Week 26

How far along? 26 weeks, 5 days (April 29, 2015)

Total weight gain/loss: Up 28 lbs. 

Maternity clothes? Yup.

Sleep: I'm so tired. 

Best moments this week: Another ultrasound yesterday- everybody is doing well! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Movement: Yes, pretty much all the time now. I'm still trying to capture my belly moving on video. Even when the kicks feel strong to me, they aren't really showing much on the outside yet. You can definitely see my belly move, but admittedly it's hard to notice it when you can't also feel it on the inside.

Food cravings: No real cravings lately, but my appetite has definitely picked up in the past few days. I feel like I'm eating a ton now! I still don't have room to eat a lot at once, but I am finding that I can't go as long between meals or snacks, or else I'm ravenous.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really. Even my heartburn has been pretty easy this week.

Have you started to show yet: We've now entered into the world of pitying glances from strangers who clearly think I'm farther along in my pregnancy than I really am. Looking full term at 26 weeks will do that to people, I guess!

Gender prediction: All boys!

Labor Signs: I have noticed more of what I'm assuming are Braxton Hicks. My stomach tightens up a few times a day, and I notice it more when I am up and active. The contractions aren't painful, though, so I'm told not to worry about them.

Belly Button in or out? It's still in limbo...some days it's out, others it's in. 

Wedding rings on or off? All rings are officially off. I'm starting to notice more and more swelling and decided to go ahead and ditch the wedding ring while I still could! It feels so strange to not have my rings on. I don't like it!

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have little patience for dumb drivers this week...makes me very happy that my commuting-while-pregnant days are coming to an end soon. Aside from road rage, I think I've been pretty upbeat lately!

Weekly Wisdom:  I had a phone meeting with a doctor today who is a mom to TWO sets of twins! She was really sweet and had lots of good advice for me. At the top of her list was to not exert my energy on things I can't control. The boys may have to spend time in the NICU- take advantage of the fact that they're going to be well-cared for and get some rest. I may not be able to breastfeed exclusively- be OK with the fact that some breast milk is better than none. She also reiterated something that Will and I talk about a lot: it's going to be a team effort when multiples are involved. She was rarely up with her boys alone at night- her husband was up with her to help. Will and I will need to be each other's cheerleaders and motivators...especially when we're both going to be exhausted and sleep deprived!

Milestones: At our ultrasound yesterday we learned that the boys are growing well! Snap is weighing  in at 2 lbs, 3 oz while Crackle and Pop are both 2 lbs., 4 oz. That means they've each gained about a pound in the past 4 weeks! That makes us so very happy! Keep growing, boys! We need to keep this pace up for another 7-8 weeks! We got a few pics from their photo shoot yesterday. It's getting harder and harder to get clear pictures of them as they are constantly moving around and because they're so big!!!

Snap's face shot- looking directly at us

Snap's profile

Another face shot from Snap

Crackle's face shot- we actually saw Crackle blink during the ultrasound! It was pretty awesome.

Crackle's profile

Like his brother, Crackle's also a contortionist- that's his foot up over his head!

Pop's face shot

Pop positioned himself so we are COMPLETELY, 100% sure he's a boy.

And another face shot of Pop

Week 25

How far along? 25 weeks, 4 days (April 21, 2015)

Total weight gain/loss: Back up to 24 lbs gained

Maternity clothes? Most definitely. I'm now proud of the fact that I am still able to wear some of my normal t-shirts...only around the house and in all honesty, they're probably a little too tight for even house-wearing. But I'm still in them!

Sleep: Same story, different week. I don't get much of it.

Best moments this week: My office hosted a babies shower for us on Friday. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of my co-workers! They fully loaded us up with diapers, wipes, books, and all kinds of other baby necessities. I can't take for granted how much support work has given me the past several months. There are definitely days when I'd rather be at home resting easy, but even the hard days at the office are made easier by the number of people who check in on me daily. I feel like the boys and I have a whole lotta people rooting for us, and that certainly makes things more bearable!

Shower decorations

Tasty afternoon treats

Note to self: NEVER position yourself between the 2 smallest people in a group picture when you are by far the largest person in said group picture. Also, never face the camera dead-on when 25 weeks pregnant with triplets!!

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Movement: These boys are extremely active! I feel them all the time, and still love it!

Food cravings: Finally feeling almost back to normal after my sickness last week, so my fruit and chocolate milk cravings are back!

Anything making you queasy or sick: On that same note, the heartburn that had gone away for a bit while I was sick has returned with a vengeance.

Have you started to show yet: So remember two weeks ago, when I asked Dr. Garrison to measure my belly, just to see how I compare to a singleton pregnancy, and she said I would measure around 34 weeks? Well, I asked her to do another measurement at our appointment yesterday, just for fun. She had to remind me that the measurement meant absolutely NOTHING as I am carrying triplets, and this little experiment was not relevant to me at all. But I still wanted to know how far along I'd measure if I was carrying only one baby.  As of yesterday? I'm measuring at 43 weeks. 43!!! My stomach has grown 9 weeks in the span of 2!  No wonder people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them my due date is in July. I'm obviously OK with this as it means the boys are growing and doing what they're supposed to do, but HOLY COW!!! 

It's also funny to look at my size now and know that should we ever have another (single) baby, my belly is bigger now than it would be full term with the next. (SHOULD we, Mom, don't get any ideas!!!) 

Gender prediction: All boys!

Labor Signs: Let's talk about preterm labor symptoms, shall we? When I met with the midwife last week to look over my various infections, she went over a list of symptoms to be on the lookout for that may indicate preterm labor...and encouraged me to head straight to labor and delivery if these symptoms present themselves. Better safe than sorry! Some things she discussed: abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, contractions, etc...

Well (and warning, this is an overshare) I ended up calling labor and delivery around 5:00 AM on Saturday morning after experiencing all of those symptoms. Having never been pregnant before, I'm not really sure what contractions feel like, so the doctor I talked to on the phone walked me through what to feel for. I'm still not sure if I was experiencing true contractions or not, but I was definitely uncomfortable! It turns out it was something that just wasn't sitting well with my stomach, but still a scary situation! 

Belly Button in or out? I'm going to go ahead and call it- it's out now...just not too far out yet!

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring on, engagement ring off

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am in MUCH better spirits this week now that I'm feeling better! 

Weekly Wisdom: Our MFM doctor seems to be happy with how I'm holding up at this point in the pregnancy, and how the boys are developing.  So I'm going to continue to keep thinking positively and taking it as easy as possible so the boys continue to stay put! Dr. Garrison actually said we could potentially look at a delivery date in the 35th week if everything keeps going well. Fingers crossed!

Milestones: I took my glucose screen last week and the results came back right on the edge. "Normal" is considered <=139...and my number was 139. The nurse who gave me the results told me they'd likely have me test again at 28 weeks, but yesterday Dr. Garrison said that they won't make me retest. She doesn't think I'd "fail" the 3 hour test based on my 1 hour results. Instead, they'll finger-prick me at each appointment and we'll keep an eye on it that way. Whew! We still discussed foods to lay off of in these final weeks to try and keep my sugar levels in check. And for your viewing pleasure, here's another work bathroom pic I took this afternoon of my gigantic belly (buying the bigger outfits a couple weeks ago was a very good call!): 

Don't mind the flip flops...they're comfortable

Nursery Updates

We've been working on getting the nursery ready since the first week of March. Much to Will's dismay, I insisted that the babies' room get a fresh coat of paint. He HATES painting, and thought that the existing paint color (a light green) would work fine for a gender-neutral nursery (conversations for the nursery began before we learned that we were having all boys). Plus he knew that painting the nursery = work for him as I wouldn't be able to help due to the paint fumes.

But I have long-envisioned a light grey nursery with white furniture...and the expression happy wife, happy life rings true. :) Will actually spent his birthday starting to paint the nursery, with Cari helping out, too.

Out with the old green

In with the new grey

The room color turned out great, but we all agreed that the room would really pop if there was crown moulding around the ceiling. Fortunately Will's uncle Greg came to town for the gender reveal party and was able to help us Will and Cari put the moulding up. The crown moulding really did add a lot to the room.

Before crown moulding

After crown moulding- much better, right?

We debated a bit about how to line up the cribs in the room to maximize space before ultimately deciding to keep them lined up against the far wall. It's amazing how much bigger a room can feel when it's empty and you are hypothetically measuring out space for 3 cribs and a dressing changing table vs. actually having the pieces on hand! I think the 3 cribs lined up side-by-side makes the room look a bit like an orphanage...but a cute one! I love the chevron bedding, too! We still need to find curtains for the room. Moms who read this- what's your stance on blackout curtains in a nursery? A must-have? Or does it really not matter?

One potential line up, using the crib mattresses

The final decision- It's hard to get all 3 cribs in one shot!

The changing table is on the wall opposite the cribs- it fit perfectly in that spot!

Next projects: ordering a glider and a dresser for extra storage. It became pretty obvious after getting the cribs and changing table in place that there wasn't going to be room for another dresser in the room. This meant that we had to find one that would fit in the open space in the Jack and Jill bathroom attached to the boys' room. Luckily we found one at Target and had it shipped directly to us. That was the good news. The bad news? We had to assemble it ourselves. Ugh.

Ready to assemble (and still smiling)

Focused

Will makes fun of me because I often stick out my tongue or push my lips tightly together when I am concentrating hard on something. I had to catch him doing the exact same thing. :) 

Meanwhile, this is how I "helped"- by handing Will screws and observing my swollen legs and feet

I crashed after we got the frame built. Will stayed up and finished the drawers himself. It turned out great, and fits the space perfectly!

The last addition to the room was the glider. I knew I wanted a recliner glider and not a rocking chair, and also knew I wanted a bigger chair so that there would be room for feeding at least 2 babies at once...and for 3 toddlers to sit on our laps during bedtime stories. We found the glider we liked at a store, and then ordered it from a different store over the phone. A risky move, especially when we ordered a fabric color sight-unseen. Thankfully, the chair came in with no issues and the fabric color was pretty spot-on to what we envisioned. The chair, admittedly, takes up a lot more space in the room than we thought it would. It somewhat blocks the closet, but since it swivels I don't foresee that being a huge issue. It's very comfortable, though, which is good for me as I have a feeling I'll be spending quite a bit of time in this chair in the next few months!

New glider

Gives a good idea of how large the recliner actually is

The room is pretty tight, but it's cozy and will work well for now. We still need to find some wall art and a few other small pieces for the room, but all the big stuff is in place. Hard to believe the room will be in use soon!

Mobile Babies!

As I mentioned, the boys have been really active lately and their kicks are getting stronger. I took a little video of Crackle and/or Pop moving around this morning and thought I'd share it. The orange prop is a stress squeezer in the shape of a brain. :) Admittedly, you have to watch pretty closely but you can tell when he's kicking based on when the stress squeezer jiggles. Hopefully it will get easier to get some video of them moving without the need for props soon!

Week 24

How far along? 24 weeks, 5 days (April 15, 2015)

Total weight gain/loss: Up 22 lbs. Dropped a couple pounds from last week, but I've been sick. Again.

Maternity clothes? Yes, the new clothes have been working out well now that the weather has warmed up

Sleep: Nope. 

Best moments this week: Got to see the boys again yesterday- they're all doing well! 

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Movement: Their movements have been getting stronger and stronger. My new favorite thing to do is to put things on my belly and have them "kick" it. It's fun to watch!

Food cravings: Eating has not been at the top of my agenda lately, so no real cravings

Anything making you queasy or sick: Everything, it seems. I'm so sick of being sick!! For the past week I've had a scratchy throat and cough, which I chalked up to allergies. Unfortunately, it was actually the start of a new viral infection. I'm so congested and having trouble breathing, which has made sleeping even harder than usual. On top of the virus, I've also got ear "gunk" and have been put on antibiotics to try and keep them from turning into full-blown ear infections. I've been running a low-grade fever for the past couple days as my body tries to fight all this yuck off. In short, it sucks. 

Have you started to show yet: Not sure what the tipping point was, but over the weekend I hit a "wall" in terms of comfort. I can't get/stay comfortable at all anymore! I know it's only going to get worse, but it's not been fun so far. In addition to not breathing well due to the congestion, I'm really starting to feel short of breath as the boys take up more and more space.

Gender prediction: All boys!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? Not quite in, but not quite out yet, either. 

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding ring is on, engagement ring is off

Happy or Moody most of the time: Truthfully, it's not been a great week. Exhausted, sick, and feeling constantly uncomfortable make it pretty difficult to stay in good spirits. Thankfully, the boys are all doing well, even though their mama feels like crap.

Weekly Wisdom:  Lots and lots of advice this week encouraging me to take it easy and rest as much as possible to try and get over all the grossness.

Milestones: When I called the doc on Monday afternoon to let them know about my 100.1 fever, they had me FREAKED out when they suggested I keep an eye on my temperature and go straight to labor and delivery if it creeped above 101. Thankfully we didn't have to worry about it as my fever stayed around the 99/100 range. But it was pretty scary, nonetheless. I'm so glad that we had an ultrasound already scheduled so we were able to see them yesterday and know that they were all doing well. Also really happy that a midwife was able to see me yesterday and confirm that I don't have strep throat or something worse. I've been avoiding taking OTC meds this whole pregnancy because I don't like the idea of exposing the boys to a lot of drugs, but I gave in and started taking acetaminophen and a decongestant regularly, in addition to the antibiotics they put me on. 

In other milestones, I also took my 1 hour glucose test yesterday. No results yet, but I'm really hopeful that I pass so I don't have to add gestational diabetes to my list of things to worry about over the next 10 weeks.

I'm extra crabby, and have nothing else fun to report for the week, so I'll leave you with the boys' new mug shots:

Snap resuming his looking directly at the camera role

Crackle

Pop

Week 23

How far along? 23 weeks, 4 days (April 7, 2015)

Total weight gain/loss: Up 24 lbs. Really starting to pack ‘em on now!

Maternity clothes? Yes. Will and I went to Opry Mills on Saturday afternoon and I bought what I hope will be my last round of maternity clothes to get me through the end of the pregnancy. I was a bit ahead of schedule this time. For whatever reason, I bought my first round of maternity clothes on January 10, then my 2^nd and 3^rd rounds on February 10 and March 10. I guess around this time each month is when I notice a big change in size (or just realize I need more than one pair of yoga pants to get through 30+ weeks of pregnancy).

Sleep: Still really excited for the glider to arrive. Will’s sister Sue is loaning us her lazy boy recliner, and I’m hopeful that will help me sleep or at least rest comfortably. This whole only side-sleeping thing is really not my favorite. My shoulders and hips get so sore! I’m having more and more trouble physically rolling from side-to-side as well. This stomach is no joke!

Best moments this week: Had a doctor’s appointment and a tour of the NICU yesterday. The MFM doctor, Dr. Garrison, quickly scanned the boys and everyone looks good. It's always nice to see/hear that they’re hearts are beating and they’re cooking away nicely.

The NICU tour was simultaneously scary and comforting at the same time. The NICU doc, Dr. Markham, spent an hour with us, walking us through what will happen on the day I deliver, and what to expect during our stay on the NICU floor. She was really matter-of-fact and realistic about the challenges the babies will have, depending on when they make their debut, but at the same time made us feel really confident that our kids will be in good hands.

Have you told family and friends: Yes

Movement: I’m feeling more and more movement from the boys every day. It’s fun to look down and see my belly move when they kick! Sue and Cari got to feel them move on Sunday. Molly suggested that I film my belly move once their movements are more obvious- she says I'll miss that feeling. I absolutely love feeling them move around, so I believe her.

Food cravings: No real cravings this week  Nevermind. I just got back from McDonalds. I really, really wanted a double cheeseburger for dinner tonight.

Anything making you queasy or sick: If the wives tales are true, our kids will come out of the womb looking like grizzly men. Holy heartburn. I bought the giant dual-pack of antacids at Sam’s last week to hopefully tame the indigestion and heartburn pain.

Have you started to show yet: I’m gigantic. I had Dr. Garrison measure me to see how big my belly is measuring compared to a singleton pregnancy. I’m currently measuring at 34 weeks…at 23 weeks. Yikes! I am going to get big!!!

Gender prediction: All boys!

Labor Signs: None

Belly Button in or out? It’s now a weird, half-in, half-out shape. And surrounded by stretch marks. Yay!

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding band is still on, but I did take off my engagement ring on Friday. I could still wear it, but I’ve noticed that I’m starting to swell more at the end of the work day and don’t want to risk getting it stuck on my finger!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Still pretty hormonal these days. Probably a combination of not enough sleep/always being uncomfortable/growing bigger and bigger every day/starting to worry  about life AFTER pregnancy when the boys are actually here.

Weekly Wisdom: Dr. Garrison advised me that I should start making plans to be way slowed down, or completely out of the office by week 28. That’s less than 5 weeks from now! Time is starting to move very quickly. 

Milestones: Friday is the 24 week milestone that I've been so anxious to get to since we found out about the triplets. Now, though, it seems like 28 weeks is the magic number. During our NICU tour yesterday, Dr. Markham was telling us that the babies’ survival odds are so much higher at 28 weeks (and higher still at 32 weeks, and so on, and so on…) that we should really hope and pray that they can hold out at least that long before they make their debut. So while I know they are technically viable at 24 weeks and could survive in the outside world, they would have lots of complications and obstacles to overcome. So now, we focus on the new goal.

I've been comparing this whole pregnancy to how I felt running the ½ marathon a few years ago. You set up lots of small goals/targets for yourself to break the journey up, but still have the finish line as your ultimate goal. You give yourself little motivators/bargaining tools to keep you motivated…Keep running til the next stop sign and then you can walk (Keep the babies safe and healthy inside you until 24 weeks)…hit that target, rest easy for a moment, and then move on to the next small goal.

In the babies’ case,  my next small goal is to do everything I can to stay healthy, calm, and confident that my body can handle another 4 1/2 weeks of pregnancy until we hit that 28 week mark. Then, rest easy for a moment, and set a new goal of making it to 34 weeks.

Dr. Garrison also shared that they likely won't let me go past 34 weeks before they schedule our c-section. That was really surprising to hear! Since our initial MFM appointment, Will and I have had it in our heads that our goal has been to get to 36 weeks, July 3rd. But Dr. Garrison told us yesterday that triplets rarely deliver past 35 weeks as they can develop complications inside the womb if they stay in too long. Oy, so much information to take in...and such a fine line between when they are safer inside me vs. out in the world.

So now we're likely looking at a mid-June delivery date. It's only a matter of a couple weeks, but it FEELS so much sooner! The earlier delivery date, coupled with the recommendation to stop working around week 28 makes things seem that much more real...

How the belly grows...

Just went through my phone and found some bathroom selfies and other random pics that I've taken here and there to document the growing belly bump. It's amazing how quickly my stomach can expand to accommodate these three little guys!

Taken on 1/23/2015- 12 weeks

Taken on 1/31/2015- 13 weeks

Taken on 2/14/2015- 16 weeks

Taken on 2/25/2015- 17 weeks

Taken on 3/21/2015- 21 weeks

Taken on 4/3/2015- 23 weeks