Work

This week I've been getting ready to go back to work next week. I'm going back half time and this week I've worked one morning and one afternoon.

It's been an opportunity to settle the new nanny in. I was expecting some tears (not just mine!) but we've all adjusted well. Izzy (the nanny) is following our routine so the babies aren't too freaked out by the change. So far it seems to be going really well.

Work has been a bit of a shock. We're in a new building, I have a new line manager, people have left or moved teams and it turns out quite a few people read this blog! On top of that I had parking troubles - they haven't sorted out permits for next week so I was permitless and its not easy to park around the Uni.

I also have to get back into work mode - not putting kisses at the end of emails, not using drop kerbs to cross roads and trying not to sing any cbeebies tunes at work.

These few hours I've been back have been really useful. I've wandered the halls of my new office and discovered who works where. It's very quiet there, mind you, and a five minute chat in a corridor was punctuated by a pointedly slammed door (thanks!).

I've got plenty of work to be getting on with, which is good and future lunches arranged with friends - I get an hour for lunch, how weird is that? Not weird at all to you I'm sure but it is to me!

I also managed to sort the parking mostly by pointing out it wasn't my fault they hasn't sorted the permits out yet. So should there be any trouble at home I can make a swift exit. Hopefully I won't need to but it's good to know that I can.

So all in all I'm feeling happy that we can all cope with the change and before that we have a long weekend with daddy to enjoy. Hurrah!

Ooh I forgot to say that Beth is crawling now, Lex commando (terminator) crawling and Charlie is finally cutting some top teeth.

Pictures are Lex, Charlie pulling an odd face and Beth.

First Birthday

Today was the babies first birthday - how long can I keep calling them the babies? Anyway despite the snow trashing our plans and preventing visits from their granny we managed to drag a nice day out of it.

Due to our friends intrepidness we had visitors most of the day. Andrea, Simon and the kids were first; Bex from Manchester; Elaine and finally Ted and Erin all managed to get to ours through the snow.

The babies were excited and occasionally overwhelmed. We opened lots of presents (thank you!) and I took the occasional moment to kiss a baby and thank them for being my baby. I didn't cry - we're not counting slightly teary are we? Good.

To see how they looked last year just click on this link


Pictures are:
The family Chatten and the babies
The family Cunnington
Elaine and Bex with the babies
Ted, Erin and the babies
Charlie
Lex
Beth

First Birthday Eve

It's the night before the babies birthday and I'm feeling a little emotional. I thought it might be best to get it out now rather than spend tomorrow weepy. We had a whole plan for tomorrow with a visit to Graves Park farm and lots of visitors. Thanks to the snow it looks like it might just be the Cunnington Five.

A year ago today I was waiting for my c-section and was trying to go to sleep, knowing what was to come the next day. I was scared and the only way to calm myself down was to tell myself to think further ahead. Further ahead than the next day at least.

I had a vision of myself and Matt holding hands walking down a beach towards the sea - and in front of us three children toddled towards the water.

This seemed so far away at 29 weeks pregnant, knowing my babies would be born so premature. Now they are a year old this seems more possible. We're off to Bridlington in July so maybe this will come true this year.

I did manage to sleep and I dreamt that my father, everyone from my family who had died, and everyone from Matt's family too were there. They said that they all would look after the babies and help them to be born safely.

By morning I felt quite confident. My two dreams had left me sure the babies would be ok.

The day itself was a bizarre experience with a c-section at the start and morphine and a baby viewing at its end.

By the end of the day I was both overjoyed and exhausted. Both were to continue throughout the year!

Charlie
My firstborn and my littlest at 2 pound 1. I still worry about you the most even though I do not need to anymore. You spent your first few weeks ricocheting between intensive care and special care - one minute ok the next yet another 'infection.' Many days I went to sleep sure they would ring me saying you had taken a turn for the worst but that never happened.

Now you are my smiley love baby. You are filled with joy by everything - shadows, music, birds flying, kisses. I can see your brain taking everything in and processing it. I watch you watching the world and wish I had the same viewpoint.

Lex
At 2 pound 6 you were the one I worried about the least. You were my big bruiser and you still are! No-one seemed concerned about you. You grew well and smiled at all the nurses before you were even due to be born!

Now you are my juggernaut - rolling across the floor regardless of what or who is in your way. You also smile at everyone, filled with the sheer joy of life. You are the tickliest, most smiley boy enjoying the sheer physical fun of being alive. I envy that.

Beth
Even at birth you astounded everyone. Despite being only 2 pound 3 you were off the ventilator quickest and then home quickest too. The nurses said girls were stronger and you proved this statement.

Now you are my temperamental beauty; your huge eyes bewitching all. Charming everyone who meets you, you are also the hardest to drag a smile from. You push me aside as soon as daddy is home but when he is not around you cry when I leave the room. You can clap and go 'twinkle' with your hands. You blow raspberries, giggle and growl- my gorgeous daughter.

Just writing this helps me see what I have known all along - that these three wonderful people just happen to be born at the same time. Yes they resemble each other physically but in personality each is as distinct as anyone else.

It also helps me see what an honour it is to be mummy to such miracles. It's been the most wonderful, exhausting, lovely, lonely, joyful, stressful, exciting, challenging, awesome year.

Never for one second have I regretted that my beautiful babies were born, or that they were born together.

Often I have felt honoured that I got to be their mummy. I have spent a lot of time working out the sheer logistics of having three babies but I have spent a similar amount of time just glorying in the fact I am so blessed.

Often I look at you three looking at the world and I see your curiosity and wonder - I am so excited that daddy and I get to introduce you to the world.

It's worth taking the time here to thank your daddy for being such an integral part of the baby loving team. Without him there would have been so many more tears.

Happy birthday babies. Mummy loves you so very, very much. After all the struggling Daddy and I went through to get you I find it hard to believe we were so blessed. We got the best and it was very much worth the wait.

And tomorrow I promise not to cry...much!

End of year report

Today we got our report cards back. It's a little early but the babies came early too so it seems only fair.

We went back to Jessops hospital today for a check up and popped into the special baby care unit to say hello. The consultant checked the babies over and pronounced them all fit and well. They are developing well apparently and he's very happy with their progress. We are seeing him again in six months.

The dietitian was there too and joy of joys we can drop some bottles! We are also dropping formula from their birthday so they will be on cows milk from then on.

So very soon no more formula bottle making, no sterilising. We are so excited! To put this into context - at the moment we make bottles twice a day (12 bottles in all). We have to boil the kettle, wait 30 minutes then make the formula up, then wait another 30 minutes before putting them in the fridge.

That's just making the formula up, it's not covering washing bottles, sterilising them, going to the doctors for their prescription. Them coming off this will save me at least an hour a day - more time to play with the babies! Yay!

It was also nice to go onto the ward and see some of the nurses who looked after the babies. They couldn't believe the change in them.

The best bit of the day though, for me, was meeting a mummy who had a baby in special baby care. Her son was born 11 weeks early just like ours and she was right in the middle of the stress and worry I remember so well.

She was so happy to see our babies and hear about how they had come on. She kept saying to her mother 'Look! This is what he'll be like in a year.'

I hope she felt better after our conversation. I certainly felt like we'd got an 'A' on our report card by the time we left.

Pictures show why we are baby proofing the house this weekend.

Mother's Day

It's been a lovely weekend. Matts brother Andrew and partner Jackie came up (from Borehamwood) and down (from Glasgow) to see us. The kids were excited to see them and even more so when it was revealed that they had brought presents!

We were very pleased to see them too as we had a couple of civilised evenings chatting to actual people in our house. The weather has been a less pleasant visitor as it is sticking with the cold and wet theme it's been following for a while now. It'd be very nice to have some sunny dry days.

Today was my first Mother's Day. I did sort of have a mother to be day last year (and little did we realise how quickly I'd be a mother!) but this was the first official one. The babies got me a card and two framed photos for my desk at work.

The card has a poem...

Thank you for wiping our bots
Thank you for loving us lots
Thank you for carrying us in your tummy
Thank you for being our mummy

Quite sophisticated for 11 month old babies!

I've had a few messages and a card from friends who know how important this day is to me. I used to be so sad on Mother's Day and now I get to see these little beauties!

No-one is a luckier, more grateful mummy than me.

Big fight weigh in - this time its personal

Its been a while but today the Health Visitor came today to poke and prod the babies, and most importantly to weigh them. The results are now in and are as follows:

Lex "Slugger" Cunnington:
Was 16lbs8, now weighs in at 20lbs1oz and has moved up to the 75th percentile. His head is between the 75th to 95th percentile

Charles "The Head" Cunnington
Charlie has got to 17lbs2oz, up from 14lbs10oz. This puts his body length 9th centile. All the food has gone to his head which is now on the 75th centile. He is the Mekon.

Elizabeth "Dinky Toy" Cunnington
Beth has shot up from 12lbs10 to 15lbs7 and joined Charlie on the 9th centile. She is in the 25th centile for length so is getting lanky.

The Health Visitor was happy with their motor skills, so they can now drive cars. 

The babies are all progressing well. Charlie has started to copy Lex and roll and roll and roll. Poor old Beth is now faced with two juggernaught of brothers who decide where they want to be and then roll there, regardless of who and what gets in their way. Beth has also upped her game and decided to become feral, she growls and attack peoples feet and ankles. She waits until you are looking the other way and then "bam" attaches her newly minted teeth into your feet. She especially likes mummy's slippers. I fear we have raised a zombie daughter.

The kids are all getting their own personalities now. Lex is very determined, Beth is a bit moody and Charlie just smiles at everything, especially his own farts which he finds most amusing. Daddy particularly likes this, when he has had a bad day or boring day at work he comes through the door he is always met with a beaming smile, usually from Beth and squawk of delight (sometimes that comes from mummy after a bad day). All the babies have become more interactive in play, they have discovered how to steal toys from each other. Lex has become incredibly proficent at this.

Every day they are getting a little more independent and a little more mobile, which has necessitated child proofing the house, basically we will turn the front room into one large play pen and the adults will move out :-)

Picture below shows Beth turning feral.

 

Perfection

When you have premature babies you have to attend regular check ups. Recently we went to the Children's hospital for eye tests. At 9am.

9am used to seem totally reasonable to me. Even a bit late to get out. However getting three babies up, dressed, fed and then to the hospital, then parked by 9am was a challenge - we began at 6am and even then we cut it very fine!

As usual we caused quite a stir by our very existence - amongst patients and staff. We were more concerned about how to get the buggy through the doors!

After much flashing of lights in babies eyes they were pronounced perfect. In fact we received a copy of the letter the consultant wrote to the GP and in it he said 'I have seen these triplets and am delighted to say that all six eyes appear to be seeing perfectly well and they all seem to be pointing in the right direction.' Good to know.

The Chatten family have visited again (see pic) and today my Uncle Myles (my dads brother) and Auntie Margaret came to visit. My mum was here so could show off her grandchildren. I think they made a good impression and it was lovely to see them.

We also met my friend Alex from work in the park and I got caught up on some work news. It's only a few weeks now until I return from seclusion back into the world. Is the world ready? Am I?

Pictures are:
Beth standing
The Chatten family and the babies
Charlie, Beth, Lex
Uncle Myles, Beth and Lex