Target vs. Walmart: Shopping Carts

While I enjoy shopping at Target more than Walmart, it's nearly impossible to go shopping at Target with the triplets. I didn't realize how different the shopping carts were until today. The trio received several Target gift cards for their first birthday. I took the babies with me today in hopes that I would be able to use some of the gift cards.

The family carts at Target are designed for children ages 2-6. Why a six year old would need to be strapped into a shopping cart is beyond me. Despite tightening the straps and the fact that James and Amelia were very stable, I didn't feel safe with the open space for James and Amelia.

You might be wondering why Maddie was in the back of the cart rather than sitting in the front buggy. It's because the front is screwed closed, completely blocking the leg holes! It was like that on all the family carts I could find. I never paid attention to how poorly designed these carts were.

After feeling defeated at Target, I irritably loaded the trio back in the van and drove to my trusted Walmart. Each child had their own seat, with plenty of room to grow.

Target-----0

Walmart--1

Some People...

After dropping Jackson off at preschool, the babies and I ran a few errands.  We can't go anywhere without getting stopped by strangers.  I typically don't mind, but some people have trouble hiding their ignorance. After checking out at WalMart today, I was stopped by an employee who said, "Tell me what kind of pills you took to get three so I'll know not to take them."  I was quite annoyed and just kept walking.  I vented to my fellow 2013 triplet moms and we all commiserated with one another, sharing the ridiculous comments we've received.

Every time I think I've heard it all and nothing could surprise me, some dumbass takes it to another level.  The following story is not my personal experience, rather a story told from a fellow triplet mom.  I had to share because it takes the cake!

"We had a WalMart cashier not want to ring up my formula. I was buying about 10 cans and she wanted to know why I was getting so much. When I told her I had triplet newborns at home she insisted I buy an Emu and milk it. Then after an awkward pause she decides I should get two Emus and milk them. I stood there for an eternity waiting for her to just ring me up so I could go!!! It was weird!"

I seriously laughed until I cried after reading this.  Since Jackson was at preschool and the babies were napping, I quickly made a meme to share with my triplet mom friends so we could prolong the laughter.



Bahahaha!

Why It's Not Easier

I don't know how many people told me, "Just get through the newborn phase; then it gets easier."  I loved the newborn phase.  I exceeded my own expectations and life was more than manageable.  We had great routines, lots of help, and an overall peace of mind.

Four months old?  Not so much.  It feels like everything has gotten so much harder over the past few months.  Here's why:
These things are very specific to our family and not general to having three 4.5 month olds. 

Schedules-All three babies were so synchronized.  You could have set a clock to their schedule.  Now the alert time has significantly increased, but their schedules don't always correlate.  James needs a longer morning nap, whereas Amelia takes a longer afternoon nap.  Maddie cat naps all day with alert times in between more frequent feedings.  The last two weeks have been a real struggle finding a schedule that works for all three and keeps me sane.

Feeding-I miss the days where 6-9 oz of breastmilk was enough for an entire feeding for all three.  I had an oversupply, but now that the babies are eating 32 oz each, I am having a harder time meeting their needs.  It's also more difficult to find time to pump.

Sleeping-Even though I woke up more frequently at night to feed, I slept significantly more during the first few weeks.  Our whole family took naps every single day together.  Now, it's a rare treat when all three babies take a long nap at the same time.  And Jackson almost never naps anymore.  I'm lucky if he has "quiet time" upstairs for an hour. 

Cooking-We had hot, home cooked meals delivered at least three days a week for the first six weeks. There were always enough for leftovers, so I literally cooked dinner twice in six weeks.  Adding menu planning and cooking dinner is just one more thing I have to find time to do.

School-I love being able to take Jackson to preschool, but it's not the grand solution I thought it would be.  Getting everyone dressed, fed, and out the door on time continues to be stressful.  I feel like I'm sprinting against the clock.  I then try to cram all errands (aka waiting in line at doctor's offices or DSS) into a short window of time.  Most Tuesdays and Thursdays I don't even eat lunch until after 1:30.

Diapers-I hesitate to include this because I love cloth diapering.  However, it's undeniable that my laundry loads have increased significantly after using all the disposable diapers we received.

Cleaning-The babies slept so much in the early weeks that I always had time to sweep, mop, and do dishes and laundry each day.  That's no longer the case. 

Healthcare-When the babies were newborns, we took them to the pediatrician for well checks and weight checks and had prescriptions called in.  No big deal.  Now that the whole Medicaid issues have snowballed, we don't even have a pediatrician.  Maddie has been out of Prevacid for two weeks now and we just found out today (from the pharmacist, not the pediatrician) that they won't refill it "because we haven't been in since August".  Everything to do with medical treatment has been a huge stress these past few months.

I still wouldn't say raising triplets and a toddler is hard or unmanageable, but there seems to be a lot more challenges than there used to be.  In isolation, nothing is particularly difficult.  It's the combination of making sure dinner is ready, bottles are always full of freshly pumped milk, Jackson is dropped off and picked up on time, the house is clean, the babies are entertained, etc that make it exhausting.

"What did you just say?"

Per request from my sister, here's a list of some of the crazy comments people have felt so inclined to make:

During pregnancy

Shopper at Ross while staring at my insanely large belly:
"You must be having twins!"
     "Actually, triplets"
"Did you plan that?"

Conversation with a mother in my April 2011 Birth Club:
"When are you due?"
     "August 5, but I have a scheduled C-section for 37 weeks."
"I've never understood elective C-sections.  You ought to let the babies decide."
(While I 100% agree with her statement, she clearly didn't realize how incredible 37 weeks with triplets truly is!  Very, very little about my pregnancy was "elective".)

Stranger in the mall when I was 7 months pregnant:
"Oh girl.  You look like you are ready to pop."
    "Actually, I hope to make it another two months."
"How many are in there?"
     "Three"
"I had a ten pound baby so I know how you feel!"

Unsolicited advice from another triplet mom:
"There's no difference between 34 and 36 weeks.  You're going to need that time to recover while they are in the NICU."

Fifth grader in my class when finding out I was pregnant with triplets:
"So they got three different daddies?"


Since having the triplets

Lady at mall:  (I was wearing Maddie and had James and Amelia in double stroller.)
"Twins?"
    "Triplets." pointing to Ergo
"Oh my God.  I would kill myself."

Comment from a friend of the family:
"Triplets?  I don't know if I should give you my congratulations or condolences!"

Man at grocery store who randomly walked up to me:
"I'll pray for you." 

College student:
"What do you do when they are all hungry?"
     "Feed them."

Conversation with a new church member:
"What do the babies eat?"
   "Breastmilk"
"All of them?"
   "Yes"
"They must be starving."
     "Excuse me?"
"You can't make enough!"

Stranger while shopping:
"Aww!  What do you have?  Girls?  Boys?"
     "Two girls and a boy"
"Are they all identical?"  
    
Older woman at church in mid-August:
"Who's home with the babies?"
     "They are in the nursery."
"You took them out already?"
     "Yes. They're a month old."
"Those babies are going to catch a cold.  Take them home."

Comment from old lady at a restaurant:
"Triplets? You and your husband must go at it like rabbits!"

Most frequent question from dozens of strangers"
"Are they natural?"  (FYI, the correct term is "spontaneous".  No triplet mom has plastic children.)