Introducing 'the other' little people

So when I tentatively explained to Charlie that the babies might be arriving the day before her 5th birthday (14th November - 34weeks provisional date for c-section) I had images of an adult Charlie, lying anxiously on the therapist's couch,wringing her hands and painfully recalling how all happiness in her life was cruelly snatched from her the day before her 5th birthday, the day her mother and father wilfully abandoned her to the demands and wails of three monkey type creatures otherwise and forever more known as 'the triplets'. I held my breath and waited nervously for her response

'Oh good' she said 'they can buy me a birthday present'.

Never have I been so relieved and grateful for the power of consumerism.

Elijah's response to the triplets has also raised eyebrows. The other day he came up to my tummy with a toy medical hammer (the ones that doctors use to test your reflexes by bashing you on the knee, except that I've never actually known a doctor in real life do that) He started tapping my tummy with it - What are you doing I gently asked - fixing the babies- came his confident reply - they're broken- ahhh bless I thought, I have a son who is really going to care about his three younger siblings, what a relief - yes- he went on to say - they're broken because they've been bashed against the wall like this - he then went on to vigorously and enthusiastically reinact what in my mind would have been a scene of gut wrenching horror. He then turned, smiled angelically and wandered off. Should I worry?

Triplet photo album so far.....

When you are expecting triplets you have no end of scans- The picture above shows baby 2 and 3 at 12 weeks in what looks like little bunk beds. Baby 3 is lying under the bed somewhere!!

Baby 2 likes having her photo taken, but then she seems to always have the best seat in the house. This is her at 19 weeks.

Poor baby 1, the boy, is in a slightly less comfy position, you can just see his little feet crossed over and sticking out from his sleeping bag, the other two kind of sit on top of him - poor lad.

This is a rare picture of the illusive baby 3 - the most tricky one to photo - but making him/herself known more recently, by kicking me in the ribs mostly. This is him/her resting hand on chin at 24 weeks.

We were amazed by this picture. It is baby 2 waving at the camera like a superstar at 24 weeks - even at such a tender age she seems to resemble her older brother Eli.

Pregnant with Triplets - the story so far...

So this is me at 26 weeks pregnant with triplets. I've been on at dear hubby - from now on known as TFK - The Fertility King - to take my picture capturing my gargantuan size - I think he was waiting for my belly to fill the room entirely. My waist measures 46 inches. I'm growing about an inch a week at the moment and it's not all apple pie and custard. The little darlings are weighing in at :

Baby 1 - definite boy/ dangly bits spotted - 1lb 9 oz

Baby 2 - probable girl/no dangly bits/v. photogenic - 1lb 13 oz

Baby 3 - no dangly bits detected Drs think girl/ mother's witchy instinct thinks boy - 2lb 2oz

Then there's Freddie the Fibroid - sorry this may be too much info for some people - whose got a bit squashed, remains a steady 12 cm by 10 cm and is providing a neat little pillow for baby 3.

But hang on - lets go back a bit - some of you didn't even know I was pregnant. On the fateful day of the routine dating scan 12 weeks pregnant 11th June 2008, myself and TFK were anticipating 1 of 4 possibilities, these were:

1. No baby - just cruel joke, mother just fat and hormonal

2. Baby - no heart beat - no reason to think this but you have to be prepared just in case

3. 1 big fat baby - making mother extremely knackered and pukey

4. 2 babies - which would explain why mother is extremely knackered and pukey

We had not considered for an iota of a second - possibility 5 - THREE BABIES - mother in fact amazing Goddess and hero for coping under such circumstances, father Master of Fertility.

So when the sonogragher calmly said 'Are you ready for this.......(X Factor style pause.....) There are 3 in there..' We both burst out laughing.