Latest / Twin Mom Life / Triplet Mom Life: Infertility, Homeschooling and Being a Cycle Breaking Family

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Triplet Mom Life: Infertility, Homeschooling and Being a Cycle Breaking Family · Twin Mom Life

• Christine: And she's like, There's three and we're like, What? She's like, There's there's three and I was like I looked at my husband's Sam and I was like, I don't know how to feel right now. Like and she was just like so nonchalant, she's like, Yeah, look, here's one, two, three, like, you know, like putting them all out in Sam and I were just like, Uh-huh, uhhuh. Jessielee Sittig: Hello and Welcome to the Twin Mom Life podcast. I'm your host, Jess. I created this podcast to help build community, connection, and most importantly, friendships among moms of multiples. Being a twin mom can be amazing and magical. That twin bond is unlike anything I've ever witnessed, but it can also be isolating and overwhelming. I'll be chatting with other twin moms, diving deep into the twin experience. giving advice on what works for us so you don't have to learn the hard way. Juggling two babies at the same time is challenging, but I'm confident we can learn from each other and figure out how to raise these babies together. Jess Sittig: welcome to the podcast. So today we have Christine. How are you doing? I'm Christine: Good, how are you? Jess Sittig: good. I'm so excited for you to be here. You are the first triplet mom that I've had on. Christine: I'm very excited. So excited. Jess Sittig: Yes, I'm very excited too. I have so many questions for you, that is for sure. But before we really hop into it, can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your family? Christine: So my name is Christine. I am from upstate New York, right outside of Saratoga Springs. If you know that area, it's famous for like horse racing. We just live right outside there. And my husband and I have eight-year-old triplets and a dog and six ducks. And we are doing our second year of homeschooling. Jess Sittig: Wow. Okay. Yes, I I do remember you talking about homeschooling and I bet those logistics are intense. I mean, maybe a little Christine: Yeah. Yes. Jess Sittig: easier now with them being eight, but still that's a lot. Christine: Yeah. Yeah. We we first did it last year, the first few months I was like, What am I doing? Jess Sittig: Ha ha ha. Christine: I would call my husband very often and just be like, Are we sure we're making the right choice? Is this really what we want? You know, but once we got into a rhythm and found our community, it has been so great. And like this Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: summer we've been just kind of taking the summer off and now we're starting to get things back into the swing. I just signed them up for all of like their swim and gym classes and stuff, so they're excited. I'm excited. We're gonna tour a farm school in a couple of weeks. So just Jess Sittig: Wow. Christine: Yeah, why not? Jess Sittig: Sounds all of that sounds so awesome and I can't wait to get into that more also. Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I am wondering if you have time to fill your cup and if you have done so today or if you have plans to do so. Christine: So yes, I did fill my cup. I since they were five, I'm gonna start right there because from zero to five this was not possible. But since they've been five years old, I have really tried to go to the gym four to five days a week. Either for a while I was doing five a.m. to six a.m. But now that we're homeschooling, I have the capability to do six to seven and that is much better. so yes, for the last three years I do try to go. at least three to three to five days a week. I shoot for five, if I make it three, hooray. so yes, this morning I did go, it was leg day, and after walking around the fair yesterday I am feeling it, so I'm like, okay Jess Sittig: Bet that's so awesome that I feel like it's so nice to make time for yourself. And sometimes you just have to get it done in the morning. And Christine: Right. Jess Sittig: I am sure it is so hard to get up, but no one regrets, Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like, I wish I wouldn't have gone to the gym today. Christine: Right. Exactly, exactly. And honestly it makes me feel better throughout the day and then at night it I just feel better to like wind down. I don't need like, you know, I can just like fall asleep and not like stare up the ceiling for hours and you know. So it definitely has just it well it just rounds my day very well. Jess Sittig: Yeah, I bet. Absolutely. That's so great. I'm trying to think for me. I haven't filled my cup yet this morning. And I will say, man, so my twins are three and they are really going through it. Like we spent the majority Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: of the morning with them crying. Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: Like, whoo, like trying to regulate my my nervous system. So it's really hot out here, but I have a goal to start going on walk. In the morning before I take my daughter to school. My daughter Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: just started first grade and we need to leave our house by 7 a.m. So Christine: Yep. Jess Sittig: my hope is I can get up at six, do a quick lap around the block, even if it's like a 15-minute walk before I wake her up. So I Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: haven't done this yet, but I am saying it to hold myself accountable. Yes, exactly. I'm gonna Christine: We are manifesting. Yes. Jess Sittig: do it tomorrow. Christine: yeah. Good, good. Good, good, Jess Sittig: And maybe I'll text you and be like, I did it, Christine. Christine: yes. Jess Sittig: So I think that will fill my cup. One of my best friends actually has started doing that like within the past two months. And she's like, it is amazing for my mental health to have a walk, Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: no kids, and just be able to like have time, quiet time and Christine: Yes. Jess Sittig: move your body. So all of those things I'm like. Christine: Mm. Sometimes on the weekends I will do that too. we live on like a mountain area, so like our roads are really hilly and interval y so I'll like take my dog. But it's also the time of year where like sometimes bears or other wildlife appear. So I'm like a little hesitant. Yeah, yeah. I do Jess Sittig: my gosh. Christine: like walk with like a air horn and stuff too, so you just never know. And I'm like, I mean my dog's great, but Jess Sittig: my gosh, I that is so intense. I live in central Texas, so there's no bear possibility at all. So that's shocking Christine: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: for me to hear. I mean, we could run into like some deer or an armadillo, but wow, that's wild. Have you ever had an encounter? Christine: Yeah, yeah. I know. no, but my husband we live next to my husband's grandparents and they are our pa he's always in the yard puttering and things and the other day he sent us a picture of fresh bear scat, so I'm sure they're around. I just have not seen them yet. Jess Sittig: my gosh. I feel like that's wild. Well, good for you for being prepared and having Christine: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: everything ready to go. Just just in case. my goodness. That adds Christine: Yeah, yeah. That's in case. Yeah. Jess Sittig: like a a layer of complication and trying to get some fit like filling your cup. Christine: Yeah, yeah. Bears. Jess Sittig: my goodness. Okay, so I have so many questions for you. One of one of the things I want to to start with, and I know that there are eight, but take me back to that moment that you found out you were pregnant with triplets. Because Christine: Yes. Jess Sittig: I will tell you, I had a feeling that I was pregnant with twins, but it never once crossed my mind that it could be triplets. Like that wasn't a thought ever. Christine: Yeah. Yeah. So fa or rewind. We were going through infertility. It had been just on the cusp of two years. we I had PCOS, so we had tried a few different things, like different like the clomid and the letrozol, all of that. We did pills with an IUI and that didn't work. So we took the summer off and then we decided we were gonna do the shots with the IUI. So like that was a whole experience in itself. I just remember like crying for like weeks because the hormones and everything. so we obviously got pregnant. The first couple of ultrasounds, because it they do them so early on, we knew it was twins right off the jump, and we were like so excited, everything was great, we're like, my god, and like we weren't gonna tell our family. We're gonna have it be a big surprise because everybody knew we were trying for so long. We're gonna tell them they were we were pregnant, but we were gonna wait to surprise them with twins. Well then Jess Sittig: Like at birth. Christine: No, like I think we were gonna wait till like we knew the genders or something, like we just didn't wanna like we wanted to keep something like surprise because everybody knew that we had been trying for so long. So it was Halloween. So we were going down for a scan and the woman doing the the our nurse was like, and we were like, And she's like, There's three and we're like, What? She's like, There's there's three and I was like I looked at my husband's Sam and I was like, Is this a trick or a treat? Like, I don't know how to feel right now. Like and she was just like so nonchalant, she's like, Yeah, look, here's one, two, three, like, you know, like putting them all out in Sam and I were just like, Uh-huh, uhhuh. Like Mary just like tried to like soak it in and the clinic that we used was like forty five minutes away from where we lived. So on the way home I just got very hysterical, like crying, just wondering what we were gonna do because I was like, there's only two of us and there's gonna be three. Like there's only Jess Sittig: Right. Christine: you know, like it was like this moment of like, my God, we called both of our moms. We were both crying because we were just like we were scared. We didn't know, like, you know, because then I had high risk pregnancy. So like that was something to think about and it was just so much at once. And, you know, I think I've heard on your podcast before, like it's like this this kind of like you're happy but there's also this grief because I Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: didn't get the experience of one and I wasn't gonna get the experience of two, I was gonna get the experience of three. And it's like how can I spread myself like that right from the jump? Like it was just I remember it took it took me a while to really get my head wrapped around it because I at our old house we had a big master suite and there was like a area that fit the three cribs. And I just remember staring at the cribs being like, How am I going to do this? Like, you know, it did it took a a little bit for us to come around from it. But once we did, like we knew we had good family support. We knew at the time, like I was starting a new job, I had to tell my boss my first day that I was pregnant with triplets. Like, you know, so it was a lot to start right off the bat. But once we and he was like so good about it, you know, I worked in investments and stuff, so it was just me and him and like he was older and, you know, a dad of four, so like he was very like and his wife was actually a an identical twin. So it was just Jess Sittig: Call. Christine: it was good the way it worked out. So once we got everything calmed down and like had a plan, it went much better. We were good. So Yes. Jess Sittig: I bet. And how did your family react to the news of triplet? Christine: Everybody was so excited. They like couldn't Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: wait. You know, it was just we had a triplet typhoon instead of a baby shower. So like all of our friends and family came. We my husband had a huggies and chuggies party. So we bought a keg and all of his friends brought diapers, which that I that is like a big recommendation for twin moms. Like do that because you can always swap out diapers. We got through the first Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: year off of that party alone. Like it was such a amazing yes. Very good. So Jess Sittig: Amazing. That's a lot of diapers. The whole first year for three babies. That's amazing. Yes. I Christine: We invited like everybody we knew. Yeah. Yes. Jess Sittig: and it's funny that you said that because I had a singleton first. And then the second time, I'm like, I'm not gonna do a baby shower or anything. And then when I found out it was twins, I'm like, we at least need to have like a diaper shower or you know, a diaper raffle or something. And yeah, agreed. Like Christine: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yes. Jess Sittig: If you're not gonna have a baby shower, which you should, and I did, but definitely Christine: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: do something to help get diapers because that Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: adds up quickly. Christine: Yes, yes. Yeah. And I loved that like like Target and Walmart you could always like swap out sizes and stuff 'cause I would like I had Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Christine: an inventory in my basement of like how many we had of each size and be like, Okay, I can swap some of these you know. So Jess Sittig: Well, and I would imagine that at well, even as a twin mom, but especially as a triple mom with three babies, you need to seriously be on top of that because you can't run out in the middle of the night and like you need to have a stock. Christine: Yes, yes. So much. Yes. Jess Sittig: Yeah, that's that's a lot. Okay. And I do just Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: want to know a little bit of the details. Like how many Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: weeks did you make it to? How big were they? And then what was the NICU time like with triplets? Christine: Yep. Sure. Okay, so I made it to thirty three weeks and six days. We were actually that morning we were or that afternoon we were supposed to go and Schedule our C section, but I had gone into labor in the wee hours of the morning, like my water had partially broke, which I didn't know was a thing. Like I feel like we're not prepared enough to like I had no idea that that was going on. And I had called the hospital and they're like and I at that point, the contractions were like fifteen minutes apart, and they said, Well, you know, don't be surprised if we send you home. And we're like, Well, it's a Monday morning and we're an hour away from we had to go to Albany, which I mean it's very Busy on a Monday morning, so we were We're gonna come down, and I ended up getting there, and I was nine and a half centimeters dilated and crowning. so Jess Sittig: my gosh. Christine: I'll never forget that resident's face when she came up, and she was like, so I can see ahead, you're nine and a half centimeters dilated. I'll be right back. and then like 30 seconds later, like 20 people come into the room, they're pegging me with an IV, they're having me sign forms, they're telling my husband to get dressed, but he may. not be able to come in if they can't you know do everything that they need to do in time like it was crazy everybody was so calm until like nobody was making a big deal until that little resume came up I was like my gosh I couldn't even tell you the woman that delivered my babies because of like how the the MFM worked like it was always a different doctor Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: so I thank her very much but I I'll never forget she looked over the the curtain for me and told me that I I had a beautiful uterus and that my body was made for this. I was like, thank you. Jess Sittig: Like, what an awesome compliment. Christine: Yeah. Yeah. so when they were born, my f first daughter was four pounds nine ounces, my son was four pounds eight ounces, and then my second daughter was two pounds twelve ounces. She was an I I I U G R I G U R the inner uterine growth restriction. Jess Sittig: Mm. Yes. Mm-hmm. Christine: She did have that. but that was her only issue. The both girls Did phenomenal NICU. They were just feeders and growers. And my son actually had premature lungs, and so for the first six days, I could not hold him. He was on a jet ventilator. The first night was really scary. We didn't know how it was gonna go. The doctors like came and woke me like two o'clock in the morning, being like we have to do all of these tests to make sure he's gonna be okay. We're not sure. Like, so it was very scary for that first couple of days, but he did things. Thank God rally and we spent a total of twenty eight days in the NICU. Jess Sittig: That's actually a lot less than I would have thought for triplet. Christine: Mm. Yeah. I mean I made it pretty far for triplets. They won't let you Jess Sittig: Yeah. Christine: go past thirty five weeks. So I was right there. So I was like, Okay, well, you know, it was it was best case scenario I guess, 'cause I've seen others that are not. So Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. my goodness. And how teeny tiny that one of them was two pounds. The other weights I feel like were were pretty good. Christine: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Like yeah, no, she literally just used to fit like right here on me. I like, my gosh, the smallest thing I've ever seen. Jess Sittig: So what was the setup? Were they all di-di? Like I don't know the terminology for triplets. Is it still, I guess, Christine: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: is it called tried? Christine: Yeah, I don't know. The yeah. They are all and different. Mhm. Yes, yes, yep. Jess Sittig: But they all had they all had their own sacks and their own placentas. Okay. Cause I feel like I've heard some triplets where it's like one like two of them are identical twins and then the other one Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: was like a fraternal or like one egg dropped and it's like an interesting combination. But okay. So all Christine: Yeah. Yep. Yep. No. Jess Sittig: I guess that's the best case scenario for triplets to each have their own sack and placenta. Christine: Yep. Yes. Yeah. And my daughters don't even look alike. One's a blonde and one's a brunette. Like they look so different. I'm like I can it's crazy. It's crazy. Jess Sittig: So do you get a lot of comments about having triplets, or do you feel like because they all look different, not as much, or how does Christine: not as much anymore. Now that like we're out of the strollers and stuff like that. Jess Sittig: Yes, yeah. Christine: you know, it comes up occasionally. I did struggle a lot when they were younger just with people commenting. you know, I'll never forget we were furniture shopping one time and this guy like saw me in the stroller and he's like, Well, God blessed you and I was like, Actually he did. Like I just gave it right. Like I was like, I would never say something like that to someone. I was just like, So I don't get that as much. Jess Sittig: I feel you on that. Christine: Yeah, I just I don't know, people don't have a good filter sometimes, I think like Jess Sittig: I am all about encouraging comments, like you go, mama, you got this. Like that makes every mom feel Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: good. But it's when it shifts to acting like our kids are burdens, where I'm like, you've crossed the line. And I Christine: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: bet you can talk on this more also since your kids are are eight now. But I feel like so my boys just turned three and they are Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: big talkers. They, I mean, where do they get it from? Christine: Right, yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: And they will talk to anyone at the store. So people engage and that's fine. But the questions have pivoted from people asking me questions to people asking them questions. And I don't, that's Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: where like my mama bear starts to come out because I'm like, they're Christine: Yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: three. So the other day I think that she meant this very lighthearted. It wasn't coming from like a burden standpoint. But she asked them, so like, which one's the funny one? Which one's the evil one? And I'm like, it's not it yeah, I know. I'm like, it's not funny and don't ask them that. So but yeah, those the Christine: yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. We d Jess Sittig: comments that are referring to our kids as burdens are just awful. Christine: Yeah, yeah. And like I said, now that they're out of the stroller age I don't get it. Sometimes like if we're in the grocery store, they still like to pile in the grocery cart and then I can never get groceries. but you know, like sometimes people will say something, but they and they're all different heights now too, so you can Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: you can't really tell either. So it's just it's been nicer to be kind of out of that stage a little bit, 'cause I did struggle with that a lot. Yeah. Jess Sittig: My bet. And how did you manage that in the early days? Did you have help from family or did you guys hire help? Like what did those early days logistics look like? Christine: we did have a lot of help from family. especially when we first came home, like, you know, our moms would like take shifts and spending the night too, like so like I would sleep like the first half of the night and then my husband would stay up with one of our moms and then we would switch around like two, three in the morning and then he would sleep 'cause we did try like the first night we came home, we're like, we're just gonna try it just to see. Like we knew that our moms would come and help, but we like wanted to just see what it was like. And we were like, no, no, we can't do this. by ourselves. so yeah, once that helped and then when I went back to work, my mom and his mom also did do a lot of our like child care stuff, which was very helpful throughout that time. And then when COVID happened, I actually was able to work from home for almost like a year. So that was nice too. Nice in certain ways, like 'cause they were also toddlers too. So toddlers during COVID also trying to work was a little bit crazy, but we got through it. Jess Sittig: And do you still work now and manage home schooling, or what does that look like for you now? Christine: right now I'm not working. I did take some time off. I want to go back, but I wanna find something that can be flexible. maybe something online or just I don't know. It's tricky trying to think of doing something outside of the home because of my husband's work schedule. So it's like I'd have to try to find something here. But I mean for right now we're just homeschooling raising ducks and honestly I have like a little dream. We have like a farm stand down the road that I would love to sell our duck eggs at and stuff like that. So maybe one day. But I mean for right now we're just kind of figuring it out. Jess Sittig: And just to be very clear, you are still working very hard in a different way. Christine: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I do so much more now. My days are so full. I'm like, my gosh, I was looking at our calendar for September 'cause our our school year does start in September. So I was like looking at it, I like, my God, what is this? Like we're like not gonna stop. Jess Sittig: And if there are any triplet moms listening or a twin mom, if you could look back on those early days, if there was a twin mom or triplet mom in those days right now, what would you tell them? Christine: Tell them, sleep comes back. It does, Jess Sittig: Yeah. Christine: I promise. It does come back. I would also say just kind of shifting gears, don't ever be afraid to ask hard and uncomfortable questions. Jess Sittig: Hm. Christine: I we went through a lot of health issues with one of my daughters and I just felt like I wasn't heard a lot of the time from like doctors or different teachers or things and I just wish that I would have used my voice more. Jess Sittig: Hm. Christine: because at the end of the day, we are the parent and it's our choice of what we want. to do and like just because something's common doesn't mean it's always normal and doctors sometimes I feel like doctors and teachers they just aren't here to hear you sometimes. It's just I've had that run in many a time at this point so it's like yeah you know but my main thing is sleep does eventually come back. Like a lot of out of everything it does. Jess Sittig: Well, and I love that you brought up taking shifts because my husband and I did that too. And my mu my mother-in-law lives out of state, but came and stayed with us for almost a month, like three weeks. And that was so helpful. And then Christine: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: my mom helped a lot too when my mother-in-law went back to her home. So taking Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: taking shifts when you can is so Christine: Yep. Jess Sittig: great. So then you can actually get a solid Time to sleep with hearing Christine: Like chunk. Yep. Jess Sittig: no babies and not being in charge of anything. That was like the key. Christine: Yep. I called it the the functional four was the n what I needed. I needed four hours of sleep to be functional. Like that's all I needed. Yep. Jess Sittig: Isn't it crazy like what your body can do, especially if it's uninterrupted? If you're getting Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: interrupted sleep, it makes a lot harder. But if you can Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: get a solid chunk of four hours, you are golden. Christine: Yes, yes, exactly. And I think I've heard you talk about it in the podcast before too, is like we used to have we did the baby brezza for a while 'cause we were formula feeding 'cause I just couldn't produce enough for three. so we had Jess Sittig: They bet. Christine: like a whole like bottle station in our room at night and we had like a fridge and everything to like have everything that we needed 'cause just some of those late night feeds, I was like, I don't know how we're gonna do this but Even feeding them all three at once it was always just like a it was you figured it out. But I remember one doctor telling me one time like he used to use like some type of hockey glove to like fit between the two. It was like, I don't know if I'm gonna go that far, but Jess Sittig: Well, on that note, like I feel like there have been so much twin gear that's come out recently. You know, I feel like I've talked to other twin moms where like, they we didn't have that. We had to improvise. So was there Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: triplet mom gear for like babies Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: and stuff? Hmm. Christine: No. so when they were like really little, still in the car seats, we had the one that fit the two and then we would take, you know, those big carabiner hooks, we would take two of those and put it on the handle so that the third one so you could push the whole thing. But then the Zoe Z Zoe Zoe, that stroller came Jess Sittig: Mm, yeah. Christine: out with the th the three seater and that I loved that one so much. I used it all Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Christine: the time. I wish they were still big enough for it because It was just like so convenient. that one and then the Wonderfold when the Wonderfold came out too, we Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: had that and that was helpful. But for when they were really young, there was like nothing. And especially when it came to like holding them too. Like I could never like I had to be sit always sitting with all three of them. I could never like get up and move. And somebody should really try to figure that out because that would be so nice to be able to I know they have the twin one, but you can't three is tricky. It's tricky. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And like logistically, how do you were you able to hold all three at one time? Christine: Yeah, I mean like I like I said, I couldn't get up and like you know, Jess Sittig: Sure. Christine: yeah, I mean if I had to I could scoop all three up and like carry them or whatever. But a lot of the time Jess Sittig: That's impressive. Christine: yeah, yeah. I always tell my tr my trainer at the gym, I always tell him, I'm like, I need to still be able to lift all three of my kids at any given moment. Like that's my always my strength goal. Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: but yeah, it was I mean a lot of the time, yeah, we would sit together and stuff. I have pictures of just like all of them on me and it was like always that's always one of my favorite things. Even now we do like a lot of read alouds and stuff. We're currently on Harry Potter three, which is very fun. But sitting all three of them with me, I always feel like there's just this like calming connection, you know, like just Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: through all of us. Like we're all so regulated at that moment. And it's like I I don't know, I love that part. It's my favorite. Jess Sittig: So we obviously hear a lot about the twin bond. And do you feel like that is the same with triplet? Christine: I Yes and no. Like now that they're getting older, I you know, and especially now that we're homeschooling, we're home all the time and like so like they do play more now together and like there are some times where all three of them will play so consistently so well all throughout the day. But then there's other times where like the girls will go off and try to not necessarily exclude my son, but just like they want their girl time. Or Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: but then it but then it flip flops and one of the girls will play with my son and then so then the other girl is by herself. you know, it just kinda depends on their moods and stuff. They do all have a good connection overall. Like it's very different from like I have a brother and I could never imagine growing up the way that they grow up, how we do, you know? Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Christine: It's so different. the love that they have for each other is just so pure and genuine. Like it's just I don't know. It's They don't know life without each other. You know, they've never I think they've maybe spent there was one night where my husband took my son to a hockey game in Canada and that was the only night they've ever been apart from each other. Like anything else, they've always been together. So I just it's just so genuine. Jess Sittig: So sweet. That's I feel like the same thing with my boys. They have been separated maybe twice when they had injuries Christine: Yeah, right. Jess Sittig: and needed to be taken to the ER or something, then I would take them alone. And that's Christine: Mm. Jess Sittig: like the only time that they've been separated. And that might change as they get older. They're only three right now, but I think that does change things. Like they spend almost every minute together. Christine: Yeah. It's it's crazy. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Which is is different than my daughter. Like my daughter is three years older. So she's in school and she has other activities that she's doing. And obviously Christine: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: they're the exact same age. So they're doing almost the exact same activities. So Christine: Mhm. Mhm. It's hard too sometimes when they have like conflict and stuff for me to kind of get in and try to navigate it because I just tell them all the time, I'm like, I can't imagine what it's like having two sisters or having a brother and a sister at the same age as you and having to consistently share your space or share your toys or do that. It must feel very hard. Like, you know, just trying to navigate the conflict sometimes can be overwhelming. I don't feel I come from my family I am estranged from my family now. So the stuff that we grew up with, like I don't wanna bring to this. So it's all new for both my husband and I. So it's like I don't wanna inflict what I learned 'cause I don't feel that it was right, you know. So it's trying Jess Sittig: Hm. Christine: to navigate this whole new world is like sometimes very overwhelming. Jess Sittig: Well, good for you for giving yourself and them grace by saying, I can't imagine what it's like to have brothers and sisters the exact same age and to be, you know, a generational changer. So Christine: Mhm. Yes, yes. I often tell the kids ha about how we are a cycle breaking family and we just do things different and that's okay. Every family does things different and this is how we're doing it, so Jess Sittig: Mm. Yeah. Well, good for you. I know that's that must be challenging. Christine: For sure. It is I mean I even with this home schooling journey that we're on, the I love it because it's so liberating. I do have like my days back and like our time is so free and we can fill it how we choose, but the loneliness that's accompanied with it is something that I wasn't expecting, I guess. I just never really thought that through because now I am home all the time. And there are some days where it's just we are staying home and doing curriculum or whatever. So it makes for like a quiet day for me. Like I obviously I have them, but there's no like adult interaction and I'm like, ooh, you know, my husband gets home and I just like like okay, like I need to like go like sit with my feet against the wall for like twenty minutes just to like regulate for a minute. Thank you. Jess Sittig: Bet. Well, and on that note, you know, a big thing that we talk about on this podcast is the importance of community and connecting with other twin moms. So do you have like triplet moms that you're connected with? Christine: so there is one that lives a town over. Her kids are a little older than mine. but we do try to get together every so now and then. Her kids are a lot involved in sports, so it's kind of been hard for us to get involved. but there's really not a lot. Actually we were at the when we were at the fair last night, I saw a woman pushing a cart and I like let's get the kids and I like, I'm pretty sure those are triplets like and I like wanted to go up to but they were like too far ahead and I like, No, I Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: won't but you know. Actually we were at Legoland in New York last year and the we wanted to get a picture outside of the thing for our family and the guy that took the picture was with his family that was also triplets. It was so weird. Like and it was their birthday too. Like it was just like such a weird like coincidence thing. Yeah, Jess Sittig: that's cool. Christine: there's really not a lot of multiples around here that I have really kind of come into, but I do connect a lot with like moms that have three or more kids. Like it's still kind kind of like the same, you know, it's we're still spreading ourselves so thin that it's easy for me to relate in that sense. so yeah. Jess Sittig: Sure, like just being outnumbered. Christine: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I was just outnumbered from the jump. Like, that's all. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Yes, immediately outnumbered. my goodness. And do you feel like with other moms of multiples, like twin moms and stuff, that you are able to connect with them also? Or are there some moments where you're like, girl, you have no idea? Christine: No, I think with mom no, twin moms are great. They are. They you know, your hands are still full. Like it's not, you know, it's the the moms of single even the moms of single things I can relate to. I don't like when they're like, Well, I couldn't imagine doing that or you know what I mean? Like they kind of like not shame, but they're like, Well, I just couldn't imagine doing it that way. Or, you know, just it's like, Well, we all just do it differently. I think it would be the same if I had one three at a time you know, three different times. It's just every mom journey is different and it's okay that we all do it. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. I feel like that's been probably the most humbling thing since having twins. Like I I have no judgment anymore. Like, whatever Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: you need to do for your family, you do you. Like when I have seen people in the past use like backpack leashes on kids, I would be like over my dead body. And now I'm like, nope, nope. You do what you gotta do. Like Christine: Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. Yeah. Jess Sittig: I I agree with you. Like my outlook on lots of things has changed since being a mother, especially becoming a mother of three, including twins. I there is no judgment any longer. Immediately humbled. Immediately humbled. So what do you Christine: Yeah. Yes. Exactly. Exactly. No judgment anymore. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: think has been the hardest thing for you as a triplet mom? Christine: well I I think I mean, as a trip as just a mom overall, honestly, this has been like the family estrangement stuff really hit hard. Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: That happened right when my husband and I decided that we were gonna build a house and so we both kind of went into it with unrealistic explications, I guess, because he thought he was gonna have more help building and I thought I was gonna have more help with the kids. So when all of that happened my life kind of just flipped upside down and luckily I was in therapy at the time you know, so I my therapist so wonderful. She like literally changed my life and how I walked through this next stage and basically rebuilt my whole life, you know. like I said, the loneliness of all of that and then switching into home school is just crazy, but it was just so It's just like a grief on a different level that I didn't, you know, 'cause like, you know, people have parents that've passed away and everything, but I am making this choice to not have them in our lives anymore because of how we were treated and everything that happened. So living with that choice and the grief that kind of goes along with it. Like right now, my ninety one year old grandmother is on hospital. This and so Jess Sittig: Hm, I'm sorry. Christine: thank you. She lived a beautiful life, she had six kids. Like, I she is ready. but this will be the first time that I have seen my parents in three years, and like I have such like anxiety building because I know because there's already been an incident with this whole thing that they have not changed, and like Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: there's always that part of me that hopes that something did change, and maybe this would wake them up a little bit to. try to see where I'm coming from, but they haven't. So now I need to like just adjust my expectations and go in with the tools that I have learned. And my therapist reminds me, she's like, they don't know this version of you. Like you are stronger, Jess Sittig: Hm. Christine: you are more regulated and know the tools that you need to do in these types of situations. So just kind of wrapping my whole head around that has been a lot. So long winded answer I think but Jess Sittig: No, I mean, I think that that makes sense. And I think it's hard. It sounds like you are overall a really positive person and you're trying to see the positive in others. But it's hard if you're working on yourself and then other people aren't meeting you where you're at and they're not willing to change, also, like for the better. So I hope that that that gets better and that that changes. But if not, I'm I'm proud of you for Christine: They do. Yeah. Jess Sittig: You know, working on you and raising your kids in a really strong positive way. Christine: Yeah. I mean I just want my kids to know how truly loved and cherished they are because it did take Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: us so long to have them. And I feel Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Christine: like honestly, sometimes when I'm looking at the other people, I'm not one to judge, but I just I don't feel like people these parents appreciate the ki their kids in the way that I see sometimes. It's just like it was so easy for everyone to have these kids and it's just expected. And I just don't I don't know, I just can't relate to that I guess. when they just don't value their children. Jess Sittig: Yeah, I understand in a different way. I had two losses before my daughter and was questioning like, are we able to have kids? Am I ever gonna be a mom? So I feel like when I'm having these really hard days, I'm able to kind of like stop and think back to that moment where I wasn't sure if I was gonna be a mom. And that's something that I so deeply wanted. And I feel like that does give me. I don't know, some kind of like motivation that maybe other people who didn't struggle to have kids they can't pull from that because they don't have that shared Christine: Right. Jess Sittig: experience. Christine: Right, yes, exactly. Exactly. You know, you just Jess Sittig: Yeah. So Christine: h have this like cookie cutter image of your life when you get married that it's gonna be so easy, you're gonna get a house, have kids, and like life doesn't always go that way. Like, you know, there are gonna be these left turns that you're not expecting, whether it be, you know, infertility, family estrangement, family death, like whatever it is there's gonna be and you need to be able to navigate that and Having a strong partner definitely has made a difference in that too because I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have my husband throughout those moments. Because even the whole triplet thing, like, you know, like you are jumped into being a dad from like that moment. Like it was like, you know, this is how we change a diaper there. He was the best swaddler anyone I just it was like his swaddle skills are still on point to this day. Like you Jess Sittig: Ha ha ha Christine: know, like he he was so great. And you know, I just know that that's not always the case. So I couldn't imagine being in a situation where it wasn't. Jess Sittig: And how do you think having triplets has affected your marriage throughout the eight years that you guys have been parents? Christine: You know, it's you know, it was hard in the beginning because the lack of sleep, the lack of time alone, like there was no you know, we weren't planning any type of trips or anything like that. you know, but it it came back and that's what we had to keep reminding ourselves is is that these things do come back. And even now, like we don't have like a huge as as they've gotten older I feel like our help has kind of obviously with the family of strange it's dwindled, but even beyond that, like finding help for date nights or stuff like that is kind of Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: hard. you know, so we just try to like really cherish that time that we do have together, even if it's just going to Costco. Like, you know, and that's okay. That's okay 'cause that's the phase of life we're in right now and we know that it's not gonna be this way forever. Jess Sittig: I think that's a good outlook. And I like how you brought up like Costco, like getting creative. I feel like I don't know when we started doing this, maybe a year ago. Every Friday night, my husband and I have a date night in. So we don't have dinner as a family. We'll make chicken nuggets or something easy for the kids. And then we have a more like special dinner when everyone goes to bed, even if we eat at like 9 PM. Christine: Yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: So we'll have like a glass of wine together and steak or something like more special. And it's so fun and we look forward to that because you Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: know, my mom is is helpful, which is so great, but I feel like it's not like we go on a weekly or some maybe sometimes a monthly date or every other month, but having that weekly date at home has really helped us. So you gotta Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: you gotta get creative with it and enjoy those moments. So I love that. Christine: Yeah. Exactly, exactly. And honestly, like we love spending time with our kids. Like this year for our anniversary we did like, you know, my mother in law took them and it was great. But last year, like we did a big family dinner and like we just had fun and like doing trips with them and just having that time is just these We don't have a lot of time until they're they don't wanna hang out with us anymore, you know? Like so it's like we have to enjoy this time now. Like, you know, this is we want that strong relationship and connection with them, like we need to build it. Like so Jess Sittig: I already feel that so deeply. So my daughter is six and a half and she very much still like will want to cuddle and hold my hand. And then sometimes she'll be like, Mom, and I'm like, no, you can't be embarrassed of me yet. Like you're too little. So I feel Christine: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. my gosh. Jess Sittig: that. I'm like, hang out, hang out with them while they still want to, while you're still at the forefront before their friends and sports and stuff take that. Christine: Yes. Jess Sittig: role because eventually probably more so in like high school there is gonna be that big shift. So you wanna make sure you have Christine: Right, right. Jess Sittig: that solid foundation. Yeah. Christine: Yeah. No, and I will say, you know, with this home schooling thing, our connection has come so much stronger, I feel like. Because I do feel like there was like this point, especially with my son, he was really just struggling with the whole concept of being in the classroom all day. Jess Sittig: Hm. Christine: he's just very much an outside boy. And so like I felt that our connection was so strained because he was just so mad at having Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: to like do something that he didn't want to do all day. And so now like he still cuddles with me every night and like just like loves his mama and I'm like I'm so grateful for that because I know especially with boys like it just goes I feel like it goes quicker than it does with girls. Like you know, like it's so 'cause like he still wants the like he loves hanging out with dad and doing like stuff around the house and stuff and like I w I know that the time's gonna come where he's gonna want to spend more time with dad than mom. But right now we're still in the mom era and that's good. Like I'm like I'll take it for as long as he'll have be Jess Sittig: Yes, I agree. And like I love all of those cuddles. And there is something different about my relationship with my sons versus my daughter. I Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: literally cried recently. So my husband has a brother. So my mother-in-law has two sons. And they both have moved kind of where their wives' families are. And I literally was crying about that. Like One day the boys are not gonna live by us. And he was like, they're three. And I'm like, I know I want Christine: I know. We have Jess Sittig: them to live by me forever. Christine: Yeah, exactly, exactly. Like we l like I said, we built our house here and my husband's grandparents live next door. So like my big hope one day is that, you know, be one of the kids like lives in one of between the two houses of like and then maybe Jess Sittig: Yes. Christine: we can build some like tiny houses around here 'cause I just don't want them to leave. Like, you know, I want them to have a life and do their own things, but I just want them to be close. I don't want you know, like Jess Sittig: Yeah, I agree. Christine: the idea of my son f leaving would be like or even my daughters too, I just couldn't imagine. my daughters do tell me all the time how they want to live in a hotel. Like like mom, they'll clean our room every day, we can get breakfast. I'm like, okay, like yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: That's so cute. That's my daughter loves fancy Nancy. So that just reminds Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: me of like a fancy Nancy book. Like Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I can I can picture the book right now with her like in the hotel with like cucumbers on her eyes, like living the life. Christine: Yes, yes, yeah. Living the life, yeah. They Jess Sittig: my gosh. Christine: on the times that they do all play together, they have this one game that they play and they call it vacation. And they'll get their little suitcases out and then they'll go out to my car and they'll drive to the airport and then they'll come in the house and our downstairs bathroom is the elevator and then they go into like one of either like my room or our guest room and like make it their hotel room and it's just so funny to watch like their imagination just explode. Jess Sittig: That is the cutest game ever. I'm like, I wanna play vacation. Christine: I know it is I know, I know, I love the game. They've played that for like even before we lived here too, they played it. I'm like, this is such a little fun game that you guys have Jess Sittig: That's so cute. I love that. That's I feel like I could see my kids playing that too. Because something about I love that you said the elevator, because I Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: feel like whenever we're at the hotel, they're all like, We get to go on the elevator and press the buttons. I'm like, we can press our button, like the floor that we're on, not you know, yeah, some special. Christine: Yeah. Yeah, yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We the downstairs bathroom is like a sliding door, pocket door or whatever they call that. So I think that that like just adds to the element of the game. 'Cause they like to slide the door shut. Jess Sittig: Yes. Yes. my gosh. That's so cute. I love that. Okay, so I know that you are a homeschooling mama and I would love to know a little bit more about your day to day and what that looks like with homeschooling three. Christine: Sure. So every day kind of looks different depending on the day. you know, we do do curriculum just like normal schooling would, but I mean a lot of the stuff you can get done in like two and a half hours a day and then the rest of the day is yours. So we do, you know, swim lessons, there's a nature class that we go to. you know, it just kind of the the curriculum self it's nice too because I'll like sit with one at the table and then I'll have like a like reading station set up where they have to read and draw me a picture of what they're reading or do a directed draw or something. And then the other one will be doing some type of like math manipulative or something. And so it just that part they like too because they're getting that one on one time with me where Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: I'm able to connect. which is something cool I wasn't expecting because when I first started I did try to like sit all three down together and like do it together and it was not working. Okay. so you know, now that we kind of have like a little flow of how it works, it's so nice. yeah, and you know, it's cool. There's so many things in our community, which I would hope that it's everywhere else too, that offers things for homeschoolers. Like the nature class is done by one of our state parks and it's free every week. And last year my kids, you know, we went every week and all the four of us together, but mainly them, they gave a whole presentation on something that they learned and like I don't feel like they would have done that in public school at age seven, you know, like Jess Sittig: Mm. Mm-hmm. Christine: so that's like public speaking and just you know general things and they were just so proud of themselves after they did it. It was such a cool moment to see. you know and it's it's cool because you can make homeschool can go so many different ways. I know so many different moms that just everybody is different and I love that about homeschooling because it just doesn't have to be, you know, the eight to two or whatever, you know, of just being in the classroom. It's just so nice. You know, I've met so many beautiful families this way. It's been great. Jess Sittig: That's really cool. And I love that you brought up it only takes two or three hours to get through your curriculum for the day. Because I feel like I've heard that from other homeschool moms. And I'm like, what? And then it makes sense because you're not managing 20 kids. I mean, managing three is still a lot, but a lot of the Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: logistics of the school day are like moving kids from one area to another. My daughter is in public school right now, but I've always been curious about homeschooling. I'm not sure. logistically how that would work with three-year-old twins right now. But maybe I'll reach out to you in the future. And Christine: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: I also love that you said that you did stations because quite honestly, I was also picturing you at the table sitting with all three at the same time. And I Christine: Yeah, no. Jess Sittig: would imagine that would be very overwhelming versus having stations and kind of moving Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: through with each child individually is so great. Christine: Yeah, because every each of them learns so differently. So sometimes Jess Sittig: Yes. Christine: I need to like pivot how I'm teaching them because they're not you know, one's not gonna pick it up the same way that the other did. you know, and if you do I I'm actually gonna be on another podcast in December called the Homeschool How to Podcast. Jess Sittig: cool. Christine: Yeah, no, she's great. She actually lives local to me and I met her last year, but her podcast is pretty big and she I love her format because again it's just interviewing different different families from all over the world and like hearing their stories of how it's so different for everyone. It's such a good such a good lesson. Highly recommend. Jess Sittig: That's that's so great. And it's so nice to hear from other moms to get ideas. Like I Christine: Mm. Jess Sittig: might have gone into it just sitting with everyone down at a table and then struggling Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like this isn't working, and then thinking, why don't I do stations like you? Christine: Yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: one question I do have about that, and this guy guess would just be with kids in general, but how do you handle like I'm sure not all of your kids are exactly the same in each subject. Maybe one excels in math, the other excels in reading. How do you manage that? And does it ever seem like there's like competition among siblings? Or how does that work? Christine: academically, no, I don't think that there's competition there because like I don't like we all do the same things but they don't see each other's work, you know what I mean? So it's not like Jess Sittig: Mm, mm-hmm. Christine: they can see like I d my one daughter loves math and she'll do math heavy, heavy, heavy. But my son, like you know, we just maybe we get through four problems and that's okay because you know, he's a phenomenal reader. His reading skills are like way up there for his age level, even like talking to other moms who they have sons that are older than my son and like they can't get them to sit still and read a book for the life of them. So, you know, it's you just gotta give grace where it's at. And I like we've said every kid learns differently and I think with Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Christine: homeschooling, they're not they don't have to be in that same little box and get everything checked off right away. Like we can spend more time doing math as the years go on. Like I think when they want to learn it, they're gonna learn it. Like it's not, Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Christine: you know. I think that that's one of the beauties of homeschool too is like you can really, you know, we do math and handwriting and all of that, but like it's not I'm not like so focused on like, my God, I have to, you know, because like in New York they do like state testing and all that stuff and that was something that Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: I was really like I was they were in public school from up until like the first week of second grade and then they were like no we're done. I was like, okay. but you know, that was my hard stopping point because I didn't want them to get that anxiety because I remember that anxiety. I'm like that I don't want them to feel that. And like for what? Like, you know, Jess Sittig: Hmm. Christine: I can't tell you much that I took away from public schooling that I use now. You know, even when I was working. Like I I went to college for early childhood and then I worked in finance. Like, you know, it was never like obviously now it works. Like my ear like I'm able to bring some of that stuff in, but like I it just It's so different now, I guess. Jess Sittig: I love that. And I think it's a good point. I'm trying to remember that Einstein quote. It's like if you do know the one I'm talking about, I need to like look it up so I can say it properly. But it's something about like a Christine: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: fish versus a bird. Like if you are grading a fish on how it can fly, then it's gonna live its whole life thinking it's stupid because a fish is meant to swim, not fly. So I'm I'm butchering that. I need to like let me look it up. Christine: Yeah, yeah. Right. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Mm-hmm. Christine: Exactly. Yes. Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: Like I was Christine: You were there, you were there. Jess Sittig: I was kinda close. Gotta love the internet. But yeah, so that's great. So then you're able to focus on everyone's interests. And yeah, that's that's really great. Christine: Yeah, it's cool, you know, like I have my son loves the drums, so we're looking for drum lessons this year, you know. My daughter's Jess Sittig: Cool. Christine: yeah, I have one daughter that loves to swim, so we do the swim thing. You know, it just it doesn't you know, and sports obviously too. My husband is a big hockey guy, so all three play hockey in the winter, so things get a little wild there, but you know, it's Jess Sittig: And I feel like we could have a whole other podcast on how you handle the day-to-day logistics of like even just sports. So my daughter. Christine: Yeah. I will say hockey is the worst. The wor like dressing three for hockey, like my god. Jess Sittig: Are they my gosh, yeah. I can't even I wasn't even thinking about that, but yeah, I can I can't even imagine how long that takes for one kid. Were they Christine: No. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. And our league that we play in is half the wintertime is half outside. So then I have to add in another layer of clothing on top of all of the padding because you never know how cold it's gonna be. Like Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Sure. Were they on the same team or were they on different teams? Christine: No, they're on the my husband coaches, so like Jess Sittig: Okay, cool. Christine: so that that's how it works out because that would be a little too much for us. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Yeah, I don't know how you would do like three different practices, three different game times. Like there's not enough time in a day to do all of that. Christine: Mm. Yep. Yep. No, they do baseball and softball in the spring too. And even that, like my son plays baseball and the girls play softball, but the girls are on the same team, so it's not I'm still splitting myself and sometimes like I do assistant coach for both of them, so sometimes that gets a little tricky. But it's still I couldn't do two is my max. I can't do three ways. I can't split myself three ways. Jess Sittig: Yeah. And that's kind of what I'm nervous for is my daughter is currently in gymnastics and in softball. And it's very busy. The softball schedule is kind of intense. This is our first season doing softball with like the practices and the games. And the boys aren't in anything yet. And I am just Christine: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: praying that they will like the same thing. So that we're Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: just doing like something for my daughter and then something Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: for the boys. So We'll see. Like I said, I feel like we could have a whole a whole podcast on those logistics Christine: Yeah. For sure, for sure. Jess Sittig: of handling sport schedules. Christine: I'm lucky that we live in a small town because like it's just like wreck stuff and it's not super intense because Saratoga is a bigger town and they do have very much more intense sports and I'm just like, We're we're not there. We're not there. We're gonna just enjoy it, you know? It's you know, it's fun. So Right. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Yes, that's how it should be at this age. They're just like learning what sports they like and how to play. Like my daughter has never played Christine: Right, exactly. Jess Sittig: a sport with a ball. She's done cheer, dance, and gymnastics. So I'm like, Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: she's just learning what softball is. Like, Christine: Yeah. Jess Sittig: what what is the the point of the game? She's still learning that, you know? So, Christine: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: but it has been so fun to chat all things triplet mom life. It's been Christine: Yes. Jess Sittig: So fun to learn about your family and get to know you more. And I know I kind of asked this question earlier, but more framed towards the early days. But if you could give a twin mom or a triplet mom a piece of advice or have a heart to heart with her, what would you tell her? Christine: Don't doubt your intuition. Like a mama's Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: gut is a mama's gut. Like I like I said before, you know, especially with the medical stuff, I wish I would have spoken up more about things and just now looking back, I I do feel stronger in that and like being your own advocate, especially, you know, and and you are your kids advocate too. So just always go with your gut. It's okay to have a different path and a different opinion. It's really Jess Sittig: Hmm. Christine: okay, you know, like it's I feel like today's society is so like crazy and it's like you can't you're judged if you do have a different opinion about things and it's like why? you know, it just makes people uncomfortable but it's okay to be uncomfortable. Like it's part of life, you know. So Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think that is such a good point. And it's a really it I think it's very hard to get there to be able to like ask tough questions. Christine: if our kids come back to us twenty years from now and say, Why did you do XYZ, I wanna be able to have a reason and explain to them my thought process through it or if like, you know, apologize for the mistake I made or whatever. I wanna Jess Sittig: Mm. Christine: be able for them to know that I did everything on my end that I thought was right. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. Like we're our our kids' biggest advocates. And Christine: Right, right. Jess Sittig: sometimes it's hard to ask questions like if you want to be a people pleaser, or you know what I mean? But to kind of push beyond that to advocate for our kids. That's that's really great advice. Always trust your your mama intuition. Yeah, I love that. Christine: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Well, Christine, thank you so much. It has been so fun to chat and I've just really appreciated your time. Christine: Yeah, thanks Jess. I like I said, I wish I would this would have been around like eight years ago. I remember just like looking around and be like, There's nothing here for me like, you know, it was it was very isolating. But now I'm glad that this is for the new mums of this year 'cause it's it's good. It's good. You have a good thing going. Jess Sittig: Thank you. And I'm trying to get more triplet moms on. I have another triplet mom scheduled for like a month or two. So I'm like, triplet moms need to be represented too. Christine: Good. Yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: Awesome. Jessielee Sittig: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy twin mom life to listen along. I hope this podcast shed some light on a topic that's been on your heart and gave you more confidence as a twin mama. If you know a twin mom, please send this her way. If you like what you heard today, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Check out the show notes to be connected with today's guest and get discount codes for brands I love. See you next Thursday. Until then. You are made for this.