Week 25
We had the In Home Care Co-ordinator come out for our first interview to get things sorted for receiving in home care once the triplets are here. She really is a lovely lady, and has actually worked herself in the home of triplets for a few years, so I’m she has some nice little helpful tips, which I’m always grateful to receive.
It was exciting to find out that we do not need to wait until the triplets arrive before we start the in home care. We had been told that we couldn’t until the babies are registered with Centrelink. However because I now have limited capabilities, we are able to start it anytime now. All we have to do is wait for Mrs. S to renew her qualifications.
Oh, and get the paperwork, insurance and fulfil all the workplace, health and safety requirements. Yep, that’s right, our home has now become a workplace. It’s the only part of this whole procedure which is annoying. We knew that we had to do it in order to receive this help and be refunded by the government, but as nice as the co-ordinator is, it’s just unpleasant having someone go through your house and place stipulations on your life. I didn’t realise how often there was going to be check-ups either – every 6 weeks! And that is supposed to include unannounced visits. Yikes! I would imagine that while I have newborn babies, or non-crawling babies, I will be forgetting regularly to lock up various cabinets. Suppose I’ll have to be vigilant, although Mrs. S said that in her experience, the check ups aren’t that regular, so that will be a relief if it’s true!
We aren’t big on kiddy locks, preferring to teach the children to stay away from certain areas. We certainly lock down the cupboards with dangerous objects in it, and place toxic products, such as dishwasher detergent up high. We had recognised that with three children out and about, it won’t be so easy to locate where each child is, and therefore it will be easier for them to get up to mischief before they are found, so we were going to increase the amount of childlocks in our home anyway, (once they started crawling). We knew that by doing the in home care we were going to have to have to conform to outside standards also.
As expected there are so many rules and regulations that are just so ridiculous. I think one of the most annoying ones is having to lock my pantry. This is because I have knives in there. (They are on the top shelf which is higher than my head.) We also have old plastic bags in there, that’s a choking hazard, (even though once again, they are hung high and inaccessible to children). How annoying is it going to be unlocking the pantry door everytime I need to use it – especially when our bin is in there? It doesn’t even seem to matter that our 21 month old child can’t even open the pantry door. It must have a lock (thankfully childlocks suffice). Our bottom drawer in the kitchen needs a lock because we store gladwrap in it, and the serrated edge is sharp. If we open a pack of toilet paper, it will need to get locked in a cupboard because the plastic becomes a choking hazard. We can’t leave plastic bags with items in it in a cupboard. Any product that says “Keep out of reach of children” needs to be locked away. Even shampoo and conditioner – which we store on the shower rack, which once again, is so high that our 5 year old can’t reach it. Apparently my expensive spiky cycad that I inherited from my grandfather, which the kids would never touch, on account of it being spiky, is poisonous, so a ‘management plan’ needs to be written for it. Our dog keeps digging holes around one particular spot near the back door and people kept falling into the holes and almost breaking their necks. So we solved the problem by putting wire mesh over the holes. Nope, the mesh is dangerous. Has to go. At least we’ll have domestic insurance if Mrs. S breaks her neck. Too bad for anyone else.
Funnily enough, the cupboards that we were going to lock up upon arrival of the triplets which house crystal and fine china are fine. Seems that Royal Albert is not a workplace issue, I would be the only one weeping if it were lying on the ground in a million pieces. Also our wine rack wasn’t an issue. We have always moved the wines out of reach when we’ve had babies around as they pull the heavy bottles out and hurt themselves. We had also considered getting a child gate and restricting the triplets access to the kitchen anyway, as it can be a challenge trying to do things in there with children underfoot anyway.
But anyway, that’s enough complaining from me. I really am very grateful for the service, and I know once we lock down the place like Fort Knox, we’ll get used to it. It’s a small price to pay for the service we are receiving. It’s just rules and regulations can drive me bonkers sometimes!
On Saturday The Accountant had an all day soccer carnival. The plan was first thing in the morning to take the boys to watch their Daddy play. (I think both Daddy and the boys enjoyed this equally.) And then I was going to drop them off at Nanny’s (A’s Mum’s) and A would pick them up on the way home.
We ended up getting out of the house a lot later than expected. J Boy is just an explosion waiting to blow at the moment. After several little eruptions, I recognised that he just needed some quality time, so we tried to maintain the peace as much as possible, and he and I spent some time building lego. Unfortunately we discovered the last piece to put in place was missing – which happened to be a very cool piece, and therewith all my efforts melted in another eruption. I bundled the boys in the car and off we went to the soccer. The boys loved being outdoors, my Dad and brother came to watch also, so it was good to have some extra set of hands on deck.
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| J Cam – Our Soccer Dad. |
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| J Cam – Daddy chasing Toddler T (Mummy was glad the match hadn’t started.) |
We were watching from the playground area. There was another woman who was also pregnant on playground duty. She looked around the same size as I am, however I soon discovered that she was due to have the baby the following week! By the time I arrived home I was exhausted and spent the rest of the day sleeping.
Sitting in church for 2 hours is proving to be more challenging. It’s just uncomfortable sitting up straight for that long, especially with the identicals placed so low. The Accountant keeps joking that we’ll get a camping recliner chair that is advertised on TV at the moment and just set it up for the service. I have had to decline the offer to recline during church!
Our new housecleaner started on Tuesday which is absolutely awesome. It’s such a relief to receive help with the housework. It had been frustrating me so much not being able to keep up with everything, and I’m still on my long term mission to tidy up all the cupboard areas. Also the bedroom re-locations are not even properly completed. This will free me up to finish off these jobs, and to get more rest.
The last event of the week was a doctor’s visit. All the triplets are doing well. Heartbeats are strong, they are looking a healthy size – although they weren’t measured this week. I am the size of a 38 week full term singleton pregnancy. This means that I have grown less in the last two weeks that what I had been tracking previously. I don’t mind that at all! So long the babies are healthy, it doesn’t concern me if my own size slows down a little!
Dr. G gave the third degree about what I am doing at the house and how much time I look after the children. He then said that I need to be doing less, and that now is the time that I need to start accepting more help. Even though things are going so smoothly at this stage, the ever present risk of pre-term labour is increasing. I really want these babies to remain in the womb according to God’s perfect timing. Also, I don’t want to have enforced rest in hospital until I have to. Therefore, I’ll abide by the good doctor’s instructions to “behave like a lady of leisure”.
I have to admit though, it’s been more difficult than I expected letting people do so much for you. I am so grateful for the help though. Especially my mother, who comes around to our place most days of the week and is constantly taking the boys so I can have a rest. She has been so busy, but is equally determined to meet her newest three grandchildren when they are at their healthiest!
6 Comments
Sounds like they are as tough on you as they are on family day care mums lol
I am loving reading your blog and keeping up to date on your littlest munchkins!!
I am so excited for you and couldn’t think of a family that could handle this wonderful influx of children better how truly blessed you are to have the family you have to support you!
Sooooo many regulations!! I know that they are there for boundaries and to keep young ones safe etc but just to get your head around each item to be done!! Paranoia is ripe here for ‘workplace accidents’! But I shouldn’t be spouting off to you, you know it! How about getting out that nice Royal Albert teacup and saucer set and then having a cuppa and then you might be able to accept being ‘a lady of leisure’ a little easier! Just remember to wear some lace gloves and pearls to compliment the occasion! x
If its any help, I have a bunch of “child locks” stashed in my cupboard from when my kids were smaller that you’d be welcome to take. I can pass them on to you via Mummy B or Mummy A if you’d like them. Just send me an email.
Those rules are insane! Child locks are the biggest pain, and I was never more relieved when I was finally able to leave the padlocked chain off the pantry without returning to a huge mess.
Well just doing what I’m supposed to apparently! Jonty told me the other day “Mummy’s look after their kids and do things for them” when I told him that’s what I did for his Mummy he wasn’t convinced I qualified as a mother after all I’m just Grandma!
Wow! I can’t believe all the regulations, I know they are trying to make everything safe for the babies but some of those rules seem a little excessive. I know exactly what you mean when you say it is hard to accept help and not be able to do things on your own. Towards the end of my pregnancy I needed a ton of help (and I was only pregnant with two!) and had such a hard time just doing the little things around the house but I so badly wanted to be able to keep my house clean, run errands and have the energy to have dinner ready. The help is an immense blessing you need it, but I understand how it can be hard to accept at the same time.