Triplets' First Vacation: Part 1 (Travel Day)

Brian and I love to travel, so naturally, we want to travel with our kids.  We thought for awhile about where would be the best choice for 3 10 month olds and decided on Siesta Key, Florida. 

 

Non-stop flight + rental house with a pool + walking distance to the beach + 3 Grandparents = Perfect vacation with triplets.

 

 

We are so lucky to have parents willing to help whenever needed.  My parents and Brian's Mom agreed to come along on our vacation to help with the girls and do a little relaxing themselves.  Our flight left on Saturday, April 26 at close to 1 PM.  I had to pre-plan the day... when will we feed solids? When will I pump?  Will they be hungry to eat a bottle during the ascent? Will it be during nap time?  There were a lot of questions to figure out, but with a little organization and scheduling, the girls' first travel day went as well as we could have asked. 

(Please excuse the poor quality of pictures... you can thank the iPhone)
 

 
We arrived at the airport about 2.5 hours before our flight.  Our parents were already checked in and waiting to help us unload.  My Dad took the keys and went to park the car so Brian and I could check in our family.  Then, we all went through security together.  I kept my blinders on during this so I wouldn't see all of the dirty looks from strangers for taking forever, plus I was focused on moving us through as fast as possible.  Besides our 2 checked suitcases and 3 checked car seats, we had 2 strollers, my backpack, Brian's backpack, my pump, diaper bag, and 2 rolling suitcases PLUS 3 babies to hold... a lot to handle when going through security, so I'm glad we had others with us to hold babies and luggage.  Once through the metal scanner, they had to screen each bottle of breast milk which took the longest amount of time since their machine wasn't working right.

 

 

We then headed towards our departure gate.  I needed to pump, so I did that in a family restroom while the others went to get lunch.  We ate at the gate while the girls played on the floor on a blanket my Mom brought.  Then, it was time to feed the girls.  We strapped them in their strollers and fed mostly out of the squeeze pouches since it goes a little quicker and causes a little less mess.  We had an audience, people even took pictures.  Our timing was a little off because by the time we were headed to change diapers, they had started boarding.  When the girls were all cleaned up and we had gathered everything, we headed to the front of the line and they let us go ahead and board.  (I found out later on our way home that there is no longer any pre-boarding for small children on United, which is really inconvenient).
 

 

 

Once on board, we emptied one of our carry-on suitcases which held a smaller diaper bag for each baby and goodie bags for the passengers around us.  While I was packing, I used three different colored bags and divided up the girls' stuff so once on the plane, I could give that 'baby holder' that baby's designated diaper bag.  In it I had diapers, wipes, Lysol wipes, disposable bibs, burp cloth, wash cloth, snacks, plastic bag (for any dirty stuff), change of clothes, toys, and their new Airplane activity centers.  This way, since you can only have one lap baby per set of seats, Brian's Mom sitting in front of us didn't have to ask for Taylor's pacifier when she went to sleep or my parents, sitting across from us, didn't have to ask me for a burp cloth when Sam spit up.  Everyone had everything they needed and then I had a 'master diaper bag' with extra important stuff and bottles.

 

My MIL made each baby one of these activity centers.  They are so awesome.  She sewed 3 strips of elastic on the back to stretch over the table tray and you just slide it on and close the tray.  Then she made ribbons with clasps on one end to attach to the activity center and a clasp on the other end that you could attach a toy, pacifier, teether, etc so when dropped it will not hit the floor.  Genius!  These kept the girls busy the whole time they were awake on the plane.  I know they even liked looking at the cute material as well.

 

Overall, the flight went excellent.  There was no screaming... and that is an accomplishment in itself.  At take off and ascent, we gave them their bottles to help equalize their ears and then let them have their pacifiers when they wanted.  They each napped for about half of the flight.  Taylor and Mallory wanted to move, so they were fidgety and difficult to hold but still did great.  We were lucky enough to sit next to some really nice people who were interested in the girls and didn't complain at all.  Actually, we were complemented a lot on how cute they were and how well they did on the plane.

 

 

Once we landed in Tampa, we got ourselves situated at the gate and headed towards the baggage claim.  We set the blanket out again so the girls could crawl around and eat a snack while we got our luggage and Brian and my Dad went to get our rental cars.  Once in the car, I set up in the back row with Sam so I could pump and we drove a little over an hour to our rental house in Siesta Key.

 

 

  

Our house was really nice.  It was 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, with a full laundry room, and a nice pool.  There was so much storage in that house.  We actually used the Master Bedroom's walk in closet as the baby's room.  It was large enough to fit 3 Pack n Plays with extra space for the girls to play around.  It was perfect.  We could close the door when they were sleeping and still be able to keep the light on in our room.  I meant to take a picture all week and I forgot.  And, on the main floor was the kitchen, living room, dining room, and covered patio outside overlooking the pool.  We converted the dining room in to the girls' play area.  We moved the dining room table in to the corner, put down some blankets on the hard wood floor, and blocked the entrance with a couple of ottomans.  We rented boster seats, pack n plays, a beach cabana, and a basket of toys for the week.  The toys were a great deal.  $10 got them a ton of toys for inside and outside.  We also set up the booster seats in their play area.  If the rental company only knew how we redecorated for the week...

 

That evening, Brian and my Dad went to the grocery store, while my Mom, MIL, and I stayed with the girls and got them to bed.  We then ate dinner on the patio and talked about our plans for the week.

 

It was a tiring but successful day of travel with the girls.

Click here for Part 2 and Part 3 of our vacation.

 

DIY: Goodie Bags for Airplane Passengers

What's your first reaction when that Mom and her infant sit right next to you on an airplane?

Frustration, Anger, Fear you will have a screaming, pooping, spitting up baby next to you for hours?  What do you think when that Mom sits down with not just one baby, but THREE babies?  Absolute terror that your flight is going to be miserable.  Am I right?

 

In order to ease that pain of our fellow passengers, I put together Goodie Bags for those sitting around us.  It was an idea I found on Pinterest.  I thought that it was the least I could do for bringing 3 unpredictable babies on an airplane.  My MIL helped write a poem that was inserted on the front of the Goodie Bag.  I also included a Rice Krispie Treat, Trident gum, Skittles, Starburst, and ear plugs.  I made one for every seat directly around us.  So about 15 on the way there and 15 for our flight home.  I also made a few extra for the flight attendants. 

 

Everyone was so grateful and thanked us for being so considerate.  I feel like the goodie bags eased the mood and made everyone more accepting of having us around them.  Turns out, my babies did awesome on both flights and we didn't have any melt downs.  People complemented us, thanked us for the goodie bags, and told us how good our babies were on the plane.

 

Here are a few pictures of the goodie bags along with the words from the poem below.

 

 

 

The poem reads:

 

We're 10 month old triplet girls,

On our first flight.

We may be sweet darlings,

Or we may scream out in fright.

 

Although you may wish you had

A different seat location;

We appreciate your patience,

Cuz Mommy and Daddy need a vacation!

 

So we brought you a bag of treats

If we end up your worst fear;

And added ear plugs just in case

We're not of usual good cheer.

 

Have a good flight and we hope we don't bug ya,

Kisses from Mallory, Taylor, and Samantha.

 

Triplets' First Swim Lesson

The girls had their first swim lesson on Thursday.  Their first time in the pool was last week while on vacation and they loved it so I knew they would do well at their swim lesson... and they did.  I wanted to do swim lessons because I know we will be around water a lot this summer and I want them to be comfortable.  When we got there, we checked in, and were given new swim diapers for the girls to put on.  We waited until the bell to go in at 6 PM.  My Dad helped us with the third baby in the pool and my Mom was the Papparazi at the pool.  The instructor was really good but she was a sub so we will meet our actual instructor next week.  The girls didn't fuss at all, they had good tricks to get them to float on their backs like a mirror above them and sea creatures painted on the ceiling.  Taylor loved pointing at all the new things she saw.  I'm looking forward to next week to see what the girls remember.  I'm just glad they all love the water.

 

Triplets' First Time to the Zoo

The girls' first trip to the zoo was on Tuesday.  We met up with a friend, her son, and her Mom.  My Mom also came along.  The parking was horrible and after she dropped us off at the front, my Mom drove my car around for 45 minutes until she found a spot.  Once inside, the girls got to see the seals, giraffes, elephants, primates, and a Komodo dragon.  We had lunch in a restaurant and the girls did great in the high chairs and allowed me to eat without fussing.  Here are a few pictures of our short trip to the zoo.

 



Triple Play: 11 Months

How old?  11 Months.
 

Our weights? S:  16 lbs 5 oz T: 18 lbs  M:  16 lbs 14 oz
I have 3 itty bitties.  They still fit in 6 months clothes, however some of their cute summer outfits are 9 months, so they are wearing those already.  Jammies are still 9 months but they are beginning to get a little snug in length.

Our sleeping patterns?  They still take 2 naps per day... 10:30 and 2:30.  Sometimes they last 40 minutes, sometimes an hour and a half.  A lot of times I have to wake Taylor up to keep everyone on schedule. 

Nights.... O the nights.  Dear babies, Please sleep! 
Love, Mom.

They take turns sleeping through the night.  Sometimes we just feed them to get them to go back to sleep easier even though they didn't wake up due to hunger.  Sometimes she is just awake and wants you to walk with her for an hour.  I never know what is going to happen.  I'm still blaming this on teething since each baby already has 6 teeth.

 Our eating schedule?  The girls have bottles at 8 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM.  They eat solids at 9 AM, 12 PM, and 5:30 PM.  We dropped a bottle since last month and it seems to be working better.  The girls drink more from these three bottles and I have 1 less feeding to prep for.  A win-win. They drink 5-7 oz at each feeding, with the most being at 8 PM.  They are still mostly eating pureed foods for solids.  They also eat Puffs and Cheerios (and if they had the choice, this would be all they ate).  We are going to incorporate some other foods soon.

 Our favorite foods? Oatmeal, Green Beans, Turkey & Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Puffs, Cheerios, Peas, Mum Mums

 

Our likes? Going swimming, walkers, being tickled, flying in the air, and snacks.
 
S:  Loves one on one time with Mommy.  She loves eskimo kisses and blowing raspberries.  She likes to be free of boundaries so as soon as she sees a door open or an escape route from the playpen, she takes off.  I sometimes call her my little crab, because of the way she swiftly scoots around.  She absolutely loves Cheerios.  She will eat about half of her meal and then start fussing for Cheerios or Puffs.  She also has a thing for her Wubbanub and her snatching Wubbanubs out of her sisters' mouths.  Lately, she has really liked playing in her closet, going in and out of the curtain.  She likes Peek-a-boo, waving, and imitating her Mommy and Daddy.

T:  Taylor loves to stand.  She has gotten it down to where I'm not too worried about her falling.  She really enjoys her walker and can take off in it.  She has been really in to pointing this month.  Mostly, at lights and fans, but she points at anything that interests her.  She really enjoyed the swimming pool while we were on vacation and playing in the water at the beach.  She loves to be read to and touch and feel the books.

M:  Mallory loves to explore and see new things.  She is crawling so fast now.  She has discovered opening and closing cabinets which she likes to do.  Also, she loves when we tickle her.  She is definitely still a Momma's girl, but has wanted her Daddy's affection more lately.  She loves when I spot her on a forward roll.

 Our dislikes?  There is something about feedings that they sometimes dislike.  I haven't quite figured it out yet whether it is the food I am giving them at the time, gas, teething, or just crankiness.  They don't like to be tired, hungry, bored, or in pain.

S: Teething, she gets the most upset sometimes during feedings, other times she is a happy camper.  She doesn't like to be put down when I'm holding her.  She hates it when her sisters pick on her by taking her Wubbanub or knocking her over.

T: Taylor dislikes being left alone.  Otherwise, she is pretty happy.

M: She still hates getting her face wiped after being fed.  She also dislikes being held by anyone other than her parents and grandmothers.  (They are all in Stranger Danger phase).
 

Our favorite games/toys?  They love to play Peek-a-boo and imitate others.  They do really well at waving and "Touchdown!"  They still enjoy the walkers (which allows Brian and I to eat dinner without a baby in our laps) and the ball popper.
 

Our milestones? 
First flight, first time swimming in a pool, first time to the beach, first boat ride, first time to an Aquarium, first time to Florida, and first time to the zoo.

S:  Six teeth, crawling, pulling up everywhere, pointing, waving, shaking her head "No".

  T: Standing independently for over a minute, 6 teeth (top 4 all at once... Ouch!), shaking her head "No", pointing, putting blocks in holes.

  M: Seven teeth, shaking her head "No", pointing, putting blocks in holes.

Things we do to make Mom and Dad smile?  When we giggle or do something new.  When we are easy to go back to sleep in the middle of the night.
 

Our pictures