Three babies a big surprise

Page 10

Kathleen Beulah Eagle Speaker of the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta was 19 weeks pregnant when she got the news to start planning for more than a single addition to her family - to plan for three, to be exact. She almost fell off the examining table.

Fourteen weeks later, she and partner Colin Mountain Horse were able to wrap their arms around their three bundles of joy, all boys, born Sept. 23 in the Lethbridge Regional Hospital: Dennis Wainwright (4 lbs 15 oz), Trez Riley (3 lbs 12 oz) and Colin Trey (3 lbs 9 oz).

"It was a big shock to me at first," admitted Beulah after hearing the news. "But they're here now."

"I was really shocked when I found out it was triplets," echoed Linda, Beulah's mother. "At first I thought twins because she was so big after three months."

And twins wouldn't have been unrealistic; after all, Beulah's sister had twins. But instead, the word was triplets.

But it wasn't news the family was willing to accept without proof, said sister Maria.

"Nobody believed her. She had to show the ultrasound pictures."

The ultrasound indicated that two of the three babies were boys; the sex of the third remained a mystery, only to be revealed at birth. Beulah admitted she was hoping for a girl, a sister for two-year-old Teslynn.

The boys were born seven weeks premature. Beulah had been admitted to the hospital a few days prior to a cesarean section being performed.

"My doctor said I would deliver at 32 weeks, but we'd aim for 33 weeks," she said.

By that time, said Beulah, she was ready for the triplets to be born; she was big, she was tired, and she was very uncomfortable.

"I just wanted to get it over with!"

Colin, the smallest of the boys, and born third, was born with a slight heart murmur and small hole in his heart. If the hole doesn't close up by itself, said Beulah, surgery will be performed when Colin is between six to 12 months of age. Colin is scheduled to see a cardiologist soon.

Beulah was released three days after the births. She returned to the reserve for one night before going back to Lethbridge where she and Colin Sr. remained in a motel for 19 days until the last of the babies, Trez, was released. The cost of the hotel was covered by the band.

Indeed, pointed out Beulah, reserve services and the community have pitched in wholeheartedly to welcome their newest residents. Kainaiwa Children's Services has helped out with two cribs and the housing committee is in the process of renovating the couple's home to make room for three more family members.

"I have a very big family, plus we're having a baby shower for them," said Linda, noting that the family had already pitched in to help with clothing and car seats.

Before they were even a month old, the triplets had gained an average of one and a half pounds each. And Beulah can already see their personality traits coming out.

"Dennis," she said, "is always mad. Trez is the quiet one."

Trez and Colin, the latter named after his father, are identical; only a small mark on Trez's forehead is the key to telling them apart. Dennis is named after his paternal grandfather.

Beulah does not fool herself. She knows the triplets will be a lot of work.

"When my sister had her twins, we were always over helping," said Maria. "We thought twins were hard. That was nothing compared to this."

Beulah is hoping to get the boys on a schedule, so they'll take turns waking up and take turns feeding.

The last set of triplets to be born on the Blood reserve was 13 years ago - to Beulah's cousin, Ramona Big Head.