Well, I'm a little roughed up but I'm hanging tough. Sort of. Thanks for every one's prayers and good thoughts. We made it through a tough and scary weekend. I am still alive to talk about it!
I got a little sick Saturday night and began having pretty massive contractions. I was put on Magnesium Sulfate (aka drug from Hell), for 24 hours. I had some issues with the drug levels being too high in my blood, which didn't help the situation any. It might have been the hardest and longest 24 hours of my life. But...we made it through. All of us. I'm keeping these kids in here as long as I can and they sure as heck better be worth it. I'm talking multi-millionaires, Nobel prize winners, or something. We made it. It was pretty scary, though. I would really prefer not to do that EVER again! It took 24 full hours to get them under control, but they managed to do it.
Words cannot express how glad I am that is over and how much better I am beginning to feel. I do, however, feel like someone rolled me down 3 flights of concrete stairs. I'm really weak, sore, and tired. I feel quite a bit better today and I expect that each day will bring more strength. I so appreciate all of the support and strength my family and friends have given us and can feel all of ya'll pulling for us! Thanks for all of the calls and well-wishes, Brian passed each one on to me.
There are a couple of good things to report. First, no pre-eclampsia. I got the results late Saturday night and that was great news. Second, I really haven't had very many contractions since then so hopefully they are under control. I'm actually having WAY fewer then when I was at home. Unfortunately, all of the contractions I did have changed my cervix a little. But, for now everything is status quo. I'm back on the contraction/blood pressure med and starting to get used to the way that it makes me feel. I also had a good nights sleep last night for the first time. I've been fairly uncomfortable, but even most of those issues are resolving, as they have done in the past.
Unfortunately, I may have bought myself a nice hospital stay until the babies arrive. We'll see. In all honesty I have been scared to ask Dr. Tabor. It is the one question I have completely avoided. I'm afraid of the answer. More than anything I just want to get everything regulated and under control...then maybe I'll get up the guts to ask. I will do whatever he wants, though. Hey-what's a few weeks anyway? They really do take great care of me and I feel so safe here. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had been at home when the events of Saturday night began to unfold. I really credit Dr. Tabor for getting me in here when he did because I think that kept the babies from coming on Sunday. So, I defer to the experts and will do as I'm told.
Again-thanks for every one's positive thoughts they really keep me going. Time has definitely slowed down and I feel bad for complaining about being bored earlier! Anyway...now ya'll get to hear about my crazy hospital life! I'll see what kind of trouble I can get into around here just to keep ya'll interested...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sort of like Quincy Carter filling in for Tom Brady...
Brian here so this post won't be as entertaining as you guys are used to. We are at the hospital still and Steffie has been having contractions since Friday. She went on magnesium sulfate this morning to regulate the contractions and we some difficulty getting the dose regulated. She was pretty out of it most of the day but has been better for several hours.
We need Steffie's now famous cervix to stop dilating and the contractions to slow down so we can keep those babies in Steffie's ever expanding belly a little longer. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as the next couple of days are going to be very important.
Hopefully we can post good news soon,
Brian
We need Steffie's now famous cervix to stop dilating and the contractions to slow down so we can keep those babies in Steffie's ever expanding belly a little longer. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as the next couple of days are going to be very important.
Hopefully we can post good news soon,
Brian
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Well, yesterday was an exciting day. It started out like an average visit to the Dr.'s office. I felt pretty good, nothing out of the ordinary or anything. Brian was able to take me and was excited because we were fairly sure that they were measuring the babies. Again, just a regular old day.
Until I go into have my vitals taken and my blood pressure was sky high. I believe it was around 152/90. Not so much of a good sign. Oops. Wonder how that happened? I had been having some swelling in my hands and face at home, some light-headedness, congestion, weight-gain, and headaches at times and had chalked it up to just being pregnant. We actually have an inherited blood pressure cuff and I had checked it a few times just to make sure-and it was always fine. Of course, we inherited it because the previous owners didn't think it worked so well....guess I might agree with them now.
So we go in to the room and the sonographer comes in (a newbie) and begins the measurement process. Now I had never had her before and she looked so completely overwhelmed I felt very bad for her. To her credit she really tried to figure who and where and what everything was, but it is HARD. There are 3 moving and cramped big babies in there and it is really hard to see what is what, who is who, or even what is who's. We could clearly see she was struggling...which is always a tense situation to be in. I guess the experienced sonographer hadn't made it in yet and she got thrown into doing this... So after about 10 minutes and lots of uncomfortable silence she pushed back her chair and said that she was sorry, but she was going to go tell Dr. Tabor that she wasn't ready for triplets yet and left. We both felt really bad for her. Then I looked at Brian and said, "Should we tell Dr. Tabor that we're not ready for triplets yet either?"
So that's the funny story of the day...now onto the rest. Dr. Tabor came in and did all of the measurements himself and was really happy at how all of the babies look. They are really doing spectacular. Great weights and movements and getting so strong. This is such an amazing blessing for us as this is obviously our first concern. We want them to be healthy. There are A LOT of complications that can happen for them and we are so happy that none of them have. It is so amazing and nerve racking just to carry and have one baby so you can imagine what comfort it gives us to know how great our 3 are doing so far. We discussed the contractions and he was a bit worried and sent in Alaine the nurse practitioner to re-do the Fetal Fibronectin Test, re-do the blood pressure check, and manually (yuck) check my cervix. This is where things really begin to seemingly go wrong. Same high blood pressure and now we find out my cervix is dilated 1 cm. WHAT? No way. Not my crazy strong cervix of steel. Apparently carrying around 10 pounds of baby and all of their junk is starting to create some wear and tear. Huh. Not sure how to react to this news. So she tells me I can get dressed, that Dr. Tabor will come back in to check on me, and leave the room. I get dressed and we sit and wait. Where we were previously laughing and joking there is now silence. I have been so spoiled with nothing going wrong and am a little punch drunk after this latest news. I actually thought for sure he would stick me in the hospital right then
BUT he didn't. He came back in and explained that pregnancy induced hypertension is a common complication, for women who carry singletons and especially for those with multiples. He said he was more worried about a condition called pre-eclampsia which is basically where your body begins to become toxic. This is not the greatest thing to have so we are really praying for this to stay away! The other indicator is protein in my urine, and I did apparently have a trace amount yesterday-which may or may not be normal. However, the definitive test is a 24-hour collection. So he sent me home with a jug to keep my pee in. The funny thing is that it has to be refrigerated! He also put me on bedrest which meant Brian would have to take my pee to the refrigerator and dump it in. Does this test the bounds of love? And I pee a lot! I couldn't help but laugh...such a bad wife! The other issue addressed was contractions, especially since I was dilated to 1cm. Again-bedrest. He did say that this was not uncommon because I am carrying around so much stuff in my uterus. But the contractions were concerning and if I were to have more than 4 an hour I would have to come back up to maternal observation and be hooked up for monitoring. He gave me a little pep talk on the way out and sent us on our way home.
I had 3 strong contractions on the way home. Upon getting in bed I had 4 contractions in 40 minutes. I am now obviously VERY freaked out by contractions (even more so than before) so we loaded back up, called, and headed back up there!
Ahhh...Maternal observation, otherwise known as hell. Just kidding-it was a better experience than last time, but still not great. They HAVE to do something about those beds, they are basically just stretchers and I'm fairly sure I would have been more comfortable on the floor. At least we didn't wait for over an hour just for a room like last time. They had to hook up four monitors, one heart rate monitor for each baby and a contraction monitor. They got a really good look at my contractions, though. Some were really strong, and for a while they were coming every 3-5 minutes. Not good. AND to top it all off we found out that the fetal fibronectin test they did earlier came back positive. WHAT? Fortunately a false positive is WAY more likely to happen than a false negative, but still a little freaky especially when you are having contractions. Man, what a day, huh?
That's when we found out I was getting admitted. I must say, I was a little teary-eyed because it was so shocking. But I am so happy to be here and I cannot tell you the weight it takes off of my shoulders to have constant monitoring. It makes such a world of difference. I didn't realize how worried I had been about things until I got here and really felt a lot more relaxed because they are always here and I've already seen Tabor twice. We are SO lucky. From the time I was told I was to be admitted to the time I was in my room was only about 20 minutes. So FAST! Somebody up there knew how uncomfortable I was in that stupid bed, right? Within 5 minutes of being in my room (private, quiet, and very nice) they had my vitals taken, I was hooked up to the monitor, I already had my anti-contraction/hypertension meds, and was amazed at how nice and attentive all of the staff were.
I was told yesterday it was just for the weekend, but we will see. When Tabor came by this morning he made no mention of how long I would be here. I know it has everything to do with what my blood pressure and contractions continue to do. So far they both have been down considerably with the meds they are giving me. I have had a lot of flushing, have been hot, and had a headache last night from the meds but all completely tolerable and getting much better with each dose. In fact, I almost feel back to normal. Again-I still feel pretty good and love my adjustable hospital bed and unlimited supply of pillows! It's actually so much better than the couch or my super-tall bed at home. I'm still not that uncomfortable at all. Amazing, huh? I've got 10 pounds of baby in me and don't feel that bad. My stay also has a lot to do with the results of the urine testing, I should get that back tonight.
Brian actually got to stay with me last night and that was such a huge relief. This is the first time I have had to stay in a hospital overnight in 20 years. I had a really hard time sleeping, but I'm not sure if it was because of the new environment, all of the excitement of the day, or his snoring. AND he was out of reach so I couldn't tap him to get him to roll over! I tried my hardest to avoid taking anything, but by 2:30 and after 4 hours of staring at the clock I was getting a little restless. I tried listening to my meditation CD, but the batteries died! So I think I fell asleep around 3:00 or so and apparently woke Brian up with my snoring. Now that's not embarrassing. I think he's making it up, personally. Send your good thoughts toward Brian. I know this is hard on him and will be harder if I have to stay longer. After all, I have a full staff waiting on me hand and foot and he will have to be navigating work in Dallas and driving to Ft. Worth to see me. And let's not forget Kita...she's been a little spoiled the last 10 weeks!
Sorry for the crazy long post, but a lot has happened and this should catch everyone up to speed on what I know. Hopefully we will know more tomorrow-and hopefully it will all be good news!
Until I go into have my vitals taken and my blood pressure was sky high. I believe it was around 152/90. Not so much of a good sign. Oops. Wonder how that happened? I had been having some swelling in my hands and face at home, some light-headedness, congestion, weight-gain, and headaches at times and had chalked it up to just being pregnant. We actually have an inherited blood pressure cuff and I had checked it a few times just to make sure-and it was always fine. Of course, we inherited it because the previous owners didn't think it worked so well....guess I might agree with them now.
So we go in to the room and the sonographer comes in (a newbie) and begins the measurement process. Now I had never had her before and she looked so completely overwhelmed I felt very bad for her. To her credit she really tried to figure who and where and what everything was, but it is HARD. There are 3 moving and cramped big babies in there and it is really hard to see what is what, who is who, or even what is who's. We could clearly see she was struggling...which is always a tense situation to be in. I guess the experienced sonographer hadn't made it in yet and she got thrown into doing this... So after about 10 minutes and lots of uncomfortable silence she pushed back her chair and said that she was sorry, but she was going to go tell Dr. Tabor that she wasn't ready for triplets yet and left. We both felt really bad for her. Then I looked at Brian and said, "Should we tell Dr. Tabor that we're not ready for triplets yet either?"
So that's the funny story of the day...now onto the rest. Dr. Tabor came in and did all of the measurements himself and was really happy at how all of the babies look. They are really doing spectacular. Great weights and movements and getting so strong. This is such an amazing blessing for us as this is obviously our first concern. We want them to be healthy. There are A LOT of complications that can happen for them and we are so happy that none of them have. It is so amazing and nerve racking just to carry and have one baby so you can imagine what comfort it gives us to know how great our 3 are doing so far. We discussed the contractions and he was a bit worried and sent in Alaine the nurse practitioner to re-do the Fetal Fibronectin Test, re-do the blood pressure check, and manually (yuck) check my cervix. This is where things really begin to seemingly go wrong. Same high blood pressure and now we find out my cervix is dilated 1 cm. WHAT? No way. Not my crazy strong cervix of steel. Apparently carrying around 10 pounds of baby and all of their junk is starting to create some wear and tear. Huh. Not sure how to react to this news. So she tells me I can get dressed, that Dr. Tabor will come back in to check on me, and leave the room. I get dressed and we sit and wait. Where we were previously laughing and joking there is now silence. I have been so spoiled with nothing going wrong and am a little punch drunk after this latest news. I actually thought for sure he would stick me in the hospital right then
BUT he didn't. He came back in and explained that pregnancy induced hypertension is a common complication, for women who carry singletons and especially for those with multiples. He said he was more worried about a condition called pre-eclampsia which is basically where your body begins to become toxic. This is not the greatest thing to have so we are really praying for this to stay away! The other indicator is protein in my urine, and I did apparently have a trace amount yesterday-which may or may not be normal. However, the definitive test is a 24-hour collection. So he sent me home with a jug to keep my pee in. The funny thing is that it has to be refrigerated! He also put me on bedrest which meant Brian would have to take my pee to the refrigerator and dump it in. Does this test the bounds of love? And I pee a lot! I couldn't help but laugh...such a bad wife! The other issue addressed was contractions, especially since I was dilated to 1cm. Again-bedrest. He did say that this was not uncommon because I am carrying around so much stuff in my uterus. But the contractions were concerning and if I were to have more than 4 an hour I would have to come back up to maternal observation and be hooked up for monitoring. He gave me a little pep talk on the way out and sent us on our way home.
I had 3 strong contractions on the way home. Upon getting in bed I had 4 contractions in 40 minutes. I am now obviously VERY freaked out by contractions (even more so than before) so we loaded back up, called, and headed back up there!
Ahhh...Maternal observation, otherwise known as hell. Just kidding-it was a better experience than last time, but still not great. They HAVE to do something about those beds, they are basically just stretchers and I'm fairly sure I would have been more comfortable on the floor. At least we didn't wait for over an hour just for a room like last time. They had to hook up four monitors, one heart rate monitor for each baby and a contraction monitor. They got a really good look at my contractions, though. Some were really strong, and for a while they were coming every 3-5 minutes. Not good. AND to top it all off we found out that the fetal fibronectin test they did earlier came back positive. WHAT? Fortunately a false positive is WAY more likely to happen than a false negative, but still a little freaky especially when you are having contractions. Man, what a day, huh?
That's when we found out I was getting admitted. I must say, I was a little teary-eyed because it was so shocking. But I am so happy to be here and I cannot tell you the weight it takes off of my shoulders to have constant monitoring. It makes such a world of difference. I didn't realize how worried I had been about things until I got here and really felt a lot more relaxed because they are always here and I've already seen Tabor twice. We are SO lucky. From the time I was told I was to be admitted to the time I was in my room was only about 20 minutes. So FAST! Somebody up there knew how uncomfortable I was in that stupid bed, right? Within 5 minutes of being in my room (private, quiet, and very nice) they had my vitals taken, I was hooked up to the monitor, I already had my anti-contraction/hypertension meds, and was amazed at how nice and attentive all of the staff were.
I was told yesterday it was just for the weekend, but we will see. When Tabor came by this morning he made no mention of how long I would be here. I know it has everything to do with what my blood pressure and contractions continue to do. So far they both have been down considerably with the meds they are giving me. I have had a lot of flushing, have been hot, and had a headache last night from the meds but all completely tolerable and getting much better with each dose. In fact, I almost feel back to normal. Again-I still feel pretty good and love my adjustable hospital bed and unlimited supply of pillows! It's actually so much better than the couch or my super-tall bed at home. I'm still not that uncomfortable at all. Amazing, huh? I've got 10 pounds of baby in me and don't feel that bad. My stay also has a lot to do with the results of the urine testing, I should get that back tonight.
Brian actually got to stay with me last night and that was such a huge relief. This is the first time I have had to stay in a hospital overnight in 20 years. I had a really hard time sleeping, but I'm not sure if it was because of the new environment, all of the excitement of the day, or his snoring. AND he was out of reach so I couldn't tap him to get him to roll over! I tried my hardest to avoid taking anything, but by 2:30 and after 4 hours of staring at the clock I was getting a little restless. I tried listening to my meditation CD, but the batteries died! So I think I fell asleep around 3:00 or so and apparently woke Brian up with my snoring. Now that's not embarrassing. I think he's making it up, personally. Send your good thoughts toward Brian. I know this is hard on him and will be harder if I have to stay longer. After all, I have a full staff waiting on me hand and foot and he will have to be navigating work in Dallas and driving to Ft. Worth to see me. And let's not forget Kita...she's been a little spoiled the last 10 weeks!
Sorry for the crazy long post, but a lot has happened and this should catch everyone up to speed on what I know. Hopefully we will know more tomorrow-and hopefully it will all be good news!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Jinx?
Well, I guess it's my own fault that I opened my mouth on the last post and bragged about how great everything was going. When will I ever learn?
We've had a few set-backs. I'm writing you from my brand new fancy hospital room. That's right, I've been checked in. Hopefully it will just be for a few days. I mean I wanted to get out of the house and all, but this isn't exactly what I was hoping for... Can you believe it, I got put on bedrest AND put in the hospital all at once! Talk about no warning whatsoever.
As of now I'm just here for the weekend for observation. It seems some things went haywire this morning so they wanted to get me in here for a few days to start some meds and make sure they were working. Definitely not an emergency situation at this point, more of a precaution. I'll catch everyone up on the full story with details, but I'm a little tired tonight. It has been a long day. I have a great room, I'm nice and relaxed, and Brian even gets to stay! Hey-it's like a fancy camp out with a flat screen TV! The nurses have been fantastic as well, and to tell the truth I am a little glad to be here because you know how much the contractions have been stressing me out. So, before you go to bed tonight say a little prayer for us and the little ones.
Oh yeah! I do have good news to share. Tabor measured the babies today and we have great weights! Little girl is 3 lbs 5 oz; little boy up left is 3 lbs 6 oz; and little boy up right is 3 lbs. Yeah!!! They all look fantastic and are crazy active.
I'll catch everyone up on things as I know more. Good night...
We've had a few set-backs. I'm writing you from my brand new fancy hospital room. That's right, I've been checked in. Hopefully it will just be for a few days. I mean I wanted to get out of the house and all, but this isn't exactly what I was hoping for... Can you believe it, I got put on bedrest AND put in the hospital all at once! Talk about no warning whatsoever.
As of now I'm just here for the weekend for observation. It seems some things went haywire this morning so they wanted to get me in here for a few days to start some meds and make sure they were working. Definitely not an emergency situation at this point, more of a precaution. I'll catch everyone up on the full story with details, but I'm a little tired tonight. It has been a long day. I have a great room, I'm nice and relaxed, and Brian even gets to stay! Hey-it's like a fancy camp out with a flat screen TV! The nurses have been fantastic as well, and to tell the truth I am a little glad to be here because you know how much the contractions have been stressing me out. So, before you go to bed tonight say a little prayer for us and the little ones.
Oh yeah! I do have good news to share. Tabor measured the babies today and we have great weights! Little girl is 3 lbs 5 oz; little boy up left is 3 lbs 6 oz; and little boy up right is 3 lbs. Yeah!!! They all look fantastic and are crazy active.
I'll catch everyone up on things as I know more. Good night...
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Patience is a virtue that I don't have...
Sitting at home alone is not good for impatient people. At least not good for this impatient person.
I am WAITING for week 30 to be over. This is my first big goal. It's SO close. It's actually on my Dad's b-day, November 1st...7 whole days away. Please, please, please pray for all of us that we achieve this goal! Not that the babies would be completely out of the woods for any complications, but they would be very close. Good weights, more developed lungs, and stronger.
Hopefully this won't jinx me, but it hasn't been all that awful. Obviously, I'm uncomfortable at times for a variety of different reasons-but none of the extreme side effects that I had read about. Lots of women seem completely miserable and I just haven't been. Now don't get me wrong, I am extremely whiny and pitiful at times, but looking back (which is always the best view) I have been SO lucky. With the one exception of the contractions. They drive me CRAZY. I don't care how much they tell me not to worry about them, they still make me worry.
The funny thing is, I actually like being pregnant. It might have been easier with just one, but would it have been as exciting? I think not. Do you know how wimpy people are that just have one at a time? Not to mention extremely inefficient. I'm still plugging along, at a much slower pace, but not ready for them to be here. I wonder when it will happen? When I will decide I have had enough and I want them out? I like them, which is good. I love feeling them bump around and know when they are awake or sleeping. Besides, I know they will be a lot more needy when they escape! It's really crazy to know that we are almost to the point when it could happen at any moment.
I have been thinking so much about this during the last few days. Right now the easiest option is still for them to hang out with me a few more weeks. I can't tell you how many times during the day I calculate and recalculate dates and weeks, and try to guesstimate when they might show up. I've even asked the Magic 8 ball and it keeps giving me different answers no matter how carefully I word the questions!
So what will it be? When will they get here? Will I really make it to 36 weeks? I just have a feeling I won't. I'm not sure why but it just doesn't feel like I will go quite that long. 33-34 weeks has been stuck in my brain since we started on this journey so many months ago. Wow-that's not far away. About 4 weeks. 28 days. Thanksgiving.
I think I might have reached a state of discomfort that will allow me to let go of them by then. It is still very tolerable now. I'm swelling a lot more. It's fairly painful for me to get out of bed in the morning. I have to uncurl my puffy, swollen, aching hands-muster A LOT of energy to roll over-stand up-and put weight through my aching knees and screaming feet. Then I just sit on the edge of the bed trying to get up enough energy to waddle to the bathroom...yet again. I pretty much waddle everywhere now. Apparently putting on over 60 pounds pisses your lower body off. Things just don't move like they used to! I had read that I would have problems putting on weight the last few weeks because it would be hard to eat, etc. No problems here.
I haven't had problems sleeping until the last week or so. It's actually not because I'm uncomfortable. I have to get up every hour to go to the bathroom. Huh. I just assumed that people couldn't sleep because they were ginormous and uncomfortable. I wish I had space diapers sometimes. I definitely don't feel rested in the morning, but I'm going on a few weeks with no REM sleep so I guess that makes sense. I do catch myself snoring in the mornings after Brian leaves...PLEASE no one tell him because I've been on his case about his snoring for years! I now have a permanent red mark across the bridge of my nose because I wear a breathe-right strip to bed every night... The most bizarre side effect is the fact that the inside of my nose swells up and I can't breathe. Does this make any sense at all? It's almost a little cruel, isn't it? Is there any doubt that God is a man? Apparently all of the extra hormones that are flying around in my body make mucous membranes swell. Oh yes, and the infamous carpel tunnel. I am having some tingling/numbness in my right hand-but no pain. But-like I said, everything is tolerable, and sometimes just funny. And it will go away!
I was very worried about being out of shape and completely worn out after they were born. I just don't see how that will be possible, though. Think how much energy it takes for me to do anything with all of this extra weight. My heart is constantly racing during normal, every day activities like taking a shower or folding laundry. I'll probably lose a good 40 pounds just with their births when you calculate their weights, placenta weights, blood-loss, amniotic fluid loss, and let's not forget all of the extra water I seem to be carrying around. Can you imagine what it will be like to stand up for the first time without my huge belly? Talk about a center of gravity change. Will I fall over? So crazy.
I am WAITING for week 30 to be over. This is my first big goal. It's SO close. It's actually on my Dad's b-day, November 1st...7 whole days away. Please, please, please pray for all of us that we achieve this goal! Not that the babies would be completely out of the woods for any complications, but they would be very close. Good weights, more developed lungs, and stronger.
Hopefully this won't jinx me, but it hasn't been all that awful. Obviously, I'm uncomfortable at times for a variety of different reasons-but none of the extreme side effects that I had read about. Lots of women seem completely miserable and I just haven't been. Now don't get me wrong, I am extremely whiny and pitiful at times, but looking back (which is always the best view) I have been SO lucky. With the one exception of the contractions. They drive me CRAZY. I don't care how much they tell me not to worry about them, they still make me worry.
The funny thing is, I actually like being pregnant. It might have been easier with just one, but would it have been as exciting? I think not. Do you know how wimpy people are that just have one at a time? Not to mention extremely inefficient. I'm still plugging along, at a much slower pace, but not ready for them to be here. I wonder when it will happen? When I will decide I have had enough and I want them out? I like them, which is good. I love feeling them bump around and know when they are awake or sleeping. Besides, I know they will be a lot more needy when they escape! It's really crazy to know that we are almost to the point when it could happen at any moment.
I have been thinking so much about this during the last few days. Right now the easiest option is still for them to hang out with me a few more weeks. I can't tell you how many times during the day I calculate and recalculate dates and weeks, and try to guesstimate when they might show up. I've even asked the Magic 8 ball and it keeps giving me different answers no matter how carefully I word the questions!
So what will it be? When will they get here? Will I really make it to 36 weeks? I just have a feeling I won't. I'm not sure why but it just doesn't feel like I will go quite that long. 33-34 weeks has been stuck in my brain since we started on this journey so many months ago. Wow-that's not far away. About 4 weeks. 28 days. Thanksgiving.
I think I might have reached a state of discomfort that will allow me to let go of them by then. It is still very tolerable now. I'm swelling a lot more. It's fairly painful for me to get out of bed in the morning. I have to uncurl my puffy, swollen, aching hands-muster A LOT of energy to roll over-stand up-and put weight through my aching knees and screaming feet. Then I just sit on the edge of the bed trying to get up enough energy to waddle to the bathroom...yet again. I pretty much waddle everywhere now. Apparently putting on over 60 pounds pisses your lower body off. Things just don't move like they used to! I had read that I would have problems putting on weight the last few weeks because it would be hard to eat, etc. No problems here.
I haven't had problems sleeping until the last week or so. It's actually not because I'm uncomfortable. I have to get up every hour to go to the bathroom. Huh. I just assumed that people couldn't sleep because they were ginormous and uncomfortable. I wish I had space diapers sometimes. I definitely don't feel rested in the morning, but I'm going on a few weeks with no REM sleep so I guess that makes sense. I do catch myself snoring in the mornings after Brian leaves...PLEASE no one tell him because I've been on his case about his snoring for years! I now have a permanent red mark across the bridge of my nose because I wear a breathe-right strip to bed every night... The most bizarre side effect is the fact that the inside of my nose swells up and I can't breathe. Does this make any sense at all? It's almost a little cruel, isn't it? Is there any doubt that God is a man? Apparently all of the extra hormones that are flying around in my body make mucous membranes swell. Oh yes, and the infamous carpel tunnel. I am having some tingling/numbness in my right hand-but no pain. But-like I said, everything is tolerable, and sometimes just funny. And it will go away!
I was very worried about being out of shape and completely worn out after they were born. I just don't see how that will be possible, though. Think how much energy it takes for me to do anything with all of this extra weight. My heart is constantly racing during normal, every day activities like taking a shower or folding laundry. I'll probably lose a good 40 pounds just with their births when you calculate their weights, placenta weights, blood-loss, amniotic fluid loss, and let's not forget all of the extra water I seem to be carrying around. Can you imagine what it will be like to stand up for the first time without my huge belly? Talk about a center of gravity change. Will I fall over? So crazy.
Monday, October 22, 2007
All dressed up...
So I tried to sneak out of the house on Saturday night. Don't worry, I had permission. I just wanted a few hours out of the house that didn't include a trip to the Dr., WalMart, Target, or Market Street (the only places I have been in WEEKS). Needless to say my social life is definitely suffering. Not a lot of party invites coming my way... Not that I actually fit into a lot of party clothes!
My friend Emily from work is getting married and she had a couples shower on Saturday at a friend's house near ours. Perfect, right? Not too far away, comfortable environment, no stress, and we can leave whenever we want. I had been looking forward to going for several weeks and hoping that everything would work out where I could. I would get to see a lot of friends that I have worked with for several years and enjoy some much needed non-solitary time. Brian even rushed home from the deer lease to take me (such a good hubby!). Emily has been a good friend to me and I wanted to celebrate this exciting event with her! She has been so supportive during my pregnancy and it would be good to actually see her instead of talk on the phone or e-mail. She will be the one taking the babies' first professional photos as well, check out her website... http://gigglesandgrins.smugmug.com
I took it easy all day Friday and Saturday. I mean REALLY easy, pretty much in bed both days. I swear I did everything I could. Drank my water, relaxed, ate my protein, slept, did my meditation CD, etc. You get the point... I took a shower, got ready, and was even ready EARLY to leave...by the way, that never happens. I felt really good, and if possible, even a little pretty (and of course puffy) in my very large maternity outfit!
Apparently I didn't clear this plan with my uterus. Or maybe, it was just as excited as I was to see old friends? Who knows? One thing I'm beginning to figure out is that sometimes there is no rhyme or reason as to what the heck it does. Anyway, I started having contractions...again, not labor contractions or anything, but still contractions. Even though I've been told that unless they are increasing in frequency and strength I shouldn't obsess about them, they completely freak me out and I want them to STOP immediately. The only thing I can do about them (sometimes works, sometimes doesn't) is to stop and lay down and relax. So that's what I had to do. Instead of go to the party.
So Brian and I took it easy the rest of the night. He takes excellent care of his entire crew...the one that is here, the ones that are on the way, and the fuzzy one. We relaxed, he picked up dinner, and we watched a movie. Overall, a pretty good evening with my two very favorite people...Brian and Kita! It is easy to get down when you get disappointed, but life is all about the perspective you take. I was sad, but I still had a wonderful evening. Besides, nothing in the whole world is more important than taking care of my babies! I just think how lucky I am that an evening spent at home can be so great, even when you are just doing the same things you do every night. It's all about the people you are fortunate enough to spend your life with, and in that department I am more than blessed.
My friend Emily from work is getting married and she had a couples shower on Saturday at a friend's house near ours. Perfect, right? Not too far away, comfortable environment, no stress, and we can leave whenever we want. I had been looking forward to going for several weeks and hoping that everything would work out where I could. I would get to see a lot of friends that I have worked with for several years and enjoy some much needed non-solitary time. Brian even rushed home from the deer lease to take me (such a good hubby!). Emily has been a good friend to me and I wanted to celebrate this exciting event with her! She has been so supportive during my pregnancy and it would be good to actually see her instead of talk on the phone or e-mail. She will be the one taking the babies' first professional photos as well, check out her website... http://gigglesandgrins.smugmug.com
I took it easy all day Friday and Saturday. I mean REALLY easy, pretty much in bed both days. I swear I did everything I could. Drank my water, relaxed, ate my protein, slept, did my meditation CD, etc. You get the point... I took a shower, got ready, and was even ready EARLY to leave...by the way, that never happens. I felt really good, and if possible, even a little pretty (and of course puffy) in my very large maternity outfit!
Apparently I didn't clear this plan with my uterus. Or maybe, it was just as excited as I was to see old friends? Who knows? One thing I'm beginning to figure out is that sometimes there is no rhyme or reason as to what the heck it does. Anyway, I started having contractions...again, not labor contractions or anything, but still contractions. Even though I've been told that unless they are increasing in frequency and strength I shouldn't obsess about them, they completely freak me out and I want them to STOP immediately. The only thing I can do about them (sometimes works, sometimes doesn't) is to stop and lay down and relax. So that's what I had to do. Instead of go to the party.
So Brian and I took it easy the rest of the night. He takes excellent care of his entire crew...the one that is here, the ones that are on the way, and the fuzzy one. We relaxed, he picked up dinner, and we watched a movie. Overall, a pretty good evening with my two very favorite people...Brian and Kita! It is easy to get down when you get disappointed, but life is all about the perspective you take. I was sad, but I still had a wonderful evening. Besides, nothing in the whole world is more important than taking care of my babies! I just think how lucky I am that an evening spent at home can be so great, even when you are just doing the same things you do every night. It's all about the people you are fortunate enough to spend your life with, and in that department I am more than blessed.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Desperation?
All right, maybe not desperate, but at least a little on the sad side...
I need some new websites to look at. Badly. I've sunk to new lows in the last week and need some direction. Anyone out there have any help for me? I consistently stalk triplet websites, my e-mails (just in case), and a few friends' myspace pages/blogs. However, I have in the last week actually browsed the following:
I need some new websites to look at. Badly. I've sunk to new lows in the last week and need some direction. Anyone out there have any help for me? I consistently stalk triplet websites, my e-mails (just in case), and a few friends' myspace pages/blogs. However, I have in the last week actually browsed the following:
- Websites showing before and after tummy tucks. Not too bad, actually. I'm keeping my options open as well as planning for the future...
- Weather in Mexico. Boy am I dreaming.
- Spa services and prices. Yeah right, like I can leave the house to actually do anything. What are the chances I could get them to come to me? Or actually afford it?
- Ways to remove callouses from my heals. Really a pedicure would cure this, right?
- Wrinkle creams.
- Raised toilet seats at WalMart and Walgreens. It's getting much worse.
- Protein content of every food under the sun. I had to up my protein intake to get weight on these little guys. I am beginning to hate protein and may become a vegetarian when this is all over and done with.
- Oriental rugs. Just curious.
- C-section videos on you-tube. YUCK!!! This is not what I signed up for.
- Postage stamp options. Just wanted to see if they had any cool ones.
- Jobs. Just wondering what might be out there? REALLY missing working.
- Mini vans. No way am I doing this. I don't care how convenient it is, I will get more of a workout getting them into a SUV. I wanted to be fair, though, and prove that I was not totally close-minded. This book is closed now.
- And yes...the Brittany Spears saga. Now that 's just pitiful.
Does anyone have any sites they would like to share? I need some direction. Either that or I am going to have to become a major Internet shopper and Brian would not like that.
Thanks to my friends at work for coming to visit me last night. Mary, Heather, Kris, and Theresa came to keep me company and watch Grey's Anatomy. It was great to see you all and catch up on what's been happening at OCH. Thanks for making the long trek, I really appreciate it!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Dr. Day
I'm going to have to have a serious conversation with Dr. Tabor. He's making my Dr. Day blogs rather boring. I have nothing to report except that things are progressing well. The babies' heart rates all look good as do their fluid. My blood pressure was a stellar 120/78. He's no longer checking my cervix unless I begin having symptoms like bleeding, etc. We're past the critical point and he wouldn't do anything anyway, which means NO CERCLAGE! That was a relief. This a surgery to basically sew the cervix shut and that never sounded great to me. It actually sounded pretty creepy. He said my cervix is probably shrinking, but it's going to at this point. Great...I tried to explain to him that I look forward to checking out my cervix every week. That we've become great friends and I will just miss it too much if I can't visit with it. He said I need to relax, that we're going to 36 weeks, and that I'm doing awesome.
Relaxing is not something I do very well. How ironic is it that God has brought me to a place where that is all I am supposed to do 24 hours a day! Relax. Take it easy. I think I am in week 9 of being off of work and week 3 of "really taking it easy." It's so much harder than you think it should be. I am goal oriented. I need to accomplish projects and get things done to make myself feel good. I come from parents who are chronic over-workers. (Can I blame them for my inability to relax?) So, it's all been hitting me in the past week or so, but I am dealing with it. My first instinct is always to freak out and be whiny, but I think I'm beginning to come to grips with it. Just think, only 7 weeks left at the most. I have a goal, right? At least this isn't going to go on forever!
I did order a pregnancy meditation CD today. Surely this will help me focus my energies elsewhere. It's funny, I say I'm bored and I sit around and obsess about being bored! I've also ordered a few books to keep me busy. They are all about taking care of newborns. So I've given myself a few bedside activities. I'm already looking forward to Friday because Brian will be home from work all weekend!
I've been having good and bad days, but mostly good. Yesterday the kiddos had gotten themselves in a funny position and I was pretty uncomfortable-and whiny. Today has been a great day. I'm feeling really good, certainly not pregnant with triplets. The more I lay down the fewer contractions I have, which is certainly a motivator. The babies are moving around and their movements are getting stronger. They provide excellent entertainment! I guess the most important thing that I think EVERY day is that I have never gotten so uncomfortable (or bored) that I want this to end. I have, however, gotten so uncomfortable that I have sworn off ever being pregnant again! I love my babies and love having them inside. I know they're safe and just where they need to be to grow and develop. So begins week 29!!!
Relaxing is not something I do very well. How ironic is it that God has brought me to a place where that is all I am supposed to do 24 hours a day! Relax. Take it easy. I think I am in week 9 of being off of work and week 3 of "really taking it easy." It's so much harder than you think it should be. I am goal oriented. I need to accomplish projects and get things done to make myself feel good. I come from parents who are chronic over-workers. (Can I blame them for my inability to relax?) So, it's all been hitting me in the past week or so, but I am dealing with it. My first instinct is always to freak out and be whiny, but I think I'm beginning to come to grips with it. Just think, only 7 weeks left at the most. I have a goal, right? At least this isn't going to go on forever!
I did order a pregnancy meditation CD today. Surely this will help me focus my energies elsewhere. It's funny, I say I'm bored and I sit around and obsess about being bored! I've also ordered a few books to keep me busy. They are all about taking care of newborns. So I've given myself a few bedside activities. I'm already looking forward to Friday because Brian will be home from work all weekend!
I've been having good and bad days, but mostly good. Yesterday the kiddos had gotten themselves in a funny position and I was pretty uncomfortable-and whiny. Today has been a great day. I'm feeling really good, certainly not pregnant with triplets. The more I lay down the fewer contractions I have, which is certainly a motivator. The babies are moving around and their movements are getting stronger. They provide excellent entertainment! I guess the most important thing that I think EVERY day is that I have never gotten so uncomfortable (or bored) that I want this to end. I have, however, gotten so uncomfortable that I have sworn off ever being pregnant again! I love my babies and love having them inside. I know they're safe and just where they need to be to grow and develop. So begins week 29!!!
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