i saw a pro-life poster this week with the picture of an unborn baby and the words, "pretend i'm a tree and save me." i don't know how the hell you can't hear the wake-up call in that one.
you would not know that abby and eli have 2-year old twins and newborn triplets in their house. you just plain wouldn't know it. everything that everybody worried and fretted about just plain hasn't happened. to my knowledge, all 5 have never screamed at the same time. the triplets are on a schedule and have been since day one. you walk in the house and it is organized. there are significant periods of quiet and calm, but not so much that it's unnatural. in between those quiet and calm times, things are lively and loud! when the twins aren't home, abby and eli usually have a candle or two going and the house smells wonderful. who ever would have thought that, of all things, abby and eli would have time to light candles - but they do.
the bottles and all the rest of the feeding paraphernalia are lined up neatly on the kitchen counter. extra bottles - full of breast milk or formula - are always available. i have never once not had a bottle just ready to go. i remember when abby was a baby and, try as i might, i was always a bottle or two short when feeding time rolled around, and i had to hold a crying baby in the crook of my neck and try to assemble a bottle with one hand. i have never seen anyone do that at abby and eli's.
they keep those blanket thingies for swaddling in the crib, along with a blanket, a burp pad, a pacifier, and a cuddly stuffed animal for each baby, and those things are always there. they are always there and they are always laid out neatly and in order, 1-2-3, all in a cute little row. all you have to do is snuggle each baby into his or her own little papoose and away you go.
the beds are made.
the toys, during playtime, are all over the place and yet, not all over the place. the twins have learned (ok, are learning) where the playroom is and they are being taught to keep their toys there. which isn't to say that they don't have toys in their bedrooms because of course, they do. but they know which toys belong in which room and they can play with wild abandon within those respective rooms. but. once playtime is over, it's time to clean up. do they like this? no, they do not. do abby and eli have to keep coaching and teaching them, over and over, how to do it? yes, they do. do abby and eli just give up, sigh, and just go ahead and clean it up themselves because it's easier that way and besides, they have their hands full feeding 3 babies? no. they do not. despite what's going on - and there is always a lot going on - they insist that the twins clean up their messes. it's nothing short of admirable, really, because i am here to tell you right now......i know that if i were in their situation, i would not have this kind of perseverance. i just wouldn't. trust me. i know myself very well.
their lives have not stopped. so far, they have taken the entire brood to the mall, to the zoo, to the pumpkin farm, to the park for family photos, and to church. i'm still waiting for abby to get a little bit older before i schlep her to the zoo!
in short, they've got it together. they are making this work. and they are happy doing it. you should hear eli when he talks to the kids......he's just so funny and goofy and entertaining! those kids practically have robin williams as patch adams for their dad.
and their mom?
priceless.
so, yeah. pretend they're trees.
and save them.
