Three identical daughters, Avery, Bentley, and Cassidy, are welcomed home by Amanda and Chad Doss, who live by the simple motto, “Stay calm, they’re just triplets.” The pink Sharpie marker is a tool that makes life easier with their uncommon naturally occurring identical triplets. The small distinctions between the girls make it difficult for the parents to differentiate between them. Although it is beginning to diminish, Cassidy has a noticeable vein on her nose, and one of Bentley’s eyelids is red.
However, since the babies change practically on a daily basis, the Dosses will choose a marker after a bath. In case they wake up one morning and the birthmarks have disappeared, Amanda says they keep their initials in Sharpie under the soles of their feet. The couple from Franklin, Indiana, who also have Chad’s children from a previous marriage, Caleb, 12, and Kaitlyn, 9, are adjusting to a new life since the girls joined the family. In order to grow their family “just a little bit,” they made the decision for Chad to undergo a vasectomy after he and Amanda got married in 2011. The naturally conceived triplets were a pleasant surprise. The trio, who were born on December 30th, nearly two months premature, thrived in the hospital and were discharged on January 29th, still a month before Amanda’s due date.
Although a bit hectic, Amanda reported that she had a great experience. The Dosses expanded to become a family of seven, living in a three-bedroom house with a crib for each baby in the master bedroom. With constant help from family members, the couple has established a routine where they divide parenting duties and household chores. The parents claim to be exhausted and busy, but they are proud of their daughters for being adaptable to the daily routine. Most of the time, it wasn’t as challenging as they had anticipated, according to Amanda. “In my head, I envision complete anarchy. Currently, they are extremely easy to care for in this infant stage, having a maternal feeling. There are three children that require my assistance.” Friends told Chad they were amazed at how well their lives seemed to be going, even though the house was always filled with screams and chaos.
Amanda said that she manages the triplets by trying to stick to a routine and not allowing herself to get stressed, although a baby can test the patience of a new parent. For Chad, it’s a mutual spirit of cooperation where one steps in to take the lead when the other is too exhausted to do so. Chad affirms, “We are both very good at helping each other out. We want to make each other happy. The main thing that keeps us going is the love we share.” The younger sisters are particularly beloved by both Caleb and Kaitlyn. “Our two older children love them very much and are always willing to help,” Amanda added.
