29 Weeks--Doctor's Appointment & Ryan's 31st Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Ryan! Today is Ryan's 31st birthday--and a bit more low key then last year. Definitely no surprise party this year! We started off our day at the doctor's office. I gained 1 more pound since last week making me an even 50 pounds to date. They set up the machines for me to do my non-stress test/contraction monitoring which we did for the first 40 minutes or so. Today was Baby "C"'s turn to pull the moving around business so it took a while to find his heartbeat and he kept moving so much that they had to constantly make sure the monitor followed him. Baby "A" and Baby "B" were very good today! Our doctor came in to look at all the results and said they looked great. We told him about our concern for Baby "A" after what they told us on Monday at Stanford. He told us that while he loves Stanford, they tend to be ultra conservative (which I really don't mind that much!!) and that he of course would never have let us leave if he thought there was any chance of a problem. He basically said that to take their comments with a grain of salt and know that they will always check in with him and he will definitely do what's best for me and the babies and to always call him if they say something to us that confuses us or upsets us. He was so great, we felt so much better about Monday after listening to him. He did the protein test (which the results come back to him one day later) and checked cervix. He did notice that while I'm not dilated yet, it was a little thinned out since the last appointment, but being that I'm coming up on 30 weeks with triplets, that did not look unusual to him. For the most part it's still holding very strong. He decided to give me a shot of steroids proactively, that helps speed up the babies'lung development. Normally, if a woman goes into preterm labor (labor before week 35) they would give this shot to you at the hospital--and try to hold off labor for at least 48 hours so it can take full effect. He decided to give it to me today because he felt like if I would go into labor (still hoping that doesn't happen and we'll just be scheduled for c-section) then he would not want to risk waiting 48 hours with the triplets, he would just want to get them out as quickly as possible. So I had my first "butt" shot. He also gave me a prescription to get filled now, to take with me to the hospital to stop the onset of milk coming in since I won't be breastfeeding. I will start taking that after I deliver the babies.
Bottom line-He said that I looked great and he was so impressed with how wonderful everything looked. I need to continue to stay off the feet and rest up (I'm good at that by now!) and he thought that in 2 weeks he should be able to better tell me when he thinks we'll schedule the c-section!
I felt really reassured when leaving today. Stanford on Monday and back again to him next Thurs. Next Friday we are scheduled for another big ultrasound to check on the babies' weights, organs, etc.
Thank you for all your prayers (especially for little Baby "A" at the bottom). We all appreciate it so much and I know they are working! Hitting the big week 30 next week is so exciting!

29 weeks--Stanford Non-Stress Test #1

Today we had our first non-stress test at Stanford. I really had no idea what to expect...but was definitely impressed with the hospital!!! I feel really good that we are there! Ryan dropped me off at the front entrance of Lucille Packard and went to park his car. I had one of the valet guys run and get me a wheelchair and help me in it, so right off the bat the service was great :) Very thorough check in at the information desk before we could even get into the hospital, so that made us feel good too! We were up to the third floor for the prenatal diagnostic wing and into the room for the non-stress tests. I think we were very lucky to have one of the first appointments of the day because by the time we were leaving it was getting crowded! We were whisked into this little "room" separated by curtains and the nurse on duty got me nice and comfy with lots of pillows all around me. (Much nicer then the doctor's office where I was flat on the examining table!!!) They were so efficient that the first thing they said was "We don't have time to play around and try to find their heartbeats, so I'll just look at their positions on these screen and we'll get you started right away!" So no chance for Baby "B" to hide--she was on to him from the get-go. She hooked up the 3 monitors on each baby and then had a fourth monitor on my stomach to monitor the contractions. I had to lay there for about 30 minutes or so while the little machine did its charting. It was basically exactly like what they did at the doctor's office last Thursday, but SOOOO much better, because their equipment was perfect for triplets! In the doctor's office, they did the contraction monitoring first, then they had to wheel in 3 machines--one for charting each baby. With this machine today, each baby was monitored at the same time on the same chart printout---with my contraction graph all on the same chart. They would come in and check on me and even brought me a glass of water with a straw during the test! The nurses were so nice! When we were done, the nurse told me that I had 2 conractions, and I think that I actually felt the second one. What concerned her was that during the second contraction, little Baby "A" (at the bottom)'s heartrate dropped pretty significantly on the chart. They know that I am going to have contractions (and she said it wasn't a "labor contraction") but it is probably not too good to have one of the babies' heartbeats drop so much during a contraction like that. So they decided to do a quick ultrasound and make sure that there was enough fluid around each baby--all important so we know each baby is getting enough oxygen. She said that there was plenty of fluid around each of them, so that was good news. To be on the safe side, she called my doctor to see if he wanted me to stay there in the hospital for more tests, or if he wanted to see me before Thurs. morning, or if they should send me home and I would just see him on Thurs. for regular appointment. He said to send me home and to call him if I felt any regular contractions. So all in all, I definitely felt great about the hospital and staff there but it was not my best news appointment. I know that as we get closer and closer we will run into the realities of little things coming up like this. I guess I was just getting so used to walking out of great, great appointments it was a little bit of a shocker and I'm definitely feeling a little worried about Baby "A" down there and hope that he will continue to be strong!! So please say an extra prayer for him!

28 weeks--Belly Shots

I've gotten a lot of emails asking for the belly shots to return, so here they are, in all my glory....all 49 extra pounds of me! But it's nice to know that there are 3 healthy little men inside that basketball shape so it makes it all worth it!!!

28 week Doctor's Appointment

Just got home from another great apppointment! Now that we've reached the 28 week mark, we are now on a weekly basis with the doctor. First they weighed me--over last 2 weeks gained another 7 pounds, putting me at a pregnancy total of 49 pounds to date! Doesn't that just sound HUGE? I think it's really funny because there are no signs of stopping...the babies & I just continue to grow! But for triplets, that's right on track, so we'll just keep on eating. I know my brother Kevin has really been rooting for me to tip the 200lb mark, and at the very beginning I told him that would be IMPOSSIBLE, but suddenly it's really not that far away. Yikes! Next we did our now "regular" contraction test. The good news is that it looks like there are less of them, which means the medication I am on is working! I thought we were going to have to go to Stanford to do a non-stress test (our first one) right after this appointment, but they decided to try, in their office, to find all three heartbeats. The non-stress test is not really a test for me, it's for the babies (their first real test!) to measure their heartbeats and how they correspond to the amount of movement they do. It tells the doctors if each baby is getting enough oxygen. Of course, Baby A (the twin at the way bottom) was very agreeable to this test and they found his heartbeat right away, so they were able to start his test first. (They strap a little monitor on top of where his heart is beating. The monitor is hooked up to a machine which gives printouts.) Baby A did not move much during the test, but still his heartbeat was very strong. Next they were just moving these monitors all over my belly, hoping to pick up either Baby B or Baby C's heartbeat. Again, not surprising, they found Baby C's (lone ranger up top)heartbeat next and hooked a monitor to him. After another at least 10 minutes of searching they found Baby B's heartbeat. Just as I thought we were all set and I could just lay there and let them thump around, Baby B AND Baby C decided to move around so much, that monitors lost their signals. So then they had to find the heartbeats all over again, and they would be fine for a little bit...but then totally move again and lose the signal. This happened about 4-5 times. It was like they planned it together! Finally they had enough readings to be able to determine they were both doing just fine.
We did our "protein" predictor test (in which results come back to him tomorrow), and he checked cervix--still holding strong and firm. When I asked him if he had any indication of when I might go, he said I looked good and not for at least another month, from what he could tell today. He thought 34 weeks would be no problem. Only time will tell though! Now I am scheduled on a regular basis for non-stress tests at Stanford every Monday, and a doctor's appointment every Thursday, where he'll do a non-stress test (like today) just in his office. So twice a week appointments--Mondays & Thursdays now, starting next week!!! Busy busy!

28 Week Ultrasound

This morning we had another big ultrasound. The last time we had one was week 20, so we were anxious to see how much the babies had grown! Everyone is so nice there, and it's so funny because they all get so excited that it's triplets, that in this tiny room we usually have up to 3 technicians, 1 doctor, Ryan, and then me flat on the chair. It was getting so hot in the room today with so many people that they had to turn on the air conditioner.

The babies looked great-so big! They have all changed positions since last time. Now baby "A" who is a twin, has his head down (was breech last time) and his head is pretty low down in me. Baby "A" weighs in at 2lbs,8oz. He is the smallest of the three. Then Baby "B", his twin, is the largest! He weighs in at 2lbs,12oz. What a porker! He must be stealing all the good food from his brother down there! We might have a bully already! It will be so interesting to see their personalities as they grow up. Will "A" always be the smallest? Or will he turn out to be one of the biggest? Will "A" always give into his twin brother (like how he lets his brother get all the good food?) and be my "peaceful", "calm" one, or will he want to make up for that on the outside? Will "B" be so "needy" when he gets out? Always wanting everything? Only time will tell!!! Then we have our little lone ranger "C" at the way top. His head is facing Baby "B"'s head, so they get to look at each other a lot. Baby "C" is weighing in at 2lbs,10oz. So each one is relatively close in weight, and they are pretty much right on track for triplets. We love hearing that news!!

Last appointment we had a Cardiologist check their hearts, and they were fine. The doctor told us that once the hearts are checked and look fine, they don't need to recheck those every time. But they do need to check other things each time--like the kidneys and the brains. Those organs can change, so they look at them every appointment. They seemed fine for each baby too, so good news all around!!

We couldn't get any picture print outs today---the babies are getting so big and one (that pesky Baby "B" again) was hiding behind his brother and hard to see. We did see them on the screen though, and saw some profile pics. One technician told us that Baby "C" "has my nose!"

We will go back in 3 weeks (April 9th) for another ultrasound. Next for us this week is another regular doctor check up on Thursday morning. Thank you for all your continued prayers! We're all doing well and continuing to grow!

Nursery Pictures--95% finished.....

My "Nursery Fairies" (a.k.a Georgia & Janet) arrived last week and basically transformed a completely empty room into a full blown nursery!! I couldn't have done it without their help! I sat downstairs on the couch and at one point even fell asleep for a little nap. Next thing I knew I went upstairs and our guest room was a nursery! Before my dad left, he had put together two cribs (with no instructions, just a bunch of wooden parts!) and that was basically all there was in the room. Georgia and Janet spent a long time washing all the baby clothes, sorting them into sizes, and then arranging them by size into drawers. They also brought all the other furniture and accessories upstairs and organized them. At one point I asked them if it was possible to go to Babies R Us and with some gift cards get a few more things that I knew I needed. I meant anytime in the next week, but they left right then and there and I think spent way too much time there and had way too much fun (two grandma's to be on a crazy shopping spree!) Our newest edition to the room is our amazing new glider from my Grandmother! It reclines and even the ottoman glides. It is so comfortable and will be great for those late night feedings. (You can see more pics in the next post, I couldn't post them all here!)
As you can see, we still need a few more items to get the room to 100%--like some bumpers for the cribs, maybe a little area rug in the middle of the room, and a few things on the walls. But other then that (and stocking up on diapers!) we will be mostly finished! There are only two cribs (thank you Bakers & Smiths!) but for the time being they should be fine in two cribs. Our big decision will have to be who sleeps together and who gets the other crib...
With the nursery mostly in place, it is now a daily reminder that these babies are really on their way (and soon!) We are getting so excited to meet them! I can't wait to look at my little kickers in the eye!!

More Nursery Pics!

Here are a few more!!

26 weeks--belly shots

Here I am at 39 weeks....oh wait, that's just my uterus....I'm only 26 weeks in these pictures! Yikes! Getting bigger and bigger as you can see. I'm still hanging in there, starting to enjoy the nice weather we've been having (even if it's just from the couch!) While the babies have been kicking up a storm for a while now, the newest thing is that you can see things protruding from my stomach. For example, I will just be sitting here and even with my shirt over top of my belly, you can see things (elbows? knees? feet?) poking out and moving around. And it looks even stranger when I pull up my shirt and just look at my belly. It sort of looks like aliens are in there and they are trying to get out. Even crazier is when more then one baby is doing it at same time!

26 Week Doctor's Appointment

Just got home from our 26 week appointment. In the two weeks since the last appointment, I gained 2 pounds, so a huge slow down! Next they hooked me up to a monitor to watch for contractions. This time Ryan waited outside so he wasn't making me laugh. I was on the machine for 30 minutes. When the doctor came in, he said I was having lots of little contractions. I still can't feel the contractions though! But they were enough so that he decided to put me on some medication to reduce the number of contractions---so they don't get into the "real" labor contractions. He is putting me on Nifedipine, which is a blood pressure medicine, which he said has the off-label effect of reducing the contractions. He measured my uterus and I am now measuring at 39 weeks!! Earlier this week I had to take a blood test because he had noticed an elevated level in my white blood cell count when I did the glucose test. Today he told me my resutls from Monday and they were the exact same number (still elevated), and he's not 100% sure why. Usually an elevated number might mean I am fighting an infection, but I feel fine so I'm not really sure either! He examined the cervix and it looks great--totally holding steady and strong. That is great news!
Next he did another swab for that fetal fibronectin protein (predicts preterm labor) but I'm feeling confident it will come back negative since I am feeling good. Everything else looked good (heartbeats, etc)! He was telling us that a lot of times at this stage if people are not resting enough then he might put them in the hospital from now until they deliver, but that he is really impressed with how well I am taking it easy :) and how good that is for the babies! So I will just continue to rest up on my couch! Another great appointment!
Next up: in two weeks I will go for another Level II ultrasound (at the beginning of the week), go into him for a regular check up, and then go to Stanford to begin a non-stress test, which will see if the babies' heartbeats are corresponding to their level of movement. Phew, 28 weeks will be a busy one!! And a HUGE milestone!!
Thanks for all your continued prayers! Will be definitely taking it easy this weekend and next week to get ready for the big week 28!!!

Grandparents-to-be!

Here are some great pictures of the grandparents-to-be! They are all so excited since these will be the first grandchildren in each family! I don't think they have settled on their "titles" yet, but they are thinking about it!
--Pictures of:
Georgia C. & Pat K (grandmothers to be)
Georgia C & George K (our two "Georges")
Jerry C & George K (grandfathers to be)
My dad & I out to dinner

This weekend I am so lucky that my dad was able to come out to visit! Ryan is away for 4 days at a bluegrass festival that his band is playing in Arizona. We've been having a great time but my mom definitely had a long list of things for him to help me with while he is here...all the things that she noticed last weekend but didn't have time to do. He has been the best, non-stop: crib-builder, organizer, cook, laundry washer & folder, grocery food shopper & greyhound feeder. He has been driving all over town running errands for me--even a trip (by himself!!!) to Babies R Us to get a few more items! (Now that is love!)

I have been so lucky to have 2 weekends in a row with my family here!! I know it won't be long before I see them again---when the babies are born!!