Tuesday, September 22, 2009

29 Weeks!

Time is really starting to go by quickly now, and hopefully it continues that way for the sake of the babies! I have to admit that I am now starting to have mini-panic attacks when I think of how things are going to be in a few weeks.  I did not allow myself to think ahead of how life would be because I was afraid something would go wrong.  While that plan got me through the early times, it has not been helpful with dealing with the future! I wonder how we are going to do everything and take care of 3 little babies all at once. Obviously, we will have the help of our families and friends, but ultimately the job of parenting is left up to us.

In my heart, I know that everything will be fine and we'll get through it. But, my mind is swirling thinking about the logistics of it all.  I can't wait to see their little faces, but I want them to stay inside of me to keep them safe. I want them to stay in until 35 weeks and then bring them home soon after delivery, but that also terrifies me because we are not anywhere near being ready for them at home. I can't wait until bedrest is over and I can run out to the store when we need something, but I know I will never be able to lay on the couch and watch t.v. again! So many things to think about and get done before they join us out here, but I feel so unprepared. And those who know me, know that I hate being unprepared and I have to have a plan for everything. I think that may be one of the most difficult things that I have been dealing with-not being able to completely plan out everything that is going to happen-when they come, how they will be, etc.  I have just been taking everything one step and one week at a time, so to actually think ahead more than that makes my heart beat a little faster. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited to finally be in this place after our struggles. I am just afraid and nervous, about so many things! I assume everyone goes through this before becoming parents. I just wish I hadn't put off thinking about it this whole time!!

But yea for 29 weeks!! I am excited and nervous for our appointment this Thursday-growth scan and biophysical profiles. We will see how they have grown-hopefully a lot since week 25.  For the BPP, part will be on ultrasound and part should be a non-stress test, although they didn't mention that when I scheduled these appointments.  They will see how many movements they make, practice breathing, etc.  I hope they are all overachievers! It's another late afternoon appointment and since it'll be a long one, I may not post until Friday.  Keep your fingers and toes crossed for big babies!! :)

Friday, September 18, 2009

And the Countdown Continues!!

I apologize to those of you who check this on Wednesdays and Thursdays looking for appointment info for not posting sooner. I was a bit tired after the day, so chose sleep over blogging! We had a good appointment, but there a lot of waiting for our ultrasound since 2 doctors were in the office yesterday.  My mother-in-law drove me to the appointment and was able to see the babies with ultrasound for the first time. Then, our ride home took awhile since it was rush hour. We did stop and get some dinner on the way home though-yum!

Here's the weekly info-I did gain weight, but nobody needs to know how much I actually weigh! :) I am now measuring 44 cm, which would be equal to the number of weeks for normal pregnant women.  My blood pressure is still good too.  Cervix is still high and closed-yea! He doesn't measure it on ultrasound anymore, so I don't know if it has shortened, but I'll take a closed cervix anyday! The ultrasound was good too, although the babies are definitely starting to run out of stretching room now! They were all pretty calm and gave us some nice profile shots for the pictures.  They all had a good amount of fluid and the membrane between the boys was moving nicely (which means that baby C has enough fluid and he isn't Saran Wrapped into is area).  Dr. K came in and checked everything for himself, although he did make my MIL nervous because he was so quiet while looking at the babies.  It is getting more difficult to tell who is who in there! He was starting with baby A and then moving up to find B and C.  At one point the had all their heads together-like a football huddle.  I fear they are already plotting against us! :)  So, while Dr. K was following heads to find bodies, he was really quiet.  While Brad and I know that is how our doctor is when he is looking at the ultrasound, my MIL did not and was worried that something was wrong. Luckily, he spoke up in a little bit and said that everything looks good. I asked Dr. K about getting my regular flu shot and he said if they aren't in at his office at my next appointment, I should just go somewhere local to get it sooner.  I still didn't get a clear answer on the H1N1 shot-just that the CDC and other organizations are recommending it.  I couldn't get him to say that he recommends it, only that usually 1 out of 5 of their patients refuse to get the regular flu shot.  Brad would really prefer that I not get it and I am still thinking that it would probably be better to wait until after the babies are born.  I am not in public areas, except when I go to the doctor and I am obsessive about hand washing and using hand sanitizer while I am there.  We talked about how we are happy that we made it to 28 weeks and how complications go down dramatically now.  He did say to not get cocky and be cautiously optomistic like we have been up to this point.  I then asked about touring the NICU and he said that we may not need to worry about the NICU.  I joked, "Now who's being cocky?!"  While I would love to avoid the NICU, I would rather be prepared because I have the feeling we'll still be visiting our babies there for a little bit at least.  I am going to have a consult with the anesthesiologist because of the risks of surgery with myotonic dystrophy, so we decided that we'll set up our tour for that same day. 

Next week is our big appointment with another growth scan and biophysical profiles. I am excited and nervous to see how much they have grown-hopefully a lot! I will be 29 weeks on Tuesday and it feels like things are speeding up now, thankfully.  I think this weekend we are going to be putting together another crib, (actually, Brad will be doing that), and taking some gifts out of their packages.  I have to continue to work on thank you cards for my co-workers since Brad's co-workers are doing a shower for us next Friday.  I am hoping to be allowed to go, but it will depend on how Thursday's appointment goes.

Thanks for everyone's support and assistance again-we really appreciate our families and friends for everything they are doing to help us through this! I can't wait until our hopefully healthy babies are here and then they can help with them too! :)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

28 weeks and a long vent-you've been warned!

We made it!!! 28 weeks and counting; let's hope for a few more weeks now! I have been counting down to this day for so long, it feels odd that it has actually arrived.  I am relieved, but know that we aren't out of the woods yet.  I have still been feeling pretty good lately, although it is getting more difficult to move around.  It is especially tricky to get off the couch and roll over or get out of bed during the night.  I usually end up having a contraction after moving, so I am trying to move without using my abdominal muscles (which is pretty tough-try it)! Since taking more Prilosec my acid reflux has calmed down a bit, thank goodness! After a night time episode my throat is sore though.  Hopefully I won't have any permanent damage from it!

While I am so happy that we are at 28 weeks, I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I had hoped.  As most of you know, I am on bed rest and not able to work.  Currently I am receiving a paycheck, but I don't have too many paid days off.  So, I am stressing out about certain issues concerning extra paid time off that my workplace has and how to qualify for that benefit.  Along with that, I am worrying about how we are going to pay our bills when my paid time runs out.  We made the mistake of calling one of our credit card companies to see if we could lower our interest rate and told them our situation, including that we might have a difficult time paying that bill in a few months. Keep in mind we haven't used that card in over 6 months and have been paying more than the minimum on time for quite a long time (I was one of those stupid college kids who signed up for a credit card on campus and used it way too much for way too long).  So, they said there was nothing they could do to help us except waive the $15 fee they charge to talk to someone about issues.  Later in the day, I was trying to figure out a budget and signed on to check the interest rate of that card and noticed that they lowered out credit limit to within a few hundred dollars of what we owed.  I called this morning and asked about the situation and the man basically told me that they did that because they considered us a risk-nevermind all the payments we make! I was not happy and after a few more comments back and forth I told him we wanted to close the account because I didn't want to do business with a company that treats their long time customers like this. By the way,  they didn't waive that fee either! I am so glad the government gave them money.  Apparently they forgot that not so long ago they needed help themselves-so much for helping out the customer. So, needless to say, I had a few contractions this morning!

Sorry for that long vent-gotta get it out somewhere. Unfortunately, it looks like I will be returning to work at least part time, but more likely full time this year.  While I miss being at school and working with students and staff, I really felt like it would be better for our family if I stayed home this year.  It just doesn't seem possible at this time, especially with the financial needs of three babies looming over our heads.  These are the times that I get most frustrated about both of us having student loans from college, along with car payments and credit card bills. We were able to defer 2 out of our 3 student loan payments (still working on that last one), and that will save us over $400 a month-that'll buy some diapers! So going back to keep us financially afloat is fine, but I have to be extra cautious about germs (kindergarten students are not known for their good hand washing skills).  We are also going to be putting a strain on our families to help care for these babies, so I feel guilty about that too. 

All in all, I can't wait to meet these little additions to our family, and I know everything will be alright (in the words of Bob Marley).  I just hate not being able to plan everything out and see visually that we'll get through this.  I guess I'll just have to believe in my heart that it'll work out. 

Next appointment is Thursday! I am going to do everything in my power to not stress out tomorrow or Thursday morning-I know the stress can't be good for them in there.  And we are now reaching for the mini-goal of 30 and big goal of 32 weeks.  It does seem to be going a little faster now! We should meet our babies within about 7 weeks now! All this will be so worth it when we have them in our arms.  Thanks for letting me vent-I feel better now!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Cross another one off the list!

We had another appointment this morning and it went pretty well again (knock on wood).  I was a bit worried because Brad did not park on the level I always park on in the parking garage-hey, can you blame me for being paranoid and wanting to avoid jinxing anything?! I honestly don't know how he puts up with me and my craziness sometimes!

The ultrasound tech first check all the fluid levels for the babies, and of course, she measured our twins as having levels in the 7 range.  While I knew that was not correct, I have given up trying to convince them that baby C should be lower because baby B's pocket goes on top of C's.  Our doctor always checks the levels for himself, so I usually just wait for him to tell us everything is good.  I used to be able to tell if the levels were in the normal ranges by looking at the screen during the scan, but it is more difficult to tell now that the babies are bigger.

The tech also did Dopplers on the umbilical cords to make sure the flow was good.  I thought it was going to be quick, like usual, because the babies were pretty calm during the fluid checks.  Apparently, they decided it was play time though-everytime she had a cord in the view on the screen, he/she would move.  So, the tech became good at chasing them around! I thought they would have worn themselves out on the way to our appointment because they were moving so much-I think they have started teaching each other karate moves in there! Brad was able to see my belly move and see kicks when he would look over!  The cord flow was normal for everyone-yea!

Good fluid levels, good cord flow, on to the exam room for more checks! Well, my belly is now measuring a whopping 43 cm, which equates to 43 weeks! Yes folks, I am going for a record.  I didn't really gain much weight though, so it seems the babies are taking everything and making my belly grow! The boys were hanging out on the left side today, so I look a bit lopsided!

Dr. K came in to check my cervix and go over everything.  We were joking around and he decided to wait to make fun of me until after checking my cervix-I appreciated his professionalism! :) Cervix is still closed, so the lovely contractions still haven't changed anything-whew, hopefully that'll continue! I asked about the flu shot and mentioned that would prefer to not have the swine flu shot, mainly because I think they are trying to push it through a bit too fast and not fully test the impact of it.  He said that the major medical organizations are recommending both shots, but that usually 1 in 5 women don't get flu shots.  He didn't really answer my question, so next week I will ask if they will give me the regular flu shot there or if I have to get it somewhere else.  My wicked acid reflux is back in full force, and he gave me the go ahead to keep taking Prilosec instead of stopping after the 2 week dose.  Hopefully it'll work because I am sometimes afraid to eat at night, even though I am hungry because I don't want to wake up choking on stomach acid!

We set up more appointments and are now scheduled through mid October-33 weeks! I really hope we can make it that long! I am really looking forward to 28 weeks right now and then 32 weeks after that.  I am looking forward to cooler weather, seeing leaves falling onto the ground, and seeing all the birds migrate south.  All of these things mean we will be in a safer zone, ready to meet our babies!!  In the meantime, we will be dealing with Brad's insurance (why don't they ever cover anything???), setting up things in the nursery and items for the downstairs, and writing thank you notes.  Thanks for all your support and well wishes-we need all the help we can get right now to keep us all going!!

By the way, still can't find that darn spell check button, so I apologize for typos!!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

27 Weeks!

Okay folks, we are getting closer to our next goal!! One week until 28 weeks when viability jumps up over 90%! I can't wait to hit that goal, and then hopefully keep on going! While I am getting more uncomfortable with each passing day, I just keep thinking about how important it is for these babies to stay in as long as possible.  I also keep reminding myself that this will be the only time that I am pregnant, so I am trying to enjoy every little kick and punch from our babies.  Soon I will be able to share these little ones with our families and friends, but I think I will miss these moments I have with them now. 

Our appointment is on Thursday this week, and the next few are also on Thursdays for those of you who check in on this blog on appointment days.  I am hoping for more of the same-closed cervix, good fluid levels, etc.  Luckily, this past week it seems my contractions are dropping off a bit (knock on wood), so hopefully that will continue for a bit so I won't worry as much.

The wonderful girls I work with at school threw a shower for me last week which was wonderful.  It was nice to get out of the house and actually talk to people! I was definitely tired after, but had fun while I was there.  We received a bunch of diapers, clothes, and gift cards, along with some other things.  I now have more thank you cards to write, which will occupy my time for a bit.  I can only write a few at a time because my hands hurt and my writing gets messy (which drives me nuts)!

I will update on Thursday with details, so think good thoughts for us please!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Another appointment down, one day closer to the goal!

I don't want to jinx anything, but we had another good appointment today.  We first had a quick ultrasound to check fluid levels, which all seemed to be good.  The tech first measured Baby C's level at 9.2-obviously she did not look for the membrane first! I said that Baby C is usually the one with the lowest level-around 4.  She said, "Well, that's why we do more than one measurement, because the membrane is always moving." Good cover-I know the membrane is constantly moving, but not that much! So she found the membrane and measured it again in the 4 range.  So, they all had decent fluid levels.  She said that they all looked good and that I could get up. If there had been anything wrong, she would've gone and gotten Dr. K.  Since everything was good ultrasound was over and to go wait for a nurse to call me.  Okay.

Blood pressure is still good, "lost" 1/2 a pound (I blame it on the fact that I wore normal shoes last week and flip flops this week), and am measuring 41 weeks. I asked about my GD test and I passed! My level was 109 and they want it to be under 140 or you have to do the 3 hour test. Whew-I can keep eating my normal food! :)

Dr. K came in with his new associate who I assume is joining the whole practice.  He seemed nice, but didn't say too much. He checked my cervix and it is still holding well.  No more ultrasound measurements, which makes me nervous just because I like to know the actual numbers! Oh well, he has been doing this job for a while, so I suppose I should trust him!  He said, "You know I want to check the fluid levels for myself, right?" I told him that I figured, but this tech never listens to me when I tell or ask her something.  So, back to an ultrasound room! He told his associate that we were dealing with the toughest type of pregnancy-first triplets, then having a set of identicals in there (I would think that quads or higher would be tougher, but I suppose since those are more rare he left them out).  He went on to show him the membranes-the thick one and the thin one separating the twins.  He also pointed out the good bladders on both our boys; always a good sign!

I didn't get to ask my list of questions (I always have a list, my poor doctor!), since I was all gooped up on the table and my purse was across the room.  We are keeping our next three appointments and he added Biophysical Profiles at our 29 week appointment on Sept. 24.  So the next 2 will be fluid checks, cervical check, blood pressure, and weight. I am hoping we keep having these types of appointments-I like when they are uneventful!

We have less than 2 weeks now to the all important 28 weeks! I can't wait! I am so ready to be at that point, and then keep on going hopefully! I would like to get there without a hospital visit because of contractions, but I have a feeling it's coming soon.  Last night I had 4 and then 3 (just under the wire), so we almost had to head out to be checked.  I feel a little bit better knowing that my cervix is unchanged, but I should be worrying again by the weekend!  I just have to make sure I am resting as much as possible.  It helps that Brad's mom made a whole bunch of meals for him, so I don't feel bad not cooking for him! Thanks to my parents, Brad had gyros and homemade fries for dinner tonight.  It's so nice that we have our families close by so they can help out!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Close, yet so far away

26 weeks today!!! Two weeks until the safer zone! I cannot wait for that day! The other day, Brad and I were talking about when we can start putting some of these things away (and *gasp* actually take things out of the packages they came in). I said anytime after September 15th would be fine, but in the back of my mind I was still a little worried. There are no guarantees in life, especially not with a triplet pregnancy.  I just can't wait to start thinking about the future with these little ones and not be thinking what if. I think I will have to make myself a countdown chart today because we really are so close to where I want to be.  2 weeks to a little safer, 6 weeks until much safer, 9 weeks until the end! Really not so far, but it takes forever to get there! I really appreciate everything our families and friends have been doing for us while I am permenantly indenting the couch.  They have been cleaning, cooking, and shopping for us, among other things.  They have been great, but I am looking forward to the day I can do things for myself again. Sometimes I look around and think, "I can just clean that really fast, and then lay back down," but I am usually kicked by a little one right then! They are good at reminding me why I am doing all this-for them. This will come in handy for guilt trips when high school rolls around! :)

Tomorrow afternoon is our next appointment, yea! I have not heard about my GD test from last week, so hopefully that means I passed it. I am not sure what else they are doing-biophysical profile or non-stress test maybe. I am hoping he is going to measure my cervix too! Our little girl has been kicking down low the past couple days-it feels like she is trying to escape! They have been much more active the last few days, which is comforting. I would take constant kicking over quiet belly any day!

I have to turn in my computer on Thursday so my sub can use it while I am gone. My lifeline! My parents were thinking about buying a laptop in the future, so they are going to buy one now and let me use it until the babies come. They're awesome! We have a desktop, but it's in the basement-too many stairs! I know I won't really have much time to sit around and be on a laptop once the babies are here, so it'll work out nicely to borrow theirs for a couple months. They aren't sure when they will get it (it's out of stock), so I may not be able to update for a little while.  I will definitely update tomorrow night though to fill everyone in on the appointment details. Fingers and toes crossed please!