A year ago today...

I was nervous, anxious, and excited. Michael and I waited in the dark ultra sound room for the nurse to come in. We knew we were expecting and we knew we were about six weeks along. That moment, sitting on that table, I started to panic as thoughts raced through my brain. Nothing could have prepared me for what was coming. Our first pregnancy with Tripp was a surprise and we consider it one of our best to date. This pregnancy was not a surprise but the news that came with this pregnancy will be a moment that will forever be stamped on my heart. That moment where I first met my sweet not one, not two, but three babies for the very first time. All that I could see on a screen was a round circle and a tiny flicker…a very tiny heartbeat. It was one year ago today that we first heard the news that I was carrying three babies. Michael and I just listened and looked at each other, listened and looked at each other. I laughed nervously the entire appointment and it is safe to say we were both in shock at the very idea I could possibly be having triplets. Looking back it makes my heart hurt that the doctor spoke with me about “selective reduction.” Looking at my sweet babies now….which ones would you ever ask me to give up?? The doctor told us not to go out and by a triple stroller that most higher order pregnancies “spontaneously reduced” in the first ten weeks and even if I didn’t miscarry that the chances of me carrying these babies full term was highly unlikely. It was in my favor that I had carried a full term pregnancy before but that I should be aware of all the risks that I am facing and to seriously think about reducing. I knew in my soul that wasn’t an option for me. Michael and I left the doctor and we put our faith in God in check and we tried to soak in what we had just been told. We started making phone calls to parents to tell them. We were too shocked to come up with anything clever and the news itself was shocking enough. ….And so began our journey, one year ago today. A ride that I will never forget but wouldn’t trade for the world. Fast forward a full year later, my trio are five months old now. We could not have made it through this year without the love and support of soapy family and friends. Words will never express our gratitude for the love that has been shown to our family. So thank you for taking the time to be a part of our lives.

Life in the rear view mirror...

Just as I had imagined finding time to sit and write my blog is next to impossible. Even to get past the first sentence I have had to stop twice to check on a fussy baby. :) This is a big week for us as I return to work for the first time in EIGHT MONTHS! Yes, I said EIGHT MONTHS!!! I have been doing a lot of reflecting the past few days, thinking back to when this all began and how far we have come. The end of December marked a huge change in, not only my lifestyle, but also the lifestyle of my husband and son. I became very quickly bound to my bed and we were nervous, excited, and anxious about what our future held for our three unborn babies. Now, I sit here and write my blog in living room with three four month olds. Tripp returned to school today for the first time since he was out for summer break and I return to work on Wednesday. So much has changed and yet it is though nothing has changed because we can not imagine our lives without them or what our lives even were before their existence. Returning to work I think will be doubly hard given the fact that my life was so very consumed with the pregnancy and unknown of what was to come with such high risks. Now I have had my precious, healthy, babies with me for four whole months and they, along with their brother, are an all consuming job. :) I am wondering if I will be bored at work because I just can't imagine work being as chaotic and busy as what I deal with at home. There aren't many things in life that are as chaotic and busy as taking care of three babies and a four year old. Tripp's summer was not as fun as I would have liked it to have been and I think returning to school was easy for him this morning as he will get more playtime and "fun" things to do besides being at home with his brothers and sister all day. Getting out to do anything is a big deal and our active lifestyle has taken a back seat this summer as we have adjusted to a new way of living. There were no tears when being dropped off this morning and that definitely makes getting back into a routine easier for us. Hoping that things will calm down around here and we will be able to get out more easily as the babies get older. Caroline, Gabe, and Ethan will be officially four months old on August 18th. They are doing great and definitely have their own personalities. Ethan, who is nick named "Tubby-Tubby," LOVES to eat and sleep. He is a chunk and absolutely precious. When he gets upset his cry just sounds pitiful and breaks your heart. He is mostly a happy baby and smiles with his many chins. :))) Love kissing those chubby cheeks. Caroline is definitely our princess. She has found her voice and talks and talks. As a girl, she already has a lot to say. I think she melts everyone's heart with her big, sweetheart eyes and precious smile. She will just put her head in just the right spot on your chest and snuggle. She is definitely a love bug. Gabe is our peanut and still the smallest of the three. He is growing, but hasn't quite caught up with his brother and sister. He fights with his reflux which makes him fussier than the other two at times. His cry, unlike Ethan, is not pitiful. Gabe just gets mad and has a temper that we have all heard and seen. :) He loves to smile and you can't help but laugh and smile back. He has very kissable chubby cheeks too. They are all rolling over from their tummy to their back. They can sit in their bumbo seat and are working on head control. We go back to the doctor on the 30th for their fourth month check up and I can't wait to see how much they have grown in two months. We have a new addition to the family now and her name is Claudia. We are all in love with her, babies included. She is an answered prayer and I already know I would be lost without her. She officially started working a couple of weeks ago and has a great bond with the babies who smile when they see her now. She gets with them on the floor and makes sure they are being active and talks and sings with them. It is such a relief to have her here for when I return to work. I know the babies will be in good hands and I don't think you can ask for better than that. Three babies is a tall order and it takes the right person for the job and I am thankful we found "that" person. Michael has been working for the past month with coaching and working in his room. This year will definitely be challenging as far as his schedule goes. Between practices, games, and preparing for his classes I know we won't be seeing much of him, but he is already enjoying what he is doing and we are so thankful for his opportunity. If there is one thing I can say about us it is that we are very family oriented so I don't worry about us figuring out time with us and the kids. :) God has blessed us in so many ways and I hope that His light will shine through us no matter what it is we are doing and no matter how busy we become. I never want to take for granted, or let life pass by, without stopping daily to remember how blessed I am. Please keep us in your prayers as we embark on our life back to work and Tripp to school, and that it will be an easy transition for us all. :) It is crazy to look at life in the rear view mirror and see where we have been and where we are now. Looking forward to things to come.

Sometimes I am so tired I am not sure where to start with what has been going on in our lives. In my mind our lives are no different than anyone else. It isn't until I go somewhere, anywhere outside of our home, that I am reminded our lives are not really more special than anyone else's but just more obviously different. We have been attempting to go out a lot more. We figure the more we do it the more it will become just what we do. We have always been a family that "goes." We do not like staying put and Tripp has had a hard time adjusting to that for the past several months with my pregnancy and then the triplets arriving. We would like to resume our normal trip to Walmart, the store, the zoo...anywhere outside the four wall of our house. However, there is no longer a "normal" trip anywhere. It is work getting three babies fed, dressed, and out the door with their four year old brother. Then, when we finally arrive wherever it is we are going, there is no "normalcy' to where it is we are. I feel I have become the "nonsocial" one out of Michael and I, but really I have just found that if I don't act like the nice, happy person I like to be, people don't carry on and ask stupid personal questions that are really none of their business. :) I don't mind people commenting on the babies and taking a moment to notice, but it really gets absurd and out of control quickly with comments and questions. Anyway, I have just never done well being the center of attention in any realm and most certainly was not ready for it now. On a happier note, the babies are all doing amazingly well. I hate to type that in fear that the ice might break out from under us. Caroline is such a sweetheart. I know she is my daughter and I am supposed to feel that way, but any one who has met her has walked away with a smile. She loves to cuddle and is very tactile. She loves holding on to her blankies...or my hair (which could be a problem in the near future). :) Ethan is our "big" boy and is hungry around the clock. I am pretty sure he would eat a steak if I at all just offered him one. We call him Mr. Fuss Buckets as he loves to be held...all the time. He has become a lot more content lately about playing on the floor as long as someone is there to give him their attention. Gabe is still our peanut and continues to be the smallest by several ounces. He struggles with his reflux and feeding him can be difficult. For this reason, Michael and I are a bit over protective of him. They are all truly happy babies and while we are sleep deprived, it could be a lot worse. They are easy babies individually, but somehow the three of them gang up on us and collectively it is hard. Haha. As I am typing right now Mr. Fuss Buckets is waking up in the swing telling me it is time for him to eat. We really don't even have to set an alarm clock. He is it. I am sure after feeding him, Caroline will wake up for her turn. Gabe will wait until about 5am, which is greatly appreciated!! The other two are then not far behind again to eat.

"I was made for you..."

So things around here are crazy as they have ever been. I now feel very comfortable keeping all three babies on my own which says a lot giving the handful they can be individually. :) We are now seeing their little personalities come out and I love finding out new things about them every day. A lot has happened since I last blogged. Michael got a job, praise God. Definitely an answered prayer. It is close to home which is a HUGE bonus. He will be coaching and I know this will keep him busy, but I knew he would be coaching no matter where he worked and we are just thankful it is five minutes from home as opposed to 45 min or an hour even away. We also found a nanny!!! She came very highly recommended from different people and she has nanny experience. She is a little older so I don't worry about her inexperience. Sometimes when you meet someone you just get a feeling, sometimes good, sometimes bad. I got a really good feeling about her and knew right away I wanted her to be our nanny. Her name is Claudia and we are very excited about getting to know her better. She will be moving into our spare bedroom downstairs in a couple of weeks. I think it is going to work out really well. :) Again, God has brought us so many blessings this year I am just bursting with excitement! On the home front, we are doing our very best to get the babies on a schedule. It is going pretty good and I feel like I have gotten farther with these three in ten weeks with sleeping than I have in four years with our oldest. Haha. However, it seems every night, at least one of the three has a tummy ache, doesn't want to sleep, etc. So we are still very exhausted and some nights we get a few hours and some nights we don't. This week hasn't been the best with them sleeping at night and on top of that, Michael has not felt well. Yesterday he went and took a nap with Tripp to catch up on some much needed rest. I was in the living room with the other three. One was in the swing and two were rocking on my chest. Our peanut, Gabe, has reflux and has been put on Zantac. It has helped A LOT, but he still has his moments with reflux. Yesterday he began spewing as I have him and Caroline on my chest. I could not sit him up with both of them laying on me and he began strangling a little bit. I yelled for Michael, who was still napping, to come and help me. I yelled loudly because I knew he was sleeping. The next thing I know I hear him jump out of bed and a loud bang followed and then I heard running, followed by another loud bang. He comes limping into the living room holding his head without his glasses. Apparently the door to the bedroom was partially opened and he ran straight into it leaving a bruise and a headache, after running into the door, he was running and fell in the hallway. By this time, Gabe was just fine, and all I could do was laugh hysterically at my poor crippled husband. He slid to the floor in the kitchen and I'm pretty sure he probably has a concussion. And....that is our life. As exhausting as it is day in and day out, and as miniscule as our down time is, I am so very, very thankful that this is our crazy life. I'm on a facebook page for mom's of triplets. Recently a mom who was 23 weeks pregnant went into labor because of an infection. After several hours of fighting she lost one of her beautiful little girls and later that evening the other two babies were born. She was put into ICU because she went septic and her two other babies are still fighting for their life in the NICU. I was up watching a rerun of Grey's Anatomy at 3am the other night and one of the character's who was pregnant in the show was in a car accident and her 23 week old baby was born. They showed the mom and the baby fighting for their lives. As I am sitting there rocking my sweet princess who couldn't sleep, tears streamed down my face as all I could think of is this poor mom who lost one of her sweet babies and the uncertainty of her life and the life of her other two children. I thanked God over and over again and continue to do so not wanting Him to think for a moment I take for granted what I have: My wonderful husband, a loving four year old son who is the best big brother, and three tiny new souls that we will do our best to teach of God's unending love. At the end of that stupid rerun there was a song and all I could think in my sleep deprived state was "this song speaks to me." I have heard this song before and it could not be more accurate to how I feel about the five most important people in my life...and I believe with all my heart "I was made for you." "The Story" All of these lines across my face Tell you the story of who I am So many stories of where I've been And how I got to where I am But these stories don't mean anything When you've got no one to tell them to It's true... I was made for you I climbed across the mountain tops Swam all across the ocean blue I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules But baby I broke them all for you Because even when I was flat broke You made me feel like a million bucks You do and I was made for you You see the smile that's on my mouth It's hiding the words that don't come out And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed They don't know my head is a mess No, they don't know who I really am And they don't know what I've been through like you do And I was made for you... All of these lines across my face Tell you the story of who I am So many stories of where I've been And how I got to where I am But these stories don't mean anything When you've got no one to tell them to It's true... I was made for you Oh yeah, well it's true... that I was made for you... Sung by Brandi Carlile

Mission Impossible?

The target: SLEEP The obstacles: Three Newborns It's dark in the lakehouse. Only the light from the TV is flickering with low volume playing an episode of "Bones" to keep my eyelids from shutting. In my arms is a baby girl eating from her bottle and I am struggling to stay awake. Beside me in a boppy is a baby boy who, at the moment, I thought was fussing. Beside him, with his feet kicked back and slightly reclined, is my husband, holding the other baby boy. Across the room sleeping on a pallet is our four year old sleeping the way we wish were doing. As I am sitting there feeding one, I look sleepily over at the baby in the boppy (who I thought was fussing) to put a passy in his mouth. It is at that moment I realize it is not the baby in the boppy crying. I am slightly startled to a more awake state and look over to see the baby my sweet, sweet husband is holding, with his feet straight up in the air. I panicked and immediately begin yelling "Michael! Michael!" He then snaps up, throwing the reclining seat forward, baby still upside down. At this point I am on the verge of tears thinking that my sleep deprived husband has squashed our baby's head in the seat when he sat it up. I am yelling at him "get the baby, get the baby!" He is looking at me blankly yelling "what baby?!" I yell "the baby in your arms!!!" He looks down and grabs him up. I then begin to laugh hysterically as I am shaking, still feeding our baby girl, with the other baby boy still sleeping in his boppy and four year old snoozing on the floor. I know it seems a bit irrational to be laughing when the moment before you thought your baby's head might have been squashed, but when you are going on little to no sleep for seven weeks straight...laughing hysterically is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. At that point in time it was probably 3am and my husband had been up since 4am the night before. The story ends with upside down baby falling right back asleep in his daddy's arms. I tell Michael to lay him down and go to bed. My husband responds with, "yes, but if you need me, please wake me up by gently shaking my arm or something, and not yelling at me." Poor guy, I scared us both to death. So, end of story, we are tired. That about summarizes our seven weeks with triplets. :) We live for the weekends when mom and Clay come and give us some time to sleep. This past week Granny Shirley, Clay's mom, came and has been an AMAZING help with the babies, cooking, and washing bottles. This has definitely given us time to take turns napping during the day. Everyone asks if this is harder than I thought it would be and my answer is no, it really isn't. I, in no way, shape, form, or fashion at any point in time thought this was going to be easy. We are changing more poopy diapers, going through more formula, and soothing babies hour after hour all while trying to entertain a four year old who is feeling a little bit left out. At the end of the day though, I kiss four children's sweet heads and tell four sleepy children that I love them and my heart is full with more love than I could have known. The babies are growing and changing every day and we are so very thankful that we are all healthy (minus sleep deprivation). I am so very fortunate to have a husband who is right there with me changing diapers, washing bottles, doing everything I do and some things better. :) The babies have actually done better sleeping the past two nights. We feed them, swaddle them, and put them down. Last night they went about five hours in between feeds with only a couple of times of needing soothing. It would have been great, except Michael woke up to help feed with a migraine. He is feeding our reflux baby, Gabe, and he is not having a good feed with lots of reflux. I am feeding Ethan. Michael quickly gets up and places Gabe in his carrier and runs to bathroom. I hear Michael throwing up because of his headache and I look over and Gabe has formula coming out of his nose and mouth. Caroline is waking up and becoming fussy and the four year old wakes up from all the noise. I run to Gabe, lay Ethan down, and pick Gabe up. Michael comes back with a bath cloth on his head and finishes feeding Gabe. He is truly a trooper. After that the babies go back to sleep and stay asleep until about 6am. So, maybe just maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel with completely sleepless nights. Our conclusion is that maybe sleep is a mission impossible at the moment, but we figure in twenty years or so, we may sleep through the night, and while sleep is little, the rewards are great. That is just a quick insight into our lives at that moment!  It has been fun and already so many great memories.

Happy Mother's Day

Well we have officially survived our first three weeks of being parents of four children! All babies came home two weeks ago and we haven't had time to stop and think since. The babies are doing great and seem to be healthy. They came home on four hour feeds, but the pediatrician wanted us to kick them back to three hour feeds. Now, when you have one baby, feeding every three hours around the clock is challenging but definitely possible. Three hour feeds with three babies around the clock basically means you are constantly feeding, changing, burping, and washing bottles. Sleep really isn't an option and Michael and I are learning to survive on little to no sleep. Michael came up with a great system of documenting diapers, amounts eaten, etc. so that we don't have to try and remember everything. Focusing on anything is almost impossible, even sitting here trying to think straight while typing is hard! We attempted to use a home health agency to come in at night and stay up with one of us so the other could get some sleep, but when she came in smelling of smoke and no newborn experience...we opted out after the first night. We seem to have a pretty good system but of course the babies are more active at night right now which means we have some work to do with getting our days and nights figured out. Schedules are a big part of our day and we try and keep them all in sync...try being the key word. The fun part is when they all three wake up at the same time mad and hungry because with two people feeding the third one just has to wait. We have also learned we will never be in a hurry to get anywhere ever again. We sat an extra hour and a half after our pediatrician appointment just to feed all three babies. Schedules are everything. We have also learned to go anywhere we better be ready to be social. Everyone has something to say or ask which is fine but it does take up a lot of time to talk to everyone you see. :) Tripp is adjusting well and is an amazing big brother. He is eager to help put in a pacifier, pick up a blanket, get a diaper, etc. He loves his babies and says "I think we will keep them." We are very glad he feels this way, haha. I don't think the hospital has a return policy of any kind. My husband who was once weary of holding small babies has been AMAZING! He does just as much of the changing, feeding, etc. as me and never complains about it (except when all three babies made dirty diapers on his watch...haha). Ethan is still the biggest of the three, but the other two are gaining quick. Ethan turned over today from his tummy to his back, but wasn't very happy with himself about it. The other two are still adjusting to being on their tummys. Looking foward to seeing all three hit milestones and grow. Caroline is the soother and reaches out to grab her brothers hands when they are fussy. Gabe is still pretty laid back and low maitenance. All the memories we have already made and the endless ones yet to come. A year ago I never dreamed that Mother's Day this year would be me being the mother of four children. You never know what God has planned for our lives but I'm so thankful this is where I am today. Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there who spend endless hours sacrificing quietly and without complaint to love and raise their chidlren. Very thankful for my mom who has helped me have the confidence that I can raise four chidlren, three of which are newborns, and be a good mother. I'm not really sure if this all flows the way I would like, but give me a break, I'm running on fumes right now. :)))

Delivery Day and NICU, One Week Update

I can't believe one week has come and gone and my sweet babies are a week old tomorrow. Thinking back to this time last week, it almost seems like an eternity ago and life without my four children doesn't make sense. My c-section was scheduled for last Thursday morning at 8:15 and I was supposed to be at the hospital at 6:15am for prep. God definitely has a sense of humor because one of the last things I told my husband about getting there that early was at least we didn't have to worry about traffic. As soon as we got on 65-S that morning, traffic was at a stand still going absolutely no where. Quickly checking the traffic report at 5:30am, we found out there has unfortunately been a fatal accident shutting down the interstate. It did put things into perspective though. Here we are going to the hospital hoping to bring life into the world and sadly two people had lost theirs an hour before. We did make it to the hospital 45 minutes late, but they couldn't start without me. :) Once at the hospital, in an ironic twist of fate, we also learned that someone was supposed to have called me the night before and told me to be at the hospital at 4am because they had changed the time of my section to 7am. My poor doctor had been there since then and no one had called to tell me of the change. Regardless of the circumstances or the time, nerves set in as they began to prep me. The nurses tried to keep the mood very light hearted to keep me calm and I did good until they rolled me into the operating room. My whole body was shaking so hard, partly because of nerves and partly because of the epideral. There were a total of 20 people in the room with Michael and I, 23 once the babies came into the world. Once they started, things happened very quickly. Ethan and Gabe were born at 8:29am and Caroline was born at 8:30. Ethan weighed 5 pounds 10 oz 19 in long; Gabe weighed 4 pounds 5 oz.15 in long, and Caroline weighed 5 pounds 5 oz. 18 inches long. They let us get pictures and then Michael and the team of doctors and nurses went to the NICU. It took the doctors about another hour or so before they were finished with me and rolled me to my room. I was up and going to the see the babies by 2:00 that afternoon. The babies have made quick progress in their one week here. Everyday it gets harder and harder to leave them in the NICU as I see their great progress, but I know they are in good hands and am SO VERY thankful for the wonderful NICU nurses who love my babies when I am not there to. Caroline and Ethan are in isolettes which is a step up from an open bed. They get to wear onsies now which makes things look better to me. Caroline is bottle feeding 30 cc's with no problem and came off her oxygen yesterday. So far she is tolerating breathing on her own well. Ethan's breathing is still a bit rapid in the 70-80 range and they want it in the 60's before they allow him to bottle feed. For now he has an OG tube and is tolerating 30 cc's per feeding. Mr. Gabe is now in a crib and doing fantastic. He passed his car seat test and if all goes well he may get to come home as early as Saturday!! We have to spend the night in the NICU family room to assure the staff we can take care of him on our own. We anticipate Caroline to follow closely behind and if Ethan can slow down his respirations, for him to progress quickly too. I can not tell you how often I thank God for His miracles and His grace. The doctors and nurses can not tell me how well the babies are doing and how well I did during my pregnancy. I know that I did my part by staying in bed and having a wonderful husband to take care of me, but how long those babies stayed in place had everything to do with God answering prayers and continuing to answer prayers with the progress in all three babies. We are beyond blessed and have more to be thankful for than we ever imagined. What an amazing journey it has been and we are just so excited for the sleepless nights, screaming babies, and endless wonderful memories that are to come with our four children. Once Gabe comes home we are being told by the doctors that visitors will have to continue to be strictly limited. Overstimulation in a new environment can be harmful and casue a preemie to decline, as well as exposure to outside germs. The last thing we want is to get home and then have to take a baby back to the NICU. I know many are anxious to meet our three new additions and we ask for your continued to patience as we give our babies time to grow and develop physically and mentally. We will post pictures and give updates as often as we can. We love everyone and appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes.

Last Post As a Family of Three....

It has been a very busy week with doctor appointments. Monday we went to UAB for a growth scan to double check the babies' measurements. After my appointment today, I'm a little confused about which one is measuring what, because the report shows the weights for Ethan and Caroline, flipped from what we were told. Monday we were told that Caroline is measuring 6 pounds 6 oz.; Ethan measuring 5 pounds 8 oz.; and Gabe measuring 4 pounds. All fluids looked good and blood flow to placentas looked good as well. I left feeling blessed and a little worried about my Gabe being smaller, but the doctor said this was normal and did not seem to be worried. Tuesday we had an appointment with my doctor. Everyone looked good on NST and I was not dilated. We went over a few details about the rest of the week and next week. She wanted to see me back today, Friday, and Monday to check the babies fluids (especially Gabe's) to make sure they stay within normal limits. She said if they were low she would take them on that day, otherwise we would schedule for Thursday the 18th. We did not check fluids Tuesday because apparently there was a fire in the office on Monday caused by the ultra sound gel warmer catching on fire. The whole office was evacuated and closed for a couple of days. Needless to say, very glad we weren't there for our "normal" Monday appointment. :) Today was our last appointment for the week. I know it seems like nothing to most people, but three appointments in one week has about killed me. My legs are refusing to want to walk, but I refuse to use a wheel chair. A few people have called me stubborn, but that's just me. If I can walk, I will walk. The appointment today was good. During NST they had to give me a coke to wake the babies up, but once the coke kicked in, the babies looked great. We then went for ultra sound upstairs (where they are no longer allowed to use gel warmers, ha) and checked the babies' fluids. As the tech read the report today from UAB, they had Ethan listed as measuring 6 pounds 6 oz. and Caroline mesuring 5 pounds 8oz....so who knows which is which. Ethan and Caroline's fluid measured 13 and Gabe's was the lowest at 7. The tech said 5 and above is normal, so Gabe is on the lower side of normal, but the doctor was ok with his fluid. So what now?? Monday I go back for more of the same as today. My C-section is scheduled for first thing Thursday morning. She expects my surgery to take about an hour with an array of doctors, nurses, and a neonatologist (Dr. from the NICU). No major changes from my last C-section other than taking longer. The main concern is too much bleeding from me due to carrying three babies, but the doctor will be monitoring that pretty closely. The babies will be taken straight to NICU for observation and determine how well they are functioning. So, all we can say is here we go. :) After reading many women's experiences from being pregnant with triplets, I am so humbled and thankful that God has allowed this pregnancy to go this far. A lot of women have a lot more difficult and challenging pregnancies that result in micropreemies and complications. I don't have answers as to why God allows one thing for some and something different for others, but we are counting my blessings every day. My prayer now is to deliver three healthy babies and we can come home as a healthy family of six. I have gotten a lot of questions about visiting. Right now we just don't have answers. I am very certain that Thursday will be difficult emotionally and physically and we are not sure what situation we will encounter with babies in the NICU. Parents will be allowed in the NICU and one person from the family accompanied by the parent will be allowed. While 35 weeks is great, they are still premature and too much stimulation is not good for the babies. This means too much touching from too many different hands; too many different sounds or voices; etc. There is also the exposure to germs that will need to be limited. This is why visiting the babies at the hospital and once we get home will have to monitored closely. Again, once we know more in this area, we will share. We are excited to meet the babies and to let others to meet them as the babies' conditions allow. Our focus from here to next Thursday is having 30 fingers and 30 toes present and accounted for (40 if you count Tripp...that's a lot of digits!). We are very excited, nervous, and anxious. I'm not sure if we will have time for another post before they arrive. We will let everyone know as soon as possible about how we are all doing. Pray with us for God's will to be done in all things and that we will continue to put our faith in Him. Love!!

And D-Day is......

We are now in the middle of our 33rd week. I have had two doctor appointments this week and both have gone really well. A growth ultra sound on Monday showed that the babies weighed between 4 1/2 and close to 5 pounds each which is really exciting. Caroline is still head up. The other two decided to get cute and confuse everyone. Last week Gabe was head down in the middle and Ethan was head up on the side. Well this week the one in the middle is head up and the one on the side is head down. Either both boys flipped 180 degrees or Gabe went under Ethan and they switched sides. There is really no way to know for sure. So, now we don't know who is who in there. :) I guess we will just figure it out when they get here. I am continuing to contract which is not much fun (as any woman will tell you). However, I am not dilated at all which is pretty amazing considering how far I am. My blood pressure was up slightly on Monday but I'm pretty sure that is because she took it during a contraction. :) It was much lower today, so that is good news. Dr. Christine continues to be pleased with the babies and how they are doing overall and on the NST. She wants me to go back to UAB on Monday for one last growth scan. UAB's equipment is a bit more accurate in their measurements than St. Vincent's. She is hoping to get a clear look at what the babies are weighing just to double check everything before delivery. If everything goes as planned and my body and babies cooperate, the c-section is scheduled from two weeks from today which is Thursday April 18th. I will be 35 1/2 weeks along at that point. This would definitely be really exciting for us because I never anticipated that I could/would make it as far as I have, especially at home. I am so thankful to the Lord for His hand being on us this pregnancy. No matter the outcome, I know all things have been done and will continue to be done in His time. At the moment life at our house is good but a little chaotic. We are down to the wire and Michael is working hard to get everything done. However, I'm beginning to realize that no amount of preparation is going to be enough for what is to come. :) Some things we will just have to figure out along the way. My body is hanging in there. It is difficult to do much of anything. I am definitely front heavy and I can tell the babies are growing. I was walking through the living room the other day and sneezed. My sneeze literally propelled me into a run because of the extra weight in the front. You can't help but laugh. We have been talking and thinking a lot about our hospital stay and everything that will come with it. This C-section will be a bit more involved because there are three babies. The recovery for this will be longer and more difficult than my first. I can only imagine I am going to be an emotional, hormonal basket case with everything that will be happening. Because there will be so many unknowns, we will have a couple hour window set aside for visitors. We will obviously give more details as we know more. Please keep in mind, that there is a chance you will only get to see Michael or one of our moms. While we have no idea what the babies' conditions will be, there is a good possibility they will be in NICU and visitors will be limited to immediate family only. If you are trying to get in touch with us or do try in the future, please know how much we appreciate your love and concern, but that it may take some time to return calls, messages, etc. :) There are truly no words to express everyone's love and support and our hearts continue to be overwhelmed with the kindness of others. Your continued prayers are appreciated more than you realize and have kept us going throughout this process. We look forward to things to come!!!

Triplets on Tax Day??

Well we are down to the wire and I think everyone is sitting on pins and needles at this point. The absolutely wonderful news is that we are 32 weeks today!!! As my doctor said today, "32 weeks is a great place to be." After being told all the risks involved in this pregnancy and all the things that might go wrong or could go wrong, it is really nice to hear we are at a good place. I'm not naive enough to think there may not be any problems to come, but I feel very blessed to have come this far. With all that said, last Monday I began having regular contractions. Luckily, I was at the doctor already so they were able to watch me on the monitor. My primary OB was out of town all week, and the OB I saw was one familiar with my case. She has a very different outlook on things than I do. Her line of thinking was "you have made it this far and it is farther than a lot of women carrying twins. I don't think we would stop you if you go into labor." My way of thinking is, if my body is handling everything ok, the babies are ok, then I want them to stay put for as long as possible. Luckily, my primary OB feels the same way. After last Monday things settled down and my contractions have not been as frequent. They still come and go, but not nearly as intense. Today, everything looked great! It was the quickest NST I have had and we were done with monitoring in about 30 minutes. Via ultra sound today, the fluid looks good, babies look good. Caroline and Ethan are head up and Gabe is head down and sitting pretty low. I feel he is the reason for a lot of my discomfort. I am not dialted, which to the doctors and nurses is shocking, but they are pleased. My cervix is softer than before, but not by much. Next Monday they will do a growth ultra sound to see approximately how much the babies are weighing. Dr. Christine says this will go a long way in helping us determine where we are headed with delivering them. IF all looks good then she will let me go unil week 35 which happens to fall on tax day. She will not let me go past Wednesday of that week. IF I make it until week 35 there is a possibility of not having a NICU stay. IF the babies are not gaining like they should or something looks unusual on the ultra sound Monday, then she will schedule me for week 34. So let's all be happy for once about April 15th and pray for tax day!!! :) We are all taking everything one day at a time. Michael is working, what seems to be, around the clock to make sure everything is perfect. Tripp is getting more and more excited. He is also a lot more clingy and knows that changes are happening. He loves Ragball and I think it is a great distraction for him and will continue to be. He kisses the babies often and tells me that my tummy is getting so big and it is going to pop. :) Thank you all so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. It means the world to us. Keep the prayers coming, they have gotten us this far!! Love!!!

Four weeks or less

Today I am 30 weeks and 1 day!! Big accomplishment. :) We are very excited about how far we have come, but pray we can make it a few more weeks. My appointment lat Monday went well and there was really no change to report, but last Wednesday I began relapsing with the respiratory infection and by Friday definitely knew I had to see the doctor. After a few tests it was determined I had bronchitis and a sinus infection. Neither of those surprised me. They gave me more medicine...not overly fond of taking medicine, but I knew if I didn't I would end up with pneumonia and then I would really be in trouble. Since Friday I have been feeling better, not great, but better. I am learning the art of sleeping sitting up. I literally have to stand up to switch sides in the bed. I will never take being able to roll over for granted again!! I woke up this morning feeling especially light headed and dizzy. It really was strange. We went to the doctor where I get monitored first. The babies' activity and my stats looked good. No real answer for shortness of breath or feeling woozy. They did a growth ultra sound today which We were excited about. Ethan is weighing about 3 pounds 3 oz.; Gabe is about 2 pounds 13 oz. Caroline was laying in an awkward position that made her difficult to measure. They measured her at about 3 pounds 13 oz., but she is probably not quite that big. Either way, very happy at their weight gain. When I talked to the doctor she seems concerned that my respiratory situation is not better than what it is. She is happy with babies' growth and weight gain. The doctors in the group are having a meeting tomorrow to discuss "complicated patients," which I guess includes me. :) Ideally, she wants me to make it to at least 32 weeks. Ideally, I would like to make it to at least 34 weeks. My stomach is measuring between 42-44 weeks. She is supposed to call me later this week and tell me what they are all thinking. Please say a prayer they let me keep going until 34 weeks. I know two weeks may not seem like a lot, but every day right now is better for them. Even if she has to monitor me in the hospital for a couple of weeks, I'd rather they do that than take them earlier than absolutely necessary. I am so thankful God has brought us this far and pray He will let us go a few more weeks. Keep us close in prayers as we get very close to the big day. We will know more of a plan in the next couple of days. It is hard to believe that we are already at the end of this journey and about to begin another. Love!

"How long are you in bed mommy?"

Well the babies aren't even here yet and I am already having a hard time keeping up the blog. :) I am winding down my 28th week which is a huge milestone in the pregnancy. I feel like we should have a party. After this week there is a big decrease in the chances for several disabilities. Last week (27 weeks) I had another growth ultra sound done and Caroline weighed 1 pound 15 oz, Gabe weighed 2 pounds 2 oz, and Ethan weighed 2 pounds 4 oz. The doctor was happy with their growth and my progress. Their growth will be checked again in a couple of weeks. Last Wednesday I came down with a terrible sinus/respiratory infection. Luckily I did not have to be put in the hospital, but Thursday night I did tell Michael I thought I was going to die. :) When you think not much could be more difficult than being pregnant with triplets, I assure you, being that sick and this pregnant took the cake. I am happy to say that a round of antibiotics and a week later, I feel much better. Being on bedrest is hard and more so the past couple of weeks than others. The babies are getting bigger and I get fatigued much more quickly when I am on my feet, even for a short time. So, most all day every day I spend in my bed, not even getting up to lay on the couch anymore. I received some very sad news last week when a wonderful, previous coworker of mine was killed in a car accident. She was an amazing person who did amazing things for the special needs children she taught. It broke my heart that I was unable to attend her memorial service. That realization was hard to swallow. Then, on top of that my sweet four year old came home from preschool the other day and says, "how long are you in bed mommy?" That statement brought tears to my eyes. He brings books to me and crawls in bed and watches tv with me, but it is hard not to be able to get up and with him outside, or to the store, or anywhere for that matter. In the long run, it will be so worth it, but it is hard and to say it isn't would be a lie. I am very lucky to have a loving, patient husband and a mom who is willing to sacrifice her weekends to drive here and help us out as much as possible. Both of our families have just been so supportive and I don't think there is anyone in our family who hasn't done something to help us. We are blessed and don't take for granted our friends and family. The goal is 34 weeks and that date is quickly closing in on us. I am trying to look at it as the more miserable I am, the healthier the babies will be. :) Again, please just continue keeping us in your thoughts and prayers over these next few weeks. Every week they stay put is a bonus! Thank you all for sharing this experience with us and the many more to come!!

Sweet but Uncooperative Babies

Lots going on in our world. We are 26 weeks into our pregnancy today. We started the morning with my trip to labor and delivery to be monitored. What normally takes a singleton pregnancy 20 minutes or so, took this mommy of three 2 hours! These babies refused to sit still. :) Two nurses and an ultra sound machine later they gave up on getting them all at the same time. The poor nurse had to resort to hold one monitor on my stomach at a time and chase the heart beat. Next we saw the ultra sound tech who did a couple of 4-d pictures. The bottom baby, who we haven't decided on a name yet, gave us a sweet picture and Caroline did too. Gabe, however, did not want to have his picture made. So maybe next time. I saw the dr and everything looks great. I received my first steroid shot today and go back tomorrow for the second. We will continue weekly visits. Week after next I get my blood sugar checked....not looking forward to that. If everything continues to go well, it looks like we will schedule these babies for a C-section the first or second week in April. We are praying very hard we make it. On the home front we are making progress....or Michael, family, and friends are making progress. I am laying in a bed watching. We have sweet friends that are painting a tree with animals in the nursery. I have lots of boy clothes but I need to get busy buying some girl clothes. Michael and I are trying to include Tripp in as much as we can with all the baby "stuff" so he doesn't feel left out. We have also been trying to make extra family time for the three of us. It is a sweet time for us, but a twinge of sadness knowing how fast four years flew by and in a few short weeks our family of three will officially become a family of six. If the memories to come are as a great as the memories we have already made then I can't wait. Looking forward to seeing my sweet, uncooperative babies in person...just not for a few more weeks!!

Another week come and gone.....

Today began my 25th week. With every week I become more excited and more anxious. I know how critical the next few weeks are for the development of these babies and all my energy is going into making sure I am doing what I need to do to keep them in my tummy. This weekend was a lot less eventful than last. Tripp had to go to the doctor on Saturday with fever, congestion, etc. Luckily, it was nothing too serious. The doctor ruled out strep, pnemonia, and mono. He said it was just a virus of the tonsils and would just have to run its course. He is feeling much better today and got to go to school. I know how exhausted my husband has to be from juggling everything: me, Tripp, work, and all the house hold duties. It would be a lot for anyone. Never once has he complained (or lost his mind). There are just not enough words for what he means to me because I could not be doing this without him. I would not have imagined that some thing like this would have brought a couple closer, especially since we are closer than most, but it has. Needless to say, he deserves a husband of the year award. I went to the doctor today and spent most of my day there. My sweet friend Lisa went with me for moral support. Friends are good assets in any part of life, but I am most thankful for them at times like these. I went to labor and delivery and was put on the monitors for about an hour. Next I went upstairs for ultra sound and doctor visit. Everything looks great. The babies look good and I am doing great. The doctor, again, seemed pretty excited. I go back next week for my steroid shots. One will be given on Monday and I will go back Tuesday for my second. This will expedite the development of the babies. I will be monitored again and checked via ultra sound and doctor. After next week I will continue weekly visits but it will become a waiting game. She said she would not hesitate to take them at 32 weeks, but she definitely would not let me exceed 34 weeks. I know I will take a big sign of relief after the 30 week mark. :) Ultimately, no big news and that is just fine with me. I think most people would probably tell me to enjoy it while it lasts. :) Please keep the prayers coming!!

Grow Little Beans, Grow!!!

What a crazy weekend! I have to say I am very thankful for family, and this weekend, most especially thankful for my mom. There were too many things going on and I was stressed just watching everyone else working around me. Saturday was Tripp's birthday party. We kept it low key and simple. I did my best to keep my place on the couch, but had to get up to see him open presents and blow out his candle. I over did it and paid for it. After his party I went straight to bed and slept for four hours and learned that I am on bedrest for a reason. Saturday night they went to the circus and Michael sent me lots of pictures so I wouldn't feel so left out :). Yesterday was my shower and part of me was tempted to try and sneak out, but common sense kicked in and I stayed laying on the couch. The kindness and generosity of people definitely filled my heart and I am just so very thankful for the outpouring of love and support. All the pictures were beautiful and everyone involved out did themselves. Well today was a big day at the doctor. I was pretty concerned that she might put me back in the hospital. I had my ultra sound done first. The babies are measuring in the 38-43 percentile. They all are weighing about 1.5 pounds and measuring at almost 24 weeks each. This is all amazing and God has taken care of as I am right at 24 weeks, and just stand in awe that the babies are right on track. Why are we always surprised when we see God answering our prayers?? The doctor checked me out and everything continues to look great. She is keeping me on my medication and bedrest at home. I am not happy about bedrest, but I will take my bed over a hospital bed any day!! So, really it was the best possible news I could have gotten. From here I go back in a week. I will go straight to labor and delivery to be monitored for contractions and then back up to the office for ultra sound and doctor visit. This is a critical time for development and we are going to do everything we can to keep these babies in place for another 8-10 weeks. Thank you for the all the messages, phone calls, and most importantly prayers. If I haven't been able to return a phone call or email, I am sorry. The medication lowers my blood pressure and then usually puts me to sleep. Just know we have felt everyone's love, support, and prayers. Thank you doesn't seem to be the word that fits, but that is all we can say. Well that and grow baby beans, grow!!

And So It Begins

Thank you everyone for the recent prayers and well wishes. Wednesday morning I took my iron supplement. An hour later I got really sick with vomiting. Soon after being sick my stomach began cramping and the cramping continued most of the day. It wasn't strong enough for me to be overly concerned, and I wasn't sure if it was just an upset stomach from the iron pill. I went to bed and woke up Thursday, not feeling great, but better. Luckily, I already had a doctor's appointment that morning. I was fine until I got to the hospital. By the time I got in the office, my stomach hurt so much I could hardly talk. Once I sat down, the pain went away.i didn't figure this was good going to be great news. I saw the doctor and she immediately shipped me off to labor and delivery. A little while on the monitor and it was confirmed I was having some small contractions. Unfortunately, with three, nothing is treated as "small," so being admitted was not a question. They began me on medal and fluids and soon the contractions stopped. Everything stayed quiet overnight and am not dilated, which is good. The babies look great on ultra sound and monitors. The OB called this irritability contractions. See let me go home today where I am to remain on bed rest. I go back on Monday for a follow up. For those unfamiliar with pregnancy and labor I will elaborate a little...because I don't know a ton either. :) some contractions are normal and do not indicate preterm labor. It is hard to be sure which contractions mean what, but as long as they are controlled the concern stays low. I will begin weekly mo into ring now in labor and delivery at least once a week and continue my meds to control contractions. Dr. Christine, the OB, did warn me that it is not unusual for women carrying triplets to end up staying on bed rest in the hospital for an extended period of time. This came us no surprise and we have been preparing ourselves for this to happen. If they do this, it is no reason to panic, it is just the best way to watch the babies and me to ensure the best care. The good news I'm home, the not so great news, I'm on bedrest. This throws a whole kink in my entire weekend. Tripp's party is Saturday and I have a shower on Sunday. I can work it out with the party that we can at least do cake and presents at our house. The shower,on the other hand, is not going to be as easy. I missed my shower with my first pregnancy because of bedrest and it looks as though I will be missing my second one. I never have enjoyed being the center of attention. Perhaps this is my bodies way of getting out of it. ;) Either way, Michael gets to be the stand in pregnant woman. I should make him stuff a pillow underneath his shirt. Good thing he loves me. The next few weeks will be very telling and I am thinking pretty eventful. 23 weeks is the week of viability and that is where I am. This means if the babies were born they have a good chance of surviving in the NICU. I am still praying for 34 weeks and I know every extra moment is better for everyone. Please keep us in your prayers...and if you see Michael Sunday afternoon, give him a hug. Love to all. :)

Trying to Find Balance....

I am heading into week 23 and I am feeling anxious.  The reality of only about ten more weeks until D-day is a bit eye opening and scary.  It has definitely lit a fire under my rear end, but unfortunately I really can't "get up and go!" :)

We were very thankful to see sunshine today and took advantage of it by getting out and visiting a couple of stores.  Five minutes into the second store I was done, but it was good to at least get out.  We ordered two other cribs today and that made me feel somewhat accomplished, but I know there is much more to be done.

My appointment Wednesday went really well.  The OB reviewed my report from UAB and confirmed that nothing out of the ordinary was seen and the babies are growing at a good rate.  As of now I will have weekly visits.  At 26-28 weeks I will get my steroid shot to excellerate growth/development.  I will also be sent to labor and delivery every week to have stress monitoring done to check for contractions.  It is a big dose of reality that we are already to that point. She measured my stomach and I am measuring about 32 weeks....and I believe it!!! The OB is super positive and I am thankful for all the good reports.

Tripp's fourth birthday is next weekend and it is hard to see my baby turning into a little boy. He is going to the circus next weekend....without me. :( I won't be able to walk and climb all the stairs involved to get there. This is his first time to go and it is so very hard for me to not be selfish and say lets wait until next year.  He deserves to go, but it is hard to swallow. Michael also signed him up for ragball today.  Tripp is so excited.  The season won't start until the end of March and run through May.  Again, very hard to think that I might not make it to all of his games, or any for that matter.  This little boy has been my everything for four years and I know this is just the beginning of having to divide my time with children.  I hope I can find a good balance and that none of my children ever feel more or less important than another.  Parents do this all the time and I'm sure in time, we will figure it out.

Lots of everything going on right now and I am going to keep reminding myself to take it a day at a time, because for the rest of my life there will probably be "lots of everything going on." If you see me out you may just have to remind me to breathe. :)

My Cup Runneth Over....

When we go for our visits we always have ultra sounds to check heart beats and see the babies. We went for my second anatomy scan today where they do an in depth scan of the organs.  As the ultra sound tech headed to the room, I noticed four other people were standing outside the door.  As we went in the room, all the other people followed.  At first I was worried that maybe there was something wrong that I hadn't been told about.  As they introduced themselves, it became clear I was being used as a learning experience. I won't complain because I received a lot of attention that I might not have otherwise.  The good news is all the babies look great.  They are all measuring about the same size, but are smaller than a singleton would be at this time.  This is no surprise and according to the dr in charge, no need to worry. I believe they are close to measuring in the 30th percentile and the doctor seemed very pleased with this.  No obvious abnormalities were observed and I may have one more scan in a month.  They are very certain of the two boys and a girl! :)

At the home front, things are good.  My newest symptom is insomnia.  For the life of me I can not fall asleep at night.  I am still waking up to get Tripp dressed and off to school, so I should be able to sleep.  Napping during the day hasn't been a problem but I have tried not to do that thinking it will help me sleep better at night.  I think that is the time where it is quiet and everything that has to be done and all that is coming runs through my mind.  Getting comfortable is also really difficult, despite the million pillows I am using to sleep with.

I googled "feeding triplets," and the videos and blogs that popped up made me laugh.  It was either laugh or cry at the thought of doing what these parents do...so I chose to laugh.  I will find my own routine and I'm sure I will also figure out what works and what doesn't. :) It was helpful to see what others are doing and that it can be done.

Michael and Tripp are being amazing with everything.  Michael is a one-stop-shop do it all husband.  Despite him being sick, he makes sure I'm keeping my feet up like I should. Tripp always is entertaining and continues to say things that make me laugh everyday.  Not sure what I would do without my boys.  As I type this Michael is snoozing on the couch and my child is trying to watch tv. Tripp came over and whispered "mommy, daddy's snoring is messing up the tv.". Ha.  Then he goes and put his face right up to his daddy's to get a better understanding of where the snoring is coming from.  Love them!

 I know there will be challenges and some days more down's than up's when it comes to adding three more, but I am getting very excited about the adventures to come.  If we can remember to laugh through the hard things and soak in the memories, then I hope there won't be a place for complaining.  Feeling so blessed that I catch myself waiting for the bottom to drop.  However, working on enjoying the ride because I know the destination.  Love to everyone for thoughts and prayers.

2013 Has Arrived

Well, 2013 has arrived and with it comes one of the most adventurous years of our lives.  I am almost 21 weeks along and really can't believe how fast it is going.  We have begun getting serious about planning the nursery and organizing wants and needs.  I am still holding back thinking this is a dream and at any moment I'm going to wake up.  Somewhat like I am watching this through everyone elses eyes but not my own.  I think it is still just a concern that something is going to go wrong.  I'm sure that is a sign I should have a little more faith. :)

It is my first few days off of work and that is hard too.  I have always either been in school or had a job.  This sitting around is for the birds. It would be different if I were a stay at home mom because then there would be plenty to do.  The really hard part is having so much to do and not being able to do it!!  I am hoping I find something to occupy my time.  Suggestions??

Today I had a really great appointment.  The OB is thinking that she won't have to check my cervix again because it looks great.  This makes me happy for several reasons. :) The babies are getting BIG!! That is really exciting to see on the ultra sound.  I can also tell they are growing because I am getting bigger and much shorter of breath.  I know that will only get worse as time progresses. The doctor seemed excited today about how well everything is going.  She began talking about steroids which I will begin in a few weeks.  Scary to think it is almost time to think about that! My iron was low so now I am on iron supplements, but if that is the worst I am beyond blessed!

Taking a three year old to the doctor with you is always an adventure.  Tripp was the comic relief in the ultra sound waiting room. He said things like "we have to doctor the babies, or they won't come out. Right mommy?" And "Mommy are you getting a shot in your bottom today?" Oh we'll, glad he is apart of this process. No matter what embarrassing things may come out of his mouth along the way. I'm sure this is very confusing for him.  :)

I go next week for my follow up anatomy scan at UAB. She will mainly look at the hearts since they were too small before.  I continue to thank God and know this is all His plan-the good and the bad.  There really aren't words for the blessing that this is and will be.  Also praising God for the wonderful people He has placed in my path. Some have been there all along and some show up when you need a word of encouragement.

So, no new year resolutions...except to remain sane. :) Other than that I only have prayer for the delivery of three healthy babies.