Preterm Labor

Well keeping my fingers crossed wasn't enough. I started having contractions yesterday morning about 8-12 mins apart. They weren't painful, just felt the tightening. After several hours of drinking water and laying on my side, my peri finally had me come to the office. They said my cervix was long but dilated to 1. They didn't seem too worried about that but I am freaking out about it. Anyway, I started Procardia and strict bedrest yesterday. So far it seems to be helping. After about an hour of taking it I don't have any contractions. Then after about 4 1/2 hours I start to have some again until my next dose (I take them every six hours).

They still seem hopeful that we can make it to 36 weeks, so we just have to try and stay positive and keep praying. Strict bedrest is really hard. I hate asking people for every little thing, and everyone seems so busy with their own stuff. I suppose it could be worse... there was a good chance that they were going to put me in the hospital until this was under control.

We'll keep everyone updated!

Well after going through the new pictures this was the only good one. It is of our little Haley. Her face is on the left hand side staring out. 8 more weeks to go (to get to 36 weeks) till we get to hold our little ones. We are so excited!

(ultrasound at 26.5 weeks)

Movers and Shakers...

It amazes me how much the kids are moving now. Criton (Baby C) is still our most active but the girls are not far behind. One fascinating thing is when they are rolling over now (especially Haley) they tend to "pop up". Basically you can see and feel a round protrusion of either a head or butt. It is the craziest and most wonderful thing.
I do have to say, having three in there moving around can be a little painful though. Not like sharp pain, but more of just heavy pressure when they turn over and such. I won't complain though. As long as they are moving, I know they are doing well :)
I can't wait till Wed to see how much bigger they have gotten! We will get new weights this week.
Michael and I can't wait till they come out and we can see and hold all of them, but we want to make it to 36 weeks. That is 10 more weeks. Can you believe we only have 10 more weeks?! It's hard to believe we have been pregnant for almost 26 weeks. It just seems like it has been flying by. I wonder if the next 10 will be the same.

Shopping for Three

I wouldn't have thought it would be hard shopping for three but have found it to be challenging. I have three "to get" lists. One is the "Priorities List", these are the absolute essentials we need to bring the babies home. The second is the "Need List", this list contains the things that would make life really nice with the triplets. The third is the "Want List", it's all those little items you just want but don't need. I think we have been doing really well thus far. We have just about completed on the priority list (more bottles, receiving blankets, and winter sleepers are the only things left) and we are slowly dwindling down the other two. We even have a nice little stock of formula, diapers, and wipes going on.
I think what causes the challenging aspect for me is finding everything. I have become an avid bargain hunter which has really served well in this situation, but with babies it takes some new twists. When craiglisting for carseats, beds, and items like those you have to be very careful about their age, condition, recalls, safety issues, etc. Then price becomes a consideration. If you could buy the same item new for just $10-20 more (depending on the item), the better deal is probly with the new. If you take the time, hunt around, and are careful, you can get some really great buys. We got all three carseats for $20-25 a piece and our first baby bed (4 in 1, barely used, with excellent matress) cost around $75.
If I were to give advice to a newly pregnant triplet mom it would be: Take your time and bargin shop. Craigslist can be a great resource to find really good deals on quality items. Some times Goodwill will have something worth while. Other people love Ebay, especially looking for baby clothing lots (a huge batch of clothing being sold together). Garage sells, consinment shops, or places like Once Upon A Child can be good places to find some really good stuff too. I know there are some people out there who buy everything new and thats what they want, but in today's economy I think there are a lot more people trying to stay within more constrictive budgets. With triplets that means saving money buying certain used items so you have the money to spend in other important areas and to save. That is my two cents at least. (Yes, they are are some items like bottles, pacifers, etc that need to be bought new)

Check Lists...

It's funny how things come down to check lists. Mentally we have been checking off what we have gotten and what we still need to get. It's nice to have months to prepare for an event though, because you can get everything in stages and have time to hunt for deals. I just finished getting the last car seat today. We spent a total of $75 for all three, and they are all really nice Graco's. Next major item to hunt down... bouncy seats.
We have been working a plan on diapers, formula, bottle, and wipes. Every time we go to the grocery store (1-2 times a week) we pick up one of these items. Upon realizing that we will be five months along this week, I have decided that we will probably start beefing that up to 2 items each trip. My goal is to have enough newborn diapers, formula, and wipes to last the first couple of months, and spreading it out like this really helps with cost. I am also going to have to start getting the cloth diapers piece by piece soon, but it will be quite awhile before they will fit into them. To me, it makes it a lot easier to spread it all out like we are. Usually I am a "get it all at once" kinda mind set, but this way makes it a lot less stressful.
I have never been the great financial person, although I try really hard, but with the babies coming I have been trying to make a lot of changes. We are using spread sheets to keep track of all the bills, groceries, gas, etc. It is really making a difference and Michael is ecstatic because now he can clearly see where everything is going and timing of the bills. I would recommend this to anyone regardless of kids or not. I hope to get Miche and Jasper doing it as well when they start working so they get the hang of all this early on. I never had that type of guidance in fiances until I met Michael and it is harder to get it down when your older.
Well off to go lay down for awhile... gotta love modified bed rest...lol

Personality Thread...

Michael and I have been discussing how even now, each baby seems to have started showing their own personalities. This raised some questions... Do babies start developing their personalities before they are born? Will these certain "personality" traits continue when they are born, or will they change?
For example...
Criton (baby C) is our mover, shaker. He moves around the most and is the one who gets the girls riled up and going. Kinda like the instigator or leader of the 3 and seems very independent.
Caitlin (baby A) seems to follow Criton's lead to start moving but at times, by the movement, it is like she is trying to take the leading role.
I know that may sound strange to some people but when you have three little people inside you and nothing but time to pay attention to what they are doing, these are the thoughts and impressions that come.
Now our little Hailey (baby B) is our quiet one. She can get going with the other two by all means, but for the most part she seems to be more independent with her movements (not set off by the other two). At every ultrasound she is curled up and moves a little but nothing as dramatic/ frantic as the other two. Perhaps it is do to positioning, but she is on top with plenty of room around her.
Now I know at this point it is pretty much all my perception and interpretation of what I feel and what we see on ultrasound...but the question remains...
Will these end up being traits of their personalities?
So this is the Personality Thread. Anytime you see a title called "Personality Thread" it will have to do with these type of observations and wonderings. When they are born and as they get older I will continue to discuss their personality traits and compare it to our early thoughts (in uterus) to see if it holds true.
Just a tiny experiment to pass the time and curiosity.