Knee Deep In Diapers

Well our beach weekend is underway. We have spent a day in the pool and now a day at the beach. More on that later, first a quick story on progression.

Benjamin is our "little rascal". Yesterday morning he woke up at 7:00, which would normally be around his time to wake up except we had spent the day in the pool and all three went to bed later than usual. I knew if we were going to make it through today, he would need to go back down. Same went for me. So I fed him a portion of a bottle and attempted to rock him back to sleep. During this process, Samuel decided it was time to get up. He got even less sleep than Benjamin the day before, so now I was really feeling a panic coming on. I brought Benjamin, still awake, to his crib. I could hear him jabbering away and I retrieved Sam and prepared him a bottle. Sammy and I sat in the living room, both our eyes in a slit as he sucked at his milk and I prayed we would all return to bed. Benjamin continued his conversation in the crib. Finally there was silence from the Nursery and Sammy was nearly finished with his bottle, eyes closed. I put Sammy back in his crib and went back out to the living room and laid down on the couch. It was 8:15.

At 9:00 I woke up to the sound of jabber coming from, once again, Benjamin. I went into the nursery and stoped just inside the door. There was Benjamin; he was on his tummy bare butt in the air talking away. I had to think for a second. Was I soo tired earlier that I actually forgot to put another diaper on when I changed him? Then I saw it. His diaper laying next to him still in the baby shape. Benjamin, I said. He looked up at me with a huge smile on his face as if to say... look what I can do. He had taken off his diaper. Naturally then what would be more fun that to pee free? Well nothing really, so he did that to. He grinned all the way to the bath tub.

Posted by Jaycie at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jimmy Buffet was on the Today show this morning. I was stiring together applesauce and rice cereal to the hum of hungry babies in the background just starting to get their fuss on. Suddenly I noticed the fussing had stopped and all I could hear was.. "searching for my lost shaker of salt....".

I looked from the kitchen over the counter to peak into the family room. There were three little fuzzy heads cranked around staring at the television. My babies are parrot heads. I walked into the room and said " hey guys, do you like Buffet ..." Immediately smiles streamed across the boys face, Livi didn't take her eyes off the TV.

Well it is Memorial Day weekend and my Brother and his family are coming to town. We plan to take these little parrot heads to the ocean for the weekend and now perhaps I will even put an umbrella in some Gerber Pineapple dessert. More later on our island weekend....

Posted by Jaycie at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A "tip in triplet" in the making. Today I booked a flight to Minnesota from Florida for Christmas for two adults, a will -be 9 year old and triplet babies.

I have traveled largely for business on planes and I will never forget the time I flew to Los Angeles on a 4 hour flight at Thanksgiving time. There were several families on the flight and they showed the film Stuart Little. I sat back and read a book listening to music when all of a suddend the entire plane errupted in roar from the laughter of children. It was like the time we took our oldest daughter to see Finding Nemo opening weekend. Kids seemed to be bouncing down the ailes and the energy level in both that theater and that plane would solve the current problem of oil prices if one could just find a way to channel it. Corn...... please here is the opportunity.

So I am signed up to be one of those people who you have seen on the plane. They are struggling with strollers and bottles and a baby with this nervous control that could break at any time. You have been the one in line thinking to yourself, oh please don't let me be sitting next to them. It isn't that kids are cute, they are. Of course they are. Lets face it, traveling with kids is difficult - for everyone.

One of the biggest adjustments for us with triplets is really that we are suddenly a big family. Perhaps not by everyones standards, but certainly by mine. It is new, it is a new us. We are no longer the double income, single child small group that was calm and unnoticable. It happens quickly and it changes everything. But you have to get out there. Of course it is going to be a juggling act, everything is. I expect both "A" and I will be completely exhausted when we arrive. But there will be another change to our family.

There is nothing like Christmas with children. My brother and his wife are expecting and at Christmas their son will be 4 months old. Three years ago my brother, then single, flew down to Florida with my parents and we had a Christmas with the five of us and with our oldest daugther. Even she was only there part of the time as she spends half her holiday with her father. This time I image that same energy level, as with the theater and that plane ride to LA ,will be present as we celebrate with my brother's with another 5 year old step daughter, the triplets at 15 months and new born at 4 months joining us. So yes, I will be that person on the plane and no... I don't expect to enjoy it. I will also be that person who gets to enjoy a Christmas full of family and anxious excitement over stocking stuffers and visits from Santa.

Posted by Jaycie at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our long standing tradition is to go to the beach on Mother's Day. Last year we didn't go due to the weather and with "A" being pregnant, she was feeling pretty run down this time last year. This year we felt we had to get back on the tradition. That is right, we packed up everyone and everything and hit the beach. Instead of our usual beach spot, we decided to go to a beach where we could drive the van onto the sand and therefore have our various necessities at hand.

All in all I would have to say it went pretty well. On the way there, which was about a 30 minute drive, all three babies fell asleep. Just before arrival Livi woke up and after positioning the tent for shade and the blankets to avoid sand, we set Livi down to enjoy the nice ocean view. She seemed to like it initially, but then I think the sand got to her a bit. Ten minutes later she ended up in the back of the minivan ("A" put down the last row of seating so we had 5 feet of space) in her flutterbee bouncy. She was sitting as straight up as she could with her little pink sundress and matching beach hat. She looked like a beach fan sitting in the sky box. She was tilted to the side a bit with her hand propped on her knee, smiling and looking at the water in the distance. Every now and then she would give out a few words and giggles.

Once Samuel woke up he too took his turn on the blanket. He seemed to like the beach as well, although mostly played with familiar toys we brought along. He did spend some attentive time watching his big sister build a sandcastle and sat on "A"s beach chair with her taking in the view. Benjamin woke up with a look on his face as if to say, where in the world did we land? He is our little fish and we knew he would love the beach. I put him in a dug out, make shift chair in the sand covered by a blanket. He sat there and played, looking around. Then within an instant he rolled over and grabbed a handful of sand. He proceed to bring up to his face and start towards the mouth. When I picked him up he happily had sand all over each arm and cheeks.

Needless to say this will be a venture in practice. There are tricks of the trade yet to be identified and help aids to be invented, but we will keep you posted. All in all, we drove home last night with three sleeping babies and 8 year old eating Italian ice and watching a movie. "A" got a bit of sun on her face and we had a great Mother's day and have taken yet one more journey on our road to "getting out there" with the group.

Posted by Jaycie at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For all parents, diapers and formula is the first of the soon to become long list of expenses that will one day elevate into such items as braces, car insurance, and college, etc ... when you are having multiples, this is times 2, 3, or even more So, what can you expect to spend on disposable diapers? Well, put down that Starbucks...

Diapers can be purchased from everywhere from Ebay, to your neighborhood grocery store, to Babys R Us. Where can you find the best deal? Well this is a journey I have made and here is what I have found.

HERE ARE MY TIPS IN TRIPLET

TIP #1 : ALWAYS BREAK IT DOWN TO THE PER UNIT COST.
If you are paying less than .22 per diaper, you are doing pretty good. If you can buy diapers for anywhere
from .16 to .20 - then pick up a couple of packs.

TIP #2: LOOK AT STORE BRANDS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO NAME BRANDS
Most stores carry their own brands and often times they are from the same manufactures.
I have found these to be good in quality and often times you don't notice much of a sacrafice.

TIP #3 CLEAR OUT AN AREA TO STOCK DIAPERS
As with most things, the worst time to buy diapers is when you need them. Often times you will find great
deals on diapers and you should buy them when they are on sale and store them until you need them if
you can. I recently went to a grocery store and found Pampers Super Dry on sale for $9.99 - regularly
$19.99. That brought them to .11 cents a unit. However, they only had them in size 4 and our largest baby
is in size 3. I bought 4 packs anyway and tucked them away in a closet until I can use them.

WHERE TO BUY AND GET A DEAL: ranked from 1 to 3 stars, 3 stars being the best

*** 1800diapers.com This is a pretty good source. The diapers are shipped to your door and that can be a nice time saver too. They also take manufacture coupons, offer referral services and feature several brands.They will even list for you the per unit price and if you spend more than $50 you will get free shipping. There are other web sites that offer baby diapers. My best advice again, check the per unit cost.

*** Wholesale Stores - Also a good source. Selection is not always as good, but your overall cost is very competative and they offer name brands as well as house.

** Target and Discount Stores. My experience with most discount stores is the price is pretty well set. There will be sales offered that knock $2-$3 off the overall price, but typically the diapers are going to range in that .25 area. Store brands are a good option to save $ and the quality is not much of a sacrafice.

** Grocery and Drugstores. Some of my best deals have been at grocery and drugstores. Normally their prices are not the best, but they do seem to offer better sales, especially on their own brands. Look for buy 1 get 1 free deals and other discounts. Also sign up for the stores baby programs, where you also get free diapers and good coupons.

* Ebay - There are a lot of people selling diapers on ebay. Most of them are people who have overstock and their children have gone on to another size although there are some sellers of diaper products that list new. However, most of these do not tend to be less than store bought when one adds the shipping to the per unit cost. If buying off eBay, be sure to factor in the shipping. For example, one seller offers today Huggies 144 diapers new for a buy it now price of $3.99. Great deal - of course shipping is $34.50. Most are not such drastic examples, but still can tip the price too high.

How many diapers will you go through? Well, a lot. Each baby will probably use 8-10 diapers per day with less usage as they pass 3 months. Still expect 6-8 per baby. Happy shopping and good luck!

Posted by Jaycie at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, so I am very lucky to have had insurance when the babies were born. I mean millions of Americans don't have any insurance. However, having expressed my gratitude I have to get off of my chest how this whole process is about to drive me crazy. I think I could recite to you the recording from United Healthcare's phone message I've called them so many times. Oddly this insurance worked great during the prenatal care. I have an HSA with a deductible and after the deductible is met the insurance covers 100%. Seems simple - right? Well the babies are nearly 7 months old and the insurance still doesn't have lots of things paid. In fact most of the charges were not paid until this past month. United Healthcare has what I believe is a new policy that requires their members to advise them of coordination of care (that is - do you have any other insurance.) It is a fair question sure, but it was used more than once in my case to deny and stall payments and in fact I answered the question to United at least 4 times..... 1 of those was in writing. And at each instance payments were denied or pended supposedly waiting on me to answer. In fact, I believe insurance companies have this elaborate game that they play to avoid paying as much and as long as possible. They really kick the whole machine into motion when the charges get large as in my case with 3 infants in NICU for several weeks. I do know that United Healthcare (and many other insurance companies) is a business and their purpose is to make a profit. However, when charges are made the insurance company is still obligated to make payment. Profit motivation is not an acceptable excuse to dodge payment when it is due.

A second side of this same issue is the providers. At this point some are starting to get a little nasty with me. It will be a miracle if all of these bills get resolved and my credit doesn't get severely dinged in the process. At this point many providers are starting to take the attitude that it is my problem and United certainly doesn't care about my credit or the hassle of collection calls. It is very stressful and when you combine it with the stress of caring for 3 infants who are getting big enough to be very demanding during the day it sometimes feels very overwhelming. I wonder how many triplet families face these same issues. Really, not just triplet parents. I'm sure parents of any babies who have to spend significant time in NICU may have to deal with these types of hassles at a time when they are least able to handle this sort of stress. Okay, I'm going to get off of my soapbox for now. But I'll keep you updated. I do feel like this may be resolved in the next couple of months.... but that may be too hopeful.

Posted by Jaycie at 01:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Papa and Grandma flew down this weekend to visit the babies. Papa hadn't see them since they were here at Thanksgiving. It was fun for them and we enjoyed the extra set of hands.

On Sunday my parents took two of the babies so we could do some shopping. My Dad was working on projects around the house and two are easier than three, so we decided to take Benjamin with us. How do you choose which one gets to go? Well we do feel an instant feeling of guilt once we we realize we are choosing one. Thus we usually think of who last went out and who has been where. As you might guess, that is a short list. We picked Benjamin because Livi was still feeling under the weather from her vaccanations and Sammy had most recently gotten out the most. So, we picked up Benjamin from the group and got him dressed up.

We proceeded to load his car seat into the car. Yes, we fit into the car. We went to a new outdoor mall and upon arrival we loaded Benjamin in his compact stroller and set off to have lunch. We sat outside and Benjamin was a perfect angel. Part of me feels like since getting out is such a new experience, they tend to spend more time taking things in and don't get restless as easy. We had lunch at an italian place and actually got to sit and talk over the meal without subconsciously thinking "I have to hurry and eat before Sammy wakes up or Benjamin fusses or Livi gets hungry". As we lightly walked along the storefronts and through the fountains in the sunshine I noticed - wow this is easy. I know that may seem unfair and certainly untrue for all parents of singletons, but for us at that moment it sure seemed freeing.

There were so many parents out with strollers shopping, just like us. Another feeling caught me off guard. The feeling of blending in. Anytime you see twins or triplets you notice them. I know I always have. I have cousins that are identical twins and they were always uniquely different and interesting. I don't mean that in any way they are more special than others, but you just see them less and therefore you tend to notice them. "A" and I almost never go unnoticed now. Our triplet stroller must arrive to destinations 3 feet and several seconds before either one of us do. The sure gear it sometimes takes just to go somewhere seems incredible, so of course we don't go unnoticed. But today we were like everyone else and so was Benjamin.

So what is so great about being like everyone else? Well it is easy, that much is true. Would any of the three of us that day have traded it all? Well, Benjamin can't yet talk but I think it is safe for me to say from all of us safely NO. We both, and possibly all, apprecaited the time but "A" and I were happy to see the other two smiling faces when we got back.

Posted by Jaycie at 06:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A and I brought the trips to their Pediatrician on Friday for their six month check up. They have already caught up with full term babies for their age. Samuel is the biggest at just over 27" and 17lbs 4oz. Olivia is just over 26" and weighs 15lbs 2 oz. Benjamin is just as long as Sammy, but weighs a bit less at 15lbs 13oz.

Sitting in the familar room I noticed how this trip to the doctor seemed different. Last time we sat there with our three car seats in the yellow room there was far less activity. "A "held Benjamin off her lap with him jumping up and down, springing his legs like a frog off her knees. They were down to their diapers and apparently loving it. Samuel stood on my kneeds and did what we like to call, wrestling. I assume somehow due to their teething, Sammy likes to try and attack . With a big smile, raise of the eyebrows and then a sudden agressive grabbing of your face and he slaps an open mouth to the cheek. Other times we refer to this as "kisses for Mama", but I am not sure if he really identifies it as such. Sammy was also drawn to the surfboard wallies behind me. Through it all there was laughing and babble from the boys and Livi sat in her car seat smiling up at Benjamin with occassional vocal additional. This all seems very cute, and it is... but it also is a stark difference to what it was like just 2 months ago in this same room. I realized this room was going to seem even smaller our next visit.

Posted by Jaycie at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)