Friday, December 29, 2006

Eric will open the case! / Twins and triplets in less than a year?!

Jon called me earlier (as per my instructions in an email) to see whether I was well enough to go out tonight to the BS outing: I certainly feel more like myself! He said he was going out soon, so advised me to call Eric at home since he'd be going out later. So I did: everyone's meeting at 6:30, and he'll be over maybe ten minutes earlier than he could be since I told him I was serious about my computer case being unable to be opened. (maybe just by me... perhaps it'll like him better, haha) I also got two cute Christmas cards from Jennifer (tehgreenfairy) and Sandra (thepooloftears) today. Very cool. :D


Imagine having twins AND triplets in less than a year!

It is a New Year's resolution Rachel Reidford is desperate to keep.

After giving birth to five children in less than a year, she has vowed there will be no more little surprises.

In the space of just nine months, Rachel, 24, who already had a six year old daughter, Ellie, gave birth to twins Elliot and Evie, and then triplets Billy, Harry, and Alfie.

It was only after a routine scan before having her gallstones removed that she even discovered she was pregnant with twins in February last year, and then gave birth in November.

And despite having a contraceptive coil fitted, she learned she was pregnant with triplets in June this year (2006) and gave birth in August.

So this Christmas was particularly hectic for Rachel and her partner Ricky Jones, 20, who have been rushed off their feet to make it a special day for their young brood.

But doting Rachel said: "As difficult as it may be, we are so proud and we wouldn't have it any other way now. We've suddenly gone from there being the three of us to there being eight of us."

With their family and friends desperate to see their recent arrivals, the couple welcomed a group of around 20 people into their home in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, on Christmas Day.

"We decorated the entire house and Ricky made what he calls a 'mini-Christmas dinner' of mashed up turkey and potatoes for the babies, but fortunately for him, the triplets are still on the bottle."

The couple overcame the tricky task of Christmas shopping with six young children by using the internet and even managed to get them all personalised stockings.

"I used the Toys R' Us, Mothercare, and Next websites to buy a lot of presents because I couldn't go shopping with all of the kids. I don't know what I'd have done without them," said Rachel.

"We bought the twins lots of educational toys because they're at that really inquisitive age, and as we weren't really expecting the triplets to be here, we've bought them lots of clothes and baby toys. Our family and friends have been really supportive, and even offered us money instead of presents. But we made a list of things that all the children can make use of for them to choose from; a bit like a wedding list, but for babies."

Rachel, whose daughter Ellie is from a previous relationship, said she and Ricky did not buy each other presents this year because the new additions had put them under such a financial strain.

"We decided that we really wanted to focus on the kids this year and give them a magical experience," she said. "But if we were to have a Christmas wish, what we really need is a bigger car. All that Ricky wants is to be able to take the whole family out together, but at the moment we can't because the buggies and babies don't fit into one car, and we can't afford a people carrier."

Now Rachel has resolved that she will not be having any more children, and even joked that she was making Ricky sleep in the shed.

"I don't think I'll ever get over the shock of what's happened... it'll stay with me forever," she said. "I'm considering sterilisation because I could not cope with any more children. I'm having the contraceptive injection at the moment, but because I don't have periods whilst I'm on it, I take a pregnancy test each month just in case."

And the couple's second New Year's resolution is to try to spend more time with each other.

"We’ve made a promise that we will spend a few hours alone together, as we haven't had a minute to ourselves since the twins were born," Rachel said. "There's so much pressure involved in having so many young children, and people expected us to fall apart. But if anything, it's bought us closer together."

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