MTM Families Raise Money in Miracle Babies 5K

Several “More the Merrier” families took part in the San Diego’s Miracle Babies Second Annual 5K Walk/Run on November 14, raising money for families in need who have a newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit. One of our families was even featured on Local News 8.

The MTM families did a stupendous job, not only reaching their goal but surpassing it, collecting more than $1785 in just five days! They are immensely grateful to family and friends for helping to support their cause. “We had such a great time doing this, we are already looking forward to next year.”

Way to go, gang!

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.

Resources re Keeping Multiples Together in the Same Classroom

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:

http://www.mostonline.org/wordpress/?p=3338

Thought some of you moms of younger multiples might want to sock this link away for future reference.

-Debbie
Mom to 5.5-year-old BBB triplets (now kindergarteners!)

More the Merrier 2010 Picnic

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

Our More The Merrier SUPERDADS!

This past October, some of our More the Merrier super triplet dads met up with the Supernanny (Jo Frost) to lend their advice and support to another San Diego triplet dad, who was ready to wave the white flag from the trenches of fatherhood.

Here are our superstars, from left to right:

Charlie, Jo, Derrick and David.

The show aired on ABC this past Friday, February 5.

In case you missed it, you can click HERE for a link to the segment.

To Mark and Melissa Mann, you did a great job on the show and we sincerely admire the tremendous courage it took for you to open your home up to the world. We're certain your honesty about the struggles with raising multiple small children will help a lot of other parents who are facing similar challenges. We're excited about what the future holds for your beautiful family. And we're hopeful you'll tell us all about it ... at the next More the Merrier dinner!

Congrats to the More the Merrier Walkers for Knockers!

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.

The More the Merrier Walkers for Knockers team raised $12,514.00 for the cause. Notice the back of the moms' team shirts? "Got triplets?" they ask, and that's followed by three pink breast cancer ribbons. The shirts certainly generated a lot of attention! The questions of one particular walker stick in our team members' minds: A woman with her husband at her side asked about the multiples support group. The couple is saving up for in vitro fertilization, and they are a little worried about getting twins or triplets or quadruplets. "What would we do?" the lady asked. "You'd call us," the teammates replied with welcoming smiles on their faces. After all, the more, the merrier, right?

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.

60 miles in three days . . . that's one way to get a break from the daily routine of life with multiples.

San Diego Triplet Moms in Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk

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.

We will be walking sixty (60) miles, over three days, sleeping in tents, and raising $2,300.00 a piece for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We are proud to be walking with fellow triplet moms for such an important cause. We are "The More The Merrier, Walkers for Knockers."

If you'd like to join our team, here's our team link. After all, the more, the merrier!

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.

Plane Travel: Toddler/Preschool Triplets

About to fly away with your triplets? Here’s some advice based on what has worked for us when traveling with our toddler/preschool triplets on planes:

I let them pick out one toy at the airport within reason (I know kinda pricey) but on a 5.5-6 hr flight, the boys played the whole time with their little airplane and my daughter played with her Spiderman coloring book. To me it was $ well spent and now I have made it a ritual.

Pack a bag of food and snacks.

I bring lots of snacks food and even those special snacks like chocolate chip cookies. I give those mostly at landings and take-off. Landings are a bit rougher on one of my boys than on my other two kids so I like to have special snacks for that.

I pack sippy cups and have the flight attendants fill the cups up with milk/juice. So much easier than handling a little plastic cup on a bumpy ride. One spill and they are stuck with the wetness (whether on them, in their seat, or on the floor) for the whole flight.

DVD! To us that is a must. Mine don’t wear headsets because you can’t hear the show past our seats because of the plane noise. If your kids don’t normally watch DVDs, don’t have the fear of them wanting to watch when you are “home”—you can say this is special just for airplane flights. Mine watch DVDs in the car but ONLY on the 5-6hr drive to AZ, not around town or on short trips. I suggest keeping the DVD player and DVDs under the seat vs. in the overhead because shortly after take-off, the captain gives the approval for electronic devices but the fasten seat belt sign is still illuminated . . . sometimes for a while. Remember to bring an extra battery, the power supply, and an extension cord. In case you are delayed, they can watch the DVD player while waiting at the gate. There are usually outlets all around, but you may need an extension cord. Also, it saves and charges your battery for the flight.

We actually have 1 DVD player, 1 laptop, and an ipod. Yes, they have all been in use at the same time! It is good to have more than 1 player, because you may be split up on the plane based upon seating arrangements. I don't know of a plane that has 5 seats in a row, without a break for the aisle. Also, I’ve heard reports that you can download books onto your ipods from itunes, so that’s another option. I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t know what books are available for which ages. Worth looking into.

In the beginning I was a stickler on keeping to our schedule and making sure they ate right. But then I thought what is more important:

1. Kids cranky but eating right or
2. Kids happy

I have slightly different rules for the plane and mine don’t take advantage of it. I make it more of a reward. If you remain quiet and don’t wake up your brother then you can get another cookie. Or if they say can I have another cookie and your limit is 1 or 2 a day, you could say since you are staying in your seat and are quiet, you can have another cookie. We change our rules when we are on vacation (sure I’ll have another dessert), so I just use that logic with them.

Travel with Tylenol, motrin, bandaids, a change of shirt for you (you never know who may get motion sickness), change of clothes for them, and Benadryl. Benadryl is not just for aiding them to sleep, it helps their sinuses, so the pressure doesn’t build up and cause them discomfort on take-off or landing. One piece of advice I remember is if they are crying during take-off or landing that’s okay, it is helping them relieve the pressure in their ears. The first time we flew I said that over and over in my head so I wouldn’t stress too much. But that is when I want them to drink and eat to pop their ears. Having a sippy cup allows them to drink because otherwise they would not be allowed to have a drink.

Don’t hesitate to walk around the plane with them. By the 4.5 hour mark I am anxious to get off the plane, & they aren’t any different. So we parade around the plane for a bit. In the back we even play Simon Says to help them stretch and play a game.

Bring books that are light to carry, we’ve even played bingo. Let them pack a small bag of toys they want to bring on the plane (those backpacks are great for that) – you’d be surprised how long that the toys they pick out will keep them occupied. I used to pack one new toy per hour and that was a bust. I was stuck with the stress of finding new inexpensive toys and most of the time they just wanted to see the next one. This way they choose the toys and it takes the guess work out of it for you and they are happy. Plus I overemphasize sharing on the airplane. Now they help each other pick out toys.

If they have a favorite animal or blanket they sleep with, bring that on the plane to help them sleep. My daughter travels with her sponge-bob towel, which we use as a blanket.

Regarding car seats: You check them in with your luggage, unless you are going to use them on the plane. If you use them on the plane they have to be FAA certified. It will indicate that in your manual and on the seat itself. Print the page off from your owner’s manual if you cannot find it on your car seat. When we used the car seat on the plane we were stopped by the flight attendants asking for us to show them that the seat was FAA certified.

If you are checking them with your luggage, I don’t know the requirements for packing the car seats. Our seats have a case so we just use that. Call your airline if you are unsure.

Last hot tip: Pack for the worse case scenario, which means pack more food than you need in case you are delayed, or any flight cancellations. Gotta be ready for anything!

Phew! Okay, off you go. My big advice is to make it special, modify the rules to fit the situation. Good Luck!

-Jeanmarie
Mom to 4-year-old BBG triplets