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...