We’re Black, But Our Kids are Definitely Irish!

We’re Black, But Our Kids are Definitely Irish!

If I only had a dollar, no, THREE DOLLARS, for each time someone asked me if they’re triplets, well, maybe I could send all three to college paid for!  “All three what,” you wonder?  We’re talking toddlers.  Yes. It’s quite the sight to behold, me and my three under 3 feet tall!  We’re a little in over our heads, but when March 17th comes around, kiss me, I have Irish Triplets!  In case you’ve never heard it before, let me elaborate.  “Irish twins” is a term describing the phenomenon of two children born to the same mother in the same calendar year or within 12 months of each other. Likewise, Irish triplets are when three children are born to the same mother within three years.  Soooo, yeah…  Pretty much describes the Paul brood.

Our pregnancy announcement for the twins! At the time, I was working in Higher Education, so the teacher and student theme was apropos.

One Plus One Equals Four?

Let me start from the beginning.  My husband Matt and I built our dream home in 2014, moved in, just us two DINKs, happy as larks.  (Read:  DINKs – Double Income, No Kids.)  I have fond memories of our DINKish lifestyle, but the days of coming home, alone, to that quiet, cavernous home got old fast.  So like any other 30something, gainfully employed, married couple, we started “trying.”

Now as a woman who goes out and gets what she wants in life, baby (or little did I know, bab(ies), weren’t coming fast enough, so I carried my hiney to my trusty OBGYN to figure out wherein lay the problem.  We realized I wasn’t ovulating regularly, so he prescribed me Chlomid, which is a pill taken to induce ovulation.

I remember distinctly, and almost jokingly, inquiring about the chances of the medication causing a multiples birth, and he casually informed me that there was an 8-10% chance.  (*insert side-eye here)  He was so casual with the prescription, in fact, that he wrote my instructions for taking the pills down on a beverage napkin, called in my ‘script, and I was on my way.  I’ll save you the gory details of getting to the twins part, but I will say this:  hubby triumphantly takes credit for the two-fer.  I, however, blame the napkin and the Chlomid!  (Believe it or not, I’ve kept the napkin after all these years!  Hashtag, nostalgia; hashtag,  psycho.)

#ThePaulsareTwinning

Of course, we were the typical first time parents, but on steroids.  We purchased all the fancy-schmancy gadgets, read all the reviews, got the t-shirts.  Our straight-outta-Joss & Main home was quickly transformed into Babies-R-Us.  There were baby accouterments everywhere, AND IN TWOS for crying out loud (no pun intended!)  But we hunkered down, called in backup, and made it through those first few milestones unscathed.

You Kissed Me, Now We’re Irish!

How did the Irish Triplets part come into play?  Well, for starters, we’re married.  And secondly, we did what sleepless, married people with a set of multiple infants do… (now HOW did this even happen again…)  WE GOT PREGNANT!  I broke it to hubby.  He cried (real tears).  We figured it out (real quick). The rest is history.

Our maternity shoot with the twins while we were expecting baby #3, Baby Joie!

#ThePaulsareTripling

So let’s recap:  January 2015, twins.  Twins’ first birthday party, pregnant with baby #2.  Labor Day Weekend 2016, WE’RE IN LABOR!  (I LOVE THE POETIC JUSTICE!)  I jokingly scoff quite often that I was either pregnant or nursing for three straight years of my life, and it’s true.  During the time between mid-2014 to late 2017, our lives were a blur of sleepless nights, cries for milk, and crying over spilled (breast) milk. A lot of people are unaware, but sleeping while pregnant is supremely uncomfortable, so I don’t think that I got good sleep anytime between those three years.  Heck, the kids are 4 years old and 2 years old now, and as a mom to toddlers, I STILL have nights of interrupted sleep.  Oh rest, how I miss thee!

My three! All the same size, nearly the same age, celebrating and enjoying life as “Irish Triplets.” Jules is too cute in his “Feeling Lucky” Minions tee!

My Three Pauls in a Pod

All things considered, I am thankful for my three babies and our lifestyle with Irish Triplets.  Back to back as it may be, I’ve always been an above and beyond, over the top, flair for the dramatics soul. Inasmuch, it was only fitting that I burst onto the motherhood scene with a bang!  As you can clearly see, I’m a tad bit fond of euphemism, and imagery, and romanticism.   I’m supposing God saw these traits in me and said, “yeah, let me give these three babies, back to back, to Kerri Paul, she’ll see the beauty in it.”  Thanks Big Guy!

And I do see the beauty in being an Irish Triplets mom.  Likewise, I’m “eternally optimistic!”  I always try to look at the bright side and silver lining.  I’m that “what did we LEARN from this” kinda gal.  My old DINK way of living by a rigid plan?  You can FORGET THAT with multiple babies in tow.  There’s simply a wider margin for error in a multiples family, and we embrace it.  Above all, as a multiples mom plus one, you kinda have to be easy on yourself and, goodness, you have to throw out those old feelings of perfectionism.  Pragmatism is key!

I’m such a “lucky” mama to have made such a handsome little boy!

So yes, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because we have Irish Triplets.  We love our life and we wouldn’t trade it for the world.  Do things change as the babies get older?  Heck yeah!  Does it get simpler?  I’d say that to an extent it has for us.  We are now able to take all three children to festivities like the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and arrive, on time, in one piece (or rather three pieces!)

I’m happy that God chose us for the triple whammy, and I’ve come to appreciate our lifestyle with Irish Triplets for the quirks and perks of multiples parenthood. There’s definitely a knack to this, and we’re kinda getting it down.  But truly, as for me and my three, I can’t envision life any other way.