Householder triplets settle in at home

PIGGOTT, Ark. — The Householder triplets arrived home Saturday, Feb. 2, 19 days after their birth.

Caleb, Aaron and Sarah were born Jan. 15 by C-section at 33 weeks at Poplar Bluff Regional Center in and transferred the same day to Saint Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The boys weighed 3 pounds and 13 ounces. Sarah tipped the scales at 4 pounds. The babies were delivered by Dr. Donald Jones.

A miracle is the way the parents Brandi and Jason describe the addition of babies four, five and six to their family. The triplets were welcomed home by oldest sister Elisabeth, 10, big brother Phillip, who quickly explained he’s almost 5 and is looking forward to kindergarten; and 14-month-old Lydia, who is now a big sister.

Householder triplets Caleb, Sarah and Aaron. Photo provided by John Mark Photography

Jason said one of the triplets didn’t need additional oxygen and Aaron had a yeast infection, which Brandi described as a diaper rash.

When the Saint Francis Hospital staff said one baby might go home, Jason’s reply was he was hoping to take them all home together. One nurse explained each baby needed to be taking 90 percent of their bottle.

Sarah was the last holdout, but Jason wasn’t worried.

“There was nothing wrong with our babies eating. We like to eat,” said Jason as he smilingly explained Sarah immediately drank the correct amount.

Jason feels he was “lucky to be able to miss five weeks of work. The first week I stayed at Poplar Bluff with Brandi.”

The first two weeks the triplets were home in Piggott, friends and family brought supper each day which helped.

Brandi and Jason are working as a tag team along with other family members to care for the babies. When she’s home from school, Elisabeth steps in to help.

When Jason is working, Brandi said, “her mother-in-law, Loretta Householder, helps me with the house and her mother, Nellie Butler, and sister-in-law Sherri Householder, help me do my rounds. I still have two preschoolers.”

Jason said the babies weigh more than 5 pounds. He believes they average gaining an ounce a day. He described them as “good and healthy.”

The number of diaper changes and bottles prepared have gotten better, but don’t forget the one or two bottles a day for Lydia, he said.

Since he’s returned to work, Jason is trying to adjust to the lack of sleep.

“This morning I was up at 3 o’clock feeding them,” he said.

The Householders are excited they were able to get eight hours of sleep during a recent night. The second best night was four hours sleep.

Brandi is breast-feeding the triplets but they require additional formula, which enables Jason and other family members to help.

The Householders’ master bedroom serves as the nursery. Along with the parents’ bed, the couple have placed two cribs, a cradle, two chairs and footstools and changing tables.

As she changes the babies, Brandi talks about how she tells the boys apart, “Caleb’s face is chubbier, Aaron’s is long and slender.” At first she admits she painted a toenail on one of the boys.

Elisabeth noted, “Sarah is a dramatic child. Caleb is all calm and collected.”

On the Householder triplets’ visit to their pediatrician, Dr. Joseph P. Fernando of Poplar Bluff, the parents report he told them the babies were healthy and to “stay home two months.”

Everyone is looking forward to the first Sunday they can go to church together, but mom Brandi is not looking forward to making the trip in two separate vehicles. The family’s seven passenger vehicle will not seat the eight family members, as well as the stroller for triplets and car seats, which were provided through a fundraiser, and other necessary gear.

Jason reminded Brandi everything with the babies has been a “miracle.”

The Householder family (from left) dad Jason holding Lydia and Sarah, standing are Elisabeth and Phillip; and mom Brandi holding Caleb and Aaron. Photo provided by John Mark Photography