"In a new policy statement published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics now advises parents to keep toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they exceed the height or weight limit for the car seat, which can be found on the back of the seat."
Miracle Babies, founded by Dr. Sean Daneshmand and based in San Diego, is the nation's premier non-profit organization exclusively structured to provide support for preemies in the NICU/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and their families. Our mission is to provide financial assistance and support to families in need with newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit.
In the course of blogging about my decision to keep my trio together in the same classroom, I came across an EXCELLENT blog post about the issue on the M.O.S.T. (Mothers of Supertwins) blog. The thorough and balanced post is filled with resources, studies, laws, anecdotes, and wisdom about how to make the call for your own kids each year:
When my triplets were three months old, I cracked. No sleep, little food, and showers… what were those? I’d lost all the baby weight I’d gained during my pregnancy, but then the pounds kept going, dropping until I weighed less than I had since tenth grade. I didn’t take care of myself. Everything was about the babies. My husband had to go back to work—he couldn’t stay home forever, no matter how much I begged—and I felt all alone. My mom and mother-in-law stopped in for a few hours every couple of days, but a few hours in every 24 or 48 felt like a drop in the bucket to me, no matter how generous it was. And then when they came, I was so desperate for adult conversation that I didn’t take the naps they urged or flee the house as much as they shoved me toward the door. Despite my desperate state, most folks who saw me with my infant trio thought I had it all together. “You’re awesome!” they said. “You’re super mom! I don’t know how you do it—I can barely handle one!” I didn’t understand it. Didn’t they see that I was wild-eyed and bedraggled? Didn’t they see that I was drowning? Oh sure, I had worked out some clever things, and I could pull myself up by the bootstraps and focus on the adventure of it all for a few hours each day. But the rest of those 24 hours? Ugh. It was taking every ounce of energy I had, and I didn’t have much. One day I couldn’t take it anymore. I wiped away my tears and dug out the phone number of the lady in my neighborhood who had older triplets, the one who’d met my mother-in-law at church, and I called her. I didn’t know what to say when she answered, so I just blurted, “Hi, I’m Debbie. I have triplets.” She took over from there. Cheryl proved to be my salvation that morning. She came over to my house, hugged my babies and nodded knowingly at the double and single Bob strollers in my living room, and then proceeded to tell me how she’d managed to feed three babies at once and still eat and sleep. It was amazing. She told me how she’d coped with the fact that when three babies cried you could only soothe one. She told me how she’d color-coded binders and re-organized her house and got through those first couple of years and now did have a fair handle on life with triplets even though she sometimes messed up and didn’t eat or shower. “It will happen to you, too,” she said. “I promise.” I nearly collapsed, then and there. She understood. She told me she’d take me out to dinner to introduce me to more moms who’d figured out how to do three (and even four!) babies at once. And she gave me the phone number of Jenna, a lady three blocks away who had triplets just four months older than mine.
Over the next few days, weeks, months, and now years, I’ve turned to those moms Cheryl introduced me to—this group, San Diego’s More the Merrier, a support group for moms of higher order multiples—for suggestions, solutions, support, and laughs. And much to my pleasure, I found my footing and was soon able to start giving suggestions, solutions, support, and laughs to other new moms of multiples. And Jenna, with her Amazing Trips, and Cheryl, with her own amazing trio, are among my dearest friends. They get it. They understand the joyous insanity of those first years with triplets. When they see me, they understand how you really can have it together even though sometimes you mess up and don’t eat and, good grief, skip a shower or two.
Yesterday my boys and I spent several fantastic hours in Coronado with twenty other families from More the Merrier (Big Daddy was out of town and had to miss it). 60+ kids of all ages, right down to months-old babies, were at that picnic. 
When one mom went flying by me dragging a choo-choo wagon behind her and chasing fleeing toddlers, I had to laugh. “Pardon me, please. Totally stressed out mom here!” she shouted. I understood. I’d been there. And I was so happy to be able to tell her where she was headed. That very morning I’d slept in and finally awoke to find that my sons had fed themselves breakfast, put their dishes in the sink, dressed themselves, and were quietly playing with their cars. Her eyes widened. “It will happen to you, too,” I said. “I promise.”
written by Deborah Halverson, mom to 5.5-year-old triplet boys
Last weekend the More the Merrier Walkers for Knockers team completed their Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. Woo-HOO! With the footwork of 3,800 walkers, the helping hands of hundreds of volunteer staff, and the generous hearts of countless family and friends, San Diego's 60-mile, 3-Day walk raised $9.5 million dollars for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Those organizations will use the money for breast cancer research, treatment, prevention, and awareness.
There were so many inspirational people in the walk and along the route. There was a stunning and seemingly inexhaustible supply of supporters lining every sidewalk who cheered the walkers past the pain and to the finish line. The entire event was a vast, inspirational community action against a merciless disease, and More the Merrier is proud to have been a part of it.
A few of us from More the Merrier formed a team that will participate in the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day walk November 20-22, 2009.To learn more information >> Click here to view the team page for The More The Merrier Walkers for Knockers
For more information about the Breast Cancer 3-Day, Susan G. Komen for the Cure or the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund, visit http://www.the3day.org/ or call 800.996.3DAY.
