Mimi & the Triplets

Tahquamenon Falls

2009-07-23T01:38:00.004-04:00

As part of our camping adventure, we drove to the Upper Peninsula to Tahquamenon Falls on July 1st. Beautiful scenery, but gigantic mosquitoes!!!

Grace

Wyatt

Chloe
At the Upper Falls we celebrated the Trio's 10 month Birthday in the Microbrewery. This was the first time we had them out to eat with their booster seats. They played with and snacked on Cheerios, then ate their cereal and vegetables while there. Bill and I were able to eat and sample the hand crafted beers. We left quite a mess of Cheerios on the floor, but we also were quite the attraction while we were there!

Camping!!!

2009-07-23T01:06:00.003-04:00

The week before the Fouth of July we packed up and headed north to Aloha State Park in Cheboygan. Borrowed the trailer from my in-laws (Thanks Mom & Dad!!!). Unfortunately, we only had two nice weather days. The rest of the week was cold and rainy, but we still had fun! Great to see lots of family friends!

Our Campsite
The Pool Playpen

Babies 1st Swim

Going for a ride!

Baby Meeting in the Pool

Chloe Grace Wyatt

Family Picture! :-)

June 2009 - 9 Months Old

2009-07-23T00:10:00.006-04:00

Sean & Mitchell (my brother's sons) came to visit before they went to Louisiana.

Teeth!!!

Chloe had two bottom teeth come in.
Grace had one bottom tooth come in.
Our dear friend, Terri from Colorado, came to visit!

(Along with another dear friend, Kristin!)

Wyatt with Kristin and her son, Mason.
9 month check-up

Wyatt - 19 lbs and 27 inches

Grace - 18 lbs and 26 inches

Chloe - 15 lbs 14.5 oz and 25 inches

May 2009 - 8 months old

2009-07-22T22:56:00.008-04:00

May 1st - 8 month pics

Grace, Wyatt, & Chloe

Chloe, Wyatt, & Grace

May 8th - Trip to Binder Park Zoo

We pushed the stroller all the way to and from Africa,

instead of disassembling the stroller and getting on the tram.

Triplet shirts from one of Bill's co-workers.

Cousins!

Bill's sister's son, Michael, with Wyatt, Grace, & Chloe

He was born 12 days after the triplets and weighed more than all three combined! We are catching up, though!!!

"Don't Mess with Texas" outfits from Sandy
May 26th check-up at Neonatal Progress Clinic at Bronson Hospital

Wyatt - 17lbs 13.6 oz and 26.4 inches

Grace - 16lbs 4.6 oz and 26 inches

Chloe - 14lbs 14oz and 25 inches

One BIG accomplishment for May was getting them to hold their own bottles!

April 2009 - 7 months old

2009-07-22T13:17:00.009-04:00

We had our first professional family pictures taken on April 1st by Nicole Christian Photography. In March we won this photography package at the Oaklawn Hospital Benefit Auction. Here are a few of the shots and the rest can be seen on the website.

http://www.nicolechristian.com/

go to portrait, then proofing

enter "triplets" as password

Started the babes on solid food this month.

This is a picture of them after their first try with rice cereal.

The kids didn't like the cereal much at first, but Mimi sure did. She was tasting while my back was turned and then tried to pretend like she wasn't doing anything!!! Guess she didn't realize she had cereal on her chin!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Thanks for the Easter Basket Aunt Sue & Uncle Gary!!!

On April 21st (5 month adjusted Birthday)
Wyatt - 15 lbs 15 oz & 25 1/2 inches
Grace - 15 lbs 2 oz & 24 3/4 inches
Chloe - 12 lbs 15 oz & 23 3/4 inches

Happy Babies!!!

March 2009 - 6 months old

2009-05-30T00:58:00.006-04:00

Grace, Wyatt, & Chloe

pictures taken by Christy Buggia http://www.lucybluephotography.com/

and Dawn Buggia http://www.dbphotographyonline.com/

Weights from their 6 month well baby visit at the doctor on 3/13.

Wyatt 13 lbs 8 oz
Grace 13 lbs 2 oz
Chloe 10 lbs 14 oz

Everyone is really smiling a lot now and giggling, too. Pictures from 3/21.

Chloe

Grace

Wyatt

Our living room is getting crowded. In addition to the 3 swings, 3 playmats, 3 Boppys, 3 Bumbos, changing station/pack n play; we have also added an excersaucer. Soon there will not be room for the couch!

February 2009 - 5 months old

2009-05-30T00:31:00.007-04:00

Chloe, Wyatt, & Grace still fitting into one crib, but not for long (2/7)

Playing on mats. They are starting to play with the toys that hang down. (2/9)

Grace discovers her tongue (2/13)

Still sleeping alot, wherever they fall. (2/14)

Chloe holding her own bottle. (2/18)

Every month from November to April the babies are getting RSV shots. To get the right dosage, we have them weighed every month.

February 20th weights

Wyatt 12 lbs 5 oz
Grace 11 lbs 12.5 oz
Chloe 9 lbs 14.5 oz

January 2009 - 4 months old

2009-05-29T22:49:00.005-04:00

Weights from their 4 month well baby visit to the doctor on 1/7/2009

Wyatt 10 lbs 4 oz
Grace 9 lbs 13.5 oz
Chloe 8 lbs 6.5 oz

Kristin and Mason came to visit (1/14) with Wyatt & Chloe

Three Sleepers with Dad (1/16)

Around Christmas Grace started to smile and soon Wyatt was, too. Chloe waited until the end of January to start smiling. We tried most of January to get a good pictures of their grins, but didn't have much success. They also started grasping things and sitting in their Bumbo seats this month.

Wyatt (Guy Smiley)

Grace

Chloe discovered her tongue

Chloe, Wyatt, Grace, & Mimi (1/24)

Wow, time flies!

2009-05-29T22:08:00.002-04:00

I knew it had been awhile since I posted, but I guess I didn't realize it had been since Christmas. I kept meaning to post, then I went back to work in late January. Not even two months later on March 9th I got laid off. (Again!?!?!?) I have been home with the babes since then, and don't have a good excuse for not posting. So much has been happening! I will try to break down the next few posts to let you catch up. Bill is still working at the hospital here in Marshall. I am looking for a job, but I am enjoying being home with the babies. I will need to go back to work, but don't know if we will stay here in MI or possibly move. We wish we were just independently wealthy, so we could both stay home with the kids! ;-)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T20:21:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!

As of last Thursday (officially from the doctor's office)...

Wyatt 9lbs 4oz
Grace 8lbs 6oz
Chloe 7lbs 3oz

So, how much do they weigh?

2008-12-05T11:21:00.002-05:00

This is a question we get alot and I usually give approximate numbers.

From their two month checkup on November 14th.

Wyatt - 7 lbs 3.5 ounces
Grace - 6 lbs 9.5 ounces
Chloe - 5 lbs 13.5 ounces

Unofficially, today on the bathroom scale. (I weighed myself and then myself with the baby, then figured the difference.)

Wyatt - 9 lbs 6 ounces
Grace - 8 lbs 3 ounces
Chloe - 7 lbs 6 ounces

OMG! They are getting so big! They did have their clothes on, so take a few ounces off for that. But still! They are like real size babies now.

More pictures!

2008-12-04T13:23:00.001-05:00

There are more pictures from our photo session on November 21st from Dawn's sister-in-law, Christy!

Check out www.lucybluephotography.com and go to recent shoots.

;-)

Pictures!

2008-12-03T00:39:00.002-05:00

On November 21st (the babies due date), we had pictures taken. The photographer is a friend and neighbor from Freeland that I grew up with. You can look at the pics on her website.

dbphotographyonline.com

Go to recent shoots.

Here is a preview.

Chloe, Grace, & Wyatt

Settling in at Home

2008-11-09T22:14:00.012-05:00

It has been awhile again since I posted, but this time I have a really good excuse! All of a sudden the babies were coming home.

The last thing they all needed to master at the hospital was eating and I should have guessed that they would pick up on that pretty quick. (Bill and I claim to be pretty good eaters.) I still thought it would take longer and that they wouldn't be home until the end of October, but I was wrong.

On October 14th the nurse called and asked, "Are you ready to bring these babies home?" We answered that we pretty much were ready. She said, "No really, are you ready for these babies to come home this weekend?" Ughhhh?!?! And so the scramble started. For the next couple of days we kicked into high gear and got as much as done as possible. We tried to do everything we could to try to be prepared at home, but we really were not sure exactly what we needed.

On Friday, October 17th we brought Wyatt and Chloe home. Sadly, we had to leave Grace by herself at the hospital for a couple of days. It was a crazy weekend! Luckily, Stan and Glo came down for the weekend to help. Then on Tuesday, the 21st, Grace came home. It is so wonderful to have them all home and to not have to drive 35 miles to the hospital. Chloe and Grace came home on apnea monitors that monitor their heartrates and breathing, but we have not been getting any alarms that we think are real. Chloe has had a few low heartrates, but we think they are false. They all happen when she is in her carseat, so we think maybe the lead is not picking up right due to her position. For the past week we have only put them on the monitors at night. We will have the monitors downloaded this week and hopefully can get rid of them.

We took a tour through the hospital with our triple decker stroller to say good bye to everyone. As happy as we were to be going home, it also was kind of sad because the hospital had become our second home for the past 90+ days.

The back of the Saturn Vue is a tight squeeze, but they all fit for now. I am looking forward to getting a mini van!?!

The past 2 1/2 weeks have flown by, but I think we are finally getting used to the schedule. For now, Bill and I are both not working. It takes both of us to feed and change diapers every 3 -4 hours, plus I am still pumping. We are short on sleep and sometimes forget to eat, but we are hanging in there!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T13:16:00.005-04:00

from

Chloe the Ghost

Wyatt the Pumpkin

Grace the Cat

AND Mimi the Chicken!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to us!

2008-10-08T11:44:00.002-04:00

Just thought I would mention it is our 3rd Anniversary today and I am 33 years old and we have triplets AND the babies would be in their 33rd week of gestation! That is a lot of 3's!

One Month Birthday!

2008-10-08T11:34:00.003-04:00

Wyatt, Grace, and Chloe were One Month Old on October 1st! We attempted to take their pictures, but they were not as into it as we were. :-)

Grace, Wyatt, & Chloe

Wyatt kept sticking his hands up in front of the girls!

Forgot one thing yesterday...

2008-10-08T11:21:00.003-04:00

Last week on the day that the babies moved down to the Stepdown Nursery Grace received a blood transfusion. Her hematocrit levels (has to do with the packed red blood cell volume) had been low for a couple of days and Monday night see wasn't taking her feedings very well (spitting up a lot of it) and she looked pale. So, with all of these things happening the Dr. decided to give her a transfusion to help her along until she started making enough of her own red blood cells. To do this she needed an IV put in again and we got to be with her when they did it. Poor girl, she got poked four times before it was in. Once in each foot and hand. I think I cringed more than she did. Grace didn't even make a peep, which is funny because if you take her temperature under her arm she screams! She then received the transfusion after we moved downstairs. It was only 25cc, which is just a big syringe full and it only took about two hours. The next day you could see a difference in her. She had better coloring and was more active.

Chloe also had slightly low hematocrit levels, but since she was not having any other problems the Dr. just put her on iron.

The Big Moves!

2008-10-07T12:06:00.005-04:00

The babies are all doing wonderfully! I have lots to update, but this post will just be about last week. I have a hundred plus pictures to sort through from the last couple of weeks, and will post more later today or tomorrow.

By Monday, September 29th all three babies were moved from their isolets into what the hospital calls cribs. (Basically, they are wooden carts with a plastic bin on top.) They are also off their nasal canulas by this time, too. So, this means they are all breathing well on their own with little to no apnea spells and they are able to regulate their own temperatures. This is amazing for being 32 weeks!

Then on Tuesday, the 30th, all the babies moved downstairs to the Stepdown Nursery! This nursery is for babies who basically need to feed and grow. They are still on monitors for their heartrates and respirations, just different ones. These are called memory monitors and they store information so that the doctors can look at longer periods of time. They are getting closer to coming home. All they need to do now is learn how to eat! This freaks us out a bit because we still need to get the nursery at home settled in!

Chloe, Grace, & Wyatt in their new cribs

They are all starting to be more awake now. At least for a little while before and during their feedings. We were able to get a few pictures with their eyes open.

Chloe Abigail

Wyatt Alexander

Grace Elizabeth

Three weeks old already!

2008-09-24T15:46:00.008-04:00

Wow time flies! The babies are three weeks old this week and still doing very well. They all are off IVs. Wyatt has been off his nasal canula since mid last week. The girls have been on and off their canulas for the past week. They still need a little help so they are not working so hard to breath. All are on breastmilk feedings every three hours through the OG tube in their mouths. Wyatt's feedings are up to 30 mL for each feeding (which is equivalent to 1 ounce), Grace is at 29 mL, and Chloe is at 25 mL. Over the weekend they started adding HMF (human milk fortifier) to the breastmilk to help them gain weight. Also, during the feedings all three babies are doing well with their pacifiers. This helps train them to associate sucking with a full belly.

As of Monday their weights and lengths are...

Wyatt 3 lbs 6 oz - 16.93 inches
Grace 3 lbs 2 oz - 16.34 inches
Chloe 2 lbs 11.7 oz - 15.5 inches

It is so wonderful to report that all three babies are doing so well! Please, keep praying for our babies continued success!

On Monday, since all babies were off their nasal canulas that day, we held them all together for the first time. OMG! What a great feeling! The babies seemed quite bored with the process, but Bill and I were so excited. Wyatt is in the middle with the blue hat, Grace has the pink hat, and Chloe has the green flowered hat.

So small, only the doll clothes fit!

2008-09-24T15:14:00.005-04:00

For our shower in August, we received handmade doll clothes from the talented Mary B. We never thought the babies would actually fit into them, but right now these clothes fit the best! All the babies have their IVs out, so it is easier to dress them in their own clothes. We brought in the doll clothes and preemie clothes for them to wear. They looked so cute in their outfits!

Wyatt with his typical concerned look. He wrinkles up his forehead a lot.

Grace wondering, what is going on?

Mom & Dad with Grace

Chloe goes with the flow.

Chloe in a preemie onsie. This size is for up to 5 lbs.
After the photo shoot, we dressed them in preemie outfits and wrapped them back up in their blankets.

Babies Haircolor

2008-09-24T14:53:00.003-04:00

After the babies were over one week old the nurses started positioning them on their stomachs for a few hours a day. The nurses all made sure we knew not to do this at home! "Only because they are on the monitors here." One day, while they were positioned like this, I thought it was a good chance to get pictures of their hair.

Wyatt

Usually looks blond to light brown. (Bill was blond as a kid)

Grace

Possibly reddish, or strawberry blond?

Chloe

Dark brown with the most hair of the three.

(Instead of turning her head to the side while on her stomach, she moved hers to be face down into the blankets. The nurse turned her a couple of times, but Chloe kept moving back to this position. Silly Girl!)

Grandma Gloria and Wyatt

2008-09-23T20:28:00.003-04:00

These pictures are from September 10th. Grandma got to hold and feed Wyatt.

Pictures from Thursday, September 11, 2008

2008-09-14T12:55:00.004-04:00

There has been questions about their hair color and if any of them are red/orange. It is hard to see in the pictures, but Chloe has the darkest hair (dark brown). Then Wyatt looks like a light brown and Grace has the lightest, which might turn out reddish. It is hard to tell.

Wyatt

Grace

Chloe

Glad to be home.....sort of!?!?

2008-09-13T18:28:00.007-04:00

I know everyone has been patiently awaiting an update for the past week. Sorry for the delay. I have been trying to adjust to being home again, healing from my surgery, and trying to spend time at the hospital with the babies.

After 45 days in the hospital, I was discharged on Friday, September 5th. It was the weirdest feeling, like it all was a dream. Bill was driving me home, I wasn't pregnant anymore, and I wasn't taking any babies home. I wasn't sure how to feel. As excited as I was to go home, I was also sad to leave our babies in the NICU even though I knew that was the best place for them. I miss being able to go right downstairs to see them and I miss being able to order room service whenever I was hungry!

Bill and I go to Bronson everyday for a least a few hours, even after he has worked a 12 hour shift. The babies amaze us everyday and seem to be constantly changing. The doctors and nurses all comment on how well all the babies are doing for being 28 weekers, and that they all are progressing the same. They say this is unusual. Thank you to everyone who is keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

After a couple of days without any breathing assistance, all three babies were given a nasal canula on Sunday the 7th. This is just a small tube that forces room air into their noses to help their respirations. All seem to be doing well with the canulas for the past week.

The biliblankets were on and off early in the week, but all babies were off them by Wednesday the 10th.

The babies have been fed increased amounts of breastmilk through the week. This is done through an OG tube that goes in their mouth and down to their stomachs. They are still too young to coordinate bottle feeding. As of Saturday, the 13th, all are taking 16mL every 3 hours. I find it hard to believe this amount fits into their little tummies! The feeding amount will increase for the next couple of days and if all babies do well with that, then they could get their IV's out early next week. I have been providing all this breastmilk via lots of pumping day and night. It seems that every time I turn around it is time to pump again. I try to pump every three hours during the day and every four hours at night. I have been very lucky that I have been able to produce so much for my babies. Our freezer at home is quickly filling, and we figure we need to buy a separate freezer just for milk. Otherwise there will be no room for food for us!

We have been able to take the babies out of their isolets and hold them one at a time this week. They sleep most of the day and can't handle too much stimulation. They still have to be hooked to the monitors, so we have to stay close to the isolet and why only one at a time. We like to do kangaroo care, where we hold them skin to skin on our chests. All the babies seem to love this, you can see that in their vitals.

Kangaroo Care with Wyatt

Kangaroo Care with Chloe

Kangaroo Care with Grace

09-04-08, Pics of the babies

2008-09-05T09:40:00.007-04:00

Chloe Abigail

Grace Elizabeth Wyatt Alexander

Mary and Chloe

Good news!. All 3 babies are off their cpap's and breathing on their own! They are doing very well right now. We truly are blessed.

9/2/2008 - Babies on photo therapy

2008-09-02T23:02:00.005-04:00

All babies on CPAP (hoses to noses) now instead of ventilators, which is excellent! (Means they are breathing room air with a little bit of pressure.) This happened all within 12 hours after birth. Tonight they are on photo therapy blankets for elevated bilirubin levels. We think they are glowing like aliens! They are all doing very well so far. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support! Dad and Mom doing well, also. Mom is a little slow and sore, but starting to walk around.

Wyatt

Grace

Chloe

Chloe's foot

Birthday Pictures!

2008-09-02T22:56:00.005-04:00

Pictures from the NICU soon after birth. All babies on ventilators.

Chole Abigail

Grace Elizabeth

Wyatt Alexander

Day 41-Monday, Sept.1st. The babies have arrived!

2008-09-01T17:37:00.005-04:00

This is Bill posting for Mary on our site. Happy Birthday to Wyatt Alexander, Grace Elizabeth, and Chloe Abagail. They came into the world at 12:52, 12:53 and12:53 pm. Wyatt weighs 2 pounds,15.1 oz's. Grace weighs, 2 pounds, 13.6 oz's and Chloe weighs 2 pounds, 8.2 oz's. Mary is trying to wake up from the anesthesia as she had to have a general instead of a spinal because everything happened so fast!
This morning she started having some cramping and heavy pressure in her pelvis. The rounding doctor did an examination and found nothing abnormal. But as the day went on the pressure intensified and she was having contractions. 4 shots of terbutaline did nothing to stop the contractions. Mary was transfered down to labor and delivery, where the rounding doctor from labor and delivery came in for an exam. Magnesium sulfate was started to help stop the contractions. Upon examination, I knew we were headed for a wild ride. Her eyes widened and she said take her to the operating room for a STAT c-section. This was going way to fast.... The Doctor could feel a membrane and part of the umbilical cord were starting to make their journey down. The operating room was a whirlwind of doctor's and nurses (15 in all) preparing for the delivery. The C-section went off with no complications. Mary did lose approximately 2 liters of blood, as one of the placentas had started to detach, which in turn was bleeding, causing her pressure and cramping. Her body was trying to tell us " hey, let's get these out of here." Everything went extremely well. All 3 babies had apgar scores of 8-9. The Doctors and Nurses up here have been absolutely WONDERFUL throughout our whole ordeal. Bronson Hospital is the palce to be for couple's with our situations. Well, I am going to check on my little ones. We will keep everyone updated as we can. Thank you to everyone who has thought of us and prayed for Mary and the babies. It is appreciated.

Day 38 - Friday, August 29,2008

2008-08-31T20:11:00.007-04:00

We made it to 28 weeks! Yeah! This is a big milestone for the development of the babies. The survival rate greatly increases at this gestational age.

I did have a quick ultrasound this morning. My cervix is unchanged and the babies look good.

28 week photo

Day 37 - Thursday, August 28, 2008

2008-08-31T19:48:00.004-04:00

Bill is off for the next couple of days so he is hanging out with me here at the hospital. Not a lot going on. My friend, Kristin, stopped by for a while and the pet therapy dog came through.

I am discovering something new that makes my life miserable once in a while. Heartburn! OMG! I have never had it before. Finally after talking to the nurse, I figured out it was somewhat treatable. But Still! Now I am paying closer attention to what I eat and if it might cause heartburn. I looked up on the internet what foods typically cause it. I know I can't eat pizza, and now I am avoiding all other foods on the potential cause list. The only one I wasn't sure about was chocolate. I couldn't believe that chocolate could make me feel like that. So, today I tried it out. After lunch I had some chocolate, and later on I felt so bad I couldn't even eat dinner. So now, I will only try to eat bland and non-chocolate foods to avoid that horrible feeling. No wonder there are so many ads for heartburn medication on TV! I hope this is just a pregnancy thing.

Day 36 - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

2008-08-30T14:24:00.005-04:00

They woke me up for my ultrasound this morning at 7:30am. I love it when they do that! The tech just did a quick check of the babies (which all still look good) and a cervical length. My cervix looks about the same according to the Dr. It is hanging in around 1 cm, and is staying closed. Wyatt's butt is right at the opening, so it is like he is keeping everyone else in.

I received my second shot of the Betamethasome today. They will continue to monitor my blood sugar through Thursday. So far, I have only needed the one shot of insulin, and I think that is just because of what I ate.

After work today, Bill stopped for take-out from our favorite Marshall place - The Dark Horse. Mmmmmm!

Day 35 - Tuesday, August 26, 2008

2008-08-29T10:21:00.005-04:00

I have been checking for the last two days, and there really is nothing on TV now that the Olympics are over.

Started my 2nd round of Betamethasome shots this morning. They are a steroid shot that helps the babies lungs develop. The shots increase your blood sugar, so I also get to have my blood sugar checked for the next several days. (Lots of finger pokes!) At lunch today I ate way too many carbs, and ended up needing six units of insulin. My blood sugar was 212! I didn't feel any different, but they tell me that is pretty high. The nurse said they normally don't do anything until it is over 200. I am feeling better today than yesterday, so I am sure we can make it through the week. The doctor still ordered ultrasounds for Wednesday and Friday.

Bill is working today, so I had a quiet day. Later in the evening I got a surprise visit from my neighbors, Lori and Kelly.

This is a picture that Lori's daughter, Greer, made for me. Super cute!

Day 34 - Monday, August 25, 2008

2008-08-26T11:54:00.005-04:00

It's Monday, and that only means one thing.....ultrasound!

All the babies still look great. They are moving all over the place still. We don't always see breathing movements from all of them, but that is normal. They are only practicing and don't do it consistently. Today Chloe scored 8 out of 8 points and Wyatt and Grace scored 6 points each on their BPP.

We thought my cervix looked a little shorter, but Dr. Hendricks thought it looked about the same. I am feeling more pressure today when I move around and get up. It could be from my cervix, babies in odd positions, or the unhealthy food I have been eating the past couple of days. She recommended giving me a second round of steroid shots to help the babies lungs. I will be given those on Tuesday and Wednesday. The doctor also changed my next ultrasound to Wednesday, just to be sure. Raises some concern, but I don't believe these babies are ready to come out yet. We've only got four more days to 28 weeks!

Here are some pictures of the pictures we got at the ultrasound today. The first one is Wyatt. You can see his head is to the left and it shows his profile with his mouth open a little. Also, I think that is his left arm sticking up (or it could be someone else's limb).

This one is Grace. Her head is to the right and her arm is stretched out around her head.

Day 33 - Sunday, August 24, 2008

2008-08-26T11:20:00.006-04:00

Sadly, today is the last day of the Olympics. My bed ridden life has basically been consumed in following these games. Now I will have to find another way to pass the time. I should probably stop watching so much TV, anyway. Maybe I will read more? We'll see. I just can't bring myself to watch the political conventions, which sometimes just seem like an ugly hat contest!?!

Bill is here today and we are just watching the final events and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. We also went for a wheelchair ride outside. What a beautiful day! He made me go to get some fresh air. Ever since the ultrasound when my cervix shortened again, I have tried not to be up more than I have to. I also use the excuse that it is ragweed season, but I must admit it was really nice to go outside and I know my doctor is ok with short rides. Bill will stay for the ultrasound tomorrow.

Here is a picture of me and one of our favorite night shift nurses, Joy.

Day 32 - Saturday, August 23, 2008

2008-08-23T20:46:00.009-04:00

Bill is working today. Glo and Mimi came down for the afternoon. They brought roses from my Dad's garden.

My mom left the room to get lunch downstairs and Mimi just stared at the door. How her loyalties change depending on who is feeding her. I had to get a picture of her profile because she is so stupid looking! Mimi did snuggle with me, so I don't think she has forgotten me yet.

Day 31 - Friday, August 22, 2008

2008-08-23T20:28:00.003-04:00

OMG! I can't believe I have been here for a month?!? Oh well, it is best for the babies and the hot and steamy weather we are having would probably make me swell up like a balloon. :-)

Yeah, made it to 27 weeks! Seven more days to our 28 week goal. Then, hopefully, we can set a new goal.

Here is my 27 week picture. It is getting harder and harder to move around. Sometimes I feel like a turtle when it gets flipped on it's back and can't get up, only moving it's arms and legs. Rolling over has become quite a process! Often I think it would be easier to pee the bed, than try to waddle to the bathroom 20 times a day. Just kidding! I hope I can stay somewhat mobile for a while longer.

Day 30 - Thursday, August 21, 2008

2008-08-23T19:31:00.005-04:00

Ultrasound Day! Today we had an extra long ultrasound because they measured all the babies and estimated their weights. Measurements are taken of their heads, bellies, arms, and legs. Then they calculate what the weight should be give or take about 5 ounces.

Wyatt 2 lbs 8 oz
Grace 2 lbs 9 oz
Chloe 2 lbs 4 oz

All are measuring at or above their gestational age! I credit that to their mom being a good eater, even though it is getting harder and harder. All my internal organs are getting compressed by babies, so I can only eat a little at a time or I feel sick.

My cervical length looked about the same. So that is good, too!

Some of the nurses still try to monitor all three baby's heart tones at the same time. It is hard enough to do two at a time, but sometimes the nurse feels lucky and gives it a try. This is what I have to endure for at least 30-45 minutes. It is not too bad as long as they don't tie me up like a sausage, and the babies somewhat cooperate. In the picture you can see four monitors, three are for heart tones and one is for contractions. All four are done once a day, and contractions are monitored for an additional two times per day for 40 minutes. So far, still no signs of contractions!

A "real" pet therapy dog and his owners came through this afternoon. It was their first day on the job. Evidently, there is quite a process to go through to be official. The dog even had a picture id! Hope security never asks for Mimi's id!?!

Our friends, Mark and Sara, also stopped in this afternoon. I think they were supposed to be working, but shhhhh don't tell!

Day 28 & 29 - August 19 & 20, 2008

2008-08-21T19:21:00.003-04:00

Bill is working for two days, but still comes to the hospital and stays with me after his shift. By the time he gets here we eat dinner, watch a little TV, and then go to sleep. I know he doesn't sleep well, but he insists on staying. I am really lucky that he is able (and wants) to spend so much time here.

I have been so tired that all I have wanted to do is sleep the past couple of days. These babies take a lot out of me, even though I am not doing anything! It probably doesn't help that the nurse has to give me medication every four hours, including during the night. So, I can only get four hours of sleep at a time. I have finally given in to taking Ambien nearly every night to get to sleep at night. If I don't, I have the craziest dreams and toss and turn all night. The drugs at least get me into a deep sleep for a while. I still have a hard time going back to sleep after the nurse comes in at 5am, but at least I get a few hours before that.

So, it has been pretty quiet here that past couple of days. (Which is good!) Sounds like some of the other ladies up here have been having some problems. Sometimes I feel like the nurses forget about me, but I know if I need anything they will be here. I don't want to be the one causing all the excitement. Wednesday the doctors even forgot to see me during their rounds in the morning, then remembered in the afternoon to check in with me. I know that sounds bad, but they didn't have anything new and I didn't have any questions for them. Stable and quiet is great, and hopefully I can stay this way for a while.

On Wednesday, my friend Kristin visited after work and I also received a bouquet of flowers from my Aunt Rosemary and cousins Polly & Rachael.

Day 27 - Monday, August 18, 2008

2008-08-19T17:54:00.006-04:00

Good news from ultrasound today! All three babies scored 8 out of 8 points on there BPP! They all showed signs of breathing today. One of the nurses called them over achievers since they are only 26 weeks along. Also, my cervix lengthened out from what it was last Thursday. So, basically (cervix wise) I am back to where I was. As long as it is maintaining some length and staying closed we are doing good. Still have not had any signs of contractions, which is also really good. I feel more confident now that we can make it to at least 28 weeks (or longer). I just need to accept the fact that there will be ups and downs in this process.

Glo and Mimi came back for lunch today and then headed back to Freeland. The housekeepers here at the hospital love Mimi and always want to know when she is here, so they can come and see her.

Had a surprise visit from my friend, Melanie.

Also had a visit from Bill's parents, who brought Kevin (Bill's step-brother) and his wife, Lily. Kevin and Lily are in town from Las Vegas.

Day 26 - Sunday, August 17, 2008

2008-08-19T17:27:00.002-04:00

Since Bill has been so busy the past few days, we thought we would sleep in today. Unfortunately, Dr. Austin woke us up early because he had a lot of new admissions and wanted to get his rounds done. Even though this is called bed rest, really you only get to take naps in between the times they check on you and give you medications. So, I don't know what we were thinking. This is not like Sunday mornings at home.

We received some gift cards for our shower and had some coupons that were expiring soon, so Bill picked a few things up at Babies R Us before he went home to take care of some things (including one of his fantasy football drafts that he couldn't do on the hospital computer). While he was gone, my Mom and Mimi came to visit and brought some gifts from people who could not make it to the shower. They will stay at our house tonight and come back to the hospital tomorrow after the ultrasound. Bill came back to the hospital to stay the night so he would be here for the ultrasound. To celebrate the Olympics (that I can not seem to get enough of) he brought take-out Chinese for dinner. :-)

Day 25 - Saturday, August 16, 2008

2008-08-19T16:10:00.013-04:00

Today I spent the day learning about obscure Olympic sports; like trampoline, water polo, and skulls/rowing. However, I still have a few questions. Why is trampoline an Olympic sport? Why do water polo athletes wear those funny looking bonnets? And, why is rowing called skulls? I guess I have some research to do.

Anyways, the babies sound good today and I am feeling pretty good. I am still nervous about my shortening cervix, so I am trying not to get up too much this weekend.

After working all day Friday and spending the night here at the hospital, Bill drove up to Freeland for my baby shower. He was taking my place, since I can't even barely leave this room. It was given by my friend, Amy, and my Mom at Apple Mountain. Luckily, there were a few other men there. So, he wasn't alone with a bunch of women. Amy made sure Bill understood how the event was going to run and kept him on track, since he had not been to a baby shower before. Bill called me toward the end of the shower and passed the phone around to several people. Sounded like everyone had fun. We are so thankful for all the support we get from friends and family. Here are a couple of pictures of the group at the shower.

From what I hear, Bill was quite the entertainment. My Mom's friends think I should rent him out for showers. Maybe we could make some extra money for diapers that way?!?

Chris, Amy's husband, was the photographer and videographer for the event. Thanks Chris! Bill brought back the footage for me to see tonight.

Bill also brought back leftovers from the lunch for me to have for dinner. Somehow he forgot to include this delicious looking chocolate cake, but he did remember to take a picture of it?!?

All our wonderful gifts in our living room! If you look closely, Benjamin the cat is checking everything out. Also, right in front of the fireplace is our triple decker stroller that we bought right before I was admitted to the hospital (with the car seats on it).

Thank you to my Mom and Amy for throwing this beautiful shower! Also, thank you to my Aunt Sue for helping Bill with the gift opening!

Day 24 - Friday, August 15, 2008

2008-08-17T00:31:00.005-04:00

WooHoo! Made it to 26 weeks! Only 14 more days to our next goal of 28 weeks!

Dr. Austin and Dr. Hendricks did decide to put me on another round of indomethacin for a few days. This is the medicine I was on when I first came into the hospital. It is supposed to reduced some of the pressure off the cervix by reducing some of the amniotic fluid. I will take it through the weekend and we will see what happens in the ultrasound on Monday. Trying not to worry too much and just think positive.

This is what I look like at 26 weeks. The picture doesn't take into consideration that my belly has also started expanding sideways.

Bill said he didn't have enough pictures on my blog, so we took a self portrait.

Day 23 - Thursday, August 14, 2008

2008-08-16T19:24:00.003-04:00

Good news and bad news today. Second ultrasound of the week today. The good news is Wyatt scored 8 of 8 points on his BPP! He showed signs of breathing to get the last two points. Grace and Chloe both scored 6 of 8 points and Grace had the hiccups. Wyatt has always been slightly ahead of the two girls, so hopefully next week we will see breathing on them, too. The bad news is my cervix has shortened again, it measured 0.8 to 1.2 cm. Down almost half a centimeter. This really freaked me out, and it figured Bill had to work today. The doctors say there is not much else we can do besides what we are already doing. I am still not having contractions or any other problems. We just have to keep monitoring, which we will continue with ultrasounds twice a week. Dr. Austin felt fairly confident that I could get at least to 28 weeks, which is our next goal. Bill ended up leaving work early, with the insistence of his co-workers. I am thankful that Bill works with a bunch of women who are somewhat familiar with what we are going through. After we talked things through with some of the nurses, I felt a little better. No one knows for sure what will happen, but they told us they have had women up here for weeks with dilated cervix. Hopefully, I won't be to that point in a while. Right now it's just short!

On a slightly different note, I asked the doctor about the monitoring that he ordered the last couple of days. It seemed odd to me that I am supposed to be taking pressure off my cervix and then he had the nurses do the monitoring of all three heartrates along with the contraction monitor. In order for them to get all the heartrates, they were having to tie me down quite tightly so they could get all the babies at once. Very uncomfortable and nearly impossible with the babies moving around so much! Dr. Austin clarified that the nurses should just be doing two babies at a time for 15 minutes each instead of all three for 30 minutes. Why didn't he say that to begin with?!? That is more tolerable and we started with that protocol today. The nurses don't need to tie me down as much to get two heartrates at once.

Day 22 - Wednesday, August 13, 2008

2008-08-16T18:32:00.010-04:00

Attempts to monitor all three heartrates were even worse today. We couldn't even hardly get two heartbeats at a time. The nurse called Dr. Austin to complain (she also told him the monitoring was very uncomfortable for me). She was able to get the monitoring down to one time per day instead of twice. It is nearly impossible to track all three heartrates at the same time for any amount of time. The babies move around too much and they don't like the straps they have to use around my belly. The babies always kick them.

I had a surprise visit from Jan from Kellogg's this morning. She brought me a plant, card, and gift card from the employees at the plant. It is nice to know they are thinking of me and haven't forgotten me yet! Jan also filled me in on the latest gossip from the plant.

My parents, Aunt Sue, and Mimi came down for lunch today. They helped me decorate my room some more and my Aunt made some delicious brownies! I am glad I passed my glucose test!

Mimi was whooped! She slept the whole time she was here. I think Grandma & Grandpa keep her busy.

Glo took Mimi to the groomer on Tuesday night, so of course she got a new toy. This green kitty is made for strong chewers, so hopefully it will last longer than a day. Mimi has been known to destroy toys within a day. She likes to pull the stuffing out, let it hang out of her mouth, and then look at you like she didn't do anything wrong. Silly puppy!

Day 21 - Tuesday, August 12, 2008

2008-08-14T06:41:00.007-04:00

Dr. Austin decided to have the nurses monitor all the babies heartbeats while they were monitoring for contractions. Up until now the nurses have just been using a handheld doppler and listened to each baby individually for a short time to get the heartrates. The contraction monitor straps around my belly for 30 minutes and charts if I have any contractions. In order to chart the heartrates too, the nurse had to get a portable workstation. The in-room monitor only had two inputs for heartrate and I need three. Then all four monitors are strapped around my belly. The nurse has to move the heartrate monitors around to find three individual heartrates and then hope the babies don't move. The babies don't like the straps, which have to be put on quite snugly. So, they kick and move. The nurse then has to readjust the monitors to get the heartrates again. It is quite an uphill battle. This first attempt went surprisingly well, but laying on my back for 45 minutes with tight straps around my belly is a little painful. Of course, Bill documented the process with pictures. The second attempt this evening did not go as well. Rarely could we get all three babies heartrates at the same time.

Today was Bill's last day of five days off, so he headed back home to take care of things there. I am so fortunate that he is able to spend so much time with me, especially since we don't live very close to the hospital. He has to work the next three days, but will visit after work.

Lately I have not been sleeping very well. Partially because the nurse wakes me up at 1am and at 5 am for medication, but also because it is getting harder and harder to get comfortable. A couple of days ago, after a sleepless night, I said something to the day shift nurse. She said, "Well, did you take a sleeping pill?" What?!?! I didn't know they were available. I have been here for over 20 days and no one had told me this. So, tonight I decided to take one and I was out like a light. I don't even know if the nurse came in at 1am. I will have to try these more often.

Day 20 - Monday, August 11, 2008

2008-08-14T06:09:00.002-04:00

We had our first ultrasound of the week this morning. First they did the BPP (biophysical profile). All babies looked great! They all scored 6 out of 8 again. Still not seeing any signs of breathing, but a couple of the babies had the hiccups. It's a good sign that there is some diaphragm movement. Still not anything to be concerned with. My cervical length looked about the same. Still some funneling that opens and closes a lot, especially when there is pressure on it. My cervix stays at least 1.5 cm closed at all times, and Dr. Hendricks said she is happy with that. No major changes, so that is good.

Bill took me on a wheelchair ride this afternoon. I forget how nice the fresh air is. It was a beautiful day here! We took a quick spin around the building and enjoyed the breeze for a minute, then back to the room. Those are always the fastest twenty minutes of the day.

Today we also were able to meet some of the other women on the antepartum floor. It is really nice to have a private room, but it is difficult to socialize and the nurses can not tell you anything about other patients. While in ultrasound, Dr. Hendricks introduced us to another triplet mom that is a couple of weeks ahead of me. Also, this evening Dr. Hendricks and the nurses set up a movie night for the women on the floor. We were allowed to congregate in one room for a movie. Some of us could sit in recliner chairs, while one woman had to stay in her bed. They just wheeled her to the other room. No one really watched the movie, we just talked. The woman that had to stay in bed was also pregnant with triplets, but she delivered one at 20 weeks (too early to survive). Now she is trying to hang on to the other two and is only 23 weeks along. She is behind me by about 2 weeks. After meeting these women, I realize how lucky I have been so far. Sure I am in the hospital on bedrest; but so far I have not had problems with contractions, I can still get up to go to the bathroom and shower, and I do not have to drag an IV pole around with me everywhere I go. I am very thankful for these things and hope nothing changes for quite a while.

Day 19 - Sunday, August 10, 2008

2008-08-11T00:06:00.004-04:00

Only 19 days to 28 weeks! And I have been here 19 days already! It seems like the time is going fast. Maybe because I take so many naps. I get tired after taking a shower! Cooking these babies takes a lot of energy! The babies do kick quite a bit. It is almost to the point where you can see them kicking. Once in a while you can see lump in my belly that is one of the babies.

Bill went home to check on our cat, Benjamin, and to go back to Ikea to buy a chest of drawers that matches the nursery. He even put the drawers together before coming back to the hospital! Everything from Ikea comes in pieces and needs to be put together. The pieces are solid wood, not particle board, and very reasonably priced. Better quality than what you can find at most big box stores.

While Bill was gone I napped and worked on this blog. I have been writing in my journal about each day, but have been behind on updating the blog. Hopefully, I can keep it updated so all of you will have the latest information.

Tomorrow is another ultrasound, so hopefully it will be as uneventful as the last several have been.

Thanks to everyone for your supportive thoughts and prayers!

Day 18 - Saturday, August 9, 2008

2008-08-10T22:48:00.015-04:00

Dr. Hendricks in this morning. She made us feel good by saying she thought we would be good parents. I know Bill will be a great Dad, but sometimes I am not sure about myself. There are so many ways to screw up kids these days and I don't have much experience with babies or kids!

Bill left for a little while today to look at some things at Babies R Us. He didn't find what he was looking for, but he returned with a new video camera and beautiful flowers! This will give us a chance to figure out the camera before the babies arrive.

It was such a beautiful day here, so we took advantage of it and took another wheelchair ride outside. I only get 15 to 20 minutes. The sun and breeze felt so good! The ride was really nice, but of course too short.

Bill's friend, Patricia, from nursing school visited today. She works here at Bronson.

This is a bear that my mom's friend and our Xi sister, Sue, sent with a nice card.

This is what happens when I let Bill pick out clothes for me. The funny thing is, he doesn't like clowns so much. The nurses got a good laugh from it.

Day 17 - Friday, August 8, 2008

2008-08-10T22:15:00.006-04:00

Start of week 25! Yeah! We are counting down to week 28, which is a major milestone for the babies. 21 more days to go.

Second ultrasound of the week this morning. Babies all look good. Getting crowded, but they all still have room to grow within their sacks. They all scored 6 out of 8 on the BPP, still no signs of breathing. Should be showing up soon, still not anything to worry about yet. My cervical length is the same, about 1.5 to 1.8 and it still has funnelling that opens and closes. Dr. Hendricks thought I was doing well, and no change is good.

Elysha and Mike came up after their appointment again today. Elysha is 12 weeks ahead of me with a baby boy. They only have three weeks left! She is a little bigger than me, but I am catching up fast!

Bill left for awhile to do my laundry and receive the crib mattresses that were being delivered today. When he returned his Mom and sister Shari were here for a visit.

This evening we watched the entire Opening Ceremony for the Olympics, and now I have a good excuse to watch even more TV. I do really like the Olympics, and hopefully it will help the next couple of weeks go by fast.

Day 16 - Thursday, August 7, 2008

2008-08-10T21:34:00.009-04:00

Since Bill had to work today, he had to get up early to leave the hospital and be back in Marshall (5am!) Which actually wasn't that big of deal because I get woke up at 5 for medication, but I get to go back to sleep. There have been no major updates from the Drs. the last few days. Will have next ultrasound on Friday.

My mom and Mimi come to visit this afternoon. When Bill brings Mimi up he brings her in her bag, which looks like a duffle bag. So, no even knows that he has a dog. My mom walks Mimi up on her leash. Walks right through the lobby into the elevator and up to my room. Only security stopped her and asked about Mimi. Glo just said she was a therapy dog and they let her go. I am sure Mimi just pranced her way up here and wanted to meet everyone along the way. Probably had that silly smile on her face with her tongue hanging out, too.

While Glo and Mimi were still here I also had a visit from my friend Kris. Kris is from BC and has 2 1/2 year old triplets. She was on her way to a GKMOMS (mothers of multiples) meeting. The GKMOMS have been very supportive of Bill and I throughout the pregnancy, especially since I have been in the hospital. Kris brought me a nice journal to record my stay in and several baby night gowns that she highly recommended as a mother of triplets.

After everyone else had left, our friends Tim & Carol stopped by just before Bill arrived after work. Bill has the next five days off, so he is planning on spending most of his time at the hospital. My mom took Mimi back to Freeland with her for a while.

Day 15 - Wednesday, August 6, 2008

2008-08-10T21:12:00.002-04:00

Bill working again today. This afternoon Glo came down. She stopped in Marshall on the way to spend a little time with Mimi before she came to the hospital. One of Mimi's other favorite words is "walk" (she goes crazy when you say it). Mimi and Grandma took a short walk and then Glo came to see me. My mom has been helping me make my room more homey. Last week she brought a lavender & vanilla plug-in, and everyone that comes in my room comments how good it smells in here. Today, some flameless candles arrived from QVC. It all does help my room feel less like a hospital room and I really appreciate that. Bill came after work for dinner and ended up staying. Glo stayed at our house with Mimi.

Day 14 - Tuesday, August 5, 2008

2008-08-10T18:42:00.003-04:00

I passed my 3 hour glucose test! WooHoo! That means I don't have gestational diabetes and I don't have to go on a special diet. I will have to repeat the test in a few weeks to check again, but for now it's good news. Most multiple pregnancies of three or more result in gestational diabetes. My pancreas is working well!

Good thing I passed my test. Today I figured out that I could order food from the cafe downstairs and not just the regular hospital menu. They daily specials, better salads, a coffee bar, and lots of sweets! The regular food isn't bad, it just gets boring ordering the same stuff all the time.

Kristin, George, and Mason stopped by today after Mason's first trip to the dentist.

Day 13 - Monday, August 4, 2008

2008-08-10T17:53:00.006-04:00

This morning the lab tech decided to wake Bill and I at 7am to start my glucose test. What a great way to start the day! I got poked in the arm for a blood draw, then I got to drink a giant size orange drink that is 10x sweeter than orange pop. Yummy! Then for the next three hours the tech would come back and draw more blood. Yes! Through the whole thing I can't eat breakfast either. For some reason she takes all the blood draws from the same arm?!? Not sure why she did that. Then I have to wait to hear the results from the Dr.

In the middle of the glucose test they wheel me down to ultrasound. They do another biophysical profile (BPP) of all the babies. They are wiggling all over. I wonder if that has anything to do with the orange drink I had? All three babies score 6 out of 8 points again. Still no signs of breathing yet, but it is still early. My cervix looked ok, seems to change a lot. It opens and closes randomly, but still keeps at least 1.5 cm closed at all times. Dr. Austin called it a dynamic cervix and said, "that's why you're here." It is still ok and hasn't changed much since I have been here, which is good.

Bill left after the ultrasound to take care of some things at home and play with Mimi. I was finally able to order breakfast. Then before I could eat it, the housekeepers asked if I would like to move to a bigger room? It didn't make much difference to me, since I spend all my time in bed. But, I thought maybe it would be nicer for Bill and when I have visitors. So, sure! Then three of the housekeepers proceeded to move all of my stuff. Unfortunately, they started with my breakfast table! I still have to wait to eat. Then once all my stuff was moved, they unhooked my bed and wheeled me down the hall in it. The new room was a lot bigger and it had a recliner, too! I wasn't sure if I liked it. It was a sudden change and I couldn't get everything settled in. Once Bill returned later and put stuff away, I felt better about the change. He liked the bigger room right away, said he could move around a lot more and there was a recliner. I was just used to the other room and the sudden change wasn't expected. I will get used to this room, too.

Over the past several days Bill has also been bringing in totes of baby clothes to show me. He works with a woman at Oaklawn, Nicole, that had triplets last December. She keeps giving him boxes and boxes full of clothes, and doesn't want anything for them! We are so thankful to Nicole. We did get her a Target gift card, even though she kept insisting she didn't want anything. Nicole had three girls, so there are lots of pink clothes! Maybe Wyatt would look good in pink? Bill says no! There are several pieces that a boy could wear, too. I think we have ended up with seven big totes of clothes from preemie to nine months. I don't think we will need to buy much more. Now we have to figure out how to store it all. Not a bad problem to have. Bill brings up one tote at a time and shows me all the beautiful clothes. I am so lucky to have him, he has been doing a lot lately to get the nursery ready.

Bill's other favorite thing to do is take pictures of my belly. Here is one from early this morning, when I first got out of bed. Nice hair, I know!

Day 12 - Sunday, August 3, 2008

2008-08-10T17:02:00.002-04:00

Another nice and quiet day, which is good. Since I ended up in the hospital earlier than expected, we didn't have a chance to take any birthing or newborn classes. Even though I will have a C-section, it is good to know how things are supposed to happen. The nurse found a couple of dvd's to watch, which helped me understand the normal process better. She also found a dvd on preemies and what can happen in the NICU. I watched that one with Bill when he came to the hospital after work. Our babies will most likely spend some time in the NICU, but everyday I can keep them in utero is equal to two to three days in the NICU. So, we want to keep them cooking as long as possible!

The Drs. said it was ok to go for short wheelchair rides once in a while. Only 15 to 20 minutes. So, tonight Bill took me out for my first ride. We went to the atrium on this floor, and then when downstairs to go outside. This is the first time I have been outside since July 23rd! It was dark, but still quite warm and humid. The fresh air was wonderful! We should do this more often, it's way better than the field trips to ultrasound.

Day 11 - Saturday, August 2, 2008

2008-08-10T16:44:00.003-04:00

Since I still think it is weird that I should be eating a high carb diet before a glucose test, I asked Dr. Hendricks about it today. She confirmed what Dr. Austin and said it gives more accurate results. Still seems strange. So, I will continue with the carbs!

Bill is working today, so I spent most of the day resting and watching TV. Nice quiet day. Bill visited after work and brought Mimi up, too. She has been alone a lot lately, so she was excited to "go for a ride". The magic words. Mimi just lays on my bed with me and begs for bites of my dinner. I always have to get my sheets changed the next day, due to them being covered in black dog hair. We have found out that it is ok to bring her up as long as she is well behaved, so I guess we haven't been breaking the law.

Day 10 - Friday, August 1, 2008

2008-08-06T12:29:00.004-04:00

Start of Week 24! Our first goal! Yeah! If the babies were to be delivered this early they would have a better chance of survival after 24 weeks. Next goal we are aiming for is 28 weeks. Everyday in the womb gives the babies a better and better chance. I will try to keep them cookin'!

This morning I had my glucose test. The lab gives you a orange drink that is 10 times sweeter than any orange pop. Real yummy at 7am. Then after an hour they draw blood and test it. Dr. Austin said I failed it. Crap! Then he told me to eat a high carb diet all weekend and a three hour test would be done on Monday. What Dr. tells you to eat lots of carbs? The three hour test will be the real indicator of if I have gestational diabetes or not. So until then, I'll eat bread and pasta and cookies and all carbs I can find!

Bill's sister, Elysha, and her husband, Mike, visited this morning after their appointment downstairs. They are expecting a baby boy the beginning of September. She is about 10 weeks ahead of me, and I think my belly is almost as big! Our friend Judy also visited this afternoon and then took Bill out to dinner at Carraba's. Bill brought me back take-out, which is a nice change from the hospital food. And it was pasta, so lots of carbs! The hospital food isn't bad, it just get a little old with the same choices all the time.

Bill has been busy assembling nursery furniture the last few days. Today he brought me some pictures of it put together. Still needs some decorating, but all the basics are ready! Three cribs and a changing table.

Throughout the day I have been still trying to work on our registries online. Still very frustrating! Now I am finding that 90% of the stuff online at Target is not available in the store! That is no help. I am thinking someone is just going to have to go to Target, maybe Bill (even though he hates shopping!) Hopefully, the stuff we registered for at Babies R Us is available in the store. But, I don't know for sure.

Day 9 - Thursday, July 31, 2008

2008-08-06T12:03:00.004-04:00

Big ultrasound today! They are doing a complete ob, which measures all the babies and estimates their weights. All three looked great and were measuring right where they should be!

Baby A - Wyatt - 1 lb 10 oz
Baby B - Grace - 1 lb 8 oz
Baby C - Chloe - 1 lb 7 oz

They are still really small, but doing great!

At first the cervical length looked good, too. Measured over 3cm! But then they measured it with pressure on it, and it opened right up. :-( Dr. Hendricks said that is why I am here and we just won't put any pressure on it. That is what the bedrest is for.

Bill went back home to assemble nursery furniture after the ultrasound, then returned in the evening to work on registering for gifts for the shower. We had looked at some of the stores, and kind of new what we wanted. We tried to complete the registries all online. Not as easy as it sounds. There is so much stuff! What do we need and what don't we need?!? I was getting so frustrated it raised my blood pressure! We did some, but will have to get back to it later. Bill wanted to do more assembly at home, so he went home for the night. Mimi is getting a little lonely, anyway, so it is good for him to spend time at home.

Our friends Bill and Amy visited today. Amy just graduated from Cosmetology School, so she brought her supplies and gave me a manicure and pedicure. It was long overdue and wonderful! Helped me feel a little normal. Thanks Amy!

Day 8 - Wednesday, July 30, 2008

2008-08-06T11:40:00.002-04:00

I have been in the hospital a week already! I can't believe it! It still seems a little surreal, but I have accepted it and am trying to make the best of it.

My mom, Glo, came down for most of the day today. Before being admitted we were in the middle of planning a baby shower and after I came to the hospital we were not sure what to do. We decided to go ahead with it, I just would not be able to go. Bill could open gifts and it could be filmed so I could at least enjoy it some what. Since we decided to go ahead, the invitations needed to go out soon. Triplet invitations are not an easy thing to come by without special ordering, so we made do with some singleton invitations. Glo bought pea pod invitations that had one baby on them and several other peas in the pod. I used markers and drew in two more baby faces on the peas, so now they had three babies on them. I think they turned out pretty cute! Glo and I spent the afternoon working on the invitations and then she returned back home.

Bill spent part of the day driving to Canton to the Ikea store. For nearly two weeks we have been trying to get our cribs from them. When we picked them out they did not have any in stock, but said some were on the way. So they gave me the phone number directly to the department and had me call everyday to find out the status. Evidently they have a "no hold" policy and at first said they were only getting four in. Well, since we need three, I got to know everyone in the department and they all knew who I was. I called everyday. The four never came in, then they said they were getting ten, then a week later they said they were getting 30. Finally today, the cribs were in stock and Bill picked them up. Now we just need to get all the new furniture assembled! After his trip, Bill came to the hospital to stay the night because I had an ultrasound in the morning.

Day 7 - Tuesday, July 29, 2008

2008-08-06T11:28:00.002-04:00

Bill is working today and no one is scheduled to visit, so I had a nice quiet day. Tried to see how much TV one person can possibly stand. I did convince the nurses to find a longer couch for Bill. The couch folds down into a bed for when Bill stays here, and the one we had was a little short. I think from Bill's knees down hung off the end. The nurses switched out the couch and now, hopefully, Bill can be a little more comfortable when he stays.

Dr. Austin didn't have any major updates. Just said that I would have a glucose test later in the week. Having a multiple pregnancy puts me at risk for gestational diabetes. So far I have not had any problems with that, and I hope it stays that way!

Day 6 - July 28, 2008

2008-08-06T10:48:00.006-04:00

First thing this morning (7am!) they came and got me for an ultrasound. I will have them at least twice a week from now on. The tech did a biophysical profile first where they look at each baby's movement, the amount of fluid in each sack, and if there are any signs on breathing. Then they give each baby a score out of eight total points. All babies scored six out of eight. They did not get two points for breathing. It is still early to see any signs of breathing, so it is not bad. All babies looked great and were moving all over the place! Today it was baby Grace's day to be kicking the other two in the head. (They seem to take turns doing this.) After the BPP, the tech did the cervical length and that looked maybe a little better. Dr. Hendricks thought it looked about the same as Friday's, so things are stable. Which is good to hear.

Ever since they gave me the two steroid shots Friday and Saturday, they have been checking my blood sugar four times a day. The shots can cause an increase, so they monitor for several days. So, by today my fingers are starting to feel like pin cushions! I can't imagine what diabetics go through. I think some of my finger tips are going numb from all the poking. At least I should be done with testing by Tuesday morning.

Bill is working again today and won't stop by until after work, so I had a couple of my boyfriends stop by. (Bill's best friends) Ben dropped off a wonderful fruit basket and some movies, and on his way out he passed Bob in the hallway. Bob visited for awhile and brought a bunch of magazines so I can keep up with the latest news. National Enquirer, Star, People, US, etc. Do people really believe some of this stuff? I find it very entertaining, but hardly real.

Stan & Glo made their way back to MI today from the swamp. After landing in Detroit, they drove over to see me before driving back to Freeland. They brought beads from my sister-in-law, Kristie, and my nephews, Mitchell and Sean. The beads are a great decoration for my IV poll that I hopefully won't have to use anytime soon!

Day 5 - Sunday, July 27, 2008

2008-08-05T21:48:00.008-04:00

Dr. Hendricks agreed with Dr. Austin today, and said to plan on staying in the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy. She recommended making it as much like home as possible and even suggested some local restaurants to try take-out from. Dr. also saw a few small contractions on a few of my charts from the monitor, so she increased my dose of Procardia. She said it was nothing to be too worried about, just precaution. This medication, especially with the increase, makes me feel very warm. So, I try to keep the temperature in the room around meat locker range. Bill complains he gets snot-cycles when he is here.

Bill's mom and Sonia brought birthday cake and ice cream to celebrate Bill's birthday. I am happy someone did something for his birthday. I still feel bad I wasn't able to do anything. After the celebration, Bill left to work on the nursery some more and to pick Mimi up from playcare. Mimi spent the weekend at playcare since no one has really been home to spend much time with her. She loves it so much. If you just say playcare she gets excited. She will be tired for several days after this.

My friend Kristin and her son Mason came up to visit. They brought lots of movies to watch, courtesy of George. Thanks George!

Happy 4oth Anniversary Stan & Glo!

Day 4 - Saturday, July 26, 2008

2008-08-04T17:25:00.004-04:00

Starting to feel more like home.

Dr. Austin did rounds today, and said my ultrasound from Friday looked better. However, he also said to plan on staying for the duration of my pregnancy. :-( This morning I also got the 2nd of two of my steroid shots. Double ouch!

My parents are in Louisiana with my brother and sister-in-law celebrating my brother's wedding for the weekend. Bill and I knew we would not be able to travel that far to begin with, so its not like this hospital stay kept us away. We wished we could have gone. I had a copy of the itinerary for the weekend and followed along with them via computer, text, and phone calls. Lots of cocktails and fun was had by all!

Bill had a day off today, so he was able to collect and bring a big list of things I wanted from home. He spent most of the day with me, brought in take-out for dinner, and stayed the night at the hospital. After today, I am starting to accept that this is what we need to do for healthy babies and the more I made it feel like home the more it was more bearable.

Our friends Ben & Colleen visited today, also. Everyone, including them, have been so supportive of us since starting this journey.

Day 3 - Friday, July 25, 2008

2008-08-04T16:59:00.004-04:00

Ultrasound Field Trip, the Power of a Shower, and Breakin' the Law

Start of week 23

First thing this morning I got transported by stretcher down to ultrasound. Got right in a babies looked good with good heartbeats. It is starting to look real crowded in there, but they are still able to move around a lot. My cervical length did not look much different to me, but the funnelling seemed to have reduced some. Will find out more once the dr. looks at. Getting back to my room was a bit of a different story. I waited and waited for the transport people. Evidently, there were a lot of people needing to be moved around the hospital. Funny thing was, I didn't mind so much. It was nice to have a change of scenery. As soon as I got back to my room the nurse gave me my first steroid shot. ouch! Dr. Hendricks did rounds in the afternoon and said my cervix looked a little longer and the funneling had reduced some. But it was still early and I should plan on staying here quite awhile, if not for the rest of the pregnancy. Kinda good news. Still saying to myself, "It's best for the babies".

Never underestimate the power of a shower. After lying here for the past two and a half days, I finally decided I should bathe. The nurse helped me get some soap and hair products. (Still working on getting the necessities from home.) Wow! What a difference clean hair and clothes can make. I did not realize how cruddy I felt because of that.

My friends Tesa and Janelle visited this morning. They work at Bronson, so they came over in their scrubs while it was slow in their area. Then tonight when Bill came to visit after work, he broke the law and brought Mimi! They only stayed a couple of hours, and Mimi got dog hair all over my bed. (Despite our best efforts to contain it.) She just laid with me the whole time she was here. Didn't make a peep in the room or traveling through the hospital in her airline bag. The nurse saw her in the room, hopefully she doesn't turn us in! I was so happy to see her stupid little face, even though it was for just a short time. Also, today I received a beautiful basket of flowers from Bill's schoolmates. He made such wonderful connections with people in nursing school.

Our first goal is to get to 24 weeks, next Friday!

Day 2 - Figuring out the routine - 7/24/2008

2008-08-04T16:38:00.004-04:00

Sadly, I woke up still in the hospital and not in my own bed. I kept telling myself, "It's for the babies!". While still having a hard time dealing with this, I needed to understand what the plan was. The only problem was my shortened cervix, so I was put on medication to reduce the amount of amniotic fluid. Which would reduce some of the pressure on the cervix. Also put on medication to reduce/prevent contractions. (Even though I am not having any.) The nurses have two shifts; and each shift checks my vitals, listens to the babies heart beats on a doppler, and puts me on a contractions monitor for 30 minutes. Babies all sound good! Sometimes it is a little difficult to find their heartbeats, they squirm around a lot. Today, Dr. Hendricks said to plan on being here at least a few weeks. Also, that ultrasounds would be done at least a couple times per week. Next ultrasound would be Friday. Since Friday is also the start of week 23, she ordered a series of steroid shots that will help the babies lungs develop. Enough about the care plan!

Sonia and her friend Mindi came to visit this afternoon. Brought a beautiful bouquet of gladiolas. (or as Bill likes to call them gladdy-I-know-yas) It was nice to have visitors, since Bill was working a 12 hour shift at Oaklawn. Bill did visit after his shift and we had dinner. I practically forgot it was his birthday. I did what I could, sent him an e-card and ordered a birthday brownie from room service. Unfortunately he had to work Friday morning, so Bill could not stay long. It still made my day that he came.

It's been difficult to sleep due to my aching back, which isn't anything new. Because I have to lay down all the time, it never really goes away. Also, I get woke up every few hours for medication. Woo Hoo this is fun!! Hopefully, this will get easier.

Day 1 - Admitted - Wednesday, July 23, 2008

2008-08-03T17:05:00.004-04:00

At 22 weeks and 5 days we came in for our regular weekly appointment. Always starting with the ultrasound first to monitor my cervical length. Cervix measured a little below 2 cm, down from 3 to 4 cm that it had been measuring all along (and what it should be). Also, could see and measure funneling on the uterus end of the cervix. Neither good, we knew something was going to change. Then we moved to the Dr's office. All the other regular checks were good (blood pressure and pee stick). The appointment was with the midwife, MaryAlice. She checked the ultrasound and conferred with Dr. Hendricks, then came back in and told us I was headed upstairs for hospital bedrest due to my short cervix. What?!?!? We were definitely not prepared for this and were crushed. Thought maybe I would be on bedrest at home for awhile, but not immediate admittance tot he hospital! We are in the middle of planning showers, registering, and preparing the nursery. At least we have carseats and a stroller, but what about everything else? And we are still trying to get health insurance straightened out after Bill switched jobs. There was too much to do, this can't be happening now! How about next month? I cried most of the rest of the day. When will I see my dog, Mimi, again? I was admitted in Triage because a room in the AntePartum unit was not ready yet. Through the whole process people kept asking, "Weren't they up here last week for a tour?". Last week after our appointment, when they told me just to stay off my feet as much as possible, we took a tour of all the areas of the Bronson Birthplace. We told the AntePartum nurses we didn't want to see them anytime soon. I think that jinxed us. Finally we got to my room, which isn't too bad as far as hospital rooms go. Just the thought of going from a lot of freedom to none really crushed me. All I had were the clothes I walked in with and my purse. They had me change into a hospital gown and I layed in the bed that would confine me indefinately. I was told I could get up to go to the bathroom and to take a shower, but that was it. Also, I needed to lay flat and not sit up very much. Don't get me wrong, we knew this was the best thing for the babies. We just couldn't believe this was happening. After we ate some lunch, Bill headed home for supplies. Which is a good 1 1/2 hours round trip. I was able to get a hospital loaner laptop right away, so I sent a few messages to family and friends. Bill called from home and asked what I wanted him to bring back. Still in shock and not thinking straight, I told him a few things - comfy clothes, underpants, music, books, magazines, and the dog. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the hospital. So, who knew when I would see my precuous Mimi again. Bill is so thought ful, he returned with all kinds of things to help me feel at home - pictures, cd's & a stereo, pads of paper to write notes on, plus all the things I had asked for. Unfortunately, Bill had to leave because he had to work the next day. By this point I was so exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Maybe I would wake up in my own bed, like it as all a dream?!?!