Names of Multiples
Alex, Zachary and Riley
Age of Multiples in Photo
16 months
Zygosity of Multiples (Identical, Fraternal, Unknown)
Identical Triplet Boys
All About My Multiples: Pregnancy & Birth
Our triplets are identical boys. Alex, Zach and Riley. We didn't know we were having multiple babies until our first ultrasound at 18 weeks gestation (the ultrasound happened because I was measuring very big and there was a chance we were having twins). I was on bed rest for 3 months with two other children, Seth was 5 and Madison was 2. My husband was a full time student and worked part time. We had lots of friends and family that helped us out during that time. The triplets were born at 33 weeks gestation. They were on C-Pap for 5 days & came home 3 weeks after birth. They went through a lot, but now they're healthy
My Multiples Are Special Because...
Our triplets are spontaneous. The likelihood of a Caucasian couple, such as Rex and I, having identical spontaneous triplets is less than a .015 % chance. Doctors call it an "anomaly", we call it, God's hand in our lives. The boys are so wonderful. Lots of personality. Each is different, and yet they are definitely from the same genetic mold. They may look the same, but they have different mannerisms, laughs, cries, voices and personalities (from down stairs, we can tell which baby rolled off their bed just by the type of cry he makes).
Alex is relaxed, laid back, and looks like he is always ready for a nap or a meal, which ever. He is also the snugly one, when he gets hurt he runs to mom or dad for hugs and kisses. Alex is also, in a weird way, the instigator. He will start fights. Pulling binki's out of his brothers mouths or hitting them. But I personally think he is just getting even for all the times the other two have sat on top of him and bounced relentlessly until mom comes to his rescue.
Zachary does everything 1st. He came home first, gets sick first, rolled over, crawled, walked, ran, and got a tooth first. He has a great laugh and loves to talk their triplet language. Zach is our thinker. His forehead is typically scrunched up and you can just see the gears turning as he figures out how things work.
Riley is the class clown. He is also the womanizer. All the girls love Riley. He's a flirt. He also loves to climb. If a chair is out from the table he will climb to the top of the table and sit a top it taking a bite out of each fruit in the centerpiece bowl. Or he will do a "Peter Pan" off the couch slicing his eye lid on the rocking chair as he did a few weeks ago. Riley also has a bad habit of biting! He has bitten Zachary and Alex badly in the past two weeks.
It is interesting to see how, even though they all grow up with the same stimulus, their personalities play so much into their behaviors. They are very different from each other.
Advice
- Live one day at a time, sometimes one hour at a time ;)
- Capture the best that is in your children and build upon it.
- Be prepared to deal with a ton of noise. Patience means nothing until you are a parent of multiples.
- There will be days that you will feel inadequate... keep moving forward. We may be the parents but we still have a lot to learn.
- Don't hesitate to get on the floor with your kids. Play with them as their best friend, scold and teach them as the parent you are, and love them as God loves them.
- Our Family Moto is "No Success can Compensate for Failure in the Home." President David O. McKay
