1st Christmas

4 Months Old

1st Christmas Eve in their Christmas jammies.

4 Months Old!

Mason, Evan and Madison with our awesome family doctor

The Triplets turned 4 Months old last friday! They had their 4 month check-up today and here's their recent measurements:

Mason: 11.6 lbs.(2%) 22.25"(0%) Head Circumference: 15.9" (10%)

Evan: 12.5 lbs.(7%) 22.75"(1%) Head Circumference: 16.3" (27%)

Madison: 11 lbs.(4%) 21.75"(0%) Head Circumference: 16.1"(49%)

Yes, our children have big heads.

At Four Months old our babies are holding their heads up, sitting up(with assistance), eating between 4-6oz every 3 hours during the day and sleeping from 8pm-6am every night. We also started them on rice cereal and two out of the three hate it, they cry the whole time. Evan (the biggest one of course) loves rice cereal and does great at eating it. The babies aren't quite rolling over yet, I need to do better at giving them more tummy time. They smile all the time and have chuckled a few times, they haven't quite gotten a big laugh out yet, it seems like that will come any day now. They are wearing 3-6 months clothes and size 2 diapers.

Yes, we do have moments of Insanity...

The babies are doing awesome and only get up once during the night to eat. Usually between 4am-6am. It's not always quiet leading up to the feeding however...most nights we have to tide over at least one baby until that feeding time. It's funny how they rotate which baby is fussy. One night it will be Madison, and the next it will be Mason...They like to take turns. Needless to say, yes, it is awesome that they only get up once to eat and we feel incredibly blessed to get this extra sleep, but sometimes it's not a deep sleep because of the babies fussiness. SO not having a full 7 hours of deep sleep sometimes at that early morning feeding my husband or I or both of us show signs of insanity.
This particular occasion was just over the weekend. I was feeding Evan and my husband was feeding Madison. He gets finished feeding her and realizes she messed her pants. He then goes to change her, opens her diaper and says, "Maddy....WHAT?......Oh.....this is Mason."
Yes, we do mix up our kids, and most frequently during the night.

Weight Update

The Trio will be 4 months old on the 18th of this month. CRAZY thought, I know.
I think I've already mentioned this but I'll just touch on it again...
The babies have to get the RSV (Synagist) shot to help protect them from getting RSV this winter season. They get an injection once every 28 days through the winter. So their last dose will probably be sometime in March. The shot is ridiculously expensive. They charge by the dose and they figure out the dose your baby needs based on their weight. So in preparation for the babies first shot they were weighed this past weekend.
Evan weighed in as the biggest (like always) at 11lbs. 9oz. Mason came in second at 10lbs. 14oz. Madison came in last at 9lbs. 14oz. We were expecting big numbers from Evan because he's gotten so big lately he fits perfectly in his size 3-6 month clothes, I think he'll be moving into 6-9 month clothes before he's 6 months old. Mason and Madison however we were shocked at how big they've gotten. We're so proud of our healthy babies, we're incredibly blessed that they're such good growers!

The Triplets at 3 1/2 Months Old

Mason is on the far left, Evan in the middle, Madison on the far right.

3 Months Old

Hard to believe it's been 3 months since the triplets were born.
They are now usually sleeping 6 1/2 hours every night.
Evan is eating around 5-6 ounces every feeding.
Mason and Madison are still only eating 4 ounces.
They all three have started responsive smiling and cooing.
They're pros at holding their heads up by themselves.
We just bought bumbo chairs last week and Evan is the best at sitting in them.

Madison

Evan (we call him our Chunky 'lil Monkey)

Mason. Responsive Smiling.

Mason. This is the expression we usually get from him.

Evan in his Bumbo Chair.

2 1/2 Months Old

Much to our relief, this past week the babies started sleeping 7 hours at night. It's usually from 9:00pm - 4:00am.
They have also had a lot more awake time and are making eye contact and smiling. So fun!
They are now just barely outgrowing their newborn clothes and heading into 0-3 month old clothes.
Weird to think in a week and a half they will be 3 months old! Boy, those 3 months have flown by!

Here is some recent photos...

Madison with her Big Sister

Evan with Daddy

Mason

Happy Halloween!

Our Little Pumpkins

2 Month Check Up

The babies had their 2 month check up today. They wowed us all with how big they've gotten. They were such good babies when they got their shots....each one of them only wimpered for a minute and then they were back to their happy selves! The highlight of the appointment though was to hear that we can take them off their iron supplements and the premature formula (Enfamil Enfacare), that stuff was so expensive! Yipee!
Here's their stats:

Mason:
7lbs. 6oz.
19.75"

Evan:
7lbs. 9oz.
21"

Madison:
7lbs. 3oz.
19.5"

Because they were premature it will be a while before they are in the normal percentile in height and weight for their age. But they're getting close. Evan is the first to even tip-toe into a percentile he's at 1% for his weight. Woot, Woot!

2 Months Old

Mason

Evan

Madison

Evan & Mason

Due Date

Today is the Triplet's offical due date. They'll be turning 2 months old this Sunday. What a weird feeling. I can't imagine if I would've made it this long before delivering. I was in so much pain when I did deliver it's hard to think what I would've felt like had I lasted as long as I should have. Or how big I would've been...Yikes!

The Triplets are Famous!

We had the opportunity to be on the news. They aired my interview early this morning and plan on airing it again this evening. To see my interview click on the link below.

Utah mom uses stop signs to protect triplets from swine flu - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

Evan's Eye Exam

So today was Evan's eye exam. In total we spend about 1 1/2 hours in the doctor's office. Let me be honest, it was not a very fun appointment. Luckily Evan was really really good and only cried during the actual procedure. My husband came with and he couldn't watch when they examined his eyes while I was staring horrified. They stick a metal clamp on his eyes to hold open the eyelids then this next part was quite disturbing to me so you might not want to continue reading....but they then take a metal pencil like object to push his eye on either side so they could look behind/to the side of it. It really was horrifying. Not all eye exams are this brutal so don't get nervous if you have to take your child in. The only reason they had to do this extensive of an exam was because he was so premature they had to check for a disease some premature babies get.
Well, long story short, we went in, it was brutal but Evan's eyes look normal. Woo Hoo!

Things a Triplet Mom Can't Live Without!

Meet my new best friends:Hawaii Medical Gum Drop Pacifiers. You are so much cuter than the big green hospital pacifiers. Lucky for me you have the same nipple so babies like you just as much. Not to mention you come in an assortment of colors so I can keep track of what belongs to who. One of my most favorite things about you, you come scented in vanilla. mmm.

Burp cloth how I love you. You have saved me time and time again from large amounts of drool and spit up. We have over 20 of you and still have to wash at least one, some times two loads of you a day in order to always have you handy.

Oh swing & bouncer combo I cannot fathom a night without you! You have given me the greatest gift of all...an extra hour or two of sleep night after night. (I have 1 of these and wish I had 3)

Pack n Play Bassinet with storage underneath. You have kept me sane with your organization ability. Shelves we can store the things we use most...diapers, wipes, burp cloths and blankets. Not to mention you can hold all three babies at once, you have saved us so much space in our bedroom. (we easily removed the canopy and changing station, it gave us more room for babies)If we did not have you we would have had to get and find space for three separate bassinets.

Boppy Pillow you have given me power. I feel like a mom with three hands. With you I am able to feed two babies at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you have all 3 babies on the same schedule?
A: Fortunately, yes. That was one nice thing about having them in the NICU, they have a pretty tight schedule there and that set the babies up for when they came home.

Q: How often do they eat?
A: Every 3-4 hours. Usually 4. That's the nice thing about formula, they go longer in between feedings then our first baby did on breast milk (she ate every 2-3).

Q: How much do they eat?
A: When they very first came home 2 ounces every feeding. They're 7 weeks old now and just yesterday we upped their feeds to 3 ounces.

Q: What do they eat?
A: Right now they're on a premature formula. Enfamil's Enfacare. It is a special formula for premature babies...it basically has more calories than regular formula. I did pump and give them breast milk while they were in the NICU to speed their recovery, but I couldn't fathom the idea of breastfeeding 3 or even having time to pump when they were all home. Plus I can get more help from others if they are all feeding from bottles. However, I have talked to one or two triplet moms that chose to breastfeed, they both only breastfed for the first 3-6 months though.

Q: How many diapers do you go through?
A: We change their diapers at every feeding, but of course there's the occasional 'blow out'. So approx. 20 diapers per 24 hours.

Q: Are you co-sleeping them?
A: Yes, we have all 3 babies in a pack 'n play (bassinet) in our bedroom. They seem to like sleeping together. But I've talked to a few triplet moms whose babies did not like sleeping together. We'll see how long ours like to sleep together, I'm sure one of these days in the near future they'll start waking each other up and we'll have to sleep them separate.

Q: What help are you getting/using?
A: Because of their prematurity and RSV season starting soon we felt we needed to limit the amount of people in our home. So for now my mom comes and helps during the day. My hubby and I take on the nights by ourselves...Brave aren't we? I've talked to many triplet moms who required help at nights. Luckily, we have really really good babies and it helps that they're on the same schedule. Night feedings are definitely tougher than it would be with just one baby, but they are a lot better than they could be. Of course we have the occasional really rough night but we make up for those by taking a nap the next day. As far as meals we have been blessed and our local church organized some of it's members to bring us dinners during the week...this helps out a LOT.

Q: How is your 2 year old coping with all of this?
A: Remarkably well. But every child is different. Our little girl is very independent and likes her alone time so majority of the time she is too busy to notice or care about the babies. When she does notice them she is very sweet and kisses them on the head and then promptly says..."awww!". She isn't perfect however and there have been times where she wants to be held while we are already holding a baby...that's when the waterworks start. But as far as aggressiveness towards the babies, there is none.

Q: What were the doctor's instructions as far as exposure to the public?
A: They told us to the doctor's office and back is the only outing the babies get until March, they'll be about 7 months old then. This is due to the combination of their prematurity and RSV.

Q: Are your babies getting the RSV shots?
A: Yes, they qualified for the shots because they were born prematurely and they have a sibling at home. Those were some of the requirements in our area.

The Babies Debute

We had the babies pictures taken yesterday and they turned out AMAZING!
To see a sneak peak click HERE

1st Doctor Appointment As A Threesome

Today was the triplets first Doctor's appointment all together. I was so glad my husband took the morning off work to help me take them in. I can't imagine having to do that by myself. Yikes.
All three babies are growing and doing well. Evan still weighs in as the biggest at 5lbs 6oz. Mason is right behind him at 5lbs 5oz. Madison is the smallest at 5lbs 3oz. Their next appointment will be their 2 month well-child visit, in October.
They're still on the Premature Enfamil Enfacare Lipil formula for the next few months and they're still taking iron supplements morning and evening. It's the hardest thing ever to remember to give them their iron, let alone who gets what dose...since they all are taking a different amount.
For all you moms of multiples out there here is some great info. The hospital dietrician signed us up for a multiples promotion through Enfamil and yesterday we received a whole case of the special preemie formula they're eating now for absolutely FREE....saved us a TON of money let me tell you. Before we got the case I had to buy a can at the store want to guess how much it was? $15.00 for a 12.8 oz can! Right now they go through approx 4 cans a week...can you imagine how much we'd be spending. I don't even want to think about it. So anyway, all you multiple moms, ask your hospital dietrician while your babies are still in the hospital about this awesome multiples promotion.
The babies are still eating every 4 hours. Every once and a while they bounce back to every 3 hours. They are still eating only 2 ounces every feeding.
Because Evan was sick while in the NICU with NEC we have to schedule an appointment with an optometrist. I'll let you know how that goes as soon as I take him in.
Anyway, that's my tidbit of information about the babies today.

Mason, Evan & Madison

Evan & Madison

They're Home!

The above image is how many bottles we went through our first night with all 3 home. We went through almost the same amount of diapers....add one or two more, would've taken a picture of that, but I didn't want to hang on to stinky diapers all night.

All three babies are home at last. The last one, Mason came home yesterday. Our first night wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. They of course got up to eat every 4 hours but they did really well at sleeping in between. I'm just grateful to have such a good hubby that gets up to help with every feeding, even though he had work today.

NICU - Day 34

• Evan is coming home today! We are so excited and can't wait to go get him!
• They think Mason will be coming home tomorrow...cross your fingers!
  
• I can't believe there is an end in sight to our NICU stay! It seemed forever at times and yet right now it seems to have flown by. I can't believe it's been ONE WHOLE MONTH since they were born. Time is going by way too quickly. I want them to stay my babies forever.
  

NICU - Day 33

• Last night they tried Mason out in stage 3 of the feeding protocol because sometimes stage 2 is really hard for babies to get past. Well...he did AWESOME and took everything by mouth. They even took out his NG tube.
• Both boys are having their car seat and hearing tests done today...you know what that means??? They will be coming home soon!
• Mason and Evan are only 5 grams apart in weight. They are getting quite chunky these days and they look HUGE compared to Madison.
  

NICU - Day 32

• Today is their one month birthday!
• They took out Evan's PICC line yesterday and his NG (sp?) tube because he's eating so well. They checked his hermadacrite levels yesterday and they were on the border line, kinda low. So they don't want to send him home quite yet. They're going to re-check his levels on Sunday, if they're the same or higher they'll let him go home at that point. So let's cross our fingers he comes home Sunday!
• Today's not the day where I'll surprise you all with some great news about Mason. He's still just hanging out on stage 2 of the feeding protocol.
  
• Madison is still doing great here at home. Eating every 4 hours. She is such a good baby.
  

NICU - Day 30

• Evan is still doing great and taking every feed by bottle. He should be back up to full feeds by tomorrow and they might take his PICC line out then. I spoke with a nurse practitioner yesterday that told me he might even be able to come home as early as this weekend! I of course am trying not to get my hopes up but I'm still crossing my fingers.
• Mason is doing the same old same old. One of these days I'll be able to surprise you all by saying he's coming home....but right now I have no idea WHEN that will be. Probably whenever he decides to wake up and eat. Stubborn little fella.
• Madison is doing great here at home with us! We love having her home. She is such a sweetheart. Having her home is making us miss the boys even more however. We just can't wait for the day they can all be home with us.
  

NICU - Day 28

• Guess who they let us bring home tonight??? Madison! We are so excited and nervous. I don't think I'll sleep a wink tonight with her grunting next to me in her bassinet.
  
• Mason boogered out today. Yesterday he was doing so well on feeds if he would've continued through today they probably would've moved him onto stage three of the feeding protocol. Alas, he decided to get tired on us again. I have no prediction as to when he'll be coming home...this kid stumps me!
• Evan is doing great and taking a bottle for every single feeding. He still isn't up to his full feeding amount that he was at prior to the NEC. They are still moving the amount up very slowly. But I have a feeling (all the nurses think so too) that as soon as he's up to his full feedings in the next couple days that he'll take off through the feeding protocol and be home before his brother Mason. We'll have to see if my guess is right.
  

NICU - The Day Madison Came Home

NICU - Day 26

• Madison is doing GREAT at her feedings...She even pulled out her NG (spelling??) tube and they said they won't put it back in unless they have to because she's doing so great on her bottles. We were told yesterday Sunday would be the day she could come home. There was some confusion as to whether or not it would really be Sunday because of a routine head ultrasound they have to do. At first back when I was told she might becoming home this last Friday they mentioned the ultrasound (they perform them on every preterm baby born before 32 weeks gestation when they reach the 35 week mark). At first I was told they can only perform the ultrasounds on weekdays so if she happened to reach her feeding goal over the weekend they wouldn't let her go home until Monday because of the ultrasound. Then I was told by another nurse that they actually do perform them on weekends, they just prefer not to because it's more of a hassle. Well, Madison is doing so great that it looks like she might pass her feeding requirement by tomorrow and would normally be able to come home then. The nurse that called me today however said the Neonatologist wants to wait til Monday to do the ultrasound. What jerks...I say if the baby is ready to come home and they are able to perform the ultrasounds on the weekends why make the parents suffer through another day of waiting to have their baby home?! Anyway, that's my two cents for the day.
• Mason is still chugging along...nothing new to post about him other than he's continuing to gain weight...wonder when he'll decide to catch up to Madison on the bottle feeding?
• Evan is doing awesome. They started him on his feeds yesterday...they start out slow and increase the amount very slowly. Yesterday he was on 6mls. and today they increased it to 11. So far he's tolerating it really well.
  

NICU - Day 24

• Well, just like I predicted Madison pooped out on us last night so she has to start stage 3 all over again. They said she might come home on Monday, but again I'm not getting my hopes up. She did great on the car seat test however...guess that's out of the way for when she finally does come home.
• Evan is a whopping 4lbs 12oz. I wouldn't be surprised if he is over 5lbs by the time he comes home...he's our little chunky man.
• Mason and Madison weigh about the same 4lbs. 9oz. They're not too far behind Evan.
  

NICU - Day 23

• Madison is doing awesome on stage 3 of the feeding protocol. When I went in to visit today they told me to bring in her car seat tonight so they can do her car seat test. If she can keep up the good work on the feeding until Thursday night she can come home as early as Friday morning. But we're trying not to get our hopes up. The next 24 hours are critical. If she bugs out on one of her feedings she has to start stage 3 all over again and would need to stay until she could keep up consistent feedings for 48 hours straight. So cross your fingers and say a prayer she can come home on Friday!
• Mason is doing the same on feeding. Still on stage 2.
  
• Today is Evan's last day for his antibiotics. Saturday morning will be his first day of eating again. He's being such a trooper about the whole thing.
• All three babies are continuing to gain weight. They are ity-bity small but they're filling out and have the cutest chunky cheeks!
  

NICU - Day 22

• Mason and Madison are progressing really quickly on the feeding protocol. They moved Madison onto stage 3 today and Mason onto stage 2! yea!
  
• All three babies are gaining weight.
• Evan is on day 4 out of 7 of the no eating/nec free. Only 3 more days until they start him on his feeds again!
  

NICU - Day 20

• Madison and Mason moved out of their isolettes and into open cribs today!
  
• Evan is continuing to get better each day.
• Madison and Mason are still doing well on bottles but there's no significant change, they're doing about the same.
• Our bets are on Madison for being the first baby home (hopefully in a couple weeks, we'll see)
  

NICU - Day 19

• Evan had to get a PICC line. They said he'll have it for the next 3 weeks. Today marked his first day of NEC free! 7 days from today they can start his feeds again slowly.
• Madison is continuing to do great on her bottle feeds....we think she'll be our first baby home!
• Mason is doing great as well but he's not so interested in the bottle....he's more interested in sleep.
• All three babies are above 4 pounds.
  

First Reunion

This is the first time the babies have been together since they were in Mommy's tummy. They absolutely loved it.

NICU - Day 18

• Just got off the phone with our nurse practitioner. Evan's latest x-ray is showing improvement! They will of course continue the anti-biotics and not let him eat until around day 10. Evan still has the same temperament. The nurses are amazed, they said they think he doesn't know he's sick because he's still as fiesty as ever! He is getting quite angry that they won't feed him. I am so grateful he's improving and I can't wait until this is all over, it's hard to see him so upset.
• Because of Evan's latest predicament I had the nurses switch all the babies from the Similac formula they've been receiving to Enfamil. Our first daughter had a slight intolerance to Similac. After Evan's scare I just want to be safe.
• Mason and Madison seem to be doing really well. The nurses placed their feeding tubes lower so they haven't been spitting up as frequently.
• Madison is on stage two of the feeding protocol like I mentioned in our earlier post. So she now gets two bottles per twelve hour shift. She still chugs her bottles in 5 minutes or less but funny enough she still just likes having one bottle per shift, she's usually too tired to try the second. Looks like we might be stuck in stage two for a little while.
• All three babies are getting more personality. I thought they were all laid back and wouldn't cry much. This is not the case. They all have very loud voices and are just now learning to use them. Looks like our house will be a loud one when they're all home.
  

NICU - Day 17

• We received bad news this morning. Evan has NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis). Luckily they caught it in time and they already started him on the anti-biotics which will last 7-10 days. Poor little guy can't eat anything until that point. He is getting really fusy with how hungry he's getting. They put his IV back in so he can receive nutrients and stay hydrated. (To read more about NEC I've attached the link so just click the NEC I have written up at the top of this paragraph.) We're torn about how we feel at this point. We're grateful they caught it in time and we're confident he'll pull out of it stronger than ever, but it's still a very scary feeling. We are finding comfort through our faith. We are LDS and my husband, L, plans on giving Evan a priesthood blessing tonight when we go out to see him.
  
• Madison finished her fourth bottle (in a row) last night and gained weight so they're moving her onto stage two of the feeding protocol...yea!
• Mason is just chuggin along, gaining weight and doing well. He's still quite tired about the whole bottle feeding thing, I have a feeling it will take him a few more days to catch up to his sister Madison. He's just so laid back, just like his Daddy.
  

NICU - Day 15

• There are four stages in the NICU's feeding protocol that the babies have to meet before coming home. Right now all three babies are in the first stage. The first stage they are given one bottle per 12 hour shift. They have to drink 75% or more for four bottles in a row and be gaining weight in order to move on to the second stage. Mason last night was at his fourth bottle, unfortunately he was really tired and only drank about half of the bottle so now he has to start over again in the first stage. Evan was on his second bottle last night and did really really well he drank 75% and he only had two episodes during the feeding where his stats dropped which is a huge accomplishment for him. Madison was our champion feeder last night and drank her whole bottle in five minutes, she was still rooting and awake after she finished! She might just pass up her brothers in the feeding protocol. If I remember right it was her second bottle, so she only has to take two more and then she moves right on to stage two!
• All three babies gained weight last night. Evan is always our little grower and gains a couple ounces every day...the nurses are always shocked.
• The nurse last night informed us that Evan has a little heart murmur. She said they aren't concerned about it right now because it's quite common among preemies. Usually it's just a valve in their heart that hasn't closed up yet and in most cases they close on their own. She thinks it will be self resolving and we won't have to worry about anything. If when he's ready to come home it hasn't resolved they will try a three day medication that usually closes the valve, if the medication doesn't work they would then do a surgery to close the valve. Landon and I aren't too concerned because the nurses and doctors aren't concerned at this point, it's just something they're keeping their eye on.
  

NICU - Day 14

• Mason had his first bottle today and finished the whole thing!
• Evan is officially out of his isolette....he looks so approachable now, like a normal newborn, the isolette was kind of scary looking.
• Mason is now back up to his birth weight.
  

NICU - Day 13

• Evan and Madison had their first bottle today!
• They are starting to wean Evan out of his isolette. He should be out within the next couple days and in a crib!
• All three babies are gaining weight.
• Evan passed his birth weight by one ounce (he's now 4lbs 3oz.)!
  

NICU - Day 12

• All three babies are doing wonderfully and they all were taken off their IV's!
• All three are still on Feeding tubes but they will probably start Madison on a bottle in the next day or two...she's been quite aggressive with her binky which is a huge sign she's ready to transition.
  
• A couple days ago they started adding extra calories to all 3 babies diets to help them gain weight. It seems to have done the trick...Evan gained almost 2 ounces in just one day!

NICU - Day 7

• Madison and Mason are doing great, nothing new to report for them.
• Evan is finally off of oxygen and on room air...YEA!!!
  

NICU - Day 6

• Mason is starting to gain weight!
• Evan is on Biliruben Lights.
• Evan is starting to gain weight!
• Madison was started on Caffeine and it seems to be helping her episodes.
• Today was Madison's first time being held by Daddy!
• Madison is starting to gain weight!
  

NICU - Day 5

• Today was Mason's first "Kangaroo Care" with Mommy. (Kangaroo Care is when you hold the baby skin to skin on your chest. Your body temperature helps regulate the baby's temperature and the sound of your heart beat is comforting to them.
• Today was Evan's first Kangaroo Care with Daddy.
• Today was Madison's first Kangaroo Care with Mommy.
• Madison is experiencing Apnea, which is similar to Bradycardia. Nothing serious.
  

NICU - Day 4

• Madison and Mason were both on Biliruben Lights today.
• Madison is experiencing Bradycardias but we are assured it is normal for preemies and if it continues she will be started on Caffeine which will help stop the episodes.
• Today was Evan's first time being held by both Mommy and Daddy.
• Today was Mason's first time being held by Mommy.
  

Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) - Day 3

• All three of the babies started feedings through IV's today.
• All three are starting to suck on pacifiers.
• Today was Mason's first time being held by Daddy.
• Today was Madison's first time being held by Mommy.
• Mason and Madison are both on room air while Evan is still on Oxygen.
  

The Triplets Delivery

31 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

Almost 7 weeks in the hospital

Tuesday, August 18th 2009.

The day felt just like any normal day in the hospital. I had a non-stress test that went well.
When My husband and B were on their way out to visit me that night I felt...different. Nothing hugely different. I wasn't in any more pain and didn't necessarily feel any pressure or urge to push. I just felt different. My whole pregnancy Baby A sat really low in my pelvis so I've always felt pressure but it somehow felt a tad different that night. It felt as though the babies all shifted down an inch. My contractions seemed to be getting closer together as well, but they have always gone through hour stretches here and there where they're steady...then out of the blue they stop. So I wasn't really concerned and I didn't really think It was delivery day. I just had a feeling that I should call my nurse and have her monitor my contractions however, just to be safe. So that's what I did. My nurse came in and monitored my contractions and they were steadily close together and pretty big so she called the resident. The resident decided to come check my dilation just to be safe as well. It had been a little over a week since they last checked (I was at a 4 at that point). My Husband (L) and B got to the hospital by that point and L took B for a walk down the hall while the resident checked my dilation. Low and behold I was 6cm dilated. She said they were going to move me down to labor and delivery and try to hold me off for an hour in order to give Dr. E and Dr. K time to get there.

It was such a surreal feeling for L and I to think that the babies would be here within the next hour.

When they took me down to labor and delivery I started violently shaking. When Dr. E saw me he said he knew I was in labor...shaking is one of the signs of transitioning in labor. He was glad they caught it in time to perform the C-Section.

My Mom and C made it there in time to take B home with them. By the time they got there she was flipping out. She knew something was different and wouldn't let go of me or let anyone touch me. She was so clingy and sad...it broke my heart.

They then got me prepped and wheeled me into the operating room. I was so scared I started crying.

The actual c-section was so much quicker than I anticipated. Baby A was the first born and the minute I heard his tiny cry tears streamed down my face.

Half way through the surgery my shoulders were experiencing the worst sharpest breath taking pain I have ever experienced. They said it was from all the air in my uterus that traveled up my body. The anesthesiologist gave me a dose of morphine and it didn't seem to help at all so he gave me a second dose that then knocked me out. L said I was pretty funny to watch...I kept scratching my nose like crazy and then tried a few times to get involved in all the conversations going on.

After they finished the c-section they wheeled me back to the labor and delivery room so they could monitor me closely for the next hour. While we were there a NICU representative brought us some pictures of the babies....first time we had seen them yet and it was so surreal. Then L went back to the NICU to see the babies and take some pictures.

Baby A (boy) was born at 8:04pm weighing in at the smallest. 3lbs. 13oz. and 15 3/4"
Baby B (boy) was born at 8:05pm weighing in as the largest. 4lbs. 2oz. and 16 1/4"
Baby C (girl) was born at 8:06pm 3lbs. 14oz. about 18"

While L was in the NICU all babies were doing well. Baby B seemed to be doing the best of the three. They gave all the babies surfactant for their lungs and when they were giving it to B through a tube into his lungs it got clogged and he couldn't breath. They then asked L to leave the room and they called a code over the loud speaker and doctors and nurses came rushing in. They got B stabilized and he's doing a lot better but now he's the furthest behind of the three.

All the babies started out on cpaps and then they moved A & C to canulas and today A & C were on complete room air. We can't believe how well they're progressing.

They are all adorable and look so different from each other. A & B came out with a lot of dark hair. B's however is looking like it's lightening up. C came out with hardly any hair and what she does have is blonde.

They are so beautiful and we feel so incredibly blessed at how well they're doing.

L and I are still debating on boy names and can't quite decide on two yet. We're working really hard on it. We did for sure decide on our little girl's name.

I'm having a really hard time recovering right now. No offense to anyone out there who loves c sections but I personally cannot handle it. It is 5 x more painful than a vaginal delivery. Not only does my incision kill and I can hardly move but I got a lot of air bubbles during the surgery and they are extremely painful in my stomach and shoulders. The medications they're giving me make me really drowsy. I've only been able to see the babies twice so far.

The babies are in isolettes and we can put a steady hand on top of them but can't stroke them or hold them yet.

They are going to try to feed them through feeding tubes tomorrow and we might be able to do the kangaroo care with A & C. Kangaroo care is where you hold the baby skin to skin on your chest.

If all goes well for my recovery they'll let me go home either Friday night or Saturday. I will try my best to keep you all informed but things are really hectic and I'm in a lot of pain and feeling really drowsy majority of the time.

31 Week Belly Picture

Hospital Update 7

31 Weeks 1 Day Pregnant

6 Weeks 1 day in the Hospital

I know I haven't posted a belly picture in a while. I will try my best to do so within the next few days. It is unbelievable how much my belly has grown since 28 weeks.

This last Sunday Dr. P (aka Dr. Big Hands) came in and informed me that my Dr, Dr. E would be out of town for the next week on vacation. I was really frustrated at first because in the past 3 weeks I have only seen Dr. E for a total of 2 minutes, not even long enough to ask him all the questions I had and then he leaves for vacation without telling me. I'm normally not in the habit of wanting to know every time my doctors go out of town but in this situation where I could deliver at any time and I really haven't seen him in three weeks it made me really upset. I still think he's the greatest doctor however and want him to deliver me. I just think he spreads himself too thin. I wish he would've told me at the beginning he was too busy to take care of me.

Dr. P has been great this past week. He comes in every morning and asks how I'm doing. Although he is a lot quieter than Dr. E, I think Dr. P is a great doctor and If when the time comes Dr. E is unable to deliver me I will request Dr. P.

This week has been pretty uneventful. My stress test on Tuesday went normally. I have another stress test today. The only difference I've noticed this week is the contractions are definitely getting a lot stronger and more painful. The past couple days I have just had a really odd feeling and I think It won't be too much longer before I deliver.

Yesterday I asked Dr. P if he had any feelings or thoughts about what would happen or when I'd deliver. Dr. P was the last doctor to check my dilation. He told me with how my cervix was when he last checked, completely effaced, dilated to a four and really soft, he would be surprised and happy if I make it to 33 weeks.

So that's my goal, 33 weeks. It's crazy to think that's only 2 weeks away.

Another thing Dr. P informed me is that my week count is on Thursdays and not Saturdays like I've been told. WOOT WOOT! That is so exciting for me to gain a couple days without having to do anything!

I hope I can handle 2 more weeks. Right now I would love nothing more than to be done with this pregnancy. I know it's better for the babies the longer they stay inside but I don't think anyone, I repeat anyone can understand what I'm going through....even other triplet moms. Because every triplet pregnancy and person is completely different.

Not only am I so large it's difficult to get up and around, not to mention the babies are in my ribs and in my pelvis. So I'm feeling pressure everywhere. But also I have a pinched nerve in my back which is causing a sharp piercing pain in my groin....upper left leg. This creates an even bigger problem when trying to get up and around. The worst part about the pain is it prevents me from sleeping at night. For some reason when I lay down it's worse and I can't lay on either side I have to prop up my bed and try to sleep on my back....which is basically impossible for me. The other fun side effect this pregnancy has brought is a lovely rash all over my stomach....it is indescribable how painful and itchy it is. I've tried almost every cream and remedy I can think of and It hasn't helped. In fact, I think it's getting worse.

I asked Dr. P how much longer I'll have to get the progesterone shots in my tooshy (once weekly) and he said I will have them every week until I deliver....lovely. Not only am I sick of these shots (they burn for a few days after). But I'm also sick of the side effects they bring. I've broken out worse than I ever did as a teenager, nothing I use seems to help that either. It does start to clear up a day or two before my next dose of progesterone.....but then I get my next dose and they cycle starts all over again. I now know what they mean by the "pregnancy glow" I have a lovely greasy sheen all over my face.

One of the good things that happened this pregnancy is I didn't gain weight the same way I did with my last pregnancy. I still did gain quite a bit of weight. It was 4 pounds a week for a while there. My body has done really well with the gain and the only thing that has expanded is my belly....up until a few days ago, my feet, legs, hands and face are finally starting to show signs of swelling. This is a considerable amount better than my last pregnancy however because from the beginning of my last pregnancy I seemed to gain everywhere but my belly....it was great fun trying to loose it all afterwards.

Anyway. That's what's been going on the past week. Sorry if it came out as a sob fest. Some people like to know details while others don't. So if you're one of those ones that doesn't like details you can just skim or skip over this post all together.

Hospital Update 6

29 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

5 Weeks in the Hospital

News for this week thus far...

Stress test on Tuesday went well.

Yesterday I saw my Doctor and he discussed my situation with the other high risk specialists. They decided to schedule me for an ultrasound today to measure the growth of the babies and the condition of my cervix. The last time they checked my cervix was a couple days after I was admitted to the hospital, which was 5 weeks ago. They decided if my cervix measured a 2 or smaller tomorrow I could go home. YEA! Finally something to look forward to! I have been trying however to not get my hopes too high.

My nurses check the babies heart rates twice each day. Once in the morning and once at night. Last night when she was listening to Baby B's heart rate I got nervous because he was lower than usual, around 120-130bpm and then it dipped all the way down to 112bpm. The nurse reassured me that it was just a variable because it only dipped for a second and that it was perfectly normal. I was still a little worried however because Baby B is my most active baby he's usually between 140-150 and he has never ever dipped like that or gone below 130. She said she would hook the baby up to the monitors to put my mind at ease.

She put a monitor on my belly and we then listened to Baby B's heart rate for 15 minutes, no more scary dips. She hadn't put on the contraction monitor yet however. She then decided, why not do it right and put the contraction monitor on. She wasn't concerned but it was protocol.
Immediately after putting the contraction monitor on I started contracting every 3-4 minutes. She waited 20 minutes and they were still strong and steady so she called up the Resident to see what they wanted to do. The Resident had them check my blood pressure and since it was in the safe zone they gave me another dose of nifedapine. She then instructed my nurse to continue monitoring me for the next hour and see if the nifedapine worked at all.

My contractions were slowing to 6 minutes apart....still not good but better than 3-4 minutes apart. The Resident said if my contractions were still steady after that hour she would check my cervix. I REALLY didn't want my cervix to be messed with. Especially since they were going to check it today and if it was good they'd send me home. I was worried if she checked it she might start something. So my nurse talked her out of it. They took the monitors off and I went to bed, to be woken up at 4:30 for another dose of nifedapine.

This morning I felt a considerable amount better and was anxious for my ultrasound to determine whether or not I'd be going home and to see how big the babies have gotten.

Finally around 2:30 they called me down for the ultrasound. The babies all looked great & here are their measurements:

A: 2lbs. 13oz.
B: 3lbs. 8oz.
C: 3lbs. 6oz.

Then came time to check my cervix. They used the ultrasound first and frankly...there was nothing left. The thickness measured .5cm. My Doctor wasn't in so Dr. P (aka Dr. Big Hands) checked to see if I was dilated. He was a considerable amount more gentle this time...I wonder if he got word I was complaining about his big hands. Anyway, he measured and it was bad news...my cervix is measuring between 3-4cm. No going home for me. I tried really hard to not get my hopes up and I think I did pretty well because I haven't cried yet, but I am still really bummed. 5 Weeks in the hospital is a long time. I wonder if I'll even recognize my house when I finally go home. Maybe the tears will come tomorrow.

Hospital Update 5

29 Weeks Pregnant

4 Weeks and 2 Days in the Hospital...

No change as of my last post and nothing new and exciting to post about.

I can tell you however after being in the hospital for so long I think my mental health is starting to go downhill. I guess the no sleep, no privacy, claustrophobic room, nasty food, compression stalkings and overall atmosphere of the hospital can do that to you though. (I could've made the list a considerable amount longer but I didn't want to bore any of you or cause myself to start the waterworks)

I have a semi-funny story. Well, I'm not at the point where I think it's funny, it still makes me upset but everyone else I seem to tell it to thinks it's hilarious.

So being in the hospital you have absolutely no privacy, as I'm sure some of you have experienced. With Doctors, Nurses, CNA's, Residents, Dietitians, Housekeeping, Church representatives, Phlebotomy, NICU Representatives, and Social Workers coming in and out all day my door might as well be a revolving door. It gets old after a while and I think the only way to get privacy must be to lock myself in the bathroom, which I have done on a few occasions to cry, I don't want anyone to walk in on my sob-fest. Well, back to my story...you'd think escaping to the bathroom would provide privacy, right? Wrong. While I've either been "taking care of business" or showering I've had the housekeeping walk in on me twice and multiple times I've had the little old couples that are church representatives come knock on my bathroom door while I'm showering....which I find kind of odd because I've been in bed spreading cocoa butter on my tummy on a few occasions when they've stopped by and the wives always shield the husbands from my exposed belly...but yet they feel comfortable knocking on my bathroom door while I'm showering...hmm. Maybe someday that will seem funny to me, but for now it just makes me more upset.

I finally requested a "Do Not Disturb" sign. So far, so good. The Nurses, CNA's and Doctors still just come in, but that's to be expected. I think it will take care of the rest of the unwanted visitors....but only time will tell.

And I've unplugged my phone in my room. I've been getting a lot of phone calls...and I'm not big on phone calls, especially when I'm trying to nap.

Sorry if this is all negative. It's just my life for right now and I guess writing about some of it makes me feel a little better.

28 Week Belly Picture

Hospital Update 4

27 Weeks 6 Days Pregnant

Well, things here are just getting more and more boring. Which is good and bad.
I had two stress tests this past week that were successful, both took about 2 or more hours...ugh.
I'm still getting the progesterone shots every Monday....lovely. :)
Spoke with my doctor yesterday and he's still going to hold off on checking my dilation....again, he doesn't want to make things worse. The next time he'll check is if I start contracting more/harder or he said if I make it to 32 weeks and haven't delivered he'll check me and if I haven't changed he'll let me go home. I have a feeling that I will either deliver before that point or I will have definitely progressed and my dilation will be further along. So I'm not getting my hopes up.
I've picked up crocheting the edges of blankets and burp clothes. I did this while on bed rest with Brighton as well.
I'm still reading, occasionally, I have to admit after reading 6 books in the past 3 weeks I've been here i'm getting kinda sick of reading so I've been taking a break from that this past week.

oooo.....contraction....hang on a sec.

Since yesterday I've been experiencing more contractions it seems like, either that or I'm noticing them more. Don't worry, I've been timing them and informing my nurses. But I'm not too concerned....yet.
I just looked at my pregnancy ticker at the side of my blog....I can't believe I have less than 100 days until my due date! I know I won't make it to my due date but somehow knowing it's under 100 days makes me excited.
My stomach is now definitely bigger than it was when I delivered B. It is getting very hard to sit or stand up (I might be getting carpel tunnel from from pushing up off my bed)...bending over is now impossible, have to pick things up with my toes. Another lovely side affect is the stretch marks that are making their appearance around my belly button.
My last pregnancy I didn't get any on my stomach, I just got them all over my thighs and waist. Well, this pregnancy it's vise-versa. None on my thighs or waist....but they're popping up on my tummy. They aren't horrible yet but I know before long my stomach will no longer look like a stomach. My skin is starting to hurt...sometimes it's really sensitive to the touch...I think it's stretched almost to the max....can't imagine how much bigger I'll get.
Well, I can't think of anything else new. Told you it's getting boring.
I guess this is it until next week...unless something exciting happens between now and then and I can't contain it.

Hospital Update 3

26 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

Ready for my weekly hospital update?

All the days here are starting to moosh into one so let me try to remember what has happened since I last posted.

They checked my cervix last Friday and it's shorter. It's at 1cm. They didn't check the dilation because they don't want to mess with anything and make it worse. I asked my doctor yesterday when they'd check the length of my cervix again and he said not for a while. maybe at 28 weeks but again they don't want to mess with anything.

I have to get my blood drawn every 3 days so they can have an updated version of my blood on file in case I deliver and need a blood transfusion. Let me tell you, I'm starting to get used to getting shots, since I get them every Monday. But I'm still not used to having my blood drawn...it's not very fun.

Now I have stress tests twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays). For those of you that don't know what stress tests are I'll give a brief explanation. It is were they use an ultrasound to check 3 things. They measure the fluid around the babies, they watch the babies for 'fetal breathing' (babies mimic breathing in the womb), and they check for big movements like a big kick or a big arm movement. Then they put monitors on my tummy for a certain length of time (usually around 20 minutes) and monitor the babies heart rates and my contractions.

Today I had an ultrasound to measure the babies growth. I have growth ultrasounds once every 3 weeks.

The babies all looked GREAT. Here's their measurements:

Baby A 2lbs 1oz.
Baby B 2lbs 3oz.
baby C 2lbs 5oz.

So basically I'm carrying about 6 pounds of baby.

My stomach has been rapidly growing (sorry I haven't taken pictures recently, I don't have a camera here at the hospital, as soon as I get one I will take a picture and post it). I thought overall I was doing pretty well though. Ya, I'm getting quite uncomfortable. I'm the size I was when I delivered B...I'll have to try and post pictures to compare. Anyway, I thought I was doing pretty well comfort-wise considering I'm carrying three babies....but today was the first big actual sign I'm carrying multiples.

I was laying down on the ultrasound table. It is quite flat and hard. An OB Doctor that is training to become a specialist wanted a try at doing my ultrasound so he was doing my ultrasound. Because he is TRAINING however he was taking quite a long time and pushing quite hard, I thought. Well, all of a sudden I think the laying flat on my back got to me because I couldn't breath and my head was spinning. I told him I needed a break and I sat up to try and catch my breath. He sat and waited. A couple minutes later after I caught my breath I layed back down for round two. I only lasted 2 minutes this time before the symptoms were getting worse and I felt as if I would faint any moment. So I sat back up and he said he'd go get a tech that could finish the ultrasound a lot quicker than himself. Well, all the techs were busy so he got started again for round three...thankfully when I started feel really faint this time a tech came in and she could tell just by looking at me that something was wrong so she rushed over and sat me up and told the doctor to go get me some water. While I was resting my doctor came in and he noticed too that I wasn't feeling well so he stayed with me for the remainder of the ultrasound.

Ugh what an awful feeling! I have never fainted before...what a yucky experience! I think I'm finally starting to feel the effects of carrying multiples.

Hospital Update 2

25 Weeks 4 Days Pregnant

Alright....

I've decided from here on out I will write an update once weekly on my blog.

It's just getting old telling the same story over and over again. Plus it seems like whenever I get a text, phone call or e-mail asking for an update five billion things happen at once...they bring a meal, the nurse comes in to give me medication, or a doctor comes in to check on me.

I just figure it's easier this way. Everyone can be informed this way.

I finally saw my Doctor today. I feel relieved and reassured after talking with him.

He apparently didn't know I was admitted until yesterday. I had told every single nurse and doctor to contact him from the minute I was admitted but apparently they brushed me aside.

How he found out was he realized he hadn't seen me this past Monday. We have appointments every Monday. So he thought maybe his schedule was too booked for me to get in and I saw another doctor. He checked the database and couldn't find me in there at all. He called Dr. P (aka Dr. Big Hands) and bawled him out for not letting him know he'd admitted me.

He felt horrible and kept apologizing. He feels bad I'm in the hospital and have to leave B at home. He offered to bring me movies.

In my earlier post I mentioned my blood pressure is normally low and the medication they're giving me to stop contractions makes it even lower. Well the other day I told one of the residents or doctors that it was really bothering me. They were giving me the meds when my blood pressure was dangerously low and I was beginning to have really uncomfortable symptoms. I was extremely dizzy, my palms had big red splotches all over and my whole body was red-looked like i was blushing and i felt hot.

So the doctor I told this to wrote an order to the nurses that there was a limit on my blood pressure if it went below a certain point they couldn't give me the medication.

After I go to sleep at night my blood pressure goes so low they can't give me the meds but the nurses still come in to check and see if they can give me my meds, and it's always too low to give it to me. Well nurses up to this point after they see it's too low wait at least 4 hours before checking my blood pressure again...they're nice and try to let me get as much sleep as possible.

Last night's nurse however felt it was SO important that I take my meds she was coming in every hour on the dot to check my blood pressure in hopes it would go up and she could give me the meds.

Needless to say, last night was horrible.

I told Dr. E and he wrote an order that the nurses are not to bother me between 12-8, if I am experiencing contractions I will contact my nurse and they will give me the meds. Hoo-Rah! Hopefully I can get some solid sleep now!

Dr. E also told me to just expect to be in the hospital the duration of my pregnancy. He said there is a SLIGHT possibility of me going home. This is dependent upon my cervix not making ANY change from the last time they measured it. He didn't really give me a specific date to look forward to that will be the point they let me home if nothing has changed. He did say however if on the slight chance I get to go home I should expect to only be home a couple weeks before I get put back in.

He just wants me here in case anything were to happen. Everything is right here easily accessible for the preemie babies and my care.

Even though I didn't really receive any GREAT news today I feel so much better after having seen my doctor. Relieved. I feel more comfortable now. Even though he said he can't come see me every day he will be looking over my case and see me as often as possible...hopefully once weekly. I feel like I can breathe now.

Now back to watching TLC, reading Mary Higgins Clark and eating graham crackers...

"You're Just Barely Alive"?!?!?!

25 Weeks Pregnant

Last night's sleep was a heck of a lot better than my previous night's sleep in Labor and Delivery. It was oh so nice.

I had the worst possible wake up this morning however...

The medications they're giving me every 6 hours to slow/stop my contractions are actually pills they normally use for high blood pressure. So every 6 hours I have to have my blood pressure checked to make sure it's not too low before they can give me another dose. My blood pressure is always normally low without taking these medications. Well all last night it was just on the border-line of too low to give me the medications...but I barely met the cut off so they were able to give them to me last night.

This morning however my CNA comes in around 6:30 and checks my blood pressure...she asks if my blood pressure is normally low and I answer yes...then her response is,

"Well, it's so low right now you're just barely alive!"

She finishes up typing in the computer then as she's leaving she says, "Go back to sleep you still have an hour until breakfast....oh and happy Independence Day!"

WHAT THE?!?!?!

Who says that kind of thing and then expects me to go back to sleep? LOL.

Great News!

24 Weeks 6 Days Pregnant

Around 2:30 they gave me my last dose of the steriod shots and checked my cervix....

Somehow it went down from 2 to 1+. YEAH!

They also got my contractions so they're almost completely gone. I only experience maybe 1 per hour verses the every 2-8 minutes I was having them before.

Because I'm doing so well they moved me out of labor and delivery and into an "anti-pardom" room. Two wonderful things about this room.... I don't get bugged nearly as much...nights will be reasonably quiet and I get to take showers now....WAHOO!!! That was the first thing I did when I got moved into my new room.

I feel so relieved and might I mention that I smell nice now too? :)

I will be plenty bored here in the hospital...unless circumstances change and things get crazy again. So expect an update everytime I know something new.

Hospital Update

24 Weeks 6 Days Pregnant

I get my second(and last) dose of the steriod shots for the babies lungs at 2:30. They're going to check me at that point and if everything looks the same/there has been no change in my cervix, then I will be able to move into a regular room outside of the labor and delivery....which also means I get to take a shower(finally!)...woo hoo! cross your fingers and say a little prayer for me!

Admitted To The Hospital

24 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

Today I was admitted to the hospital. I went in for one of my twice weekly appointments and my cervix measured the same but Dr. P....yes, I get all the luck, the day I get admitted I get a pelvic exam with Dr. Big Hands. Don't get me wrong he's a great doctor and knows what he's doing but holy cow I think HE might have put me into labor.
Well, he said I was dialated to a 2. So I got to stay in the hospital.
Sarah, you were totally right....being admitted with nobody there is very traumatizing. I couldn't stop crying for some reason. It stunk big time because here I am by myself bawling and they checked me in then took me to labor and delivery and started poking and prodding....got about a bazillion tests and got one of the steroid shots for the babies lungs....not pretty. Ya, it would have been a lot less traumatic if I had my hubby or mom there.
Now I'm hooked up to a contraction monitor...looks like i've been having contractions steadily roughly 8 minutes apart. Some I can feel, others I can't. I'm still on nifedapine but they added another medication that basically does the same thing as nifedapine.
My Doctor, Dr. E is out of town for the weekend. Dr. P came in a couple hours ago and said they are going to keep me in labor and delivery until probably tomorrow sometime so they can keep monitoring my contractions and the babies heart rates. All three babies are still doing great. Just my silly body won't hold on to pregnancies full term for some reason.
Because I'm still in labor and delivery and the nurses are in and out all the time and my privacy is scarce when they're in...modesty obviously isn't a concern right now. I'd appreciate no visitors for right now until things calm down and they move me out of labor and delivery.
Sigh....I'm looking forward to a great sleepless night in the labor and delivery by myself without my hubby(can you hear the sarcasm?). He brought B for a couple hours but her teething and terrible twos took over and the tantrums showed up so he had to take her home.
Overall I'm in good spirits. I just wish I knew what to expect next.

Doctors Appointment

24 Weeks 3 Days Pregnant

Sorry I didn't post about my appointment yesterday. I feel like I'm boring everyone with my twice a week Dr. Appt. updates.
Yesterday was more eventful.
My cervix shortened since last Thursday (it was between 1.6-1.7). Yesterday it measured 1.37.
The doctor actually let me make the decision as to whether or not I wanted to stay in the hospital.
He said he felt comfortable with me going home if I wanted to do so...so that's what I decided.
I don't think I'll go into labor before my next appointment.
The Dr. said as soon as my cervix measures under 1 he's taking the decision away from me and admitting me to the hospital.
Being at 1.37 I don't think it will be too much longer before I'm in the hospital.
I'm hoping to hold on to 28 weeks...i think it's realistic. :)

It's Starting To Get Boring...Which Is A Good Thing.

23 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

Today was another successful doctor's appointment. No change. I got to come home. They wanted to do all those fun blood tests and diabetes test today....one of them is that one where you drink that nasty stuff then wait an hour and have blood work done. Brighton was with me today and was throwing a tantrum when I walked into the blood lab so I asked them if It could possibly wait 'til Monday when I come for my other appointment. They said that would be fine. PHEW! So I guess Monday will be a long day at the doctor. The wait alone to get in to see my doctor is around 45 minutes, then the actual appointment takes about 15-20, then the diabetes test will take another hour. WOO HOO! At least I get out of the house for a couple hours...

3D Ultrasound Pictures

Ultrasound pictures taken at 21 weeks 5 days pregnant.
I know, I know, it's taken us long enough to post these, but better late than never...right? Beware, some of these are creepy. 3D ultrasound pictures are hard to take. The baby has to remain perfectly still when they take the picture or else it turns out really creepy looking.

Baby C (girl) Her hands are floating up by her head and her knee is almost touching her nose...her legs are also crossed, if you can tell.

This picture is mis-labeled. It's actually Baby A (boy) and baby B (boy). Baby B is kicking his brother, Baby A, in the face.

Kinda creepy, I know. It's a profile shot of Baby A (Boy) with the umbilical cord smack dab in front of his eye...if you look closely underneath the cord you can see his nose, lips and chin.

Baby C (Girl) The umbilical cord is all over her face but if you look hard you can see her eyes and nose. Underneath the cord is her arm.

I Believe this one is Baby B (Boy). He is upside-down and his hand is covering his ear.

Close Call!

23 Weeks 2 Days Pregnant

Today I had another appointment with Dr. E.
My cervix measured shorter. 1.7/1.6. It was at 1.8 last week. He told me last week if it got any shorter than 1.8 he would keep me in the hospital. Well, today he must've been in a good mood because he let me go home. Thank goodness! I go in again this Thursday however and he said if there is any change then he will keep me in the hospital (he keeps threatening that but hasn't done it yet so I don't know what to expect). He also said I will officially be 24 weeks that day...wahoo! This is the first big marker. 24 weeks supposedly is the earliest the babies can be born with a 80% chance of survival. Which is great but let's hope I can keep them in for a little longer. The doctor also said I have two options as far as the steroid shots for the lungs. Whenever they admit me to the hospital they will give me the steroid shots, it's part of procedure. Or since I'm 24 weeks on Thursday, even if I don't get admitted I can make the choice of getting the steroid shots if I'd like.
So here comes another wait game...

Doctor's Appointment

22 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

Another successful doctors appointment...I've had so many good ones in a row I'm nervous for what the next one will be like.

Let's make this a short and sweet post.

No change in my cervix = I still get to stay at home on bed rest.

The babies all look great. I'm 23 weeks today and Baby A is measuring a day ahead, Baby B is measuring three days ahead and Baby C is measuring 2 days behind. (so both the boys are rearing to go and the girl is a sweet petite little thing)

The babies weigh a little over a pound each. Dunno why but hearing this was big news to me...they've reached the pound mark...yea!

*They tried the 3d again and the boys were still as stubborn as usual...must be a male thing. Guess we'll have to wait (like everyone else) to see what they look like until they're born.

And Depression Sets In...

22 Weeks 2 Days Pregnant

Today was yet another doctor's appointment. I have to admit they're the highlight of my week now that i'm on bed rest and my doctor's appointments are the only time I get to see the outside world.
Good and bad came from this appointment.
First off the good news...my cervix hasn't changed since last Thursday...yeah! The doctor then told me I can stay at home until it gets shorter. Any change and I'm in the hospital. So he told me to expect that I will be in the hospital in the next couple weeks.. and he's upping my appointments from once weekly to twice weekly. Every Monday and Thursday.
The worst part of the appointment was when I stepped on the scale and saw my husband's weight starring back at me. So I offically weight the same as my husband....wahoo (catch the sarcasm?).
Sorry I still haven't posted the 3d photos. The Hubby hasn't had a chance to upload them yet...I will keep nagging him....I have to admit it's what I do best now that I'm on bed rest.
my appointment this Thursday they're measuring all the babies growth again...So I will nag the ultrasound tech to try to get a 3d photo of the boys since that didn't work out last time.
stay tuned for my next appoinment, since that's all that's really going on with us now. :)

Progestrone Shots Here I Come!

21 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

I had to see Dr. P (AKA: Dr. Big Hands) because Dr. E was out of the office for some reason. Doctor P is a really nice doctor, we brought B with us to this appointment and he just went on and on about how cute she is. There is something about him that turns me off however, I'll tell you about it later when I get to that point.

The ultrasound tech checked all the babies heart beats and I asked her if she could do 3D ultrasound. I had heard rumor a couple appointments ago that in the month of June all the techs were going to start practicing their 3D ultrasound skills out. She said she would try but she really didn't know anything about it. We got a GREAT shot of our little girl. The little boys however were more difficult and I felt bad for our poor ultrasound tech. Baby A (boy) had the umbilical cord right in front of his face the whole time, she tried giggling my tummy to get it to move but it didn't work. Then Baby B (boy) was face planting it into my back, guess he's camera shy. I was grateful we got such a great shot of our little girl...it was REALLY neat. The boys were starting to wrestle in the womb already....when the tech was trying to get a good shot of A baby B stuck his foot right in his face...there's a membrane separating the two but it's really thin and I'm sure baby A wasn't too happy with this brother. I am on our lap top right now and can't scan the pictures but I will try to have my hubby do it for me tonight and I'll put them on this post as soon as he does.

Then was the lovely cervix check....warning to those that don't like/want to hear details. At first it measured almost 3 which isn't right at all because my last appt it was just barely 2.5 and cervix's can't grow. Now this is the reason why I'm not a big fan of Dr. P....he is a very rough doctor. Because it was showing 3 and he knew that wasn't accurate he started pushing on my stomach so as to apply pressure to my cervix to get an accurate measurement. HOLY COW did it hurt! It ended up measuring 1.8. NOT GOOD. I love how when you go in to the doctor and they don't say anything you automatically know it's not good. Dr. P then informed me he wanted to do an internal exam to ensure I wasn't dilating....oh great! For those of you that are avid readers of our blog (ha ha ha) a few posts back I mentioned how Dr. P examined me once when I was pregnant with B, and it was an experience I will never forget. Well his exam today topped that last one. It was horrible. Anyway, he determined I'm not dilating...yet...thank goodness.

Then he asked how much bed rest I was doing and I answered moderate. He said he wants me to live on my back. So I have to be really really really good now and only get up for potty breaks and the very occasional very quick shower.

You thought I had fun up to this point? Well, it just got better....He decided to start me on the progesterone shots (remember, they go in my tooshy). Oh yea! I am a wimp when it comes to shots and didn't want B to be traumatized by the experience so I had my husband take her out. The actual shot wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. The nurse said it was like a peanut butter shot so it took a while for her to give it to me. She also said it will get really really sore so I need to massage it and put heat packs on it. Then next week I get another shot on the opposite side. I looked at the shot RX the Dr gave me and it looks like they want me to take it once a week until I'm 32 weeks. I think by that point I will no longer be able to feel my rear end.

I go in next Monday to be checked again, I insisted at the appointment desk to see Dr. E. Dr. P told me to pack a hospital bag for that appointment to ward off bad luck...he teased that if I don't bring a bag I'll probably be admitted and if I do I probably won't.

Check back soon to see the 3D ultrasound of our baby girl!

Doctor Appointment Update

20 Weeks 5 Days Pregnant

So today I had my doctor's appointment to see if the home bed rest and nifedapine helped at all. Great news nothing has changed! I thought for sure they would keep me in the hospital today or I would be starting the progesterone shots because I've been having stronger contractions in the past week. But nope, I lucked out this week and my cervix hasn't changed at all from last week. What a relief. I was so stressed about it. From here on out I'm going to have appointments every week so I guess we'll see how long they'll keep me on home bed rest.

20 Week Belly Picture

Doctor Appointment Update

19 Weeks 4 Days Pregnant

I just got back from my doctor's appointment.

It's official...bed rest for me.

Nothing serious. Just a precaution.

I don't know how many details to share. Basically, all the babies look great and they're right on track. When they checked my cervix and measured it - 4 different times I might add. It ranged from 2.9 down to 2.5. The doctor is going off the smallest measurement. Because of it's length and I have been experiencing some contractions he's going to try a few different things to nip it in the butt before it gets too far along to stop. So for now I'm on limited bed rest which basically means I can shower and get up to use the restroom and make myself something to eat, but other than that he wants me off my feet. He also gave me a RX for Nifedipine. I took this same thing when I went into preterm labor with B. I just take it when I experience contractions. He wants me to try this for a week and go in next Thursday to have my cervix checked again to see if it's changed at all. If it didn't seem to help then we'll do one of two options. Continue home bed rest but instead of taking Nifedipine I'll have to take progesterone once a week...this is a shot in the tooshy. yea. Or it sounds like if my cervix measures 1 then he'll want to put me in the hospital. Basically, let's hope the bedrest and Nifedipine work.

Guess we'll see in a week.

These Pregnancy Cravings Are Gonna Be The Death Of Me

16 Weeks 6 Days Pregnant

This time it's a McDonald's Egg McMuffin. Got myself and B ready as fast as I could this morning and rushed over there. I got there at 10:40. They wouldn't give me one. They stopped serving at 10:30. I was ten minutes late and they can't give me one flippin sandwich?! I'm pregnant with triplets, c'mon!

I haven't found any breaks so far because of this and I just wanted to use that card soooo badly this time.

My Husband's first ever job was at Mickey D's and he said one minute after they stop serving breakfast they count up the inventory not used and throw it away...they get tax breaks this way. SELFISH JERKS is what I call it!

I wanted so badly to rummage through their garbage....ok....maybe I wouldn't go that far. But seriously, these cravings are killing me lately.

Up to this point the cravings haven't been so bad. Now however I am experiencing Nausia (it's getting to point where it feels like morning sickness and I've almost taken a zofran on one or two occations) until I can eat whatever it is I may be craving. Last night it was peach-o's....no problem, they don't stop serving them at a specific time of the day.

My Husband and my mom asked, why don't we just make our own egg mcmuffin? WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU try and replicate the best fast food breakfast sandwich out there and of course you'll fail which will make it impossible for me to eat anymore for the rest of my life.

SIGH. Oh the hormones of a pregnant woman....If you'll excuse me I think I'll go cry for my long lost egg mc muffin now.