The triplets are now a day shy of one month old, and we are nearing having all three of them home for a week. And oh how the insanity has escalated ("...this has really escalated a lot quicker than I thought it would...- Will Ferrell"). I am now sitting here in between feedings, having just gotten Jack down. During the day, we use 3 people if possible for the feedings so they go "quickly." By quickly, I mean around 45 minutes when all is said and done (change, feed, maybe change again, new outfit, etc, down for nap). When it is all said and done, we usually have about 2 hours until the next feeding. And just when you start getting something accomplished....it is time to feed again!
At night, we try to do it with just 2 people, with the third getting to sleep through one shift, giving everyone about 4 hours of sleep at some point. Unfortunately, that means that one person has to feed two babies, making for a very long feeding period.
Remember when I had my "theories" on how much stuff the babies would be going through? Well, the reality doesn't quite match the theory (I know, crazy, right?!) The picture here is what happens every morning: bottle making. Right now, we make about 63 oz of formula for the day, and then count on Kristen feeding the babies with some pumping action for the eighth feeding (I know what you are thinking: why can't Kristen just take care of all 70 oz for the day? It just makes sense, and one I wonder myself. She really needs to get on the bus with this one! HAHA!). The babies all take different amounts, and honestly, we were thinking they would be taking only about 2 oz at most right now per feeding. WRONG! They are taking roughly 3 oz each! Pocket book be warned. In that picture, you will note the large canisters of formula. We are going through one of those every 5 days currently, and will up that as they get older. YOWZAS! And you can see that we color code everything so we can keep track of stuff, as well as the line up of bottles about to be filled by the pitcher of formula.
As for the diaper wall, it is under siege! The babies are using a few more diapers than I thought they would at this point. The wall is still intact, but it is taking a beating. And we now have 2 diaper genies (one upstairs and one downstairs), which fill up in about a day and a half. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. Oh, and I have been pooped on. Basically, I am under siege from the littlest people I have ever seen. (By the way, last weight check: Lucas - 6lbs9oz, Chloe-6lbs4oz, Jack-5lbs12oz).
The bottom line: Naval Aviators need to have SERE school switched from Maine and San Diego to my house! SERE has nothing on having three babies at home!
I finally learned, about the last week the boys were in my care, to forget about changing them before they ate, since they ALWAYS pooped during their feeding! Then we weren't going through nearly as many diapers.... I am sure you guys have figured that one out by now! It just took me a while to catch on to their tricks!
ReplyDelete~Nurse Heather
Heather-DEFINITELY figured that out. The wild card is when Jack or Luke decide to randomly wet a whole outfit, or just shoot poop at me. Terrible and horrifying stuff. Hope you ladies are good.
ReplyDeleteBen