I know I say it every time, but I really have been blessed with the sweetest, most incredible families as my clients, and Alvin & Teryn are no exception.
This story is so unique and dear to my heart that it could be pages upon pages if I wrote out everything. It was an especially miraculous pregnancy, as they did not use any fertility treatments to conceive. Nowadays there are different fertility programs to help women get pregnant. Learn more about a CJC compound and its effect in this regard.
Spontaneous identical triplets are so rare that there are no accurate statistics on them, however estimates are between 1 in a million to 1 in 2 million.
But above all, you need to know that these three beautiful little girls have been welcomed into the most loving family imaginable.
(Please click on “View Full Post” to read their birth story before watching their film. As always, this film is **completely modest**.)
(Teryn & Alvin’s maternity photos used in the video were shot and used with permission by Michelle Hebert.)
So here’s the back story.
I was contacted a few months ago by a sweet high school friend from my hometown in Oregon, Kari Rae, who is also a photographer. She had met Teryn (who is also a photographer and lives near me in the Denver area) at a photographers’ retreat in Florida within the last couple of years. The girls at the retreat had all become very close and stayed in touch often. When they found out that Teryn was pregnant with the triplets, (after losing their first pregnancy early on,) they were all so excited for her! Kari was familiar with my work, and when Teryn saw it she knew it would be so special to have me there to capture the triplets’ birth-day. But as you can imagine, preparing for the birth of three babies at once and paying the bills for full hospital bed rest from about 27 weeks, a c-section and several weeks of NICU care… it isn’t light on the wallet.
So Kari and the other girls took care of it for them.
I got an email that they had all pitched in to cover a video package for the Robinsons, along with a sheet of prayers from each of them for Teryn & the babies. It was difficult, but I had to convince Teryn to meet with me without discussing pricing or what it would cost them. She was quite hesitant & hard to nail down a date to meet with, knowing she absolutely wanted to do it but couldn’t pay for it. My heart was bursting to tell them the surprise!
I finally forced her to let me come meet her & Alvin at the hospital and go over everything with them. After filling them in on everything they would receive and what it all would cost, I handed her the sheet of prayers and let them know all of those wonderful girls had covered the cost of everything.
Tears were flowing all around. 🙂
We kept in constant contact as things were up in the air day by day, and on the morning of November 11th it was determined that the babies needed to come to protect Teryn’s health.
(Side note: As I was headed to the hospital, I was getting texts that over in Oregon my youngest sister was in labor, and my nephew was born just as I was walking in the hospital doors! Crazy birth high that day. 🙂 )
Photographers aren’t always allowed in the operating room anyway, but especially because of the amount of people needed to form a care team for each baby, I anxiously waited outside with Alvin’s mom and sister as the babies were delivered just after 3:00pm.
The NICU staff at the University of Colorado Hospital were FANTASTIC.
They were so gracious to me, knowing how important it was for Alvin & Teryn to have these photos and videos. They moved out of the way even when they didn’t need to, were extremely friendly, and reassuring to an anxious Alvin during the entire delivery and immediate care for the babies while Teryn was still in recovery.
A couple hours after the babies were delivered and Teryn was feeling well enough, she was wheeled over to meet the girls for the first time. It was so hard keeping it together, as she went from baby to baby, stroking their fingers and feet saying “Hi baby…. it’s momma! It’s momma!” And the pride on Alvin’s face was just indescribable.
It’s obvious he’s already wrapped around three little fingers! 🙂
The babies were born at 31 weeks and 4 days, weighing 3 lbs 3 oz, 3 lbs 4 oz and 3 lbs 6 oz, and just as healthy as they could be.
They are now almost 6 weeks old, 37 weeks gestational age.
Welcome to the world, Lily Elise, Anaia Rose, and Grace Jubilee.
It was an honor to capture your story, and I pray that your lives continue to blossom, you grow up to be kind and gentle women of God, and that you will touch many more lives than you could ever know.
***
Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Puyallup, Washington birth photographer & videographer
Robinson Identical Triplet Girls - Birth Story | Teryn Robinson Photography - […] is with great joy that Alvin and I get to share our birth story presented by Laura of Crowned Photography. Her birth photography/video package was so generously gifted to us by a group of talented […]
Mindy Hindmarsh - Some of the most beautiful moments captured perfectly. I am crying x
Cherie - This is just so beautiful! The video is extraordinarily heart-warming 🙂
Fearfully & Wonderfully Made | Teryn Robinson Photography - […] appearance. You can view our birth story which was wonderfully told by Crowned Birth Photography here. […]
Kristy Powell - Gosh, I just rewatched that whole thing and it’s soooososososoooooo beautiful. I cried all over again. Their story, their love, their joy, and your talent. It’s just perfect.
Mommy Hearts It Monday - It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas | Teryn Robinson Photography - […] also came back to the NICU when we were able to hold all three girls together 3 weeks later. Here is the amazing story she told. We went on to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s […]
Robinson Triplet Update - We.are.ONE!!! | Teryn Robinson Photography - […] long that building would really be our home. I was admitted at 26 weeks and at 31 weeks 4 days, we met our little angels. Our family spent 77 LONG days in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). We were two hours […]