Week 17 - 12/25/09 - and Week 18 - 1/1/10

I have been a bad blogger! The holidays are always busy for us, and this year was no exception! I had to work Christmas Eve and Day, but we were able to spend a few wonderful days in Beverly with all of my family. We celebrated New Year's Eve here at our house with some great friends, and now we find ourselves in the new year! I think this may very well be one of the most memorable years of our lives.

Things continue to go well! Judging from my growth, I am assuming the babies are growing quite nicely. I have gained about 25 pounds so far, and my OB/GYN would like me to gain at least 60(!). The book that I mentioned in an earlier post reports that women expecting triplets who gain 36 pounds by week 24 average about a half pound heavier babies, so this is what I am aiming for! Possibly the most exciting development is that I am now able to feel the babies move! I love it! I think I have been feeling them move since about week 16, but it was so inconsistent that I wasn't sure. I especially notice baby B and C when I lay on their respective sides. I do not feel A move much yet because he is front and center and a little lower. During week 18, the babies are about the length of bell peppers from crown to rump.

Kellan finished up work last week and has begun to tackle jobs around the house. He is also busy studying for his (final!) Level 3 PGA exam, for which he goes to Florida in February to conquer. I am still working two 12-hour and one 8-hour shifts per week. The PICU has been so incredibly busy these last several months, so a nice and easy day at work is very rare. Everyone at work has been wonderful and very supportive, but these 12-hour shifts are really starting to wear me down. I try to sit down whenever I get the chance, but some shifts just do not allow for much of that. I am guessing that my doctor will be putting some restrictions on work soon, so I am hanging in there! I am just happy that I am still able to work.

Just when I think I haven't grown much, we take a picture...

Week 17 - Merry Christmas!


Week 18 - Right after OSU won the Rose Bowl! Go Bucks! And Happy New Year!

The Big Gender Reveal!

Monday, the 21st, was the day we had been impatiently waiting for! Luckily, the babies cooperated very nicely! So, without further ado, we introduce: Baby A...A Boy, Baby B...A Girl, and Baby C...A Boy!!! Two boys and one girl!! Of course, we would have been happy with any combination, but we are especially thrilled with this one. Two boys and a girl were what we were hoping for all along, as were many others, too! Everything looked great, and I have over a pound of babies inside of me! The boys weighed in at a hefty 6 ounces and our daughter weighs approximately 5 ounces. Everyone is measuring in either right on schedule or a few days ahead. My cervix is also a nice long 4.2 cm (anything over 3 is acceptable), so I am not on any restrictions!

We had a different US tech this week (unfortunately) and didn't get many good pictures this time. The next appointment is January 11th, which will be our longest one yet. Each baby will have a Level 2 US, which includes a detailed exam of all the organs of the babies. (For all my nurse friends: The tech already showed me that each baby has 4 beautiful heart chambers...woo hoo!)They even told me to bring a snack, as each baby can take about 45 minutes! I can't wait...I could sit there and watch the babies move around for hours.

We hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! It is so much fun to think how different our lives will be one year from now. Right now, as I look at our fireplace mantle with two stockings hanging from it, I can just imagine FIVE matching ones next year! Oh, how our lives are about to change...:) :) :)

Week 16 - 12/18/09

I've got three avocados in my belly this week! The babies are about 4.5 inches long (head to rump) and 3.5 ounces. I'm reading a really great book called "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy" by Dr. Barbara Luke and Tamara Eberlein. It really stresses the importance of early weight gain (especially in the first 24 weeks) in multiple pregnancy. I have gained about 16 pounds so far and am trying very hard to increase my weight gain. The goal is 50-60 pounds...eek! I thought trying to gain weight would be more fun, but I get full faster and many things just don't sound that appetizing! I do have an appointment with a nutritionist in January, but I will be 20 weeks by then. The book did say that at 24 weeks, I will look like a women that is 36 weeks pregnant with one baby!!! I can't imagine the growth I am going to have over these next several weeks. I am definitely starting to feel ligament stretching in my abdomen, especially when I am walking and standing a lot at work.

Kellan and I have been counting down the days until Monday, when we find out the sexes of the babies! We cannot wait! Hope they are not shy!

Week 16 Belly Pic

Week 15 - 12/11/09

Not much new to report this week! The babies are now about the size of navel oranges. We are really looking forward to having another peek at them on the 21st! We have had lots of guesses on the babies' sexes. So far, the leader seems to be 2 boys and 1 girl. I had a dream a few nights ago that we were having 2 girls and 1 boy. We shall see! I cannot wait to find out what these babies are!!!

As for Mom and Dad, we are doing well. I had my final on Tuesday and have been pretty lazy since then. Let me tell you, it has been great! I still feel good but do not have much energy. Kellan is wrapping up his last few weeks of work before he is off for January and February. We have a TON of things to do these two months...cleaning, throwing out, moving furniture, painting, etc. I know he is very excited about my honey-do list! I must say, Kellan has been absolutely wonderful during all of this. He took excellent care of me in the beginning when I was so sick with OHSS. And now, he is constantly ensuring that I am comfortable and have everything I need. He probably feels like a short-order cook, making sure that I am okay with every dinner he cooks. For a while, my appetite varied from day to day, and he was never sure what I did or did not want. There is no way I could get through all of this without him! We are having a lot of fun together on this crazy ride!

Week 15 Belly Pic


Bria thinking "This can't be good for me!"

Week 14 - 12/4/09

Friday marked the beginning of the 2nd trimester already! I feel like the weeks are going by very quickly. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I really have not done anything baby-wise, as I have been focusing on finishing up this quarter. Also, with a triplet pregnancy, there is definitely a worry of the unknown...how many weeks I have left before I have to be on some form of bed-rest or decreased activity, how long these babies will want to stay in me, etc. Alas, I still feel great, all is going well, the quarter is almost over, and I am really ready to prepare myself, Kellan, and the house for our babies!

This past Tuesday was my last class for a while (except for my final on Tuesday). My wonderful classmates and professors surprised me with a baby shower! They gave me a gorgeous Vera Bradley diaper bag (which I never would have spent the money on for myself!) and tons of baby supplies (binkies, bottles, blankets, etc.). It was so much fun to open all the gifts and then to go through it all again with Kellan. Baby stuff is so fun and so stinking cute! The shower was so very appreciated and unexpected. I will truly miss seeing these people every week.

As far as baby news goes, I am pretty sure the babies had growth spurts this week -- at least I did anyways! The babes are now about the length of lemons or about 3 1/2 inches. I cannot believe the growth of my belly in one week! I have officially retired all of my jeans, including my pair of "fat jeans" that I was still able to button pretty comfortably until Tuesday. Hello, stretchy waistbands!!!

Thanks for all your positive comments and feedback on the blog! And, thanks also for the continued support and prayers for us and the little lemons! We appreciate it :):):)

Week 13 - 11/27/09

So far, so good! We had a big appointment on 11/23. This appointment involved a very thorough US, called a nuchal translucency (NT) scan. The NT scan measures a very small pocket of fluid behind the babies' necks and uses this measurement plus multiple other factors to test the babies for any trisomy syndromes (such as Down's). We found out the final results a few days after, but everything was within the normal range! Baby B was well-behaved, but A and C were bouncing all over the place, so the scan took a while. I didn't mind this at all except for the full bladder required for the scan! We got tons of pictures on this US, too. The babies actually look like babies now and are about the length of peaches! They have legs, arms, and fingers, which were all very clear on the US. I was 12 weeks and 3 days, and the babies were all measuring 12 wks and 4-6 days, which is wonderful! We also got to hear each individual heartbeat -- amazing! As far as my health, my labs, blood pressure, etc. all look great. I have also gained about 10 pounds (which I have been working very hard at!), so Dr. M was very happy. Since all is well, we do not go back until December 21st (16 weeks). As long as the babies aren't shy, we should be able to find out the sexes!!! If there was only one baby, Kellan and I didn't want to find out the sex. However, with three, we need to be as prepared as possible. Plus, can you imagine picking out 6 possible first names??!! At 16 weeks, I will also have a cervical length measurement done by US (and every appointment thereafter). This measurement really dictates how much activity and work I can do, so I am praying for a long, firm cervix!

Kellan and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Beverly, as well! There is just something about being home that is so nice and relaxing. It was wonderful to get to see so many family members. I broke out the maternity pants for this day and thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I was actually trying to gain weight this year! If my belly looks any bigger this week, it may actually be from all the yummy noodles I ate ;)
Baby A and B looking at each other

Baby A's cute little profile

Baby B just relaxing

Baby C waving hello!

Week 13 Belly Pic

Week 12 - 11/20/09

Nothing much new this week! I am still feeling great, just very sleepy, nauseous most of the time, and frequent migraines. However, zofran and tylenol help me get by! My belly is just a tad bit bigger this week, and people are starting to comment on it at work -- I love it! Next week we head back to the Dr. for a big appointment!
Week 12 Belly Pic