A Day in the Life: Two Men Raising Triplets

Feb. 22 -- In these days of in vitro fertilization, there seem to be more and more multiple births. When I walk through the park, I see not just lots of double strollers, but triple ones as well.

So this is a story about what it's like to spend 24 hours a day with triplets born to loving parents, who just happen to be gay.

Raising a family is a difficult job for many loving couples. But it's even more difficult when it's a couple with triplets, now a little over a year old.

Donor and Surrogate Mothers, In Vitro Fertilization

In the summer of 1999, Jon Langbert, 36, and his partner, James Garcia, 27, decided they wanted to become fathers.

"I've always wanted to have kids, and we started hearing about other families like the one we would have," said Langbert. "It was something we both wanted."

So they hired a company to do two things: find a surrogate mother who would carry the baby, and find a donor mother who would provide an egg.

"I made a list of people that were attractive and that were smart," said Garcia. "Health was a big issue," he added.

While they don't know who the donor mother is, they do know that the surrogate mother is a woman named Patricia.

Last summer, sperm from Langbert and Garcia was mixed in vitro and used to fertilize the donor eggs. Then Patricia began carrying four fertilized eggs — more than was needed, but often not all of the eggs will take.

In Patricia's case, three of the eggs were fertilized. Langbert and Garcia were about to become fathers of triplets.

Sometimes with multiple births, a decision is made to reduce the number of fetuses for the health of the mother and the children.

"We had long conversations with Patricia and her family," said Garcia, "and came to the conclusion that we would go ahead and go through with all three."

Two Girls and A Boy, Eight Weeks Premature

On Christmas Day in 2001, the fraternal triplets, two girls and a boy, were born eight weeks premature.