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...

Conversations with my 18 year old self.

Well it's me, talking to you from the future (insert cool and spooky sound effects).

Are you ready?

That guy you're seeing - the fella you decided was "the one". You're right. It'll take everyone else a bit of time to see it but you know your own mind, you have good instincts - trust them. Things may not last forever, things are not going to be easy - you're going to go through some very, very terrible times - remember it is healthier to feel pity than anger and remarkably easier to get back up than stay on the ground.


You're going to get married. You'll never feel so calm and certain about anything in your life more than on your wedding day.

Your having babies.

Really - babies - that plural in there....it's three babies - triplets even.

I know how it sounds, I would never have believed it either. You're going to go through a time when you don't think children are ever going to happen, you're going to wish you could just know everything will work out so you can stop worrying, crying and praying for a miracle.
You'll get your miracle, just when you think you can't go any further than you have or take any more pain than you have, the most amazing and unexpected thing will happen all by itself.

You'll learn the pain you went through was important - it's not going to be easy but your frame of mind is strong enough to carry you through.

You'll realise your parents do understand you, they might not always agree with your decisions but they value that you made them for yourself.

Your going to be braver and stronger than you'd ever believe possible.

Your going to feel as if you're being tested repeatedly - don't take it too personally. Everything thrown at you can be handled. You may feel like each stumbling block is insurmountable, but once you pass it, you can look back down the mountain, and the big blocks will look tiny and you'll wonder why they ever bothered you so much.

Don't sweat the small stuff - everything always turns out okay. Even those days when it feels like the world is ending - tomorrow I promise it will be better.

Trust your body - it's a remarkable healer (you'll see what I mean one week in July) and can achieve the unexpected. Be happy with it, marvel at what it can do rather than focussing on what it can't.

Have fun, don't forget the bad things - they provide perspective for the good things - but don't obsess about them either.

Don't change too much. Don't beat yourself up when you haven't done the best you could - you, like everyone else, are learning as they go along. Have fun - you're good at doing that, stay compassionate, be kind and try to listen more.

Your house will be filled with joy and laughter more often than it's filled with tears.