Change

After many weeks of thinking, considering, hesitating and finally deciding and cleaning - we moved the boys to their own room. Yes, from yesterday they live "next door". :)

The main reason for that was the nights... I know this is going to sound whiny, which isn't my intention at all (especially as I do not want to make an impression that I'm not happy about becoming a mom of triplets and all the incredible experience I'm going through), but some days ago Erik was reading some posts of my blog and commented that my post are mostly cheery and make the parenting of triplets look so easy, and in reality - it's not. So, without wanting to sound like a complainer, I write the truth here: I'm NOT looking forward to the nights anymore. It's crazy... most of the time.

It all went so well until the boys got the chicken-pox. Until that point, I had managed to train the boys to eat only around 3.30 a.m. and not before. It meant some very good hours of sleep to me. But during the chicken-pox weeks I fed the boys as often as they wanted since I thought they might be thirsty due to the fever. And after that, we never got the good routine back. The boys really fool me during the nights! It's not possible to sleep in the same room with them anymore.

Let me describe you a typical night:
At 8.45 p.m., the boys start to eat. Usually it goes well, as far as Ralf and Fred are concerned. They eat well and go to sleep with no problem. Sten refuses to eat, but we have got used to this as well - it's just NOT possible to feed a 6-month-old boy if he doesn't want to. He shuts his mouth and that's it. Finished. No way I can force him to open it! So we leave him hungry and put him to bed. He normally wakes up around 10 p.m. and eats his milk while sleeping. So I'm not worried of this anymore. From 10.15 until around 11.45 the boys sleep really well. But I do not go to sleep so early, because I need to pump out the milk + I want some "MY" time, too. Otherwise it feels like I'm a slave of the boys. So I normally go to sleep around 11.15 p.m. and manage to sleep around 30 minutes before the circus starts. First, Ralf usually wants to eat around 12. Or at least I think he wants. Sometimes he eats, sometimes he doesn't. Around 1, Sten eats and usually I wake up Fred to eat during that time, too, because otherwise, I cannot sleep during "the first part" at all. from 1.30 t0 3.30 it's usually quiet, well, good nights are. I try to sleep. But after that... it's just crazy! The boys try to wake up at every reason. A tummy is lost... they are bored... they think it's more interesting to look around (even when it's deadly dark)... If not before, then Ralf is surely awake at 4. During that time, at 4, the boys used to eat before, but now they just fool around. As Ralf and Sten are sleeping in the same bed, then they do anything to wake each other up. Ralf invented a way how to do it: he bounces. How does it work? He lifts his legs very high up and then, with free fall, he lets them down to make a nice bounce with a big sound. Oh how he enjoyes it. He doesn't do it once, twice or three times, he does it 30 times in a row. To make sure Sten is awake, too. Quickly Sten learnt to do the same thing, so they are now bouncing by turns.

If Ralf gets bored, he can also play with bed sticks - he hits them with fingers to hear how it sounds. I'm happy if they finally fall asleep before they are up again, sometimes at 6, sometimes at 7. And how many hours of sleep have I got? I guess I can count the minutes and not the hours...

Yes, I've had it enough. I wanted my bedroom back. Hoping that maybe, after moving the boys to their own room, they finally start to sleep. Like normal babies! :)

The first night in separate beds in their own room was yesterday. It was not more awful as a normal night. I only went to their room maybe 25 times at night. I do have a bed for myself in their room, too, but right now, I do not plan to move there. I think we might succeed and one day, they let me sleep, too.

We changed Kert's old bedroom to the triplets' room as it was the largest. Kert was happy to get a new room with new bed and TV. I'm quite happy with the result of the triplets' room, however, I'm going to make some decorations for the walls - to make the room more childish.

The boys' room:

The boys at Kert's new room and bed:

Addiction

I have to confess: our boys are addicted.... to singing!
Yes, at once you start singing to them, they do not allow you to stop anymore. You have to go on and on... at once you stop, the boys start to scream. At once you continue, they are quiet and happy again. We have SPOILT them with singing!
Therefore our evenings at home are very loud - if I'm with the boys, then I sing. If Erik is with the boys, then he sings. The boys don't mind which melody or words we use - it doesn't matter, as long as we sing! So we invents songs about anything. Sometimes I think that it's easier to play them recorded songs, but this doesn't work - they want alive performance!
On Sunday evenings, when we bath the boys, we need help. Kert is usually helping us - he looks after 2 boys who are not in the bath while we bath the 3rd boy. I have told to Kert, that he has to sing for the boys. Kert says back to me: "No. I won't do that. I can't sing". When we return to the room with the boy who has just bathed, I hear Kert singing!
So there's an option -
Not sing. The boys are angry and cry.
Sing. The boys are happy and quiet.
As simple as that!
Sten:
Ralf:

Fred:

Is it too cold?

Having babies in a Nordic country brings you to a dilemma sooner or later:

Is it too cold to bring the child out to sleep the day-nap?

How cold is too cold?

My boys have always slept 2.5-3 hours outside, or being precise, in our garden house which is not heated. No matter what the weather is. In February, we always have a cold period and this year, it's this week. My boys are sleeping outside right now and it's -17C.

It is said that there is no too cold weather, but the wrong clothing.

So, keeping that in mind, I have packed my boys in every possible way, when they go out.

First - woolen jumper and woolen pants, woolen socks, normal hat, woolen hat.

Second - warm winter overalls, warm blanket inside their cocoons.

Third - sheep skin inside the baby-pram.

Fourth - sheep skin oustide the baby-parm.

Every day, when I take the babies inside, after 3 hours, they are all warm and happy.

I think I should not worry, that it's too cold?

*****

Apart from the coldness, it's beautiful outside! I just love the first sunny winter days when the sun goes higher again: it shows that Spring is not far away....

Pumpkin

Our boys are not small anymore. They do not eat only mother's milk anymore! Yes, last week we started with the first "real" food. And it's my favourite vegetable - nice home-grown pumpkin.

I did some calculations: during the last 6 months, I've pumped about 45 L mother's milk to my boys - which has resulted their growth (alltogether) of 16 kg (at least half of it, as from the 3rd month, I have given them infant formula, too). To be honest, I'm more and more tired of doing the milk-pumping and at least twice a day, I'm thinking of stopping it. I have reached my aim to do it until the boys are 6 months old (actually, my first aim was to pump until Christmas) and I shouldn't feel any regrets if I stop, but somehow, days pass and I still do it. I don't want my boys to leave out from the mother's milk!

Maybe now, when I see, that they can easily eat vegetables as well, I can let it go and stop the pumping-milk which takes so much of my free time.

So, the first vegetable to try, is PUMPKIN. I had a biiig home-grown pumpkin at home, which I especially kept for the time when boys start to eat normal food. I baked it in the owen (it was so big, that I had to cut it half) for 1.5 hours and then, mashed it with a mixer and put small portions to the mini-grip bags to freeze the puree. Each day, I take one bag, defrost and heat it, ready to eat.

It's funny to observe how the boys react to the new food. Each of them have their own opinion! Sten started to like pumpkin at once. By now, I have given pumpkin to the boys for 7 days and Sten loves it - he can eat as much as you give him. Fred, was so-so. He was a bit suspicious to decide if it's eatable or not, but finally decided to trust his mom and eat it. Not as well and much as Sten, but still OK. Ralf, on the other hand, was very angry when I put the spoon with pumpkin to his mouth. He made awful faces like it tastes real bad and every time, I try to give him the pumpkin, he first hits the bowl with his hand hoping I give up and won't try again. But I'm a stubborn mom and try until he eats it...

Tomorrow, the boys get another vegetable to their menu - the cauliflower.

Looking back...

It's funny to see how the boys have developed during their first 6 months. I put together 4 different photos, starting from 2 weeks of age finishing with their 6-months-photo. At the age of 2 weeks, they were 45 cm tall (Ralf and Fred) and 40 cm tall (Sten) weighing 1800 gramms (Ralf and Fred) and 1600 gramms (Sten). At the age of 6 months, they are 67 cm tall and 7 kg (Ralf and Fred) and 6.7 kg (Sten).

6 months old

Half a year has passed since our family got a large extension: the triplets are 6 months old!

This post is all about saying "THANK YOU".

First, I want to thank my boys: 1 big and 3 small boys. They have made my life, so far - and surely in the future, too - worth living with great joy. Together with them, I grow every day. I thank Kert for being such an understanding son, for being a wonderful big-brother and for being so proud of our baby-boys Ralf, Fred and Sten.

Second, I want to thank Erik... for puting up with all the crazy days, what we have had over the 6 months. For leting me sleep on some mornings, when I just don't find energy to go on anymore; for leting me to go out from time to time to fresh my mind and for helping me enormously...

For the physical help, I need to thank also boys' grandmas Anne and Piia, especially for the night-shifts, and for our night-nanny Inger as well as my friend Marju. During the 6 months, Marju has come once a week to give a helpful hand for me. I'm sure she would come for more weeks, if there wasn't a tiny-little-problem - she'll give birth to her own baby-boy just any days now...

For the material help, I need to thank, the most, Helen - aunt of the boys - who has organized so many useful baby-stuff for us; Aune - our dear neighbour - doing the same thing (especially helping with all cute baby-clothes!), my brother and Taimi (for giving all Lisanne's baby-stuff for us) and boys' grandpa Toomas (without the family-van, it would have been impossible to get out of home with the boys).

There are number of other people to thank for - for example Kristi (ironing our clothes!), Kristi's mom, my friends Eda, Cindy, Svana (for knitting) , my father (cooking!), the triplets-mom Maris (for moral-help), the twin-mom Hanna (for sharing experiences) and many many more...

Thank you for supporting us! :)

Photos...

4 brothers, 2 weeks ago:

My friend Marju with Ralf a couple of weeks ago:

Grandma Anne feeding Sten and Fred during last weekend:

Grandma Piia when Sten was still very small...:

Our night-nanny Inger, when we were still in the hospital:

My brother, Lisanne and the boys (in the hospital, boys are 10 days old):

Sometimes

Sometimes, it's easy with 3 babies and sometimes it's not. As simple as that.

On Sunday, we were visited by Erik's relatives Andra and Ülle (daughter and mom; Ülle is actually my mom's class-mate in primary school). The boys had just woken up from their day-nap and were super-good. Andra said after an half an hour, that "it doesn't seem difficult to take care of 3 babies at all". After having such a success with Andra and Ülle, I decided to invite our neighbour boy Glen (1 year and 2 months old) with his mom Aune here. They came yesterday morning. At first, the boys were good. I took boys downstairs and we played and Glen walked and run around, everything was new and interesting for him. It was a new situation for boys, too - another small child in their home.

After an hour, it was boys' eating-time. I thought that it would be nice to try to feed them downstairs (which I haven't done before). But this was a big mistake. The boys were OK to handle one new thing -another small child -; but weren't ready to handle two new things - besides the small child, also to eat downstairs, in another environment than they usually do. Fred took a sip of his milk and then, he stopped and started to scream. Very loud. It scared Sten and he started to scream as well. Ralf was the only one who didn't bother to eat downstairs. I couldn't calm Fred and Sten down, especially as I cannot hold two babies. My third eye was watching Ralf - if he is still eating or already refused; but I wouldn't have a hand to help him anyway. I took screaming Fred upstairs hoping he'll calm down when he sees his normal eating place. Aune took Sten upstairs, who suddenly seemed not hungry at all. Then we had Glen upstairs, exploring everything. But Ralf was still downstairs... I didn't really handle the situation anymore - how to take Ralf upstairs when Fred is still screaming, not refusing to go away from my lap, and Sten not in his best mood either. Finally Aune said she'd get Ralf while I observe what mischief Glen is up to. Fred was still crying. He refused to eat, although he was totally hungry. All limits were exceeded for him. Ralf arrived upstairs, luckily agreed to eat his milk till the end. But then he was so sleepy that wanted to go to his day-nap. Sten hadn't even started his milk and seemed not hungry. Fred refused continously to eat. What to do? Yes, the time plan was upside down.

When Glen and Aune went to another room, Fred finally started to eat. At the same time, I quickly put Ralf, who was half-asleep on his clothes and ready to go outside to sleep. He agreed to wait all dressed up, in his cocoon. When Fred finished, I did the same with him. I ran with the two cocoons downstairs, out to the garden and then through the snow, to the garden-house (I think each of the cocoons weigh 10 kilos now) and put them to their pram. Sten was waiting me upstairs, I knew I had to deal with him while others are asleep, and I hoped he isn't crying while I'm away, with 2 other boys.

When finally I had fed Sten as well and put him to his day-nap, too, then I came inside and just sat down to the sofa. I had no energy anymore. And I had planned so much duties for myself during the boys' day-nap! But I did nothing. I turned on TV and just watched it. It was skiing, young boys, and I didn't know any names. But it didn't matter - I just had to relax.

So - sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. As simple as that.


Andra and Ülle:
Glen with the boys: