#WCW Teresa Cates

#WCW #Workingmom #careerdriven #tripletmom

When I met Teresa recently and learned that she is a working mother of triplets, I knew that she had a story to tell.?Teresa was very kind to share her story with me, and just as I thought, she has a interesting story that we can all learn from.?I am a mother of two ages 4 and 2.?I can’t even imagine having three infants at once.?

Teresa grew up in a military home.?Her father was in the Navy.?She was stationed in Puerto Rico, Morocco, and many other places throughout her childhood.?Although when she lived in other countries, she and her family lived on base with Americans, and she went to school with Americans, instilled in her from these experiences is a love for America and a sense of appreciation for being born in America.?In Morocco she was surrounded by poverty and terrible living situations.???

When Teresa’s father retired from the Navy, she and her family moved to New Orleans.?She graduated from Slidell high school, just outside New Orleans.?Teresa’s father passed away in 1989, her mother who was originally from Knoxville, remarried and moved back to Knoxville.?Teresa and her husband are both UT Alumni.?

Teresa’s sister insisted that she come out with her one evening.?Teresa went reluctantly and on that evening, she met her husband.?Teresa tried to get out of going out, saying she didn’t have anything to wear.?We all know that feeling!?Her sister insisted and even provided the outfit which was a little punk rockfish and not Teresa’s style.?Teresa and Dean met out that evening at Old College Inn.?She told her mother the next day that she had met her future husband.?Her mom knew that she was serious.?God brought Teresa and Dean together on that evening and they built a beautiful life and family.?

Teresa and Dean graduated UT and Dean accepted a job in Atlanta.?She and Dean moved the Atlanta after college and lived there for 22 years.?Dean and Teresa will be married 29 years in December.?

After moving to Atlanta, Teresa was pregnant.?During a check up appointment the doctor turned off the sonogram machine because there was no longer a heartbeat.?This was heartbreaking for the Cates.?Teresa wanted to be a mother.?For the next five years Teresa and Dean tried to get pregnant.?They went through fertility testing which led them to try In vitro.?The first round of In vitro was unsuccessful and the second round was a success.?Initially she had four healthy embryos, but one was lost leaving three healthy embryos.?

Teresa is a petite woman and the pregnancy with triplets had challenges.?She was hospitalized and on bedrest from 28 weeks to 35 weeks.?During the hospital stay she developed a friendship with another mother also pregnant with triplets.?During her stay at the hospital, women were given morphine to stop their bodies from going into labor.?This happened to Teresa once and it was incredibly scary as her babies did not move for two days after the morphine.?At 35 weeks, her doctor winked and her and told her that he could not help if her pump malfunctioned.?This pump was giving medicine to prevent Teresa from going into labor early.?At 35 weeks, Teresa checked herself out of the hospital and went home.?Her pump, “malfunctioned”, and her water broke shortly after.?Dean was mowing the lawn when her water broke.?She was furious as he finished mowing the lawn before coming in and taking her to the hospital.?During the delivery of the threesome, there were NICU staff standing in the room ready to take the triplets if needed.?The triplets were delivered without any issues!?The NICU staff left the room.?Teresa can remember watching them file out of the room as they were not needed and felt a huge sense of relief.?

Teresa’s dream of becoming a mother had been fulfilled.?She was blessed with three beautiful, healthy babies. ?When she brought the triplets (Lauren, Jacob, and Dylan) home they slept in the same crib for one month.?They were used to having each other close and were comforted being together.?After one month they were moved to their individual cribs in a shared room.?Teresa said that her babies had their own language.?They were always communicating to each other with their own language long before they were able to speak.?

Teresa was always very career minded.?When Teresa cried to her boss not knowing what she would do having triplets.?His response was to take as much time as she needed.?Teresa went back to work when the kids were three.?When she initially returned to work it was part time as her kids started a Montessori program from 10-2 every day.?This was the first time in their lives they were separated.?They each went into their own class.?At age four they started pre-k full-time, and Teresa started working full time.?Her boss was incredible and supportive.?To this day, she still stays in touch, although he has since retired. Providing Teresa, the flexibility, allowed her to continue her career.

Teresa began her career in insurance underwriting after college.?She still works in this field and has worked for five different companies. ?Throughout her career, Teresa has held positions as a Production Underwriter and Territory Manager, Teresa has been devoted to her career by obtaining the CPCU designation and holding the position of President of the local CPCU Chapter.??Teresa holds many industry designations, including:?CPCU, CIC, and CRIS.?Dean traveled for work.?Typically, he traveled Monday-Thursday while the kids were young.?

Teresa was one of only a few mothers that worked in her community in Atlanta.?She liked working and felt that she was more present when she was with the kids when she worked.?

One challenging period of her career was when the company she had working for seven years was bought and new management took over.?Teresa took a remote position with a new company hoping to maintain a flexible work life balance. On the first day the new company was bought, and the position became an office position, resulting in a 1 ? hour commute during a critical teenage phase for her kids. Although Atlanta traffic was brutal, Teresa held firm to her one-year employment contract.?During this time, she often had to ask for help from other mother’s and friends.?She is not the type to ask for help and this was uncomfortable for Teresa.?The day her contract was up, she gave notice.?

Teresa always valued family time.?It was a rule that every Wednesday night was family night.?This meant that the entire family would be together for dinner and games after.?During the dinner she would go around the table and ask each kid their high and low for the week.?Even today, her kids will tell her their highs and lows when they speak.

When the triplets were seniors, they announced all at once that they wanted to attend UT.?Since Teresa and her family was still living in Atlanta, this meant out of state tuition times three.?This would not have been possible for the Cates.?Teresa said that God had a plan.?UT advised that if they would move to TN six months before starting college, they could get in state tuition.?Teresa and Dean were about to move and work remotely.?The Cates listed their Atlanta home, and it sold in less than one week.?This was at a time that the real estate market was not moving as quickly as today.?The Cates found a home in Knoxville and moved to Knoxville.??

Teresa and Dean are now grandparents to a beautiful little girl.?Teresa is very close with her threesome to this day.?Her greatest achievement was raising her children.??