Birth Story

I have thought of this story often and I haven't ever had time to write it down. This is more for me and my hope to not forget about it. I have been working on this blog for quite some time now and just write when I get a free moment. I should probably apologize now that this might be world’s longest blog :)

I often think about their birth on Sunday morning -- partly because they were born on a Sunday and because I get up at 5:30 every Sunday morning to pump. I pump a lot of milk in the mornings and I usually need about an hour to pump. So I pump 2 big bottles at 5:30 and then I take a shower about 6:15 and get ready. Then I wake Michael up at 6:40ish to take a shower and get ready so by 7:10 we are dressing the babies to feed at 7:30. At 7:30 I also pump again since I won't get the opportunity to pump again until about 11:30 after church. And then by 8:05 we are headed out the door to stop by our favorite breakfast place so we are at church by 8:40. Partly because I have slight panic attacks if the possibility exists of me being late and because our van is mammoth and we have to get a certain parking spot in order to fully be able to open the side doors to get the babies out and all our stuff. Whew! So, all of that to say I think about the babies on Sunday morning about 5:30. It's exhausting to get up that early yet it is the only time in the week that is mine. I can count on that time for 45 minutes of silence (minus the sound of my pump and the fact that my breasts are being suctioned by a very strong machine -- ha!) But I take what I can get...

I remember back to that day and the miraculous parts of it as well as the agonizing pain. It all started on Saturday, Oct. 6th. Our fridge died Friday evening and Michael had cleared out the fridge and we were waiting on our landlord. I was starving and wanted to drive so badly to get myself some food but I promised Michael I wouldn't. So a friend said she would bring me lunch. I was so hungry and had eaten most every snack in the house (which wasn't much!) So about 3 I got some food and then a friend from church brought me dinner about 5. It was a Mexican taco salad (I will probably always remember that and I haven't eaten a taco salad since that night). I started feeling a little funny and it was becoming difficult to breathe. Michael got home from work about 9 and I was doing this weird breathing thing. We both assumed Naomi and Levi were up in my ribs and making it difficult. So we went to bed (or I attempted bed) but it didn't last long. I couldn't breathe so I got up and sat in the recliner and then on the couch. By that point I was starting to feel sick so I thought I would go to the bathroom. So I sat in the bathroom for a while and then I threw up. It was in that moment that I knew something was wrong. I hadn't thrown up the entire pregnancy and now I was sick. I called the hospital triage line but they told me I need to call the on-call doctor for my OB office. So I called and spoke to a very asleep sounding doctor. By that point I had thrown up 2 more times. The doctor said she didn't know what the problem was but since I was 32 weeks with triplets she said to go to the hospital. So by this point it's around 4:30 or 5am. Michael had slept through everything so far so I went and woke him up and told him we needed to go. He was a little surprised but put some clothes on and we left. I had no hospital bag packed because I was sure I had 2 more weeks. On the way to the hospital I felt increasingly sicker.

 Michael and I still joke about the next part. He thought it was just the babies in my ribs and they would give me some pain meds and send me back home so he didn't let me out at the door. He parked in the garage and we walked in -- ha! We sat down and they found all my paperwork on the computer and then put me in a wheelchair to go to triage. By this point I felt really sick and threw up some more once we got to the room. They started hooking me up to the machines to find heartbeats and putting in an IV in my hand. I was in complete pain during those moments. I was having contractions every 2 minutes, I felt so sick, and I couldn't breathe. During that time it also began the hunt for Naomi's heartbeat. They would seem to have it and then they would lose it. If you've ever had 3 monitors hooked to your stomach you understand the difficulty of trying to find a heartbeat without confusing it with someone else’s heartbeat.  Michael said he was going to call my mom and his parents. He let them know we were in the hospital and we weren't sure what the problem was yet. The nurses then began making comments about having these babies today and we were surprised. The asleep doctor I had talked to on the phone came in; I remember her talking to me but I wasn't listening too well. I just remember repeatedly asking for Dr. Bellardo. She said he wasn't on call this weekend and had family stuff going on. She acted like she wasn't going to tell him I was here and I just remember asking and asking. They then brought in the high risk doctor that would deliver the babies if I had them today. I listened more to her as she explained that she thought I had preeclampsia and it was attacking my liver. She wanted to draw blood and kept assuring me that she would be with me throughout it all. I came to a semi-peace that I would maybe let her deliver my babies but I still wasn't sold on the idea. I kept thinking that I could live through this pain for another day so Dr. Bellardo could deliver tomorrow morning. Michael called my mom again (I think he called a couple times) and she decided to come up. By that point it was clear that I was being admitted so they were going to move me to a room. They checked my cervix before I left triage and announced it was still long and closed. I'm convinced that my cervix is made of steel now to hold 3 babies and never go short.

I was now in a room with 3 monitors hooked to me trying to find heartbeats. I would stay like this for the next several hours. I had to lie on my side as I couldn't breathe on my back. At one point they let me try and roll over because my hip was in so much pain but I couldn't breathe on that side either. A very sweet nurse sat by my side for the remainder of her shift and even stayed with me in the OR. She worked vigorously to find Naomi's heartbeat. She even ordered a bed side ultrasound. The asleep doctor came back in but I didn't pay much attention to her again. I remember feeling very annoyed with her because I wanted her to call Dr. Bellardo. She announced that my liver counts were high and they would be hooking me up to magnesium. She said they would draw my blood again at 2 to make a decision to take the babies or not. I was already hooked to fluids and a catheter had been put in. So they added magnesium to my drip and the sweet nurse explained that my hand was going to burn because of the magnesium and it would make me hot. This began the terribleness of the next several hours. They started me on fast drip to get it in my system. My hand was on fire and I was so hot. The contractions were every 6 minutes, she was chasing Naomi all over my stomach, and I was sweating A LOT. On top of all that they wouldn't give me any water. My hands and feet were so swollen because I had no water. I felt like death. My mom convinced them to give me some ice chips. So every hour I could get 10 little ice chips and you know they measured it too J My mom stood there faithfully, with her cold hands, and rubbed my back to try and cool me down. Eventually she convinced them to give me a wet wash cloth for my face. I remember sucking the water out of the wash cloth just dying for some water. Time seemed to pass slowly and quickly at the same time. I was trying to figure out my plan to endure this pain until Monday morning when Dr. Bellardo could come. Around noon they convinced my sweet nurse to take a little break and Nurse Gabby came in. She was nice as well and she followed Naomi's heartbeat around. It has been determined that Naomi had dropped down to where Ethan was and wanted to hang out with him. Gabby then let it slip that Dr. Bellardo had called. I was so excited in that moment and there was a release of tension from my body. She said that he had called when he saw my name in the computer and said that if I had the babies today that he would be the one to deliver them. I'm sure the high risk doctor had delivered her share of multiples but there is something about 3 little lives being inside of you, someone cutting you open, and being at risk of a seizure due to the preeclampsia that makes you want someone you know and trust to cut you open. I was relieved that he would be coming yet that didn't take away the pain from those moments.

They came again at 2 to take my blood to check my liver counts. That blood work would determine if the magnesium was working and we could wait or if I would be having these babies today. I feel like it was a whirlwind after that. Close to 3:00pm they came back with my results that my liver counts were in the mid-200's and it should be down in the 30's. They said Dr. Bellardo would be here in 30 minutes and they told Michael to put all the garb on. They had brought his outfit in earlier that day just in case. The anesthesiologist assistant had come in earlier to tell me all my risks. I didn't pay much attention to him either and I just signed my name. I think I was okay with dying at that moment just to get out of the extreme pain I was in.

The nurse had already gotten me ready during a quiet moment when no one was in the room. They got all my IV's and pushed me down the hall. They had a chair outside the OR for Michael while they did my spinal. I remember them saying the room was a little chilly and I remember feeling thankful because I was on fire still. They carefully switched me to a different bed and the room started getting crowded. I counted a total of 15 people in the OR with me. Everyone came and introduced themselves to me and told me what part they would be playing. I was then introduced to Vonda and we became quite close. To do the spinal you have to bend your back and stay still. Vonda held me still while I had my head in her chest. They told me they would numb it first and then I should feel it in the middle of my back. They said to let them know if I felt it to the right or left. I honestly had no idea. He did it the first time and I heard him say it didn't work. And then the second time. He said I was too swollen to put it in. And then the third time. And finally the fourth time it worked. During one of the tries Dr. Bellardo came in and held my hand and said, "Anna, I'm here” He only said those 3 words to me but that was all I needed to hear.

And then Michael came back in and sat next to me on a chair. He opted to not watch the surgery :) I remember another doctor came in and acted as Dr. Bellardo's assistant. She happened to be in the hospital and had never been a part of triplets being born so she asked to help. She told me that she would be pushing. Michael said they poked me to see if I had any feeling which I didn't (thank goodness!) and then it began! I started smelling something burning and I asked Michael if I was on fire. He looked over and saw that they had wrapped my stomach in plastic wrap and they were using a blade to cut. I guess it is so hot that it seals off your blood vessels to help you not to lose as much blood. It took a couple minutes and then I heard my Baby A cry (Ethan) at 3:56pm. The assistant doctor appeared to be on top of me and she was pushing Naomi and Levi down. At 3:57 I heard my sweet Baby B cry (Naomi) and at 3:58 I heard my Baby C cry (Levi). I'm not sure if there is a sweeter sound than your babies’ cry in that moment. It meant they were alive, that we had survived this, and everything would be okay. There were 3 NICU nurses standing ready with a warm blanket for each baby as well as 3 respiratory therapists and the neonatologist. They placed the babies in the warmers and began looking them over. They started saying the APGAR scores and they were high so I knew we were good. Michael went over and took some pictures of them. It felt like just a few minutes had passed and they were taking the babies to the NICU to further assess them and put them onto some oxygen. Each nurse brought me a baby for me to see and kiss before they took them. Our plan was for Michael to follow them to the NICU so he left with them. And then they went to work on putting me back together. Near the end Dr. Bellardo came over and sat with me. He held my hand and told me that I had done a wonderful job. He said that he had thought about me that weekend and thought that maybe we could go to 35 weeks since I was doing so well. He then said that it was just a God-moment and he felt like he needed to look at his computer to  see if anyone had been admitted to the hospital. He said that he saw my name and was confused why I would be there so he called to check on me. I was so relieved in those moments when I knew that he would be there. And then he gave me the not-so-good news. He said that I needed to stay on the magnesium for 24 hours because I was at risk for a seizure which meant that I would not be able to see my babies. I was upset about it yet I had prepared myself for a whole list of things that could happen so I thought I took it in stride. Even though I wanted to be with my babies so badly I knew that their safety was foremost in those coming hours and days. They finished me up and then cleaned all the blood off of me and took me back to the room.

Dr. Bellardo doing the C-Section

    

The nurses and NIC doctor checking out the babies

Ethan

Naomi

Levi 

My parents were there waiting and Michael soon came back from the NICU. He showed me all the pictures and their weights. Ethan was 4lbs, 7oz, Naomi was 3lbs, 12oz, and Levi was 3lbs, 8oz. I was amazed at their weights and knew that they would be okay. I asked the nurse for a pump so I could begin my journey of breast feeding them. They didn't drink any milk for a couple days as they were just on fluids. Their bodies were too little and underdeveloped to digest milk. The nurse showed me how to pump and I began pumping every 2 hours. It was exciting the first day as I produced some colostrum and they put it in a vile. And then it began the hard days of pumping and pumping with nothing to show for it. I think that could be another blog on learning to breastfeed three babies…

Later that night Michael's parents arrived and everyone went down to the NICU to see the babies. Michael took his phone and I had the iPad so we could FaceTime and I could see the babies. They were so small yet I was already so in love with them. The next 24 hours went by quickly. The night was long as I pumped through the night and they kept waking me up to check my vitals and draw blood. During the next day my mom helped get me clean as I felt disgusting. I had sweated so much the day before and my hair hadn't been washed in a couple days. I wanted to be clean when they let me go see the babies. I also spent much of that day dreaming of food. They finally let me have some water and sprite but I was hungry! I was cleared close to dinner time for clear liquids. I never knew chicken broth could taste so amazing. Close to 5:00pm Dr. Bellardo gave the clear for me to go to the NICU. I was still attached to an IV so they had to push it down with me. The next moment would probably be one of the most painful moments I have ever experienced. I had to get from the bed to the wheelchair which meant I had to stand up. I hadn't stood in probably 32 hours at that point. The nurse, my mom, and Michael helped me and I just cried. I have never known pain like that before. However, the next moments after that though would be some of my happiest. They pushed me to the NICU and I semi-scrubbed in as I still had an IV in my hand. Michael wheeled me to the very back where the intensive unit was and there laid my 3 precious babies. I wish there were words for that moment. They let me touch each one and lay my hands on them. I was amazed by them and also that these 3 babies had been inside of me. I know in the blog I mentioned several times about not fully understanding that I was carrying 3 babies. Well it finally hit me when I saw them. They were perfect and flawless to me despite the IV's, oxygen, wires, machines beeping, and feeding tubes.

Meeting Ethan

Ethan

Meeting Naomi

Meeting Levi

 

Naomi

Levi

That night I was moved to the maternity floor. They were really nice to me and would schedule my pumpings at night with when they needed to do my vitals so I could get sleep. Michael slept on a couch next to me and would help me throughout the night. Every day became a little easier to move and I would practice walking down the halls or walking around the NICU. Dr. Bellardo came every morning to check on me and look at my swelling and blood pressure. I was having some pretty high spikes in my blood pressure so they put me on some medication. I ended up staying on the meds for 4 weeks until my body got used to life without carrying 3 babies. By the way, I’m not sure my body has gotten use to it yet :)

 

Our first family pic

Holding all 3 for the first time

Holding my boys

 

Holding Levi 1st time

Holding Naomi 1st time

Holding Ethan 1st time

The next 21 days would be the emotional roller coaster of “living in the NICU.” I would spend 10-12 hours a day sitting in front of them and watching. Every 2 hours I would leave for 30 minutes and go to the lactation room to pump. Sometimes I would fall asleep pumping I was so exhausted. The nurses would let me change their diapers, take their temps, and feed them every 3 hours. The boys ate on the same schedule and Naomi was an hour later. At night the nurses would let me change their clothes during the nightly weigh-in and every 3^rd night I was allowed to give them a soap bath. And every night was heart was torn as I left my babies behind in the hospital even though I knew they were in the place they needed to be. I could write another whole, long blog on the NICU journey yet I was thankful for some sweet nurses, mainly the night nurses, who taught me how to care for 3 babies at a time and answered all of my questions. On Day 20 we “roomed-in” with the boys so we could take them home and we cared for Naomi the whole night as well even though we would have to leave her. It was one of the hardest things to leave her. It was a happy time since we were taking the boys home yet my heart was torn on where I needed to be. Michael and I took turns going up to the hospital to feed Naomi and spend time with her. On Day 25 they finally said we could take her home and my heart was complete. 

 The journey home and the first few months were a whirlwind as I felt like walking zombie. Michael and I stuck together though and endured those long nights together. My mom would also come up a couple nights so Michael could get some sleep. I knew if we could just make it through the first 3-4 months then we would be good. Those first few months were difficult as we learned a schedule, how to make a baby eat, pumping, waking the babies every 3 hours even if they were asleep, and trying to maintain a twinge of normalcy. I don’t think that I struggled with Postpartum Depression because I’m not sure I allowed myself to feel much during that time. I knew that I was exhausted yet I was their mother and needed to care for them. I went into “mama mode” where you just “do” without really ever thinking about how everything in my life was different. To be honest, I will say that I was probably harder on myself than I needed to be. It was so difficult for me to admit that I needed assistance, at times, to care for my babies. I had just cared and nurtured them for 32 weeks and 3 days; however, now I needed help caring for my babies. There were moments when my emotions were high and I just cried with the babies because I was equally as sad that I couldn’t meet all the needs of my babies at the same time and when they needed me. Those moments didn’t last long though as I was always very quickly pulled back into reality and all of the things that needed to be done around me. The first few months were also probably some of my loneliest. Days or sometimes weeks would pass by and I hadn’t set foot outside. It was alienating to be sent home with three babies and told to keep them away from all people for fear of them getting sick. It was Michael, my mom, and me that waded through the first few months and we all survived J

When I look back it seems like those moments/stages lasted for just a brief moment even though it felt like years had passed when I was wading through them. I am crazy in love with my babies and I can’t say that it has all been easy, yet it has definitely all been worth it. I would do it all over again tomorrow if I had to (I might stop and cry first), yet I wouldn’t change being the mama to three precious babies. They light up our lives in a way that Michael and I never expected or deserve. They truly are our triple blessings :)

 

Faith

There are a million things I should probably be doing right now but I have a quiet moment so I thought I would write a blog instead :) Michael is usually at work today but he decided to take off today to help with the babies and he had some family passing through town that stopped to see the babies. So, I am curled up on the couch while Michael tries to convince Ethan that he would like to take a nap :) 

The babies are still doing really well! They are growing so much and it makes us so proud them! Someone at church yesterday commented on how big the babies are getting and the stereotype that because they are triplets they should naturally be smaller. That is the case for some triplets yet ours have continued to flourished and we are so thankful that we have not encountered many issues with their growth and development. We are still continually amazed at how God has blessed us and these babies. 

We are approaching the one year anniversary of finding out that we were going to have triplets. I hope to never forget that moment. We knew that we were pregnant with twins--Baby A (Ethan) and Baby C (Levi). There was still question about Baby B (Naomi) if she was going to develop. I should of known then that this might be a clue of what her personality might be like because she is a fighter, stubborn, and feisty...she may or may not be my daughter :) So, Michael and I went into the ultrasound not knowing what we were about to see. Michael thought it would be twins, yet I had this gut feeling that I was pregnant with triplets. As I laid on the table our beloved Patty started to do the ultrasound. She warned us that she may not say anything at first until she looked everything over--we should of known then. So, the ultrasound began and she looked all over and then start labeling the babies--A, B, and C. She then measured each of the babies and we listened to their heartbeats. I was 8 weeks pregnant yet there hearts were so strong sounding. It was very evident that not only had Naomi decided she wanted to stay along for the ride but that she had caught completely up to the boys. All Michael and I could do was laugh at each other. Patty printed off the pictures for us and then we waited to see the doctor.

As we waited to see the doctor all we could do was stare at the pictures. We were in awe of them and already so in love with them. We were experiencing a thousand different emotions all at the same time. The doctor then came into the room with my chart and she sat down. She came in ready to defend her work as the doctor, their practice, and the fertility center. She went over all of my numbers again with me. She said that my estrogen levels weren't high enough and that I only had 3 follicles that were 16mm, 15mm, and 12mm. She explained, once again, that in order for a follicle to be mature it must be 18mm. They went ahead and did the IUI on the chance that the 16mm would mature and form a baby. We knew from the beginning that they didn't want me to carry multiples due to the risk I would carry personally and the risk that the babies wouldn't survive. As she sat there and explained it all to us she said--"Research cannot explain these babies. You should not have these three babies. If someone came in again with your same condition and numbers we would do the same treatment with them because this shouldn't of happen." If there was ever an affirming moment in my life or a moment when I knew that God truly existed and is all that He says He is then it was that moment. 

So all of this brings me back to the topic of faith. I felt in that moment that God, with a twinkle in His eye and laugh in His voice, said to me, "Oh you of little faith why would you doubt me?" My sister recently sent me an article about mental health and Christianity and the stigma that is often surrounds it. There is a belief that the two don't coincide and and is the result of one's lack of faith. I am pretty passionate about that subject so she will often send me things about that topic because I believe it is so largely ignored and misrepresented in our culture. And then I was reading a blog that I follow that was touching on homelessness and the poor and how that is often seen as a result of a lack of faith. And then yesterday in church our pastor was talking about faith and he was mentioning a meeting he was apart of where they were discussing why it is difficult to always have faith. He mentioned infertility and a chord was struck in my heart.

All of that began running in my head and I began to think about our anniversary coming up. I can't say that I had great faith during our infertility process. I started the journey with "great" faith yet at every disappointment my level of faith continually decreased. If I could be honest then I would say I was starting to feel faith-less. I was beginning to question if God truly was going to answer the desires of my heart. We were on our 4th round and the doctor had already said that there was a 25% chance that this was even going to work and my doctor said he could offer a 100% chance that I would never conceive a child on my own. Nothing seemed to be going in our favor and we had already spent $2,000 of own money on this round of treatment. How were we going to pay for another round when we had just spent all of our savings? 

My sister and I were recently talking about how we love that we believe in a God who welcomes our questions, doubts, and concerns. That He has never backed down from them before and is okay with our authenticity. I figured a long time ago that I minus well be honest with God since He already knows my thoughts anyways. I am so thankful that I worship a God who continually acts on my behalf despite my lack of complete trust. 

So, back to that moment at the doctor's office. As the doctor told us that we shouldn't be having these babies I also experienced a type of peace that I've never experienced before. As we learned of the risks of carrying multiples, the risks to my personal health, the complete bed-rest at 20 weeks, having to quit my job, our financial concerns, and even on the day of delivery when the preeclampsia had set in and they were worried about Naomi's heartbeat there was an overwhelming peace that I felt. 

I'm not sure that I could ever testify of our experience with fertility and take any claims that I was faithful and believed the whole time that God was going to perform a miracle. However, I can say that I never stopped believing that God was/is able. I couldn't ever say that I knew the outcome or that God was going to grant me my petition of having children, yet I never doubted that He was/is able. For a good portion of my teenage years and early college years I would say that I definitely doubted that God was able. Through my questioning of God and counseling I discovered God to be able. I also discovered that despite my faithlessness that God would be faithful to me. I still haven't wrapped my head around that one and probably never will. However, I do know that I will strive to work on being continually faithful and along the way I will probably have more questions yet God will welcome my authenticity and continually show me that He is able. God is truly faithful to His people if we believe--after all, it only takes the size of a mustard seed but some days it seems like those mustard seeds are the size of glaciers. Thanks be to God that He pursues His children and never gives up on us.

I think this song sums it all up:

 

6 months old!

We had our 6 month check-up with the doctor yesterday and the babies are doing GREAT :) I love our pediatrician and he is always very reassuring that we are good parents and aren't screwing them up--or doing any psychological damage :) The babies are now weighing in at:
Ethan: 16lbs, 4oz (30%) and in the 70% for height
Naomi: 12lbs, 15oz (3%) and in the 50% for height
Levi: 16lbs, 1oz (25%) and in the 10% for height

Poor Levi may of inherited the Wood gene of being short until about 8th grade and then shooting up into the sky. My brother was the same way and I was taller than him for a long time. The doctor was not concerned about their weights, heights, or heads (Michael is always concerned about that). 

We also talked with the doctor about a new feeding schedule. We have a little more flexibility now which is great and not-so-great at the same time. I thrive on a schedule so we are still playing around with how we want to reorganize our feedings now that the babies are eating food. We have started feeding them 2x a day and they love it (for the most part!). We have eaten brown rice, oats, barley, sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, applesauce, bananas, and today we ate carrots. We are leaving the cereal behind us (mostly) because it was clogging everyone up so we are headed for the veggies and fruits. We are also buying a used triplet feeding table off of someone and we are SUPER excited! It is going to be great and help us out A LOT! It can also double as a craft table for when they are able to be more crafty :) 

Everyone is trying to sit up and Naomi has mastered the backwards scoot. Naomi is our "mover child" so whenever she figures it all out we aren't sure that we are going to be able to stop her. She is little but she is fierce and stubborn--she gets it from her daddy ;)

Everyone is laughing and smiling more often which makes life more enjoyable. They love to laugh especially when we are undressing them--it is so cute! The babies have finally realized that Michael and I are people and not just "blobs" so it has become more fun to play with them and do things to make them laugh/smile. They have also become quite the bouncers--we have an exersaucer that they love and we recently bought an over-the-door bouncer that is in the kitchen so they can help us cook. 

We also got a Radio Flyer Triplet Wagon that I am SUPER excited to use! They are too small for it now and may not be until next year until we get to use it but nevertheless I am still excited! It was on sale, and then had another HUGE discount on top of that, and it had free shipping so we couldn't pass that up. When you have triplets (or probably multiple children, I assume) then you are always looking for ways on how you are going to transport them. Its a tricky situation. We also have a triplet stroller that we use. We went to Macy's last week with the stroller and we had to use the elevator which we conquered. We did have to carry the stroller sideways down a hallway and into the elevator but we did make it! We have discovered, in some ways, that the world is not made for triplets yet we are slowly conquering them and sometimes we have to eat outside a restaurant because the stroller doesn't fit through a single door :) Or we have just taken to eating in the car. 

We are also approaching the teething stage--blah! There are a few things that just aren't quite fair that you have to go through at the same time such as teething and shots at the doctor. We did master the shots this time though by bringing along some milk. It's just difficult when the third child gets the shot--because one of us (Michael) has to hold their arms down so they don't move and then one of us comforts (me). So, after the 2nd baby I have 2 screaming babies while Michael holds the 3rd and then we have 3 screaming babies and only 2 adults. But we did great yesterday! We brought them some milk which calmed them down pretty quickly and we were able to move along. We were at the doctor's office for about two hours though but, have no fear, we are charged 3 co-pays :) Okay, back to teething. It is pretty exciting though because we can see them in their gums they just need to pop up! And then there is probably a whole other world waiting for us...

We are also in the process of mastering bedtime. I'm not a big fan of the cry-it-out, yet I know we might have to brave it one day. We tried one night and Michael made it maybe 1.5 minutes before he went in :) BUT last night it worked perfectly! We didn't cry it out and we tricked them into sleeping in their cribs. I fed them the last 1oz of their bottle in their cribs and everyone was fed, in their cribs, and asleep in 15 minutes and no one cried! Yay! Hopefully it works again tonight! 

Well, I feel like that was a bunch of jumbled up rambles but I had to type quickly! I wasn't planning on writing a blog--I actually need to be printing out some paperwork to fill out for my dreaded school loans but Ethan is sleeping and I'm afraid if I print something he would wake up. And I am willing to do just about anything to have 3 sleeping babies at the same time! I'm going to work up uploading some pictures at some point so I can show how much they have grown! Hopefully the next blog will be sooner than later :)

Where Do I Begin??

I started this blog by saying that I wasn't sure where to begin and now I feel like I am in that same place again. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. My last blog was 2 days before their surprise birth and I didn't know at the time everything that was about to take place. I wanted to start from the very beginning and tell you all the story of their birth, the story of trying to find Naomi's heartbeat, the amazing story of how Dr. Bellardo came to my rescue, our journey through the NICU, the sleepless nights, the heartache of leaving our babies in the hospital while we went home, the joy of bringing home three healthy babies, the fret of making sure they are growing properly, the extreme exhaustion, the constant worry that they will get sick and giving the stay-away look to anyone who even looks remotely sick, the screaming stage, the first time they smiled and then laughed at us, trying to keep the fingernails trimmed of three babies, their baptism, Ethan's non-stop talking, Levi's infectious smile, Naomi's sweet smile and disposition, feeding 2 and 3 babies at a time, feeding them cereal for the first time, surrendering our home to the babies and ALL their stuff, the first time Levi rolled over, the struggle of finding a balance in life, the struggle of even having a life outside the home (it's still non-existent), the joy of providing breast-milk for three healthy, growing babies, and the list goes on and on. I wish I could write about all of those things, yet since I am working on a schedule and the babies will soon awake--I have to write fast :) 

I don't even really know where to begin but tomorrow the babies will be 24 weeks old! Crazy! It is amazing how fast the time has gone and how slow it has gone at the same time. Some days I feel like I am in time warp and everything just stops once I am inside our home. There will be weeks when Sunday will come and I realize that I have not stepped outside all week. However, my greatest joys are inside the home. I never knew that I could love three little people as much as I love these babies. Michael and I cannot express how much we are in love with them. They continue to amaze us with their progress and if you were to see them today you wouldn't imagine that they were hooked up to oxygen and their bodies were so little. I give all the credit to God for taking care of them (and the beloved/scary Dr. Haynes) and that God has blessed me with the ability to supply our babies with 100% breast-milk. I haven't accomplished much in my short-life, yet I think that of everything I have (and probably will) accomplish this is something that I am the proudest of. I love that I am able to provide for our babies in this way and to know that all the weight they have gained is a direct result of me. It would of definitely been easy to quit and many said I wouldn't be able to do it yet I am continuing to take it one day at a time. There might come a day when I have to supplement a little yet I am giving this all that I have. 

A popular question that everyone asks us, "How do you do it?" My response: we schedule everything. We feed every three hours during the day and at night they are allowed to sleep as long as they want. In the beginning we had to wake them every three hours no matter what, yet thankfully with time they are now sleeping through the night. So, here is a little bit of what our schedule looks like:

7:30am: Wake-up and eat. We play on the floor or sometimes they sleep again
10:30am: Eat and get dressed. If the weather is nice sometimes we go for a walk or go to the store
1:30pm: Eat
2-4:30pm: Levi takes a nap and I try to convince Ethan and Naomi to sleep as well 
4:30pm: Eat and play (sometimes a little nap)
7:30pm: Eat (at this point NO ONE is allowed to sleep anymore)
8: 45pm: Eat cereal
9:15pm: Take a bath (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)
10:00-10:30pm: Feed for the final time and rock everyone to sleep

*If I have help (my mom or Michael) then they feed Ethan and Levi and I feed Naomi and pump at the same time (thankful for whoever invited the hands-free pumping bra). If I am alone then I feed 2 or 3 babies at a time and then pump while finishing up the 3rd baby. After every feeding we also wash and sanitize all of the bottles and I make bottles for the next feeding.

So there is how we do it :) It's the same schedule every day yet it is functional for us and you never know what will happen in the middle of it all :) However, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world. God has continued to bless up and someone the ends get met each month. I am continually surprised (I am a worrier by nature), yet somehow something always pulls through.

Our lives have forever been changed by these three precious babies and we couldn't be happier for it. Sometimes I think about how the fertility center told us about selection after we found out we had all 3 and we responded that we were keeping all of them and that we were blessed with them. I couldn't imagine life with any of them. A dear friend, Dr. Cox, comes and helps me on Mondays and she told me that she thinks it all has to do with our outlook. From the very beginning we termed these babies "our triple blessing" and we have continued to make it through every day because of how we view them. That's not to say there aren't some rough moments where I just want to sit on the floor and cry with the babies (which I have done) or wondered how I am going to make it another moment. We are making it through each day though and I couldn't have made it this far with my amazing husband as my partner. We couldn't have made it without my mother either who gave up her sleep as well to get us through those sleepless nights. There are many other amazing people who brought us meals, showered us with gifts, and prayed for us that we are eternally grateful for.

I wish I could write more, yet I am currently typing and holding Ethan at the same time. He woke up from his nap early and wanted me to hold him :) I hope to post pictures soon...we have SO many pictures of them yet they might be 3 before I get that far...ha! I hope to write again soon yet I can't promise when that will happen. I write blog posts in my head yet this is the first one I have actually been able to write (or finish writing--I have a couple drafts). I want to include you all in their lives as Michael and I wouldn't be who we are without you all :)   




 

2 Weeks!!

Happy 32 Weeks!!

We now have exactly 2 weeks until the big day! When we met with a specialist in the beginning she told us that getting to 32 weeks would be the gold medal. The specialist was only optimistic about making it to 28 weeks so we are very thankful for where we are today and that we stuck with our Dr. Bellardo who had a lot more confidence in making this pregnancy last :) It is amazing to think that in 2 weeks we are going to be the parents of three children. I'm still not sure I have fully grasp it yet I know I am very ready to have these babies! We only have 2 weeks to go yet somehow that feels like a long time. I was thinking about it today and I remembered when we were going through fertility treatment. After the final procedure you have to wait 14 days before you are allowed to test to see if it worked. I shared earlier that patience was not my virtue and I tried testing at the 7 day mark (it was negative). I remember that those 14 days were some of the longest and almost every moment was consumed with thoughts of it had worked. My goal is to try and enjoy these 2 weeks despite how uncomfortable my body is :) 

I am definitely learning about that uncomfortable side of pregnancy that begins to hit at the end of one's pregnancy. I always believed pregnancy to be this wonderful and beautiful experience (which it is) and I have dreamed of this moment for such a long time, yet no one really shares about the pain. I look forward to the day when I can get out of bed without spending a few minutes trying to think about how I can best maneuver my body to just roll off the side. I also would like to be able to go an hour without going to the bathroom. I would also like the gestational carpel tunnel to go away so I can move my fingers again. And I won't even mention the back pain, the round ligament pain, or the pain of my abdominal wall stretching out :) I knew the other night that these babies had officially taken over my body. I was watching TV and I started crying at a preview for a show airing next week--I told Michael I was crying in anticipation of watching the show next week of when I would be crying more :) Oh dear...

We went and saw Dr. Bellardo this week as well as got another ultrasound. I believe that this was Ultrasound #13 in our pregnancy. This ultrasound went much better than the last one despite how long it lasted. It took the tech a little while to figure out everyone's position and Baby B (Naomi) is officially very squished. And then she spent some time measuring one of the babies to then figure out that she was measuring the wrong baby. It was very difficult to get measurements on Naomi due to her being so squished. It was amazing to see them again--I never get tired of seeing their little faces and how much they have continued to develop. The tech also spent some time trying to do the Biophysical Profile (BPP) because one part is taping their practice breathing. And she had to get the babies moving so we could watch their little diaphragms move up and down as they were practicing their breathing. It was still a little early in the morning for the babies and the only one who wanted to show off was Baby C (Levi). But eventually she bounced my stomach enough and got the babies going. When she was measuring Baby A (Ethan) it also made a lot of things make more sense. He is sitting so low--she had to dig into my thighs and hips to try and see him. When she was measuring my cervix his butt was literally just sitting on my cervix. I think that he thinks it is a trampoline sometimes even though I have tried convincing him otherwise. During the ultrasound though--Baby A (Ethan) is still breech and Babies B and C (Naomi and Levi) are transverse-oblique. 

So then we were a supposed to meet with Dr. Bellardo but he had to run to the hospital to deliver a baby. So we had to come back this morning anyways for another steroid shot so he said we would just catch up this morning. I got the first steroid shot yesterday and it was not painful at all. I read a lot of things online on how painful the shot is so I was a little nervous. Well, as it turns out the reviews are correct. She gave me the shot in my other hip this morning and it was incredibly painful. Oh well--it's over now. I only have one more progesterone shot next week and then we are finished with all these shots! Yay!  

So, we met with Dr. Bellardo this morning to talk about the ultrasound. He said that my cervix had shortened but it is still closed so we are good. I was also concerned because according to the ultrasound the babies hadn't gained that much weight. They had been gaining weight really steadily so I was anticipating the same this time. Dr. Bellardo said that the babies are still okay and everyone was around the 40th percentile. He said that we have reached a point where the babies' weight have plateaued instead of increasing. He said that it is getting more difficult for the babies to gain weight due to being so squished inside. But he did tell me that I can try and eat as many calories and not to be bashful about eating in the 2 weeks in an effort to fatten the babies up as much as possible. I will probably never hear those words again so I am going to try and eat as much as I can to fatten up the babies :) It is a little more difficult to eat these days as they are also squishing my stomach so I will try to space it out throughout the day. 

I told Dr. Bellardo about some tightening I have been having across my abdomen. It is not rhythmic, yet I have this tightening feeling and my stomach gets really hard. Dr. Bellardo said that it sounds like Braxton Hicks contractions which he said is just preparing your body for the real thing. He said to call him if it becomes rhythmic or if I have any spotting but I think we will be good. It is not an everyday experience and it's not really painful--just a little uncomfortable. It doesn't seem to affect the babies though and Dr. Bellardo wasn't too concerned about it unless it changes.

We also spent some more time talking about the C-Section. He said that I would be in the hospital until Tuesday--you get 4 days for recovery in the hospital for a normal C-Section and it does not count the day of delivery. I checked with our insurance as well and they said that there is no limit on how long I can stay (they base it off of the doctor's discretion and my level of care) so if everything goes well I will stay until Tuesday, the 23rd. I am really hoping that the babies will come home with us yet I am preparing myself for them to stay in the hospital. Dr. Bellardo said that the babies would be born within the first 15 minutes of the C-Section and then the rest would be spent "putting me back together again." He said the whole procedure should take about 1 1/2 hours and then I will spend about 2 hours in recovery until they are satisfied with the bleeding. Dr. Bellardo said that the NICU staff will be present to assess the babies and then they will either take the babies or let the babies stay depending on their condition. So, if they decide to take the babies then Michael will be allowed to go with the babies. Once I go into recovery my mom is going to sit with me so Michael can be with the babies. 

So, we are going to go back to the doctor next week for another appointment and an ultrasound. We will get a final count on how everyone is doing and then we will have the babies the week after! Crazy! Dr. Bellardo said that we are all doing well and I think he is pleased with our progress. If we continue on this path then it looks like we will make our goal of 34 weeks. Dr. Bellardo reminded us that full-term is different for triplets and that the babies are reaching a point where they have just about accomplished everything they can in my womb. Dr. Bellardo said that their weight and development will pick up after we deliver them.

We also got a few more pictures of the babies that I will put up on their pages. My goal now is just to keep eating as much as I can and to rest so the babies will stay healthy. Only 2 more weeks! We can do this! :)