24 Weeks today!

24 weeks= viability= 28 days 'til 28 weeks! I am honestly amazed that I have even made it this far. I didn't think I would have a chance. I feel now that I have reached this first big milestone that maybe I do have a fighting chance. I am beginning to do things in this pregnancy I never thought I'd get to. I am receiving steroid shots to mature the babies' lungs on Thursday and I did my big one hour glucose tolerance test today. This is really happening! I've recently joined a triplet forum on Facebook and some of those ladies are going to 36+ weeks. Crazy! Average is 32 so hopefully I can get even further than 28.

The babies were measured at my 22 week appointment. Aria and Cadence both weighed 1lb1oz and Jude weighed 1lb2oz. All three looked perfect. The doctors were all pleased with their growth and the next growth ultrasound is at 25 weeks. The 23 week appointment went well, my fundal height measured in at 32 weeks pregnant and my cervix still looked about 3cm long on the ultrasound. Phew! Later that day, my friend who is a professional photographer did our maternity shoot. I love how the pictures came out! Thank you, Maria!

We bought the cribs last weekend! I was waiting until almost 24 weeks. We ended up buying mini cribs at Buy Buy Baby. I love that store! Tim assembled all three and now all we have to do is begin decorating. I am very low energy lately, mostly because my body is in resting mode and I am losing my strength. I think Tim will just have to take orders from me (poor guy is getting used to that).

My mom is throwing me a small baby shower this weekend. Many of my good friends are out of town because it's the summer months, but I am happy to at least have a few friends attend. My mom and I are having fun planning the decorations and favors. My next update will have pictures from the shower!

Thank you everyone for the prayers during this difficult pregnancy. Unfortunately, another mother expecting triplets whom I recently befriend lost her pregnancy a few days ago.  My heart has been hurting with hers. I cannot imagine what she is going through. Please pray for the "H" family during this difficult time.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."



Monthly Pregnancy Survey 

How far along: 24 weeks!
Weight gain/loss: 31 lbs so far!
Maternity clothes: Yes
Sleep: Lots of potty breaks so not great sleep; can't get comfortable!
Best moment this week: Maternity photoshoot! Noah saying Aria, Cadence and Jude!
Miss Anything? Playing with Noah constantly and cleaning the house.
Movement: Yes! Mostly from A and C.
Food cravings: None.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel sick and light headed after eating breakfast.
Have you started to show yet? I am huge
Gender predictions: A- Girl; B- Girl; C- Boy!
Worries: Preterm Labor.Premature Rupture of Membranes (my water breaking)
Labor Signs: Lots of cramping; braxton hick contractions- some are taking my breath away!
Belly Button in or out? Out!
Stretch Marks: Not yet.
Mood: Happy and anxious!
Looking forward to: Baby shower at 24 weeks and of course, 28 weeks!

22w3d

23w6d

20 Week Update!

 20 Week Update and Name Reveal

The truth is, we’ve had our babies names picked out for quite sometime. I always had two girl names that I have loved equally. Tim has always had a boy name that he has loved and I love it now too and it is perfect even more so now because it is a perfect name for him. So basically, before we decided to “try” to become parents again, we had two girls and a boy’s name picked out. After finding out we were expecting two girls and a boy, I just know that this all was in God’s plan and the three were meant to be.

Baby A is Aria Marie. Aria means “song” in Italian. Aria was the first of the trio to get a heartbeat and the one who moves around the most when we get a peak of her on the ultrasounds. I picture her being the true baby A… A type, likes to be the center of attention J Just like a singer who sings a beautiful aria and receives a lot of attention for her talent. Her middle name is after my beloved Paternal Grandmother, Mary. Grandma Mary’s father was an opera singer. She loved and admired her father so much. Grandma Mary was a spitfire, just like I picture Aria to be.

Baby B is Cadence Rose. I have always loved the name Cadence for a girl. Cadence means “resting point” in music. Baby B has always been the chill one on the ultrasounds. She got her heartbeat after her sister and she found a very comfy spot right on top of her. She is my little one who rests a lot J Rose, her middle name is after my beloved Maternal Grandmother who passed away two years ago. Grandma Rose was a beautiful, gentle woman who got a long with everyone. She also didn’t take life very seriously and had the loudest, most infectious laugh of anyone I have ever met. She was a very well-liked and chill woman, which is how I picture Cadence to be.

Baby C is Jude Joseph. Tim has always been in love with the name Jude, perhaps because his paternal grandmother's name is named Judith and he has always had a very close bond with her. It is also a very strong name and, of course, biblical. St. Jude is the Saint for when things feel hopeless. This pregnancy felt hopeless to me from the beginning when my Dr. recommended that we terminate Baby C, the smallest one, and the baby highest up. How amazing is it that our Baby C is the little boy we had planned to name Jude? Joseph, his middle name, is a strong family name on my side. I have also always loved the name Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father’s name. I can call baby Jude “JJ.” I’ve always loved acronym names.

Week 19 had many ups and downs. I think as I progress in the pregnancy, the more scared I get. My main fear is that my body will let me now and the babies will be born too early. Tim brought me to the hospital last week because I was having intense pain. It turned out to be a bladder infection. I have never had such a painful bladder infection. It felt like contractions to me! I took the antibiotic and the pain got better in a few days. It also cleared up my sinus infection. A friend of mine who has triplets came over last week and is setting up a diaper drive for us! She told me I need to invite all my facebook friends to participate and I told her I haven’t “announced” it on there yet. She said, “um, why?” So, it gave me the courage to finally announce it! It got 250 “likes” and 100 comments of congratulations (well, some weren’t sure whether to congratulate or not because of the work we have ahead of us, lol).

Week 20 went by fast, thank God. I had my 20 week doctor’s visit, which revealed I’ve gained another 5 lbs, and my cervix is still holding strong, though I am 1 cm dilated, which is normal for a second pregnancy. They had a sign on the door in the room that said “signs of preterm labor” and I swear I have all the signs. The Dr. reassured me that everything is okay and to “have a baby shower and enjoy your pregnancy.” So, my mom and I are trying to work out details but will most likely have it when I am 24 weeks along (when the babies are “viable”). Overall, it was a good week. I prayed one night that the Lord will give me a sign that everything will be okay. I woke up the next morning with the thought that “this is the easy part- enjoy being Noah’s mommy!” We have a tough few months coming up (haha, probably years) so I need to take advantage of all the rest now. Noah starts preschool next week (just twice a week for five hours a day). We enrolled him mostly because I want him to enjoy the interaction with other children because mama is certainly slowing down and cannot do play dates unless they are in my home or a friend’s home.

Luke 1:37

Faith does not make things easy, it makes them possible.

Monthly Pregnancy Survey (5 Months!)

How far along: 20 weeks, 6 days
Weight gain/loss: 23 lbs so far
Maternity clothes: Yes, of course
Sleep: Lots of potty breaks so not great sleep.
Best moment this week: Seeing the babies on the ultrasound; Noah singing “1, 2, 3.”
Miss Anything? Playing with Noah constantly and cleaning the house.
Movement: Yes! Mostly from A and C.
Food cravings: None.
Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel better with nausea.
Have you started to show yet? I am huge.
Gender predictions: A- Girl; B- Girl; C- Boy!
Worries: Preterm Labor
Labor Signs: Lots of cramping/pelvic pain which I guess is round ligament pain.
Belly Button in or out? Out!
Stretch Marks: Not yet
Mood: Happy and anxious!
Looking forward to: Baby shower at 24 weeks and, of course, getting to 28 weeks!

19w6d

20w6d

18 Week Update

18 weeks, 5 days!

I missed updated my blog last week because I was suddenly struck with a really bad head cold. I’m not used to getting little colds, being that I taught elementary school for years and have a really strong immune system. It woke me up that I need to be better about exposure to germs and how I am more susceptible to them. 10 days later, the cold is still lingering and I am pretty sure it has turned into a sinus infection. I’m trying hard not to cough or blow my nose because I don’t want to irritate my abdomen because I have been having an insane amount of pelvic pressure lately, especially since the big ultrasound the other day. I am also trying hard not to take anything for it. The babies are at a critical time in their growth.

Anyway, we had the anatomy scan on Thursday, June 5^th and it went really well. The tech who did it has been doing ultrasounds for 40 years (I didn’t even know that kind of technology was available back then!) It didn’t take as long as I thought it would. She measured each babies’ head, stomach, arm and leg bones, and examined the cords and organs like the heart. Everything was perfect except Baby C only has one umbilical cord artery as opposed to the normal two. This apparently happens in 1 in every 100 “normal” pregnancies. It also almost always occurs in babies with chromosomal issues. The Dr. is not concerned because everything else with the growth checked out fine. Baby A is 8oz, and Babies B and C are 9oz which is perfect for 18w2d. The Dr. measured my fundal height which is now 26cm, so I am essentially measuring 26 weeks. I only gained a pound from two weeks ago so I don’t know what’s up with that because I have been eating a lot of protein lately. Hopefully, the weight pours on over the next few weeks. I want big, healthy babies. We had the tech confirm the genders of Babies B and C (they were already guessed in previous appointments by the Dr.) and left A a mystery for our gender reveal party which we had that evening. We had the tech write on a piece of paper what each baby was and then we had a Resident take a picture of the paper and send it to my friend. She then assembled a three layered cake with the appropriate colors (pink and blue) and brought it to a Pizza place for Tim and me to cut open and enjoy. We cut the cake with Noah on the table and it revealed pink, blue, and pink! Babies A and B are girls and C is a boy! We couldn’t be happier!! Thank you, Lord for these beautiful blessings and all the wonderful things you have in store for them! Thanks mom and dad for treating us to a wonderful little party.

Thank you so much for all the prayers! Lord knows, we truly do need them. A lot of triplet pregnancies are lost between now and 24 weeks. Praying the next two-three months fly by and our babies are healthy.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

The big reveal! Two girls and a boy!

Noah about to dig in!

:)

Mommy and daddy are so happy!

Grandma bought Noah some new stuffed animals!

Last week's belly :)

Belly looks rounder this week.

16 weeks, 6 days!

16 Week Update

 We had our 16 week ultrasound and appointment on Thursday at the high risk clinic at UMC. So, this is how it works. The Resident Doctor’s switch off taking care of the patients and the main Dr. oversees them and if they have questions they grab the main Dr. and then he assists with the appointment. We saw a very nice Resident Dr. this time and since this was just her first year as a Dr. this was the first triplet patient she has seen. She was very thorough with answering my questions and listening. She then gave me an ultrasound and the look on her face was so cute. You can tell she was kind of freaked out like I was like Octomom or something. She only saw two at first and then I told her there is one way up here and then she moved the ultrasound up way high and sure enough there was one up there! She said at 16 weeks your uterus usually isn’t so high up but of course my uterus is measuring 6 weeks greater than what I actually am. She didn’t know how to read my cervix length, well because there were so many babies! She called in Dr. M and he repeated the ultrasound. Everything looked great with the babies. The previa is still present, but my cervix was long at 3.3cm so that’s good! We got a very good idea on the gender of Baby C, and then last time we got a very good idea on the gender of Baby B. But, he wasn’t confident yet to confirm for sure. We will find out for sure in a week and a half at the anatomy scans. Baby A’s gender is a complete mystery. I’m still trying to decide if I want to do a little gender reveal party. Anyway, the Dr. reminded me that I am half way there and the first half is the easy part. Oh boy! I already can’t roll in bed and have sciatica pain! But, it will all be worth it when they are all here safe and healthy.

We looked at mini vans yesterday and our little remodel is underway. Basically, we are taking the deep part of our garage and making it into a bedroom with a big closet and we play to use that as our offices. I am looking forward for that to be completed so I can begin decorating the nursery. I love decorating! Noah has been singing the song grandpa wrote for him entitled “Baby A, Baby B, Baby C.” I think he knows what is going on and let’s just say he’s not too thrilled about it. My friend reminded me that he won’t know any different and he will not remember when he was a spoiled only child and this is the best thing that can happen to a kid. Instant playmates! I’m still okay so I am taking Noah out almost every day to do things. One day we meet friends at the zoo, the next we have play dates at either our house or other people’s houses. I joined a multiples group and have been taking Noah to get to know the kids. It is at a place called the Parent Connection. A nice young mother of twins I met at the park nearby has been really helpful in getting me connected with other moms of multiples including triplets. I feel very blessed and thankful for that!

Thank you very much to everyone who has been praying for us and the triplets! I can’t wait until I get to 28 weeks. I am also nervous to see how big my  belly is going to get. At night, I am obsessed with googling belly pics of triplet moms about to deliver. Lol. I am still very nervous and anxious about when I will deliver my babies. I am very attached to them and don’t want to lose any of them.

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Monthly Pregnancy Survey (4 Months!)

How far along: 16 weeks, 6 days
Weight gain/loss: 18 lbs so far
Maternity clothes: Yes; small maternity pants are too snug.
Sleep: Lots of potty breaks so not great sleep.
Best moment this week: Seeing the babies on the ultrasound; Noah singing “1, 2, 3.”
Miss Anything? Playing with Noah constantly and cleaning the house.
Movement: Yes! Mostly from A and C.
Food cravings: Peanut Butter candies they sell around Halloween.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Mornings when I am dehydrated and hungry.
Have you started to show yet? I feel huge.
Gender predictions: I think Boy, Girl, Girl; Tim thinks Boy, Boy, Girl.
Worries: That Baby A’s placenta will not migrate as it should. That I deliver before the babies are viable.
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? Out!
Stretch Marks: No
Mood: Happy and anxious!
Looking forward to: The anatomy scan at 8 weeks 2 days.

"Us" at 16w6d. Huge growth from last week. I keep saying that :)

My heart.

15 Week Update

Hi, just wanted to do a quick update. I feel like this should be the 16 week update because I’ll be 16 weeks in a few hours! The main thing to report this week is that I feel and look HUGE. I can barely roll out of bed and my belly just feels gigantic. Even my maternity pants are feeling snug. I think I’ve gained around 15 lbs so far. I changed my vitamin regimen and am following Dr. Luke’s advice on which supplements to take and when. Dr. Luke is the author of “When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, and Quads,” and has done extensive research on how to have the best multiple pregnancy with the best outcome. I don’t know if it’s the new vitamin regimen or what but lately I feel very lethargic an hour after eating. It could be anemia, which is very common with multiple pregnancy. I will ask Dr. M on Thursday at my 16 week check up how my blood iron levels look. It also can be gestational diabetes, which I won’t be surprised if I have because I gave up sugar for so long that any sugar makes me jittery now. My long goal is still 32 weeks, but I honestly doubt I will get there because of how huge I am already. So, that makes me half way to my long goal. This week I really feel like I am pregnant with triplets. I am praying, praying, praying that I can keep them in!

15w6d- feeling huge already!

Happy Mother’s Day 14w5d

We finally met Dr. M on Thursday and he was everything I thought he would be!  I was warned that he throws F bombs and teases the heck out of you but he is an excellent doctor and that is why I wanted to go to him. I knew I needed someone who wasn’t gloomy and someone who can get me through this pregnancy light heartedly. He also mentioned God a few times which I like and he does not agree with reduction with triplets and he said it’s a baby we are talking about. I knew other doctors would discuss the pros of reduction and that is why I skipped the interviewing process and went straight to him. He also said there isn’t much difference in outcome between triplets and twins. He spent about 45 minutes with us which is amazing because Dr. G is in and out in under 5 minutes usually. He told me it wasn’t going to be easy and that this is going to literally kick my butt but he wants to get me to at least 28 weeks given my size (30, he said

He’ll will be really smiling and 32+ he will be over the moon). He said I have to go into this with the mentality that I’m going to win, not lose. This is something I struggle with because, and even he pointed it out, the first things out of the medical professional who realized I was carrying triplets was how scary it was and how he wasn’t going to “let me carry triplets.” Of course, I trust the doctor who told me this so he instilled a fear in me that will never go away until the babies are here safe and sound. But, in the meantime, I need to try my best to not go there and rejoice in the fact that I am going to be a mommy of four! He also said what I am going through is like running a marathon in 2 hours instead of the average 6 hours. He was also very impressed that I carried Noah (an almost 8lbs baby) to 38 weeks and I was even induced. He said “you can do it sweetie- you are having three babies.” He took a peak at the babies and all three were moving around like crazy! He said the fluid around them looks great and their cords look great! Phew! He was teasing Tim because he didn’t see boy parts on any of the babies, but he really only got a pretty good glimpse of Baby B :) I’m happy as long as they are healthy. He said the placenta seems to be on the move so that is good! If the placenta is out of the way and Baby A is in position then we will go ahead and try a vaginal birth. How amazing is that?

Today is Mother’s Day and boy am I happy to be a mommy! It’s the best job I have ever had. Today, I pray for the couples who are still struggling to conceive. I pray that the Lord blesses them beyond comprehension. About a year before Noah was conceived, a woman who possessed the spiritual gift of prophesy prayed with me. She closed her eyes and she just kept saying “Children. I see a lot of children.” I, of course, as infertile as can be, thought she was loony tunes, but now I think back I’m asking myself “were these the children that Elizabeth was talking about? I think so. I always said I wanted two kids. Tim wanted three, being the third child in his family. There was one day where I entertained the thought of having four and it was after celebrating a birthday at one of my student’s house that had three siblings. I thought “it would be nice to have a big family.” The thought left my mind as soon as I knew how hard it would be to even have one! I can’t believe I am going to have four kids!

Isaiah 40:31

³¹ but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.

                                                                            Noah sporting his new"I'm going to be a big brother to triplets" shirt!

Our family sporting our new shorts. Mommy's says "There are 3 peas in my pod."

Daddy sporting his new "Got Triplets" shirt.

14w5d

                                        

13w6d Update!

Well, I will be 14 weeks tomorrow so I am officially in my 2^nd trimester! I thank God everyday for the little blessings growing inside of me. I was blessed to see the babies on Friday at my cousin’s OB clinic. She snuck me in the back to take a quick peak. All three babies were moving around and we were able to see fingers and toes. What a miracle! My first official OB appointment with the high risk specialist got moved from tomorrow to Thursday so I will be updating after that appointment because that is the day I am going to learn so much (and the day I have been waiting for for 6 weeks now). I have been doing a lot of research about triplet pregnancies and I’ve learned that at this point, I have an 85% chance that I will bring home three babies. Let’s pray I am not in that 15%! I am in that small percentage with so many other things baby-making related. First, I was in that small 5% category of infertility in my 20s and then 1% category for conceiving triplets through IVF.  I so badly want to bring home three babies! I wanted to share my gestation goals:

1)      24 Weeks. At 24 weeks the babies have a 50/50 survival rate. I read that multiples mature faster in the womb so it may be even better for triplets. The youngest baby to ever survive outside of the womb was 22 and a half weeks gestation. Before that, the doctors will not even attempt to save the babies if I go into preterm labor. Many babies that survive have long-term disabilities like cerebral palsy.

2)      28 Weeks. 90% survival. Most babies will not suffer long-term disabilities. A friend of mine has a friend who delivered triplets at just 26 weeks gestation and all three survived and had no long-term disabilities.

3)      30 Weeks. Many triplets are born at 30 weeks and most survive and are fine.

4)      32-33 Weeks. Full term for triplets. From what I’ve read, after 32-33 weeks, the placentas start to deteriorate. Some women make it to 34-36 but it is rare.

5)      My goal is to have babies greater than 3lbs 6oz. Babies below that weight are more likely to have disabilities.

Right when we learned I was carrying triplets, Tim, the awesomely supportive husband that he is,  bought me the book “When You are Expecting Twins, Triplets, and Quads.” It is supposedly the “Bible” for when you are expecting multiples and it guides you through to ultimately bring home healthy babies in the end. I can’t wait to see if Dr. M agrees with the recommendations that this book makes.

Other than the agonizing wait for this upcoming appointment, I have been doing pretty well. I do feel a lot of pressure, but I am assuming it’s because I am carrying triplets. I’ve also had a lot of ups and downs the past week with my emotions on whether or not my body is suited to do this. I had a hard time getting comfortable last night in bed. My belly feels huge! I think Dr. M will help calm my worries, and I know God will use him as a vessel to get me through this.

13w5d

My fortune the other day. Most people know that IVF is usually not covered by insurance and is an expensive procedure. Three for the price of one, baby!