People usually have something to say when they hear I have triplets. From the ever-popular, “You have your hands FULL!” to the hold-me-back, “I think I’d kill myself,” to the head-scratching, “Oh, I always wanted triplets!” I confidently believe I’ll someday declare, “I’ve heard it all.”
One thing said sometimes tongue-in-cheek and sometimes in plain honesty gets it right, “You’ve hit the jackpot.”
Obvious, small-print disclosures aside, I am so lucky. These three are beautiful people. They’re fun. They love each other. They are masters of Monkey See, Monkey Do, and they have such fun doing the most simple things together – dancing, performing the motions to kid songs, scooting across the floor on their bellies. While having a singleton instead of triplets would be much easier in many ways … Man, oh, man. I’d miss out on so much.
I love having triplets.
Love those pictures! They are delightful.
I HATE those type of comments. It always makes me wonder if those type of people have children. If they did then they’d know how awesome babies are. And how awesome having more than one of them around at once can be. To them I always think to myself, “if only you knew what you were missing. so sorry”.
You DID hit the jackpot!
xoxo
Fellow Lottery Winner
It’s amazing how alike all three look… but how different too! Definitely siblings, but so much personality in each little face. I have really loved watching them grow!
oh my, what a gorgeous set of kiddos! those photos are killer =)
Love this! And can I just say – Callista looks SO much like you!! They’re so beautiful, and I know you’re enjoying every (or almost every) minute of it!
Cute pics. Tobias looks like such a little boy in that photo!
indeed! it’s the best thing in the world. makes you feel sorry for people with just, say, twins, doesn’t it? 😉
beautiful. the words and those sweet babes of yours.
stunning pictures! They’re gorgeous (as always)!
Being a mom of 2 singletons, comments like these make me a little sad. My sister-in-law had her twins last week at 29w3d and a friend of hers commented that she had won the life lottery. The tone of her comment made me feel like I somehow should think that I got the short end of the stick only having one baby at a time. I feel like every mom who has prayed for and been blessed with children has won the lottery, singleton or otherwise.
I’m sorry my words make you feel that way. Let’s see if I can better express myself.
First, the “jackpot” comments aren’t all positive. Some tack it on to a string of insensitive remarks about fertility treatments, trying to flavor the foot in their mouth with what they think is funny positivity.
It isn’t.
Those who are saying it in a positive light say it because they mean I have an abundance of children all at once – which I do. One pregnancy, three babies. Jackpot.
When I say I hit the jackpot, I mean that my experience with my children – all three at once – is so full of blessings that I would miss out on if my personal situation were any different.
You could say that with your singletons, trying to think of them in any different way than you’ve known.
Positive comments other moms make of their own experience shouldn’t make us feel anything negative about our own. I’ve had fleeting moments of guilt and jealousy when friends of newborn singletons gush about how lovely it is to just hold their newborn baby and have no other cares in the world … like their triplet sister or brother who also needs/wants to be held and cuddled, but Sister is screaming louder, so she wins right now.
See? A comment like that isn’t meant to hurt me, but my own head twists it.
Bottom line: We all need to find the jackpot feeling in what we have and be happy that others feel it as well, regardless of what specifics change the look of Jackpot in another’s eye.
Thanks for clarifying, Jenny. But I do sort of agree with Christina. I am 90% sure I had a twin pregnancy and lost one very early on (so early, it wasn’t even detected on u/s yet). Maybe that makes me sound crazy, that I think I should’ve had twins, but am left with “just” a singleton, but I agree with Christina when I hear about multiples = jackpot, it makes me even sadder that I won’t get that.
I usually don’t comment because I normally let other people comments roll off of my back. As a mom of twins (and a singleton), I feel I’ve hit the jackpot in many ways. Like Jenny has said, positive comments about our experiences shouldn’t mean negative comments to someone else. The issue is that all Jenny knows about having children comes from her experiences, and those experiences include having triplets. I didn’t read her post as “only parents of multiples can say they’ve hit the jackpot”. I read it as “I love my life, my children are awesome, and I’m a lucky mom”. I, for one, enjoy reading about the triplets and that she did indeed hit the jackpot. The odds were against her and, not only was she able to have children, she has 3 absolutely beautiful babies at once! That is indeed lucky!
Thank you for that!
I might have to stop reading your blog. I go along in my life, very content with my no child status. The WHAM! You post your beautiful babies (TODDLERS!) and my uterus squeals and even my husband comments how stinking cute your kids are and I think- look how cuuuuuute they are. I want cute kids that toddle back to their bedroom and grab the IPOD because that is so FREAKIN ADORABLE.
You and your uber adorable kids are bad for me Jenny- so bad for me- But who am I kidding- I COULDN’T GIVE YOU UP! KEEP POSTING PICTURES!!
You kill me! xoxo
Those pics are awesome, beautiful, beautiful kids.
Those babies are beautiful! You got the jackpot. I’m a mom of one toddler, and I hit the jackpot, too. The thing is, maturity and contentment says “I love this life I’ve been given. It ain’t always easy, but it’s pretty great.” jealousy robs us of contentment. Haters gonna hate, right? 😉
…”I love this life I’ve been given. It ain’t always easy, but it’s pretty great.” jealousy robs us on contentment.
Yes!!! This is so fitting in my life right now. Not in regards to babies but in regards to houses! lol!
Life is what you make of it. Will you choose to focus on the good things or on the bad? Will you choose to constantly compare yourself to others around you or to focus on how full & great your own life is? Just remember, anyone can appear to be “perfect” but we all have our struggles.
People say stupid things all.the.time – not just to triplet moms I know for sure! One guy – after I confirmed that our newborn was, indeed, a girl – said, “I’ll never understand why people don’t just get a puppy…” W.T.F.!!
You make it look pretty easy. (I know, I know, I’m sure it isn’t). Maybe that’s another reason why you hear this one? Either way, your babies are ALL beautiful!
I get the, “You make it look easy,” comment a lot. I guess I should complain more instead of say how much I love life! That, or I should take up acting because it’s FAR from easy!
But, srsly. People and their comments – oof!
My husband and I adopted our first two children when they were ten and thirteen years old, and with them, I feel like I hit the jackpot. To most people, the idea of adopting older children is frightening and foreign… perhaps how many feel about having triplets. I think any parenting we do (as a community of parents) that is outside societal norms is harshly judged by some.
Our older child adoption has been wildly rewarding and successful. Our third child, a biological child, has presented far more challenges than our first two. Forrest Gump was right: you never know what you’re gonna get.
As a mom, I’m glad I get that jackpot feeling about my first two and I’ll get there one day soon about our #3. I know I will.
Blessings and best wishes to you and your family!
Sarah