i decided i was lacking in the area of twins/triplets.  i really wanted the experience but had no clue how to go about chatting up a mom of multiples and convincing her i wasn’t crazy as i begged to “shoot her triplets”.  [enter facebook feed updates]  during a check of facebook i noticed a woman had updated her status to read of her excitement over a pending lunch with a preggo mommy of triplets.  i had to step away from the computer.  everything in me wanted to send her a message (ps. we are friends of a friends so it isn’t like my attempt at humor might make sense to her) and beg her to ask the mommy if i could photograph her babies after they were born.  lacking all sense of reason, measure of tact and sheer social skills…i messaged her.

my plan was to offer two free sessions to the first two mommies of  multiples that got back to me.  as a trade for their trust in my not wasting their time and my attempts to be good with their precious babies, i would offer them a free session along with a handful of free prints to keep from our time together.  my dear friend of a friend dropped my idea to the mommy, it was seemingly gladly received and i was able to book a triplet newborn session this coming winter.  (hey denise…hey kerra!)

shortly after, i received an email from another mommy of multiples titled “am i the fastest mommy?”  kerra had told another friend of triplets about my limited time offer and boom…she wasted NO time!  you have no idea how thankful i am for this.  brenda was the fastest mommy and i would love to introduce you to her and dan’s little a-b & c.

a-b-c are 15 months old and after about 15 seconds with them…i was in love.  they are so happy, so giggly and just so…happiness times three.  you kinda have to be with an awesome daddy like the one they have!  i could write for days about brenda and dan and their awesome laid back personalities.  our little afternoon at the arboretum in seattle was just a total blast!  dan refused to swing me around like that though…

i supposed dealing with three times the baby stuff, you learn to just go with the flow.  what else would you do if all three are crying and wanting/needing different things at the same time?  i know i would probably just chime in with my own rendition of wailing serenade but these two…they were like…superheroes or something!  they talked about how extremely hard it is at times but it was so easy to see, that in between those difficult times, they lavished in the amazing joy that three beautiful little girls can bring!

a & c are walking while b is just on the verge.  watching one little person toddle around is adorable in and of itself.  but three little people…oh my heavens!  i wanted to just snatch them up!

upon our first chat, brenda mentioned to me that she thought it would be fun to include their halloween costumes in the shoot.  first thought…monkeys in a barrel.  afraid she might think i was bonkers, i hesitantly brought it up.  because she is so awesome and chill, of course her answer was “sure!  why not?”  so we did.  and it stopped traffic.  triplets already draw some serious attention but these three…holy cow!  it was odd enough to see a whiskey barrel being rolled across the arboretum but more so than that…we put kids in/on them.  just one of the many reasons i ADORE my j-o-b.

the girls loved it.  i brought the stuffed monkeys to add to the mix (mo monkey mo bettah right?) and brenda brought the bananas.  apparently this was the first time a-b-c got to feed themselves the fruit and they were in heaven.  like monkeys.

the non-walker (baby b) got the top of the barrel and sat up there just-a grinnin’  at me the entire time.

baby a sat in the barrel and didn’t even try to escape.  why would she?  a whole banana, a warm costume and a stuffed monkey ALL in a cozy hole?  come on…don’t be a fool.

we had so much fun and i swear i took over 800 pictures in two hours.*  the girls were AMAZING, their parents we the coolest, and i learned a thing or two about shooting multiples.  i just had to take a picture of their stroller for a-b-c.  everywhere they went, they were stopped and oogled on.  who wouldn’t…it isn’t everyday you see triplets?!  after the bananas were ate/smashed up on the ground, the monkey costumes were over and the barrels were rolled away, a-b-c and i said our good-byes.

thank you brenda and dan for trusting me with your time and your little girls.  thank you for being so kind and so creative as we went about the shoot.  dan…you have stellar ideas and i really appreciate all the help you gave me!  brenda…you amaze me girl.  i don’t think you stopped smiling even once and it was so refreshing to see.  i just adore you guys and hope this isn’t the last time we get to play together!