I know, you are surprised to hear from me again....

OK, so I'm breaking all records here with a third post in less than a week. I have had some emails suggesting that I post more frequently, but honestly, there is not really much to say since I don't really do all that much....except wait.
Anyway, I just wanted to comment that I have added the FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed information to the blog. I just thought it would be interesting to see who is checking the blog and from where. I know that our good friend (Troy actually refers to him as "brother"), Dave Kerr, is checking in with us while he is stationed in Iraq. We have family in Hawaii and other family in OH, NC, GA, etc. So I thought this might be sort of fun to keep up with. I don't know much about it, so if it gets annoying, I might delete it.
Mom (a.k.a. Nana) came by last night to let the dogs go out and also to work on washing some of the baby stuff that we have. We are still only washing the items that are "used" as we have no idea what to expect of their size and therefore what clothing items they will need. New outfits remain unwashed and waiting for the "green light" that the babies will be able to wear them. We have been so fortunate to receive so many hand-me-downs from other triplet families and other moms. There seems to be an abundance of socks, burp cloths and a number of receiving blankets. From what I understand, we can NEVER have enough burp cloths and receiving blankets, so I am NOT complaining.
That's all I have for the moment. Like I said, I just wanted to mention the new thing I added to the blog and see how it goes. Hope to "see" you here soon!

Two posts in a week - amazing

OK, I haven't been posting too much here lately, but since we had an appt with the doctor, I thought I'd just let everyone know that we are all doing fine.
As Troy says, the dr seems to giggle everytime we see him because things are moving along without any troubles. He really expected worse but seems to be quite pleased that it is going so smoothly (almost like a singleton pregnancy).
We did not get growth estimates (as predicted), but will get that info next week. Babies were all staying busy and heart rates were good, though Troy and I were a little concerned that Baby C (boy) was at 122 while the others were 153 and 144. Dr said that it is well within the normal range and nothing to worry about. He was also pleased that I showed a 4lb weight gain since last Thursday, though I think 1/2 of it had more to do with my heavier clothes and thick shoes. Either way, I do think I gained a couple of pounds (donuts and real ice cream are GOOD additions to my diet).
That's all for now. I'm planning to nap as I'm WAY behind on sleep due to the large size of my protruding belly. At least they wiggle around when I can't sleep, so I don't feel lonely. :)

Merry Belated Christmas - Happy Wk 29 - Heading into 2008

Well, we didn't have our typical dr appt this morning as it is tomorrow instead. So, in that sense, I don't have any "updates". I can say that I'm enjoying the extra insulin and the real sugar! I've had cookies and crumb donuts and Brusters ice cream (Peppermint Stick and Cake Batter are the top picks right now).

The babies seem to move non-stop, especially in the evening. Baby B (girl) has been the most active, although A & C make their presence known at times. They do seem to respond when I start talking to them, or when Daddy comes home and says hello. Baby B is the most likely to bump or kick to make sure we know she can hear us. Pretty cool. We're wondering if she will be the hyper one, or just the one who likes to be held and wants all of the attention. Should be interesting.

Early Christmas morning we were talking about how different it will be for us from now on. It's pretty exciting to think about next year's Christmas with 3 little ones in the house. Aside from that, Christmas was nice as we had breakfast with my family - including my nephew's fiance, Stephanie (he popped the question on the 23rd and she said YES). We are very excited that 2008 will not only bring the addition of the babies, but also a new member of the family (and a wedding - we love weddings!). Later, we had lunch/dinner with Troy's family and hung out there to visit with them. The rest of the day/evening was spent working on the nursery.

The nursery has definitely started to look like it's ready to just add babies and it will be operational. We are still trying to figure out where things should go, what we need on the changing table, etc. But all three cribs fit with plenty of room left for potentially adding a love seat or couch (we've heard that this is better than a typical glider or recliner when there's more than one baby and a chance of more than one caregiver trying to handle the babies).

Not sure that you can really see a change in the belly picture, but don't let that fool you. I'm really outgrowing shirts as my belly sticks out more each day. While my weight wasn't really increasing, I think it is not stopping them from growing bigger and stronger. We hope to get growth estimates tomorrow, but it will probably be next week before we hear anything on that.

While my goal is still 34 wks, I've decided to just live to get to the next week (OK, sometimes it's just getting to the next day that I'm thinking about). Right now, we are fast approaching 30 wks and that is great. I'm so relieved and thankful that things are going fine. I sort of wish it could be a little less uncomfortable, but I know that this does indicate that the babies are growing and that's exactly what we want. Another triplet mom that we met in a multiples class will be delivering this coming Sunday and she will be at 36 wks. AMAZING. So, I know it can be done. We are also very thankful for the continued prayers and support as we prepare for them and try to hold on until at least 34 wks. Hard to believe they could be here in 5 wks or less!!!! Crazy. Life will certainly get more interesting around our house!

In case I don't post before Tuesday, HAPPY 2008!!!!

Week #28 and still hanging in there

Well, we have finally reached 28 weeks. This is a major milestone as they have a great chance to do well, although it's still best that they hang in there a little longer.
We had another appt today and the doctor was really pleased and quite enthusiastic. Once again, my cervix is almost 5 cm (this is good, it does not mean 5 cm dialated). There is no sign that the babies are getting ready to make an appearance. They were quite active and looked great, although we didn't get growth estimates because they were short-staffed in the office due to the holiday.
Our only issue is that I have to eat more and gain weight as it hasn't changed much in the last few weeks. Between the diabetes and the growing size of the babies, it's become much more difficult to eat the portions that will accommodate their needs and mine. I've been given the green light to eat whatever and use more insulin from now on in order to achieve the weight gain they are looking for. We immediately headed for IHOP so that I could get pancakes, eggs, hash browns and a big glass of milk (preceeded by a shot of insulin). Boy was it good.
Things are still progressing at home with the nursery and just generally preparing for their arrival. I have finally given up all of my accounting work and am just doing the job of being a gestational hostess (with the "most-est"). It was very difficult this week to finish up work with my remaining two clients as it still seems that what I "do" has been my identity for so long. I still hope to return to the work sometime, but it will probably be a little while until things settle down. For now, I need to do some reading up on parenting multiples, breastfeeding (I've skipped that chapter in any book I have read so far), etc.
Not sure if I will post again before Christmas, so I wanted to be sure to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Wk 27 Belly Pic and Update

I'm not feeling creative enough to come up with clever titles for my blog posts these days. Right now, I'm just exhausted as I didn't sleep well and we had a 7:30am appt, so I need to take a nap. BUT I realized that some of you are a little annoyed that I didn't get a picture posted last week and I wanted to get this up there ASAP.

Week 27 and things are still just fine. We saw the babies again today and everything is going along without any complications. They are sort of shifting around in a clockwise motion, which is weird. Once they can identify Baby C (being a boy makes him a little more obvious than the two girls), then they try to determine where the other two are and who is who. It gets pretty confusing as it appears to be a little crowded in there. Next week (#28)is another big milestone and it sounds like they will start giving me weekly steroid injections in order to help their lungs mature faster.

I don't know if I can really see much of a difference from the side between the week 25 pic and the week 27 pic. We might have to consider taking pics from the front as it seems like I'm getting wider across my tummy as opposed to sticking out more. Hard to say, but I'm pretty sure that they are still growing in there.

I've been in "nesting mode" wanting to get things organized and all of that, but frustrated that there is very little I'm really able to do without help. I know that very soon, I will wish that I could be back in bed sitting around asking for help instead of running around like a crazy mom chasing after three little ones. For now though, I'm doing my best to stay put and have as few contractions as possible.

So, there's no exciting news to report other than the fact that we are still hanging in and waiting for the right time for them to make an appearance. Still hopeful that I can keep them in there for another 7 weeks or so.

Week #26 no picture, but here's an update

OK, as I type this, I do not have the week #26 picture, but will get it later this evening and post it.**It's Sunday and two days from week #27, so no picture this week. Sorry.**
Things are still moving right along. I've had a number of contractions all week and finally called the dr. They had me come in and get hooked up to a monitor and, of course, no contractions. Since we were scheduled for an appt on Monday, they went ahead and did everything today instead. Cervix is still over 4cm and the dr did the "happy cervix dance".
Babies are growing and up to A.) 1lb 13 oz, B.) 2lb and C.) 1lb 13 oz. Sounds like little boy "C" is letting the girls "catch up" some. A and C have really moved around and all of them seem to be crowding in from the belly button up. That sort of explains why I'm getting full as soon as I start eating - the babies are squishing my stomach into a tiny little place for very little food. They have been pretty active most of the week. There are definitely times where it looks like there is a soccer game going on and other times where they don't seem interested in performing for us. We've tried talking, singing and rubbing my belly to get their attention. Sometimes they respond with a little bump, but then again they might just sit quiet and avoid making a fuss.
Our week has been a little chaotic as we are getting windows installed in the house. We decided that it was necessary, would really benefit us in the long run and would be best to get done before the babies arrive. So far, they look really great. Troy even got a bay window out front and we are already making plans for the kids to sit up in it and watch for Daddy to come home from work. :)
That's about it for us right now. I'll keep you all posted if anything changes.

Week #25 Belly Pic and Update

Well, we managed to miss getting a week #24 picture, so here is week #25. Looks like they are making progress in there.
We had another appt with the dr today and all is well. The nurse practitioner says that I look like I'm at 32 wks were it just one baby, although everyone always comments that I don't look like I'm pregnant with triplets. I FEEL like I'm pregnant with triplets. Especially when they are moving around all at once.
I've told a few people this story, but thought I'd share it here too: The other night, Baby A was moving A LOT. She is the one located below my belly button and lays across (and usually face down for some reason). At one point, I felt like she was vertical (still below the belly button) and standing up dancing or something. I told Troy that I was afraid her foot was going to "come out" if she wasn't careful. But no baby parts appeared and she eventually settled down.
They certainly have their days, or certain times of the day, where they seem to be shifting places and kicking a lot more. I really love it when Troy is around when they are active and he can watch/feel them.
Troy is working on the nursery as I type. We are anxious to start moving things in there and see what we've got and what we still need and how it all fits into the room. The turtles look so great on the nursery walls and he still has plans to build shelves for storage in the closet.
Aside from that, still no big news except that the babies are all doing well and growing. I'm spending most of my time at home in bed. I have been able to get out a few times during the week, but that is happening less often as it tends to really wear me out and I end up feeling pretty rough. I am certainly feeling uncomfortable and finding that position that IS comfortable is a little challenging - in between trips to the restroom. But it's still such an exciting time to be able to see their progress and know that they will be here before we know it. We are about 9 wks away from my "personal" goal and so far they seem to be cooperating with my plans. :)
Thanks again for checking on us.

Still looks like a million bucks

We've officially hit a big milestone by making it to 24 weeks. I might have explained this before, but just in case, this means that they are technically viable. If our babies were to decide to make their grand entrance into the world, the doctors would have options available to help them survive. The next milestone is 28 weeks. As I've said before though, I'm going for 34 weeks, so that's that.
We had an appt today and the fetal fibronectin test was negative. A positive result could indicate that I would go into labor during the next two weeks, so we are VERY pleased to find out it was negative. My cervix is still over 4cm and the babies are all doing very well. In fact, they are estimating their weights at A) 1lb 3oz, B)1lb 4oz and C)the big boy at 1lb 6oz. The doctor is pleased that they are at similar weights as it means that no one is hogging all the good stuff. :) Once again, heart rates were strong and they are much bigger as you can't get all of one baby on the screen at the same time.
Our doctor seems to be very happy (and somewhat surprised) that we are not having any complications so far. I told him that I'm still aiming for 34 wks, so it's a good thing that things are going smoothly.
I've gotten the green light for a little extra insulin on Thanksgiving so that I can splurge a little with things I really love and maybe a small bite of REAL dessert!

Thanksgiving certainly takes on a whole new meaning to us this year. There are three miracles that will soon be here and we cannot even begin to express how blessed we feel. Next year will be a much different atmosphere at Thanksgiving and we look forward to having a large family to celebrate with then.

Week #23 Belly Pic

Once again, I'm a few days late. The belly pic doesn't look like a big change from last week, so I almost didn't bother posting it. Troy pointed out that it is because of the shirt I was wearing last week and it looks like he might have taken it from a slightly different angle.
Anyway, despite the picture, it does feel like they are bigger. Troy was finally able to see them moving the other night. I think he was starting to think I was a little nuts when I kept saying that I had been watching them move around in there until he was able to see it himself.
I'm thankful that some friends have been able to come over and help me out at lunchtime. Troy is super-busy at work and not here at lunch or dinner, so I've been able to get some friends to stop in at lunch and my sister or mom usually come by at dinnertime to help me out and feed the dogs. I can't thank everyone enough for their support. I think that it is really making a difference and allowing the babies keep doing their thing when I am able to avoid taking the stairs too many times a day and because I am spending a lot of time in bed resting and making sure they stay put.
Our next appt is next Tuesday. I believe they will be checking the growth of the babies, so it should be interesting to maybe find out how big they are and an estimate of their weight. And of course it means we get to SEE them again, which is always a good day!

Met Jon & Kate (of Jon & Kate Plus 8)

Jon & Kate (of Jon & Kate Plus 8 on TLC/Discovery Health) were in Knoxville yesterday and I was able to get to hear them speak at a local church, along with Karen, Chanda and Cynthia. We had a good time at lunch beforehand and enjoyed hearing Jon & Kate's story.
For those of you who might not know who they are, you can check out their website:
http://www.sixgosselins.com/Home_Page.html
We really had a good time and we were able to ask questions afterwards. The church also offered refreshments and sort of a "meet and greet" with the Gosselins. We all decided that since I have the triplets in my belly, I should get a picture with them (as attached). They were very nice and answered a bunch of questions about how to handle the arrival of multiples.
That's about all there is to say, but I thought I'd share the (not-to-flattering) pictures.
And, by the way, do not think that I will normally post three messages in a week as these have been "special" occasions that I put on here. There isn't really that much to tell during a regular week. Just didn't want anyone to get their hopes up. :)

Stone Mountain getaway

Now that I've gotten a few hours of sleep, I thought I'd elaborate on our Stone Mountain "adventure". We were there back in May and LOVED it and decided to go back for one night. We had BEAUTIFUL weather and the colors were really great also, despite the drought.
There is actually so much to do inside the park. During our first visit in May, we even hiked up to the top (I thought they would have to airlift me back to the bottom, but I survived). The Marriott has two locations inside the park, including the Evergreen Resort which offers spa services and the Stone Mtn Inn which had a HUGE room and large bathroom/dressing area (we decided that we could fit three pack n plays in there and still have plenty of room to move around).
When we were there in May, the park offered a laserlight show nightly on the side of the mountain which was very cool. Right now, they are getting ready for the holidays and will have over 2 million lights throughout the park. We got a glimpse of some as the holiday event begins November 10th. There are so many great walkways and nature trails to wander around and beautiful views in the picnic areas also. Troy decided we should picnic before we headed home yesterday and we found a great location near the Grist Mill where we could see the lake and the fall colors.
I don't mean to sound like an advertisement, but I wanted to let people know about it as we hadn't heard much until we decided to go there earlier in the year. Now we wish that we had been going for the last few years.
A few other favorites in the Stone Mtn area: The Village Corner (a German restaurant, bakery and tavern in the little downtown/historic area - www.germanrestaurant.com, www.germanbakery.com), Potz & Panz (a small cafe that also does catering), Miss Katie's Sideboard (restaurant in the Crossroads area of the actual park - they give you a little appetizer of fried pickles, onions, etc - YUMMY). OK, yes, those are all places to eat, but that's what we like to hunt down, especially after a day of walking and hiking and burning calories.
This trip didn't allow us to do any hiking, although Troy did take a pretty long walk when we first arrived while I took a nap before our anniversary dinner out.
OK, so that's my "plug" for Stone Mtn. It really is a nice area and we are really excited to take the kids there someday.
A little explanation of the pics that we have posted (not sure what order they will appear): Memorial Carving on Stone Mtn, Grist Mill where we had the picnic lunch, lake with fall colors, our anniversary dinner with a guest who wanted to be in the picture (and yes, we look like crazy people in this one).
Have a great weekend!

Week #22 Belly Pic

Sorry I'm late getting this posted. Our 3rd anniversary was yesterday (Wed, 11/7) and we went out of town for the day. We decided to hit Stone Mountain one last time on our own. We are really looking forward to taking the kids there someday.

Anyway, here's the belly picture for week #22...and two days. Things still seem to be just fine. It does look like I'm still growing - which means that they are growing. Must be the double cheeseburgers from Wendy's. :)

I didn't have a gift for Troy for our anniversary (he found a picture frame for our "prom-like" photo from my recent reunion which qualifies as glass/crystal for the third year anniversary - kudos to him!), but finally was able to get him to feel the babies kicking. We've tried this a few times, but every time he tries to wait it out, they seem to get very still. Last night, they were active for a while (probably because I split a special anniversary dessert with Troy) and he was able to feel them moving around for a few minutes. I decided that could potentially count as my "gift", right?

That's all for now. I'm headed for bed. Making three people makes me very sleepy.

Thanks for checking on us.

Overwhelmed, Incredibly Blessed and Extremely Thankful

Wow. I mean it...wow! The "babies" shower was last night and first of all, I MUST thank Cynthia for her willingness to be the hostess and for doing such an amazing job. The food was wonderful and her pea pod theme/ideas were really cute.

A little explanation of the pictures posted with this message:
Precious cake that Aunt Karen worked so hard to get for us.
Picture of me with my "new little man" outfit.
Nana's van loaded up with the goodies (thanks to Megan and Jilliane for all their hard work loading and unloading everything)

I joked about the crowd sort of being "this is your (work) life" as I felt like my resume was represented in the faces of many of the people who were there. There were so many wonderful people in attendance who I met through one job or another and it was great. Unfortunately, I did not get to visit very much with each person, but I have to say that after seeing everyone there, I want to get together for a couple of hours with each one of you to talk and catch up on your lives. I would love to hear from you guys so that maybe we can do just that. I'm expecting to have a little time on my hands for a few more weeks.

Anyway, there was an amazing group of women who were family, friends and former co-workers. And everyone was so incredibly generous that Troy and I cannot thank you enough. He still has no idea what is in all of the boxes and bags as he just got a glimpse before we decided we were just too exhausted to look through everything. Seriously, there are so many wonderful gifts that I can't name it all, but let me tell you, we have hats, booties, onesies, diapers, toys, books, etc. It's just overwhelming to know that so many people support us and are celebrating with us as we wait for these three miracle babies to arrive.

I should also mention that some of my guests drove in just for the shower, including Aunt Sandi (from Georgia), cousin Megan (from Kentucky), cousin Jilliane (from Louisiana), Aunt Marsha (from Nashville) and "Aunt" Tami (from Ohio). All of them came just to celebrate the triplets and we were so thankful that they took the time to be here.

For now, I have to take some time to rest as today and Friday were really full of activity, but I did want to take a few minutes to mention what a great time I had last night and how grateful I am to everyone for their kindness.

Like a million bucks

Well, according to the nurse practitioner, I look "like a million bucks". Everything is about as good as it can get. The babies are growing well, fluid levels are good, blood pressure is great, weight gain is fine, cervix remains long and curved. We won't be back in the office again until just before Thanksgiving. Depending on how things look then, we will start going in every-other week or once per week. I guess the saying goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", so as long as we aren't having any problems then we don't need to be there.
Aunt Karen went with us to witness the ultrasound as they didn't do them when she was pregnant. We got to see them sticking out their tongues and even got one of those really cool 3-D/4-D pictures of our little boy. Unfortunately our girls would not cooperate (though we hope this is NOT a sign of things to come), so we didn't get the same pics of them. I can't believe how "real" he looks already. After seeing the scary ultrasound "Skeletor" pics when we see them from the front, I was starting to worry. :)
That's our good news for the moment....everything is great with all three babies and mom is surviving the finger pricks, insulin injections and low carb/sugar diet. The babies kept me up this morning kicking (lightly)which is still one of the absolute best things so far. It is so much more "real" when I can feel them squirming around, although it is still somewhat surreal that there are THREE babies, but the farther along we get, the more I start to believe it.

Week #21 Belly Pic

Here is another belly update. Personally, I can't see much of a change from last week, but here it is anyway.
What I can't believe is that we are actually at week #21! There is so much to "worry" about with a pregnancy in general and especially with multiples, so it is such a relief to get this far and know that technically we are only 3 weeks from the possibility of the viability of the babies should they come really early. As I've said before, we have a much loftier goal of 34 wks, but knowing that we've even seen a preemie who was born at 24 wks and was thriving 3 wks later is a little comforting. We can only continue to pray that things continue to go smoothly and I can keep myself horizontal as much as possible.
The babies have been more active during the last few days. Yesterday I was even able to SEE when I got thumped. There was a little jump on my belly. This has to be the coolest part so far.
I don't feel like I'm putting on the pounds that they had hoped for, but still keep trying. Today I even indulged with Long John Silvers for lunch AND a Wendy's double with cheese for dinner. I'd say that I packed in a few extra calories, so that is a plus. I really want to be sure to keep trying to gain as much as I can for the benefit of the little ones. I think they enjoyed the burger as there was a lot of thumping about 90 minutes later.
It's getting late, so I'm going to get this posted. We'll update after our Thursday appt.

Halloween "scare"

We had sort of a scare Thursday evening. I say sort of because I think it was mostly me who was scared and it wasn't that dramatic. In my defense, I must remind you that I have never been pregnant before, much less with three. Even the women I know who have children can't usually offer me too much help when I feel weird things as they also do not know what is "normal" when you have three babies swimming and growing inside of you.

So, our scare. Basically, I was feeling pain just below my chest. Not bad pain. It sort of made me feel nauseous all day, so keeping up with my calories was a chore (and probably not met). What you might not know is that below my chest are most of my internal organs. Everything is squished up in that area now in order to make room for babies, so it was a weird sort of pain to say the least. Later, I started getting sharp pains in my lower back. I understand that I will feel back pain. I have had back pain (upper actually, not lower) for quite a while. But this felt like I was being jabbed by an ice pick and it would hurt for about 5 seconds and then go away, but then come back just a few minutes later. I sat still in bed for about 15 minutes before going to "tell" Troy (OK, I cried trying to tell him). He told me to call the doctor just to make sure things were fine. I sort of have this issue with calling the doctor because I feel like crazy, paranoid pregnant lady. But everyone keeps reminding me.....THREE BABIES.....CALL.

The answering service said they would have someone call me back right away and Dr. Howard did call back within just a few minutes. He was very kind and patient with me on the phone. He explained what contractions would probably feel like (my belly would feel like my knee cap or my forehead) and said to come to the hospital if anything like that happened. Otherwise, he wanted to see me on Friday to be sure things were OK. I stayed in bed for the rest of the night and the "ice pick" pains seemed to go away after laying on my side as he had suggested.

Friday morning brought a little wait at the doctor's office, but they were eventually able to get us into a room to check my cervix (still looks beautiful at 5cm) and then we got to see the babies and they checked their heartbeats. The babies appeared to be happy as clams in there, bumping into each other, etc. It is still amazing that we can see little leg bones and their spines and all of that. It's also quite confusing to figure out who is who as they get all mixed up as the ultrasound thing passes over my belly. We got a few pics of their "halloween faces" - if you don't know what I mean, this is when they get a view of the baby's face from the front, which can look pretty scary at this point. Oh yeah, Baby A is a girl. That was a little questionable before, but seemed much more obvious yesterday.

Our buddy, Stephanie, also came in to talk with us and reminded us that our goal is to keep them in there as long as possible, so they are fine if I call everyday if I need to. She also talked a little about our upcoming goals. The timeline goes like this: 24 weeks is actually a point where they are viable, WAY too early, but still have a chance. 28 weeks is the next goal as they have a MUCH better chance of surviving if they are born then, although it would mean a lengthy stay in the NICU (intensive care unit for babies) as well. 32 weeks is even better as their lungs will be more developed and the NICU stay would be much shorter, etc. MY goal is 34 weeks. From what I've read, many triplets have even gone home with mom, or within a week of their birth when they can make it to 34 weeks. Sort of a "lofty" goal, but what can I say, I want to avoid the NICU if possible. I'd take anything between 32-34 weeks, but I'm hoping for 34 weeks.

In light of those "goals", I thought this would be a good opportunity to ask for anyone interested to specifically pray that we get past 24 weeks for right now. OK, maybe be specific and ask for 28 weeks, at least. We've gotten this far and we intend to get as far as we can. We really do appreciate your prayers and all of the support we have received from family and friends during our journey so far....and the fun is just beginning. :)

Week #20 belly picture

Here is week #20 belly picture. Since I've had other posts, there isn't much to say. Belly is growing. We are counting down until our next appointment which isn't until NEXT Thursday, 11/1.
Soon we will probably have pics of the nursery as Troy has been trying to squeeze in some painting in the evenings when he gets home from work. It is starting to look like our babies will have a cute place to lay their heads.
Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks again for checking our blog. We will keep you posted.

Marvelous Multiples

We attended a multiples class ALL day yesterday. It was really pretty helpful and they loaded us up with information, ideas, etc. There were two other triplet parents-to-be in the class and two twin parents-to-be as well. We got a tour of the NICU (Children's/Ft Sanders, but we will deliver at UT), labor & delivery, hospital rooms, etc.
The NICU was definitely emotional for most of us who are loaded up on hormones as a result of our multiple pregnancy, but also filled us with hope to see how these babies were being cared for and managing to survive despite their early arrival. This is the first time Troy & I have ever seen a preemie up close, so it was certainly eye-opening. It is amazing how tiny their little fingers and toes can be, and how adorable they are.
We also met a twin mom and two triplet moms (I have met them before at dinners) who were kind enough to share their experiences and give us some suggestions about things that worked for them.
All in all, we learned a lot, but know that there is still much more to be learned as we move farther along in the pregnancy.

So far, the Odyssey (minivan) is pretty cool. We really haven't driven it too much, but did realize that it will work out for us to use as "date night" in the future. Get your minds out of the gutter, I don't mean THAT kind of date. I mean, at first, we could just sit in the van and watch a movie together even if we don't leave the garage, while someone/group of people keeps and eye on the babies. It would just give us a little time away without actually going too far. Then we could try leaving the house and going to a parking lot...drive through somewhere for food, get a good movie and instant "date night". Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. :)

Babies still seem to be growing in there. I'm still working with the numbers as I try to keep the diabetes thing under control. Good thing I found nitrate-free, organic hot dogs as they have been the one thing I can cook myself quickly without getting too worn out.

We are almost to 20 wks (another good "hump" to get over), so expect a new belly pic soon. It's still about 1 and 1/2 weeks until our next appt, so there is no news on that front.

Thanks for checking in!

Vvvvrrrooooooooooommmmmmmm

We have entered a new chapter of our lives. We bought the minivan. I have to admit that I did shed a little tear or two over the last moments with my SUV. I bought it before we got married and it has served us well as a great travel vehicle. It was comfortable and loaded with some really nice features.
Moving into the minivan phase means a lot. It means leaving behind some things in our world, but when I looked into the rear view mirror, I imagined what it would be like to have our three babies loaded up back there and THAT WAS COOL. It has some great features that will hopefully serve us well such as a DVD player (for entertaining), leather seats (in the event of spills, throw up, etc), the cool "lazy susan storage" in the floor (and many more places to store all the stuff that I used to haul around and even more room for the stuff for the babies), etc. Troy left to see if he could show it off to his buddies this evening. He loaded "Gladiator" in the DVD player and it's quite the experience with the doors closed.
So, big day for us, but it was a good one. A big step in the process of preparing for their arrival. And now we just need to load up the car seats with those beautiful, soft, sweet-smelling, wonderful babies and things will be PERFECT.

Week #19 Belly Picture

Well, here we are....bursting forth with 3 babies. Looks like they are growing well so far. Sometimes I can't really tell that there is any change despite the pains from stretching, etc. And then I see the picture and notice that we seem to be protruding just a little more than last time. Of course, some of this may be due to the fact that I just ate dinner, but I think that they are getting a little bigger these days!

I'm adapting to the "diet" and finding ways to get "treats" that are low carb, but still let me have sweet stuff. The numbers are doing a little better.

Troy and I were out shopping for the minivan today. We may have found something but we will find out tomorrow. I'm a little sad to let my SUV go and I will feel a little funny driving around in a minivan before the babies even arrive, but if this deal works out, it is a pretty nice vehicle, so it should be fun.

Hope you enjoy the pic!

Baby clothes, names, the nursery....

The pressure to name our three bundles of joy is on. Now that we know what they are, we are often asked what names we have chosen. While we have come up with a couple of options, there is nothing definite right now. It's such a HUGE responsibility to name these babies and know that they are stuck with it for life (or until they are old enough to decide to legally change their name which would be really weird and a confirmation that we had definitely chosen the wrong name).
We did get out yesterday and looked at baby clothes (Babies R Us). We had looked a little before, but now that we know the sexes, it was a lot more fun....and more complicated. We don't really intend to dress the girls alike, but in some cases (specifically for preemies), there just aren't a lot of options. We did find the bibs that say "I love Daddy" and "I love Mommy" which were big hits for us. :) Aside from that, WOW there are a lot of options out there....gowns, onesies (short-sleeved and long-sleeved), sleepers, socks, booties, mittens, hats, and so on. For those of us without children and similarly without a clue, it was a little crazy. But it was so cool to see the tiny hats and socks for preemies. (We are not being negative about their early arrival, just realistic...they will almost certainly arrive early...just ask my belly.)
About the nursery, there is still work to be done and final decisions to be made. We've had some trouble finding cute sea turtle things, so we may have to amend our decision, but have not done so yet. The colors in the nursery remain sage green (the main color) with accents in pink, yellow, blue, lavender. While they are babies, they will share a room, so we want to be sure to mix it up a little. Once they are older, yes, the little prince will get his own space and the girls will share a room (THAT should be interesting).
I'm also pleased to report that Taco Bell has brought back the Chilito/Chili-Cheese Burrito. Well, SOME of them will make one for you. They have chili cheese nachos, so they should be willing to make the burrito. Per my nephew, Tommy, the Taco Bell at Walker Springs will not accommodate a request to make a Chilito, but I did find that the one on Cedar Bluff will do so. That was before I did a glucose check and found out that I won't be eating them anymore (or at least until I absolutely HAVE to use insulin at mealtimes) as my number spiked. Bummer because it was pretty good. But for those of you who share my passion for the Chilito, I hope this makes your day!
Also, some of you may know that another passion of mine is sour cream. Well until I was pregnant it was sour cream. I could eat it like a side dish. It was a dipping sauce (add a little salt and ta dah) for chicken, steak, etc. I LIVED to eat sour cream. But then the first trimester took its toll and my passion for sour cream. Thought I'd mention that I have had very small amounts of it during the last two weeks and it seems to be getting better. I'm not ready to buy the large buckets of it yet, but I do feel more like me when I want to order a baked potato (I get to eat a very small one, or part of a larger one without getting TOO many carbs) and ask for sour cream on it.
Babies are still growing in there. Now that the nurse pointed out where they are for me, I have definitely been able to identify small little movements - sort of thuds - that must be them kicking around in there. I'm really excited that soon it should be often enough and hard enough for Troy to feel. I think he will LOVE it. And yes, I know that later on, I will wish that the kicking could subside, especially when it involves my bladder or ribs (Baby B is aiming her feet right at my rib cage, but she still has lots of time and room to move around some so I'm hopeful she won't stay aimed that way). But for now, it's such a cool feeling to know that they are moving around in there and growing big and strong.

Drum roll please..................

Sorry for the delay in sharing the news, but it's been a LONG day!

I know you are here to find out what we are having.....

Baby A = Girl (Probably. This will be confirmed at 20 wks, but it looks like she's a girl.)

Baby B = Girl (Almost definitely as they have sort of said this for the last 6 weeks.)

Baby C = Boy (Definitely. Troy even requested a picture of his "boy parts" in order to confirm this.)

All three of them are doing well. They did a more detailed anatomy scan this time and didn't see anything to be concerned about. In three weeks, we will return for a more in-depth look at each heart, but as of today, they each have four chambers which is what we want to see.

That's our news for now. It's time to pick out names and shop for some girlie things and some fun boy stuff. Thanks for keeping up with our progress.

5:45am Thur BEFORE appt

So, I've been up since 4am. I thought that I was feeling pretty good about this appt. Since my glucose numbers have been so up and down, I decided that it must mean that the babies are in there doing what they do and I shouldn't worry. But, as the appt is just a few hours away, I'm unable to get back to sleep. Of course, the heartburn isn't helping either, but that's another story.
We are so thankful for your thoughts and prayers during this pregnancy. Having three healthy babies (girls OR boys) is all we are really hoping for, but today should be another one of those "life-changing moments" for us as we get the big news. Once we know, we'll get back to working on names. We had talked about it before, but decided that it was pointless until we had more specifics to work with.
We had fun at the Duck Duck Goose Consignment Sale last night. They let first-time moms register ahead of time and get in at 7pm the night before the sale officially starts. If you haven't heard of it, check it out. They are getting started today at 10am and are next to the CVS in Western Plaza (off Kingston Pike near Sequoyah? Hills). Thanks to those of you who clued me into that one because it really paid off for us.
Well, I realize that I'm just rambling here while I wait to go to the doctor this morning. Remember to check back as we will post the news as soon as we get home (but it could be this afternoon).

Week 18 Belly Pic

Well, we are at week #18 and just two days away from the next appt where we will learn the sex of our beautiful babies. How exciting!!!!!!
There's not much else to report aside from the fact that I'm still working on establishing a routine for the whole diabetes thing. I have fallen in love with sugar free jello and sugar free pudding. They are my substitutes for Slush Puppies, 7 minute frosting, etc. Long John Silvers has still proven to be a good way for me to get protein and calories without lots of carbs.
I've also been spending some time trying to figure out whether I'm feeling the babies moving around in there. I've decided that I need for them to mark my belly with big "X"s to indicate baby A, B and C so that I will find them again. I keep feeling little flickers and bumps, but haven't determined whether its them or some sort of digestive process going on. :)
Check back with us on Thursday to find out the BIG news!

Really flunked

After almost a week of finger sticks 4 times a day, I have officially flunked the glucose testing, meaning that I've been blessed with gestational diabetes. Of course, this isn't really a surprise as they had warned that it was almost inevitable that I would get it because of the three babies in there. We met with the nutritionist and the nurse to get a meal plan and find out what I can and can't eat. Unlike most people, they still want me to gain weight and continue to strive for 3500-4000 calories/day including the 175-200 grams of protein. That is a little harder to achieve when you are on this sort of diet, but we will work on it.
We figure that it will probably take a week or so to get a routine down and get some meal options that have the carbs, calories and protein and then just switch them around. I was feeling a little discouraged, but once again, it is definitely for the greater good if it means that the babies will be healthy and happy. I'm going to miss the coconut cake with 7 minute frosting, donuts, etc, but I'm will start making my list of requests of things to have once the babies arrive and I can get back to my carbs and sugars!
In case you have forgotten, we have just one more week to wait to find out the sex of our beautiful little miracle babies. We are so excited and are always looking forward to the ultrasound images and the sound of their beating hearts. This time, of course, there is more to look forward to as we discover whether we will have boys, girls or the combination of them.....could be a big defining moment in our lives as it will mean baseball games, piano lessons, dance classes, football, art projects, etc. It's all SO amazing!

Another week....

Belly pic is at 17 wks and 1 day.
Can't believe we are here (at 17 wks, that is). Assuming that most triplet pregnancies are much shorter than a singleton, we are sort of about halfway. It's so crazy to think about the arrival of THREE babies into our lives, but so exciting.
I've been telling people how I thought that I figured out where they were in my bellies by locating their little heads, but realized that it was just a dream. We are really excited that we should be able to feel them moving around soon. I've felt a few things that I think really were them, but nothing too specific.
Things with the glucose testing are going OK. I've had good numbers some days and bad numbers on others, but I don't see a pattern. We just have to see what the nurse says about the numbers and go from there.
Aside from that, Troy and I (and babies) are doing just fine. Only one week until we find out the sex of the babies. I know...you've heard THAT before. But really, they have to tell us this time....surely they will be able to figure it out.
As usual, I don't really have much to say, but thought I should get the belly pic posted before I forget or start getting harassing emails from people.
Take care and thanks for your continued prayers.

Flunked!

OK, so I flunked the early glucose test...but only by two points. What that means is that I will do the finger prick test 4 times a day for a week and they will see how I'm doing. Hopefully it will not be an issue, but I was quick to point out to the nurse that I probably flunked it because of all of the food they are making me eat to put on 75 pounds! We knew that I would most likely have trouble with gestational diabetes at some point during the pregnancy as it is quite common with triplets, but I had hoped it would not show up until much later.
No biggie though. Just something else to keep up with. I'm not big on needles and blood, but after all of the injections and blood work that I've been through, this isn't too bad. Of course, the first time I did it at home, I was a little too far down on the side of my finger and it didn't work, so I had to stick it again. That wasn't my idea of a fun time. I'm really hoping that things look good all week and we get by without making any diet changes or using any other medications.
I can't really say much other wise as there really isn't anything else going on....aside from my expanding tummy. I've decided that I like the "You don't look like you are carrying triplets" comment better than the "Wow, you are only 16 weeks? You are HUGE!." Either way, it's still sort of cool to have a baby bump, however uncomfortable it may be.

I think I might bust!

OK, so we are behind in getting an updated picture on here, but I'll see if we can get to that this evening. If I just tell you that my belly is still growing....to the point that I think I just might bust....would that give you the idea? My sister saw me from the side yesterday and exclaimed "Oh my, I think you have grown overnight!". I told her that she can get by with that for now, but soon, she will need to control that expression as I might get more "sensitive". :)

So far, it is exciting to be at the point where people can tell that you are pregnant and not just putting on the pounds. It's funny how hard I already find it to get up from chairs, bed, etc. I don't even go NEAR the floor. Poor Timber (one of our dogs), can only get attention from me if she's on the couch. She tends to hang out on the floor in the bedroom and I just have to rub her with my feet because I dread the thought of getting on the floor and having to pull myself up again. Can you believe it at 16 wks! I can't imagine at 26 wks!

In other news, my food intake continues to improve (although I still haven't gotten back into a relationship with veggies), but I find myself forgetting to take a drink of water (chocolate milk, slush puppies or whatever) for a couple of hours and then panic and try to guzzle a large glass at once. Afterwards, if I get up from the bed, it really sounds like I have a small lake in my tummy with all of that sloshing around in there. Funny during the day, not so funny in the evening when I'd like to sleep and roll over and hear the ocean....which of course makes me have to pee.

And whoever said that you would have a break from the frequent bathroom trips during the 2nd trimester either lied, or didn't have triplets. I'm hitting the restroom almost every hour or two, especially in the evenings and during the night. We were concerned about the cost of diapers....I'm wondering about our water bill and the cost of toilet paper! :)

There is still so much shopping to do before their arrival, but we have been lucky to find so many good used things from other triplet families, yard sales and friends. If you know anyone who might be getting rid of baby things - cribs, changing tables, clothes, etc, please let me know as I'd love to see what they have!

Thanks for checking in with us again. We are so happy to report that things are still going fine. I've been feeling good (tired, but good) and haven't had anything happen to cause alarm. We continue to be so thankful for your prayers and well wishes!
P.S. We are at 16 wks and 1 day in the belly picture.

Aaaaahhhh 7-minute frosting!!!!!

I did make a boo-boo before our appt the other day. I was supposed to discontinue one medication for 3 days before the appt because they were going to do a 1 hour glucose test (for those not familiar, multiple pregnancies can lead to gestational diabetes, so they test throughout the pregnancy to check for it). Well, around 11pm the night before, I remembered this and realized that I had blown it. The nurse practitioner said that it was fine and I just need to do the test sometime next week.
My plan was to skip the meds Fri, Sat and Sun and go first thing Monday AM to get it over with. But then my dear, sweet father-in-law fulfilled my request for a coconut cake with 7-minute frosting. Now the cake, it's good....but the frosting????? Heavenly! I could eat bowls of that stuff. While I was at his house (shoveling down the first piece), I remembered the upcoming test and pondered how to handle this dilemma. I've decided that I have the weekend to eat my cake (he made one just for me and Troy hates the frosting that I love so dearly, so it really is ALL MINE). I'm going to load up on the sugar and then quit the meds Monday and test Thursday. Sounds like a good plan, right?
I just don't want to "flunk" this test yet. Other triplet moms have told me that I WILL flunk it at some point and have to deal with the gestational diabetes, but I'm just not ready to deal with it yet. I want another month without needles or more drugs or whatever, so I'm hoping to squeak by for this first test.
But if I fail because of the 7-minute frosting, I can't say that I will be sorry!!!! :)

The Mystery Continues

Well, they are just too small to be able to determine the sex of them yet. We are scheduled for the official anatomy scan in 3 wks (yes, that's not until OCT 11TH!!). It was disappointing that we couldn't find out what they are, but once again, it was such a relief to see them moving around on the screen (Baby A was sucking his/her thumb)and hear heartbeats that it really doesn't matter whether they are boys or girls, as they look like they are doing well.
This is probably TMI (too much information) for most of you, but the bright side was that they said that I have a "beautiful cervix" and I mean that is exactly what they said. Normally they run about 4cm, but mine is 5cm long and slightly curved. This is very good for the pregnancy as somehow it helps them stay in there better, or something to that effect (don't feel like researching it to find out exactly why that's good, but will take their word for it). We had a few laughs about that one. Don't worry, there are no pictures or anything to share. :)
I've been up since 3:45am, so I'm off to bed for some rest. Sorry that we don't have the BIG news, but again, thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for their health and growth. So far, things are just about perfect and we can't ask for more than that.

Tomorrow is the big day!

Well, it's finally here....we hope. Tomorrow is the appt where we will potentially find out the sex of the beautiful babies. We are SO excited and hopeful that they don't decide to be shy. I want them to just bare it all for the doctor tomorrow so that there is no doubt about our boys and/or girls! I don't know how I will sleep tonight as last night was hard enough. I was having the strangest dreams....including the one where my belly button had already popped out! That was pretty freaky because I remember telling someone in the dream that it couldn't pop out yet because that would mean they were "done". (I've heard that the dreams of pregnant women can be pretty incredible, so we will assume that's what is going on here.)
As you can see, we finally posted a belly pic from tonight (week 15 and 1 day). Thought some of you would get a kick out of it if you haven't seen me lately and seen my progress. As you can tell, my appetite has improved and something is growing. Hopefully we will find out that the babies are HUGE and that will explain all of it! :)
Please keep all five of us in your prayers until we post again. We want to pray that they are healthy and growing big and strong in there. From what I've read, they should be about 4 inches from "crown to rump" (Aunt Karen likes that phrase). That's a whole foot of babies in there! We are praying that they will be bouncing and kicking and rolling all over the place while there is still a little room.
Check back tomorrow afternoon/evening for the latest......

Baby Pictures from 8/30/07

(Drum roll please....) Finally, the ultrasound pictures of our babies are here. Enjoy! Among the individual pics, they are in order Baby A (top), Baby B (middle) and Baby C(bottom). In the "group photo", Baby A is the one on the bottom. Baby B is the one on the upper right and Baby C is the one on the upper left.

I'll have the country fried steak with mashed potatoes.....

Well, we've turned a corner. I don't seem to be nauseous and grossed out by food (knock on wood). I've been eating beef, chicken, pork, salad....doesn't seem like much except I've barely had any of it in the last 13 weeks. I feel like it is a little easier to hit the calories, protein, etc when I'm able to eat all of this other stuff that's sort of been on my "I'd rather die than eat that" list.
I enjoyed a dinner out with triplet moms on Friday and continue to be amazed by all of the things to be learned as we embark on this unfamiliar territory. I was the only one expecting (at the dinner), so there were plenty of stories about babies pooping while running around the grandparent's house (naked and pooping, I might add), trips to play dates and doctor's appointments, etc. It's very eye-opening, although it's not discouraging as all of these women still have their hair and seem to be getting along just fine. Hearing the stories about the kids makes me even more excited about the arrival of our babies. I just can't wait to start making our own stories and memories and sharing all of the pictures. Now I just need to find someone who will be willing to scrapbook all of it for me. Any volunteers? I figure that I just need help for the first 10 years or so.
Anyway, we are about halfway to our next appt on the 20th. In case you missed it, we are expecting to find out the sex of the babies at this appointment, so it's pretty exciting. Plus it's another chance to see them and watch them swimming around in there (while they still have room). I've decided that we should find someone willing to donate an ultrasound machine that we can keep at the house and watch them all day long. It's certainly better than Lifetime.
Speaking of Lifetime, Troy has threatened to cancel cable if I don't quit watching stories that make me think of things that could go wrong. The other day I mentioned whether life insurance would cover it if something happened to me during the pregnancy/birth. OK, it WAS probably a stupid thing to mention, but seriously, he said he would rather do without cable than hear me come up with more stuff like that. So, I'll have to be careful about what I discuss right after spending time in front of the tube. I wasn't really trying to be negative-Nelly, but just thinking out loud, but I'll save that for the journal.
I wish there was more to "report", but things are pretty quiet around here. I've been able to get a lot of work done for the last week which is a huge relief. Nana (my mom) had a little accident and broke a few fingers. We have told her that she has to be more careful or she won't be able to help out with the babies when they arrive (hmmm..is there a plan by Nana to avoid poopy diapers?????). Hopefully she will heal quickly and get back to kicking butt at Scrabble, Bingo and Bridge. Uncle Tom, Tommy and daddy-to-be are all excited that football season has arrived. Our Vols won Saturday night, so that's always a bonus for the week. Aunt Karen already purchased a little Vols outfit (for a girl), so we are hoping that we will have at least one little Vol cheerleader in the group.

Iron and Fiber and Calcium...oh my

OK, so I haven't been able to put in as many hours on work as I would have liked because of the 1st trimester issues (nausea, exhaustion, etc). This week, I have a plan to really put in a full work week (I've said that since last Thurs, but have since continued to hit the exhaustion phase by 11am everyday). When I thought about it last night, I was feeling really lazy because I've been unable to get anything done around the house lately (or so it seems).
But last night, as I reviewed my remaining pills for the day, I was reminded that I AM working a full-time job right now....making not one or two, but THREE people. I made a commitment yesterday to focus on food and pills. No, I'm not a pill-head, but there really are a number of vitamins, supplements, etc that keep me on my toes all day. I managed to get in all but the full dose of fish oil/DHA (should be taking three, I got in one...but in my defense, I've choked on them almost every time I've tried taking them). I finally realized that it would be helpful to start my nighttime pills MUCH earlier in the evening. It was taking about 8+oz of water to down all of the pills and I was trying to do that right before going to sleep. I felt like my own personal water bed when I would roll over. So, I saved only two for the final dose and took the other 5 around 7:30p (yes, normally there are 7 at bedtime....I told you it was crazy). That really did help me get settled much easier. I have also started to get the iron routine down. You see, I have to take one pill before vitamins or food. But then they added iron last week. It has to be about an hour or two before food, but at least an hour AFTER the other pill. I found a solution so that would allow me to start eating breakfast before 11am. Since I'm up numerous times during the night due to all of the fluids I drink, I've found that I can take the one pill around my 4am trip and then the iron pill around the 6am run to the potty. That way, I can eat by 8am and all is well. Great problem-solving skills, don't you think?
The number of calories consumed still continues to be a challenge and it's also so important that many of those calories incl fiber (you can figure that one out), protein (175-200 grams per day!!!), plus fruits & veggies and all the other good stuff. I'm still not really eating veggies, but I'm thinking I might be able to force some down this week. Thankfully, there is that new V-8 Fusion that offers up one serving of fruit AND a serving of veggies in a glass. It's not ideal, but it's something. I've been a fruit-fanatic throughout the last 13 wks, so that isn't really a problem. My other new favorite "fruit" is lemon meringue pie. I like to tell myself it's a fruit, so don't try to convince me otherwise! We have learned that there are all sorts of ways to add protein and fiber and calories to your diet everyday, so that has been interesting. Has anyone ever even TRIED powdered milk???? I'm not drinking it like milk, but adding it TO milk to get even more protein and calories in a glass. But I'm just wondering if it is just kept on hand by people in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster? Or do some people actually drink it INSTEAD of regular milk?
We continue to look forward to seeing our little ones again on the "big screen" (ultrasound)in 2+ weeks.

Whew...so far, so good!

We made it through our appt this morning with good news. All three babies look good and are still growing quickly. There was also no indication from the screening that there is anything wrong at this point. They were able to take a couple of measurements and things are going just fine.
Since we've finished up with the 1st trimester, there are new pills/supplements to be added to my VERY full pill schedule. I'm going to need a little travel alarm to remind me to keep up with everything. The BEST news is that we have finally finished the nightly progesterone injections that Troy has administered for just at 12 weeks. The babies now have their own placentas that will produce progesterone and the extra shots are no longer necessary. WOO HOO!
The next appt is not for THREE weeks (Sept 20) and they might even be able to determine the sex of the babies at that time. Admittedly, we were glad that the nurse practitioner is on vacation during the originally planned 4 wk visit and so she asked that they schedule it for 3 wks from today. As usual, the more ultrasounds, the better (in our opinion), so 3 wks it is.
For now, the focus will be on my weight gain. It's time to eat more and start putting on the pounds so that the babies will get big and strong. I'm still hopeful that my appetite will improve in the next week or two and that I'll have fewer food aversions. I have a feeling that I'm going to wake up one morning and just eat for the next 4 months straight.
Thanks for your prayers as they must be working.

Another appt on the way - and we are at the 12 week mark!!!

Well, we've finally hit the 12 week mark which is a milestone. We are excited about another appt this Thursday. Please keep us in your prayers as they will be doing some "screens" - checking for fluid at the back of the neck (babies necks, that is) and checking their nasal bones. They will use this screen to determine if there might be any sort of genetic problems. We are confident that we will get good news and they will be bouncing around in there!
My bump is definitely becoming more and more evident. There are times that I still think it's sort of surreal and then I remember what's going on in there. Crazy stuff!
I'm thankful for my mom and my sister's willingness to be available at a moment's notice - to show up with egg salad, to bring me a smoothie, or just to hang out. Troy is still doing a great job at letting me work harder to make the babies while he does stuff around the house and is fulfilling my weird requests for food, drinks, etc.
My energy level is improving, though I've spent some time with my feet up because of some pains. The dr says they are probably growing pains, but to take it easy for a few days. Fortunately much of the work I do can happen from home and even from bed with a bunch of pillows. I'm still waiting on my appetite to appear and for some of the strange aversions to subside, but I've heard it could happen any day now.
That's all for now. We'll let you know what we find out on Thursday, but please keep praying!

HOT HOT HOT

OK, so I left FL for the cooler climate of TN and yesterday we hit a record 102 degrees! This is crazy. I know that some of you have it worse, but for us, it is HOT. The temp in my car actually read 104 all day. Fortunately, my friend, Chanda, told me about a sale at Old Navy and I found a few sundresses for bargain prices. I have decided that I will probably never wear pants/jeans again.... at least until it cools off.
Sorry we haven't posted more of the ultrasound pics. It took forever to scan the one in there and this week has gotten away from both of us. I promise we will get to that at some point. I especially don't want Baby C to feel left out, so we will be sure to get one up there soon.
We are headed to Huntsville, AL tomorrow to finally see our friends' "new" house. The Haynes actually moved in before Thanksgiving but we haven't managed to get there yet. We realized that it's sort of now or never, so we are headed to sunny AL tomorrow. I'm sure it will be much cooler there...yeah, right! We are excited to see their "crib" though. :) They have done more with their place in a short time than I have done in the 4 homes I've lived in as an adult. It's amazing (from what I've seen in pics).
Anyway, things still seem to be moving along. Troy pointed out that my tummy looks "huge" - a slight overstatement, although it already feels like it. Again, I know that it's really all of the food and drink that I've been told to consume and the babies might be all of 6cm a piece (maybe more, not sure yet). The ponytail holders that I was using to help hold my pants up (instead of buttoning them) appear to not be working as well as before (another indication of my "expanding waistline"). I've purchased a bella band, of sorts, that allows me to leave pants undone, but it holds them up for me. This works out well, but as I said before, I might not ever wear pants again - OK, at least until it cools off a little, so maybe in October or November.
Nana's house has become the climate-controlled storage unit for all things baby. Since Troy was going to be sanding down the walls, etc, we decided to get everything out and didn't want it getting dirty in the garage. Nana graciously offered to keep it in her guest room until we are ready for it. I think her neighbors must wonder what is going on. But seeing it all piled up over there is pretty exciting. We still have quite a while to wait until they get to sit in the bouncy seats or do any swinging, but for now, it helps us prepare for the reality and gets our imaginations going.

Baby "Pictures" from 8/16/07

Here are pics from the latest ultrasound on Thur, 8/16. We were at 10 wks and 2 days. The little munchkins are starting to look like babies already. They surprised us by being so active and Baby B was waving at us.
The first pic is supposed to be Baby A (bottom), but includes Baby B (top). The arrow indicates something that the tech was marking (I think the yolk sac, but that doesn't sound very glamorous).

ho hum

Not much going on here. We are still waiting to get through the 1st trimester. I have a friend who once said that she was not fond of pregnancy as a condition, but the end result was certainly worth it. I can't say that it is THAT bad, but the exhaustion has a way of making me feel like a real loser. Especially when my hubby is running around like a madman doing things around the house, etc. Am I complaining?!?!? What, am I crazy?!?! That's the greatest thing ever. But it's still hard to sit and watch the world go by. I'm reminded by family, friends and even the dr that I'm in the middle of making THREE PEOPLE and this is all to be expected. Three people, wow. That would make anyone tired, right?
The food thing has been a little more challenging for the last 3 days or so. I had a bad experience with a cheeseburger at Chili's Friday evening. Not the cheeseburger's fault though. We are still in the "no cooking in the house" rule(unless I'm locked in a room upstairs), although there have been a couple of incidences of food production here. I know Troy will be glad when he can express himself in his culinary way (that many of us know and love) once I get through the food sensitivity period. I did have a desire for pork chops, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut the other day. I think it's part of the "sour food phase". The sauerkraut was definitely the best part..and this time it was Troy who was sensitive about the smell. :)
And, just a little TV update....CBS has brought back reruns of "Rules of Engagement". I'm hoping that it is because they will run new episodes this fall. If you haven't seen it, you should give it a try as it's pretty hysterical. I'm hoping that it, along with Grey's Anatomy, will provide me with hours of entertainment during the many days of low activity when my belly is sticking out like a giant basketball and I'm just taking it easy. I'm beginning to take suggestions about movies that I can catch up on if/when bedrest arrives. If you want to make any suggestions, please feel free to email me. I don't like any scary movies, but Troy does, so I can always pass those suggestions on to him. I definitely prefer comedy and chick-flick type movies.
We met another family with triplets this past weekend. They were selling a lot of the baby "equipment" and we went by to see all of the stuff. We were lucky to get to meet their one-year-old triplets (who were absolutely ADORABLE) and they were so kind to spend time with us answering questions, showing us the Triple Decker stroller, etc. We came away with a lot of cool stuff for our little ones when they arrive and felt good seeing that both parents still had their hair. Of course all of that excitement was like a giant shot of caffeine/espresso and I was a total crazed mommy-to-be when we left (poor Troy had to be cooped up in the car with me).
So, there's no big news to report, although at this point, no news is good news. Things seem to be going just fine. No matter how tired I am or how bad the food may smell, I am SO excited about our babies and can't wait until we get to meet them! We are moving into week 11 tomorrow. The countdown continues.....

(sigh) All is well with the babies

We finally made it to the appt today and it was GREAT! The tech spent lots of time with us doing the ultrasound which allowed us to watch them for a little while. All of the babies continue to be doing well, growing fast and their heartbeats are strong. We were able to see all three bouncing around and even waving their little "arms". It was truly a miracle to witness. And once again, the sound of the three heartbeats has to be the most beautiful and soothing thing I have ever heard! I want to get one of those things that lets you hear them whenever you want. I'd just sit around all day listening to them.
I believe Troy will be posting pictures from the ultrasound later this evening. For now, I'm going to nap because I didn't get too much sleep last night as the anticipation was a little too much. I was also reminded today that "making" three people takes a lot of energy.
Thanks so much for your prayers and we ask that you keep it up as they are working. We continue to be optimistic that things are going according to schedule and that our little miracle babies are getting big and strong in preparation for their arrival in 2008.

Appt Thursday

OK, I'm getting obsessed and couldn't resist posting something this afternoon. Tomorrow is another appt and more ultrasounds (which is a good thing in my opinion). Please keep us and the babies in your prayers as we check their progress. We are expecting all good news and can't wait to see the babies and hear their heartbeats (that is just AMAZING to hear their little beating hearts!).
Things are getting exciting around the house as Troy and I picked out paint for the nursery yesterday and he is working on new closet doors, painting the trim throughout the room and then he will begin painting the walls. The plans are to use a pale sage green, blue, pink and yellow. He will be painting an area with sea turtles as that's what we decided on for the "theme" (we fell in love with them in Kona, Hawaii). It's really fun to see him get so excited about his project.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to get some work done for clients and also continuing to keep up with the calories. I had a "snack" about an hour ago that was probably about 700 calories. Crazy!
I've made some great contacts through a triplets group here in Knoxville and hope that we are going to come away with some friends and also some great gently used items for all of the babies. Keep your eyes/ears open in the event that you run into strollers for triplets, car seats, cribs, etc. We are on the hunt for great deals!
Again, we can't thank our friends/family enough for the support we are already getting and for all of the prayers going up for us everyday!

Goofing off on the blog

I've been working hard to add my "ticker" (the little pea pod thing on top) to the blog. Remember, I'm new to this and trying to make it interesting. I even figured out how to add the picture. Haven't quite figured out how to move the pictures around, but I'll get to that.
We are counting down until the appt. on Thursday. And Troy is busy being sweet tracking down the plain melba toast I was really hoping for, in addition to 6 different kinds of sour candy. He's gonna make a great daddy!

Getting started

I'm new to the blogging thing and not sure where to begin. For the record, we are at 9 wks and 5 days with our three "blobs". We affectionately call them Blob, Blobert and Blemma at the moment as they still look like blobs in our little pictures we have begun to collect.
I would also like to state up front that I'm not an English major and grammatical errors (and spelling mistakes) should be forgiven. First of all, I'm making three babies, so there is less and less blood reaching my brain and I'm not as smart as I used to be. Secondly, I'm an accountant....give me a calculator and I can add something up for you, but not proofread your term papers. Our three children will hopefully be blessed with some gift for writing since I'm not too good at it.
And instead of blogging, I should probably be downstairs working on meeting my calorie goals for the day. What will I start with???? Yogurt or a toaster strudel? The options are endless when you are maxing out calories!
Things are going well. Sometimes, almost TOO well as I haven't had the horrific morning sickness. I have had some nausea that seemed to disappear a few weeks ago, although I'm still sensitive to smells, have distinct food aversions and don't like to think about what I have just eaten once I'm done. I guess you could say it's nausea, but not too bad compared to some horror stories I've heard. Poor Troy isn't cooking much at home because of my sensitivities. I know he misses his kitchen and I'm hopeful that as we enter the 2nd trimester in just a couple of weeks, he will be back "in the saddle".
I'm completely pooped, so if that is any indication that there are 3 babies under construction in there, then we are in great shape. Usually, by the time I've showered and am halfway through drying my hair, I'm ready to get back in bed for a nap.
All of these "symptoms" are GREAT to me since it means I'm busy making babies and we will be rewarded with three beautiful little people in just a few "short" months (that is more for me, as I'm impatient and can't wait to meet these little guys/girls). Think of it...a " normal" pregnancy lasts 40 wks and we would be 1/4 of the way there. In our case, it is likely that we will meet them before I get to 40 wks, so it really won't be long.
For those of you who are "new" to the triplets thing, we are busy learning A LOT about the whole process (holler out to sister, Karen and also Chanda for all of your internet research already!). First of all, we have certain goals to reach in terms of keeping the babies "cooking" for as long as possible. We WANT to get as close to 40 wks as we can. 34 wks would actually be great (1/29). But we absolutely HAVE to get to 28 wks, which is 12/18. I know we can make it MUCH farther than that, but thought I'd explain anyway.
I'm hoping to get Troy to do some of the posting here, so we will make sure that you are able to tell who is doing the updating. I'm also going to leave the uploading of pics up to him as well. At some point, we will start posting the belly pics in the event that you want to keep with with my growing "bump".
That's about all for now, but we will keep you updated and I promise that the posts will not be this long every time. In the meantime, I'd appreciate prayers for good news at our appt this coming Thursday and also that I continue to work hard to eat LOTS of food so that these babies will be big and strong!