32 weeks...tick tick tick

Went to see my doctor again today and the good news is that my cervix has not changed...still dialated 1/2 cm. She did say she was going to keep an eye on me for pre ecampsia. There was some protien in my urine, my blood pressure is still good but it has crept up the last two visits, and my face is very puffy...which is sooo attractive. So I got to give blood today and I get to collect my urine for a whole 24 hours...and I get to collect it in this giant orange bottle thing that has to stay in the fridge.

She said that her gut feeling was a week left....which is great because I know the babies need to stay in my tummy as long as possible...but I am going from uncomfortable to misrable...and I am ready!

Tomorrow is the visit w/ the high risk doctor and we get to see the babies again! So yay!

Getting Close

Today was an interesting day at the doctor's office. Stephanie is now dilated to about 1/2 centimeter. She was also hooked up to a contraction monitor. . . . . she was having contractions but there was no pain associated with them (so, they may be the so-called Braxton-Hicks version). Dr. Irvin told Stephanie that she was now a "time-bomb". . . . . . . so, now we know we are very close. Stephanie is also now on bed rest; only sitting or lying down.

Last night, we decided it would be wise to pack a bag and have it ready to go. It's funny that just from Tuesday to today things have escalated so rapidly. Not sure when the big day will be here, but we know it is close.

No news is good news

Well, I think both Steph and I feel like we really haven't had anything too exciting to post. We had another appointment with the Neonatologist yesterday, and the babies and Steph are still doing exceptionally well. Steph's blood pressure has been normal at every visit, and she has had no signs of pre-term labor. The babies also passed their bio-physical profiles with flying colors. In this case, I think no news is good news. We are now approaching the 32 week mark, which is the average gestation for triplets. The Neonatologist told us that this is the last major hurdle. We are very excited about that!!

The babies seem to be moving a lot lately. Twice now, we have actually felt Ashton having the hiccups. He is the easiest one to feel, because he is at the top of Stephanie's abdomen (and he's also the heaviest). Now, we can also visibly see the babies' movements.

Steph's discomfort seems to grow by the day. Her hips hurt quite a bit during the night and she has great difficulty rolling over or changing positions in bed. She has had a lot of difficulty breathing as well.

Small, Medium and Large

Yesterday, we had an appointment with our Perinatologist. These appointments are always fun because the sonograms are very intensive and based on certain measurements (cranium, abdomen, bones, etc.) they can give us an estimate on what the babies weigh. After the sonogram, the doctor came in and said, "Well I hear you have a small, medium and large." Presley was our smallest at 2 lbs. 12 oz., Keegan was right at 3 lbs., and Ashton is the heavyweight at 3 lbs. 10 oz. All in all, Steph is carrying about 9 lbs., 6 oz. of baby. We are now at 30 weeks, 2 days and only 12 days away from the average gestional length for triplets. It's interesting, the first few months of pregnancy seemed to fly by, but these last couple of weeks have really crawled along. I think Stephanie and I are both just anxious for the arrival of the babies.

Steroids

Yesterday and today I got to go to the hospital and get a steroid shot in my butt... Keith tried to scare me and tell me that they really hurt...so he heard. So I was a bit nervous going in to get them. BUT...they didn't hurt at all! Especially compared to how my body is starting to feel. The steroid shots are for the babies lung development since they will be arriving early. This gives them a little boost.

Since Keith was gone these past 2 days I went to lunch at LUBY'S. I love Luby's...but Keith doesn't...along w/ most people my age. While I was waiting for my "To go" to be ready these older ladies came in and were ordering. One asked if I was due any day and I said "Soon, but I am having triplets". Well she was shocked and excited and then she asked if she could pray for me. So we stopped and prayed in the middle of the Luby's line...it was pretty cool. And I almost started crying...but I sucked it up. And I left and took my Luby's home and devoured it.

29 weeks and 1 day

Yet another doctor's appt today and everything looks good! There are no signs of preterm labor or anything out of the normal. So...we are sitting pretty for another week. Next week we will get to see the babies growth and approx weight....I have been eating lots of protien so hopefully they are fat!

We did get some more pictures and one is a 3D one of Keegan...he was the only one willing to let us see his face...which is only fair because he is the one who bounces on my bladder!

ALSO WE ARE TAKING GUESSES ON DATES WHEN THE BABIES WILL COME...AND WHOEVER IS THE CLOSEST WILL GET SOMETHING...NOT SURE WHAT YET BUT IT WILL BE COOL!

So you can pick between Today (Jan 11) all the way until March 6th. (Hint: there is a time period when most triplets are born)

28 weeks, 2 days

Stephanie had another dr. appointment today. . . . . these have become very frequent as we get closer to the arrival of our babies. Once again, Stephanie received a great report. Each time we visit, our doctor does an ultrasound so that she can see the babies heart beats. I am always anxious at these appointments. . . . afraid something might be wrong. And then, the doctor says that one word that makes everything okay--"Beautiful". Instantly, I am filled with relief and I know things are good for another week.

Below are some pictures we took of the baby room. My parents helped us organize the room this past weekend, and for the first time in weeks we can actually see the floor.

We are fortunate to have so many wonderful friends and family who have given us so much. The top shelf of our closet is filled to the ceiling with diapers from preemie to 1/2 (man, Steph is going to be changing a LOT of diapers). The bottom picture is a colossal stack of wet wipes.

This is the furniture we bought for the room off of Craigslist. It looks a little cluttered at the moment, but believe it or not it is loaded with preemie and newborn clothes.

These are the three cribs complete with new bumper pads and quilts.

Jan 1, 2011. . . . almost 28 weeks!!

Happy New Year! Steph is almost 28 weeks. She had a dr. appointment this past Wednesday. . . . everything looked great. The doctor said that Stephanie was doing really well and felt good about the development of the babies. Stephanie feels the babies move a lot now and so can I, which I must say is an incredible thing! Steph is becoming more and more uncomfortable by the day--she gets tired easily and has trouble sleeping through the night. I cannot imagine how she feels, but I am continually amazed by her patience and positive attitude.

We celebrated Christmas this weekend with my family. . . . . it was so awesome to spend time with them. It also reminded me of how fortunate Stephanie and I are that we have such wonderful family and friends to support us. As we begin 2011, we are extremely excited to welcome Presley, Keegan and Ashton to our family. It should be a very fun 2011!!