And baby makes seven.

Seven?

When Kate Van Meter arrived

Jan. 20 at Piedmont Hospital, she was the fifth child delivered by her

mom, Kristy, in 37 months. Two brothers, Tyler and Ford, came along just

minutes ahead of her. Two older brothers, 3-year-olds Jackson and Truitt,

were waiting at home for them.

As you read this (and if you

are a parent, you are probably cringing), Clay and Kristy Van Meter preside

over a very busy house in a quiet Senoia subdivision, with a mail box

marked by three ribbons, one pink, and two blue. But while the young couple

is still making adjustments and will continue to do so for quite some

time, they are handling their situation with extraordinary grace and good

humor.

They're the all-American

family, with three bassinets in the living room and a new Suburban in

the driveway.

For the better part of an hour

one morning last week, the proud parents repeatedly told of how God, family

and friends had looked out for them and provided assistance whenever and

wherever it was needed. Two immediate examples of that help were present

at the time, as Kristy's mother and a part-time nanny scurried about

the house doing this and that.

Every birth is a miraculous

one. But what has happened in this family is statistically mind-boggling:

- According to the March

of Dimes Web site, about 3 percent of babies born in the United States

today are born in sets of two or more, and about 95 percent of those multiple

births are twins.

- An organization called

Moms of Supertwins, devoted to multiple births or three or more, says

that 14 percent of such births are spontaneous, or without any assisted

reproductive techniques (ARTs) such as fertility drugs. The March of Dimes

says that 56 percent of multiple births results from ARTs and that mothers

over the age of 30 are most likely to have multiples. But the Van Meters

used no ARTs at any time, and Kristy was 29 when the twins were born.

- The National Center

for Health Statistics reports that 4,594 live births from triplet deliveries

took place in the U.S. in 1994. That averages out to 116.2 per 100,000.

The NCHS does not keep records on families having two or more multiple

births.

- According to a spokesperson,

Piedmont Hospital delivered seven sets of triplets and 97 sets of twins

in 2003. That adds up to about 5 percent of the 4,200-plus babies born

there last year.

What makes the Van Meters'

story more wonderful is that all five children are healthy. The triplets

were delivered at 34 1/2 weeks, which Kristy said is normal for triplets,

and they came home a week after their birth, which is also normal. Actually,

they were born on schedule; a C-section was planned for Jan. 20 and Kristy's

water broke that morning.

The triplets all checked in

at just under five pounds apiece. Tyler (4 lb. 10 oz.) arrived first,

followed by Ford (4 lb. 13 oz.), with Kate (4 lb. 13 oz.) bringing up

the rear.

The mother had a bit more difficulty

than the babies did. She was essentially bedridden from Thanksgiving until

the births, spending some time in the hospital before Christmas and then

a couple of weeks after the holidays. Some heart complications developed

as a result of the pregnancy, but she came home about 10 days after the

babies were born and has recovered almost completely, having been cleared

to drive last week.

A typical day at home right

now consists of feedings every three hours beginning at 7:30 a.m. The

newest threesome is going through a total of about 21 diapers a day.

Although the new Suburban will

hold the entire family (with booster seats two and infant car seats for

three), the Van Meters have yet to take all five children out at one time.

"We haven't gotten that brave," said Clay as the two oldest

boys, Jackson and Truitt, scampered about amidst the infant paraphernalia.

Jackson is the eldest of the children, born one minute before his brother

Dec. 22, 2000.

The toddlers are home most

of the time, attending Mom's Morning Out a few days a week as Senoia's

First Baptist Church. They are signed up for two days a week, but the

church offered to let them come as often as they want for no additional

charge during this adjustment period, one of the many ways the community

has reached out to help the family.

A close circle of friends at

Braelinn Baptist Church, where the family attends regularly, has also

been a great deal of help, and one of Clay's former college classmates

even sent word to many of his acquaintances - people the Van Meters

do not even know - letting them know of the situation and encouraging

them to lend a hand if they can. Clay and Kristy do not hesitate to acknowledge

how much they have been blessed during this time.

A State Farm agent in Peachtree

City, Clay spends most of his workday helping other people prepare for

the future and the unexpected. He's doing a lot of that for his own

family, as he and his wife look just a couple of years down the road to

when all five children are getting around on their own in their three-bedroom

house. But after seeing them at home now, it's hard to imagine anything

life throws at them taking them by surprise.

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