For the Exclusively Pumping Momma

Prior to having my babies, I had no clue what breastfeeding or pumping would entail.  I didn't know what a nursing pad, membrane, or lanolin was and I was kinda scared to find out.  Pumping is not as scary as it looks.  Yes, at first it is a bit uncomfortable and a very strange feeling but as the weeks and months pass, it becomes a part of your daily routine... kinda like brushing your teeth or washing your hair.  Since it has become such a huge part of my life and most people don't know much about it, I've decided to share how I set up my pumping station, my schedule, and what supplies are the most needed.

 

I tried breast feeding for about 6 weeks and the girls never caught on.  You can see my breastfeeding journey HERE.  So... I became what they call an "exclusively pumping Momma".  Having triplets may have helped me stay on track since I have them on such a strict schedule, which means I have a very strict pumping schedule.

My Evolving Pumping Schedule

 

~Here is what my pumping schedule was like when they first came home...

 

1.  Babies are breastfed.

2. Babies are supplemented with a bottle.

3.  I pump.

4.  Repeat.

Simple, yet time consuming.  It wasn't that complicated at first, but I was lucky to have someone there all the time to watch the babies while they slept so I could go pump.  I would pump 7-8 times per day on this schedule.

 

~When we got the babies on a 4 hour schedule (about 4 months old)...

 

6:30 AM: Wake up before the babies to pump.

10 AM: Babies would nap so I would go pump.

2 PM: Same

5 PM: I either bring the babies in the bathroom with me to pump or someone is there to watch them since they don't nap at this time.

8:30 PM: Babies are asleep for the night so I would go pump.

3 AM: Wake up to pump.

~At 6 months old, I decided it was time to drop the middle-of-the-night pump and my schedule became...

Pump at 6:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 2:30 PM, 5 PM, and 10 PM

~And now, at almost 10 months old, I've dropped to 4 times per day and pump the same as above minus the 5 PM.

I'm still able to produce over 2 liters of milk per day allowing my girls to have less than one bottle supplemented with formula per day each.  The human body is amazing.

My Pumping Supplies

• Medela Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump
• 4 total sets of breast shields and parts
• Extra breast milk bottles accumulated from when the girls were in the NICU
• Chair
• Container with lid
• Hands-free pumping bra
• Full glass of water
• Snack
• Washcloth
• Lansinoh or Medela Lanolin
• Lansinoh milk storage bags
• Lansinoh disposable nursing pads
• iPhone (to catch up on email, FaceBook, & Instagram)

 
At first, I rented a hospital grade pump, then eventually got my own through insurance.  I'm happy with the Medela Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump.  I also purchased 3 extra sets of breast shields and parts in order to not have to clean after every pump (trying to save time here).  Once I've finished pumping, I just rinse them off and dump them in a container.  Once I've used all of the pieces, I fill up the container with soap and water and clean each piece.  I do this while pumping, of course, with the use of my hands free pumping bra. 

My Pumping Station

My pumping station is set up in our bathroom.  I have a chair next to the sink and my pump + supplies just sitting on the counter.  Luckily, I have enough space to spread out a little.  While I pump, using my hands free bra, I am able to do my hair and make-up, clean supplies, make phone calls, or just browse facebook/instagram.  As I clean the supplies, I let them dry on a washcloth then put them together at the next pump.

So there you have it.  How I have survived being an exclusively pumping Mom of triplets.  I owe a lot to my husband and everyone that has helped out with our kids while I escape to the bathroom to pump.  It has been very important to me to be able to provide my girls with breast milk and I definitely see us making it to one year.

 

My Girls at 9 Months Old

I know I've already shared a lot about the girls at 9 months... like their likes/dislikes and schedule but I also like to share things that aren't in their monthly updates.  I did this at 3 months and 6 months so I figured I need to continue.

 

 

Overall, the girls are becoming more independent and not at the same time.  They love to explore and play with new things yet as soon as I start walking away from them they burst in to tears.  It is sweet to know that they love me so much that they don't want me out of their sight but at the same time, I have to do things away from them to take care of them (like clean their bottles or prep their food, laundry, etc).  They are all mobile at this point.  I need three sets of eyes since they all want to go different directions.  They all enjoy their jumperoo's and exersaucers however, they would much rather be FREE.  They like change.  If we stay in all day, they are really fussy by the time Brian gets home.  They always love walks and even get excited sometimes to get in their car seats. 

 

  

They all love their new standing play table.  It makes sounds and plays music and will keep them entertained for a while.

  

 

They love bath time, especially since we incorporated toys and put them in the bath tub together.  They splash and chew on the squirt toys.  The are the most fussy in the evenings.  They have calmed down a little from before but they still can break down sometimes.  I'm loving this stage of their lives.  They are interactive with Brian and I, and are bonding with each other.  They are starting to imitate noises and gestures.   They are the cutest right now with their two bottom teeth, just adorable.  They are growing up and reaching milestones.

 

 

Samantha (Sam-E, Sammy Sam Sam, Skinny Minnie, Sweet Sam)

 

 

Sam is still so so sweet.  Her trademark is her dark thick hair.  She is the smallest of the three (in the 2nd percentile of all 9 month old babies).  She feels a little more fragile picking her up but she is getting stronger each day.  She does a legitimate army crawl and is starting to keep up with her sisters.  She has the softest touch but also loves to swat her arms around sometimes slapping you in the face.  She does not like it when her sisters pick on her.  If she is in their way, they pretty much trample over her and they still like to steal her toys.  I've seen her retaliate and steal her toy right back.  She has found her hair and pulls on it when I'm feeding them which ends up in green bean styled hair.  She eats all of her vegetables, but isn't a fan of fruit.  She will eat bananas, but refuses almost every other fruit.  She can down some rice cereal like nobody's business.  She hasn't gotten down the sippy cup yet.  She mostly just chews on it. She really likes to stand, but I still have to guard her from falling because she doesn't have the leg strength or balance to do it all on her own quite yet.  She doesn't eat as much as we would like her to.  She eats until she is satisfied and not any more.  She still wakes up most nights to eat a bottle which is okay with us since we want her to eat more.  If we are lucky she will go right back to sleep.  Otherwise, she just likes to be awake and when you set her down in her crib she does not like it one bit.  She will start crying which isn't good when the other two are sleeping.  She loves when her Daddy gets home and she smiles so big.  If they are FREE she will try as hard as she can to get to him.  It is so adorable.  I love how excited they get when she sees her Dad.

 

 

 

Taylor (Tay Tay, Tay Ray, Taylor Rene-Ne')

 

Taylor is so funny.  She makes the cutest little baby faces and you always know how she is feeling.  When she is excited she opens her mouth wide, breathes heavily, and flaps her arms.  When she doesn't want any more food, she purses her lips together and scrunches her face.  When she is upset about something, she cries... I mean screams... Loud.  She doesn't like it when you walk away from her.  It could be me or anyone that is playing with her.  As soon as you get up to change another baby's diaper or go to the kitchen, she starts fussing.  But if you give it about 30 seconds to a minute, she becomes distracted with a toy and is a happy camper.  When it comes to food, she can down her bottle.  She will eat solid food, but isn't that interested.  She is normally the first to start refusing solid food.  She loves her straw sippy cup.  I have to be careful how much I give her because she will down it very quickly.  She has been doing great the past 10 days or so with sleeping through the night.  It makes me so proud when they go on stretches of sleeping through the night.  She is the largest of the three (about 20th percentile of all 9 month old babies) and is starting to have to wear 9 months clothes.  You can definitely tell a difference from holding Sam to then holding Taylor.  She is babbling a lot.  Sometimes it seems to be with intent like she wants more food or wants Ryley, but other times she is just talking away for no reason.  She has also started waving which is so darn cute.  She is very observant and likes to touch and feel everything.  She looks with wide open eyes all around when she is in a new place.  She loves to be tickled and tossed in the air. 

 

 

Mallory (Mal, Mal Mal, Goober)

 

 

Mallory loves attention.  If we are somewhere new and she is meeting new people, she will smile and gab to get all of the attention.  She even reaches her arms out to be held.  Also, if we are playing in the baby cage play pen, she somehow always manages to get in my arms.  I never know how she gets there, I just look down and there she is, snuggled next to me.  She is the leader of the pack.  She is the first to attain a new milestone and her sisters follow her around.  She loves to be FREE and explore the house.  It doesn't happen often because she still spits up so much.  She crawls and she pulls up on anything.  Soon, she will be climbing on everything.  She would already, but she is still kind of short and can't quite get up on anything yet.  When she is happy about something, you know with her cute little grin and waves.  When she is mad about something, you know.  Girl can throw a temper tantrum.  She is pretty good with eating solids.  She hasn't refused much and will eat a lot.  She uses her sippy cup to suck water in to her mouth and then spit it down her front.  She get a clothes change after every meal due to her being drenched.  The hair on top of her head is really growing so she sort of has a Mohawk.  She loves bath time, but really likes to live on the edge.  You always have to have your eyes on her since she likes to stand or put her face in the water.  She really is a Mamma's girl right now.  I love to be wanted by my kiddos.

 

 

 

 

Vote for the Triplets Nursery!

Hi Everyone!  Soooo, I shared my nursery pictures on projectnursery.com back during the first week of February.  I was one of four chosen for the week for viewers to vote on and I won!  Now, the triplets' nursery is one of the six favorites for the month... so I'm requesting you go HERE and vote for my nursery.  You can vote every 24 hours until March 31, so you can vote again and again.  And, for all of those soon to be Mommas, seasoned Mommas, or someone that needs to throw a shower for a Momma, the website is also a great resource for inspiration and designing nurseries, kids rooms, baby showers, and parties.  If you didn't get to see pictures of my girls' nursery yet, you can check them out here.  Thanks so much for all of the support. 

My Life Right Now...9 Months

My kids are 9 months old now.  The time goes by so quickly.  I'm loving this stage they are in right now.  They are mobile and interactive.  Here is a glimpse at what our schedule is during the day right now...

 

6:45 AM:  I wake up to pump and shower.

7:30 AM: The girls are normally awake but playing in their cribs quietly.  I eat breakfast and get their bottles ready.

8 AM: I go in their room.  Most of the time they are thrilled to see you and it is so sweet.  I change their diapers and then set them up on the floor in their boppies so they can eat all at once.  Yay for the babies holding their own bottles.

8:45 AM:  Bring the girls (or they follow me) in to the kitchen for feeding solids.

9:15 AM: Change their clothes.

9:30 AM: Let the girls play in their play pen while I try to clean up the disaster they have made in their room and in the kitchen.  Start the laundry, start the dishes.

10:20 AM: One by one I take them in to their bedroom to nap.  This process is normally pretty painless.  They are pretty tired by this point.

10:40 AM: Once everyone is asleep, I grab a snack and head to pump.

11 AM: Prep for dinner and eat lunch.

11:30 AM: Normally someone is already up at this point.  Juggle babies while I get their bottles ready.

12 PM: Feed babies in boppies in the living room  (Maybe I can catch a little of Gray's Anatomy or The Bachelor... maybe)

12:30 PM: Clean bottles and prep bottles for the next feeding.

12:45 PM: Bring girls in to the kitchen for feeding solids.

1:30 PM: Take the girls to the play pen, run an errand, or take the girls for a walk.

2:15 PM: Take the girls one by one to their cribs for nap #2.

2:30 PM: I grab a snack and go pump.

3 PM: Finally a moment that I can use to do something around the house or for myself... Oh wait, no... a baby is awake.

3:30 PM: Juggle babies while prepping bottles.

4 PM: Feed the girls in their boppies in the living room.

4:30 PM: Bring the girls in the kitchen for feeding solids.

5 PM: If they cooperate, take the girls in the bathroom while I pump.

5:30 PM: Put the girls in the play pen or jumpers while I try to finish dinner.

6 PM: Brian gets home.  The girls are sooo happy to see him.  We juggle babies while trying to eat.

6:30 PM: Bath time on bath nights.  Prep night bottles.

7:15 PM: Feed the babies their last bottle of the night.

7:30 PM: I clean the kitchen and Brian picks up around the rest of the house.  We work really well together.

8:30 PM: Start checking things off of my To Do List.

10 PM: Pump

10:30 PM: Get in bed... And babies wake up...

Between 11 PM-6 AM: One or more babies wake up.  Lately it has just been Samantha one time for food and maybe a pacifier or two for Mallory and Taylor.

6:45 AM: Repeat.

 

As you can see, my days are planned out to the T.  I like schedules and organization and I know this looks a little crazy... but if I didn't have it this way, my babies would probably go hungry and my house would be a total disaster.  So much has to happen in a day that I have to make a time for it.  My days may be busy, but I love taking care of my cuties day after day.  They are so fun and entertaining.  I love seeing them discover new things, reach a new milestone, and interact with each other.  I love being their Momma :)

And I wouldn't end a post without some cuteness...Here are some pictures from St. Patrick's Day.

Triple Play: 9 Months

How old?  9 Months... three quarters of a year old!
 

Our weights? (Estimates) S: 14 lbs 4 oz T: 16 lbs 6 oz M: 14 lbs 14 oz (I shot high last month)
The girls are wearing 6 months clothes and 9 months pajamas.  We are going to the doctor today so I will update with exact weights.

Our sleeping patterns?  The girls have officially grown out of the swings... whoo hoo for more space.  Well, just more space for more baby stuff.  So, they nap in their cribs now.  They go down at 10:30ish for their morning naps really easily and they sleep at least 30 minutes.  If I'm really really lucky they will all sleep an hour and 15 minutes.  The afternoon naps are a little more difficult to get them to sleep for some reason.  Taylor is my best napper, she normally sleeps at least an hour for both naps and can easily be put back down if she wakes up.  The other two, not so much.  Mallory and Sam like cat naps and if they wake up, there is no going back to sleep without a fight... and a fight means lots of crying which means her sisters wake up.  I'll try to put one of them back to sleep if she is the only one up, but once the second wakes up I just have to let them be up.  Their attitudes are so different if they have napped well or not so I always know if I will have happy or grumpy babies in the evenings.

Nights are so unpredictable I've decided.  We had a great week where they all slept through the night 4 or 5 days and then you get a horrible night where no one sleeps.  I don't get it and I don't think I ever will.  Currently the girls are all getting over a cold.  This means we are starting over with trying to sleep through the night.  Will it ever be consistent?  Mallory and Sam like to wake up and just be awake.... for HOURS.  Not cool.  The most consistent thing they are doing is one of them (always someone different) will cry the moment we close our eyes to go to sleep.  I'm talking the exact MOMENT.  Its incredible how precise they are.  They aren't waking up for food.  I can tell they aren't hungry but sometimes the only thing to get them to calm down is a bottle, so we just do it.  They are still teething so some teething tabs sometimes helps also.  All in all they are improving slightly.

 Our eating schedule?  The girls have bottles at 8 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM, and 7 PM.  They are getting about 6-8 ounces each time.  They are doing well with eating solids.  Sam is the picky eater and will only eat what she likes.  If she likes it, she likes it to be shoveled in her mouth as fast as possible.  Taylor needs to be encouraged to eat solids.  She just isn't as interested as the other two.  Mallory cooperates for the most part.  She will put her fingers in her mouth and get food everywhere but that's what babies do and I'm okay with that.  They eat solids at around 9 AM, I just added solids after their noon bottle, and again around 5.  They started eating puffs this week as well and it is pretty funny to watch them. I feel a new schedule coming on real soon.  I think we are a little behind on eating solids and after seeing the doc today, we will probably change things up a bit.

 

Our favorite foods? Sweet Potatoes, rice cereal (with apples and bananas), bananas and squash.

 

Our likes? Being free of any boundaries, when Daddy gets home, Mommy in the middle of the night, walks in the wagon, and baths.
 
S: Sam is really starting to love Ryley.  She lights up when she comes to say hi.  Sam is also a Daddy's girl and loves to be held.  She is starting to roll a lot and will get where she wants to go for the most part but hasn't started scooting yet.  Sam also loves her rice cereal and being tickled on her chest.

T: Taylor is really starting to show excitement, mostly when someone new comes to the house or her Dad gets home from work.  She has a huge open smile, she breathes really loud, and flaps her arms.  It is so cute.  She likes that she is mobile now and can get where she wants to go.  She likes to suck on wet washcloths, and splash in the bathtub.

M: Mallory likes her Momma.  She cries when I leave a room and lifts her arms in the air as soon as I get near her.  When I'm not her focus, she loves to scoot around and explore.  She is so curious about everything.  She likes books that make noises and being thrown and flipped around. She smiles so big when you hold her upside down.  She is just like I was.

 

Our dislikes? 

S: When her sisters touch her or take her toys.

T: Taylor has been a pretty happy baby the last couple of weeks.  She does get upset when you leave her alone or if she wants her wubbanub.

M: Having her face wiped with a washcloth.  Crazy, I know.  But she acts like someone is trying to murder her when you go to wipe her face.  I don't understand and I hope she grows out of this, because she is messy and her face needs to be cleaned a lot.
 

Our favorite games/toys?  Jumperoos, however these aren't as exciting to them since they are mobile now.  The ball popper always occupies them when they are fussy so I save it for times of need.  Music play tables.  Mallory does great at these and the other two need assistance to stay standing.
 

Our milestones? 
S: Two teeth, Eating puffs.

  T: Scooting, repeating "Mamama", eating puffs, finger-thumb grasp.

  M: Pulling up everywhere, then side stepping or transfering from toy to toy, eating puffs.

Things we do to make Mom and Dad smile?  Get excited to see us and they want us to pick them up, when they do new things, when they giggle, when they are sweet to their sisters, and when they sleep through the night.
 

Our pictures

And... just for fun.  Some blooper photos.  The girls are getting to the age that this is very dangerous.  I recommend to any new parent that is taking monthly pictures, to do it on the floor.  It is MUCH safer.  Its a miracle that I got the cute pictures that I did and no one got hurt.

The picture of the 3 of them above is the ONLY picture I got of the three of them seated, luckily they were all looking as well.

Sam's gorgeous artwork.

Mallory was more interested in the shutters than taking pictures.

A lil spit up... that I didn't notice while taking pictures.

The moment I get them set and step away... this happens

Notice Sam is staying in the same spot and trying to avoid her wiggly sisters.

Mallory getting a foot to the throat and her head band is already off.

Strike a pose Taylor.

They move too fast.  How's the bow taste, Taylor?

Sam is so fed up with her sisters at this point (as is their Momma).  FYI... I lowered Mallory to the floor, however she would probably have enjoyed the nosedive.

Next month I will definitely recruit some help, this was EXHAUSTING.
 

Bring on the Blogging

One of my goals/resolutions for the year was to begin blogging more.  I really enjoy sharing what's going on in my life and I know my readers like to see how I'm surviving as a triplet Momma (actually its probably just the cute pictures of my babies ;).  I'm trying to figure out how to become more involved in the blogging community.  As you can tell, this has pretty much turned into a 'Mommy blog' however I do like to blog about other things like travel or important events every once in a while.

What I'm asking for is advise.  I'm really not that savvy when it comes to my blog.  When I started, Kristen (@ All in My Twenties) designed my blog and did everything for me.  All I do is insert the content.  So, does anyone have a good source of information for me to expand my knowledge... a book, another blog, or website.  I'm asking to see what, You, my followers, are interested in seeing.  I'd like to make my blog more user friendly and I'd like to get more in a routine of blogging.

With that said, I'm so lucky to have so many followers thus far.  I'm going to continue to blog more and more.  I'd like to find a way to fit it in my schedule (here's hoping) on a regular basis.  I'm so grateful for my followers and all of the support we have received this past year.  Now that my lil munchkins are almost 9 months old (Holy Cow!), I feel like we are a little past "survival mode" and I will be more committed to blogging.  Its something I've begun to really enjoy and I will love to look back 20 years from now and see how my life was at this moment.

And a cute pic just cuz...



I'm going to be an Aunt!

I'm so happy for my little brother Beau and his wife Stephanie.  They are expecting their first (yes,only one :) baby on September 8, 2014. I'm so excited that our kiddos will be around the same age. It will be so much fun watching them grow up together.  Here is their announcement and you can check out more pictures on my SIL's blog here.

 

I'm just so thrilled for them and I wish them the very best on this new chapter in their lives.