Triple The Fun!

25 women, all triplet moms, together for the first time. It’s bound to be triple the fun, right?!? I spent last weekend with these amazing ladies, finally meeting in person in Chicago.
Before I get to our crazy weekend, I should fill you in on how I met so many triplet moms. I was introduced to a private Facebook group when I was first pregnant with the trips. We were all moms, pregnant with triplets due in the year 2013. When I first joined, it was fewer than 100 moms, but the group has since grown to more than 500 today. We come from all over the world, all different walks of life, but with one thing in common–we all gave birth to triplets last year. Forget the online articles or books for multiples, these women were going through the same experience I was. With so few resources out there for “high order multiples”,  we became each other’s encyclopedia for pregnancy. Whether it was discussing food cravings or swollen feet, at lease one person in the group was going through the same thing or could answer any and every question.
Over the months, I got to know many of these women fairly well. When I shared my journey of infertility on television, they were online sharing their similar stories with me. When I landed on bed rest, they kept me entertained for hours. And when I delivered my triplets at 22 weeks and 6 days, they were there sharing the heartbreak and crying along with me. These women were in the midst of pregnancy and newborn chaos, yet they always took the time to check on me and my well being. I remember right after Parker died, thinking that it was time to leave this group. I only had one survivor and didn’t feel like I belonged anymore. But the day I was thinking about saying farewell, someone I didn’t know posted online, “Has anyone heard from Stacey? How is her survivor doing?” It was then that I realized I couldn’t just up and leave. It’s strange–I had never met these women in person, yet they had been there for me during some of my toughest days of my life. They were invested in my family as much as my real life friends and family. In a sense, they had become a “triplet family”, filled with so much love and support.
It’s been almost a year since that day, and I’m so glad I stuck around. Sure, I can’t relate to difficulties of feeding three at once or bath time with the trio. But, not one of them seems to question why I’m there. Many of them follow this blog and look forward Peyton pictures. I get great advice and help on Peyton’s development and can dish out my tips for feeding, sleeping, etc. These women have become family and much like they enjoy Peyton, I love seeing their children grow. And while I thought it would be difficult, for some reason, seeing pictures of their triplets doesn’t bother me one bit. There are a few us in the group who only have one or two survivors, but we are constantly reminded that we are triplet moms. Our online group even began a “Secret Sister” exchange, pairing up with an anonymous triplet mom to send gifts and well wishes throughout the year. A special thanks to my not-so-secret sister, Jessica, who has brought me to tears on numerous occasions with the thoughtful gifts and surprises!
Ok, back to this past weekend. 6 months ago, we decided that we should plan a triplet mom getaway. About 25 of us decided to meet in Chicago for the first of what would become an annual get-together. We planned and planned…even my co-anchor Dawn was probably tired of my yapping about it. In a nutshell, the trip was AMAZING! I didn’t want to say goodbye to these ladies. We all felt like we were old friends well before the trip, so once we finally met in person, it was like we picked up where we left off. We packed in a whole lot of Chicago, all in three days! From a boat tour to the Navy Pier, to shopping on Michigan Ave and eating authentic Chi-town pizza. We reminisced over our pregnancy and chatted about life at home. We laughed more than I have in ages and stayed out until 3am (Yikes! I’m not in my 20’s anymore!). I’m so grateful to have these women in my life. Not just the ladies I met in person, but all of the online triplet community. They not only support me, but they tell me I’m an inspiration to them. They realize how fragile life truly is and how risky our pregnancies were. My family reminds them of how lucky they are to have three beautiful children and how those difficult can be manageable. I can’t wait to see these triplet moms next year and to meet many more down the road. Thank you ladies for always including me. In a way, it helps keep Abby and Parker’s memory alive.

Take a look below for fun pictures from the trip. And the highlight of the trip (sorry ladies!)–meeting Chicago Bears legend Mike Ditka!!! We were having dinner at his restaurant when he was there eating. My father grew up in Chicago and is a die-hard fan. I was raised watching Walter Payton and the legendary 1985 Superbowl team. So I was shaking when I went up to the coach, but he was so kind and took a picture with me and the gang. What a nice man! Plus–he looks great for being in his mid-70’s! Think he can help me score a sideline reporter job???

And I’ll leave you with a few Peyton pictures. She had a blast without me this past weekend. She went to a farm for the first time, went grocery shopping and had plenty of daddy-daughter time. She is 13 months today and is really picking up on her growth. She’s beginning to army crawl and has one tooth starting to poke through. As for eating–she is a garbage disposal! She likes EVERYTHING. I’m fully expecting her to have gained plenty of weight when we go to her Nicu appointment next month. She has a huge appetite and we love it. Grow Peyton Grow!

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