Kelli Rudman is no stranger to families with multiples. Her dad has a twin brother and she has a twin sister, so it is safe to say it’s a concept she is more than familiar with.  But when she discovered she was pregnant with triplets, that familiarity was no match for the shock both Rudman and her husband, Nick, felt.

“We were completely surprised, shocked, and overwhelmed initially. We were kind of scared out of our minds. It took a good four to five weeks for the news to set in. There were many nights of not sleeping and lots of worries about complications and possibly having to go on bed rest,” says Rudman.

That shock soon turned into excitement, and as families do, the Rudmans started preparing. First on the list was sharing the news with their daughter, Millie. Now, Millie, being only 1 at the time may have hindered full comprehension of what was actually going on, but the excitement continued all the same. Particularly when Kelli and Nick found out all three triplets were boys, a set of identical and one fraternal.

“We got excited thinking about how unique it would be,” Kelli explains. “When we found out it would be three boys we thought that was especially great since we already had a girl. We dreamed they would be the best of friends.”

The preparations continued and next on their list were some pretty important items.

“We bought a mini van and a La-Z-Boy recliner in the same week. Those are two things we never thought we would own,” Kelly says.

Once transportation and relaxation were taken care of, Kelli and Nick began the task of finding quality childcare and secured two exceptional nannies, which made the idea of returning to work less intimidating.

Kelli works as an ENT physician for Boys Town and Nick is an attorney with Baird Holm. They were both fairly new to their jobs when they found out about the triplets. The family had just moved to Omaha from Milwaukee where Kelli completed her residency. Kelli is an Omaha native and was happy to move closer to family.

Family would play an important role once the triplets made their arrival. That day came last December 1, five days earlier than the doctors had planned. Kelli was 35 weeks pregnant and had worked full time up until the last few weeks. The Rudmans welcomed Max Nicholas, Jackson Ronald, and Hutchinson Kent, and were beyond thrilled that each boy was born in good health.

“They didn’t have any problems. They just had to grow and learn to drink from a bottle on their own. They were in the NICU for just three weeks and got to come home within days of each other. Jack wasn’t supposed to come home until after Christmas, but we got a call on Christmas Eve saying he was ready. We rushed up there and surprised my family by having all three boys home when they walked in our house. My mom and dad started to cry. It was the best Christmas present ever.”

The entire family has adjusted very well, even Millie, who loves helping her brothers when they lose their pacifiers.

“It’s been really great. We have just accepted that for the first year we will have people around all the time to help. Since I am a twin, I am more excited for the triplets because you realize how close you are with your twin sibling. I am so excited for them to have that bond.”