Sunday, December 31, 2006

Happy New Year 2007!



As 2006 comes to a close I am struck by how much our lives have changed in the past year. I'm sure one of my New Year's resolutions at the beginning of the year was to get pregnant and have another baby. I had no idea at the time how much that would come true. If I did, would I have gone through with it? Of course I would even though right now I'm wishing I could rewind the year a little bit as I still feel completely unprepared to care for 3 small babies! I know the Lord will not give me more than I can handle and for some reason He has chosen for me to care for these 3 beautiful girls but some days I wonder what He was thinking!

I hope all of you have a wonderful New Year. Our prayer for all of you is the same as for us that the Lord will bless you and watch over you.

Happy 2007 :)

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Merry Christmas from the Nelsons




Merry Christmas to all of you (a day late I know but I was sick yesterday). The girls had a wonderful first Christmas even though they slept through it :) Their big sister and brother made out quite well and had a great day!

I had my six-week check-up today and things look good. I have been officially discharged as an OB patient. I guess my wonderful pregnancy is over... Kidding, although as hard as it was to be pregnant with the girls it was easier than having them out! Seriously, the doctor was once again impressed at how far I was able to go in the pregnancy. I attribute it only to the grace of God.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of Kaitlyn, Caleb and the girls in their Christmas best! (You'll get one of them as Christmas cards someday - whenever I finally get around to it...) Sorry about the crying girls in the family picture but it's hard to keep them all happy at once.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Alyssa's Car Seat Challenge

Well, it wasn't much of a challenge. Alyssa won fair and square :) We took the girls to the pulmonologist this morning and Alyssa sat in her car seat for 30 minutes hooked up to lots of monitors. During that time they watched her oxygen saturation, her respiration rate and her heart rate. She did great and passed with flying colors. She is now allowed to be in a car seat just like her sisters! Yea! Julianna and Rachel were oblivious to the test and slept through the challenge in their own car seats. All of them also slept through the admiration of strangers. Wonder how long it will take them to notice that and take advantage? Hmmm... we have a lot to look forward to! At least no one asked annoying questions this time :)

Soon we will post pictures of so many who have come over to help and have held the babies. Should be good fun. We also have the babies first Christmas to look forward to! Yikes, Christmas - no, we're not ready :) But it will be great fun to enjoy our first Christmas as a family of 7!

Monday, December 18, 2006

1-Month Check Up

Wow! The girls could not be doing better. It is amazing how well they are doing and how fast they are growing. The doctor was very impressed by the girls progress and weight gain. This was our first visit with this particular doctor and she was just shocked at how well the girls have done and that they didn't need any extra care in the hospital and that they don't need any now. Praise God for His goodness. It is only by His blessing that they are doing so well and we couldn't be happier about it!

The big news:

Julianna weighs 7.6 lbs
Rachel weighs 6.4 lbs
Alyssa weighs 6.14 lbs

None of them are big enough to really be on the charts. Julianna is about 10th percentile for height and 5th percentile for weight but we're getting there. They are all good full-term weights. My actual due date was this past Friday and believe it or not much of their lives is still based around that date. Essentially their current weights are really good singleton birth weights and since I was due a few days ago that means great things for the girls.

It also means that Julianna will come off the preemie formula completely. Good and bad for us since we got 9 cases free from the formula company!! The other 2 will stay on it for another month so we will try to use up those cases with them :) The girls are eating well. All of them about 3 ounces every 3 hours and going 4-5 hours at night which is good for us as we are now getting about 3 to 3 1/2 in a row of sleep. Yea! Julianna will also be getting about 4 ounces from now on as she drains her 3 ounce bottles very quickly.

I'm finally recovering and feeling better. I wouldn't say 100% which is very frustrating to me but Lord willing by the time my mom goes home (if we let her!) I will be back to "normal" and be able to care for the girls better by myself. Yikes, don't want to think about that!

Tomorrow Alyssa will go for her car seat challenge and hopefully after that she will be cleared to also ride in a car seat and not just a car bed. This will make life for us a lot easier as we will finally be able to use the stroller that holds the infant car seats and fits through doors. (Our other stroller does not fit through the church doors!) However, the doctor did confirm today that the girls should be flat more often then they are in carseats or swings as this can cause problems for their breathing. Fun.

It's always something and we're always busy but praise God it's nothing major!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Farewell Faithful Friend


Yesterday my beloved canine reached the end of his time on this world.

The dog that once leaped fences without hesitation could no longer climb a single step.

The animal that could once snap leashes and drag picnic tables could hardly stand.

The companion that used to chase deer up steep mountain trails, couldn’t even cross the floor for a bit of steak.

The animal that once took a car fender to the face and shrugged it off now had to drag himself to the water bowl.

Once the very image of canine regalia, now couldn’t even control his basic body functions.

He was but a shadow of the proud, noble creature he once was.

X-rays revealed a spinal disease that was eroding the cartilage and nerve endings in his lumbar region. In an attempt to regain stability his vertebrae were beginning to fuse together. Even with surgery and extensive therapy it was unlikely he’d ever do more than hobble.


I made the decision to end his suffering and he breathed his last in my arms.

Rest In Peace Duke Von Eldey, noble guardian of Nelson Manor.

You served us well.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Another Good Bye...


We just wanted to share with everyone that today we lost our dog, Duke. We have had him since he was a puppy and he was 8 1/2 years old. He contracted a spinal disease that left him essentially unable to use his back legs. When the vet did the X-ray she found that some cartilage between his vertebrae was gone and his body was growing bone in its place causing him to be unable to walk. Apparantly this is a rare but deadly disease that is very aggressive. The vet stated he only lasted as long as he did because he was lean and in good shape. He will be missed.

Please pray for our family. I know Duke wasn't human but the kids were very attached to him and this is hard for them. It will be a hard adjustment to us all - Duke has been around a while.

Just a quick note about Rachel - we saw the doctor again today and she added another medication to Rachel's Zantac to try and control her reflux. Please pray this works - we can tell that she's in a lot of pain when she eats. The good news is that she now weighs 5.11 lbs!! Yea, go Rachel! The girls go back to the doctor next Monday and we will see how they have all grown but according to our home scale Alyssa is around 6 lbs and Julianna is around 6.8 lbs so they are all doing very well.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Monday, December 04, 2006

Life At Home

The girls are continuing to do well at home which is great. They are an exhausting group. We have them on a schedule and they eat every 3 hours during the day. They all seem to be really good eaters though Julianna probably packs it in the most :) They do pretty well at night. We make them every 3 1/2 hours if they don't wake us first. We do this partly because it's hard to hear them from their room (we turn the monitor off if someone's awake after a feeding - yes, they do have to cry a little at night - I'd go insane otherwise!) and partly because they can't go a whole lot longer without being fed. I really want them to grow!

Kaitlyn and Caleb are still doing well. Caleb said yesterday he only wants sisters. That's a good thing! But he also thinks he's going to turn into a girl at some point. I can understand the sentiment given the number of females in our house but thankfully that will never be the case. I try to assure him of this but he is not convinced.

We also want to say thank you to everyone who has brought diapers and gifts. We are truly grateful. I promise individual notes are forthcoming as are birth announcements/Christmas cards. They may be a bit late - I hope you can forgive me that! I'm still feeling very sore and having a very long recovery. When I feel better I plan to do more so thank you for your patience.

More pictures soon...

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Weight Check/Doctor's Visit

If you can believe it the girls are 2 weeks old on Thursday! Amazing how time flies. Okay, probably more for you than us. I've felt every long day and am still very slowly recovering. I've never had a C-section before and had no idea until now how painful they are! Not to mention all the bed rest before hand and the fact that it was a triplet pregnancy it is taking a long time to recover and that is frustrating to say the least.

As for the girls they are doing surprisingly well. Whether it's because I'm not a first time mom or because my mom is still here (thank God!) it's going smoother than I expected. Exhausted, yes but they are good girls. If I could just recover things should be perfect. Ha ha!!

We went to the doctor today a bit early for their 2 week appt. but who cares? All the girls are beyond their birth weight which is awesome.

Julianna now weighs 5.8 lbs
Rachel now weighs 4.10 lbs
Alyssa now weighs 4.15 lbs

They are growing well which is a blessing and usually eating okay. Rachel does have reflux and we have increased her Zantac dosage so Lord willing that will help. She spits up a lot and arches her back in pain when she eats. I feel so bad for her tiny body.

Julianna got some bloodwork done for her low blood count (it was low when we left the hospital last week - this is a re-check) so hopefully things will be okay there.

Personality wise - they are so different! Julianna is still so laid back. Rachel is feisty but very sweet and Alyssa is loud and loves to cuddle. This is crazy amazing but Alyssa has already rolled over. I know it doesn't even make sense or seem possible but the child did it from her back to front twice at the doctors and front to back once! I have no idea how but she is a mover and can move herself off things already. It's a bit scary.

Kaitlyn and Caleb are adjusting pretty well. Kaitlyn has been a huge help as a big sister - she fed Julianna all by herself tonight. Wow! Caleb is trying to figure out his place but being the only boy and the life of the party helps. Nothing will stop him :) Can't wait till I can play with him more.

That's it for this tired and sore body. Hopefully our next post will include pictures of the girls at home! I also hope everyone continues to check the blog for progress reports on the girls - we're very happy to have them and have them home. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support during the pregnancy and to everyone who has helped and will help since. We can use all the hands we can get and are soooo thankful for all of you!! Praise God for your generosity and kindness.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

More Pictures...

I just wanted to add more pictures of the babies and friends:

Julianna, Rachel, Alyssa, 3 bundles of joy.



Three bassinets made for a crowded hospital room.



Conniijo looks happy!



Tired babies make for happy Mommy! Triplets are a LOT of work.



We called in reinforcements! Carrie is holding Rachel, Joanna is holding Julianna, and Lea is holding Alyssa. At least that's what we told them. (:

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our family has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving though after last night sleep is not one of them :) The girls were discharged from the hospital late yesterday and we brought them home. They did great in the evening but of course when we were ready to go to bed Rachel and Alyssa were not! They fussed most of the night. I am a tad worried that Rachel has reflux like her big sister and we will discuss that with the doctor tomorrow when we go in for our appt. Thankfully we do have a lot of family in town to help and they can babysit while we nap :)

That is the update - the girls really are doing great. They are eating well and love to be held. Julianna is the most laid back and rarely cries - she slept through all the chaos last night. Rachel is the most vocal thus I'm worried about the reflux - lots of spitting and screaming. Alyssa is kind of in the middle and I think she just wants attention. So far they've held true to their personalities inside of me. I always knew Rachel was the most active and Julianna the most laid back! We all think because of Alyssa's position that she'll be the most cuddly. Of course, she may also be the most girly and photogenic. She was the easiest to capture pictures of before she was born. I'm writing all this down for everyone so we can see in a year or so how true my predictions are.

As for Kaitlyn and Caleb they are both doing well. All the extra family means extra attention for them which they like and Kaitlyn has just loved holding her baby sisters. She still gets excited about it. Again, we'll see how she's doing with in a few weeks!

Can't wait for all of you to meet them but just remember if you come over you will be put to baby work! They need lots of holding and feeding and I am still very, very sore from the surgery so I'm really trying to rest. Not always going so well though.

As soon as we can find the camera in all of our mess we'll post more pictres.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Mommy's Home!

Finally after almost 7 weeks in the hospital (47 days to be exact) I am now home from the hospital. Praise God! It was a very long haul. Physically I am still very sore and recovery has certainly been hard but I am glad to be out of the hospital and certainly my family is glad to be back to "normal".

As for the girls they are still in the hospital but may get to come home tomorrow. We will keep everyone posted. They are doing excellent but just not eating as much at a feeding as the pediatrician wanted plus they were all a little jaundice. So, they were under the lights for that and had tubes for feeding though they were mostly taking their feedings by bottle. The tubes are just for whatever formula they didn't finish in about 15 minutes. They were transferred to the NICU yesterday for the first time but again they shouldn't be there long. Please pray that they come home soon although I'm enjoying the day to get back into the groove here with my other kids as well as the extra chance to rest :)

Saturday, November 18, 2006

The Girls meet Big Brother and Big Sister




Yesterday, Kaitlyn and Caleb came in to meet the girls. They had their "Sister of Triplets" and "Brother of Triplets" shirts. Grandma got to hold all three of them, doesn't she look proud?

Health wise, the girls are still holding on just above the borderline to keep them out of the NICU. This morning Julianna had to go under a special light treatment for jaundice, Alyssa isn't eating as well as the other two, and Rachel still won't nurse but will take a bottle. Dorinda is slowly recovering, lots of pain and moving slowly. Hopefully everybody will be well enough to come home on Monday.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Delivery Account

Hello! I am still alive though a lot sore and a bit groggy but the girls are doing great. They are still in the regular nursery though if anyone has trouble with their temperature or feeding they will be moved to the NICU. Alyssa seems to be having the hardest time with keeping her body temp regulated but she's been doing really well today. Yea! Praise God!

As for the delivery it went pretty smoothly even though our time kept getting pushed back due to emergency C-sections - those pesky people coming into the hospital in labor :) Funny thing though I got put on a contraction monitor every morning that I've been in the hospital and have hardly had any contractions but yesterday I got on and was contracting regularly. In fact, I continued to have contractions every 5 minutes until after the C-section! It seems that yesterday would've been the day no matter what. I was in labor and the girls were ready to come. I'm very thankful for the reassurance because the doctor came in Wednesday and asked how I felt about waiting another week! Since 37 weeks is not preemie he was thinking I could hold out a week more. He said it was up to me and obviously I opted to keep my date for yesterday. This pregnancy has been long enough - my hospital stay was forever (or so it seemed though I get comments often about how just being in here 6 weeks wasn't bad).

I've never had a C-section before so that was all new to me but it was easy for the most part. No pain and the pushing around just felt like the babies did when they were moving in me so that didn't bother me either. The only side effect I seem to have is itching which I'm told should go away soon.

We will post more pictures later - Kaitlyn, Caleb and grandma will be meeting the babies in a few hours so we will certainly have photo ops then!

Thanks again to all for your prayers and support during this pregnancy. We couldn't have done it without you!

Thursday, November 16, 2006

And then there were three...

Hey folks, Kirk here with all the stats and pics from the delivery today. Dorinda will post later with her account of the delivery. But right now let us proudly introduce:

Julianna Mabel was born at 2:12 pm. She's 5lbs, 2 oz and 18 3/4 inches long.



Rachel Gabrielle was born at 2:13 pm. She's 4lbs, 6 oz and 17 inches long.




Alyssa Elaine was born at 2:16 pm. She's 4lbs, 12 oz and 18 inches long.



Everybody is doing well, none of the girls are in the NICU which is an answer to prayer. More pictures below:





Monday, November 13, 2006

Last Pre-Babies Post




I have made it through the weekend and feel like I will make it to the big day on Thursday. My C-section was scheduled for 10:30 on Thursday but has been moved to noon. Not a big deal except for the not eating before surgery part!! I'm going to starve!! If something happens to change and the girls come early then we will let everyone know but otherwise please expect news on Thursday. We appreciate all your prayers in this matter and the days ahead. Our family is nervous and excited - we don't really know what to expect. Please pray that the surgery goes well and that all the girls are born healthy and strong. We have no idea if they will be in the NICU after they are born or not.

Caleb had a nice birthday here - as nice as a birthday in a hospital can be. Kirk brought in a few gifts and we watched a movie together as a family. No, Caleb doesn't sit still too well but he enjoyed it anyway :)

Friday, November 10, 2006

Happy 3rd Birthday Caleb!





Well, I have made it to the dreaded day without event. Caleb is 3 years old today and although the girls have made a really good effort they have not made an appearance as of yet. Yesterday Baby C (Rachel) was quite uncooperative in the sonogram and did not breathe or move in the time allotted her. She had a good heartbeat and a repeat sonogram shows everything to be fine. The doctors are not concerned. She was trying to get out and bug her brother :)

Today, they drew blood for my preclampsia and had me wait on breakfast just in case things didn't look good but so far everything is fine and there will be no surgery today. At least the doctors are aware of Caleb's birthday and are not choosing to take the girls today unless I go into labor which I have no plans on doing!

So, the good news is that Caleb will not have to shrae a birthday with his sisters which is wonderful and that his birthday will actually be before theirs which should be nice for him as well. It is also Kirk's grandmother's birthday so he's really already sharing :)

Today is 35 weeks! Amazing that we have come this far. I will post some pictures of my birthday boy later.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Goodbye to my Grandma

I know I posted yesterday but this morning at 4:30 AM my grandmother passed away. She was my father's mother and my last living grandparent. While we were not extremely close, I do love her and will miss her. Thankfully I have been able to talk to her while she was in the hospital and we were able to spend time with her in June when we were in Florida which was a wonderful visit. She will be greatly missed and I pray that she is in heaven with the Lord!!

As for me, it turns out that I do have a mild form of preclampsia. It doesn't change much except that if I do go into labor they won't try to stop it and they will watch me very closely over the next few days - if there's a sign that anything gets worse they will take the girls right away. We'll see what happens.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

No News

I know everyone is waiting to hear a big announcement that I have gone into labor and the girls have been born - believe me, no one wants to have that announcement more than me!! But here I still sit. Nothing is happening unless you consider being woken up at 6:45 in the morning by a med student who didn't knock and felt the need to turn on the light exciting!! Yes, that was annoying. And then he's followed by an OB who I don't know asking the same stupid questions, followed by the "real" doctor. And then I find out that if I start having contractions they will try to get them to stop with drugs but if that doesn't work then they will take the babies. Isn't the idea at this point to go into labor??!! I'm really getting frustrated. I have contractions all the time but they just don't progress or go anywhere.

I know it's only 9 more days but sitting here just waiting for something maybe to happen is the worst feeling in the world. Please, please pray for patience for me and even the chance to actually go into labor on my own some time after Friday. Also pray for trust in the Lord and His timing. Right now I'm having a very hard time with all of it!! Thanks!

Friday, November 03, 2006

34 Weeks

Today is 34 weeks which is a HUGE milestone. Most triplet pregnancies do not go this far so it's pretty amazing that I'm still pregnant and that I'm not on any medication to keep contractions from coming. I'm still having a few contractions but still nothing regular enough to be called labor. This weekend is a full moon. Hmm... We will see.

As for going home, the doctors have said no. :( Not surprising but I was told it was the office policy to keep triplets here till the end. Figures. So another 13 days with babies followed by 4 days after babies unless I actually manage to go into labor on my own sooner. I can hope - except NOT November 10th - I hope all of you out there are praying for that!!

I did have another sonogram yesterday - no weights and measures - but the babies are still looking good. Baby A is very, very low - if her head was down she'd probably fall out :) Maybe that's a sign that they'll be out soon. Yea, I can hear you - you're all saying of course it is, in 13 more days!!

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

November

Today makes it official that we will have 4 kids all born in the same month. Poor Caleb! Today is also 4 weeks since I was first checked into the hospital and I would say that I wouldn't recommend it. In fact, I have asked the doctors today if I can go home on Friday. I have had a few contractions but nothing regular in weeks and weeks so I don't see the point of staying here if they're not going to stop my labor anyway. Plus, there's the fact that I don't believe I'm going to go into labor so I might as well get my final week pregnant to spend at home with my family and be home with Caleb on his 3rd birthday. Please be in prayer about the last 15 days of this pregnancy - you can of course pray that it ends sooner than that!

Also, we wanted to share that my parents have come up to visit! My mom is here to stay (till Christmas) which is going to be a HUGE help - allowing Kirk to go to work at a normal time rather than having to take Kaitlyn to school something he hasn't been able to do for 2 months. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped with Caleb over the past 2 months - we couldn't have done it without you!! I hope that my mom being here will give everyone a break and that you'll be ready to jump in and hold a baby when the girls come home probably later this month (provided they do ever come out!!).

Monday, October 30, 2006

Not What I Wanted to Hear

Well, it looks like my C-section will be scheduled for November 16th - another 17 days away. Nov. 17th is my 36th week but I requested a day early so that I could leave the hospital the Monday before Thanksgiving and be able to spend the entire week with my family (Kaitlyn has no school that week).

Of course, the doctor says I could give birth at any time but I'm finding that harder and harder to believe. In fact, I logged on to the Triplet Connection and asked if there was anyone who had not been on any anti-contraction medication if they had ever gone into labor. I got 5 responses and all of them made it till well past 35 weeks and some even past 36 weeks - none of them went into labor and all made it to their scheduled C-section. That to me was certainly disappointing. I had hoped to give birth in October but I had certainly hoped to give birth and be home by Caleb's birthday!

Please pray for patience for myself and our entire family - this has been a much longer and much harder process here at the end then we would have expected.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

1st Day of "Gravy"

Today is 33 weeks and 1 day. According to the doctors anything past 33 weeks is gravy for the babies. We have reached that point and still I sit here. I am thankful for the girl's sake that they are having as much time to grow before birth as possible. I'm not sure if I can physically make it another 20 days but that is what I'm going to count down to. Anything before that will be physically helpful for me :)

Today is my mom's birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!! - and I was hoping to give her 3 new grandaughters on her birthday but that hasn't happened - sorry Mom. Maybe it will be sometime soon though. Next Friday the girls would fall right in between their grandma and their big brother. Serves them right - they can't have all the attention :)

Thursday, October 26, 2006

What I've Missed Since I've Been In Here For 3 Weeks



Just wanted to share a few pictures of the things I've missed since I've been in here. We had planned Caleb's party a month before his birthday in the hopes that I would be home to be there but I landed here so I have missed that :(

Caleb doesn't look too much worse for wear :) He does say he misses his mommy but I'm sure he won't remember our time apart in the future. Kaitlyn is doing great and having fun at school and still doing really well there.

Kirk brought the kids in for a visit last night and I was able to get wheelchair privileges which meant they were allowed to push me around the halls and I was able to go downstairs to the lobby for about an hour - it was a big deal! The kids get cooped up in this small room so it was good for them as well.

As for the babies - they are doing very well. I had another sonogram this morning to make sure they were moving, practicing breathing and that their amniotic fluid was not too low and everything looks good. I have a few contractions here and there but nothing regular. The doctors really, really want me to go to 36 weeks which is 3 weeks from tomorrow. I'm sure that would be the most ideal for the babies but it sounds horrible to me. Every day gets harder and I just can't imagine being here and letting them grow for that much longer!

So, they will probably schedule my C-section at some point but it won't be till somewhere around Nov. 17th. I hope I don't make that!!

Monday, October 23, 2006

Pictures from the Inside :)


Well, I think I'm getting bigger. We all know the girls are :) That's the good news. The bad news is that I'm really tired of being here. I miss my home and my family and I can't believe I've been here for almost 3 weeks!

Not much has been going on - I had a few contractions this morning but they stopped them. Mentally I know it's good for the girls but other than that I'm ready to have them out and get out of here! Lord willing just another week or so. So, everyone can pray that I have the strength to go a few more days both physically and emotionally, that the girls come out soon and healthy and that they don't come out on Caleb's 3rd birthday which is November 10th!!!

I also wanted to include a picture of my 2 cuties visiting me here. Aren't they sweet? They sure do love to come and jump on my bed and I love to get their hugs and kisses. Can't wait to be home with them!

Friday, October 20, 2006

32 Weeks

I am now 32 weeks. This is a huge milestone for a triplet pregnancy. From here on out I could give birth at any time. The doctors would still like me to go to 36 weeks but according to the doctor anything beyond 33 weeks is gravy. I guess I can hold out another week :)

Not much has gone on this week. No contractions or pregnancy issues. Just me sitting here, waiting. But I've had a lot of visits so that has made it nice.

This morning was a big morning - I finally had a sonogram to check the weights of the babies - yea!

Baby A (Julianna): 4 pounds 2 ounces
Baby B (Alyssa): 4 pounds 6 ounces
Baby C (Rachel): 3 pounds 9 ounces

They have grown quite a bit from last time which is great. I did see the doctor today and she didn't mention any problem with the weight differential between Baby C and the other girls so hopefully that is the case.

All the girls are quite active but even though Baby C is the smallest she is also the most active. She is constantly pushing her sisters out of the way!

If you're curious how they're lying inside there - Baby A is lying breech across the bottom and she's facing down (I think she's trying to ignore her sisters who are head butting her). Baby B is on my right side with her head down. I can feel her feet kicking me all the way at the top of my uterus. Baby C is straight down the middle - her head is also down. Baby B and Baby C's heads are right next to each other essentially pushing on Baby A's back.

At each sonogram they are checking the babies' movement, how much fluid they have, and their "breathing". The sonographer was waiting for Baby C to show some extra breahing motions and Baby B was kneeing her in the abdomen. It's funny how they interact :)

The good news is that they all seem to be doing very well and should be great when they're born. Looking forward to that day!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

7 Months

Today is exactly 2 months from my due date. I'm 7 months pregnant. Woo hoo! At this point I guess I can just be thankful that I don't have 2 more months to go but when the doctor stopped by this morning he said he wants me to go another 4 to 5 weeks. Is he nuts? I asked him if he was trying to kill me, he said "no, just trying to give you beautiful, healthy babies." I know, I know but doesn't he know how miserable another 4 or 5 weeks would be?

Otherwise, today is the same as any other. Sitting in this room, waiting. Although when I'm hoping for just another week or two and the doctor wants 4 or 5 - it makes it feel that much more excrutiating!

At least statistically, only about 20% of triplets actually carry as far along as 35 or 36 weeks. Hopefully that's good news for me :)

Friday, October 13, 2006

31 Weeks

I have made it another week. Praise God! It's been a long week to say the least but I'm glad that the babies are still in me - most of the time :)

I got a chance to meet with a neonatologist today which is was informative. At this point a babies chance of survival (between weeks 30 and 36) is 90%. That's really good for the babies for sure! We also discussed the babies going home and it seems that no matter when they are born they will be in the hospital/NICU until 36 or 37 weeks gestation which is just about Thanksgiving. It's exciting to know that the babies will be home for the holidays.

Whenever I do deliver there will be a team of doctors to care for each baby. I can't imagine how many people will be in the delivery room! At least 5 or 6 people for each baby plus the doctors for me. It will be crowded.

Essentially if the babies are born now they should do very well but if we can go another week or two they will have a much better time suckling which would make it easier to feed them obviously. They will probably not be kept together in the NICU so they don't get anyone mixed up and we would be able to hold them when we go to see them. All good things.

I was talking to one of the nurses last night and she said that the average delivery of triplets here in the hospital is about 34 weeks give or take a few days. That would be 11/3 for me. Sounds a bit close except that by that time I will have been in the hospital for a full month and that thought scares me to death!! So, pray they come a bit earlier than that :)

Thursday, October 12, 2006

From the Inside

I have been moved to the long-timers wing :) You think I'm in the hospital but I think this is some kind of prison. I have found my way from those who get to go home at some point to those who are stuck here forever. Okay, not quite forever but it's not like I can leave at will!

Oh, that does mean I have a private room now. Someone got out of here :) I guess that's a good sign for me - it does end eventually!

I did have a sonogram today - I thought it would be tomorrow - but they didn't weigh or measure the babies. They just checked their movements, breathing and heartrates and all the babies are doing very well. I pretty much already knew that since they move all the time and they check their heartbeats 3 times a day. What I want to know is what they weigh! But for some strange reason they can only tell you that once every 3 weeks so I have to wait until next week to get an idea of weight. At that point I can hope for somewhere close to 4 pounds each. Of course, next Friday is my 32nd week and right about the average time of delivery so it's possible they may come out by then and then we'd really know their weights :)

Also, no cervical check so I have no idea if I'm any closer to delivery now than any other day in this pregnancy. Essentially, I'm stuck here and I know nothing.

And that's the note from inside the Women's Correctional..ur..Hospital here at Fairfax. Ooh, I think it's time for my meds...

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

1 Week Here

It's hard for me to believe I've already been here a full week. So many exciting things have happened. I've had a few IV's put in, a few contractions, little sleep, a few nice visitors - thanks guys! - lots of nurses checking heartbeats. Doesn't that sound relaxing and fun? Why if you were at 6 AM you too could be woken up by 2 different residents wanting to know if you're bleeding or leaking or dying. Of course I am, I just haven't woken up to tell you yet. Aagh!

As for me, I am absolutely 100% not going home until after the babies are born. I asked the doctor again today. If you were here, you'd ask too so don't blame it on my denial - I can hear some of you laughing! Anyway, she said it's their policy that once triplets are admitted that they stay especially when the cervix is shortening. Not much, mind you. I'm not in labor, mind you. I'm about a week away from the average triplet delivery so I truly don't know what the difference is between here and home but here I stay.

And for those of you who think I'm here eating bon-bons you better bring me some because I don't have any :)

On a good note, I have been moved to a window. Still in the same room but the next step up is a private room. Woo hoo!! Have no idea when that will be - I have to wait for someone else to go into labor. I'm the only triplet mom on the floor but I think there's a set of twins somewhere (in someone, not just lying around on the floor or anything).

I don't have any pictures yet but maybe soon I'll post one of me in here and we can all remember this lovely time when the girls are home and screaming and I'm wishing for some quiet, boring time :)

I do have another sonogram on Friday and we'll get some weights and measures of the babies then and I'll put up a note. Please pray that they are all over 3 1/2 pounds - that would be just great (for them really, not so much me - they're heavy enough already!).

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Rough Day

Another day in the hospital and it was a hard one. I had huge contractions last night which they were able to stop but then I got really sick - fever, low oxygen, shortness of breath, vomiting. Not fun at all! I spent the day being poked and prodded - chest X-ray, EKG, CT scan but it all seems to be okay - no blood clot in my lungs, no pneumonia. All good things. My fever is down now and things seem to be going pretty well.

Please keep praying - I'd love to have a good week! Right now I'd just take the chance to sleep through the night without contractions :)

Saturday, October 07, 2006

3 Days In and Bored Stiff!

Well, I am 3 days into hospital bedrest and it's boring! And much harder than doing this at home. I have an IV and constant monitoring. What a pain. The babies seem very happy and content to just stay in my belly for however long they need to, my body on the other hand is trying to kick them out! I will say my kids don't get the hint :) My body was trying to kick Kaitlyn out at least 3 weeks before she finally arrived but she was just perfectly happy to stay in. I think these girls are the same way.

The girls look great. On Thursday all their fluids looked good, they were breathing and moving. Every day their heartbeats sound good - no distress. I should have another sonogram next week to get a better idea of what they weigh but according to one of my books if they stay on the 50th percentile track they should all be somewhere around 3 1/2 pounds. That's a lot of baby in me!!

Everyone says 30 weeks without going into the hospital is really good but truly I was hoping for at least 2 more at home so it has been disappointing to be here already. Now I just have to sit and wait.

I haven't had any anti-contractual meds today which is good. Unfortunately, there are some that they can't give me. Terbutaline - sorry if I spelled that wrong - can only be given if your heartrate is low enough and because of my Graves my heartrate already tends to be quite high. We'll see what happens from here out.

The doctors haven't said much about my staying or going but I doubt I'll be going home at all which I must say is also disappointing. I miss Kirk and the kids and my home and just being "normal". Right now I have a roommate and I'm stuck in the part of the room by the door so it's a very cramped space with no window and that is a bit depressing.

Anyway, prayers requests would be that I can make it another 2 to 3 weeks and that the babies continue to do well. Pray for good growth by next week so that if they do come out they are strong and healthy. I did get a shot to mature their lungs so hopefully that will help in the event that they are born soon. Pray for Kirk and the kids as I know they miss me at home. Also pray that I might soon get a private room or at least get the spot by the window - where I am makes things more miserable.

Thanks for all your love and concern. I look forward to life returning to "normal" for me physically soon though it will certainly never be the same again with 3 more babies to care for!!

Please ask Kirk for the hospital room number and feel free to call or visit, however, if you do call and get a busy signal it means I'm on-line so feel free to e-mail me then too :)

And a special thank you to Kirk's office and the nice baby shower they threw me on Wednesday. Everyone was so thoughtful!

Thursday, October 05, 2006

30 Weeks and in the Hospital

Hey Folks,

Last night Dorinda starting having contractions. At 30 weeks along it's still too early for that. Fortunately, I was able to get her to the hospital in time for them to stop her labor before she dialated. But she will likely stay there until the girls are born. That could be several weeks. She is at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Women and Children. They will probably transfer her room today, I’ll update when she gets her room assignment.

This is exciting and scary all at the same time. Dorinda doesn't relish the idea of spending the next 4-5 weeks lying in the hospital just waiting for the weeks to pass. But the alternative would be having the babies now and then they would have to spend the next several weeks or months in the NICU. So the choices are 4 weeks hospital bedrest for Dorinda or 2-3 months in the NICU for the babies.

Please keep us in your prayers, I'll try to keep everyone informed as best I can.

-kirk

Sunday, October 01, 2006

October!

Hi, just had to post that it's October not that you all don't know that but just that I'm very excited we have made it into this month. I wouldn't mind having the babies this month. I know it's still a bit early but since Caleb will be 3 next month for his sanity and mine in the future I'd like to avoid them being to close :)

Also, we took a tour of the NICU today at Fairfax Hospital and that was helpful. It was nice to actually see where the babies will probably end up spending a little bit of time (though hopefully not too much!). The one most interesting thing was that there was a baby there that was 29 weeks gestation (where I am now). He and his twin sister were actually born at 23 weeks which is very early and right now he weighs just 3 pounds. It was encouraging to see him doing well but also kind of neat to see a baby that is the exact weight as our babies now. Wow! He was sooo tiny but yet so well formed. It's hard to believe that that's what all the girls look like.

Just wanted to share. Hopefully I will be able to post again on Friday from home :) Please pray for that! I'd rather not spend weeks in the hospital just waiting for the babies to come but praise God they are all doing well and if they were born now would have a very good chance of not only surviving but also surviving well.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

28 1/2 Weeks

Yes, I'm a bit late on my 28 week post but I had a check-up today so I thought it would be easier to wait until today to update everyone on our progress.

Well, lots of progress :)

The babies weigh:

Baby A (Julianna) 2 pounds 15 ounces
Baby B (Alyssa) 2 pounds 14 ounces
Baby C (Rachel) 2 pounds 10 ounces

To make your math easier that's a total of 8 pounds and 7 ounces!! To make it harder for me - that's an ounce more than Caleb weighed the day I delivered him.

So, yes, I am uncomfortable!!! I would have to say that every day is a struggle and I get more uncomfortable but we are still going. As for the rest of things - the babies fluids look good, their kidneys all look fine, their growth is great, heartrates too. As for me, my cervix is beginning to shorten and the doctor has told us to pack a bag and bring it with us to our next appointment which will be next Friday, October 6th. I will be exactly 30 weeks at that point. He said the only reason he's not admitting me to the hospital now is because I'm doing so well but if I wish to go into the hospital he'd gladly admit me. No thank you!!

Basically, I am full term (and it shows - see picture) so I could go into labor at any time. If that were to happen I must get to the hospital immediately because obviously I don't want to dilate to the point where they he can't stop my labor. What fun :) Anyway, he did at least say that the babies look great and are growing very well. Their size is pretty amazing. Baby A is actually in the 60th percentile for weight! Pretty good for a triplet!

The babies are all sitting on about my right side. Baby A is sitting very low and she wouldn't look at us today. Baby B was the one doing gymnastics with her toes at her forehead and as usual she would give us a good picture - she even gave us a "peace" sign. Baby C is more in the middle now and is the closest to the top. She's always looking at us so her pictures don't come out as well either. It's harder and harder to really see anything in there anyway. The sonographer even commented that she was glad she was doing this weight and measure and not one when I'm further along :)

I guess that's about all for today. Thank you for your continued prayer and support. Even though the babies look great, are growing well and would have a very high survival rate at this point - we'd love for them to be in there another month longer at least so that their stay in the NICU would be even shorter.

If Kirk does the post next week it means I'm in the hospital so be sure to check in next Friday!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Name Change (6 months/27 weeks)

Well, we warned you that it could happen and we have made a name change. We have also finally come up with middle names.

Baby A: Julianna Mabel (Mabel is Kirk's mom first name even though she went by June)
Baby B: Alyssa Elaine (Elaine is my mom's middle name)
Baby C: Rachel Gabrielle (that hasn't changed)

Since they are not yet born it is still subject to change :) But, we are pretty sure this is what it will be. Now I have to get used to it and we have to talk Kaitlyn into Alyssa. We are all pretty used to Abigail.

Thanks for your patience! This has been really hard.

Today is also exactly 6 months - my actual due date is 3 months from today. And I am 27 weeks. Every day and every week are big milestones so please keep praying!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Check-Up

We had another check-up today and things seem to be going really well. All three babies look healthy and strong. They checked all the kidneys and we had no extra fluid in any of them. Last check both baby B and C had some fluid so we're thankful for the change.

My cervix is holding strong and all their fluids look good - doesn't look like a birth any time soon - praise God for that! We are hoping for at least another 6 weeks. More of course but I'd take 6 more weeks.

As for bed rest, the doctor we saw today was more strict. He does not think I should be able to go to church or go out to eat so I am now really restricted to being on the couch or bed with my feet up or lying down on my side. I can go to the doctor and the orthodontist but that's about it. At my last check the doctor said we would schedule the C-section but this doctor said it would happen on its own and there was no need to schedule. He did recommend we bring a packed bag from now on just in case I get admitted - not necessarily because the babies would be born but for a variety of other reasons.

I also now have to check my blood pressure, weight and glucose every day to look for signs of preeclampsia. If I find any I must call immediately. How fun is that? On a good note, I must not have gesstational diabetes because it wasn't mentioned and I forgot to ask - woops :) I'm sure he would have told me if things were bad though!

The babies look great. Their heartbeats are all good. They are all still girls :) Yes, I keep checking! Julianna was all tucked up with her knees by her face - a little gymnast. Baby B (see next paragraph for name dilemna) looked great and was more laid back. And Rachel seemed happy in there too! They are all kicking up a storm :)

And that brings us to our name dilemna. Julianna still has no middle name. This is very hard! Baby B now has 2 name options - we are deciding between Abigail and Alyssa. Lots of pros and cons for both. Feel free to comment if you want. We are stuck!

Friday, September 01, 2006

First Weights

Sorry that I'm a tad late on this post. I am 25 weeks today which is great. We went on Wednesday to see the doctor again and things are still going quite well.

Baby A (Julianna) weighs 1 pound 10 ounces
Baby B (Abigail) weighs 1 pound 11 ounces
Baby C (Rachel) weighs 1 pound 9 ounces

That's great news. They are all about the 50% percentile and are growing at the same rate. We are praying that they continue to do that. For me it means I'm already carrying almost 5 pounds of baby!!

They all look good. Baby B and C both had a little extra fluid in their kidneys but I wasn't asked about an amnio this time so I guess that will be okay. All their membranes were good and they were moving quite a bit. It was fun to see them stretching out their whole bodies as we were trying to get a picture.

At one point I felt someone kick me but the sonographer said that one baby had bumped into the other baby's head and then bumped me :) Never thought of that!

We go again in about 2 weeks and they'll check me again but we won't know weights again until the 26th of September.

Enjoy the pictures!
(with a little help from Kirk for those who can never "see" the baby in sonogram pictures)







Friday, August 25, 2006

And We're Viable!



I am 24 weeks pregnant today and that means we have made it through 2 huge hurdles. We were told that triplet pregnancies miscarry 20% of the time before 24 weeks. Praise God they are all still in there and that did not happen to us.

The second hurdle is the fact that the babies are now viable. All that means is that if they were born now they would make an effort to save them and the babies would have a chance to survive. Of course, it's still really early for any guarentee of survival and we certainly want them to be in there for many more weeks to come! We are praying for at least 9 more weeks.

I have realized as I look back that I have hardly any pictures of Caleb so I wanted to include one now since I think he's so cute. Unfortunately he knows it and will even tell Kirk after his bath that he wants to go see mommy because I will tell him that he is handsome :) In this picture he's in my huge bed rest chair on loan to me from Corey and Kristy for the duration of my bed rest. Unfortunately, Caleb loves it just a bit too much!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

5 Months (23 Weeks)

"Research shows that triplets require 200 hours of work a week. That's 30 hours more than there are in a week." Direct quote from Discovery Health's show Baby Baby. Oh great, as if I didn't already think we were in enough trouble!!

I am now officially 5 months pregnant. I guess that's a good thing :) The girls are kicking quite a bit but not all the time. They definitely have their active periods which is kind of neat. I'm exhausted but not as exhausted as I will be when they're actually here.

Caleb enjoys talking to his sisters. Well, today he was yelling at them :) One of them was pushing up and he was telling her to get back in there! I have a feeling he'll share the same sentiment when they come out.

Bed rest is awful. TV gets old believe it or not. I feel like I'm just hanging around waiting for something to happen and it's only just begun. All your prayers are appreciated.

Friday, August 11, 2006

22 Weeks

We are 2 weeks from viable! Lord willing we will go much farther than that but it's exciting to know that we're getting close to the point where all the babies could survive. Keep praying with us that they stay in longer no matter how much I complain about it!

We still have no middle names for Julianna and Abigail. We're still working on it and we'll let you know when we have made a decision :) Of course, baby names are always subject to change until those birth certificates are signed. I mean one of them could still be a boy right? :)

I've spent the last week trying to be on bed rest and it's a huge pain in the neck. Literally. It's harder and more painful than I would have expected. I thought it would be fun for a week or so to just have to relax but my belly keeps getting in the way. Kaitlyn and Caleb are a little confused about the whole thing - esepcially the fact that I can't go up and down the stairs anymore but they're doing well. Allyson and Julia come over and keep them occupied during the day. The four of them together get along really well and are doing great! They are constantly playing silly pretend games but it's adorable.

Right now I'm watching a Discovery Health Channel show (yes, I do like that channel!) on triplets. Three couples having triplets. Seems the average time in the hospital for these couples is just about 2 weeks which isn't too bad. We can pray for that! An interesting statistic that only about 10 to 20% of triplets gets beyond the 34 to 35 week mark - that would put us at very early November. And don't forget - Caleb's 3rd birthday on November 10th - marks my 35th week. It will be fun to find out whether or not he'll be 3 or not when his sisters are born.

Thanks again to everyone for your prayer and support. We look forward to sharing all these girls with you!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

And the sonographer was...

Correct :) We are having 3 girls. The sonographer we saw today has been doing these scans for something like 15 years and she has promised us that there are no boy parts in there. Oh well, I kind of hoped that maybe they were wrong about one of them but we are still excited to have 3 new baby girls!


We'd like to introduce:


Baby A: Julianna



Baby B: Abigail




Baby C: Rachel Gabrielle


Sorry there's not a clearer picture of Rachel, but she wasn't as "cooperative" as her sisters. Could she already be developing a personality?


Names are subject to change especially since I'm so picky and worry if I've picked the right one up until the last moment! We have no middle names for Julianna or Abigail but hopefully we will soon.

All the babies look good. Baby C did not seem to have any signs of Down Syndrome, however, baby B had a slight enlargement of the fluid in one of her kidneys which increases her risk for Down Syndrome. Her previous testing showed a very, very slight chance (1 in 494 to be exact) so this just make it a tad more likely but really not much. Our only option would be an amnio and we'd rather not do that so we'll just pray that they are all healthy unless the Lord wills otherwise and we will praise Him for what we have received!

The doctor I saw today said I should be on bed rest now but her version didn't seem quite as strict. Hard to tell. I guess I'll just ease myself into it but I really need to rest more which is hard! I imagine the larger I get the more I'll stay put in bed myself :)

My next appt. is August 30th and we'll have more scans to monitor the babies growth. They'll also be watching Baby B's kidneys to see if there's any more reason for concern.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

19/20 Weeks



I'm a little late for 19 weeks and 2 days early for 20 weeks but I'm sure you'll undertand. The triplets seems to be doing really well. They are all kicking at one point or another though at this time it's hard to distinguish one from the other. Well, I can tell when it's baby A because she kicks me at the bottom of my abdomen but baby B and C both are kicking me on top and it's hard to tell who is who.

I also wanted to add another picture. I think I look a little bigger than 3 weeks ago. Hopefully that means things are going well and the babies are growing! I'll write again on August 2nd after our Level II sonogram. We will have them check the sexes again and we should get some new sonogram pictures to post as well.


Not to leave anyone out we want to share a few pictures of Kaitlyn's 6th birthday. We had a carnival party and all the kids seemed to have a great time. The triplets are going to have a great big sister!! (Brother too).













The kitten Kaitlyn is holding is our birthday gift to her. His name is Lollipop and he is fitting in the family really well. We all think he is fun and adorable and we couldn't have asked for an easier going cat. He will be my bed rest buddy!

Kaitlyn is standing on a ladder in front of one of the "carnival" games. We set up 5 around the yard and the kids collected tickets for a load of great prizes. Thanks to all who helped. It was great!