Sleeping... or lack of

Sleep has seem to become a relative term. I am still getting up two times a night to go to the restroom, and it seems if I am not up doing that I am up changing positions. I have never been a back sleeper I have always been a stomach sleeper, but that doesn't work when you got three little ones in there. I go from side to side all night long. It wouldn't be that bad except after about an hour or so on one side, I have to switch to the other because my hip hurts. Now some people would say invest in more pillows... but I already sleep with two body pillows and about five other pillows of various sizes and softness. I am just barely half way there and the babies will be starting their growth spurt soon, so I will have to figure something out soon. Perhaps another pillow topper on the bed...lol... (there are already two on there now).
It could be much worse though so I am thankful that I at least get broken up sleep instead of no sleep at all.

15 Weeks Today!

Well today we are 15 weeks pregnant. It's funny how quickly time has started to fly since we found out. We are almost half way through already.
The Belly is large and in charge... We have been watching my belly grow larger and larger, but for some reason as I was looking at it in the mirror yesterday, it seemed to have exploded. It's like it grew tons just overnight. I think I am almost the size I was when I had Miche. Everyone told me to expect and I wasn't really worried about it, until some practicality issues started to arise. Such as, rolling out of the bed, bending over to pick things up, and various little things like that. If I am having trouble with some of those things now... what will it be like in 2 months when it is even larger. Thank god I have Michael, who takes such good care of me, and the kids have been a great help so far. I hope the big belly means the babies are growing big. With triplets they say the average birth weight is 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. I am really hoping for 5 lbs each. The larger the baby the better off they will be.
Eating is the key... For the most part I am eating soups, deli sandwhiches, salads, and a lot of fruit. I tried eating those Hebrew hotdogs since my doc said I could only eat Kosher hotdogs, and I don't really care for them. They taste like a wierd sausage. I can't wait to have real chilli dogs again...lol. Anyway, they have pushed my stomache up so far I am finally getting on the schedual Michael has been pushing for... eating every 2 hours, because I can only eat little bits at a time and the kids want more then that!
Well it is off to feed the whole brood this time (dinner time).

Babies are a Rockin...

The babies movements and active time has increased. I am feeling them a lot more now, unfortunately Michael isn't able to yet...hopefully any day now. It seems that Baby A and B invade each others space more and baby C has got all the room. Little does he know that soon they will all be crowded together.
The Belly is stretched already and is a little achy. Makes me a little worried about the coming months of how it will feel. I have heard all types of comments about the pregnancy supports from other multiple mom's and they say none of them are really any good past 4-5 months. So Michael and I are talking about making our own that will work. I'll let you all know how that goes when we get there.

Personal Reflection

Today has been a day of personal reflection for me. The first night I met my wonderful husband I knew there was something strong there, and it did not take long to know I would spend the rest of my life with him. He is my home. He is the very definition of love to me. I have grown so much within our love and he gives me that deep seeded peace, that we as humans, long for. The outside world has put forth many challenges for us, yet we always come out the other side stronger then before. Life is never easy, but I know with him, I can get through anything. It fills me with a deep sense of warmth and amazement when I think about the fact that I am carrying three little people that are a mix of both of us. At times it is almost euphoric. I know it will not be easy, having triplets, but I also know that together it will be a wonderful life.
To his family: All of you have been beyond anything I could have imagined. You showed me a different side to "family." You welcomed my children and I into your family with open arms, you have supported us through so much, and have taught me a great deal over the years. You have raised a man that is truly the best husband and most fantastic father. You have given him a strong sense of family and devotion to family. Being a part of your family has meant a great deal to me and I can not express enough thanks for letting me be a part of that. I look forward to many more decades of laughter and joy with all of you.

14 weeks and 4 days

Today was eventful... I have been having this lower pelvic pressure all weekend and wasn't sure if it was normal or not. I called the Doc last night and they wanted me to come in today to get checked. It turns out everything is great and the pressure pain is just due to the weight of the uterus/ babies.
They did start checking for the sex of the babies today. They said it helps them keep better track of who is who. They are pretty sure that baby A is a girl and baby C is a boy... baby B is a little more difficult and she thought it might be a girl but was really ify on it. They said they will keep checking to make sure. I am ecstatic! We wanted a mix of both so much and it looks like we'll get it.
All heartbeats were great. Baby A was fisty and all over the place, B and C were sleepy and just rolling here and there... but everyone is great so we couldn't be happier.
I couldn't believe the size of my uterus though. It is about 3 inches above my belly button now and the belly is huge. We will have to get some pictures of it up here soon.

Diaper Testing

We are still going to do the cloth diapers but most I have found only fit 8lbs and up. With triplets there is no way they will be 8lbs, so we have conceded to use the disposable until they get to 8 lbs. Which means we had to look at all the different disposable options.
I never liked Pampers so those were out from the start. With Jasper I started out using Huggies until they changed to the cloth outside and I hated them. So I switched to Luvs. I absolutely loved Luvs and used them for my daughter as well. So, of course, the first pack of diapers I picked up were a pack of newborn Luvs. When we got home I took one out to investigate it, and of course they have changed over the years. Not badly but different and the price was good. So I figured that would be the diaper we used until Michael and I went shopping yesterday.
We went through the baby section and ended up in the diaper area where we started discussing at looking at all the diapers. They had a generic brand called Parents Choice at Walmart. It was 6 more diapers per pack and $3 less. Now if it was just one baby that might not make a big difference, but with triplets it adds up quickly. Now when buying anything generic we are kinda careful because there are things that the old saying comes into play, "you get what you pay for."
So we decided to buy a pack, bring it home, and test them ourselves.
The Test... First we took one from each pack and compared them by feel. Miche and I thought the Luvs felt softer. Michael said he felt the Parents Choice was thicker. So we went onto the wetness test. We took red colored water and a measuring cup to do this experiment. We started with 1/3 cup of liquid in each. Both absorbed it well but the Luvs you could feel a slight wetness on the inside surface which would be next to the baby. The parents Choice was bone dry. So we tried another 2/3 cup... The Luvs did not hold up much at all. It was extreamly wet feeling on the inside and if you pushed down the liquid came to the surface. The Parents Choice, surprisingly enough was still bone dry on the inside and out. It floored us. We didn't think it would hold up to the Luvs, and instead it surpassed the Luvs by a lot!
So from our experiment we have decided to get Parents Choice diapers until they are big enough for cloth.

Babies On The Move....

Well I have been feeling the babies move for about a week now. Each day they seem to get a little more active. Michael still can't feel them although the other night he thought he felt baby C give a small thump :) I seem to feel B more when I am up and about, and they all seem to get going when I lay down to sleep. It always seems to go that way with any pregnant mom. At least it is not big movements yet so it is not that big of a deal. I am sure in a month or so I will be singing a different tune.
So far so good with everything. We go back next week for another ultrasound, measure everyone, and get a check up. They have said bed rest just depends on how we are doing but I will have to stop working at 20 weeks. That's in 6 weeks! Everything seems to be flying by so quickly.
Hopefully we will find out who is a boy/ girl next week. We have our guesses going and want to know who is right...lol.

formula..bottles..diapers...so many choices!

Maybe it is because I had my first two children so young, or perhaps that we have made the world more complicated, but there seems to be way too many items to choose from. You sort through review after review to see what others have said about certain products. You look to see what is recommended most. You even prod those who have had children recently to help guide you in choosing the right type of bottle. Does this sound crazy to anyone else besides me? Truly, it does not need to be this complex. Ultimately the babies are going to decide what they like and what they will use...they always do.

Baby Bed and Doctors Appt

Well we found a really great deal on a baby bed yesterday. They'll stay altogether in this bed until they are about 2-3- months old, then they will have to go into separate beds. That's the time most triplet moms say the kids start rolling, kicking, and wake each other up.
It's strange, I see the babies every 1-2 weeks on the ultrasound, heard the little heartbeats, and even have started to feel the little flutterings of them, but for some reason once Michael got the baby bed all put together it just felt more real. It doesn't make any sense in my head but it is what it is.
I had another doctors appointment yesterday. Everyone is doing great! Baby A heartbeat was 157, Baby B was 157, and Baby C was 158. The cervix looked great with no changes and my blood pressure was up slightly but still in a decent range. They don't seem to be too concerned about it right now and my 24 hr urine came back great (to check for spilling protein..a bad sign for the blood pressure). My iron and calcium were a little low, which they said was normal for carrying triplets. So I am starting iron pills twice a day and have to boost my calcium intake.
Everyone has been really pleased with my progress so far so that makes me happy. I worry a lot. I think a lot of that has to do with being a nurse and knowing way too much...it can be a hinderence at times.
Our next appt is in 2 weeks. Then they will do another full scan on the babies and we will get more pics :)

Morning Sickness...

I never really had morning sickness with my other pregnancies, but let me tell you... carrying triplets brings on a whole new meaning to morning sickness. Since about week 7 I have been so sick, all day long. When it got to the point that I couldn't eat my doctor prescribed Zofran. At first it took me 3 pills a day to make it through the whole day. Now I take one first thing in the morning and 4-5 times a week I take a second in the afternoon/ evening. I tried going a a day without it (I was out) and it was worse then before and I couldn't hardly keep water down. I have just concieded that Zofran and I will be friends for quite awhile. It's funny how having more in there can have such dramatic differences.
MD appointment tomorrow for a check up on everyone. They said I will be in there every 2 weeks and then later on it will be weekly.

Belly Wonders...

I had my last child almost 15 years ago and I have never been pregnant with multiples before, but some days it just feels as if aliens have taken over my body. My food tastes seem to have dramatically changed. I love seafood but last night I made a huge seafood dish and then after a few bites I had to back off. It just didn't taste good to me at all and everyone else thought it was really good. Of course that is just one example but it has been like that with a lot of things. Michael just laughed and said it was part of him in there (and he has different tastes then I do). One of his favorite sandwiches is peanut butter and bananas...he suggested I try that next (I never cared for it before)...lol.
We are one day away from 13 weeks and I am huge already. They tell me that by the time I am 20 weeks that I will be the size of a full term belly. I don't mind so much, just wish I could sleep for more then 3 hrs at a time without having to get up and rearrange pillows and positions.
I couldn't ask for a better husband through all of this though. Michael has been great at helping me with everything, getting me up, taking care of all those little needs, and a great support/ cheer section. I will feel bad for him when I go on bedrest though...I think it will be rough doing all of it on his own and taking care of me. Hopefully I won't get any strict bedrest though this, then I can get up and do some stuff here and there to help.
Miche wanted to homeschool this year, so after a lot of researh and family debate we have decided to give it a shot. We got all her school books yesterday, and even found some ways to allow her to continue her studies with Japanese. She is excited about the arrival of new baby brothers and sisters. She keeps telling us she is going to take them over, and we just laugh saying after two nights she is going to be hiding in her room...lol.
Jaz has been practicing driving, and from what I hear he's doing good. If all goes well he will joining the military in Oct this year. He can't wait...I just hope he stays safe.

Baby Registry

Well I have never done one of these before so it was interesting to say the least. Off to the left right below the intro you will see a link to our baby registry. We did it at Babies R Us for convince but the prices are a little steep. It does gives everyone who is curious an idea of what we are looking for though, so I suppose it serves it's purpose.

11 Week Ultrasound of the triplets

The baby on the left is baby C at 11 weeks (baby A is on the right)

This is baby B at 11 weeks


This is baby A at 11 weeks


Now my husband thinks that A is a girl, C is a boy, and he is unsure about B...
I think A and B are boys and C is a girl....
Anyone else want to guess before we find out for sure?

Cloth Diapering

Well we have been doing some research. Since we have found out there are three little guys joining the family, we have been looking at ways to cut costs all around. One of the things we have been looking at recently has been cloth diapers vs disposable. Now with my other two kids I used disposables and never really thought about it. Through our research I was astounded by the cost difference. For the first 3 years of disposables, for triplets, the cost would be around $10,000! That blew us away. The cost of cloth diapering all of them would end up around $2000 total... that is an $8,000 savings. So after a lot of looking around, reading some forums of cloth diapering moms, we have decided to go this route. Will it be easy? No. Will it create more work? Yes, but it will be worth it in the long run.
I think the route we will try first is the pre folded diapers with the fitted diaper covers, and disposable inserts. We'll let you all know how it goes!

Doctors Appointment

Well we had another doctors appointment yesterday. The babies look great and everyone is doing well. We got the "triplets" talk...the good, the bad, and the scary. Most of it we already knew because we have been researching it since we found out so we are as prepared as possible. The doc mentioned something though that caught us both off guard. The is a procedure called a transabdominal cerclage that they highly recommend to prevent preterm birth. Basically they make a large incision in your abdomin (maybe large because we have triplets?), then pull out the uterus, tie the end of the cervix that is closest to the uterus, and then put everything back. They said that even if I had preterm labor, that the cervix would not open if we did this. Well Michael and I talked about it quite a bit and came to the conclusion that we will not do this. Even though they say they have had great success and haven't lost a baby yet... that's yet. It also sounds like a hard surgery while being pregnant, especially with triplets. We will do the bedrest and whatever is required of us instead. There is just too much risk in our minds for the other and a study was done with almost 3,000 women who have never been diagnosed with incompitent cevix (as I have not), carring triplets, and found this proceedure made no difference in this group of patients.