Getting ready for our first Thanksgiving!

The babies get to meet their out-of-state side of the family this week and we are really looking forward to it!! Here are a few recent pictures.

Reagan with her big blues.

Lauren practices flying in the family room.

Jack wants you to know that he has TWO teeth.

More Pictures!

Jack

Reagan and Lauren

Soon the babies will fit in their exersaucers with only 2 or 3 blankets propping them up! A little blurry because I took with cameraphone.

Now you can see why Tim says our family looks like an amusement park.

Time Flies.

I can't believe how big these babies are getting! They just change so fast. One minute they haven't even thought to try something, and then the next day it seems they can do it with ease. We are fully into the turning, pivoting, grabbing, drooling and stealing toys phase. I imagine some of those will get worse before they get better!

Reagan - trying to eat her pumpkin - is now over 13 pounds! She is the grabbiest baby! If anyone is within reach she will grab them, their hands, pants, mouth, anything. If they have a toy it is even more fun! She has incredible eye-hand coordination. I think she will be the first to pop a tooth because she sure is drooooooly. I keep the washcloth close to her. She is such a little Daddy's girl. She just snuggles right in whenever Daddy gets one-on-one time with her. She is a happy, happy baby and is quick to smile - unless she isn't sure, then she can really check someone out. I think it must be the start of stranger anxiety. Such a fun little baby girl!

Lauren - eating her washcloth (notice the theme?) - is also now over 13 pounds! She is our mover! She can roll anywhere she wants. She is just starting to put several rolls in a row, so for today we still haven't babyproofed, but it is coming fast! She can really light up a room with her smile. She is almost always the first to smile, she is also generally the first to cry. She gets so frustrated when her brother or sister is in her way when she wants to get somewhere. She is quite a little talker, too. If you aren't paying enough attention to her, she can make sure she gets your attention! She is the leader of this pack, for sure!

Jack - with Aunt Mary - is such a big, big sweetie! He is now 14 pounds 12 ounces! He started eating some oatmeal. This is very, very messy new phase! Jack is our big talker! He talks all day long, little songs and narration - very cute! He is so close to rolling onto his tummy, but mostly he just loves to sit up and watch. He is very happy in the swing, bumbo, sitting in the chair, etc....He doesn't love the floor! He is usually the first to wake up and wants to start the day right off! He is a snuggle-bug still - loves, loves, loves to be held.

It is really hard to summarize these amazing little people into a few sentences, but I want to be able to remember all the fun of this stage. They are playing in their exersaucers and walker right now and listening to music. I have told them about the big snow we might get, but they aren't sure if they should get excited yet. I better hurry get second lunch ready. Standing upright really gets these babies hungry!

Almost 5 months old!

Here is a really cute video of the almost 5 month old babies!

The Babies Are Here!!!

One would think that I had lots of time just sitting around to update my blog. Sorry it has taken so long!

The babies are HERE!! They arrived at 28 weeks, zero days on Saturday, March 7th. The stats are:

Reagan Michelle - 6:57 a.m. 2 lbs. 2.7 oz. 15 inches

Lauren Josephine - 6:58 a.m. 2 lbs. 5 oz. 14.75 inches

Jack William - 7:02 a.m. 2 lbs. 3 oz. 14.5 inches

When I went into the hospital on the 19th of February I was really hoping to stay a long time. I have head of lots of triplet mommys who had to spent weeks and even months in the hospital on bed rest. I wasn't sure how long I could stand the food, but I was willing to try.

Since about 23 weeks along in this pregnancy everything was a battle. We were always facing bad days and scares, but nothing seemed to point to such early birthdays. On Friday, March 6th at 10:30 p.m. (or about 3 minutes after I turned off the news and the light) my water broke. After that we were pretty sure we were going to have babies soon. It took a little longer than I was hoping - 8 and a half hours, but Reagan, Lauren and Jack were ready.

All three are doing as well as can be expected. They are facing all the challenges babies this little usually face, but we are hanging in there. For now all three are on C-PAP to help with breathing, so we hope they can stay there.

More updates to follow!

Here for the duration...

Well, I guess those 18 days of being at home were a bit tougher on me than I thought. I didn't do enough resting, or something.

Thursday we went for a routine appointment and my glucose screen and the doctor found some scary developments, so she sent us right to Labor & Delivery. We were pretty much told that we would be having babies that day, but they would do steroids shots just in case and put me back on indicin and procardia.

We had 24 very scary hours during which Tim got the visit the NICU and see our babies little isolettes and machines. We were briefed my the neonatologists, and I had lots and lots of meds. Right about 24 hours in, things started to calm down and turn around, so I am happy to say we have no babies today. (But Tim did just eat a banana.)

But the doctors don't want to risk anything, so I am likely here for the duration. We have heard estimates of time that aren't very long, but we are both being very positive and hope that I have to stay here for months. Obviously longer is better. I am just 26 weeks today. But I miss my dog and my house. Tim will have to go home to sleep during the week most likely, but luckily we have a nice room with a comfie-ish bed for him, so he can stay weekends.

I will keep you updated!

I liked the roomservice...

What a difference a day can make! So, Wednesday I went to the grocery store with Tim and just got exhausted. Worse than I have ever felt, and then I got heartburn really bad that night. Which led to not enough eating or drinking water on Thursday. By that afternoon, I was bad. We went to the doctor and luckily got some zantac, but we also learned that things weren't quite as good as we hoped they were. On the way home I started having contractions. So Friday we went back to the doctor and they sent me right to the emergency room.

It was scary. I learned awful, awful things about babies that are this young (23 weeks). I was given procardia, which didn't help, and then indicin, which stopped the contractions, but is only a 48 hour medication. I had to stay until Monday afternoon. When the medication wore off the contractions started right up again, but every agreed that they are false labor and not the real thing. So I got to come home.

I am supposed to take things really easy, but I am not on strict bed rest. I HAVE to make it at least 4 and a half more weeks to even give the babies a shot at making it. But really, 8 and a half weeks would be better. After that we will be safer.

I just need to down the water and sleep better. (which are mutually exclusive! Hard to get a full 8 + hours when I wake up to go to the bathroom all the time!)

22 Week Appointment

We had our 22 week appointment yesterday and everyone is looking good! All the babies are growing and they are getting much easier to see. The Dr said we will have a few weeks of easy ultrasounds and then they get harder. I can completely understand that!

We have done so much work on the nursery and are feeling much more prepared. Of course when I say "we" I mean Tim. And when I say much more prepared I mean that at least we have clothes and a place for the babies to sleep. Not sure how to actually be prepared for all of this!

I am really trying to slow down and not do too much, but I am actually feeling the best I have felt in months. I have more energy and no more morning sickness, so it is hard to just rest. Maddie really likes the resting though. So I need to get better about it!

20 Week Photos

Here are the babies at 20 weeks. Everyone is growing really well and they each look really healthy. They weigh around 11 ounces each.

Baby A

Baby B

Baby C

20 Weeks

Tim and I were able to do some work on the nursery today. Our dresser arrived and a very nice friend was kind enough to miss some football to help get it into the room. (Thanks Erik!!) My parents also came by to visit and take a picture.

Tim & Ann - 20 weeks

The dresser/changing table

So cute! Three little car seats all lined up.

I am advanced!

I had another doctor appointment today and it went really well! Tim couldn't make this one, so my Mom came with me. It was so fun to watch her watch the babies on the ultrasound!! Seeing them moving in real time is much easier to understand than in pictures. I think she really enjoyed the experience.

I am doing really well - blood pressure, weight gain, pulse, etc... The babies all looked really good and are very, very active. In fact, poor little baby C (the boy) was getting kicked and punched in the head the whole time. He just slept through it. I guess the girls aren't too happy that he has his own room.

According to the book I should be about 10 - 15 pounds higher, but I am doing my best. It is so much easier now that food sounds good and I actually get hungry.

I have been feeling really big lately, especially at night when I try to turn over, so I asked the doctor about it and he measured me and I am as big as a 28 week singleton pregnancy. Which is 8 weeks ahead. So, see! I am advanced!!

In other news and for anyone who may read this in the future...If your hands and wrists hurt like crazy, it isn't in your head it is a real pregnancy complaint! In fact the doctor said I was the second person today with that problem!! It is carpal tunnel syndrome caused by edema in my wrists cutting into the tendon which then cuts into my nerves. I had to go get special wrist braces, and about 30 seconds after I put them on my hands felt better. It is really awkward to do stuff while wearing them, and they look silly, but it is worth it! No more hand pain!!!