No More Pity-party

Today I had an epiphany that maybe hospital life isn't so bad. This all started Monday when I attended a class with other mothers here on the HRP (High Risk Perinatal) floor. They are all here for various reasons (pre-term labor, premature rupture of membranes, pre-eclampsia, etc.) and are at various stages in their pregnancies. There were some women who were barely 18 or 20 weeks all the way up to women like me who were nearing the end of their pregnancy. I noticed a big difference in the women who had no yet reached the viability stage of their pregnancy meaning if their babies were born now they would not survive. The fear and worry was written all over their faces. Each new day brought them closer to their goal but each new setback they faced meant they could lose their babies at any moment. My heart ached for these women and I prayed that every one of their babies would arrive safely. Seeing these women made me so grateful for my own situation. Many times throughout this pregnancy and since I've been here at the hospital I've felt sorry for myself. I've felt like I had been cheated in many ways out of a "normal" pregnancy. But today I've decided to stop my little pity-party and be thankful for the miracles I've been given. So here are 5 reasons I am glad I am in the hospital:

1. Around the clock monitoring of me and the babies and doctors ready to take action
2. 3 hot meals a day served directly to my bed side plus all the snacks I want
3. Lots of visits from friends who may not have been able to come to Newnan to see me
4. An adjustable bed complete with comfy air mattress. My hips no longer hurt at night!
5. Hand rails in the bathroom and a chair in the shower- makes maneuvering my big belly in the bathroom infinitely easier

Thanks Northside!

32 Weeks- We Made It!

Another milestone in the books! We made it to 32 weeks and made it through 2 whole weeks at the hospital. With the holidays it was actually a really busy few weeks and went by fast. Plus I have had a ton of visitors to keep me company. Thank you to everyone who has come out. I can't possibly list every person who has visited since the start but I do want to say a big thank you to Ross and Sarah for coming all the way from California. Well maybe they were here for the holidays to visit family but they made time to come out to the hospital and it made my day!

The nurses monitor the babies and I every day and so far we are all still doing great. My blood pressure has stabilized and there is almost no protein in my urine so the immediate risks of pre-eclampsia have appeared to subside- great news! The babies have excellent heart tones, movement, fluid levels, and practice breathing (so they'll be ready for the big day!). They measured the babies this week and gave me their estimated weights. Although they don't think Sarah's weight is accurate (they couldn't get a good measurement on my "low in the pelvis" baby) they say she is at least 3 lbs. 13 oz. They did say she is probably actually over 4 lbs. They believe Jake's and Luke's weights are more accurate. Jake is estimated at 4 lbs. 1 oz. and Luke at 4 lbs. 9 oz. So I have like over 12 1/2 lbs of baby in there yikes! The belly is still growing at a super fast pace. I have posted a new pic below. Sorry it's a little blurry. I was alone and had to do the self-portrait thing. And the babies and I still enjoy visitors so come see us. We moved to a new room with a better view of the city. We are in room 126 in the Women's Pavillion. And we won't be going home anytime soon!

Merry Christmas! Day 12 on the HRP Floor

Whew- a busy few days! We had a lot of fun getting together with family and exchanging lots of neat gifts. It was weird this year being at the hospital instead of at home or at a family member's house. But it worked out great. On Christmas Eve, Mom, Terry, Mary, and Richard brought some Christmas cheer and goodies out to the hospital. On Christmas Day, Dad, Elizabeth, Memaw, and Bob came to bring us Christmas dinner and exchange gifts. Then later Tracie and the girls as well as Terry and Sarah stopped by for a quick visit. At the end of the day on Friday, Kurt and I were both exhausted but we had a great few days. Dad and Elizabeth surprised us with a very special and very needed gift. They bought us a 2000 Dodge Caravan so we can shuttle around our new family. They are driving it back tomorrow night from Elizabeth's mom's house in Alabama. We can't wait to see it!

Another Christmas surprise I was excited to get was to see Lady on Thursday and today. Both times Kurt and Dad coordinated a plan to bring her up to the fountain at the hospital. The nurses wheeled me down there and I got to spend a few precious moments loving on my puppy. I miss her so much! Just spending a little time with her has done wonders for me. My blood pressure was even better after I saw her! For the most part my pressures have been stable. I've had a few high ones but the doctors have been pleased with how things are going. Strangely, I've also lost several pounds this week. I am currently only 10 lbs. heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. I was as much as 20 lbs. heavier at the highest weight during this pregnancy but now I am down to 10. Strange huh? The doctors say it is ok and that sometimes it just happens that way. Oh well, as long as the babies are growing strong I will just take it as it comes. Weird though that I am almost 32 weeks pregnant with triplets and only up 10 lbs. total. That's less than the babies weigh right now. The babies are still doing great though. I had an ultrasound this morning and the heart rates, fluid levels, and blood flow through the cords are great. So the babies appear to be happy as clams! Tuesday is our 32 week goal. Please keep the prayers coming.

Here are some pics from Christmas at the hospital! What a memory!

Drama on the HRP Floor

Last night was a crazy night on the HRP floor and more importantly in room 135 where yours truly is holed up. Yesterday afternoon my blood pressure spiked and continued to remain elevated the entire night despite my best efforts at relaxation and lying on my side. Around 1 am the nurse informed me I would have to get an emergency IV in place in case they needed to get blood pressure medicine in me very quickly. So now I have a capped off IV in place in my arm should the need arise. Luckily my blood pressure did stabilize somewhat and I did not need the medicine to bring it down. I was a little frightened at the intensity of the situation but didn't realize until this afternoon just how close to delivery I really was. Ginny (another triplet mom and L&D nurse) visited me and brought along her precious trio. I told her what had happened and she said I was about one step away from delivering. That really shocked me. So now I am taking this much more seriously and doing everything I can to keep my pressure down. My short term goal is to keep these babies in until Tuesday when I am 32 weeks. Then we'll just take it day by day. Please keep the good thoughts and prayers coming.

I did get a really awesome surprise today though. Dana and Dan drove in from Delaware and surprised me at the hospital. I had no idea they were coming! Now they didn't just come in town to see me, but it was great that they stopped in. It's a huge surprise to see a friend just walk in the door who lives in another part of the country. Thanks Dana, your surprise was the best thing that happened to me all day! Yesterday I got another out of town visit from Jana (who lives in San Fransisco) who came with Heather. I knew Jana was coming but it was still a great visit. So now everyone has gone home and I'm just relaxing in my room hoping tonight is not as eventful as last night. Wish us luck!

Day 7 at Hotel Northside

Wow- has it been 7 days at the hospital already? The time has actually flown by thanks to all the friends and family who have visited me and brought little goodies to make my stay more enjoyable. Meredith is the one who really started my stay off by decorating my room in fun Christmas decor. I get compliments every day on the lights around the room, the lighted Christmas tree, and of course the Charlie Brown window decals. Thank you Meri- you can't know how much you have helped me get settled in here. I can't wait for your next visit.

The doctors ran more tests today and everything has come back normal except for a small amount of protein in my urine. It's less than it was last week but still slightly above normal. So the prospect of me getting sprung from the hospital anytime soon is pretty much nil. I've accepted this and know this is the best place for me and the babies. I had an ultrasound this morning and each baby's fluid, movement, and heart rate are all excellent. So for now all 3 babies are snug as a bug in a rug. Tomorrow I will be 31 weeks. There are just 5 weeks until I will be "full-term". I plan on working toward this date but anytime the babies come, I know they will be healthy and strong. We're in the home stretch!

Day 4 at Hotel Northside

Today was a very busy day! It was Saturday at the hospital- day 4 of my little adventure- and I had lots of company to keep me entertained. Since I've been here, Mom, Dad & Elizabeth, Terry, Janna, Jennifer, Ashley, and of course Kurt have kept me company. Today I was entertained by Mom, Dad & Elizabeth, Memaw, Bob, Tracie, Krista, Keelie, Carla, Janna, Kristy, Amanda, Heather, and of course my dear hubby. It was so awesome! The Duluth gals brought our annual Christmas feast here to the hospital and it sure beat eating hospital food. Carla prepared rotisserie chicken, twice baked potato casserole, green beans, strawberry salad, biscuits, and pumpkin cheesecake with homemade cinnamon whipped cream. Are you hungry yet? Heather Tuggle also brought a little care package to the hospital with magazines, chapstick, and a Christmas tree kit. Heather, you so rock!!! Now I'm here alone at the hospital exhausted from a fun day. The babies are kicking like crazy. My blood pressure has been up and down over the last 24 hours so I am quickly losing hope that I will get released from the hospital before the babies arrive. I've sort of accepted this fact and understand it is for the best. But I am still bummed to miss Christmas with my family. But as long as the babies and I are safe and healthy then I am happy. And it's worth it.

Not your average doctor visit

So this Tuesday brought with it something very unexpected. It started off as a normal morning. I headed off to the doctor as I now have to do every week. I was having a little cramping (sometimes sharp) in my belly but was only planning to mention it to the doc. I got my scan done as usual and the doc noticed my cervix had shrunk from 3.6 to 2.6cm in just the last 7 days. That added to my complaint of cramping and the doc said I should go over to the hospital just to have it checked out. So I headed off to L&D at Northside for what I thought would just be a few hours of monitoring. Boy was I wrong! They hooked me and the babies up to all sorts of monitors. It turns out the cramping was not a problem (it eventually passed) and I was not in pre-term labor. That was the good news. The bad news was that while I was there my blood pressure spiked a bunch. At one point it was 156/110- yikes! So the docs wanted me to stay overnight for monitoring. Of course I agreed but fully expected to be released the following day. Wrong again! My blood pressures kept fluctuating and they found I had a small amount of protein in my urine possibly signifying the start of pre-eclampsia. If I did have pre-eclampsia and it went untreated it could possibly lead to seizures, stroke, or kidney or liver failure. So the doctors take it very seriously. So that is why I am still here 3 days later. Although my blood pressures have come down and things appear to be going well, the doctors still want to keep me for observation. I am hopeful at some point I will get to go home. Otherwise, all 3 babies are perfect. They are just busy and growing bigger every day.

A big thanks to Mom & Carla!!

I have to start off by giving a huge thanks to Mom and Carla for coming down to Newnan today. Before today everything for the babies was in complete disarray. There were clothes everywhere and the nursery had lots of boxes and bags scattered around. I was really getting stressed that we wouldn't have things organized by the time the babies got here. Never fear, Mom and Carla were on top of it!. They came to Newnan today and whipped the nursery into shape. Now all our newborn clothes are either hanging in the closet or folded in drawers. The changing table is stocked and organized. And we almost hung stuff on the walls but realized we need another expert to come in for the assist (thanks Sam :). We had a really fun day and I am so thankful to these awesome gals for so much hard work. I love you! Oh, and Mom is now satisfied that we have enough blankets- lol.

On Tuesday I will be 30 weeks pregnant. It feels awesome to be in the 30's instead of the 20's. I will be back at the doc on Tuesday for an ultrasound to check the babies and my cervix. This will not be a growth scan though. I won't have another one of those until 33 weeks. So hopefully everything is still going well. I am having a lot more contractions and cramping but as long as my cervix is still long and closed I can stay out of the hospital. Wish us luck!

Farewell to social activities

Today I am finally accepting the fact that I am not my normal self. I cannot keep up the traditional social pace I am used to. I am a woman in the third trimester of a triplet pregnancy. When you are a social butterfly like me, you are not content turning down invitations and sitting at home on the sofa. Last night was the Christmas Dinner of the Moms of Multiples Club. I've been looking forward to this dinner for several weeks. The women in this group are so nice and have so much information to share. When I am with the group I just soak up their experiences and advice like a sponge. But looking back on it now, I shouldn't have gone. I rested all day yesterday in preparation of going to the dinner. Once at the dinner, I sat down immediately and began drinking water to stay hydrated. Although I stayed seated and relaxed throughout the dinner, by the end I was contracting and cramping so bad I could hardly stand from the table. The pain and discomfort lasted all night and I didn't get much sleep at all. So now I am back on the sofa resting. I will try to use this experience as a reminder for the days ahead. I only have as many as 46 to go. But right now that feels like an eternity.

Back to the doc- 29 weeks

Another week gone by and the babies are still doing great! I went back to the doc today and of course it was raining and nasty outside! But I am leaving the house twice as early as I need to so I stay one step ahead of the rain and the Atlanta traffic. My cervix was the first thing they looked at and it is still very long and closed (3.6cm or 36mm). The doctor was so pleased by this. She says I must have a "bionic" cervix- lol. Then they checked the heartrates and all are perfect- still in the 150's or so. Next they measured the babies and came up with estimated weights. Sarah's estimated weight is 2lbs. 9ozs. Jake's estimated weight is 2 lbs. 14ozs. Luke's estimated weight was also 2lbs. 14ozs. So each of my babies are chugging on toward 3 lbs each which they'll probably reach in a few days! My blood pressure also was great- 120/72. Overall, the doc said the babies and I are doing outstanding. I like being an overachiever- lol! Starting next week (30 weeks) I will start going to the doc every Tuesday. Although it's a pain to drive all the way to Northside, I am glad they are watching me so close. I am having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and sometimes I'm not sure if they are false labor contractions or real ones we should be worried about. At about 32 weeks or so, the doctor may have me come in twice a week. So for now all is well, we are just waiting. Only 7 weeks to go! My Mom asked me to post a new pic where I am holding my shirt tighter to see the belly better. So here are two pics. One is just regular and one is with me pulling my t-shirt tight over the belly. You can see it is not a perfectly round belly. I think the triplets make it odd shaped since there are 3 different sacs in there. But I still love my gigantic belly. Enjoy!

What a deal!!!

Yesterday I got an email from Motherhood Maternity letting me know they were having a great deal in their stores right now. The deal is if you spend $75 you get a free $50 gift card to restaurants.com. If you know anything about this store, they do not have a lot of sales and promotions. I, needing a few last minute maternity essentials, decided to check it out. Sure enough they were true to their word. I spent the money on maternity clothes and got my gift card. What a sweet deal?! I was so proud of myself for taking advantage of this. Go Kelly!!!

Wanted: To Borrow a Hot Tub

Does anyone have a hot tub that they want to let me borrow? Also, can you deliver it and set it up? If so, I'm home all day so you can just bring it right over. Oh, I wish I had some kind of giant tub to submerge myself in. My belly is getting so big and uncomfortable. At night, I often have lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions that make my belly painfully tight. The doctor said it is to be expected and there is not much I can do to relieve the discomfort. However, I have found that using pools and hot tubs (must be 95 degrees or less in temp) is very helpful for relief. Submerging my belly gives it weightlessness and takes a lot of the pressure off. I've tried using my own bath tub in the master bath but I just can't get all the way underwater. Since our neighborhood pools are now closed for winter, I'm pretty much out of options. I've thought of just spending the rest of my pregnancy in the Caribbean to take advantage of the warm water but somehow just can't Kurt on board. I wonder why?!?! Anyone have any other "real" suggestions? I'm desperate!

We did it- 28 weeks!

Another big milestone today- 28 weeks! I can't believe we have made it here! I am so thankful this pregnancy has been relatively complication free. I went to the OB yesterday and everything is just perfect. My blood pressure is great (118/82) and all my blood sugar readings have been just fine. The doctor could easily find the heart rates with a doppler. My weight is up just 9 lbs. from my pre-pregnancy weight. The doctor told me they "just couldn't be any happier with the way the pregnancy is progressing". This thrills me so much as the pregnancy is getting harder and harder on my body every day. My belly is so large and feels like it's stretched to its limits. Although I am up only 9 lbs. and still less than a weight I have been before even not pregnant, I feel like I must weigh 500 lbs. It's very difficult to sit up, to bend over, walk up a flight of stairs, take a deep breath, etc. And due to my intense hip pain, sleep has completely gone out the window! But I know this is only temporary. One way or another, in 8 weeks these babies will be living on the outside and my time as the walking baby hotel will be over. I'm sure there will be times I will miss being pregnant, but it is really hard to see that now. One thing I would do differently if I could do it over, is start working on the nursery earlier. Now that I am so large and uncomfortable, I cannot spend more than a few minutes working in there. There is still so much to be done and I'm afraid it just won't get done. I guess I was afraid to do stuff too early in case something happened to the pregnancy. But now I'm wishing I'd done more and not left so much until the end. Oh well, at least we have cribs and bedding in there so they have somewhere to sleep. Even if it's not decorated!