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 :)

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!!

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!

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!

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 :)

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 :)

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...

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!).

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 :)

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!

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

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.

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!

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!

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!

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)

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!

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.

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!

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.