Merry Christmas from the Trioux

What a wonderful Christmas! The babies first Christmas could not have been any better! It all started on Christmas Eve we took the babies to the Eastern Shore Center to meet Santa for the first time. It was pouring down rain and cold. To make it worse, Santa was in a pavilion outside. We got there when he first arrived so we were the second ones in line. We were about to run them up, take the picture and get a print in under 10 minutes!!! I think we did pretty well.

When we got back from Santa, we cooked and cleaned house for all the company we were going to have. Later that afternoon we went to my dads to exchange presents from him. We figured the babies had already had an adveturous day, so we left them at hime. As usual my dad went over the top! He got us three cases of D batteries (for their swings), three cases of formula, and a new Flip HD video camera!!!

Christmas morning was no exception! We had all of the family in town and got to spend the whole day playing with babies, cooking, eating, and oh yea, opening presents!!!! The Trioux RACKED up! I have a strange feeling that these babies are going to be spoiled by their grandparents pretty bad! I am an only child and as a result, these will more than likely be the only grandchildren my parents will have. These are Crystal's parents first grandchildren too!

Now on to my first attempt at loading a video to the blog. More pics and video to follow later today or tomorrow.

Halloween to Thanksgiving

I am almost there catching you all up on this blog and our life! Just a little more and I can start making entries that are current and not a month past due! Hopefully by the time I finish this post I will be able to start posting regular updates.

The past months have flown by and the babies are changing almost daily. It is a little hard to notice how much physically they are changing when we are with the every day, but when I start looking back at pictures of them to post on this blog, I really start to see the changes. It is AMAZING! Here is a great example of what I am talking about. The first picture was taken the week before Halloween and the second was taken last weekend.

Addi, Jack, Kate

Jack, Addi, Kate

We have had a lot of fun over the last few months now that we have settled into life with a family of five. We have been trying to take the kids out for walks as much as weather permits. We live on a very quiet street with only a few houses on it right now, so we don’t really have to worry to much about traffic for now. We have also been taking the kids with us to SAM’s whenever we need to go. For you triplet families out there, you know how those trips go, especially in a triple decker stroller. It has taken some getting used to, but so far it has not been that bad. The worst comment I have heard so far has been “Triplets, wow! I would kill myself”. Second worst: “Triplets, better you than me!” I have not had to cold cock anyone yet for trying to touch the babies, but have come close. What is it about babies that attract people to touch them!!! The hardest ones to control are other kids and the elderly. Those are the two groups that you really have to watch out for when in public. Crystal and my mother were actually brave enough to take them on a trip to Wal-Mart. I was smart and went to play golf (first time since Crystal went into the hospital). So far they have done great on our trips. Only once have we had a meltdown and luckily it was when we were leaving.

Halloween was a very fun weekend. Crystal’s parents came down from Atlanta and my mom came in from Jackson, MS and we had a big cookout. I decided to do some ribs on my Big Green Egg and we just spent the day playing with babies, taking picture, cooking and drinking a few PBR’s. Below are a few pics from that weekend. Next year will be a much more eventful Halloween. We can start to dress them up and have fun with them

The Big Green Egg Setup

Little Addi "Bones"

Our Jack "O-Lantern"

And Kate "BOO"

Thanksgiving has always been a pretty special holiday for me. I always look forward to getting all the family together and celebrating all that we have to be thankful for. This year was even more special now that we had a complete family of our own. The only dull spot on this holiday was the fact that my mom could not make it because she had to work. I really wish she could have made it. We had a good weekend though. We had almost everyone in town for this feast. It was Crystal’s parents, Keith and Paulette, her sister Marianna and her boyfriend Barry and my dad. I tried not to put too much pressure on myself and decided to cook the beloved Thanksgiving Turkey on the Big Green Egg. I had never done anything that important on the egg before. I was a little nervous and scared that I would ruin Thanksgiving if it didn’t turn out. Well, it was MUCH better than I would have ever expected. It was OUTSTANDING!!!

The bird about mid way thru cooking

The finished product

The war zone!

Our attempt at their first Christmas picture. I took this one on my iPhone while they were taking the real ones.

Later on that weekend Crystal and I went out to dinner at Stix to have a date night. After we finished eating, instead of going to see a movie, all we could think about was going home, locking ourselves in our room and watching a movie in bed ALONE! We made it almost to the end of the movie and couldn’t take it anymore. The babies were getting real upset and we had to go and help! We did get to sleep thru the night though and let the grandparents take the late shift.

This should be good for now. Next update will be all the milestones they have reached. Hopefully I will be able to get to it this weekend so the blog will be completely caught up by the end of the weekend. Now for a few more pictures of life at home with the TRIOUX.

Little Addi and Hogan napping on the couch

Addi in a milk coma

Like Father Like Son... So true!

Jack can sleep in the strangest positions! Notice the foot sticking out of the leg of the pj's!

Kate in her Bumbo. I think she is going to be our serious problem solver.

Kate passed out in the feeding boppy.

Now my favorite picture... Making bottles with Kate. I have to have my own bottle while making theirs!

Life at Home

I have been thinking all day on how I should start this and what all I should cover and have not been about to come up with very much. I am not a very good writer at all and don’t want to bore people with my rambling so I sometimes have a hard time coming up with what to write on here. Once I get the pressure off of myself of trying to get everyone caught up in our crazy life I think it may come a little easier.

September 17th was the day that our lives completely changed forever. That was the first day that all three were at home together. It was a little strange because that first night it was just the five of us and it was actually a little quiet. We were very fortunate the first month and a half to have someone there with is almost every day. Between Crystal’s mom, my mom and my dear sweet Aunt, we had it pretty easy at first. Looking back on it, it would have been very difficult without them. It also helped that Crystal didn’t have to go back to work until November so she had plenty of time at home. Having all the help allowed us to get into a pretty good routine without killing ourselves or each other.

The first couple of weeks were a bit of an adjustment, but I think the real adjustment came when it was time for all the help to go back home and it was just Crystal and I, That all happened just before Crystal was to go back to work also. Needless to say, Crystal was under a lot of stress and pressure. From the beginning our plan was to take the babies to daycare. We found a great daycare that was going to cut us a great deal and give us a good price, but after a lot of thought and talking to our doctor, we decided to go with a nanny. We just felt it was the best decision for the babies. They were so small and fragile we just couldn’t bring ourselves to expose them to all that comes with a group daycare. We ended up going thru a nanny service and fell in love with the first person we interviewed with. Her name is Tammy is she is wonderful with the babies, it doesn’t hurt that she is also a nurse!!! Talk about peace of mind! She has been with us now for over a month and has been great!

Well I guess that is enough of my rambling for this entry. On to what you came for... The pictures!!

Crystal with Addi, Jack and Kate

Me with Kate, Jack and Addi

Notice Jack keeping an eye on anyone. Already protecting his sisters.

(Addi, Jack, Kate)

The multitask double feeding. Crystal is much better at this than me!!

Everybody in their Bumbo's for the first time (Addi overlooking everything)

Trying to keep them quiet between feedings

Kate loves watching TV with mom

Daddy's little princesses! (Addi, Kate)

Three happy little one's!

Homecoming

As I said earlier, our NICU experience was pretty easy and was not that long. That being said, most of this post will be in pictures. I figured that would be easier than describing all the details.

Our homecoming adventure was a little strange and was an emotional rollercoaster. All three came home at different times which was a little hard. Seeing as Crystal and I are new to this whole parenting game, that kinda made it a little easier. We got used to one and then another one came home, and then another. It was VERY hard every time we left the hospital with one and had to leave one behind. Jack had the shortest stay of 16 days followed by Kate at 18 days. Addi was the last to come home at 20 days. Leaving her behind after bringing home Kate was the absolute hardest thing. Luckily they were all only two days apart from coming home.

Here are some great pictures of the Trioux’s Homecoming:

September 13th, 2009: Jack's Homecoming

September 15th, 2009: Kate's Homecoming

September 17th, 2009: Addi's Homecoming

Everyone Reunited and all in one place!!!

NICU Experience

Since this is where Crystal left off when she abandoned the blog (Just kidding!), this is where I will begin to catch all of you up on our adventure over the last three months. As I said earlier, I am going to try and keep this as short as I can and only hitting the high points.

As a lot of you know, the NICU is a strange place that can often times be very intimidating and scary. Luckily for us it was a pretty uneventful experience. Not to say it was not hard as hell to leave the hospital without our Trioux, but overall it was not that bad. Ours were mainly there to grow and learn how to eat.

At first, Kate was the sluggish one to breath. When she first entered the NICU she was put on a CPAP. Jack ended up on one a few hours later. Not going to lie, that was hard to see. I know it is nothing bad, but the first time I saw it, I was a little freaked out. Addi was the strongest in the NICU. She was on room air from the beginning. They were all moved to isolettes within a few days and transferred from the Level III down to Level II. They only stayed in those for about a week and then they were in open cribs. Our hospital just changed their policy about co-bedding, so they were each in their own cribs. It was pretty cool though, we almost had our own wing in the NICU.

Just hours after they were born:

Addi

Jack

Kate

Their little "mini houses!"

And Finally, Open Cribs:

I think the hardest thing about being in the NICU is that it kinda makes you feel like an outsider in your own child’s life. You can’t be there constantly and someone else is taking care of your children. It was also hard having to drive 45 minutes just to visit our babies. Crystal was really having a rough time of it. As some of you know, she was on hospital bed rest for over 80 days! Between being sedentary for so long and recuperating from c-section surgery, she had absolutely no stamina or energy. There were days where we could only go to the hospital once (during the 4 hour visiting time) during the day. It just took so much out of her.

Like I said our NICU stay was pretty brief in comparison to what it could have been, but we had some great things come out of it. For starters, we met some of the most amazing nurses. I truly believe that NICU nurses are chosen by GOD to do HIS work. Everyone was simply amazing. We met two nurses that both have had triplets. One of them is selling us her Choo-Choo Wagon! For those of you with triplets, you know what those things are worth!!! We also met our Nicole. She was our primary nurse in the NICU and we were her first primary babies! She has become a very close friend of the family and comes to visit every now and then. We also received a donation from a former triplet family. We received a Peg Perego triplet stoller!!! I still can’t believe that someone donated that to us! There are truly some great people in this world.

Next up… Homecoming!!!

New Sherriff in Town

Hmmm... How to to raise this blog from the dead? Where do I begin? Let me start off by saying thank you everyone for keeping an eye out on this long lost blog. As you can probably guess, Crystal and I have been a little busy lately. Can't imagine why, but that is no excuse.

I have made an executive decision. From here on out, I, Brian Boudreaux, will be taking over this blog and keeping it updated! I make a promise to all of you out there that I will try my best to keep you guys up to date on the happenings of the Trioux. As you can see, I have already made a few changes to the look of the page. This will be a work in progress.

Over the next few days, I will be updating with entries to catch up on what all of you have missed. I will also include pictures of how we got to where we are now. It is A LOT but I will try to keep it short and too the point. It has been a fun and tiring last three months (hard to believe that they will be 3 months old Saturday!!!).

Thanks again for your patience!

Really Late on This!!

Okay, so I am WAYYY behind on this! Our babies were born on August 28, 2009 at 12:00, 12:01 & 12:01. This also happens to be my 29th birthday! It was amazing.
The night before, the nurses hooked me up to the monitors as usual. I fell asleep, crazily enough without any sleeping meds which was the first night in forever that that had happened. Brian was also asleep on the cot in my room. I woke up to several nurses in my room and a resident. Then they left and came back and said that my doctor had said to move me to labor and delivery so he could monitor me from home. Luckily at that point, my wonderful nurse gave me something to calm me down!! I was wheeled around to l & d and the night of hell began!! My l & d nurse was not very nice!! I was up all night!! Apparantly, during the monitoring, I had some contractions, lasting about 7-10 minutes each (as was the norm for me) and Jack and Addi reacted poorly to them. Addi's heartrate went to 215 and Jack fell to 55 and they stayed put the entire time. My doctor ordered the OR be set up in the middle of the night and told the nurses to get with the NICU to make sure everyone was ready just in case. All of our parents were called in the middle of the night and all drove and arrived by 7 a.m. It was insane! My doctor came by that morning and said that I had had no more contractions so we could make the decision to have the babies that morning or wait the next week for when our c-section was planned. We opted to go ahead and have the babies. In our minds, there was no way to know if this would happen again and the worrying was too much for me!!
So, the c-section was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. I walked in the OR around 11 and our beautiful babies were born right at noon. Addi was born at 12:00 weighing 4lb.2ou; Jack was born at 12:01 weighing 4lb.4ou.; and Kate was born at 12:02 weighing 4lb.1ou. Addi was on room air from the beginning and was carried to the NICU by one of the nurses. Jack was on room air but later was put on the C-pap for about 6 hours to give him a rest. Kate was put on C-pap in the OR and stayed on it for about 12 hours. I only got to see Jack in the OR. When the nurse put him on my shoulder he stuck his toungue out at me. It was the cutest thing ever!! I could see Kate to my left but Addi was in another room. All of our parents were outside the OR and saw the babies come by on the way to the NICU.
And this was the beginning of our NICU experience...

32 weeks!!!!!

today is bittersweet. we are so happy to have made it this far and to have healthy babies. we finally had the ultrasound on friday and found out that our babies are huge. it is official!! Addison is 3lbs. 13 ou., Kate is 3 lbs. 15 ou., and Jack is 4lbs. 7 ou.!! Can we say chunkies??? i was so excited when they told me!! now if only the doctors would be straight and get on the same page!! i can barely walk but will push through this! i really do look to them to set a date soon. in fact, i asked for it on thursday. i need a goal as this day by day thing is just not for my personality!! i have gone through and continue to experience the weepies for no reason and then an hour later, i am laughing!! there is no rhyme or reason for it!! i am eating well though!! i will miss all these calories but part of me is ready for some home cooking and no more restaurants!! so that is the happy part.
the sad part is that one of my friends throughout this pregnancy is experiencing pure hell right now. she was a week ahead of me and we began emailing around 18 weeks when i first went on bedrest. she was also on bedrest. we have so much in common! she was having 2 girls and a boy also! she developed an infection early on and her membranes ruptured. she ended up having her babies at 25 weeks and 5 days. they have been progressing well though and were all doing so well!! that is until yesterday when she learned that one of her little girls has a bacterial infection in her bowels and will not survive. her bowels are dead and cannot be saved. i am sick just thinking about how she is handling this and watching this weekend as her little girl goes to heaven. please pray for her and her husband and family as they go through what has to be one of the most unfair and hellish experiences on earth. her name is brooke, her husband is joe and their little angel is Annaleigh.

31 weeks and counting

sorry it has been so long since I posted! the last couple of weeks have been extremely hard around here! I am becoming very homesick and have been using all my energy to stay focused on the three little reasons why I am here! last week brian decided that he would stay over every night to keep me company and in case anything happened. i know this is hard on him but it has been great to have him here with me! we are started to get really excited about the babies and talk often about who looks like who and who has who's profile. it has been wonderful!

the babies are going to be weighed and measured today...woohoo!! i never thought i would get to this point! we have had a few scares with decreased movement and low fluid levels but those things have taken care of themselves somehow and we are still here!! i did start having contractions, more pressure than pain, and my uterus is just mad at the world so they are giving me medicine to calm that a little so it doesn't effect the babies. i got an IV on monday so that has to be a good sign! i am swelling a lot in my hands, feet and face which they tell me is to be expected but it is not exactly glamorous!! haha

the docs say that they will not let me go past 34 weeks which would schedule me for September 4 but they seem to think it will be before then. i made a deal with brian that we would get to 32 weeks which is saturday but after that all bets are off!! i think about daily how blessed we have been to be in the position we are now. we came in at 21 weeks, 4 days in a critical position where we truly could have lost all three babies. the docs now tell me that they were really worried about us getting to 24 weeks/viability at that point. and yet now, we are at 100 percent survival and less than 2 percent chance of long term problems. the lord works in mysterious ways for sure. i beleive that that is one reason for me having been here, to realize and strengthen my beliefs and understand better my beliefs. i think we all at some point take things for granted and every now and then are given opportunities to wake up! in my profession, we always say that jesus is found in jail/prison, but after this experience, i have to say that i think if you want to find him, go to the antepartum floor of a women's hospital!!

i have met so may wonderful people here!! i am taking picuteres of all my nurses and will post later. they have been what got me through some of the worst bad days in my stay here!! they are truly wonderful people who care about what they do every day even when they are tired! they are an inspiration! i tell them that they are my babysitting pool!! haha

i will post later after i have the weights on the babies!!

weekend of 29 weeks

so this weekend we made 29 weeks!! see the photo to the left...how big can this thing get??? haha
the doctors are excited and now pushing for 30. i think they are trying to keep my spirits up which is really nice. this are not exactly comfortable but i know well worth it in the end!!
this weekend was the best ever!! brian came over friday and the spoiling began!! he got me breakfast, lunch and dinner and waited on me every minute! the surprise of the weekend came on saturday. brian had brought a projector with him. he then went and bought a hilarious movie and two kinds of popcorn, cheddar and caramal...yummy!! then he hung up a screen in my room and we had movie night. it was the best ever!! i laughed harder than i have since being here. for those couple of hours, it was just us, no nurses, no tests, just us! i loved it! i forgot i was even at the hospital. i thought this was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing that brian could have ever done for me!! he has truly been the best husband through all of this!! he always knows how to make things better!! he knew how uncomfortable i have been and he has done everything this weekend to make it better! i forget the discomforts when he is around!!
the babies are doing well. jack has the arhythmia in his heart beats but the doctor has tested the structure of his heart and all is normal so he says it is nothing to worry about. he has diagnosed it as preterm atrial arhythmia and says it is common. they will watch it and monitor it closely though!! Addi and Kate are bouncing along. all of them play a lot these days and love to roll and kick me!! one of them pokes their little butt up and you can see it sticking out the top of my tummy!! it is amazing that they can do this at their size and being breech!!
the nurses here have also made me so comfortable. they come and talk to me all of the time and always try to make me happy! they are amazing and we are blessed to be in such a good place!
i am going to try to post photos but i am not a computer pro so let's see if it works!!

these show brian's handy work setting up the projector and screen...the room is messy!!





this is what it looked like during the movie...almost as good as the big screen!!

Weekly news

Okay so the last couple of days have been interesting!! We had the growth ultrasound yesterday...we have some chunky babies! I am so happy! Addison is 2 lb12ou, Kathryn is 2lb7ou, and Jack is 2lb10ou at 28 weeks 4days!! during the ultrasound I found out that Addison is waaaayyyy down low. I also thought that my cervix looked dialated. The doctor came by this morning and went through everything with me. The cervix is not dialated but it has shortened substanstially because of the weight of the babies. He said it was expected. He started the steroid injections today to help the babies' lungs and I will get the final dose tomorrow. Then after 48 hours, it should have taken full effect.
My goal at this point is the same, 30 weeks. Only 9 or so days to go so that is my next milestone. The doctor is confident that they would be fine if born today given that they have passed alll their tests, but nothing on the outside is as good as being on the inside for just one more day!
I am also having contractions which are being monitored. I finally realized that is what I was feeling and the doctor confirmed!! The plan is to wait and see what happens - either the babies or my body will do something to tell them that it is time. I don't think they think I will make it to 32 weeks but we will see!!
The babies are great, kicking and playing!! They have cute little faces!! I am getting excited and fighting the weepies at the same time! Part of me is not ready to not be pregnant anymore no matter how uncomfortable it it!! then at the same time, i am ready to meet them!! I think Briny is a little nervous!! He is so cute!! He is going to be a great daddy once he realizes it!! He is in love with these little ones already!! It is the sweetest thing ever to watch him talk about them...sorry dearie if this causes issues with the man card!!

28 weeks...WOO HOO!!

So by the title you can tell that today was the 28 week mark. this is a HUGE milestone. We are now at 95 percent survival and less than 10 percent chance they will have any long term complications. I am sooooooo excited. Brian and his mom were here all day and we had a great time. this milestone somehow felt different than all the others. it was like a weight is off my shoulders or something. i can't quite pinpoint the feeling i have had all day. i was treated to most of my favorites today....chinese for lunch (finally some broccoli, who would have thought I would look forward to that!), sushi (cooked) for dinner, and the marble slab ice cream (didn't eat all of it so have left overs!! :)) needless to say, I am stuffed!!
today has also been a milestone for pain! i woke up at 4 a.m. to a horrible pulling in my back and all the way around my lower belly. turns out not contractions, but is tendons pulling against the weight of the babies. this persisted all day with times of absolute torture!! i tried everything to make it better, laying on both sides, laying on back etc. to no avail. i took tylenol which worked for about 30 minutes!! when it got to the point of not being able to take a good breath of air, the nurses thought it better for me to take something stronger. i was trying to get through it with no strong meds but now i see that that is just asking for misery!! i have now decided that i am going to enjoy all this "not so fun time" (doctor warned me of this!) of the pregnancy one way or another!! i figure that after adjusting to what is a triplet preganancy, we triplet moms have to make it the best we can!! So instead of laying here in misery, i fully intend to enjoy how many ever weeks I have left!!
i did ask the doctor today if he would schedule a c-section once i make it to 32 weeks. he said no. he said he was going to wait for my body or the babies to say when enough is enough. okay, so i guess i am in for the duration!! haha it feels kind of liberating to not know what tomorrow will bring as i have always been a control and schedule freak but at the same time, i find myself wondering all of the time what is going to happen and when!!
the gestational diabetes is not cooperating right now. the doctor ups my insulin and the glucose numbers go up more...it is a non-stop game!! today i had the highest reading since being diagnosed. i plan to talk to him about this tomorrow as that just freaks me out!! by the way this was before any ice cream!! i am good about no sweets all day in case we splurge at night or if i know it is a special occasion and ice cream is involved!! hahaha hopefully he will have a solution!!
overall, this has been a wonderful day and i continue to marvel in the blessings that surround us everyday!!

27 plus 4

So I met with the doctor today. He loves to wake me up early!! Things are looking good with the babies. He is tweaking my meds again! Since being taken off Motrin (due to the low fluid with A), I have noticed some headaches. He is worried that this is a sign of the preeclampsia trying to advance. SOOOO that means I am now on phenyl barbital (sp?). He said this will prevent any seizures but will make me oh so sleepy!! I am also getting three ultrasounds per week (M, W, F) and monitoring of the babies 2 times a day (the nurses are going to love me!!). He also increased some of my insulin doses to stabalize my sugars...who knew I was so sweet!! All of this should keep me busy!! I do have to say that all of the nurses here and my doctors have been more than I ever expected. The nurses are always coming by to talk to me even if they are on other assignments on the floor. They like to check in and see what the "lady with triplets," as I am so known by all the student nurses, is doing! It has been a very good experience and has gone by pretty fast!!
I have decided to let the doctors do the worrying. I just lay here everyday and enjoy feeling my little aliens moving and playing! They have been picking up steam lately!! Last night A, Addison, was playing and kicking until I talked her into going to sleep! It was amazing!! C, Jackson, has grown his legs and kicks up a storm!! He kicked his daddy really hard a couple of days ago!! B, Kathryn, is always moving but doesn't kick as much yet!!
Well, we are creaping up on 28 weeks which is a huge milestone!! Say that to just any expectant mom and you will get a strange look but for me and our trio, 28 weeks is amazing!! I hope they are growing and getting stronger. I really am starting to understand that I will soon have three little ones!! Brian and I talk about this almost every night!! It is mind-blowing but so exciting at the same time with a little bit of fear of the unknown thrown in there!!

27 weeks plus 1

Ok so it has been an entire week since I have updated...I have been a total slacker!! :) So what all has happened this week? I have been sleeping more and more. It is insane. I try so hard to stay awake but it never seems to work. The babies are moving and kicking a lot more now. Brian has gotten kicked and the nurses laugh when they see my stomach move around. It is so big that I cannot see over it to see it move!!
I also have moved to having 2 ultrasounds each week. This week I had one on Monday and Friday. On Friday, I learned that Addison's fluid level is a little low. The doctor said that it was in the normal range but close to being considered in the low range so he was going to monitor it pretty closely. He also said that the cord flow in her umbilical cord was not as much as he would like so they will be checking on that also. He says not to worry but that doesn't help!! The nurses are so nice and keep telling me that these things often fix themselves. Oddly, this constant encouragement makes me feel better. Maybe it is just denial but I know that if it was really a problem, my doctors would be scheduling a c-section!!
My parents came to visit this weekend to celebrate the 27th week. My mom came down on Thursday and my dad on Friday. This gave Brian a little bit of a rest time which he needed. He and my dad took Saturday night off and grilled out and had guy time. I think he had fun and it was a much needed respite!! I miss him when he is not here but he has been here every day since I have been here except maybe 3 or 4!!
My sugar levels have no rhyme or reason!! Everytime I try to control it with my diet, it seems to go higher so I am now going to listen to the doctors and just take the insulin!! I did have one day this week when my levels were normal and I didn't need any insulin!! WOOHOO!!
My blood pressure has remained normal. the doctor even says it is low sometimes. I still have some symptoms of preeclamsia so I am being monitored but the signs are staying the same and not increasing so that it is a good sign.
I keep setting my mini goals to make it through these weeks. Now, I am focused on next weekend, 28 weeks, and then will set my sites on 30 weeks. It has been a long time since I came into the hospital, June 10. I remember how bad the first couple of weeks were and I remember the beginning of July when I looked at the blank calendar and almost panicked!! Now, I see how fast it has gone by. It is mind-blowing!!
We have been blessed and I am so grateful to all of our friends and family who have been supporting us through this!! Soon we will have three little babies!! How crazy is that???!!!!

26 weeks

So today was a pretty big day...26 weeks! YAY! Brian and I just hung out all day. I have been taking insulin for my sugar levels and in an attempt to figure out the correct dose, the amounts have varied resulting in me sleeping A LOT! The nurses and doctors say this is normal but I feel bad sleeping a lot when Brian is here. I want to spend time with him!! My FIL visited today and brought me lunch and I slept almost the entire time he was here!!
Brian did get to help with the NST/monitoring of the babies. The heartbeats all going at the same time are the most calming sound you will ever hear!! I think this is the most relaxing part of my day even though at this point it is not the most comfortable position!! It is well worth it though!!
I am so thankful to have made it this far. We truly are blessed each and every day!!

still here

We are still hanging in here. I have been going through the routine the last couple of days. My sugar has risen but they are adjusting the insulin to handle it. It makes me a little shaky and VERY SLEEPY!! My blood pressure is regular/low per the doctor so that is good. The big event was that Briny felt the babies kick really hard for the first time! His eyes were so big and he was amazed!! It was so cute!! I feel them all day and night so I was really happy that he gets to experience the kicks too!! They are moving more everyday and the kicks are stronger everyday. It is an amazing experience to say the least!!

mid 25th week

To catch ya'll up...Monday we had an anatomy ultrasound. The news was good. The babies are all growing and getting big. A/Addision weighs 1 pound 12 ounces, B/Kathryn is 1 pound 9 ounces, and C/Jackson is 1 pound 13 ounces. The nurses and doctor tell me these are great weights for their ages!! I was happy! All of the peices parts are on target also and the hearts and brains are normal. It will probably be about 3 more weeks before we have another anatomy ultrasound.
Yesterday, my blood sugar was high (low end of high) all day so they now have me on scheduled insulin and sliding scale after meals. UGH! My poor fingertips!! It will take a few days to "tweek" the standard dose so I look forward to bottoming out at some point and feeling bad. The nurses are worried about this happening to me so they always are checking on me!!
Today, we should get the results of my tests for the preeclampsia that I have weekly. I hope these are decent!! It is amazing how fast things can change with triplets!! I am constantly amazed at how you cannot ever get complacent with the test results because they always change!!
We are doing well though! We really appreciate everything that ya'll have done to make this journey as bearable as it has been! I appreciate all of your support for me and the babies but also for helping Briny through this! He has been a rock and I know without your support that may be harder on him that it has been!! He is a wonderful husband and I know he will be the best daddy ever!!!

25 weeks

WOO HOO we made it to 25 weeks! It is also July 4. It has been a wonderful day today!! This weekend Brian's mom is here visiting! She and Brian have been spoiling me since Friday!! It has been awesome! I am so excited to have made it to this important day!! The doctor came in today and is so happy. He says we have many more weeks to go!! We are now looking to 28 weeks when he has approved a definite "wingdinger" as he put it!!

This hospital experience, though difficult, has been as good as you can expect. All of the nurses are so nice and we talk every day! They all tell me and Brian that they fight to have us assigned to them. That is nice of them. They are my social lifeline these days!! We also have amazing doctors who I beleive are so trustworthy and honest! They never rush visits and if anything beg me to ask them questions!!

The babies are moving and shaking! Monitoring today was a disaster! None of them would stay in one spot long enough to be monitored! It was a LONG hour of the nurses trying to chase them and get them monitored. In the end, I think there may have been two or three minutes of Kathryn and Jackson and as has been the tradition, about three beats at a time on Addison!!

Yesterday we went to tour the NICU. It was a little shocking to see how many babies are in there but because of all of my friends who have explained their experiences with NICUs, we were a little prepared for all the lights and sounds. The NICU here makes me comfortable. The nurses were all nice and I liked that there are so many nurses that the babies have close monitoring.

We are hoping more every day that these little ones are fat little dumplins. We should find out next week how much they have grown over the last month!! I am hoping for close to 2 pounds each. That would be fabulous!!

Okay, so now I guess I need sleep when it is actually dark outside!! My schedule is all off!! Right now, Addison is kicking her brother and sister who are not so happy about having to escape her. One day soon, I am sure they will eventually kick her back!!! It would suit us to have three little feisty babies!! I was hoping for calm!! hahahaha

Last couple of days

It has been quiet around here lately!! Thank goodness! The doctors say everything is going well and they anticipate us being here a while...they talk about making it to 34 weeks! I told them I am focusing on this week first!! :) I am not having any contractions which is a blessing!! Mostly I just sit around here and talk to the nurses. They have been really nice!! I am learning all the gossipp!!

The babies are kicking and playing a lot these days! Addison "A" is the most active. She enjoys kicking her brother and sister, especially when the nurses are trying to monitor all of them. It makes for a long hour!! Kathryn "B" has calmed down. She was a runner at first but now she seems to stay put. Jackson "C" flips to escape Addison's kicking. This morning I awoke to Jack plastered under my ribs. He is still hanging out there even though I keep pushing on him!! It makes breathing VERY uncomfortable!! The things they don't tell you about in the pregnancy books!! :)

This is about all that has gone on. Briny and I are going on the tour of the NICU tomorrow morning. That should be scary but necessary!! We will keep ya'll updated!!

24 week milestone

It has been an eventful weekend!! We made it to 24 weeks on saturday which is HUGE!! My parents came down on Friday and we all celebrated on Saturday. Briny and my dad brought me dinner (oh so yummy and a nice break from hospital food) and then ice cream!! I am spoiled!! Sunday Briny and my dad came over for a little bit and then went home to grill and have a guys night! I figured Briny needed a break from driving home at night and going straight to bed. Plus, I figured the puppies needed some attention and somewhat normal day!!
We did get some news on Saturday. I had my one hour glucose tolerance test and it was high so I was scheduled for a three hour test. They make you drink this orange drink which is DISGUSTING!! The three hour test was started at 4 a.m. so I wouldn't have to miss breakfast and lunch. (you have to fast for at least 8 hours before the test) Well, my fasting blood sugar was normal but I TANKED the other 3 blood draws! BOO!! Now, I have to have finger pricks every morning and 2 hours after every meal!! So far today my morning was normal and after breakfast was normal but after lunch and dinner, I have received insulin. I was freaking out but the nurses assure me this is normal and I have a mild case so far!! Let's just hope that stays the same for a while!! Otherwise my fingers will fall off!!
Some good news, my blood pressure has been normal without meds!! My kidneys are still producing too much protein and my liver functions are on the high side of normal so they have to watch this but so far so true diagnosis of preeclampsia that they have told be about.
What an eventful pregnancy this is turning out to be!! The babies have decided to start kicking and playing ALL of the time!! They are doing well! I had an ultrasound today and they were bouncing around and all three were "practice breathing." The nurses and doctors say this is a good thing and shows they are developing at a good and healthy pace!! I also have to be hooked up to monitors for at least an hour a day. It measures the babies' heartbeats and any contractions. So far, no contractions, so that this great!! Addi and Jack (affectionately A & C) are relatively good about not running from the monitors but Kate (little B) is a runner!! She kicks the monitor if the nurse presses on her and she rolls wherever she can to get away! The nurse has to sit on the edge of the bed and hold the monitor on her so she can move it around to try to catch her!! I have to lay still the entire time which is a challenge but worth it!! It is amazingly calming to hear the heartbeats for all that time. It reassures me of my purpose right now!!
I have to thank Briny for all he has done in the last few months!! While I was at home on bedrest, he was amazing keeping up with things and taking care of me. Now, he is my support and what gets me through the hard times during the day!! I love his visits and how he takes such good care of me! It is the cutest thing when he talks to the belly button a.k.a. "the microphone" to talk to the three babies!! He rarely misses a night of talking to them! Lately, he has been taking me on wheelchair rides around the hospital after dinner most nights to give me a change of scenery! We sit outside together and just talk. It has been some of the best times of me being here! Also, our parents have been here supporting us and truly deserve more thanks than we will ever be able to give!! They make the weeks pass quickly by coming to visit in intervals!!
Overall, I now know I am in the right place. The alone time can seem like it is stretching out forever but it really is a lot of time to get to know myself again!! I also think this has strengthened our marriage and family!! I can't wait to see the little ones but I am thankful to God that they are still cooking and getting healthier every day!!

Thanks to all of you who have supported us through this! It has made this so much better than I could ever have imagined and we genuinely appreciate all the thoughts and prayers!!

Doctor = Hospital

Okay, so it is officially time to catch this blog up!! A lot has happened over the last month! We finally settled into home bedrest and had a routine going! Then came June 10. We went to our appointment with the high risk doctors (MFM) for the anatomy ultrasounds of the babies. We found out that Addi and Kate were right at 1 pound each and Jack is 1.1 pounds. They all have healthy organs and parts so far, everything is normal!! Whoo!! However, we also found out that my first cerclage slipped and my cervix was down to .7cm!! I fell apart!! The doctor told us there was no other thing to do other than take the high high risk of putting another cerclage in so I was scheduled for surgery the next morning and went straight to the hospital. They put me basically upside down all night!!! Briny had to feed me and everything! I could not get out of bed!! All of the parents came down and by the grace of God, we successfully got through the surgery!! the risk was of rupturing the membranes and inducing labor, which at that point, 21+ weeks, the babies had no chance of survival. HUGE sigh of releif getting through that!!

So a couple of days later, the head MFM told me I was here for the duration of our pregnancy!! I was shocked and a little depressed. It was at that moment that I realized that this was not a normal pregnancy that all girls dream of and I started searching for the reason that this happened to me!! I have now been here exactly 2 weeks and am proud of our progress! My cervix is now close to 3 cm and I was taken off the blood pressure meds and my blood pressure seems to be regulating itself!! I do have some signs of developing preeclampsia but they are even getting better just by me being here and resting!

This time has been trying. Brian comes over every night for dinner and a couple of hours. We go on wheelchair rides most nights and outside when it is not 100 degrees!! I know he is tired so I try to get him home in time to get a good nights sleep! Our puppies, Hogan and Ping, are in shock but I think are adjusting!! This time has given me a lot of thinking time which has been a good thing!! I have come to beleive that we are truly blessed with these three little miracles and our faith is stronger now than ever!! Maybe that is the reason for this hospital stay!!

Settling into Bedrest

Well, we are back at home and getting settled into bed rest for Crystal. Luckily she only had to stay in the hospital for one night (one of the longest nights EVER!!). We are in the process of trying to work out the logistics of Crystal being at home and on bed rest. Thank heavens my mom has been here to help out. It is going to be a little of a struggle trying to work out all the details of how to manage her during the day when no one will be here. Her mom will be coming down on Wednesday this week so she will only have to be home alone for two days this week.

We have another doctor visit on Thursday afternoon. I know Crystal will feel a lot more at ease after that visit. Please keep your fingers crossed and your prayers up to date that everything is normal.

I have been working hard trying to get the nursery finished, but have a little more work to do. I put up a new fan, shelves in closet, decorative shelf above the cribs and they names above the cribs too! Once I finish, I will put up pics of it.

Rough Day

Well, today was a little tough. We had another check up at our regular doctor today. After last weeks cervix measurement, our high risk doctor wanted to get another measurement. Well, must to our shock and dismay, it went from 2.3 cm last week, to 1.3 cm today!! Needless to say, the doctor was not happy and put her right in the hospital and into surgery this afternoon. He went ahead and stitched up her cervix. Before the surgery, she did seem to have a few contractions, but have not had any thing since.



Bless her heart, she is MISERABLE! She can not get comfortable at all. She has wires and tubes everywhere. It sucks!!! I wish I could do more for her. Hopefully she will not have to be there too long. The doctor told us that he wants her home as soon as possible.

17 Week Update

Well, this has been an interesting week filled with ups and downs. Monday we had a regular visit with Dr. Thornycroft, our normal doctor. Two weeks ago we found out that we had one boy and one girl for sure, so we were hoping that we would find out for sure what B would be. Well, she did not fail to give us a show. It is definatly a girl!!! It is official, we have two girls and a boy! We are so excited.

Tuesday, we had the doctor visit with our high risk doctor. We were able to see the babies and get GREAT pictures. I have been told that it will get harder and harder to get good pictures the further along we get so we were happy to get new ones! The main reason for this visit was to measure her cervix. Crystal has not had one up to this point so we were not sure what to expect. Well, it is measuring 2.3, which from what we understand is pretty short. The doctor has now instructed her to go on modified bed rest. He told her she needs to lay flat 3 times a day for at least 2 hours at a time. Luckily her office is understanding and letting her lay in a recliner reviewing files most of the day. I am not sure how long she is going to be able to work. If it were up to me, this would be her last week, but she has to do what she has to do. Hopefully she will be able to work from home starting in two weeks. I just don't want her to be put in the hospital for bed rest.

On a good note, we picked out our three names for our new family. Baby "A" is going to be Addison Ann. The Ann part is from my family. It has been a part of my mom's family for a long time. Baby "B" is going to be Kathryn Ainsley. She is named after Crystal's grandmother. And last but not least, the baby boy "C." He is going to be Jackson Joseph. Jackson was Crystals dear grandfathers name and Joseph has been the first born son on my side of the family forever. All three names are built around both our families. We are so happy with the names we can't stand it.