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I'll start this journey by discovering I would be a father of triplets. At the time, we lived in UAE, I was a freelance barber, and my wife was a business teacher.
16/06/2023
I will never EVER forget that day in the hospital, it was our second scan, the first a month or so, before confirming the pregnancy. The doctor started the scan and was asking odd questions, about using birthing treatments to help get pregnant, of course, our answer was no as we had not been trying for long. "Oh!", she said, "Because, there is more than one".
I looked at my wife, eyes wide open "Twins!" we both said, "That's cool".
"No" said the doctor "There is three"!
Leaving the appointment shell-shocked is an understatement, we sat in the car for at least 30 minutes staring at each other and repeatedly saying "Triplets! We're having triplets".
In the blink of an eye, I'd gone from a dad of one to a dad of 4 boys, WOW. Obviously, this takes a little time to really sink in and to be honest even now, with triplets being 19 months old you get days where it still feels unreal.
Move from RAK to Dubai
After being told this pregnancy would be high risk due to being a multiple pregnancy, we decided it was best to move to Dubai to be closer to the hospital in case of an emergency. We would need to have ultrasound scans more often to check the triplet's growth and development.
After a month of searching, we found a really nice apartment in a big community called "Ghoroob" on the edge of Dubai, 15mins from the hospital. It was perfect. We moved in in August 2021, two months before the triplets were born. This gave us time to get things set ready for their arrival.
Monday 11th October 2021
The Triplets were born on Monday 11th October 2021, five weeks early but this is expected for any multiples. After that, They spent the next five weeks in NICU which was one of the toughest times of my life. As a couple, it made us closer than ever. Leaving your newborn children in the hospital is the hardest!
Over the next five weeks, I would go back and forth to work, dropping my wife at the hospital on the way, and then going straight there on the way home. It was an up-and-down emotional time with highs and lows, but thankfully more highs.
Triplets came home
Friday 19th November 2021, a date that we will never forget. The boys came home and the family could finally meet them. Happy emotions were everywhere from grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins all in one place, it was a great time. It was the greatest feeling to finally have them home with us and to be able to be a proper family.
Time went by too fast and soon I was back to work missing the boys every day.
The start of the next chapter
At this point, we were making the decision to move from UAE to the UK for a few reasons. Different lifestyle for the boys and us as a family and for my wife to be able to not work and be with the boys full time.
After some difficult decisions, we decided that I would stay home for the first part as my wife was more tied into her teaching job. I was freelance so it was easy for me to quit and I spent the first six months at home with them, with my mother-in-law.
Being with them and caring was the easy part for my wife. Being away from them was a very hard time for her, she really is a super mum and the most incredible person I know.
As a couple, it was also very hard as we wanted the opposite. Me at work and her at home.
2022
Before we knew it, it was 2022, and the boys growing and developing as they should. After a great Christmas break together, we had spoken to UK immigration regarding the visa process for my wife and although along the process ahead we had decided this was what we wanted as a family. And on top of this, I had been given the opportunity to open my own barber shop in Bristol, my home town!
From there the plan started to grow. Still at home with the boys, my wife working but craving to be home, this was our chance to swap; me working and her at home. This new chapter was our dream. (Now just a matter of making it happen!)
In May 2022 my father started working on the shop in the UK while I was still in UAE giving him design idea. At this point, we had hired a nanny in UAE to help us at home as looking after three doesn't leave you much time to even shower or let alone do anything else. Plus I was planning to leave for the UK in June to finish fitting out and open the shop.
Dada left for the UK
Wednesday 8th June 2022, it was incredibly hard to leave them only having a loose plan as to when I would be able to come back, but also exciting as I was off to start the new chapter. Bittersweet was our name for it. My wife is still working. Her mom and the nanny are looking after the boys and I'm in the UK working on my new business. Thankfully my wife had the summer holidays off work, so she was able to spend some much-needed time at home with the boys.
Open the barber shop on Tuesday 19th July 2022, although I did manage to get a quick return trip to UAE with my dad to see them all before flying back to officially opened the shop.
On my return, we started to process with all the admin and paperwork for my wife's visa. My wife, her mom and the boys moved from Dubai to Ra's al Khaimah to be closer to her work. Less travelling and untimely more time with the boys. I also join Tinies Bristol at this time to help keep some cash flowing while the business was growing.
This was a very tough time being apart as a family and a very stressful admin. The UK home office now literally knows our entire life!
Triplets are one!
I returned in October to UAE for the boys 1st birthday. My dad and my eldest son also came, it was his first time meeting his triplets brothers so very special time. My wife's family also came to celebrate with us. It was an amazing beach party with all our family and three yellow bus cakes.
This trip passed too quickly and before I knew was back in the UK at the shop. This was to be the longest time apart, a total of four months, as trying to get the shop more established and waiting for my wife's visa to be processed. That was so hard to be away from the boys and my wife, but we always tried to think of the new chapter and that it will all be worth it in the end.
At this time my wife's visa was granted! The best news we had had since the boys came home from the hospital.
Finally, we all arrived in the UK on Sunday 28th May 2023 after a stressful flight from Dubai. Not because of the boys but because of the airline staff giving us different information. But it didn't matter because now we were in the UK altogether again as a family and finally starting this new chapter.
Now settled and happy we are working hard on the business to keep it growing.
Boys will be two soon the time is really flying.
Richard Green
