TMI beware...

So, a warning, this is a little personal. It's not that I'm complaining (though Sean says I am doing more of that lately, and I admit it), but I thought that since the end was nearing I should maybe mention some of the things that I won't miss about pregnancy.

First though, despite all complaining that does happen, I will really miss carrying these babies. They are such a blessing, a gift from God, and I hope I can give them their best chance by carrying them as long as I can. There is nothing like feeling them move, and I'm the only one who will ever know what they feel like. I think feeling their movements is what I will miss the most when they are born. I will also miss eating whatever I want, even though I do try to make healthy choices. I will miss the quiet and the calm. And I love the expression on people's faces when I tell them there are three, priceless.

Now for what I won't miss... in no particular order, and I think these are true of most pregnancies, though some may be just mine. The 50 pounds I've gained so far. The laughter that erupts when I tell people there are three, and that continues when they learn it is all boys. Swollen feet and ankles. Constant lower back pain. First not being able to eat (morning sickness first trimester), then not being able to eat enough (second trimester), then not being able to eat everything that you want to because your stomach is squished and fills up fast (third trimester). A GI system out of whack... constipation vs. diarrhea. Hence, hemorrhoids. Heartburn, didn't even know that's what it was when you wake up in the middle of the night with the taste of vomit in your mouth. Not being able to sit with your legs together. Difficulty wiping. Barely fitting in a booth. The attractive moans, groans, and grunts that I make when I have to move a certain way or get up. Waddling. Not being able to sleep more than an hour at a time because of pain, discomfort, having to go to the bathroom, etc. Stretch marks. Lovely huh... that's all for now, maybe I'll add more as I think of them :)

And, a picture of me at my shower at 32 weeks...

A little excitement...

We had a little scare this weekend...

Friday night we toured the Mercy Level III (highest level) NICU and birthing area with our friends Charlie and Krista, they set up the tour for us with their nurse friend who works in the NICU. It was so helpful. I feel a lot more prepared, and it was so calm and not as intimidating as I thought it would be. But it drove home to us how important it was for these babies to be at good weights and at least 34 weeks, if not the 36 we are hoping for. So many babies there are smaller than ours are supposedly now, and were born earlier than ours will be, so that was reassuring (though sad for those kiddos).

Saturday morning I had NOT slept well, up every hour or so, and my abdomen felt so tight that I wondered if I was having contractions. So Saturday at 7:30am I gave up on my misery and got in the tub, the only way I thought I could make myself comfortable. I wasn't experiencing pain, but just very, very uncomfortable. While I was in the tub for an hour and a half I was able to track the contractions, some were every 20 minutes, but others would come every 5-6 minutes! I got out to watch Game Day and some football, and continued to track them, still irregular but some still 5-6 minutes apart. And I started to cramp with them and have intermittent to persistent lower back pain. Great, I had heard stories of not realizing contractions were significant until it was too late, so around noon I called the doctor. My doctor wasn't on call, but his partner had me go to the hospital (we knew he would, why we were still a little reluctant to call).

We got to the hospital, ran into a friend (small world), and they got us set up in a room. He wanted my cervix checked (nurse said it was closed, yay, though they didn't ultrasound it), wanted me to get betamethasone injections for the babies' lungs just in case they did come before 34 weeks, and then a nonstress test to track the contractions and monitor the babies' heart rates. The babies and my blood pressure still looked great, thank goodness. But I was definitely having contractions every 6 minutes, much more regular than even I thought they were. And for the most part I could definitely feel them, still not painful, but definitely a presence that was uncomfortable, and definitely still involving cramping. So they gave me an injection of Terbutaline to stop them, which it did really well. I only had one or two more in the hour after it kicked in, and those were much less significant and more comfortable. The injection did give me a little headache and make me a little shaky. The doctor also ordered a fetal fibronectin test, which detects a protein in the cervical secretions that is typically present within a week or so of labor, and that was negative.

So I got to go home! Yay! Since we still don't have a bag packed... it's on my to-do list :) I was really afraid Saturday morning that the babies would be coming, or I would be heading to the hospital for a longer stay, and I was so relieved that everything checked out. I got sent home with oral Terbutaline, which I took Saturday night, and thank goodness I'm only supposed to take it as needed because it severely messed me up. It made my heart race, made my whole body tremble, and a few other side effects, which persisted much longer than with the injection, at least 8 hours. It did stop the more infrequent contractions and also helped the cramping, but I haven't taken another dose! Sunday I had to go back for another betamethasone injection, and they repeated the nonstress test, which again looked good. Hopefully I won't be back for a while...

So I'm officially taking it easy now. I called work, I'm stopping a week earlier than I hoped. And poor Sean is really having to pull most of the weight around the house. I feel good now, still periodic contractions, but nothing like before, and no repeated cramping. My back hurts, I don't sleep well (or at all really, last night I was up for good at 2:30 and finally gave up on bed and got up at 4:45), and I tire really easily. I feel really good that we'll make it to 34 :) and I'm still hopeful for 36 weeks, barring anymore scares!

32 weeks down... 4 to go...

I hit the 32 week mark on Sunday!! 32 weeks is average gestation for triplets, so it has been a milestone for me from the beginning. I went in yesterday for my first Non-Stress Test. Basically I sit in a recliner while 2 nurses hold 4 monitors on my belly for 20 or so minutes. They find the heart beats of each baby and position a monitor over them, then track the heart rate. They want the baby's heart rate to "accelerate" twice, or go up periodically. They don't want the baby's rate to drop. Whenever the babies move, the monitors have to be moved to find the rate again. The fourth monitor was for contractions (none, yay!). It was pretty odd. All the babies passed with flying colors, heart rates in the 140's for the most part, and going up to the 160's or so. Blood pressure was still great, 110/60. I have to go in for the NST's twice weekly now, so I dropped another partial work day. It's just too much to get in in a week. Next week I have an OB visit, not sure what will happen there, and then the week after I have an ultrasound (probably my last!). I asked if he needed to measure my cervix anymore, and he said no! He said I'm "past that". I guess that means that they don't need to know ahead of time if it is shortening, because pre-term labor isn't that much of a concern anymore. I'm a little relieved, but it would be nice to get the heads up if it was shortening, a little warning.

The babies are getting big I think. They move around more at times. I feel like my belly is lumpy-bumpy, less round and more contoured to the babies and their body parts! This may be TMI, but for the last few weeks I can't keep my legs together while sitting down, otherwise my belly is shoved into my lungs. It needs the space between my legs, otherwise it is too squished! Last night I was up every 2-2.5 hours. Thank goodness I can go right back to sleep! I also feel like I've pulled bilateral groin muscles, when I get up or move, and if I stand on one leg at a time (like putting on pants or shoes), my muscles ACHE. Apparently it is normal, but it makes me want to stay in one place and not move around so much. This morning I woke up with a sore throat, I put the pieces together later when my mouth tasted a little vomity regardless of water, toothbrushing, etc., apparently I had some reflux overnight. I've never had heartburn or acid reflux before this pregnancy, and only really briefly a month or so ago. Hopefully this episode will be brief too.

I can't believe how time is flying... a little frightening but also exciting! I still don't think I'm ready for 3 baby boys, but I don't think I ever would/will be! We are much more prepared after a really fun baby shower this last weekend, it was lovely! We got our fabulous triplet stroller, lots of gear like a play yard, playmat, swings, and bouncy seat, and lots more clothes and other necessities. My to-do list is to pack a bag for the hospital, get the car seats installed, figure out the breast pump and what parts I need to replace on it, and read some baby books!!

Counting down!

We officially have a date to count down to! The babies will come on or before September 27th... either I will start preterm labor (no signs yet, cervix 3.9!), get pre-eclampsia (blood pressure currently 114/58!), one baby's growth slows down, or they will come by scheduled c-section on the 27th.

All the babies look great :) It's REALLY getting crowded in there, and they are everywhere! A and B are LOW, they've technically switched, B moved lower than A so is now renamed A, old A is higher than B so now called B. New B has his head right up against my hip bone and his feet up high, New A is breech as low as he can get. C is across the top, as close to my lungs as he can get. They still move, although it's hard to tell which movement belongs to who. And it's still easy to see some of them move too.

I'm working shorter days (12-6 instead of 9-6) and it is going so much better. I was really exhausted my last week of full days, and it was hard to get breakfast and lunch in. I feel like I am better able to help with the house too, I have time in the morning to do a load of dishes, or laundry, etc. I can sleep in longer and get more sleep, and take my time getting ready in the morning (because it takes me longer... I sit down to dry my hair, sit down to do make-up, etc.). When I get home I'm still tired and crash on the couch or the bed, but not nearly as bad.

OOOOh, we got in the new floors! I got this bug a month or so ago that we needed to take out the carpet in the living room and dining room and put in nice laminate floors to be more durable and cleaner. They look fabulous! The carpet was hairy and smelly and ruined by the animals, and I just didn't want babies anywhere near it. I'll get pictures soon.

Speaking of pictures, I do have some of the nursery :)

This bench is in the hallway right outside the nursery.

The changing area is my favorite :) The hot air balloon mobile flew home with us from Orlando, the day before we found out

about the triplets. The picture is a "Prayer for Boys".

The pictures are AMAZING pastels of animals created by my sister.

The bassinet was built by my great grandfather. It will move to the living or master bedroom when they get here.

The crib and armoire were purchased for my dad and have been passed down as well. We are going to use a "breathable bumper" on the crib.

The quilts were made by my grandmother.

The baseball we got at a Boston Red Sox game. We are trying to get $$ in the piggy bank already...

The clock is Noah's Ark, right next to the bathroom.

We have three new cribs in the garage that when the babies are done in the one, we'll move out the crib and armoire and move in the three cribs.

I'm really happy with how it has come together, no theme or anything, and not fancy, but generations of love and some truly special features :)

And all is well...

I feel like this blog is getting a little boring. Like every post is me being the town crier... "11 o'clock and all is well". But what can I say? Everything is still going great, we are 29 weeks 1 day and counting. We went to the doctor today and my cervix is still the same, the babies are looking huge (no measurements though unfortunately), and my doctor thinks it's going great. Still, I am getting a little tired of being pregnant. I've gained 40 pounds and the babies have got to be at least 3# each now, if not more, which makes me full term!

The babies have shifted a little in position, B is sort of breach with bottom/belly down in the middle, with A's head and C's head on either side. I feel a LOT of movement lately. Occasionally they move around down low, which I can't see, but can feel on the inside more than the outside. But primarily they move around up top, where my lungs should be. It is a little weird to see a ripple effect or poke that punches out of my belly. And Sean and I can feel them and tell body parts occasionally, like sharp little knees or elbows. It's pretty fun. Sometimes I can't even feel them, but I'll be looking down and see the little bumps pop up/out.

I am so excited to be working shorter days starting this week! The timing could not have been better, I get tired really easily now, and it's getting much harder to move around and even breathe. I also don't sleep well, so it will be especially nice to be able to sleep in an extra hour or so and take my time in the morning and eat well. Not that I am complaining (which I really try not to do) because each day they are in there is better for them! And one less day that we'll have 3 babies to care for 24/7. I am so grateful to work for such wonderful people who are so flexible and understanding.

Speaking of 3 babies to care for 24/7, at my next appointment we get to try to figure out a date to plan for the c-section! OMG!! So... I'm a bit of a numbers freak, and I don't know how I am going to choose the date that will be their birthday forever and ever. Well, assuming we make it to that date. Because obviously we'll pick a date that is optimum, at least 36 weeks or so, and there is still a VERY good possibility that they will come earlier than that. Is it wrong to take football schedules into account when planning the birth of your children?

Almost 28 weeks...

We went to the doctor again today for our routine check and ultrasound (a bit early since he is going on vacation). Everyone looks great! We are 28 weeks on Sunday (HUGE milestone, likelihood of survival is 80-90+%). My cervix is "fabulous" and staying long and strong, measured at 3.6 and 3.9. My blood pressure was 114/62, and I've gained 4 pounds since the last visit (makes it 36 pounds total, yikes). But more importantly, the babies have grown! The weight guesstimates are 2#7oz, 2#9oz, and 2#14oz! That's almost 8 pounds of babies!

Thank you!

Well, I am 27 weeks as of yesterday. Wow. They haven't been moving as much lately, but I still feel them each a couple times a day. I was completely surprised by a shower at work this week, everyone was so thoughtful and generous! Then we had a planned one this weekend with friends and family. I had a blast! It was so great to see everyone, and it was just really fun. These babies are so blessed!

I now feel like the nursery is pretty well prepared... if god-forbid they came home tomorrow (which we all know they wouldn't) I feel like we would have enough to manage initially.

Not only is the nursery more ready, it is also a whole lot cuter thanks to some FABULOUS pastel drawings by their future Auntie Steph.

I had a great time with my friend Mary, who is expecting her second boy and a week ahead of me. She stayed with us for the weekend and was so much fun and a huge help with a couple projects. We can't wait to get together again and leave our husbands with 5 baby boys (well, one is essentially a toddler) while we do something fun :)