Quick 4 month update!

Today is day 1 of Annual Training (AT) for Adam. AT this year is 25 days long... after the 25 days he will be home for 3 weeks.... and then gone for a YEAR!! I am starting to feel lonely already. I don't "miss" him yet, but I am starting to feel anxious about the idea of him missing so much with our kids. However, I am excited we're about to plan a long weekend in Vegas before he goes. Nothing is planned yet, but I think this is very much needed!

The babies are doing wonderful. I fall more and more in love every day. They're holding their heads up very well and the wonderful coos and belly laughs are amazing! Adrienne made an attempt at dance class last week but just ended up being an observer for a few minutes before we realized she wasn't going to have anything to do with it. We were late, making it more awkward. So we'll try again! 

I know there is more to update on, but I'm exhauster and can't think right now!! The babies have a Dr appt next week. I'll update with those fun facts then!

3 month check in.

I'm currently sittin in the hospital room with Jason to my right in a ugly, white metal cage-like crib... He had his hernia repaired today and he needs to stay overnight. He had some trouble breathing after coming off of the anesthesi. Brooke is w/our family friend, casey is with my mom, and adriennevis with my MIL. All the babies separated......

Well, they all 3 have such beautiful smiles! Adrienne finished her "school" for the summer and i plan to enroll her in dance or gymnastics this summer. Though it's already half way through June!!!

as far as personalities go: I have Brooke whom is the talker and has the dramatic cry! Casey is the one reaching for her hanging mobiles/toys... And jason, is just my good eater and sleeper! I'm still in awevthat they have literally doubled their weights in just 12 weeks. Its ridiculous. I am so in love with these kids.... I just need to remind myself to enjoy the moment. I still feel such a tremendous amount of guilt that I dont provide then with enough individual attention. Yet when I have help over I leave the house w only Adrienne or none. It's just easier, but then guilt comes back. Apparently this will NEVER go away... Scary!!


In about a month Adam will head off for 3 weeks. Then home for 3 weeks..... Then deployment begins. 12 months. Sorry if this is a repeat comment....I'm just starting to get anxiety over the whole thing

Nit much else to say. So I'm going to log off and wait for Adam to bring my late night mcds to me at the hospital..... Oh yeah, I start working with my old trainer again Monday. I need motivation. I am currently about 30 lbs over weight. Yuck. I guess I'll see whatcmy skin/stomach/stretch marks look like once the extra weight is off. I may seriously want a tummy tuck, my body took a beating. Those babies are lucky they're cute :)

Memorial Weekend

Not a whole lot of new information to update on...

I guess I can proudly say I did take a little 2 hour road trip to my in law's cottage "up north" (the thumb) with all 4 kids! I stuffed their bellies before the car ride and headed there and came back a little over 24 hours later... I did this alone too!!! 

Hmm... last night all 3 babies slept from 10 pm to about 6:30am!! I'm crossing my fingers its not a fluke, but even if it was, the fact that they are sleeping such long stretches at 9 weeks (plus 1 month early)... I couldn't ask for too much more!

Well, I'll update soon with info on Brooke's hip ultrasound and Jason's hernia surgery... 

Also, this week we're looking into a few private schools for Adrienne; they're pricy but that is one thing I truly believe in investing in!

goodnight. Happy Memorial Day!

ps: to anyone that reads this, I need some quick dinner recipes. I am sick of plain meat, veggie, and salad! I need to get more creative =)

2 month check-up

Today we took Casey, Brooke, and Jason to their 2 month check up where they weigh:

C: 8 lb, 5 oz (same height AND weight Adrienne was born with)

B: 8 lb, 4 oz

J: 9 lb, 3 oz

They all three look wonderful and healthy... however, Jason has an umbilical hernia which should hopefully heal/correct itself within a few years (looks like an outtie) and he has inguinal hernia which will require surgery. I am so sick of hospitals and I feel so bad Jason has to even go through more needles, IVs, etc... I am happy it is a minor surgery (I had it too, when I was 11...) but I still wish my baby boy didn't have more crap to go through!!!

Adrienne is still doing great with potty training!! Just the occasional accident (usually during deep sleeps). 

Well, hopefully after this week of rain... summer will finally be here to stay so I can start going for walks and lose the baby weight! 

Ughhh I don't want the summer to come and go too quickly either. Even though I have a lot of family support... the idea of being with 4 babies alone for a year is overwhelming!! 

Not too much else to share. I'll update pics soon..... ~Sam

babies almost 2 months!

Sorry I haven't updated at all..

I guess I'll skip over a lot of details but they were born March 17:

Casey Lauren was born at 10:51am (4 lbs 7oz). NICU for 14 days

Brooke Aubrey at 10:52am (4 lbs 11oz). NICU for 16 days

Jason Phillip at 10:54am (5lbs 6oz) NICU for 22 days

As of 5/12 they weigh: 

C- 7lb 6oz

B- 7lb 4oz

J- 8lb 6oz

Still totally crazy considering Adrienne was born at 8 lbs 5 oz and we consider Jason to be the "chunky"one! Also, Adrienne was born at 9:53 pm... So the minutes are 51, 52, 53, 54.... pretty neat...

Adrienne is currently in the process of potty training!! No accidents at all yesterday/last night. but i spoke too soon and had one this morning... but i am keeping her out of diapers =) so there is only 3 to change!

I think I'll save the birth story, NICU crap for another day... it is totally overwhelming to even talk/type about!!! I just hope no one ever has to go through the emotional experience of giving birth and not having their baby (or 3) in the room for 4 days with them and leave the hospital baby-less... it is horrible.

Let's see....

-Brooke needs a hip ultrasound (for being in breech position) 

-I exclusively pumped for over 6 weeks and had a frozen supply that lasted another week! 

-Adam is working and leaves for 12 months this fall

-I am always tired! =)

-I have some daytime help, so I try to sleep in when I can

I'll try to get better with updates and pics!

32w5d ultrasound

Today was probably my LAST growth/anatomy ultrasound! I also had a BPP and NST today too. Thank goodness I have made it this far into the pregnancy and other than a lot of discomfort it has honestly been tolerable... it is basically to the point where I can no longer stand without feeling immense pressure and even lying down doesn't make the pressure go away =( But... there is only 3 weeks left! 

The 2 girls are both head down and the boy is up high and transverse. Luckily, position don't have a whole lot of importance with a c-section!

Alright, here is where I am able to justify all of my whining and asking Adam for a million favors a day (I make him run up and down the stairs a lot)... 

baby girl 1:  3 lb, 15 oz

baby girl 2:  4 lb, 1 oz

baby boy:    4 lb, 5 oz

i cannot express enough how happy i am with these weights. they're all still in the lower percentiles but because it has stayed consistent there is nothing to worry about. All I can hope for is possibly making it to the 5 lb mark for each and when they're ready to come into the world they are healthy and their lungs are developed enough to bring home asap =)

Also, I think Adrienne is starting to sort of understand what is happening. When I ask her what's in my belly she says "babies coming". yesterday i asked her how many babies are in my belly and she knew to say 3!  I know there isn't a full understanding, but i think its enough... 

So, i guess at this point i'm just a human incubator! And ready or not they'll be here soon. =)

Almost 32 wks completed!!!

Starting this upcoming week I will have 2 NST and Biophysical profiles a week! Plus either a ob/gyn appt or high risk... So 5 doc appointments a week! (luckily i can do the BPP and NST the same day so its only 3 trips to the doc/hospital)

I am currently scheduled for a C-section at 36w1d! Which is 3/21/11! I immediately fell in love with the date because it is the first day of SPRING!! And... the 3-2-1 part is catchy =) Now, I'm even more in love with the date because I found out it was my great-grandfather Isaac's birthday (HE WAS A TRIPLET)!!! Long story short: He was born 3/21/1912 (99 years ago! = multiple of 3. haha.) in England and was the first set born there in over a 100 years; the story goes that the King of England wanted to meet them and give them a gift, but the family declined the offer (to good of a gesture to be true....)! Crazy, huh!?!

So, please keep your fingers crossed these babies stay in!!! I am not dilated at all, my blood pressure is good, and I'm still not on any "strict" bed rest!

PS: One name is 99% decided... one of the girls may be named Casey! Only issue is: that was our family dog's name for a long time (husky that lived for almost 16 years. amazing pet.... i hope my family is okay with this decision!!) -I love the name, I don't intend on it being "our child named after a dog".

Also, the basement is almost complete!!! the kitchen just needs the countertops delivered (we need to have someone measure for granite)

Well, I have another growth/anatomy ultrasound next friday too! So, hopefully ill have another update on weights!! I'm hoping they're all near 4 lbs!

 I am "measuring" as if I were 43 weeks along!!! I have my first few stretch marks on my stomach. Some moments it makes me sad, others I am so happy these babies are big enough to do that to me!!

Thank u for reading =)

30 weeks completed!

Not a whole lot to update on:

-I start my 31st week this week!!

-Still no bed rest

-I'm having more braxton hicks...

-Still no names officially decided

-basement kitchen cabinets are in, just need them installed!

-the girls nursery is basically done. clothing just needs to be organized.

-boy will sleep with the girls... once the basement is cleared up we can move furniture in his room

-I've only left the house about 3 or 4x in the past 10-11 days! Not bc I "have" to but just bc I'm literally not up to it...

-fatigue has kicked back in

-All 3 babies are very active at night.... i need to ask my docs about sleeping medicene. bc they recommended Benadryl...and it doesn't work! So im up all night; yet crashing during the day is easy!

At this point, we're just trying to keep them in the belly for as long as possible!

-I start my weekly NST and Biophysical ultrasounds (fluid will also be checked) this week! 

-This monday (tomorrow) I see my high risk doctors... So I'll update if need be! but hopefully everything is still going great =)

Okay, quick update on my thought process today....

So, last night I was up crying/stressed (the whole nine yards)... I slept in until about 10am and I got a call that my ob/gyn can take me today instead of tomorrow (they wanted to avoid all of tomorrow's cancellations bc of the weather). I ended up seeing my Dr.'s partner instead of my Dr... which is sort of a bummer. I love my Dr a little too much. He is seriously the nicest doctor I have ever had (his partner is great too...)! Anyways, at the end of my appt I was talking to the nurses and they told me the real reason my doctor hasn't been in is because his wife passed away. I obviously did not know my ob/gyn's wife but here is what I do know: my Dr is in his mid 40s and has 4 daughters and 1 son (we joked at my last appt i need another girl and we'll have the same family dynamic)... All I could think about is (aside from the obvious sadness) is how blessed my doctor is to have had the experience of having wonderful children there to be with him in this time of loss (and that the children have each other).

Okay!! My point to all this is my thoughts today: No matter what may ever happen to Me or Adam in the future it is so nice knowing that I have 4 children that will be in each others lives! They're going to have an amazing bond being triplets and Adrienne is pretty close in age to them too! It's also nice when they're older and when one is busy, there is another that will call... or... when they have kids, I will be grandma to a bunch of kids! I know this sounds like an odd tangent but it is weird I was up all night wondering how I can possibly be a wonderful mom to 4 babies at once... and like some of you posted, it will be tough- but I know the smiling faces for years to come will make it more than worth it!

Anyways, I guess I'm updating that in spite of horrible news, it made me realize all the positives (if that makes sense).....

I need to post more. It really is therapeutic! (And probably cheaper than a shrink)  =)

Belly & Babies

 before!! (okay, before Adrienne too)

 Week 30!

 girl 1! 

girl 2!

 boy!

An honest post (while in week 30)

Alright, I have almost always kept a journal through my life and oddly right now I haven't written any of my "true" feelings about this pregnancy down. When I found out I was pregnant w/ Adrienne I wrote pages and pages of thoughts down (I was 19, not married yet, working, in school, broke, etc,...)

Now, with 3 babies you would think I have so much more to write about... I think I am still truly at a loss for words with this surprise blessing. Adam and I knew we wanted to try for one more and when I found out there was 3.... I don't know, the shock hasn't FULLY worn off. Everyday, I remind myself that god would never give me more than I can handle (which i truly believe). I also remind myself that I am a good mom and Adam is an amazing dad.... Adrienne will be such a sweet sister.... the list goes on! But, once in a while I let my thought/hormones get the best of me. I wonder if having 3 babies will be so stressful that it takes the joy out of being a mom. I am almost 100% sure we're done with kids... I hate the idea of looking back at this pregnancy and the newborn stage and possibly realizing I didn't fully enjoy it. I catch myself looking at my moving stomach and its odd to think that at 22 I'll never experience the miracle of growing a child again. Okay, I'm going all over the place (sorry)......

I'm completely terrified that while Adam is in Afghanistan (sometime this fall for about a year) I will simply become miserable. I'm already starting to feel isolated because even though I have just a few friends; they have their own lives. None of which have children, nor are married... I know I need to meet people I have more in common with. I guess I just know the reality of meeting someone who understands the pressure of being a young parent of 4 children will be hard to come by.

Sorry if I sound like I am pitying myself, because I don't think I am... I guess I'm just expressing my stresses! Because on the flip side, I am beyond lucky to know that I am young, healthy, have a wonderful family, and that my babies will be so loved and well taken care of and provided for.

I think before the babies come I need to really try to find a parents of multiples support group and even possibly talk to a therapist/life coach. I know its hormones now, but I know I am at a higher risk of depression... and honestly some nights, I wonder if I am already(?!) Like I said before, I want to enjoy all my babies and their childhood, I know I'll have help but I just feel so overwhelmed right now.

A few more things to bitch about:
-I am SO sick of people asking if I took fertility drugs. I'm not offended, but I wonder since when is it a question that is okay to ask a stranger (?) Or, if I had, would it then offend me (?)
-I wish my dad and siblings wanted to be more involved in my life and my daughters
-I love Adam more than anything but I just wish/hope/pray he gets accepts this SOON (I don't want to write about his feelings on here, but obviously men have a harder time accepting change than women. Especially in the baby dept)
-Oh! I'm sure the hormones make me cry more than normal... but my reflection in the mirror does too. I hate not being the kind of person that finds myself beautiful while pregnant. I have no "glow"!!! My skin is dry, I'm broken out, I cannot breathe AT ALL, standing hurts, my back aches, my boobs leak, my throat is dry, and of course I'm carrying an extra 40 lbs and I am sure there are more lbs to come..........

If you've read all this.... then, thank you! I hope I don't sound like a horrible person anywhere on here, but I can't sleep and needed to "write"

~Sam

28 Week U/S update

Okay!!

As of this morning...

Baby 1 (girl): 2 lb, 10 oz
Baby 2 (girl): 2 lb, 12 oz
Baby 3 (boy): 3 lb, 1 oz (still 50th percentile. Not sure about the girls)

If I'm adding this correctly, I think I have a total baby weight of 8 lb, 7 oz!!! (Correct me if I'm wrong...) Adrienne weighed 8 lb, 5 oz at 40w2d. So, with almost 6 weeks to go I am very curious to see how big I'll get! I'm hoping for them all to weigh at least 4 lbs and this is looking like a definite possibility... I'll post the u/s pics later!

NURSERY PICS

 Baby boy has trucks!

 We still need to hang his red curtains and get furniture in there!!

 girl's room. the lighting isn't great in this pic

 still need pink curtains up and some more lovin'!

 my crazy stash of diapers. It retails for about 300 $ but I paid about 150$ or less... (there are more on bottom shelf)

28 weeks! Surpassed my first goal!!

When I first found out I was having triplets my Ob/gyn let me know our first goal towards having 3 healthy babies (aside from 12 weeks where miscarriage rate drops dramatically) was 28 weeks! From there, I guess we're just taking it week-by-week and we'll arrange a C-section around the 34-36 week! So, this friday is my 28 week growth/anatomy U/S and I'm anxious for an update on all the weights of the babies! Last week, I had my cervix checked, glucose test done (again), and of course blood pressure/weight/baby heartbeats, etc,.... everything came back perfectly! Well, I guess I have a very low blood count... I just need to take even more vitamins. Its apparently normal to have a low blood count with multiples bc the babies are simply stealing all of my nutrients! And it could cause problems if I bled to much during c-section... (i think thats the concern...)

Nurseries are painted! Cribs are put together! All of the supplies are bought (even though I could prob use more preemie outfts)! hmm... we still need to put together our glider and dresser. If I haven't mentioned it before; the girls are going to share a room and the boy will have his own. But I think until they're sleeping through the night I'll have all 3 in the same room.

**I took pics of the nurseries but I'm not feeling up to going down stairs to get my camera! ** (my physical condition is getting horrible, still, no bed rest though)!!

We only bought two more cribs and we moved Adrienne into a toddler bed about 2-3 weeks ago. Some days and nights she does really well with it, other days she simply fights her naps and then falls asleep around 4-5pm very cranky which throws her off schedule. Adam and I talked about putting her back in the crib for a few months, but I think we're going to tough it out..we just need to establish more discipline with her! I know she is two but suddenly these past few weeks her tantrums have sky-rocketed!

We're still playing with a handful of names for the babies, but nothing has been decided!

Starting around week 30 I'll start doing weekly non-stress tests.

I can't think of much else to say. I know I need to post pics! And I'll update after my ultrasound on friday!

Thanks for reading/caring =) It is crazy how fast this pregnancy is progressing!

26 weeks

So far, so good! As of now, it doesn't look like bed rest is going to come anytime too soon (knock on wood). I had another growth/anatomy ultrasound almost 2 weeks ago and at the same time there was a  fluid evaluation (for identical girls) and i have another fluid eval this week. So as of about a week and a half ago the babies weights were:

baby 1 (girl): 1 lb, 2 oz. -5th percentile
baby 2 (girl): 1 lb, 5 oz- 20th percentile
baby 3 (boy): 1 lb, 8 oz- 50th percentile

So, its nice knowing at this point they're probably even bigger! I am currently measuring as if i were 35 weeks with a singleton! I'll have my glucose done again at 28 weeks and i will also have another growth/anatomy ultrasound that same week. As of now, i have been going back and forth between the OB/GYN and MFM (high risk) where I'm just getting routine checks (my weight/blood pressure, babies heartbeats, and checking my cervix) weekly. I've currently gained between 30-35 lbs!

Still no names decided!!

The nurseries are currently in the middle of being painted!

Other than just updating all of the facts, this pregnancy has been very easy (for a triplet pregnancy). I have a hard time breathing or standing/walking for a long time, but I really feel like I can't complain- I'm scared to speak too soon, but I really have had no problems with the babies and that is the only thing I can ask for!  I know I should probably be on my feet less and take it even easier... =)

Adam and I are still both full of all sorts of mixed emotions: I am really excited most of the time and then I have my nights where I just totally question my ability to take care of 4 children, a household, be a good wife, and still keep my own sanity and happiness in check.

k, my mac is suddenly spazzing out.... im going to just publish this and finish updating soon!!!