So far so good...

Had a doctors appointment yesterday and all is looking good!  A was about 1# 10oz, B 1# 8oz, and C 1# 10oz.  It is definitely getting crowded in there, all the body parts are mingled (separated by the 4 cell layer membrane).  It's hard to get a picture of one's face without hands or another baby's feet in the way.

I'm still doing well, I gained about 5# in the last 2 weeks, which makes the total about 27#!  I am still working (almost) full time, I dropped my Mondays which were 1/2 days.  We'll see how long it takes for me to drop another half or whole day...  As long as my cervix is staying nice and long (we are at 4.1 or 4.3, they worry at less than 2.5), then I should be able to avoid the dreaded preterm labor.

I still don't know if we truly understand what we are going to go through... I don't know if we will be able to comprehend three babies until they are in front of us.  We have no idea what to expect, except the unexpected!

24 Weeks!!

It's our first major milestone!  From here on out, there is a chance for survival, it's the first goal on our timeline to meet.  Next we need to get to 28 weeks, then 32, and then 35 :)  And even farther if we can!  I am so optimistic these days (though the pessimism still surfaces every once in a while) because things have gone so well.  I hope the pregnancy continues to be as uneventful as it has so far, and I give all the credit to the prayers that have been said for us.  The more of you that tickle God's ear about us, the better I feel our chances are.  

The babies are kicking a lot, some days/times more than others, but getting stronger and stronger.  I think it would be so much easier to track movement with one baby, I think I know who is making what movement based on location, but I can never be 100% sure, and I always worry about missing the movements on one.  I love feeling them though, it is so surreal.  Sean has been able to feel them a lot too.  

The other pregnancy symptom I've experienced lately is that I am ravenous.  I had been worried since my last appointment I had actually lost 3 pounds, after having gained 22 until that point.  But I bet I am about to get a growth spurt, because I cannot get enough to eat.  I literally had 3 platefuls of yummy brisket and rice (thanks Pat and Susan!) tonight.  THREE!  and I could probably eat more... I usually have 2-4 small pancakes for breakfast if Sean makes them on the weekend, and this morning I had 7 blueberry pancakes!  And I've probably eaten a whole watermelon today too.  And that is just today, I've been like this for the past week or so.  I try not to eat a bunch of fast food, I am trying to eat a more balanced meal and trusting my gut with whatever sounds good.

I've been on a bit of a shopping kick lately, buying lots of things for the babies.  I of course go by the baby section every time I'm at Target, and buy a thing of diapers at the grocery store when I go (which isn't as often as I should), but some of the biggies I've bought in the last few weeks are the crib mattress (on sale!), 2 foam changing pads (don't need the covers) so there is one for the nursery and one for the rest of the house, and some clothes at TJ Maxx (on clearance!) and Gap (on sale).  I also bought some cute non-necessity things I had been watching for a while.  Now I have at least one outfit per baby for every size until 12 months.  I try to buy clothes for each age... so at TJ Maxx for instance I bought at least 3 outfits in the 3-6 months, 3 in 6-9, and 3 in 9-12.  So I won't be loaded with 0-3 or newborn, and have nothing to put them in from 6-12.  I can't believe how many outfits I am going to need... it is so hard to shop for 3!  Every time I make purchases (and sometimes I don't even care if there are 3) it seems like so much, but once they make it in the closet it sure doesn't look like that much per baby.  I sometimes buy three of a kind where they are exactly the same, but I also look for things where I can get the same outfit in three different colors, so they will have some "coordinating" outfits too.  

On a non-baby topic, we had a fun 3 day weekend (too short!) but really missed going to Colorado Springs for the 4th of July to see Grammy.  It would have been really fun, and I am so sad we couldn't.  Maybe we can make it up to Colorado with the babies before next July, but we are for sure going to make getting there for the 4th a priority for next year...

Feeling the moves...

I finally felt the babies move!  I'd been wondering when I would start to feel them, and I'm pretty sure I'm feeling them now.  Apparently I was oblivious to the "fluttering" and only feel the legitimate kicks.  We bought some Praise Baby CD's a month or so ago and I put them on an ipod.  At night when I'm going to bed or on the couch I plug one ear-bud into my belly button (getting harder and harder to make it stay) and the other anywhere I can, and play them music.  On Wednesday night I "plugged in" and was laying there when B definitely kicked me.  He was on top because I was laying on my right side and I felt it a couple times before I called Sean in, he only had to wait a minute or two before he felt it too.  An obvious bump on my belly.  I think I also felt A and C too, but they were on the bottom and it was harder to tell.  I think I have felt them a few more times, and B more than the others... maybe he is a future Soccer star :)  Feeling them in there makes it seem so much more real... up until now it has only been evident on the ultrasound and by the growing belly.  Definitely happening now!

We have the nursery painted (well, Sean painted it), and will get pictures up as soon as it is together :)

20 weeks and counting...

I cannot believe we are at 20 weeks now.  We had a fabulous trip to Boston last week (congrats Steph and thanks for having us!), and a doctor's appointment on Monday.  All is looking good, I have gained 22 pounds total (yeesh) and the babies are 12-13 ounces each.  They are moving around a lot, even though I can't feel them yet.  My blood pressure is great, my cervix actually got longer, and I feel fine (although my feet are super swollen, which is apparently normal).

Two weeks ago we got the baby furniture in (thanks Holtzes!!) and it's a good thing we waited to paint and buy fabrics because we decided to make some changes.  We are going to paint this weekend and when we get the furniture in and curtains up I'll post some pictures.  We (I think) finished registering at Babies R Us (have a love hate relationship with that store, and it was Sean's first experience there), but they don't carry the car seats I want or some of the other bigger items.  Our Preparing for Multiples class was interesting, I'm glad we went, though some of what was discussed we already knew from reading our books.

I'm on every 2 week checks now for my cervix, but so far they have also always checked the babies too.  I'm very spoiled by the every 2-3 week ultrasounds and can't imagine only having one or two for the whole pregnancy!  So far we are very blessed that everything is going so well.  Next goal is 24 weeks, then 28, then 32, then 35... Continue to pray for us as unfortunately, things could change at any time, though I am more and more confident that we can do this!

Boy oh boy, it's BOYS!

Well, we were pretty sure after the 15 week ultrasound that they would be, but sure enough it was confirmed today at the 18 week appointment.  So it's official, we'll be the parents of 3 triplet boys.  We thought for sure there would be a mix, but we are excited about 3 little boys.  They were 8 oz each, and already have bigger than average heads!

As of today my belly measures 40 inches, I can no longer button any of my pants!  I can still wear them, just with the help of the Bella band around the waist band.  I need to get a body pillow to help me sleep, the belly pulls on my back :)  Otherwise, no pregnancy symptoms or problems!  I haven't thrown up for 3 weeks, just the occasional bit of light-headedness when I haven't eaten or had water in a while.

We are going to a Preparing for Multiples class this week, we need to go to Babies R Us and finish registering, and hopefully we'll get the nursery furniture in so we can paint and put the nursery together.  I can't believe how fast time is flying by...

14 weeks

I've been shopping and planning more lately.  I've spent so much of this pregnancy being afraid, afraid that something will go wrong, that one or more won't make it, fearing for the worst.  I am trying to give up the fear, knowing that God would not have given us this miracle, this blessing, this challenge, without us being capable of handling it, whatever happens.

So for the first time since we found out about the triplets I've been buying some things.  Yesterday I bought some receiving blankets and clothes at Target, today I shopped online for clothes and toys, and a few days ago I bought some baby CDs and a couple toys.  I even dragged Sean to USA Baby the other day to look around, I knew Babies R Us would be too overwhelming for him, it is for me!

I have a small bump now, though I call it a "bulge".  If you didn't know I was pregnant, you'd think I had packed on a few pounds (which I'm sure I have, but I don't get on the scale except at the doctors!).  I'm hoping that soon it will look more like I'm pregnant... but I'm not ready to be huge yet.  I also got a belly band the other day, which I haven't worn to work yet, but probably will this week.  Not only does it give me some flexibility with my pants, but I think it smoothes and makes the bulge look more bump-like than fat-like.

Next week we have our next doctor's appointment, I am excited to be more sure about the genders of A (guessed a girl) and C (pretty convinced a boy), and know B's.  That's all for now :)

bye bye first trimester!

Wow, I have to say I thought it would take forever to get to this point!  I almost feel like I've been pregnant forever already, and there (God willing) is so much farther to go.  I am still in normal clothes, but some days I look "fatter" than others.  No bump yet :)  I feel so much better to have this part under my belt, so far so good!

We had our 12-week check up on Monday and all looks good.  My cervix looks great, though at this point it is too early to expect a problem.  The babies were soooo active!  They were bouncing around and moving their arms and legs, A even looked to be kicking C at one point!  I could have watched the ultrasound forever.  They did measure the NT even though we declined screenings and they all look ok, I had to cough to get a couple babies to bounce in their sacs, which is funny because I had a cold last weekend and coughed and sneezed all weekend long!  I thought what a rough ride they must be having :)  We even have gender guesstimates... C got a pretty resounding BOY, and A they waffled on, but settled on GIRL, B had a cord between the legs :)  We don't know anything for sure, but they should be more definitive next appointment (15 weeks).

I am doing pretty well.  We had a super-fun trip to DC the weekend before Easter, and I managed to not be sick at all until the day we left.  Unfortunately that started another round of daily vomiting, but I'm currently at only 1 day in almost the whole last week.  Hopefully I am nearing the end of that :)  I can also sense a change in my appetite.  I went through the first trimester eating barely anything and never knowing whether I would feel sick or whether the food would make me feel better.  Now I am almost always hungry, and not nearly as particular or sensitive about what sounds good and what doesn't.  I think the babies must be screaming for calories!

Right now I feel like we can do this, but I have absolutely no idea what to expect.  I don't know when we'll deliver, I don't know how long they'll be in the NICU, I don't know what we'll do once they get here, I don't know any of this because I've never been through it before, not even with one.  Since I don't know what will happen I am making up my own expectations to keep me optimistic and positive, however "realistic" they may be... I expect to carry three babies as long as I can with minimal complications, I expect to deliver at 35 weeks, I expect the babies to spend less than a week in the NICU (though I'm hoping for take-home babies), I expect that we will be able to take care of all three babies at home and love every minute, and I expect to go back to work when I am able.  Whew.