30 week appointment

Had my 30 week appointment on Friday. I had a BPP(Bio physical profile,) growth scan, and NST(Non stress test).

The boys all did great during the BPP. And they are all growing great. Baby A was 3lbs 11oz, B was 3lbs 12oz, (both measuring about a week ahead), and C was measuring on time right at 3lbs.

During those I was having contractions about 5 minutes apart. So afterwards the doctor came in and checked my cervix. It was basically unchanged from 3 weeks ago, at 4.75cm! I told her I was hungry and also not very comfortable lying there, so that was probably why I was having so many. She wasn't worried because my cervix was long and closed.

They all did good during the NST. Pretty long, by uneventful appointment. My next appointment is only 2 days away, because they were booked for their end of week appointments.

Went shopping last night with my mom for spring clothes for Vaughn. I got SO many stares. People probably thought a baby was going to fall out of my vagina at any second! Haha.

My daughter and her Quintuplets!

People must be trying to help me "train" Vaughn into getting ready for these triplets. Because I gathered all of Vaughn's baby dolls up yesterday, and realized she has 5! I think she actually has 6, I think one is MIA. I only bought 1 of these, the rest have all been gifts since xmas! She loves them all, but her newest one, the one that can come in the bath is her favorite right now :) And the water leaks out where the "potty" would be, so she is excited about that, and frequently sets the baby on the potty now. Hopefully this will be a helpful tool in our potty training!

She just HAD to outdo me and have quintuplets! LOL.

Sorry for the crappy quality of the pictures. Taken with my phone last night after her bath. I really need to find my cable for my DSLR!

Her with all of the babies gathered round! I propped them all that way :)



Her "feeding" all of her babies. SHE set them up like this. She is a little OCD sometimes!

They were showing off for the doctors!

Friday I had my appointment, which included an NST (non-stress test), and also a biophysical profile.

First was the biophysical profile. They do an ultrasound and look for the baby to do certain things. 1) have good movement 2) practice breathing 3) practice fine motor skills. They give each baby 30 minutes to do everything. If for some reason a baby or babies are sleeping the entire time, and they can't get them to "wake up", by jostling them, etc., or if they weren't meeting expectations, then they would pretty much wheel me straight down to the OR to be delivered. Scary. But I thought there wouldn't be a high likelyhood. Then the Tech told me the lady who was in my room before me got wheeled down to be delivered during her bio-profile because they couldn't get her baby to wake up! So I guess it isn't uncommon. My boys did spectacular though - slotted for 90 minutes, we were done with all 3 in about 35! Yay! She said they did "excellent."

Then we did the Non-Stress test. It's called a non-stress test because it is in no way stressful to the babies. They hook up fetal heartrate monitors to my stomach over each babies heartbeat and monitor the heartbeats for 20 minutes, or as long as 40 if needed. In that time frame they hope to see each heartrate accelerate by at least 15 beats per minute above their baseline heartrate - twice. But the nurse said that they really didn't even expect mine to do that, because usually they didn't until 32 weeks, and I was 29 weeks. Well, wouldn't you know, my little show offs ALL did it! Within about 25 minutes!

A pretty uneventful appointment besides that. I gained NO weight in the last two weeks. The doctor didn't even care. He said the babies would take it from my "reserves." So I guess he means my "fat" reserves. I hope they take it from my cellulite reserves too! LOL! I was reading something yesterday that said the increase in progesterone in the 3rd trimester, makes me digest food slower, as well as my stomach is SO squished. I'm supposed to eat small meals throughout the day. I'm trying, but I'm just not very hungry! To date I've gained 20-22 pounds. With Vaughn I gained a total of 30 pounds, I'm guessing I won't even gain 30 this time, with how slowly I've been gaining lately. I was ALL for gaining 50+ pounds! My body and my appetite have different ideas.

Next week we'll do another bio-profile, NST, as well as a growth scan ultrasound. Can't wait to see what these boys are weighing! One of the triplet blogs I follow, she made it right up to 36 weeks (or so), and her BBB Triplets were all just under 6 lbs! Amazing! Scary, thinking of carrying around 17 pounds of baby! But amazing! Vaughn was 6lbs 13oz at 41 weeks, so that is nuts that at 36 weeks I could possibly deliver 3 boys weighing only a pound less than her. We'll see! I'm hoping for chunkers though :)

Besides that we are battling over the last boys' name. Right now we have Vale Hudson, and Pierce Cullen. The other was Brooks Truman for like 3 months - which was my husbands pick, then about a month ago he decided he didn't like it anymore. Right now I think we're leaning towards Cutter Truman. A LOT of people don't seem to like it. But we could care less really what other people think! :) In any case I would like our names solidified soon! I do NOT wanting to be recovering from a C Section trying to pick a name!!

28 1/2 weeks along

Went to Babys R US today with my two 20% off of one item coupons and bought my last carseat and one of my portable swings. Whoohoo. Two of my big items off of my list! Saved $35! Now I have two MORE 20% off coupons to go back with and use, gotta get one more swing. I don't think there's any other "big" items left besides my stroller after that, which I'll be ordering online. And I decided between my two diaper bags I received so I have to return the other one I don't need.

I still haven't decided what kind of bottle to use? Recommendations? I used a natural nurser for Vaughn and they were SO expensive, like over $10 a bottle, so I'd rather not with these boys. But that was only because she was exclusively BF for so long, and took a bottle only about once a week until 8 weeks, that she was super picky and that was the only bottle she'd take. These guys will get BF and bottle fed right away, so I want to get something less costly. But I don't want dropins. I'd rather something that is easier to clean, as I am thinking I'll need somewhere around 18 bottles or so a day....

Here's a photo of me from today before shopping. I wonder if the people at BRU thought I was going to go into labor, the way I kept stopping and hunching over, catching my breathe, or sitting down! haha! Motorized scooter here I come - next shopping trip! LOL!

Me and my big mouth!

Ugh. I spoke too soon! The next morning after my previous post I noticed a tiny pink scar looking thing right over my belly button, but under my belly button scar. A TINY STRETCH MARK! I totally think I jinxed myself. Because I check my stomach like TWICE a day for stretch marks. And that little sucker CERTAINLY was not there the day before! That's what I get I suppose. I'm going to keep my mouth shut now about all of the negative things that pregnancy can bring that I haven't been experiencing this time, or haven't experienced much of.

In other events. It has been pretty nice out here and I haven't left the house in 3 days :( It is like 50 or so, wet, but sunny. Okay, I take that back, I went to Target Saturday. I'm bummed that I can't take Vaughn even for a short walk. :( I get tired and a backache from doing that, and it is something I'm not supposed to really do due to my "modified bedrest". Today I have been cleaning my room (aka the basement at my mom's house), and obviously I have been overdoing it, because I have had a few terrible back spasms. A sign I'm doing too much.

I slept TERRIBLE and am kind of crabby for it. Luckily Vaughn is in a SUPER good mood, so it is hard for me to stay in a bad one with her so darned happy and cute :)

One of my best friends is going through some pretty major stuff right now, and even though it has no direct bearing on my life, it is causing me a lot of stress. I just worry for her, and know she has some tough decisions to make. I am not posting any details because I really don't know who all reads this, and wouldn't want to spread her business. I just hope she makes wise decisions, and thinks things through thoroughly. We talked on the phone for a good bit and gave her my advice on the entire situation, which I'm sure she didn't want, but I had to do it anyways, I had to get it off of my chest. I am thinking of her, and her family and hoping that she has the strength to get through this hard time.

28 Weeks!! 3rd Trimester!!!

Today I am 28 weeks!!! According to my LMP. But REALLY, according to my conception date I am 28weeks and 4 days. But the doctors won't change my due date. So bah. Whatever. I'm 28 weeks!! I made it to my 3rd Trimester!!!!!

My last doctors appointment was 8 days ago, when I was 26wks/6days. And everything was looking marvelous!! Babies A & B were 2lbs 8oz, and 2lbs 9oz respectively. Each about a week ahead! And Baby C was 2lbs 1oz, which is right on time! All were looking very active and posing nicely!! My AMAzing cervix was measuring at 4.75cm. Whoohoo! The u/s tech joked I should rent it out :) The doctors, nurses and u/s techs are all still so impressed with my cervix. It's not something you're normally proud of or brag about, but GO CERVIX GO! WHOOHOO!! hahaha. The "average" cervix length for someone carrying a singleton in the 2nd trimester is 3-4 cm. Considering 5 weeks ago my cervix was almost 6cm, and a week ago almost 5cm with TRIPLETS, I guess is amazing in the medical field. Makes me wonder how long it was with Vaughn, especially since she had to be evicted at 41 weeks, and it took 3 days of induction to even get me to 1.5cm! Now I am thankful for my stubborn cervix though ~ I was MADE to carry triplets! Lol!

Everything else at the appointment went well. I forgot to update that I did indeed pass my 2 hour glucose test! Yay! Starting in a week I will be getting biophysical profiles and also regular checkups every week. At the bio profiles they check for the babies to be doing certain things, and if they don't perform a certain "score", than they have to deliver, like THAT day. I'll post more about what they were checking for next week.

I also forgot to say I had an amazing baby shower!! SO many adorable outfits, tons of diapers, more than $300 in cash and gift cards, 2 bouncers, a diaper genie, and TONS more! I feel so blessed!!! I have to sort through everything in these next couple of days. I know there are at least a couple of things I will have to return due to duplicates. But I STILL Do have a TON of stuff to buy. I still have NO bottles, blankets, swings, I need 1 more carseat, a changing pad, crib mobiles, and some other things. I'm going to order my triplet stroller this week. That will be my MOST costly single item. It will be around $400. But other parents of multiples have told me this is the "one", easy to transport, and it is just great I guess. And will be worth it in the long run! It's similar to Jon & Kate's 2 triplet strollers they have, except just a little more light weight. I don't see us trecking up Mt. Trashmore (a Virginia Beach "hotspot"), going on hikes, or anything like that anyways, not with me pushing ALL that weight! So I don't need something heavier duty anyways.

I'm starting to get MUCH bigger! I'll post a pic probably tomorrow, I look and feel like pooh today, so I'll spare you. But suprisingly I measured and have only gained 1 inch in 2 weeks. Bringing my belly to 43 inches around, and I have gained 20 or so pounds. I haven't been gaining fast at ALL this trimester. I have gained only 2 pounds in the last 6 weeks. But the doctors are not concerned in the least, because the babies are doing SO great. I still have NO stretch marks on my belly. But I would be SHOCKED if I NEVER got any. I do have 4 or so small (less than an inch each) stretch marks on the backs of my hips. But I'd rather have them there than on my belly anyways!

The babies are getting so big - around 15inches each. And it is starting to get pretty painful when they do BIG stretches. Sometimes I'm carrying something and they punch or kick so hard or fast that it actually DROP what I'm carrying! Luckily it hasn't been Vaughn that I've dropped yet!

Speaking of Vaughn it is getting rough with her and my stomach! Even her just resting against it, is SO uncomfortable and makes it harder for me to breathe. :( My poor thing just wants to snuggle!

I'll leave this with some adorable photos of my little peanut Vaughn. One is the day after my shower in the basement.... she loves sitting on the babies' carseat, and watching cartoons, which was nice, because I needed a shower - alone! And the other is her with my moms dog in his kennel. She'd stay in there and play ALL day with him if I let her! (sorry these are with my crappy camera phone). My DSLR doesn't hook up to my moms computer, because I didn't bring the software, but one day I'm going to get that figured out, because my camera phone SUCKS!

Am I brave, or just blissfully ignorant?

Today at the neurologist's (which btw they can't do anything for my headaches right now, that isn't already being done. Duh. I pretty much knew this, but my doctor wanted me sent anyways).

Anyhow, at my neurologist's I informed the nurse I was pregnant with triplets, and amongst her MANY nosy questions was "how are you going to do it? How are you going to raise triplets and another child under the age of 2?"

I get asked this question, a LOT. Especially when people realize that after the babies are born me and Doug will be back in VA, where we have NO family. Lots of friends, who I am sure will be helpful, but still, not the same.

And I just say "we just will."

I remember when I was pregnant with Vaughn and Doug was deployed and we knew he wouldn't be back until she was 2 months old, or longer, and I was in VA, with NO family, people were shocked and asked the same thing. How did I do it? I just did!

When put in situations where you can either curl up and cry or just suck it up, give up sleep and do what needs to be done, I've just always done what needs to be done. I have no clue if this comes from my 10 years of Navy experience, or my husband being deployed almost half of our relationship, or my ALWAYS positive attitude, or what? But, I just don't see a reason to worry, I just know I'll take it day by day, try to keep myself, and my family alive and sane, and somehow, I'll know everything will be okay, or better than okay.

Anyhow. That's just been on my mind. People also ask "how are you preparing?" Really, is there a WAY to PROPERLY prepare for triplets!?! haha. I'm trying, but I'm sure most will be learned as I go!

Here are some fun belly photos taken one week ago, when I was 25 1/2 weeks. My stepmom and sister did my belly up with temporary tattoos :)