Name Poll Results

Well, the name poll is officially over (as of 11:59 pm yesterday) and it was a lot of fun. And very interesting. Here's how it ended (it ended up getting removed when I switched the background):

Grace - 25 votes
Hannah - 16 votes
Maria - 7 votes
Ruby - 13 votes
Faith - 8 votes

I am curious....did Grace receive so many votes because it was first on the list, and therefor people assume it is her name?? Or is it a name you all really love? That's been my most interesting thought through this process.

Originally, we said that her name is a combination of the names that were in the poll. Lately, however, Steve and I have discussed her name and decided on.....





.........DRUMROLL PLEASE............








Palin Joan Calonder!!!!


Now....are we serious?? I guess you will have to wait until Tuesday to find out!!! (Don't be surprised if we are serious, though!)

Thank you to everyone who voted...it was fun to watch and I really enjoyed everyone's input. Even if we do choose Palin Joan instead!

As for how little Palin is doing....pretty good. I went in yesterday for my final OB appointment and everything is "pretty much the same." So, because she is not in distress, holding up fine, and yet unaffected by everything, we are waiting until Tuesday to deliver. Whew! According to OB's calculations, that will put Palin at 37 weeks, 6 days gestation...pretty perfect! (According to my calculations, it puts us at 38 weeks, 2 days.) She is moving much less these days, but I am hoping because she is running out of room. She is still making breathing movements, though. I am still having pretty regular, kinda intense contractions (thank goodness for a cervix that is "uncooperative" in this situation!) and bleeding. She still looks exactly like Noah and Aidan in her ultrasounds. Round face with big cheeks and appears to be bald. I would attach a picture, but for some reason our printer/scanner/copier is acting up. Ugh!

We cannot wait to meet little Palin!! Please pray for her safe delivery and health on Tuesday.

Yet Another Appointment

Well, I went in again this morning for my normal check, which now includes an ultrasound. I was still having quite a bit of bleeding when I arrived. He checked everything. Everything with little Miss C is doing well still. She was not as "reactive" as he wanted her to be, however. Her heart and blood flow to the cord and brain all looked great. My blood pressure was a tiny bit elevated, but nothing terrible. I lost another 5 pounds again.

When he was done with the scan, he decided he wanted to do a non-stress test to make sure everything was OK and also moved up the c-section date. I was glad for that because the stress is really getting to me. We are now scheduled for September 16 (Tuesday) with my physical next week. Under two weeks left. Wow!

When I went in for the NST, everything was OK. She was still not very reactive, so they fed me apple juice...yuck. Then she finally had the accel they wanted (after over two hours!) and I was allowed to go home. Thank goodness.

Continued prayers would be greatly appreciated for the next couple of weeks and for a safe delivery and healthy baby.

Another Appointment

Today we had another OB appointment. Everything looks good and is going well! Little Miss C is growing and I gained three pounds :-O in the last two weeks. My blood pressure is "hanging in there" according to Dr. H. All very good things at this stage of the pregnancy. I have some swelling, but nothing major yet. I have been noticing a bit more the last few days, but it's not severe by any means. I do not have to go back for another two weeks. Yay!

Little miss is definitely developing patterns that are extremely recognizable. She's still very quiet, very similar to Nathanial in there (which would be a great personality to have!). She moves a bit in the late morning, then again in the afternoon, and around 11 every night, she gets hiccups. She also tends to have a ye old time in there at that hour. That is her most active time of the entire day...probably because I'm trying to sleep! Her newest thing is to see just how far under my right rib she can wiggle herself. Ouch! That has not been pleasant! It's not too bad, though....compared to the triplets! I'm really cherishing this time because I know this is our last baby and I want to enjoy every minute of it. Feet/butt in ribs, heartburn, hips aching, little stretches, hiccups, soccer try outs....everything. I cannot believe that in one month and two days she will be here!

We Have a Date!

Today I had my regular OB appointment. Do you know I am now far enough along that I go in every two weeks from here on out??! I was shocked when she told me the date of the next appointment...I couldn't believe I am that far!

Everything was fantastic. My blood pressure was slightly elevated from last time, but compared to my other pregnancies at this stage, it was pretty good. I lost another three pounds since my last visit, but that was from all my carb restrictions, I am sure.

I asked Dr. H about the a1C and he said I did not need to be watching what I am eating...just make sure it's all balanced. I thought my a1C was OK, and he said it was "well within normal limits." If it hadn't been, even though I had passed the three hour, he would not have hesitated to diagnose me with GD. What a relief! I am still not going to go out and eat a huge amount of sugar, but it made me feel better that I am able to eat "normal" and not panic at every morsel of carb I put in. Which, lately, I have been eating almost no carbs whatsoever, just to be sure, so that probably explains the weight loss, also.

I asked him if he had a date in mind yet, as we need to know for childcare purposes. He again mentioned the 19th, which is Austin's birthday. As much as I want to meet this little girl, I am not going to do that to Austin. Birthdays should be special, if at all possible, and not shared. (Obviously, the triplets don't have that advantage, but they're special in their own way!) So his second date was the 23rd. This is extremely close to my actual due date (three days), so if something happens, we may have to go earlier. But I have never, ever, not even with triplets, gone into labor on my own, so I am confident she'll wait also. My body just has no clue how to get babies out once they are in there for so long! As it stands, we now have a scheduled date of Tuesday, September 23 in the afternoon!! I am so excited and cannot believe we are this close to meeting her!!!

OB Appointment

I went in today for my one hour glucose and my regular OB check. Three weeks ago, my blood pressure was awful, so he made me come back early this month. Today, it was awesome. It was 124/72, with a trace of protein and some swelling. So although the bp is down, I still am exhibiting signs of preeclampsia. But not awful enough to warrant another early visit. Yay!

I lost the one pound I had gained, so that isn't so good. The baby is doing great. Her heartbeat was great, measuring on time, and is happy as a lark in there. She still is pretty lazy, but that's alright. She rolls more than kicks and get a ton of hiccups. Still no delivery date set, which is fine by me! It seems unreal to me that in a little over two months we will have another baby in the house. I just still can't seem to wrap my brain around it, but I am so excited. We finally have her car seat bought and ordered the swing...now we just have to finish cleaning out her room and painting it, putting together the crib, and all the little stuff. Shawna (my sister) and her kids are coming out to help me get everything together and spend time with us and I am so excited for her visit!

I did the one hour glucose and they messed that up. She called me back, drew my blood and said I could be on my merry way. I'm glad I've had the test a few times to know enough that I wasn't finished. When I asked her about the drink, she was all surprised and didn't realize that's what I was there for. So she got me the nasty beverage, I drank it down, then went back and got drawn again. I did flunk the flipping thing again....by a mere 8 points (148)! Apparently, I flunked it by 13 (153) with the triplets and still passed the three hour, so that's what I'm hoping for now. I do that next week. Fun, fun. Lots and lots of reading time, I guess.

OB Update

I went in today for another appointment. I am further along than I realized! I can't believe sometimes how fast this pregnancy is going, yet it seems to be taking forever for this new little family member to join us because we are so excited. An interesting phenomenon this time around is that I have no clue how far along I am. In every single one of my pregnancies, I have been able to say the exact number of weeks and days (and more than likely minutes and seconds if you really wanted to know!) that I was. Not this time. Now I have to check my e-mail signature. I know my due date, but forget it if you want an answer as to how far along I am. I listened carefully to my doctor and I now know I am 27 weeks pregnant. Wow! It seems amazing to think I am that far! It is also just shocking to me that I do not know how far along I am. I guess my brain just no longer works!

The appointment went, well....so-so. I gained one pound, so that was good. So far, I have just lost weight. I have no protein; yet. Baby's heartbeat was fabulous (168) and moving everywhere. Normally, this baby is very lazy, similar to Nathanial in utero. But when the doppler comes out, watch out. Not a fan, very similar to how Aidan was. I also measured right on for dates. The one teeny-tiny, itty-bitty, smidgen of a problem was my blood pressure. It is rising at a startling rate and was very high yesterday. Not good at all. Dr. H just said 'you can't have toxemia yet...you just can't. You got to 36 weeks with triplets!' And, technically, I do not. I have minimal swelling (I think) and no protein. Still, the blood pressure can be a sticking point for OB's. It was 142/102. Ouch! So I told him it was rather stressful to have to get seven people (kids + "the nanny") to his office on time; I could feel it rising on my way in; it's him making me nervous; it can't possibly be accurate. So he let me "rest" and we chatted about our respective teenagers. Yeah, like that's a good idea to bring the BP down! Not so much, it seems. Or I really am starting to have a problem....but that can't possibly be it. It was the exact same the second time. So now, yippee!, I get to go back in in three weeks so he can keep an eye on it. Yuck. I'm fearful he's going to start the dreaded 24 hour urine again.

Plus, next time, I (joy, joy) get to do the puke-inducing glucose test. He told me not to puke, they'd make me do it again. I told him I learned that lesson with the triplets. Still...it's disgusting. OK, normal people hate it. I despise pop...can't stand the fizz of it, the sugar of it, any part of it. If I am going to have pop because I have to, it has to be Coke or Dr. Pepper. Those are the only two I can even attempt to stomach. Sprite? Orange? No flipping way. Guess what the glucose is?? Extremely bubbly, very sugary, absolutely disgusting "Sprite" or "Orange" flavor. Is it really any wonder I want to hurl?? Not really...

With Aidan and the triplets, I failed the one hour test by a few measly points and ended up doing the three hour. Ohhh...now I get to drink even more nasty crap AND wait three hours. Only to end up passing the three hour with flying colors. I am hoping to pass just so I don't have to drink it again. Sadly, though, I will not be overwhelmingly disappointed if I do not pass it, because that means I get three non-stop hours of reading and vegging...totally uninterrupted! Is that sad?? To get excited to sit in a lab for 3+ hours??? Ah, well. No matter what, I need to pass it though. I cannot get GD this time...I just can't.

So while I had a very nice chat with my wonderful OB and his nurse, all in all, it wasn't a fantastic appointment. Please pray for my blood pressure...I know it sounds stupid to pray for that, but this little person NEEDS to stay put until September!!!

The Baby Is.........

Beautiful and healthy! Everything looked fantastic with little Baby Calonder #6 tonight. Everything with the heart, spine, kidneys, everything was perfectly formed. Ten little fingers and ten little toes. Yawned twice and sucked on the same two fingers Noah fancies. Uh-oh. So....I guess the question is....is it a he or a she?? Do you really want to know??? Are you sure???? Maybe we couldn't tell!?!



The baby is a...............




Girl!!!!!!!!!!

You read that correctly....after five boys, looks like we are having a little lady, a beautiful little girl, a healthy, miracle little girl join us!!!! I think I am still in shock, personally. We told Austin by giving him a flower onesie. He didn't get it at first, then smiled big and said "It's a girl?" He looked pretty happy about it, actually. He was half-asleep though. Aidan didn't want to wake up and find out. He's right anyway....he's known all along this baby is a she. As he put it, God wouldn't give us another boy. I guess not.

We are so happy little Miss Calonder is happy and healthy in there. Now our prayers are that she stays put for the next few months, but we can't wait to meet her when it's time! She does have a name, but we are keeping that secret. And actually, now it is between three names. We have thought of a few more that we really like. I guess you'll have to stick around until September to find out her name!

OB Appointment

Today I had another OB appointment. Everything went well. My blood pressure is starting to climb, so that's not so good. However, I was rushing all morning long, running at least 20 minutes late, so rushed even more. I almost ran to his office, hoping to sit for a few minutes. No such luck. Today, of all days, he was running exactly on time and I didn't even get to sit and calm myself at all. So I think that may have contributed to the slightly higher reading. Stress.

The baby's heartrate was 156, still strong! And boy did s/he not like it! Exactly like Aidan, as soon as he put the doppler down, the baby rolled...and I felt it. That's the first roll I've felt. Pretty awesome! Then s/he kicked and kicked at it, so we got a lot of noise today. Finally found the heartbeat. It is always such a relief and so reassuring to hear that.

My loving OB pointed out that he just realized I will have six kids. I thanked him for reminding me, as if that little fact has failed me recently! He asked how many more we were going for and I reminded him we discussed the tubal at my first visit. He remembered, but said once again he'll wait until I'm in the OR to really believe me.

He also asked if I was feeling any movement yet and I said I thought I was. He said since it is the fourth pregnancy, he doesn't doubt at all that is really what I am feeling. He said you know what to look for after that many times and I probably really am.

He feels my lack of energy and still quesiness might be due to some dehydration and wants me to drink more. I hope that's all it is. This pregnancy has been rough, as far as exhaustion and icky-ness go. He said he highly doubts I'll ever truly get the second trimester burst of energy though. His nurse asked if I had any energy before I was pregnant. Good point.

Next month we found out if this baby is a he or a she!!! I'm so excited!!!!

Delivery Date Set!!!

We have a date!! We will be delivering the babies on Tuesday (February 6) at 1:30 p.m.!!! I am so excited and scared and just a bundle of emotions right now. I really want everything to be OK with them and I did want to wait until later in the week, but it isn't up to me. It is in God's hands and I trust all will be fine with the babies. I will be 36 weeks and they believe (both the OB and the nurses at the hospital) the babies will be close to 6 pounds by Tuesday. It is just amazing. I am thrilled, also, that we are able to deliver at Allen with our doctor. That is fantastic.My blood pressure and protien were up today, so I do have to go in on Friday afternoon to be sure they don't skyrocket before Tuesday. He said it could, but it is doubtful. But he does want to be sure. I didn't have to do any labs today...hooray!!The nurses on the OB floor today informed me that I am the first set of triplets in 39 years. They will have a pediatrician at the delivery plus lots of extra nurses, so they said it will probably be crowded. They also said that they cannot guarantee that I will get a spinal, it will depend on the anesthesthologist. They said there is one that will only do epidurals. I have had both and I prefer the spinal, but knowing in advance will help me prepare either way.I am just in awe that we have been able to make it this far. This is clearly God's will that we have these babies and that they be born as healthy as possible. We do need prayers for the doctors and nurses and all involved, the babies' health, and that everything goes well. If you could, please say an extra prayer for Austin that he does OK through all of this. He has been very accepting of everything lately and is handling this better, but I know it will still be difficult for him. Also for Aidan who is so excited and doesn't fully understand everything. I will update when I am able with new baby pictures and everything. I also am going to put up new bellyshots, one taken this weekend and I will take another Tuesday morning before we leave.

God is great!!!

OB Appointment

I am so excited! I went to my appointment today and everything with the babies is excellent. My blood pressure is still high (156/86) and didn’t change when I stayed laying down, BUT it isn’t affecting the babies at this point. I get to do yet another 24 hour collection (yippee!!) to make sure everything with me is still functioning. Last week’s results were very borderline, but he didn’t want to change plans yet. Anyway, I am excited because he is letting me go to 36 weeks! Woohoo!!!! This is exactly what I have been wanting and have prayed about. If the labs he does today and the 24 hr come back OK, he will just check bp and heartbeats next week and then the following week will be baby week. It seems so hard to believe that they are almost here! We discussed delivery again and he said he honestly never thought I’d get this far and hasn’t talked to anyone about delivering there. He doesn’t seem to think there will be a problem, but needs to talk to hospital staff and everyone to make sure that it is OK to deliver 3-36 weekers there. He seemed reassuring that they will let him, but again, will have to be sure. I sure hope so because I love our hospital and I REALLY want him to be the one to deliver them. He hasn’t said he won’t be the one to deliver them if we have to go to Iowa City, but common sense tells me he won’t be. The babies are getting really big. Today they measured 4.68 lbs (baby C), 4.52 lbs (baby B), and 5.26 lbs (baby a). Hintz seems to think that it is entirely possible we may be delivering babies over six pounds by the time they come. Unbelievable! He said that I have a “wonderful” uterus. So, that and my cervix are apparently splendid. He said he doesn’t want to wait any longer than 36 weeks due to placenta issues they may face and also following two sections. He said it is entirely possible I may still go into labor on my own before that and if I do, I need to get in immediately because of the risk of the scar rupturing. He said it shouldn’t because it is transverse, but he also said with how “distended” my uterus is, it is a possibility he can’t rule out. So we don’t want to risk that happening. Once again, all the babies were breathing, sucking, moving excellently and umbilical Doppler and brain Doppler was excellent also, along with fluid levels being wonderful. He said all in all, they are each behaving as well as any singleton he has seen at this stage. One of the baby’s has hair he said. He showed me on the ultrasound, but honestly, I couldn’t tell. Austin had a FULL head of hair when he was born and Aidan was bald as a cue ball, so it will be interesting to see how these guys come out.So today’s appointment went well again. I am still on bedrest (he believes it is working) and if something is funky with the labs and/or the protein, then things will be changed, but so far so good! I added pictures under the my pictures link, also.Praise God for how wonderful everything is going!!!

We had another appointment today, which means another ultrasound. The babies are all doing terrific! They are weighing in at 1.5 pounds (identical), 1.6 pounds (identical), and 1.7 pounds (fraternal) each. Dr. Hintz was able to get a very good view of the baby's heart whom he couldn't see as well last time and it looked great. They are looking so good! Dr. Hintz also said that if I can get another 3 weeks, the babies will have a long hospitalization, but will do well in the long term. That seems surreal to think that they could be here as early as that, and obviously we don't want that, but it is still amazing. I didn't think that they were moving as much as they had been previously, but was mostly concerned about the baby on the left. He just didn't seem to move at all. I found out why today. His back is facing out and he is facing towards his brothers, so I AM feeling him move, just in the middle instead of on the side where I thought I should be. I was very relieved! Mr. Fraternal (Flipper) was on the left side at my last appointment, and today he is all the way over on the right side. Shocking that he has enough room to still move around like that, but Dr. Hintz said there is plenty of room still for them to be able to move around. I am amazed because it doesn't FEEL like it, but apparently it looks like it in there!I am still doing terrific. My urine did have a +1 protien, which isn't terrific, but also not alarming at this point. My blood pressure was fantastic (for me) at 118/80, so that is part of why the protein isn't such a concern yet. I am having more swelling but not near as bad as it has been in previous pregnancies. My cervix is fabulous and hasn't thinned at all, which means it is still at 7 cm. He said it is probably the best triplet cervix he has seen and better than even most singletons! Ahhh, at least something is great about me! So, other than being incredibly uncomfortable, health-wise I am great!Next time I have to have the glucose test done...YUCK! I am soooo not looking forward to that, but I guess it has to be done. There is no getting out of it, either, because with Aidan I was one point over on the one hour and OK with the three hour, so it has to be done. I am putting some new pictures of the babies on the site. There are a couple in the photo section and I added one to the front page. Thank you so much for your continued prayers....keep them up because this is definitely the best pregnancy I have had and all the glory goes to God!!!

Glucose Testing

I continue to be in awe of the miraculous gift that has been given to Steve and I every day. God is so amazing to me and constantly revealing Himself in ways I could never have imagined. I had my glucose tolerance test today…disgusting! After being extremely ill Monday through Thursday, it was not helped AT ALL by having to drink that nasty stuff. I will say today’s was better than the orange nasty I had with Aidan, but it was still so gross. I have no idea if I passed or failed, but am thinking that I probably didn’t do too well. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.We had another ultrasound today. Dr. H did an umbilical cord study on the identical babies this time. It was very stressful because I had no idea what he was doing and he was very quiet. I really thought that something was wrong. It took about 30 minutes for him to do it. He also did a biophysical profile on each baby. He suddenly said that the umbilical cords were terrific and babies were moving, hiccupping, swallowing, and everything they were supposed to be doing fantastically. He got some really good videos of them hiccupping and swallowing that were really cute. He also got one picture of the two identical (we think!) babies face to face. That is absolutely amazing and I will post it under the photos section. Babies B and C, which we believe are the identical two right now, but he also said he really can’t guarantee that at this point, are both breech and on the top. Baby C, the singleton (we think!), is vertex and buried pretty deep down. He couldn’t get any good shots of him. He tried to move him and turn him manually (VERY painful) so that he could get a better shot, but he just couldn’t. Each of the babies is growing at an amazing rate. One baby is 3.05 pounds, another 2.6 pounds, and another 2.8 pounds. All excellent sizes. Doctor assured me that we will be bringing home three babies. This is the first time he has ever actually said that. He said that we are completely out of danger really and everything from here on out is essentially bonus time for the babies. He said that he has delivered a fair amount of singletons at the babies’ sizes and they have done well. He also said that at this stage (29+ weeks), the rate of mortality in one of the babies is about 1 in 200, so less than 1% and the rate of long term disability is about 2%. [Probably TMI following --] My cervix is still measuring way huge. Today is was 5.51 cm. Last time, it was 7 cm. Normal, singleton pregnancy is 3-4 cm. He showed where the one baby’s bag was bulging down and in a “normal” person, that would be causing the cervix to dilate and I would be in labor. However, in my highly interesting body, it is pushing on the right side of the cervix, moving it out of the way instead of pushing directly on the cervix causing it to dilate (like it should be). He said at this point, I will more than likely NOT go into labor on my own and if I DO deliver early, it will be because of pre-eclampsia, not dilation or anything else. I had protein in my urine again today and my blood pressure is rising still. Plus a lot of swelling in my hands, feet, and face again. Pretty much all over. My weight was a bit of a problem. I have been trying so hard to gain, but after being so ill, I am now down to lower than I was at my first OB appointment and at that point, I had already lost a lot. So now I have lost even more again. He said that he would overlook it this time because he knew I was really sick, but he does want me to work on it. The nurse also said my urine was extremely concentrated, but he said that was OK also because he knew how sick I was. And told me to keep pushing the fluids. Everything going as well as it is at this point is nothing short of a miracle and God. There is simply no human way to explain pregnant with triplets, who are growing exceptionally well and doing so well, and NOT on bedrest. It is almost unheard of. I am just so in awe of everything that is happening with this wonderful gift. And humbled by all the prayers being said on our behalf. It is greatly appreciated, more than I could ever express.Steve and the boys are going to his family’s Christmas Sunday and I will get my very last day for a very long time, all alone, to luxuriate and do nothing. I am pretty excited. I think that may very well be my best Christmas present! Then on Monday we are able to stay home for the first Christmas ever and just enjoy it as our own family. I am looking forward to that, also. I am no longer allowed to travel, so that is why I am not attending any festivities.I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas and safe New Year!

Level 2 Ultrasound

Yesterday we had our Level 2 ultrasound. Dr. Hintz had told us to plan on four hours, but I guess I didn’t really think it would take that long. It did. We got there at 1:20 and we left at about 5:15. It was a VERY long day to say the least! He did give me breaks after each baby for about five minutes to go potty, get up and walk around, and get off laying on my back. He dictated each baby during that time. After the first baby, both Steve and I thought that he was finished with two babies instead of one!He looked in detail at each baby’s brain, heart, kidneys, gallbladder, bladder, bones, everything! He said that he couldn’t believe what great views he got of two of the babies hearts and he was really able to look at them in depth. The third baby is a flipper, so he didn’t get as great a look, but still got a very good look at it. Everything with all three babies is absolutely perfect!!! There is nothing wrong with any of them! That is such a relief. Baby A (Mr. Flipper) was breech like everyone else, then one minute later he was head down, then another few minutes would pass and he would be transverse. He REALLY liked to move around. He was also the last one to be looked at and was buried pretty deep in my pelvis when he was transverse, so that could be why he was uncooperative. All three babies are measuring at 20 weeks, 5 days and I am 21 weeks, 2 days, so they are still doing very well. Baby A (identical) weighed .83 pounds and was the smallest of the three, but not by much at all. Baby B (the other identical) weighed .86 pounds and was the largest of the three. Baby C weighed .84 pounds. I forgot to ask him how long they were, but they are really very long, which surprised me. All three when breech had their heads way up high under the top part of my rib cages, with butts down by hips and legs over to the side from that. Steve and I are still trying to figure out the report he gave us of each baby so we can figure out just how long they each were, but it is Greek to us! And it really doesn’t even matter, considering they are doing so great! Dr. Hintz gave us a disk with over 200 images on it of each of the babies, plus six live action movies of them. That was really neat to be able to show Austin and Aidan. They both lost interest in it pretty quick, but at least they got to see it.The very best part of the day came at the end when he checked my cervix. I dread having it done, but it was excellent. The first time he measured it it was 4 cm and he was certain it couldn’t possibly still be that long, so he had me go to the bathroom. Then he measured it again and it was 7 cm!! It hasn’t started to shorten AT ALL and he said he has never seen anything like it at this stage. Shirley, his nurse thought it would be hilarious if he had to induce triplets. He said he didn’t think THAT would happen, but he did say that he is pretty sure I will go very far. That is so reassuring! For once a part of me that doesn’t work is turning out to be a huge blessing!!I put some pictures of the babies on the front page and I put a few more under “my photo gallery” for your perusing pleasure, if you so desire. They are too big to get anything more than the tops of three heads on one picture and he didn’t save that image, so they are all individual. Some have various parts of the other babies’ in with them, though!Thank you so much for all of your prayers…God is so great! We are feeling so privileged to daily be able to witness God’s awesome power!!

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!!!!

Well, we finally had another u/s today. We were supposed to go in yesterday, but my doctor had a family emergency, so he canceled. Based on his appearance and silentness, he should not have been in today, either. He just really wasn't himself. Anyhoo....the babies are doing GREAT! They are measuring about a week ahead of schedule, which is excellent, and they are all almost the exact same size, which is also excellent. Their little hearts were beating away and you could clearly see all four chambers today on all three babies. He printed off two pictures of faces and one of “the goods” and in one of the face pictures it looks like the baby is smiling at us. In some ways, it reminds me of what Aidan looked like when I was pregnant with him. They are still pretty skinny, of course, so that worried Austin a bit. One is still more active than the other two...starting to worry me a tad! Fluid around all the babies is terrific and my cervix is staying the same size/length with no thinning whatsoever. Which means the contractions I am having really are just BH and not worrisome. Thank goodness!Sooooo.....we also were able to find out what they were. They were REALLY proud of themselves and put it ALL on display. I knew Baby C (fraternal) was a boy, and I was right. I had no clue about the identical babies. ALL THREE ARE BOYS!!!! We now have FIVE boys!!!! Steve and the boys and I are all very excited. I think Austin was the most excited, though! Now we just really have to work on names. I have a couple that I really like, but I am not sure about the third or if hubby agrees on the other two. Although he picked one of them. We have time to pick them out though! Anyway, we appreciate any and all prayers said on our behalf...the babies are doing great and God is wonderful!!! Keep saying them please!Trista and her SIX boys!

First OB Visit

Today’s ultrasound and doctor’s appointment went terrific! The babies are all doing excellent and he was very reassuring about everything, also. (This will probably take a while to explain everything, so I thought I’d put that in there first….if you don’t want to read further, you don’t have to!)He did his regular history, but since I’ve had him for the last four years and I’ve seen him several times a month for the last year (except the last three!), he just wanted to update everything. That was pretty painless and didn’t take him long. Then he did a quick exam, thankfully no pap!!! Then it was time for the ultrasound. The babies were really active…it was so neat to see! They all have allof their little baby parts. We saw hands, feet, toes, fingers EVERYWHERE!!! Baby A or B was waving away to us and Dr. Hintz waved back and said “hi baby!” and the baby waved again! It was so cute to see and was so funny! We very clearly saw baby B’s foot, too. Their little hearts were a beating away, too. It was so reassuring to see everyone in there and it is nothing short of a miracle to witness God’s creation(s) like that. We discussed pre-term delivery and he said I have a few really good things going in my favor. I have had two full-term, healthy babies and my cervix is extra long. Both are excellent indicators that I shouldn’t go too super early with these three, but again, nothing is guaranteed with triplets. He said that the average gestation of triplets is 33 weeks, but 35-36 is certainly not unheard of, and neither is earlier. So, we’re still on a guessing game with when they will get here, but it certainly doesn’t sound like nearly as early as we feared!He also thinks that I will have “minimal” bedrest….not at all what the doctors in Iowa City had said. He said that the benefits of it aren’t that great, so he doesn’t anticipate too much time in bed. Thank goodness!!!He said the two identicals DO have a membrane between them and showed us that. There is another one between the identical babies and the “fraternal,” “singleton,” or “The Boss” (as Granny calls him!) and that one is much thicker. It was fascinating to see the difference. They are all measuring exactly the same size and correct for dates, also. He also said that even though they have a membrane (which completely demolishes the chance of cord compression or strangulation), because they are identical, the instance of twin to twin transfer is 100%. But, 85% of identical twins have a pretty minor degree of it and 15% have it so bad that it causes death in both babies. He measured the nucal fold and said that they will be OK and not have serious issues with it. He said the thicker the fold is at this stage the higher the likely-hood of it becoming fatal. Baby B’s was 1.7, which he said was excellent and VERY normal, and Baby A was “way too active” to be able to get a good measure on it. However, he said that what he did see of it is definitely normal and he’s not concerned considering that Baby B’s is so good. So we are very relieved to hear that! Dr. Hintz said that he will do an ultrasound at every appointment because he said you can’t get accurate heart rates and measurements any other way with multiples. So, we’ll have lots of pictures by the time they arrive! We will get our scanner hooked back up and then I will post today’s picture on here, also. All in all, today’s visit was fantastic! We go back on September 21 for another visit. Until then, everything is great!Thanks so much for all of the prayers….God is great and I am feeling so blessed to be able to experience this miracle!!!!