The McDevitt Triplets Celebrate Their First Birthday With 50 Volunteers

[Henry]

BEN SARLE, for the Free Press
Parents John McDevitt and Kiki McDonald, with their triplets Alande, Lexy, and Xaiden, are surrounded by many of the volunteers who helped care for the children. Sunday was the first birthday party of the Bilodeau-McDevitt triplets at their home in South Burlington on Sunday.
John & Mary McDevitt are on the left.

Village’ marks triplet’s birthday

By Sky Barsch, Free Press Correspondent
SOUTH BURLINGTON — The Bilodeau-McDevitt triplets turned 1 year old Sunday, and their parents threw a party to thank the army of volunteers who have helped make the year a successful one.

With a big cake, balloons, and three cooing and wide-eyed babies, mother Kiki McDonald, father John McDevitt and 30 of the 50 volunteers celebrated the big milestone for their surprise triplets. It was the first time many of the volunteers had a chance to meet one another, and trade stories of the triplets who have won their hearts. (McDonald and McDevitt already had three children between them. The triplets use their mother’s maiden name, Bilodeau.)
The first birthday for sisters Lexy and Alande and their brother Xaiden was a special one — especially for Anne Hudson of Burlington, a woman who has been volunteering much of her time coordinating all the other volunteers. Hudson is stepping down from that role, now that the volunteers have largely worked out a schedule. She and her husband Tim Parsons recruited everyone and anyone they could to volunteer time with the babies.

“I’d be on the phone — with whoever — and she’d say, ‘Just ask,’” if the person would volunteer, Parsons said.

The birthday gave Hudson a chance to reflect on how many members of the community offered to help the family.

“What is exciting to me is this was not a pre-developed group,” Hudson said. “It wasn’t a church, a school, or a government group.”

“It really is the village mentality,” she said. “The biggest lesson for me is, just ask. Ask, and stick with it.”

One of the volunteers, Monica Shattuck, a retired teacher of South Burlington, smiled as she talked about the triplets.

“I love babies. I love children,” she said. “I was really taken by the story in the paper. It’s a good way to be with children and to help out.”

Connie Kite of South Burlington said she’s gotten something out of the experience, too.

“I’ve been here since December,” she said. “They needed a baby sitter. It’s been a great addition to my life.”

During the singing of “Happy Birthday,” there was confusion and laughing when it came time to sing the names. Too young to blow out the candles, brother Remy helped out.

McDevitt, the father, said the past year has been “crazy.”

“It’s gone by much faster than I would have thought possible. The two months they were hospitalized now seems like a week. How far we’ve come — we’ve hit a milestone and we can really move forward.”
 
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[NorthFairfaxBoy]

While making my Goodbye Tour, I stopped to see John (daddy).  The triplets are doing very well and are so very well behaved.  For the whole time I was there, not a peep out of them.  Lot's of smiles and laughs though!  Mom and Dad are doing very well, and are getting good help.  Their new au pair just started last night.  (John told me that an au pair costs MUCH less per year than paying for day care.)  Anyway, the whole family seems to be working smoothly and getting along quite well.