing for these babies. We ended up getting a fantastic car, the price we wanted for our Honda CRV, and awesome financing!

Of course the car is only half the battle. The other half was figuring out how to fit 4 car seats in a 5 person {notice the word PERSON} back-seat-section. Matt, bless his heart, had never installed a car seat up until this point, I had always done all of Ave’s car seats. He took on the responsibility of installing the infant car seats.

We had hoped upon hope that we could fit all 3 infant car seats along the back row {I never managed to remember to take a picture of this}. We did. Unbeknownst to us, because our van is the Touring edition of the Chry.sler T&C, it has wider hip room in the 3rd row, allowing 3 car seats to fit, unlike almost every vehicle out there, even suburbans. We had no idea of this when we actually bought the car {another way God was blessing us}.

Because all the seats were in the 3rd row, we could put down the one captains chair, making it infinitely easier for us to load the 3 {increasingly heavy} infant car seats, without killing ourselves.

A couple of months ago, both boys outgrew the infant car seat {height-wise}. Another quandary, I knew that there was no way we would be able to fit 3 convertible car seats across the back row. We wouldn’t even be able to get the kids IN, even if we could fit them…we’d have a wall of car seat backs, all the way to the ceiling.

Once again, after numerous web searches, because I guess this isn’t a problem for most families {needing to have 4 convertible car seats at once in a vehicle}, I found out about a car seat that was the slimmest on the market, with the added benefit that it accommodated over 100lbs, meaning we won’t need to buy booster seats in a few years, the Diono Radian RXT. We ordered 2, thankfully not having to break the bank with buying 3 at once {2 was bad enough}.

Then came the fun part: How to install 3 convertible car seats and an infant car seat, while {hopefully} keeping a captains seat down.

It took me 2 days, I kid you not, TWO DAYS to figure out how to configure the seats.

Finally, I had it! And here it is for all you other lucky parents of a singleton and then triplets {the whole 4 or 5 of us that there seems to be}.

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Third row: Diono Radian {forward facing – for Ave}, Chicco Keyfit 30 {Ellie},

Diono Radian {rear facing – for James}

Second row (captains seat): Britax Marathon {rear facing – for Henry}

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For now, we fit: Once Ellie has outgrown the infant car seat, I’m not sure what will happen, but you can be sure I’ll write about it. And if we’re blessed with even 1 or 2 more children, I’m not sure what car is next in our future. I do know that God will provide for them, because He always has and always will.

Routines in the White House :: Bottle Feedings

I know it will seem kind of ridiculous to be writing this now, when the babies are getting near the end of bottles, but better late than never.

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When the boys came home from the hospital feedings were pretty easy. I was able to sit with both them and feed them both at once, so it didn’t feel like all I did was feed babies. When Ellie came home, then it got a bit complicated. I now had to figure out how to feed 3 babies, either at once or staggered.

During the day it wasn’t bad as I usually had someone here helping. Even the night time feedings weren’t terrible: Matt got up for every one of those feedings {while still working} and helped me feed the babies. But those evening ones, when it was just me…oy!

I really do wish I had a picture, but I don’t. There were many nights, when I just stayed up until midnight, knowing that once I got the evening {7-8pm} feeding done, Ave in bed and dinner cleaned up, it would be time for the next feeding. Unfortunately, I became addicted to The Vampire Diaries during that time {yes, I’ll admit to watching it}.

Some nights I had to take it 2 and then 1 at a time: I sat sideways on the couch with the babies between my legs and a bottle in each hand. Some nights I did them all at once: 2 between my legs and usually Jamesie in the bouncer next to me {he didn’t need to be cajoled to take his bottle and was the easiest to feed}. That was a sight to see…one bottle propped against me right knee, my right hand holding the bottle of the baby on the left {between my knees}, and then my left hand reaching over to hold the 3rd bottle. It didn’t happen too often, but it did work.

Once the babies got better at taking their bottles, it got a lot easier.

Now, I’m going to admit to one of those parenting faux pas: I propped the babies. Each of them went in a boppy pillow with another {very light} pillow propping up their bottle. It worked great! I sat there and watched them, while I took care of things with Ave.

That worked until they started to move around; then they wouldn’t even sit still for the bottle. Then we locked them in their swings and bouncers and propped those bottles. Still being sure to keep a close eye. Just to calm the fears of others: NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENED. We never had a choking incident or any other thing that would make me say it was risky, and we were always RIGHT THERE.

For the past few months this has been our method of feeding bottles during the day. James is now able to get himself out of his bouncer, without getting hurt, and Henry is way too big for his swing. I have no idea what to do. We may be back to boppies on the floor: If they’re hungry and want a bottle they’ll lay still.

Once we stopped have mandatory night time feedings I became more on my own, since it wasn’t likely that all of them would wake up. James was quite content to sleep almost through the night. I was still waking Ellie up for her bottles. Henry was totally random {just like his big sister!}.

If everyone wakes up at night, they got propped in their crib with a rolled blankie. If just one were to wake up at night I would hold them and give them a bottle. Let me tell you, those were some of our most precious times.

In the very beginning we made individual bottles, because the 3 of them wouldn’t even take 12 ounces during a feeding. Then we slowly started working up. We’ve had a variety of containers and have always premixed a quantity of formula. We now have a 3 liter Pampered Chef Mix ‘n Pour that we make a days formula in. Then bottles are meted out at each feeding. We only have 9 bottles (Evenflo Classic glass bottles); we just washed them as needed.

One thing with multiples that I really missed, knowing how it was with Ave, was the cuddling one on one time with them. I got snuggles from Avelyn until she gave up the bottle last fall. I was loathe to stop her bottle, because I knew it would be over. This is one thing that Matt and I both agree is the hardest part of having multiples: You don’t get that time together the way you do with a singleton. Don’t get me wrong! There is definitely sweet moments, they’re just different.

So there you have it: Bottle feeding triplets.