Blogging decrease

The past week has been pivotal for me. I now measure almost 45 cm. and can barely stand on my feet for about 3 minutes before the weight of the babies takes over and I begin to feel light-headed and even nauseous. I've been on bedrest for about a month, but now I barely leave my bed because it's too uncomfortable or even painful to get up rather than because my doctor said so. I also now find that even just sitting is incredibly uncomfortable and I get light headed, so my blogging will most likely decrease. Even as I sit here writing this my back is beginning to ache and my abdominal muscles (or what's left of them) are straining, I'm having reflux from pressure to my stomach and the blood flow is being cut off to my legs.

The worst part of all this for me, though, is that I am really having a difficult time keeping my spirits up. I'm quite emotional and I think just the stress of my body is overwhelming me so that it is hard to concentrate on the beauty of this process. I feel bad for feeling so grumpy all the time but I don't really know how to kick it. If you talk to me, please don't take me personally! It's all just hard right now, but I will get through it. Hopefully my family will survive my pregnancy without too many emotional scars as well.

Not to worry, the babies are doing terrific. One is still head down and the other two are heads up--their cute little heads are right together. They are jammed between my ribs and my pelvis and jetting out to what feels like the moon, although people tell me I really don't look that big. Yeah, WHATEVER! You try this!

My most favorite comment came from a woman (who of course meant well) who said, "In a few months when you are sleep deprived and struggling to meet their needs you'll wish you could put them all back." I wanted to do something or say something really mean, but I refrained. WHY IS IT THAT PEOPLE INSIST ON SAYING STUPID THINGS TO PREGNANT WOMEN? I will never understand. I guarantee you I will NEVER want to put these babies back in this womb...EVER!

So keep in touch but please understand that this might be the last post for a while. I may have to go into the hospital in a week or two to finish out my bedrest for closer monitoring, depending on what my body decides to do. In the meantime, I'll be here...in my bed...growing and growing.

Thoughts on 3 Babies

People are definitely wondering how on earth we are going to handle 3 babies. I tell them, "One day at a time, I suppose!" I know that this will be stressful and busy and crazy at times, but I can already feel the presence of these three babies in our home, and even though I'm going to have my hands so incredibly full, I can't express in words how lucky I feel. The Lord is sending me 3 little babies at one time! Today Dave and I were talking about how a lot of women say "I'm DONE!" after a pregnancy is over and then go on to eat their words later, and I'm a card-carrying member of that group. I wanted to be done after Tyson was born because that pregnancy was so tumultuous, and yet here I am 8 years later and when all is said and done I will have gone on to have 4 additional children! I thank the Lord every day for supplying me with the courage to embark on these final two pregnancies. Either is was courage or denial, but I like to think it was courage. If any of you have a righteous desire that frightens you to embark upon, I urge you to pray for courage, because it works. I'm living proof. And the Lord is rewarding my courge three-fold! :)

Oh by the way, I got new measurements today. I'm 27.5 weeks and measure 43.5 cm. I cannot explain how tight my abdomen is. It's indescribable! And I have 6-8 weeks to go still!

We Love Lake Powell

Haylee and Sam on the Mollie. "Go faster, do a donut!"




Tyson and Tanner kneeboarded for the first time. They're the epitome of "cool."



Ben says, "This is my first time to Lake Powell, and I can't stop smiling!"



Tyson, Sam, Ben and Tanner on the Molecule, a.k.a. "the Mollie!"




The week before school started Dave took the kids to Lake Powell with his Mom and Dad and they all had so much fun! Our kids are finally to the ages where Lake Powell is more fun than stress--they all swim and love it, too! (just in time for us to have babies, right?) Haylee's friend Samantha Lewis went with them and I thought you might enjoy some of their pics.

New dimensions

We got new dimensions for the babies at an ultrasound today and they are doing great! In fact, the ultrasound tech said that she hadn't seen a set of triplets thriving this well this far along in a pregnancy!

Baby A: she's precocious. She is center stage, head down and ready to go. She measures one week ahead of schedule at 27 weeks, 5 days and weighs about 2 lbs. 7 oz.

Baby B: She wraps around one side of Baby A (my left) and measures 26 weeks, 3 days (right on schedule), weighing in at 2 lbs. 3 oz.

Baby C: She is kind of transverse across the top of Baby A and down the other side and also measures right on at 26 weeks, 3 days and 2 lbs. 3 oz.

The amniotic fluid in each of their sacs is thriving and I'm not dilating yet or contracting much, except when I do my Tae-Bo video (he he).

Actually, now that I'm on bedrest I have probably become a human substitute for the TV guide and am gravitating toward happy game shows like "Family Feud" and "Cash Cab." I'm determined to go to New York someday and hail cabs until I land the Cash Cab. If you haven't seen this show, it's on the Discovery Channel (I think) and it's great! Dr. Phil is also favorite, and I'm enjoying the new "Bonnie Hunt" show which is on Ch. 14 at 2p.m. I will actually look forward to the day when I don't know what's on TV at any given hour of the day!

My belly's bigger than your belly...

Update: I have officially surpassed regular pregnancy measurements. I'm now 26 1/2 weeks and measure 42 cm. Most women never get this big. How nice. The babies reach from my ribs all the way down and go straight out and I can hardly walk from my room to the kitchen without stopping to catch my breath. What fun this is!

Oh, and yesterday my doctor informed me that he thinks I may have a form of walking pneumonia. Hopefully I haven't sickened any of you! From the way I've been feeling, I think I've been ill for a couple of weeks, but I just thought I had a head cold and combining that with pregnancy made me feel awful. When he heard me cough, he said he didn't want to mess around with that cough! Little does he know I've been messing around with it for 2 weeks! My other symptoms have included lightheadedness, lethargy, cotton mouth, and overall malaise. This puts an interesting twist on the pregnancy! I just thought these were all symptoms of a triplet pregnancy, but now that I've been on medication for over 24 hours, I'm feeling much better, so Hooray! I'll take it.

Under 100 days!

Yeah! We are officially UNDER 100 DAYS until my official due date. Of course, with triplets you can pretty much assume that they'll be here quite early anyway, so we've probably been under 100 days for a little while, but to have it really be official is quite nice! My younger brother's wife, Megan, is due with their first baby in just 4 weeks (and she's about 1/3 my size) and once her baby arrives then it'll be the final countdown! Our goal is to make it to Halloween, which is 8 weeks away. (You eager moms might want to start getting those costumes put together...)

What will my kids be for Halloween this year? Big brothers and sister!

On a more serious note, you know your belly is getting big when you can't sit with your legs straight in front of you because it just doesn't all fit. I have to sit with them slightly apart so there's room for my belly to hang down. I know that's a beautiful picture, but you're the one reading my blog! Also, the little baby bums are big enough to really press outward on my skin and it's kind of painful! Oh yes, and then there's my grunts and groans every time I try to stand up or change positions. I am going to need a serious massage once this is all over!