9 Months: Is it Easier Yet?

I belong to a group of triplet + moms who keep me sane. We depend on each other to figure out how to raise high order multiples and survive. A hot topic on our forum is "does it get any easier" or "please God tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel!" These posts are usually written by a new mom of multiples whose children are 4 months or younger. I know...I wrote one of them when my kids were around 2 months (I think mine was titled "Do we ever turn a corner..lie to me please!"). The answers range from "Hang in there honey, it gets so much easier to "hell no, it is harder now than ever. Sorry."

So, what do I think now that my kids are 9 months? Easier...maybe. Different...yes. More manageable and fun...definitely! As you can see from my recent video dairies, things are a little obnoxious around the house. Of course, my "obnoxious" may look like "chaos and utter mayhem" to others. Life is exhausting with triplets. I am constantly chasing after a kid, untangling kids, or comforting a kid who has just failed miserably at catching themselves when they fall. In the meantime I am doing laundry, changing clothes, washing the endless dirty bibs and bottles, changing diapers, peeling dried half eaten cheerios off...well everything, and wiping up spit-up. If you have/had triplets around 9-15 months, you know exactly how crazy things can be; if you have/had just one baby in this age range, you can try to imagine but you will fail.So, how can things be better? Maybe it is the sleep, maybe it is the kids exuberant personalities, or maybe it is the overall awesomeness of my children...life is so much better with triplets now. The first 3-4 months I felt like I was hanging on by a thread, some days I was ready to check myself into rehab...and I didn't even have an addiction. It must have been the combination of no sleep, leaking breasts, crazy hormones, constant crying (the babies. Fine...sometimes mine), colic, reflux and Jocelyn (sorry Josie, as angelic and sweet as you are now, you were a tough newborn!). Now, I am completely exhausted at the end of the day. As most of you know if you have tried to contact me, I rarely have the energy to respond to e-mails or answer my phone (sorry). But, I honestly enjoy everything about my triplets. If you dropped by my house at lunchtime (come on...I dare you), you may walk away thinking "God bless that woman's soul" but I will be thinking "God, I am so blessed".

Would I say our life is "normal" Hell no. Just looking at some of the topics on my triplet+ mom forum answers that question:
-how do I fit my stroller in the van? (trust me, no one on this board is ever going to use the word "car")
-I had a panic attack last night, tell me it is ok
-the step by step plan to not locking your keys in the car when you load/unload your kids
-Help! How do I keep my 6 month olds from beating each other up?
-I'm on TLC tomorrow!

So no, Max and I's life is not normal. But, we survive, thrive and LOVE IT! Here is the 9-month report card:

Amelia - 15 lbs. 10 oz, 5% 26.5 in., 20% - still a tiny peanut
Marcus - 18 lbs. 11 oz, 25%, 28 in., 45% - our big man
Jocelyn - 17 lbs. 9 0z, 25%, 26 in., 10% - looks like she may get her height from mom

The doctor was most impressed with the kids motor skills. He says he would never have guessed they were preemies since they are acting like regular 9-10 month old babies: crawling, pulling up, cruising, balancing briefly, clapping, waving, etc. Maybe it is their active mom and grammy who encourage them on all day...or maybe they are just super smart:) We sure are proud of our kiddos.