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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Sleeping Positions I

When we brought our triplets home
from the hospital I had one crib and three
beautiful little white wicker bassinets set up
in their nursery. I think we put them in
the bassinets just for a picture and then
they slept together in the crib from the very
first night. After all, they were used to
being together and seemed more content
if they were near each other. I remember
positioning their little newborn bodies
in a very symmetrical, orderly way only
to check on them later and find that they
had scooted all together in a big blob!
When they got too big for one crib, we
got a couple more and I was so happy to
move them into their own ~ only to find that
they fell asleep holding hands through the
crib bars! When they figured out how to
escape from their cribs, I would often find them all
together in one. And the same thing happened
when they graduated to the little toddler beds.
I don't know why we bought three of them because
they would end up sleeping in one.
A few years later we moved on to the bunk bed stage.
One set of bunks ~ high and low ~ with a twin bed
set right beside the bottom bunk (we were starting
to figure it out, so we thought!) But wouldn't you know
that they would squish all together in the top bunk ~
three big boys on a tiny bunk mattress. Believe it or
not, they never fell out! It was about this time,
four years ago, that I snapped this picture. I had
gone in to check on them before going to bed myself.
I had to laugh since it took me a minute to figure out
where that middle boy was in the dark!
And the story isn't over! We decided that the bunks,
which were very old when they were given to us, were
becoming too wobbly and unsafe. We bought new mattresses
and set up three twin beds. Yes, I even put a couple of
feet in between each ~ nice and orderly like a little
dorm room. And you guessed it ~ they would sneak
together and fall asleep all in one little twin sized bed!
We've since given up ~ scooting them all together into
one huge bed! And still to this day I can check on them
before I go to sleep and somebody has their arm around
his brother's shoulder as they dream. :)
I think the line blurs here between autism and the
bond of a multiple birth, but it is a special
connection that they have. It isn't broken by any learned
social behaviors (most 14-year-olds wouldn't want to
share a room much less a bed!) It's just a sweet,
uninhibited bond. :)

11 comments:

  1. And my eyes are full of tears too. Beautiful!

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  2. What a wonderful bond! Thank you for sharing stories of your lovely family.

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  3. oh betsy...this makes me hopeful and inspired with my three little men.

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  4. how is it possible to feel so much love for a family you have never met? what a blessing you have been!

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  5. Great picture and a great story! My 2 youngest sons have liked sleeping together for several years now. It started when I was in the hospital having my baby girl.

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  6. What a beautiful story and photograph! I wish my boys were that close. :o)

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  7. I know, I'm strange, ha ha, but I like reading past posts of my favorite blogs, this post touched my heart because it shows what a bond these boys have and that they are so much more than their" austsim", so sweet, I often wonder what our niece is thinking, she has autism , whats going on behind those beautiful blue eyes, she has never been an affectionate child , but we sometimes get a hug, so to see these boys like this makes wonder if Gloria ever feels that, she is non verbal, but now at 12 she is making a bit of progress with speech, and sounds, but she just recently became aggressive, they are blaming hormones, she struck out at her teacher and bit her helper, I wish we could know what was going on in her mind, your boys are beautiful, you are such a good mum,

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