I Hear the Secrets That You Keep...

...when you're talkin' in your sleep. Being a new mom of triplets has lots of perks surprisingly. Both our moms are new grandmas, so they are more than willing to take a shift or ten with the babies. Today, my mom stayed with the kids while Bob, Kathy, and I took a small hiatus from reality at the movie theater. Right now, the boys are very easy to deal with for the most part. A typical day consists of a three hour "rotation" as Bob has termed it. We start with James - the first born always gets to be first. We change his diaper, feed him, burp him, snuggle him in thirty minutes or less then it's on to Michael and finally Ryan. Luckily for the most part, the boys know their schedule. They are usually awake a few minutes before and fall asleep soon after their time is over. So for every three hours of our cycle, an hour and a half is just watching them sleep. As Bob says, it's kinda boring, but we're both sure that sooner or later these little munchkins are going to wake up with a vengeance.

As of this moment, we are splitting the shifts at night so that Kathy does the 11, I do the 2, and Bob does the 5. This means that I have yet to have to get up for all three night time feedings. It's good, and it's bad. I don't wish for less sleep, but I do worry that I wont hear the boys cry when I'm on 24/7. Occasionally, the boys do make some noise during the night. Ryan talks in his sleep (much like his mother). He just holds a conversation in his dreams or something, and it's very cute to listen to during the day, and I think that I can identify it at night. Tonight, uncharacteristically, he was up over an hour before his time having made me a present of a serious poop. Bob had noticed before bed that Ryan hadn't pooped in two days, but I'm here to attest to the fact that all systems are go, go, go. Usually, our mid-night crier is Michael (in true middle child fashion). He wakes up and wants his pacifier. Tonight, he woke up because he needed burping. Bob did some kind of tuck and roll back into the bed with him, he burped (Michael not Bob), and fell back asleep. James typically doesn't wake up unless it's his time, and he has no qualms about letting you know that it's his turn. For someone so small, he's got some serious lungs. Since our last visit to the pediatrician, we have separated the boys for night time sleeping (cobedding is a big no, no in current thought). The fact that they are all over the room now makes it much easier to identify who is in need of late night attention in the dark.


Ryan and Stephen


James getting his first bath at home.


Michael & Dad - like father like son.

During the day, we put the boys in the crib together since we watch them pretty closely. I'm awake, they are asleep, so instead of doing useful things like laundry or cooking, I just watch them sleep. They are so cute lined up in a row and tucked into their swaddle me blankets (by the way, totally awesome product - thanks Lain). For some reason, our kids are squirmers, and they like to lift their legs high into the air so that while you watch them sleep, one of the boys will lift his legs then the next, then the next in some kind of strange dance of the swaddle mes. It is definitely entertaining.



Right now, I am watching Ryan and Michael sleep in the living room crib. James is in the bedroom with Bob - he's the only one with a crib tent for the moment (thanks to walmart.com, we'll have three in a couple of days), and since the cat is on the loose I'd rather watch the other two boys in here where I'm sure they are not being suffocated by my heat seeking missile of a cat. I have just finished pumping (which I am starting to HATE but I know it's best for the boys), and I really should be back in the bed for some much needed snuggle time with my husband (9 weeks is a long time to sleep in separate beds), but I am enjoying the swaddle me show.