Infertility and Blessings - Mood Swings, Mixed Emotions, and Baby

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

I was so excited to get pregnant with Aidan and so very thankful for the blessing that God had given us - this second chance at parenting - that while I was pregnant with him, I promised Steve I would not pursue any more children through infertility treatments. Going through infertility treatments is draining emotionally and can be very hard on a marriage. You would think trying to create or enlarge your family would only bring you closer as a couple - which it does do - but it is extremely rough, also. There are so many things that go on emotionally that you are definitely not yourself. You have all of the emotions of not being able to get pregnant, the negative test results every month, the ups and downs just within a 28 day period...it definitely takes it toll on an individual and a marriage.

To give you an idea of just a touch of the emotions of a cycle, here is what can happen emotionally during those days. The first few days you're not fun to live with, as is anyone, but you do have hope for this cycle. Then begins the medications - which do not make you a pleasant person because of all the "artificial" hormones that are raging through your body. The medications make you almost psychotic. They cause you to go up and down, but mostly down, and as for me, I was a real witch during that time. Conversely, there is hope. Excitement about the possibilities. Then the every other day ultrasounds to see if you might, just maybe, be producing follicles. And the excitement when you see that you are, indeed producing follicles. And the frustration when the follicles aren't growing fast enough or are slowly forming or disappear or burst. And then the excitement again when everything is ready to go and you get another shot to cause the follicles to "ovulate." Then the wait until you can do inseminations, which are pretty "uncomfortable" at best. Followed by taking it easy and the waiting game. Fourteen days of waiting, to be precise. All during that time, you are imagining that you are definitely pregnant, you just know it. And almost immediately on it's heals, you know that you are not and this month is one more month that did not work. Fourteen days of wondering "did it work?" "Will we have another baby in several months?" Finally, you get to go in to take the blood test....and then wait some more. This wait seems to take longer than the fourteen days because now you are waiting to see if it worked or not. The call that comes, you know, holds either ecstatic enthusiasm and possibilities or absolute devastation. And just statistically speaking, 99% of the time, it's devastation. And so begins the entire cycle again.

So you can imagine why I promised not to pursue it again and you can imagine my devastation when, within two hours of Aidan's birth, the realization that I promised something I knew I wouldn't be able to live up to. I knew I wanted another baby - and I knew I was willing to go through anything to get there. But I also knew that Steve was definitely not ready to hear that and definitely did not want to relive all of that again. So I didn't tell him right away, but I also knew that he knew what I was thinking and feeling.

We were told by my OB that the best possibility to get pregnant again was to try immediately, so we did do that. There was never a real "break" in trying to get pregnant; but I also was aware that while nursing the chances were low that I actually would get pregnant anyway.

I was determined to enjoy every bit of Aidan that I could and not wish away his babyhood. It is easy to complain and not enjoy everything about babyhood when you know you are going to have more children. When you are able to take for granted that there will be more children and it is just a matter of time, you can "waste" those early days/months/years. I know I did with Austin, because I knew there would be more some day. With Aidan, I did not have the luxury and it did help me to enjoy most aspects of a newborn. There are still bad days and there are still things you aren't thrilled about, but all in all, I enjoyed my finite time with Aidan much more.

Obviously, as time went on, I realized I was not going to be in that percentage of women who are blessed with another baby right away. I knew that it was going to take more and I was very ready to try again by the time Aidan was a year old. The question was....was Steve??

Infertility Blessings and Ponderings - REs, Injections, and Aidan

When Steve and I got married, we knew that we immediately wanted to start a family and figured it would be realitively quick. I mean, I got pregnant very easily the first time so this time would be a cinch, right? Surely God would bless our union quickly. As we discovered, that was not the case at all.

At first, it was baffling and I didn't understand it. I was having other problems, so was already seeing our family doctor who referred me to an OB/GYN. It was then that I was diagnosed with PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I won't go into the details of PCOS (it's very complicated) but it was the reason I was struggling to get pregnant, along with a lot of other problems. Then I recalled a conversation a doctor had had with me when Austin was about six months old. I was having some issues and he had off-handedly made a comment about maybe finding it difficult to get pregnant the next time I tried and so not to wait too long to seek help if I didn't get pregnant easily. I believe he knew at that time that I had PCOS, but for whatever reasons, he didn't tell me. It was devastating to hear that I had PCOS, but on the other hand, I was blessed enough to know what was causing our infertility. Many people never know. And, we also were blessed that it wasn't both of us causing it, so we only had one obsticle to overcome.

The road to getting pregnant with Aidan was very difficult and heartbreaking. I had one miscarriage that I am positive about during that time - prior to starting any treatment. I now know that I probably lost that baby because of low progesterone and had I known I had PCOS it might have been preventable. The months upon months of negative pregnancy tests was almost unbearable. Add to that, medications that make you literally about go insane with the mood swings they cause and it was not a pleasant time in our lives at all. The OB/GYN that I had at the time also was fairly new to the practice and didn't have a lot of experience. Since I had no idea what to expect, it wasn't a great situation. I was on Clomid for 7 cycles - which is unheard of. We had IUIs without any ultrasounds, only bloodwork follow up to find out that, once again, I had not even ovulated so the IUIs were worthless. For a few of the IUIs, they let us sit in the waiting room for over an hour - an hour after we left home, so two hours after the sample was attained. When I complained about this after the third time that it happened, I was told that "it was a busy practice." After several months, I grew frustrated with the lack of care, and moved on to an RE (Reproductive Endocronologist - infertility doctor).

We began that with a HSG - hysterosalpingogram - which is a fancy way to say torture. They wanted to be sure that both my tubes were open prior to even attempting an IUI which may be useless if a) they were both blocked or b) the side was blocked that I was ovulating on. They determined the right tube looked a little blocked, but the left was open.
At our first appointment with the RE, they did counseling on "selective reduction" and when we refused to even consider the option, they said they would limit how many follicles they would trigger with. Due to my height and previous pregnancy history, they would not trigger if there were more than three follicles because they believed to carry more than triplets would be extremely difficult on my body. They also made it very clear that any more than one baby, in their eyes, was not a success. After all that, they began a regimen of a cancer drug, injectables, an hCG trigger shot, IUIs, and progesterone supplements. After four months of negatives, we finally got a positive! With the help of the progesterone supplements for the first three months, I was also able to maintain that pregnancy. We were able to go in to see if the pregnancy was viable at seven weeks, when we saw one little baby and a very healthy heartbeat. At that time, I was released to the care of my OB.

I knew I was not going back to the practice we had used prior to the RE, so we began searching for a new OB as soon as I discovered I was pregnant. We were so blessed to discover one of the very best OB/GYNs definitely in our area, and I believe in the state of Iowa and beyond. He was in a practice alone - which was our original primary reason we picked him. The second was that he had a lot of experience in high risk pregnancies, which we knew could be an issue if my pregnancy with Austin was any indication.I had a fairly uneventful and healthy pregnancy. I did develop pre-eclampsia again, but we were able to keep it under control until he was delivered. Aidan Charles was born on June 6, 2003 at 8 pounds, 11 ounces and was very healthy. I was so excited and so thrilled to have him join our family!

Infertility Blessings and Ponderings - Childhood Desires and Adoption

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~Jeremiah 29:11

I have been thinking a lot today about our struggles with infertility and the amazing ways in which the Lord worked through all of it. Looking at our family today, many people would believe that it was easy for us to create a family and we take it for granted -when truly it was and is anything but. I know people believe this who do not know us and have not met us....I know this because I know it was how I felt when I even saw a family with two children just eight short years ago. I feel the Lord is wanting me to share a bit of our struggle today to encourage someone. I'm not sure who, and I'm not sure why exactly, but I pray He uses this post to give hope to someone reading who may be struggling and I just don't know it. I'm also not real sure of my thought process as I even begin this post....I just have a driving force to share whatever it is that I am about to share, so please forgive me if it doesn't flow nicely or even make complete sense.

Growing up, I always wanted six children - believe it or not I even wanted five boys and a little girl at the end. Do I believe now that God gave me that very specific desire? Absolutely! As a child, anyone who knew me will tell you, I was I always 'pregnant.' When I was little, I wanted to be first a mommy and then president of the United States (for a long time, I really believed I would be, too). As I got older and realized I needed more concrete goals by societies standards, I really still wanted to do something in politics, so figured I would become a lawyer and then eventually be a senator. To me, this did not seem unattainable. But still, I wanted to be a mom first and foremost. I think the whole lawyer thing only really was because all I really wanted was to be a stay at home mom, but by that time, I knew that wasn't an acceptable answer. In truth, deep down, I just really wanted to get married and start a family as quickly as possible.

I didn't necessarily go about this the "correct" way. Fresh out of high school, I met someone. Did I think that he was "the one?" I'm not sure I ever really believed he was. Did I think that he was the right person to begin a family with? I'm fairly positive I knew he wouldn't be around - no matter how much I tried to fool myself at first. Turns out, I got pregnant relatively easily that time. There was a lot of turmoil in the relationship and in my pregnancy and by the time Austin was born, his biological father was no longer involved. I did desire him to have a strong relationship with Austin at that time, but it was not to be. Looking back, I am so very thankful he was willing to relinquish parental rights to Steve so that we were able to begin our family as a "real" family. No, it wasn't easy going through that transition (for reasons which we now totally understand), but God has worked through all of that, also. Steve's adoption of Austin was complete on November 21....just three months after we got married.

(OK, I had meant for this to be a one-post deal, but as I'm writing this, I'm realizing it will be much longer than that. So, I'll post the next part tomorrow and in the days to come!)

Random Picture Challenge 6.0

Today's Random Picture Challenge 6.0 courtesy of 4 Little Men and Girly Twins
January 2007
3rd picture

Ah, now THAT'S attractive! This is, hopefully, the biggest I will ever get in my lifetime. My third picture in January 2007 happened to be taken about a week before I gave birth to the triplets. I was 35 weeks exactly in the picture. I wanted to take one more before I gave birth (the difference week to week at that point was HUGE), but I happened to be told two days prior to scheduled date that I had to go then.

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!!!!

Wiggle, Wiggle!!!

I'm feeling movement!!! I am so excited! I have been thinking for the last few weeks that I was feeling something, but you know, not very sure. After five babies, I knew what I was feeling, but I kept doubting it because everyone says you can't feel a baby that early.

Today it is unmistakable. I (accidentally) made myself "regular" fully-loaded iced tea. I finished it about fifteen minutes ago and there is a party going on. I have felt about six kicks! They are still the little tiny ones, but they are getting stronger and definitely the baby. It's amazing. I love this part! To be reassured by the bean that everything is going well and he/she is doing good.

Reflecting

"To whom much is given, from him much will be required." -Luke 12:48 NKJV

Last night, Ethan woke up around 10:30, which seems to be his new "normal." As I was rocking him, I looked at him and thought of how far we have come. I am in awe of all that has happened in such a relatively short period of time. We are so very blessed and I am forever grateful for all that has been given to us.


I was thinking back to just finding out we were pregnant and how excited I was! I couldn't believe it finally happened. And then to see three tiny heartbeats on that screen...wow! I will never forget praying in the restroom right before my ultrasound that there be a heartbeat and the "baby" be OK, and oh, yeah, God, as a sideline, please let there be at least two babies and preferably three. I was utterly flabbergasted when I found out there were three babies. Steve has since told me to be a little less specific next time...I'm thinking maybe more specific would be helpful (please let there be another baby, and oh, yeah, only one next time Lord!!). Being told to abort "at least one, and preferably two" makes me think who wouldn't be here? If I had put all my trust in a human, instead of the Almighty, who would I have killed?

Remembering the entire pregnancy and worrying throughout all that maybe something would happen and they wouldn't all be OK. Wondering how early they'd be, how long they'd be in NICU, would they all come home?
Then thinking back to the birth and all that happened before and during. Hearing their first cries...how thankful I was and how amazed that they were all fine! Bringing them all home, with us, on that cold, cold day in February and being in awe of them when they got home. Watching Austin and Aidan interact and bond with them in the hospital and again, at home.
Those first couple of months went by in a blur. The nighttime feedings and how miserable Noah was. I prayed that something would be figured out and it was.


Now, at only seven months old, it seems like so much has happened in the last year since finding out. Staring down at Ethan, when I laid him down in that big ol' crib by himself, was just amazing. He is still so tiny, and yet, so healthy. They are all so happy and peaceful. They have come such a long way and we were spared all the heartache that could have been, and much of which is a reality for parents of multiples.

I have been told more times than I can count that God doesn't give us more than we can handle and God must have known what he was doing when he gave us triplets. I don't believe at all that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. Of course He gives us more, otherwise why would we ever lean on His strength and not our own understanding? But has he chosen us as parents of triplets? I believe so. And I take great comfort in knowing that God believes we can handle all of our children and has blessed us with each and every one of them and I lean on that daily.


We have come such a long way and we have all blended into this wonderful family. Yes, things are difficult some days. No, we are not perfect parents by any means and we make mistakes. Our lives are hectic and busy and full of activity, but would we ever change any of it? No way!


We are so very blessed and so very thankful. And I am reminded once again of "...to whom much is given, from him much will be required."

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!!!

34 1/2 weeks!!!!!

I am now 34 and a half weeks pregnant. I really never thought I would actually make it this far. I am so excited and just hope and pray I make it another week and a half to our scheduled date!! I also want to get one more picture before our delivery. We'll see if it happens.

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!!!

Bedrest

Well, went in for my bp, protien, and weight check today. My OB was more than a little nervous and I am now on bedrest at least until he gets labs back. In less than a week, I gained another four pounds, my bp went up to 150/106, protien was up, and swelling is not coming out even after 10-15 seconds. Good news is that he had me rest on my left side for 1/2 hour (while he entertained Aidan!) and my bp did go down a bit. He is having me do the 24 hour urine today and drew a boatload of labs. If anything is off on any of that, he will reevaluate prior to next week. He said that I am to go to bed and stay there until I either hear from him about the labs or my appointment next week. He also checked their heartbeats, which were still strong and good. He asked about movement. I said the one is still REALLY kicking me and the other two do more shoving than any kicking and I believe that they must have less room than Mr. Transverse. He said that was probably the case. He said if movement decreases, I get ANY headaches, visual disturbances, or anything feels even a little "wierd" he wants me to go in immediately. So, I guess now we are pretty much on a day to day waiting period until about Thursday, then I get to wait until Wednesday and see what will happen. I will be 34 weeks by then, so I feel a tiny bit better about that, but I really want them to stay put just a smidge longer than that. He did say that I am his star patient. He said he hears more bitching from his singleton patients than I have ever done and he's very amazed by it. I told him it doesn't do any good to complain about it...we want this and it will be worth it and it's only a short time of feeling crappy. So, that made me feel better, too.So, I don't really know much more than I did prior to the appointment as far as how long they will stay in there, but at least I didn't have to have them today!

32 Weeks!!

We are getting so close and I am so excited that they are staying put. If we can make it to 36 weeks, I will be thrilled!!! That is my goal.

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!!!

28 weeks

Twice in one week...I'm getting good! I just wish I could remember to take weekly pictures, because they do change weekly.

27 weeks

I am now 27 weeks. This was taken before Austin's Cub Scout meeting. I no longer fit into my Cubmaster shirt at all...not even with leaving it open, so I don't even bother. Last meeting before Christmas and my "maternity leave" from Scouts!

DON'T Measure Your Fundal Height!!!

So yesterday someone on my multiples list was talking about uterus measurements. I have been very curious about this because for some reason, Dr. Hintz doesn't do it. I think because he does an ultrasound at every visit, he can see clearly that the babies are OK, so he skips that. At any rate, I still want to know what I am measuring. So, they explained how to do it (which is simple) and I did it. I was HORRIFIED!! I never should have done it! I got 43 weeks and I couldn't possibly believe that I had done it right, so I made Steve do it when he got home. He got 42 weeks by pulling the tape a little snugger and trying to be "nice." WHAT!?!?! I knew that I have been miserable and FEEL huge, but I had NO IDEA I would measure that big. By the way, I am *only* 24 weeks pregnant! Maybe there is a good reason behind Dr. Hintz not doing it after all...We have our next appointment (and ultrasound) on Wednesday. I am looking forward to seeing the babies again. I always start to get a little nervous about a week or so before appointments and it is so reassuring to see them moving around and growing. Because I really don't feel like I look like I am growing. Although people are starting to look at me funny when they ask when I am due and I tell them March 6. Then I usually explain why I am a smidge larger than some! And other than hiccups, the babies are not moving nearly as much as they were even a week ago. Just thought I'd update with my fascinating measurments. I'll update again next week after our appointment!

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!!

20 weeks

(20 weeks front)

(20 weeks side)

(20 weeks side)

I finally had the guts to take a picture. This is 20 weeks.

Baby Names

I think that we have finally decided on first names for the boys! We are thinking they will be named Nathaniel, Noah, and Ethan. We are still deciding on middle names, which is still difficult, but at least we have some first names! Things have been going pretty well yet. I am tired and sore, but that is to be expected. We have our level 2 ultrasound on October 25. This is the one where they will look at each baby in detail to make sure they are all doing well, growing as they should be, and to check for birth defects or anything that may need to be addressed at their birth. With Aidan, it took about an hour and a half, this time my OB wants us to plan on at least three hours and probably more. I hope he's putting potty breaks in there!!I am still working on how to figure out our scanner to get pictures of the boys up and hopefully, some belly shots also. That has been incredible this time. I am, at almost five months, about the size I was with Aidan when I was about 7 1/2 months pregnant! It is so amazing to think of three little babies growing in there. They are getting more and more active as they days pass, also. Wow...they are all starting to move all over! It is so neat to feel!! Aidan loves talking to the babies and kissing my tummy. He gives each baby a kiss and talks to them all the time. He can say Noah pretty well, Ethan is pronounced "Efan," and Nathaniel is "Bafano." We'll keep working on it. Austin and Aidan began sharing a room yesterday. Austin's room has a lot more space than I realized! Aidan was quite annoying last night, though, and wouldn't quit talking to Austin. When Austin ignored him, he would just climb into bed with Austin. Tonight, Austin has 4H, so I am putting Aidan to bed while Austin is gone and hopefully he will be asleep long before Austin gets home! Thanks for all the prayers!

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!