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.