Yipee for Christmas at home!!!

Today has been a roller coaster of emotions.  I said a tearful goodbye to our house this morning as Bobby packed my overnight bag into the car.  Neither of us knew when I would be back.  Would it be today, tomorrow, or weeks from now?  I had come to terms with the fact that I would probably be admitted, but it didn't make me feel any better about it.  

When we got to the hospital I first had blood work done, followed by an ultrasound.  I was quite anxious about the ultrasound for a number of reasons.  For one, we hadn't seen the munchkins for several weeks which allowed my mind to wander.  I also haven't been gaining appropriate amounts of weight so I worried  that might mean that the babies weren't growing appropriately.  Finally, I hadn't felt baby #3 moving in several days - again, my mind was getting the best of me.  Turns out all of my worrying was unnecessary.  All 3 are thriving!  For the first time they were "weighed" and results are as follows:

Baby #1 (girl) - 2 lb 6 oz, 79% for gestational age

Baby #2 (boy) - 2 lb 8 oz, 88%

Baby #3 (boy) - 2 lb 11 oz, 92%.  Turns out he has an unusually high volume of amniotic fluid which is likely why I haven't been feeling him as much.  It is not dangerous and they couldn't find any negative cause for it.

Holy moly!  We hoped to get them all to 2 pounds before delivery!

As for my blood pressure, it remains elevated but stable.  My labs were all perfect.  So, after a long discussion and many promises to "follow the rules" we were sent home...for now.  We will continue to 

check my blood pressure 4 times daily and will talk to Dr Acker every night before going to bed.  Also, we will need to be seen at the hospital on Saturday morning for more labs, a blood pressure check and possible ultrasound.  Compared to being admitted we are more then happy to make the trip in over the weekend!  I remain on strict bed rest, basically can get up to go to the bathroom but nothing else, but this should be easy to do considering my family (my mom in particular) is arriving on Friday.


Needless to say, Bobby and I feel as if we have received the best possible Christmas gift this year and we wish you all a Christmas full of blessings as well!  Thanks for your continued prayers and support!!!

How quickly things change...

As Bobby and I drove to our doctors appointment on Thursday I made the comment that I haven't really been giving the appointments the respect they deserve.  I mean, I never go into them thinking "today could be the day that everything changes."  Things have been going so well all along that I sort of took for granted the fact that things could change.

Well, as irony would have it, that day ended up being the day...

 My blood pressure is the culprit.  We left the office with instructions to check my blood pressure every 6 hours through the weekend and to call Dr Acker directly if it ever went above 140/90.  Well it did.  The very next morning.  So I called and he put me on bed rest though Monday (today) and I was to continue checking my blood pressure.  While deep down I think I knew this was it, I maintained a level of denial.  I kept telling myself I would be up and around come Tuesday, back to working from home and back to preparing for the babies.

This mornings phone call from the doctor ended that denial.  The blood pressure checks will continue, as will the bed rest, until an appointment on Wednesday.  And then the bomb..."as your doctor, I am not allowed to think about the holiday coming up later this week.  My responsibility is to keep you and the babies safe.  When you come in on Wednesday I want you to come prepared to stay with us."  WHAT???  Did he really just say that I may be spending Christmas in the hospital???  But I have family coming, I have loose ends to tie up at work, I have a list of things that need to be done before the babies come!!!

So here I sit, still processing what has just happened, what I have just been told.  Not sure what to do next...but I do know one thing, whatever it is I'll be doing it from the couch.  

Baby showers are fun...even when you can't attend

I have been honored with 2 baby showers already.  Unfortunately...I haven't been able to attend either of them.

My mom and sister surprised me at Thanksgiving with my first shower which was organized for family and friends in Goshen.  Being pregnant with triplets, my window of opportunity to fly home was over before it even started and I was denied the pleasure of participating in a right of passage I have long looked forward to.  Nonetheless, Bobby and I had a great time opening gifts, playing with baby gadgets, and dreaming of our soon to be little ones while surrounded by our families at the dinner table after our Thanksgiving feast.  Here is a photo of Bobby practicing his burping technique:

The second shower was thrown by my colleagues at work.  Since I am no longer driving and Bobby was on the road all day, they had to celebrate without me.  The next day my good friend and co-worker Nancy came to visit, bearing a yummy lunch and their generous gifts.  I was so excited to receive the famous "diaper cake" which one of the nurses in the department has been known to make for every pregnant co-worker.  It is made entirely of diapers (there must be at least 100) and decorated with every baby product you can imagine.  I haven't had the heart to take it apart yet. 

So, even though my baby shower experiences haven't been exactly like I had pictured they would be, I have had a great time with them.  Besides, nothing about this pregnancy has been like I ever imagined, so why start now, right?

Photo update and Thanksgiving

I guess it is time for a photo update.  Here I am on Thanksgiving Day.  Can't wait to get my hands on the turkey!  We had a wonderful day.  My family was visiting from Indiana and Bobby's family joined us at our house to celebrate.  Some people thought I was nuts to host the dinner, being 6 months pregnant and with a house torn up with construction.  It worked out well though and everyone pitched in with food.

The renovations are coming along.  My dad was out 2 weeks ago to get it all started and he and my brother-in-law Andrew and Bobby worked during most of this trip as well.  The nursery has a coat of paint up and is really starting to look legit.  I will post more photos soon of all of the work being done.  A big thanks to dad, Andrew, Cara and mom for sacrificing their holiday time to drive 14 hours to work, work, work!  I promise it was their idea, not mine!

This Thanksgiving I felt especially thankful.  1 year ago at this time we had a couple of failed fertility cycles behind us and I wasn't feeling very thankful for much of anything.  Look at us now!  What a difference a year makes.  I am thankful for family and friends who have been so valuable during this time - both mentally and physically.  I am thankful for a loving husband who is giddy with excitement about being a dad.  I am thankful for the 3 precious lives I have been so blessed to carry!

A major milestone!!!

24 weeks.  Otherwise known as the week of viability.  Babies born earlier then 24 weeks have, on occasion, been known to survive (with major medical intervention) but 24 weeks is the point in the pregnancy when doctors tell you to take a deep breath and relax.  Early in this pregnancy 24 weeks seemed like an eternity away...but here we are!  Thank you God and thank you to all of you who have provided prayers, emotional and physical support. 

Having said that...

Last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning we ended up in the hospital again.  I woke up about midnight and was in a lot of pain.  Turns out I was having contractions.  I have had contractions before, but they have always been pain free and very random.  This time the contractions were coming about every 4-8 minutes and when I had my 5th one in 30 minutes we decided it was time to call the doctor (we had previously been told that if we had more then 4 in 1 hour then we needed to call).  As we suspected they told us to head straight in.

A monitor confirmed the contractions and I immediately began to worry that I would be sharing my birthday with our babies.  Fortunately my exam and an ultrasound revealed that the contractions were not effecting the babies or my cervix.  The doctor wasn't sure why they were coming so frequently or regularly (normally Braxton-Hicks are very random), but they did eventually slow down and finally stop.  We were discharged just in time to make it home and welcome my parents, KJ and Cara & Andrew who had arrived to work on our house and celebrate Thanksgiving. 

Nearing the end of an era

 

We finally have a new photo to post.  The past 2 weeks our little ones haven't been very cooperative during the ultrasounds.  We were lucky if the radiologist was able to catch a good shot of even 1 of them.  They continue to be incredibly active and seem to be settling into patterns of activity and rest.  Baby girl is a morning person while the boys take after their mom and prefer the evening.

As of today we have made it to the 23 week mark.  With that comes a change in routine.  For the past 10 weeks we have been settled into a pattern of weekly ultrasounds - Wednesday at 1:45pm.  The focus of these ultrasounds has been primarily to monitor my cervix.  Now, the focus will shift back to the babies.  We are told that if my cervix hasn't failed us yet, it likely won't.  And if it does, well, we are that much further along.  Starting at 24 weeks we will have ultrasounds and MD visits every other week.  They will be starting to "weigh" the babies, among other things.  Up until now they (the babies) are mostly skin and bones with a little muscle, but from here on out they will start to pack on their baby fat.  I shutter to imagine how this will effect my already large and awkward belly.

Bobby is an amazing daddy-to-be and has made it to all but 2 of the numerous appointments.  This week he will opt out so that my mom and sister who will be visiting from Indiana can take in the show.  I am excited to have them come and hope the trio puts on a good show!

Living like it's my last day...

OK, so this sounds significantly more morbid then it is intended to sound.  Let me explain...

Last weekend my sister-in-law, Cathy, came up from the city to help me get the house "baby ready."  Some of the projects we tackled revolved around sorting the "keep" from the "toss" but mostly there was a lot of very overdue cleaning to do.  Anyone who knows me and has been to my house or seen my office space at work knows that I like order.  I like things to have a place, love to organize, and HATE trinkets & clutter.  To say that it was humiliating to bring in outside help with my house in this sub-par state is an understatement. 

Bobby is a fantastic support and as my flexibility and endurance have decreased, he has stepped in to take over many of the daily household needs.  But he is still a guy (no offense, I love you babe).  He thinks like a guy, prioritizes like a guy and cleans like a guy.  

Cathy came in like a cyclone and with the help of Bobby's aunt Jody (who came by to take some measurements for the art work she will be creating for the nursery) I watched as piles of chaos and dust bunnies disappeared before my very eyes.  As I watched them work, a terrifying thought suddenly went through my head.  What if I had never gotten the opportunity to do any of this?  What if I had been put on bed rest at 20 weeks?  Or worse...hospital bed rest!  What in the world would we have done?  How would we have gotten ready in time?!  How did I let it get this bad?!

So this leads me back to the title...living like it's my last day.  I realize now that at 22 weeks every day is a blessing.  Every day that my little ones stay inside of me is a blessing.  Every day that I am able to move freely about my house is a blessing.  I need to embrace the importance of both and make it my priority to take advantage of both each and every day. 

Mark your calendar...or maybe not...

Well, I got an exciting but frightening phone call from my nurse today.  Seems my c-section has been scheduled for February 15 at 9:30am (at 35 weeks).  She quickly added that I only have a 20% chance of making it that long.  But at least we know with certainty that I won't be pregnant on February 16.  Yikes!!!

I'll take boring...boring is good

So haven't posted in a little while.  I realized it when I started getting hate mail from some of you asking for updates.  The truth of the matter is, I haven't really had much to update. 

We had an ultrasound last Wednesday and another one this past Wednesday.  Once again they show that everything is perfect with the babies and with my cervix.  At my Dr appointments afterward, he basically looks at the ultrasound report and says "you don't really need me, there is nothing to do to make this any better."  My blood pressure continues to be normal and I passed my glucose tolerance test which means no gestational diabetes (for now, they will re check it in a few weeks). 

The only slightly strange thing is that I continue to loose weight.  I lost about 15 pounds in my first trimester.  Then, I gained that 15 pounds back (plus about 4 more) during the course of this second trimester.  Now I am back to loosing and I have lost 4-6 pounds in the past 4 weeks.  All the while my stomach continues to expand.  Overall Dr Acker is not concerned as the babies are measuring right on target.  He keeps reassuring me that my time will come.  Oh yea!

The babies continue to be more and more active and feeling them kick (from the outside) is pretty common now.  The boys seemed to get into a kick boxing match the other day as they went back and forth for quite awhile.  It is such a neat experience! 

So, my apologies for the lack of updates.  Can't say I've ever been this happy to report that life is boring!!!

Bobby gets his turn

The long awaited day has finally arrived.  Bobby got to feel his first baby movements!  What a thrill!  Baby #3 was the culprit.  I had my hand resting on my belly while the two of us were laying on the couch after dinner.  When I felt a jab I grabbed Bobby's hand and sure enough, another jab.  Bobby kept his hand there for quite awhile and the little guy gave us kick after kick after kick.  Must have still been on his sugar high from my glucose tolerance test earlier this afternoon.  HA!

BIG changes!

And the insomnia continues (see previous post)! 

On my list of things to discuss with Dr Acker at today's appointment was the topic of work.  He mentioned last week that my work hours and commute seemed a bit crazy and told me that whenever I was ready for a change he was happy to make it happen.  My bosses at work have been incredibly supportive and we have already been working for months on getting things set up for me to work from home (should the need arise).  I planned to purpose the following arrangement to Dr Acker and my bosses today:  Monday and Wednesday, work from the office, Tuesday and Thursday, work from home (I am off on Fridays).  I figured this would break up what is now my routine of waking up at 4:45a, leaving the house at 5:30a, getting home at 7:30p, eating dinner at 8p and going to bed at 8:30p.  (And since I am awake updating my blog at 4am, you can tell how well I sleep). 

Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call yesterday from my boss's boss informing me that in light of the huge surge in h1n1 cases in the practice, it was being offered and advised that I work from home full time, effective immediately.  I was, and still am speechless.  God truly works in mysterious ways and the timing of this is a blessing!!! 

My mind is racing as I think about all the loose ends at work I need to get buttoned up.  It is sure to be a very big change but a very very good change as well.  Bobby is thrilled for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is not having to wake up at 5am to dig my car out of the snow.  I am thrilled for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is knowing that instead of going off in 5 minutes, my alarm will not go off for another 3 hours!!! 

All about me!

I thought I would take advantage of tonight's insomnia and update my blog with a post, or maybe 2.  It has been an eventful few days.  While I realize that many of you check in primarily because of your interest in the babies, I think there are at least a few of you who wonder how I am as well.  :)  So this post is all about me!

This past week I have really begun to feel the stress and physical toll this pregnancy is taking on my body.  At work, what was once a routine trip to the fax machine or water bubbler now feels like climbing Mt Everest.  My heart begins to race and I am left winded for 5, 10, 15 minutes or more!  I have been able to establish (though the technologies at work) that my resting pulse has increased from about 74 to about 115.  After even the mildest of activity I am quickly in the 140 range. I mentioned this to Dr Acker last week and was told that I should contact my own non-OB doctor if I noticed it happening again.

At work on Monday while eating my lunch and checking my email I suddenly felt my heart racing - and I hadn't done a thing to set it off.  I mean I was hungry but I didn't think I had eaten my chicken caeser salad THAT aggressively!  So I called my doctors office and was soon on my way to the ER.  Long story short (or at least less long) the tests confirmed that my heart rate was, in fact, abnormally fast though in a regular rhythm.  The cause?  Well, the fact that I am carrying triplets means that my blood volume has doubled in the past month or so.  This is normal.  As a result, my heart has become enlarged in an attempt to compensate.  Not so normal, but does happen in some cases.  The cardiologist and Dr Acker think that the increase in size has likely caused an increase in stress or irritation to the portion of the heart which stimulates the heart to beat.

Sounds a little freaky but really only means that my heart rate is high and therefore I need to "take it easy" as much as possible (no, it doesn't mean bed rest). Overall, not dangerous for me or the babies as long as I allow my body time to recover in between episodes.

But enough about me...

Now that was a kick!

I have spent years wondering what it would feel like to have a little life growing inside of me.  When I found out I was pregnant it was one of the first things I thought about.  I waited anxiously through the first trimester knowing it would likely be well into the second trimester before I felt anything.  So I was totally shocked when I felt my first flutter around week 13.  It was a split second "butterfly" feeling that I didn't feel again until week 17. 

Since then the flutters have become a normal part of my day (from one baby or another - mostly the boys).  The flutters recently turned into taps and today baby #2 (one of the boys) gave me a full on kick.  The jab was so strong that I felt it with the hand I had resting on my belly!  Wow!!! 

I was so excited that I called Bobby, who was at a Dallas Cowboys game (in Dallas).  He was equally as excited although also bummed as he has been anxiously awaiting the day he could share in the movement experience.  I think his day is coming!!!

Head to toe

Wednesday (yesterday) was the big 18 week 'anatomy scan.'  While I enjoy all of our ultrasounds, I have been looking forward to this one in particular.  For many, "normal" singleton pregnancies, this is the one and only ultrasound of the entire pregnancy.  I feel blessed to have had so many opportunities to see our trio, though I understand their purpose is not simply for our entertainment. 

The whole ultrasound lasted 2 hours and believe me when I say that they look at and measure EVERYTHING!  It is amazing to me that they are able to make out much of anything, let alone the individual chambers of the heart and landmarks in the brain.  Once again we got independent confirmation of the genders and now feel quite confident that we are having 2 boys and 1 girl.  Here is a quick summary of each of our little ones...

Baby #1 - our girl.  She continues to measure the smallest though is right on target at 18 weeks 3 days.  While she is normally very calm during ultrasounds, this time she was crazy - flipping and turning the whole time.  She was acting particularly fresh as the tech attempted to photograph her mouth and nose and she repeatedly put her hands in front of her face. 

Baby #2 - one of the boys.  He remains in the middle of the pack, measuring 18 weeks 6 days.  True to form he was also quite active and seemed to enjoy hiding his face just behind my belly button.  He is the more modest of the 2 boys and once again had his legs not only closed, but crossed most of the time.  We did get enough of a peak for the tech to confirm that he is, in fact, a boy. 

Baby #3 - the other boy.  He was calmer today then normal and once again kept his legs open wide.  Could this be trouble?  Still measuring the biggest at 19 weeks. 

Rather than list the 101 things they can detect during this scan, I will simply say that once again, everything was perfect.  And my cervix is holding strong!  We feel truly blessed!!!  Also, my blood pressure was totally normal - another answer to prayers. 

I particularly like this weeks collection of photos.  A profile shot of each baby and then a group shot of their little heads (each about 6 inches in circumference).  They are positioned like a pinwheel, with their heads together right at my belly button and their little bodies fanning out from there.  Like my mom said, it is cute now for them to have their heads together, but just wait until they are putting their heads together to scheme up some mischief!!!  Can't wait!!!

All clear

My lab work all came back normal.  So while they don't know why my blood pressure was elevated, they do know that it isn't pre-eclampsia.  Thank goodness!!!  They did tell me that my blood volume has at least doubled by now, so maybe my body is just a little slow in compensating.  Who knows.  I will have an appointment again next week (instead of in 3 weeks) to make sure it isn't getting any higher.  Thanks for all the continued prayers!!!

3 out of 3 is better!

Bobby left this morning for Pennsylvania.  His absence meant that his sister Cathy could join me for today's ultrasound.  I was sorry for Bobby that he had to miss it, but very excited to be able to share the experience with her.  The kids put on a good show and baby #2 even cooperated this time!  Without telling the radiologist what genders had been discussed last week, today's (different) radiologist confirmed that #1 is a girl, #3 is a boy and #2 is also a boy.  So 2 boys and a girl it is!!!  I think I will wait until after next week's scan yet to get totally into the mindset of this combo, but I am (we are) excited none the less. 

Once again the trio looks great.  They are getting pretty crowded in there and appear to be getting into each other's personal space quite a bit.  One thing I forgot to mention about last week's scan is that the radiologist showed me where exactly in my belly each baby is positioned.  Now when I feel movement (which I am feeling daily) I know exactly who is responsible.  They won't be changing positions with each other so now that we know who is who and who is what we can really start to have fun with them - talking to them, calling them by name, etc. 

As for me, my blood pressure is higher then normal so they are following up with some additional lab work.  I am hoping to get the results back tomorrow.  My cervix is still holding strong and for that I am grateful!  It has an incredibly important job to do!  I'll be in touch with an update once I know more about the blood pressure concern.  While I know that carrying multiples means a higher risk for a variety of complications (both minor and major), I'm not sure I'm ready to go there yet...

2 out of 3 ain't bad...

This week is the kick off to our now weekly ultrasounds.  Look for my posts to become more regular from here on out.

Going into this week's ultrasound we were soooo hoping to catch a glimpse of our trio's respective genders.  While the purpose of the ultrasound was to monitor my cervix and the babies' fluid levels, I was prepared to be assertive and ask the radiologist if she would at least try. 

Well, I didn't even have to ask.  The first thing she said when we walked into the room was "do you know what you are having yet?"  When we said no she replied "do you want me to tell you if I see anything?"  "YES!"

And here are the results...

Baby #1 is 90% probably a girl.  Besides the obvious lack of "external plumbing" the radiologist pointed out several landmarks they look for in girls, all of which baby #1 has. 

Baby #2 was not cooperative.  He or she had his or her legs closed tight and the umbilical cord between them to boot.  No way to tell.  Maybe better luck next week!

Baby #3 is 100% definitely a boy.  No mistaking!!!  I will spare him future humiliation by not going into further detail...

The rest of the exam was, well, perfect.  Their fluid levels, their measurements, their heart rates and my cervix are all totally perfect!  Hallelujah!!!

Needless to say our prayer from the beginning has been to welcome 3 healthy babies into our family in 2010.  We still, of course, feel this way but are excited beyond words at the prospect of having both genders represented!!!  Bobby is mostly taking a deep sigh of relief that he won't have to play with Barbies every day.

Jazz hands!

Seems like this pregnancy is going to keep me on my toes - even more then I expected it would.

This week at work I have been experiencing quite a bit of pressure, tightness and stretching in my belly. I assumed it was all part of the growing experience (and I have a host of new stretch marks which supported my theory).  Well, yesterday afternoon the pressure seemed to be getting more intense so I decided to call my Dr's office to get some reassurance.  I explained my symptoms to the nurse and instead of saying "oh, this is totally normal, your babies are just growing," she said "how far away are you?"  I told her I was about 1 mile away at work.  She replied "great, I will call ultrasound and tell them to expect you now." 

So, down the street I went.  I was ushered straight into ultrasound and within seconds I could see my trio bouncing around.  They checked my cervix, the fluid around each of the babies, and each of their heart rates.  The verdict?  Everything was perfect.  Apparently I was only experiencing normal growing pains.

So here is the ultrasound photo and trust me when I say that these photos don't do justice to what I actually saw on the screen - although the first photo in the group comes close!  The tech wasn't sure how the babies had been previously "labeled" so I don't know who is who, but the top two photos are different babies and the bottom two are of the third one.  Photo #1 makes us laugh and takes me back to my high school days in show choir.  Seems he or she has already mastered the art of jazz hands!!!  A future Crimsonaire perhaps???

An unexpected night on the 'Labor and Delivery' unit...

Bobby and I got a glimpse of our future on Tuesday night. We got to spend the night on the labor and delivery unit. No, this was not a part of some all-inclusive prenatal tour. I was, unfortunately, there as a patient. I will quickly say that the babies are just fine.

Tuesday afternoon at work I started experiencing some shaking and dizziness. I ate a quick snack and heeded my bosses advise to put my feet up drink some water. Instead of feeling better my dizziness quickly got worse and before I new it I was unable to walk or even stand. Bobby was at home, on the roof pulling out old, leaking skylights and couldn't be reached. So at the advise of my OB doctor my boss drove me to the hospital.

Having never experienced dizziness like this and never having before been pregnant I immediately worried that the two were related. Despite my best efforts to do things 'by the book' for the sake of the babies, had I done something wrong? Maybe I wasn't drinking enough water, or maybe I had worked too hard the previous weekend (catching up on laundry and cleaning since I was feeling the best I had in months).

Bobby got to the hospital about 2 hours after I arrived. The dizziness was still getting worse (I didn't have any other symptoms) and I was put through neuro test upon neuro test. Medical students, interns, fellows, residents, attendings - doctor after doctor came to check me out (gotta love teaching hospitals) and we were thrilled when they finally concluded that this was likely not related to the pregnancy. I was still, however, admitted for further tests and awaited an MRI.

I woke up Wednesday morning with a splitting headache but much less dizziness. I was also experiencing some fogginess and "floaters" in my right eye. These symptoms were very similar to 2 migraines (as I called them) that I have experienced in the past. I discussed this with the neuro team. They agreed that the previous night's episode could have been a new presentation for migraines but because I am pregnant they felt the MRI was still very important.

Thankfully the MRI results came back normal and my blood work was all unremarkable. We were discharged on Wednesday night with only educated guesses as to what had happened. Today my headache and floaters continue and I still have moments of dizziness if I move too quickly. While still perplexed, knowing that my babies are safe and healthy and that my brain is clean leaves me so so happy!

The highlight of the hospital stay was getting to see our dancing trio on the ultrasound once again. At 14 and 1/2 weeks they are already cramped for space and 2 of them were laying head to head. Very cute!

The staff of nurses, doctors and patient care assistants were all incredible and we can breath easy, knowing that when the time arrives, we will be in great hands!!!

The 1st trimester "bump"

After much harassment from my mom and sister, Bobby and I finally took a picture of my growing belly. Call me crazy but I have been reluctant to take any photos before now. I had this irrational fear that I would find out later that something had happened to the babies and my big belly would only mean that I was getting fat. I know, I know...don't judge! :)

So here it is, in all its glory. I've been wearing maternity clothes for weeks and often get mistaken for being a lot closer to my due date then I actually am. I must admit it is fun to be so obviously pregnant and I find that strangers are quite mindful of holding doors, letting me go first, etc.

A quiet period...

At our appointment last week Dr Acker (our OB) said that we were entering "a quiet period" in the pregnancy. A time when I would be feeling good, the babies would be over their first hurdle, and we would all get a break from the scanning, poking and prodding. This quiet period, he said, would last until about week 16 at which time I would likely be slowing down a bit, the babies would enter their next "high risk phase," and we would resume weekly ultrasounds and appointments.

I remember thinking, "ah, this sounds nice." After all, we had moved directly from the intensity of the fertility program to the intensity of a high risk pregnancy. I had been feeling great (though tired) and was thrilled to hear that I would likely start feeling even better. I pictured this being a time in which we would start some serious planning and doing.

Well, I pictured wrong! It's true, I do have more energy and for that I am grateful. However it is difficult to be productive with your head in the toilet. Now, those who spent any time with me during the 1st trimester can testify to the fact that I felt so great, that I would often complain about my lack of symptoms. I literally wished for some nausea, just to be assured that all was well in baby land. Time and time again I was told "be careful what you wish for" and "count your blessings." I would only laugh and say "but I just want to FEEL pregnant!" Well, I must now eat my words (maybe they will stay down 'cause nothing else does) and admit that there is nothing fun about "feeling" pregnant. (Though as I suspected it does give me some peace of mind).

So as we progress through the next 4 weeks of quiet time, I suppose this blog will enter a quiet time as well. I will spare you all from routine updates about how I am feeling and look forward to October when we will once again have baby news to share!

More good news!

We had our 4th ultrasound on Wednesday. As I mentioned in my previous entry, there are several tests that can be done to determine viability and overall health. We opted out of most of these tests however, one test is done as a part of a routine ultrasound. Since we were having the US anyway it made sense to go ahead with the screening.

The test is called a nuchal translucency test. It is performed between 11 and 12 weeks. During the US they measure a small ligament in the baby's neck. If the measurement falls outside of the normal range it can be a predictor of multiple anomalies, mainly down's syndrome. I am happy to report that each baby measured beautifully!

Once again, the US was exciting! I am always a tad nervous at the beginning, but once 3 heartbeats are confirmed I am able to sit back and enjoy the show. In the 2 short weeks since our last US the trio has really changed. What were nubbies of arms and legs are now full blown appendages. They were all moving their knee and elbow joints. Also, they have clearly definable profiles - eye sockets, noses, lips, chins. Here is a report for each of our little ones:

Baby #1 - the smallest of the 3 since the beginning. 2 weeks ago s/he was measuring 2 days behind by date and was several more days behind the others. This week s/he has gained the 2 days back and is measuring spot on (though still behind the others). S/he was very cooperative during the scan and laid there quietly, sucking his/her thumb!

Baby #2 - the clown of the group! Always measuring in the middle of the pack. This scan was measuring at 11w6d or 3 days ahead of schedule and 3 days ahead of #1. Last time s/he was waving at us and this time s/he was doing somersaults. Funny to watch!

Baby #3 - might be our troublemaker! The biggest of the trio. Measuring a whopping 11w9d (in other words over 12weeks). The tech had trouble getting the pictures she needed with this one. Every time she would focus in on his/her profile and was just about ready to snap a photo, s/he would roll over leaving us looking at his/her backside. This happened 3 times before s/he finally stayed still long enough. I think we have an ornery one on our hands! :)

As for me, I continue to grow (sometimes daily, it seems) and unfortunately have a new found nausea. I am having more difficulty sleeping comfortably at night (I'm usually a stomach sleeper) and my stomach is a road map of stretch marks (despite my best efforts with 'belly butter'). In other words, I've never been better - I love it!!!

PS - if you click on the photos of the ultrasounds they will get larger, making it easier to make out the details. Each photo is labeled 1/3, 2/3, etc, indicating who it is you are looking at.

Don't rain on my parade!

From the beginning, Bobby and I have seen this pregnancy as a miracle. Even during the 1 and 1/2 week period when we assumed there was only one baby - we were so amazed to have finally gotten pregnant. What has been interesting is that the medical community hasn't necessarily shared in our awe and excitement. In fact, we have more often then not been met with apologies and speeches about all of the risks involved. A few examples...

Our first ultrasound when we found out there were 3 little ones. The radiologist (after telling me to take a few deep breaths to counteract the hyperventilation) said reassuringly "don't worry, 3 babies today doesn't mean 3 babies in 9 months, or even next week."

Our first appointment with our reproductive endocrinologist after finding out about the trio. She greeted us at the door saying "I am so sorry! You have to know that I consider this to be a medical failure and obviously not our intent."

At our third ultrasound, when we saw their little nubby arms and legs wiggling around for the first time. The radiologist (different from the first one) offered us a picture but then quickly took it back saying "oh, maybe you didn't want photos of all 3 in case..." I snatched the photo back but I knew she meant "in case you weren't planning on continuing on with all 3."

At our appointment with the fetal geneticist who told us about all of the many risks for genetic abnormalities and offered us countless tests and scans to find out if there was a "weakest link" among the trio - in other words, which one should be the one to "reduce."

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been all gloom and doom. Everyone of these people quickly changed their tune once we made it clear that we were thrilled and had every intention to continue on with our triplet pregnancy. We especially love our wonderful OB doc whose first words to us were "are we here to talk about reduction or a triplet pregnancy?" We said in unison "triplet pregnancy" and he has never looked back! He continues to be incredibly supportive and positive.

So, while this experience hasn't been all sunshine and roses, we remain incredibly optimistic and maintain our feelings of elation and excitement and can't wait for the blessings that await us in 2010!

Time to get started...

As the first post implies, I intended to get this blog up and running at the point I felt our lives were interesting enough to share with others. Well, I think we are there. Most, or probably all of you already know that we are 9 and 1/2 weeks pregnant with triplets. We still can't believe it ourselves! Especially after 3 very long and very painful years of infertility. The first question I am often asked when people find out is "are you soooo excited?" The answer is, of course, YES. That is, in between the feelings of panic and anxiety! I am learning to embrace all of these feelings and expect that they will be with me for the next 18+ years.

I've attached our ultrasound photo from yesterday. I suspect it will be too small to make out any details, but take my word for it these babies are growing! They now have little arm and leg buds which they were very actively waving all around. Baby #2 even seemed to waiving right at us. :) It was an emotional experience as it was the first time we didn't have to take the doctor's word for it - we could see our babies and not the "unidentifiable blobs" they had been in the previous ultrasounds!

We obviously have a very long and very complicated road ahead of us. Please keep us (all 5) in your prayers. We are so excited to share this journey with all of you!

An Unintentional Blog

Its funny...I created this blog to secure the blog name "Landis Smith Family Blog," not actually intending to keep it up to date at this point. I happened to log onto it this am and saw that there have been something like 24 viewers so far. My apologies to those of you who thought there would be something to look at. I plan to let you all know if and when it becomes an active blog. :)