The Golden Age (or so they say)

We're rounding our third month and the kids are doing wonderfully. In fact, we are headed into what one of our baby-bibles calls "the golden age." This doesn't mean that Suzy and I are, on account of having to care for triplets, basically 80 years old and retired already--aging like dogs--in space. No, the fourth month of life, according to What to Expect: The First Year, begins "a period of several enchanted months when good humor reigns during the day, more sleep is happening at night, and independent mobility has yet to be achieved"--yea, you know, the period right before what Dante calls "the 9th circle of Hell."

Well, caring for the babies doesn't always seem to go by the book, but with a long view, that's pretty much exactly what's happening, and this "golden age" is a case in point--and we're loving every minute of it. Man, the kids are smiling, cooing, almost talking (--Charlie had a three or four minute one-sided jibber-jabber converstation with our friend Chris last night--I tried to get Charlie to duplicate the performance today, talking to him like a baby does, and he looked at me like, "What kind of language is that?"). And yes, they're sleeping well (five nights in a row, anyway), and the only mischief they have gotten into involves inadequate diapers (--Luvs and Pampers are our favorite--Huggies, not so much). I know I said the little people are pass the cute stage in my last post, but, boy, they are proving me wrong with a vengeance. Check out the pics. With direction from Charlie's PT (--he has torticollis), we're doing a lot of tummy time now by propping them up on a boppie, or on one of their siblings, in Keifer's case (the big brute).

Cute is an understatement, I think you will agree. (Oh, and those hand-woven sweaters were made by Molly Shea's mother, who coincidentally was one of our at-risk OB-GYN nurses.)

Now, sleeping as well as they are, we are not feeding them as frequently as we once were, which made Suzy a bit concerned whether or not they were eating enough. Bound and determined to get them weighed before our next appointment, she and her mother, who both don't own a quality scale, took the kids to the grocery store, where they attempted to weigh each in the fruit and vegetable scales. That had to be hilarious. Not totally satisfied, however, Suzy and Carla (one of our morning volunteers) took the thumbsuckers the next day into Kaiser and had them weighed properly. Good news for us all: the grocery store scales are pretty accurate--though they tried to charge us as much for Scout as they did Kiefer--those thieves. Anyway, as of last week: Kiefer was 11 lbs, 3 on; Charlie was 10 lbs, 10 on; and Scout was 9 lbs. The verdict: they're growing fine. I was not concerened, myself, mainly because of the poops and pees. Scout's last diaper almost knocked me out, actually--she's digesting something in there!

Lest I seem all euphemism and embellishment, let me report: yes, we have had a few bumps along the way, and, yes, Suzy has battled fatigue once and again, and, sure, microscopically, her nipples must both look like Jean Claude Van Daam's face at the end of Bloodsport. But it's really not as bad as anyone might imagine. Yea, some people come in and ask, "Are you surviving?", only to listen incredulously to our answer. But if you are truly wondering, up to this point, at least, we are just having a ball, thriving--thrilled--feeling like we're doing well by our three new additions. I'm not saying Suzy isn't amazing. She is--there's no question. But it's her almost impregnable positivity more than any show of heroic suffering that convinces you. What a spirit--what health of mind and body. Amazing!

Regardless, one thing is for certain: Suzy and I could not have any "golden" age or instant or glimmer of a sense of one but for your love and support. Unsure of tomorrow, we are just loving our today, and are only frustrated to think how poor we are in thanks. I hope you know that there, where we fall short in gratitude, we overrun with belief in the goodness of this world: it's as wonderful, as golden as our children--this world--equal to all three in every way, and you, family, friends, and strangers, are our proof to that. For all it could be worth, thanks.