23 weeks old already! Cripes!

I truly meant to blog regularly about our life as a family, but with so many mouths to feed and bums to change we're 23 weeks down the line and I haven't had the opportunity to share much at all.
They turn 6 months on the 19th so I'm hoping over the next few days to quickly fill in the gaps of what our life has been like with our three little handfuls. I can say for certain we have never had this much fun before. Ever.
Do I often and repeatedly get told 'you have your hands full'? Why yes, yes I do I can't seem to make it three feet without someone passing that little gem. Do I have my hands full?, yes! But the looks of pity some shoot me break my heart. Sure when we have bad days they are days straight out of hell itself. But 75% of the time at least is fantastic then 20% is simply normal or alright and only 5% is terrible, and usually someone or all of us are ill causing the nightmare situation to occur.
Both Dom and I would not pass up a minute of what we've had (although I would happily pass up remembering the c-section) and the fun and laughter would mean squat without the tears and tantrums to compare it to.
This last year has definitely been the best of my life, and it just keeps getting better!!!

Shh babies are sleeping!

It's one of those rare moments where the babies are having their morning nap and I haven't succumbed to needing one myself. Okay so I have gotten back into bed, but its cosy here and my favourite place to sit between the morning nap and the 10am play time.
I have so much to share with you all but I also think so much of it may just be a) boring or b) me droning on for hours and hours about routines, baby spit and nappy sizes.
So in a (welcome?) break from our regular viewing, here is a rather inspiring New Years idea that we will be taking a bash at this year (as long as I remember) I like the idea so much I hope to do it every year.... As long as I don't forget blah blah

Merry Christmas from a new family of five

Yes, I know, it's even more photos!

How to pick your favourite picture....add them ALL!

Today's picture theme is christmas tree, this is the first time they have ever seen one....so we had to get the twinkliest one in the store (sorry mr credit card ;) )

Time flies...no matter how you try to stop it

Dear babies;
I'm having one of those panic moments where I wish I could just pause everything...
When did you get so big?
I've been happily going along singing, playing, feeding, changing ad infinitum, while lots of lovely new things happen each day, be it a smile, a new noise, finding ones own mouth or something exciting you never noticed before. We have been taking each day as it comes and sure we've let some things pass us by but we've definitely had more laughter than tears.

I fed Gaius today, boy is he heavy now, and his feet touch the sofa cushion while he's sat on my knee....when did that happen? Ayla fits into her newborn clothes and no one is in tiny baby clothes anymore....when did that happen? Zarek spends more time smiling than crying....when did that happen? Did I blink? Was I too tired, Did I not see?

I sniff the tops of your heads at every 6am feed, I inhale deeply, desperate to remember your warm baby smell before you grow...but I never can recall it.
I know you won't remember this time we share, and I'm starting to think I won't either as the more I want to preserve it, the faster it slips through my fingers and pictures don't do you justice....I guess it will have to be enough just to know that we lived it, to know I held you once, when you were tiny, for the very first time, how I bent my head and smelt you for the very first time. Even if I don't remember the smell of your head, I can remember that i sniffed your neck as you fed and ill remember I never wanted to forget it.

My first birthday as a MOM (mum of multiples)

A lovely surprise waiting for me in nicu this morning, a happy birthday card from the triplets. The staff went to a lot of effort making it for me last night. Brought on lots of happy tears to have something so personal from them. 

Had special girly birthday cuddles from Ayla and then a KFC bucket in the "living area" with my parents who had come to visit the babies.

Eternal thanks to the nicu staff.
Can't believe how much better I'm feeling now just being near them, I had no idea being separated from the babies was affecting me and Dom as much as it was thank god the nicu staff realised my breakdowns were not normal hormones but that i was in distress and struggling to manage the anaemia and coming to see the babies. They went to every effort to get us a room!
Staying in the hospital flat now is such a relief, I can finally feel myself relaxing knowing they are just eight doors away and that the walk takes mere moments and not half an hour! Feeling like I have more energy already, be gone wretched anaemia!

Did I mention I'm a mum?

Born 11 weeks premature but fighting fit I am now the proud mum of nearly 4-day-old triplets.
Gaius Oliver Herring, Ayla Evelyn Herring and Zarek Leonard Herring were born at 18:22, 18:23 and 18:25 on the fourth of August by emergency c-section. Despite being extremely early all babies were on Cpap (assisted breathing environment) for less than a day before demonstrating how well their lungs had grown and that they could breathe for themselves. They may be small and need time to grow and learn to feed but they are excellent weights and doing well in our local neonatal unit. I am rooming below on the maternity ward recovering from surgery and seeing them at regular intervals, it's overwhelming to have them here safe and sound and brings tears of joy and relief on a seemingly hourly basis. I can't believe they are really all mine...