The Power of Facebook and Twitter

As I sit next to Angela's hospital bed watching a very small, snowy television set it is easy to lose track of what is going on in the real world. Our window to the world has been facebook. It's been the best way for us to see what our friends are up to.

I'm not one to throw around the word blessed very often but I truly feel that way lately. Our friends and family have been great. The baby stuff we have accumulated through showers is breath taking. I feel like we could open up a wing of babies r us when the boys grow out of all this great stuff.

Phone calls and visits to the hospital have literally been God sends. Not everyone can make it out here so facebook is the way we keep up with everyday life. It's a lot of fun to see who wishes everyone a good day and who is having issues with their cable and internet connections.

I rarely post status updates on my twitter account which is linked to facebook as well. Last night I decided to post the following message: still trying to wrap my head around the doc telling us that the end is near.

You see, a day or two earlier the Doctor told us that the signs are starting to point towards the boys making an appearance sooner rather than later. Angela wrote about it in the blog a few days ago and every day the doctors just continue saying the same thing.

In addition to the blog we have spent a lot of time on the phone explaining to people what is going on.

What I didn't factor in was that we haven't been able to talk to everyone and facebook hits a lot of people quickly.

It didn't take very long to start getting responses like - what? Huh? Explain please?

I felt everyone who really cared knew the scenario and I was just trying to state the things running around my head. One of the many blessings I've discovered is that even if they are only seeing us on facebook, people still care.

It's pretty cool actually.

So then this morning I posted this - to clarify-we are at 30 wks-goal is 34-doc say signs say next week or so.

Twitter limits how many characters you can use and 9 times out 10 I don't need as many as they give to get my point across. Sometimes you need more than that.

Things with the boys are going great. It's just some signs within Angela say her body is ready for the boys to meet the world.

Keep checking here because it may only be a facebook style update but I will post here when the process starts. It may take awhile for a "normal" update but I will do what I can to keep all our friends in the know.

30 weeks, and I'm counting.

Yesterday, Bob, the boys, and I finally made it to the 30s. Everything is looking great and the boys are growing like little weeds (at least by how they seem to be in my throat and my thigh at the same time). Thus, now we've earned the silver medal. I do like earning medals. We are starting week six of our time here at Baylor and things are moving right along. Tonight, Dr. Clark came in to discuss my shrinking cervix. According to him, we are starting to see signs that the end is getting closer and that he hopes we can make it to 32 weeks. Pretty exciting news. I'm definitely looking forward to getting out of here and taking my babies home with me. If I quit itching and the diabetes goes away, I think I might actually be in heaven.

The past week has been a pretty great one. My brothers came for the weekend, and my wonderful husband - the Brat King - grilled brats for the nurses and the family on Monday. I was actually allowed to have half a brat - it was the most delicious homemade item I've eaten in quite some time. My cousin Amy stopped by, and we were able to share our bounty with our neighbors who were here at Baylor with their son. Overall, it was a nice day full of family and friends, and it was wonderful to have Bob here all day on a weekday.



Wednesday, we had two visits - one from my aunt and my cousin's sons and the other from our high school youth group. It was so much fun to visit with everybody. I don't think that we've ever had as many people in our room as we did on Wednesday. Bob says that you can tell how much my spirits are lifted by company, and I definitely have been feeling great this week.

Health-wise, things are starting to settle down. I'm taking some pills to help with my itching that seem to work pretty well - I'm not itch free, but I am much less itchy. The endocrinologist has actually decreased my dosage of insulin after some lovely episodes of "bottoming out" (Bob said it was a shameless ploy to get to drink juice - I'd rather have a big shot of chocolate cake). This weekend, I had to do a 24 hour pee test which showed that I have traces of protein in my urine (this means that I could be showing traces of preeclampsia), so from now on, I'll have to keep my pee on ice once a week to keep tabs on it. The boys are getting much easier to monitor - they actually stay on the monitor for longer periods of time rather than trying to escape all the time (they do still kick like crazy at the monitors, but we can keep their heartbeats on for much longer). Tomorrow, we should be finding out how much the boys weigh and such, so that's exciting.

This weekend is also shaping up to be a good one. Bob's sister and her husband are planning on coming for a visit. We're pretty excited to see them since we haven't seen them since their wedding. Overall, life is looking pretty good right now.

Family Ties & a Twirl in the Whirl

Today is May 24, and Bob and I arrived in hotel Baylor on April 24 and our 34 week due date is June 24 - I guess that means that we are at the halfway point. Every once in a while I toy with the idea of trying to make it to July 4th because I think it would be a really amazing day for a birthday, but as I get more and more wobbly and my pelvis is screaming in pain with every shift I make in this lovely bed, I reconsider.

Lately, our biggest concern has been when will the boys arrive. As we've spent more time here in the antepartum ward, we've come to realize that nothing is certain and that the babies can show up any time they'd like. This, of course, creates a quandary for both our parents - my parents have scheduled a vacation during the prime 32 week point of our pregnancy and Bob's parents are not sure when they should make the trek out from California. I, personally, would not be upset if we delivered tomorrow, but I know it would be best for the boys if we cooked them a little longer. Bob is also starting to feel as though this whole process is growing old. It seems as though we're just in a holding pattern (which I have definitely come to recognize as I watch the planes landing at DFW fly past my window). I'm ready to get this show on the road as well, but instead, we will both be content to sit here in our home away from home with our mini-fridge and snack/underpants bag.

This weekend, both my brothers were in town for a visit. It was great to see them. Zach and his wife Mandy came to visit with her mother who is currently having some medical issues, so Zach came by the hospital on his own. It was nice to see my brother who is currently one-third of a lawyer and genetically closest to me. Joseph was in town as well because he's got Monday off from his new job at OU as a student facilitator for incoming students. I've enjoyed having him hang around and entertain us with his various comedy routines - especially the one about how I sent him and Bob to the fabric store to get more yarn for the blankets I'm making. It was great to have the whole family in the room, and when they came to monitor the boys, I pulled up my shirt and watched both of my brothers squirm in discomfort at having to view my giant belly. After my tasty bacon cheeseburger (the weekend grill cook is pretty amazing), I was rolled down to the cafeteria to enjoy dinner with my mom, Faith, Joseph, and Bob which was sort of like watching ravenous wolves devouring their young - unfortunately I could only watch, but apparently the food from Bucca di Beppo is amazing. I don't think I've laughed that much at a meal I couldn't eat in quite a while.

This morning, Bob attended the Sunday School baby shower for the three couples who work with the youth group and are having boys in the next month or so. He gave our camera to Jordan, a very sweet young lady about Faith's age who documented the events for me. My favorite picture of the day was her self-portrait. It seems as though Bob was a little unsure of how to conduct himself at a shower - i.e. not noticing that the wrapping paper for all three couples was the same and so was the shape, so open those at the same time as the other two, but he did a fantastic job, and the kids were so generous. I wish I could have attended, but I have to say that I'm more impressed with Carrie's appearance as she is scheduled to deliver her baby boy on Tuesday.



After a particularly rough night last night, the lovely nurses at the hospital arranged a special treat for the prego. I'm itchy from some kind of biosalt imbalance for which I receive pills four times a day, my body aches like I've been held hostage in a Chinese prison for the last 10 years, and I've learned that sitting up is the best way to sleep and not get kicked all night long. Anyway, not to expound too greatly on my grievances, I was a little out of sorts this morning, and Shelly mentioned that there was a whirlpool bath that I could use to relax and maybe have a little relief from all my aches and pains. After lunch (at which point, I experienced the joys of a diabetic "bottoming out" and had to have restorative OJ), I showered in preparation for my whirl. I had to dispense with all modesty, but the nurses helped me into the tub and filled it with warm water and started the jets for me at which point I had to remind myself that I was not in heaven. The water helped to ease the pressure of three little men jumping around in my midsection. I stayed in the whirlpool for so long, that when I left, I was extremely pruney and very relaxed. While I twirled about in the bath, Bob stayed in the room and "watched" the Ranger game with his eyes sometimes opened. This new treat is now available to me every day, but I think I'm going to save it for the days when things are really sore as I'm not generally a person who likes to take a bath after a traumatic incident involving my first apartment, roaches, and the bathtub which still gives me shivers to think about. Just knowing this option is available makes the scratching, aching, and restlessness a little easier to bear.

Growing Pains

The thing Bob and I look forward to the most in this whole lovely hospital experience is the growth scan of the boys. We were supposed to have our scan on Friday, but the doctor was running out of time and postponed it until later. On Sunday as Bob and I were napping - sleeping double in a single bed (which is pretty impressive considering my frontal protrusion), they called us for a scan. We were worried that something was wrong, but Dr. Payne just had a little extra time on his way to the gun range and worked in our growth scan. Since learning about the whole diabetes thing, one major side effect for the kids is that they are generally bigger than your average baby. Well, let me tell you, we've got quite a gang growing in my midsection. This has led to my pelvis aching and my upper thighs betraying me as I try to walk to the bathroom along with the itchiest stomach in the world, but every little ache and pain is worth it as our kids get bigger and healthier.

As always, the doc goes in A,B,C order as he scans the kids. Baby A was right on track for his age at 2 lbs 10 oz. We were relieved to hear that. Baby A has been spending the majority of his time somewhere in my upper thigh and kicking me like crazy when I lay on my left side. He does not appreciate being squished by me as well as by his brothers. Then the doc measured Baby B which he proclaimed was our "porker" at a whopping 3 lbs 8 oz. Baby B's paternal grandmother has now nicknamed him "Moose" which cracks me up. I do notice that Baby B doesn't seem to move around as much as the other two - it must be his love of food (he's definitely my child) has limited his space. Baby C, who has been riding this whole pregnancy out on the top of the heap is 3 lbs 4 oz. He is my squiggliest child as he never stays on the monitor and is always moving around the top of my belly in search of mischief - most of which involves kicking at that elastic band on my pants. All three boys are looking good as far as their fluid, and Bob asked the doc if he was a betting man how many more weeks we have in us. Of course, no one likes to venture a guess, but he says he's pretty sure we'll make it to 32 weeks. That made both of us feel pretty good. Although things can change on a dime with all of blood pressure, sugar issues, etc that multiples bring with them.

After our trip to the scan room, Bob and I watched TV and took a wheelchair ride. We met my mom & Faith in the parking lot. It was so beautiful outside and even just a few minutes in the sun felt great. Bob forgot the keys to the car in the room and had to head back up to get them, so while he was on that mission, I painted Miss F's fingernails. Sometimes, it's so much fun to be the big sister. I am also crocheting blankets for the boys, and Faith wanted me to teach her how to crochet. I think by the time she left, she was starting to get the hang of it. I learned how to crochet in 4th grade, so it seems only fitting that I teach my sister how to do it while she's in 4th grade. Perhaps the most joyful moment of the day (of course excluding the Ranger's win) for Bob was watching my mom eat a lemon. She has always loved to eat lemons with salt despite the trauma this may cause to the enamel on her teeth. Apparently she got a really sour lemon as this picture shows. I must say, I haven't seen Bob jump for a camera that fast in quite some time.

28 Weeks & a Plethora of Pokes

Today marks a momentous occasion in the lives of our unborn children. By starting week 28, the boys chances of being healthy and normal have increased to 90% even if they are born today. On the triplet websites, they refer to 28 weeks as winning the bronze medal (we're hoping to make it all the way to 34 weeks so that the time the boys spend in the NICU is minimal). I am so elated that we've gotten this far. It's odd how small little goals make the time pass more quickly, so now it's on to the next - 30 weeks and the silver.

This gestational diabetes thing is pretty much a pain in the butt or more accurately a pain in the fingers and the back of the arms. Since doing the glucose test on the Sunday before Mother's Day, we've known that my sugar was unusually high - I was over 300 on a scale where the high end of normal is 110. For about a week, they tried just to limit my diet, then on Thursday, they started me on insulin. Currently, I am receiving between 270 and 300 units of insulin. The joyous way the doctors came to this conclusion was to spend all day & night on Monday giving me a glucose test via finger pokes every two hours followed by a dose of insulin. I have become a human pin cushion. My fingers hurt so bad the next day that I didn't even use my computer to play solitaire much less to answer emails or do anything that involved typing of any sort. Thankfully, today, my tips have recovered. There are still many pokes of various kinds, but now it occurs much less often.

Oh What a Difference a Visit Makes!

As I sit here in my bed reflecting on the past couple of weeks, I have to say the highlight of my days have been all of the visits from my wonderful friends and family. I am awed and humbled by how many people have taken the time to come by and just hang out with us. To those of you who have come by or called, I just wanted to say THANK YOU. You make the days so much brighter. I feel sorry for the ladies on this hall who don't get company.

The past week has been a little more exciting than the previous one as it has been diagnosed that I have gestational diabetes (and perhaps I might have had diabetes before becoming pregnant due to my extremely high sugar numbers). This has resulted in the removal of pleasure from one of my great loves - eating. It's not hard to guess that I like food, but now I'm on a restricted diet that makes me feel like the cookie monster is growing inside me as they poke my fingers and administer huge quantities of insulin. Today, I had 4 graham crackers and a tiny little tub of peanut butter (about the size of butter or jelly tubs at Denny's) & it sent my sugar numbers over the moon. The doctor told me that it would take a bit to work out how much insulin and how many calories I need, but please, please, please tell me that one day I'll get to eat fruit again - because 2 grapes and a tiny cup of cantaloupe which I don't like does NOT count. I shouldn't complain because I know that things could be much worse, and it probably isn't horrible that I had to give up my secret stash of desk treats (the brownies, swiss roll cakes, and Twix I kept in my file cabinet as back up for hunger), but still, do they have to take away a girl's milk at breakfast and roll with spaghetti. Ah, the tragedy of eating "healthier."

On a brighter note, today was my first Mother's Day. Bob and I discussed not celebrating Mother's & Father's Days because we are only in utero at the moment, and I'm not sure it counts until you've changed a dirty diaper and taken a picture of your kid doing something cute. Despite this belief, there were many people who validated us as parents - I guess parenthood begins when you start to think of your kids first and yourself second (hence the reason I have been trying to eat yogurt and veggies). I received several lovely gifts - a plant, flowers, a plant to put in my Mother's Day craft project from here at the hospital, and surprisingly some things from my children. Apparently, unbeknownst to me, Bob took the boys shopping (on Amazon of course since he is violently opposed to stepping into any store other than a grocery store - and that is only by necessity). Today, all my boys managed to buy a card for mom & brought me stuffed animals of the Shrek Triplets. They are so cute, and I have them right by my bed so they'll be close. I also got a bracelet that will be engraved with the names of the boys and their birthstones when all of that info becomes final. I must say, I think I might have the best husband in the world.

Well, one of the things moms like to do is show off pictures of their kids. So, here are the latest additions to our sonogram pictures.


Here is our sweet Baby A giving us a good profile shot. This past week he seems to be hanging out somewhere around my left thigh, but if I lay on him wrong, he still manages to kick me like there's no tomorrow until I turn over.


This is the slightly cramped Baby B. If you look closely, he kind of looks like a squished alien, but I think that's because someone's hiney is resting on his head. Even so, as a mother always thinks - he is too cute. This weekend, as Bob and I listened to music, he was tapping his foot on my tummy to the beat, and Baby B kept tapping back. I guess this might be our little drummer boy.


Finally, Baby C giving us good face (in the words of Madonna). This guy is sitting on top of the heap closer to my lungs than my legs, and he certainly is trying to do his alien impression all the time as I feel him putting his butt against my belly and attempting to burst forth. Bob and I keep telling him that it's not time yet, but he doesn't seem to care about that. I do enjoy watching him make his way across my abdomen even if it does feel like he's trying to make a jailbreak.

All of the boys are very healthy and a little large for the stage that they are currently in due to my sugar issues. Every day, I get to hear their heartbeats and last week we got to watch the activity in their lungs. They are looking fantastic, and Bob and I are looking forward to Wednesday which will start week 28 (our first goal - there is a 90% chance that if the boys are born after week 28 that they will be healthy and normal).

Thanks for all of the prayers, calls, emails, visits, care packages - they really, really mean the world to Bob and I. We are blessed to have you all as friends.

Hey Look Ma! Angela Is Out of Her Hospital Room!

This week Angela was granted wheel chair privileges which means for 30 minutes a day I get to take Angela on a spin around the hospital. It has been a lot of fun sticking her in corners and facing her towards blank walls. The thing about it is she is getting so stir crazy that she laughs when most think she should yell at me.

Even when I stick her in the corner of the elevator, hit the button to go to the next floor and leave the elevator. One day she'll be able to maneuver the chair well enough that she'll get off the elevator at another floor before it comes back down to me but for now she just laughs.

I figure that's a good thing because it ain't anything but fun to torture her.

At least that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Holy Crap! Our Nursery(ies) Is(Are) a Different Color!

One of the things that has suffered due to Angela being in the hospital for the rest of the pregnancy is house work. I do what I can but I can't justify to myself that I should be at home vacuuming or mowing the yard instead of being at the hospital with Angela. I've been trying to do my chores during my lunch hour but it takes more than an hour to do most of what I need to do. (The dresser took 3 lunch periods last week)

Up till now people have been pretty critical of me for not accepting help. It's been easy up until Angela checking into the hospital. There were only 2 of us, so doing all the housework was tiring but it wasn't difficult. Now I just don't have the time to do it all so I'm calling peoples bluff. If you are offering to help, let it be known, I am taking people up on it now. So, if you don't mean it, don't offer, I won't be offended.

The first person to get caught was Melanie. She offered to paint the nurseries and I called her bluff. You'll have to ask her whether or not she expected me to take her up on the offer but yesterday she came out to the house along with her neighbor Pam and her sister Margaret. In just about 5 hours they painted the two rooms, moved the furniture around, vacuum'd the house, cleaned out my fridge, took out the trash, cleaned the cat box, fed my dogs, almost lost the cat and from what I understand had a good time doing all of it.



This room here is the one formerly called the red room. I will move out the red furniture and start putting baby stuff in there as soon as I get some male help (Joseph and/or Stephen, that means you!).

Watch out folks, we've hit the time where favors are being turned in, I advise any and all to run for the hills.

To Melanie, Pam and Margaret, thank you very much. The three of you way over extended yourselves and we can't thank you enough.

Hello Triplets

Hi, I'm Faith, Angela's sister. I attend fourth grade. My teachers for homeroom/science/social studies/language arts and math are Mrs.B and Ms.McK. If you have ever heard of the M McK Foundation, that is Ms.McK's husband that died.

My sister is the one about to have triplets. When I first found out Angela was having triplet boys, it took me a while to take it all in. All I remember was saying,"What,they're all boys?"over and over again. Now I'm still a bit shocked, but I've gotten used to the idea. Sometimes I wish they were all girls because there will be no pink, but at least we get baseball. I wonder what you would have to do to take care of triplet boys. If you have any suggestions e-mail me using the site, and Angela & Bob will forward it on to me.

Progress Report Time

As our first week of hospital bed rest came to a close, Bob and I seem to have made some progress around this joint. Yesterday, Bob finished the dresser Melanie gave us, and it looks great. He said this one was much easier than the tall dresser which gave him fits. He sent me pictures, and the dresser looks great. I can't wait to see it in one of our two nursery rooms. Today, Daddy is going to the Home Depot to purchase two shades of paint for the nursery rooms. Our wonderful friend Melanie and her buddy are going to paint the rooms for us. We are so grateful to them. Since I haven't been able to go up the stairs in weeks and now I'm glued to this hospital bed, I figure the whole nursery is going to be a surprise for me.



Last night, Bob and I hosted a mini-birthday celebration for my cousin Amy who has reached the first of the unpleasant birthdays. (The one where you stop counting). It was nice to have her over and poor Bob was such a trooper as he sat in the room while we watched America's Next Top Model (I'm sure he's counting down the minutes until that show is over for the season). Since our scan days are Tuesday and Friday, my dad stopped by the house last night and let the pooches out to take care of business so that Bob could stay here. This meant another night on the tiny bed of torture. Bob is such a good sport because I KNOW (from staying with Beth) that those chair beds are about as comfortable as a bed of rocks. This morning, they came and wheeled me out to the scan room - which is quite a treat since it's the only time I get to see something other than this lovely room I've been placed in. Not only is it a ride out and about, but it is an opportunity to see the other ladies who are waiting for their scans. Most of them are here with twin babies, and apparently our reputation has made the rounds as I am referred to as "the one they told us about who has triplets." I guess even on bed rest, triplets are a novelty.



At 7 a.m., we saw Dr. Payne and he measured the boys. They are all looking good with lots of fluid in their sacs, and they are all over 2 lbs. Baby A is 2 lbs 3 oz, Baby B is 2 lbs 5 oz, and Baby C is 2 lbs 4 oz - this makes me feel good about the two pounds I've gained since being in the hospital - hopefully it's all their weight and not mine. :) Although, there are some very tasty cookies that make their way to my room everyday. Speaking of food, surprisingly, I have been less than hungry. Apparently my turb pump's constant drip into my leg makes me feel yucky and in turn, I don't really feel like eating (which for this large and in charge lady is almost a miracle). The shakes associated with the medicine seem to be getting better - not great but better, so that's reassuring. Hopefully my body will adjust, and I'll be back to eating and feeling like normal soon.

It's Time to Pump Up & Take Some Steroids

Day 5 of bed rest is quickly coming to a close and has brought some new changes into our little world in room 213. This morning around 2:30 am, I felt a weird cramp during one of my many nighttime jaunts to the restroom. It didn't really hurt, so I went right back to sleep. When the nurse came in to give me my 6 am pill, I told her and she put me on the Toco (the contractions monitor) and I was having lots of contractions. This sparked a flurry of activity including two shots of Turbulyene (I have no idea how to spell this medicine so this is my best shot). The turb made my heart race and got me out of breath, but it did slow down the contractions. Luckily, Bob was on his way to the hospital for our Tuesday scan, so he was able to come in and make everything better just by being here. At our scan, they measured my cervix and things aren't changing, so that's really great. On Friday, they are supposed to measure the boys again, & hopefully we can find out how big they are getting.

Bob and I are sure that Baylor is the right place for me and the boys to be, especially since I don't seem to feel contractions and something like this morning's incident would have gone unchecked for too long if I were at home. Being in the hospital has led to some interesting developments. First, I have become a steroid user. Bob is very concerned about me having lost my home run record, but I told him I made the sacrifice in honor of Barry Bonds. The steroids are to help the boys lungs in case they are born early, so that makes us feel better. The other big change is in the type of medicine I am getting to control contractions. Since this morning's little incident, I have been put on a turb pump. It's a little band-aid with a clear tube that sticks into your leg then hooks on to this tubing which is connected to a pump which delivers some medicine directly into my leg every four hours. The most positive thing I can think of to say about this is that at least they don't have to wake me up during the night to take procardia.



It's no secret that I don't really like needles. In fact, I am completely unable to watch a shot of any type without going faint. No see, no problem. See, slump over in the chair. So, now I've got this thing stuck in my leg all the time, and Bob and I have to manage it because it's administered through a home health agency rather than the hospital (this fact makes Bob pretty nuts - I have to change the sticker and medicine on my own). Thankfully, we only have to move the part that goes into my leg every five days, and that is officially the job of the father of my children. One strange side effect of the drug (besides the fact that my heart almost bursts from my chest) is that it has turned my normally peaceful boys into crack addicts looking for a fix. They are kicking around all over the place. The nurse said that they'll get used to the medicine & calm down, but I don't think it's going to be anytime soon as it appears to be flight club 2009 in my belly. Now it's time to try sleeping through this hurricane inside me, hopefully the soothing tones of Law & Order will send me straight to sleep.

Observations on Hospital Bed Rest

Today is the end of my third day in the hospital. I'm 25 and 1/2 weeks along, so we are hoping for 34 weeks for the boys to be born - which is 8 weeks away. On Friday, Bob brought me some snacks and clean underpants as well as other essentials like DVDs, books, thank you notes that I need to write, etc. We settled in to the room pretty quickly and the routine has started to fall in to place.

Most importantly, I have been given shower privileges. This might not sound like something momentous, but it truly is. I can't imagine going 8 weeks without being able to shower. That would literally stink. They also are allowing me to wear my own clothes which makes me feel much more human than that horrible hospital gown I had to sport the first day and a half. On Thursday, Bob, Amy, and I measured my belly since I told them that I thought I was 5 feet around - I'm currently 58" around the middle (I'm 70" tall, so give it a couple more weeks and I might be bigger around than tall - CRAZY!) Here's a photo of me sporting real clothes and a really big belly.



A typical day here (so far), consists of me waking up around 6 am for my first pill of the day, going back to sleep until 7 when I get up and shower and dress (to kill some time while I'm starving for food - these babies and their mommy are HUNGRY!). At 8, breakfast arrives and I try to eat slowly so as to savor the experience and fill up the time. Around 9 or 10, the nurse comes in to put me on the contractions monitor and to try and find the babies heartbeats. This seems to be the most difficult part of the day. Since the boys are still so small, they have lots of room to roam around in and finding all three of their heartbeats at once is quite a challenge. Today it took around an hour of having my belly out and covered in that blue gel before everyone registered at once. Bob said it was quite a sight to behold. At noon, it's time to take another pill and eat lunch. At some point in the afternoon, the doctor shows up for rounds, then things are relatively calm until dinner around 5 pm (today, I got the menu for the "grill" downstairs so now I have TONS of choices). I'm very excited about leaving behind the vegetable frittata in favor of the bacon cheeseburger. For the past couple of days we've had company, so it's been really nice that the hours have gone quickly. At six, it's time for another pill and some more monitor time. Around 8, I usually make Bob scrounge me up some kind of snack. It makes Bob a little nuts that my panties share the same bag as our treats. It makes me laugh. At 9 it's time for more monitoring, and then nothing until my next pill at midnight. Throughout the day, I am supposed to wear these little shoe bootie things to keep me from having blood clots. They squeeze my feet and puff air simultaneously. It's kind of strange and feels like my feet are being strangled in an oven. The after effects of the booties are that my feet have been turned into something gross and veiny looking like I'm the Hulk. Note the attractiveness of said booties.



Since it was the weekend, I got to spend lots of quality time with Bob. He was here most of the weekend, and I really enjoyed having him around (as always, of course). He took up residence in the rocking chair next to my bed. We've watched lots of TV and such while we lounge about our new abode. As is to be expected, Bob has been wonderful at fetching me things from the house - we might have to rent a Uhaul to get home, but he's definitely keeping me well stocked. He even brought up drinks to put in our mini-fridge for guests. He's such a thoughtful guy! Tomorrow starts the work week, and I'm sure things will be a little different. I know that I'm going to miss Bob, but at the same time, email is a wonderful thing and we can chat all day. He's planning on spending the evenings with me and bringing DVDs of the shows we TIVO and watch together. I think this whole set up will get old pretty quick, but so far the experience has not been totally unpleasant.

Surprises Galore at the Shower

On Saturday, April 18, my wonderful mother, GloGlo, and Lainie threw a fantastic shower for Bob, the Boys, and me. When we picked the date, we decided it would be best to hold the shower at our house since we weren't sure about my status in regards to bed rest (hereafter referred to as BR). Thankfully, it was a good plan as the doctor put me on BR on Tuesday afternoon and was hesitant to let me participate in a shower. Our Friday appointment went well and the shower was approved. Yippee. (Especially since I wasn't keen on canceling the day before).

It ended up being a busy weekend. My buddy Anne flew in from Oregon as a complete surprise. I couldn't believe it when she showed up at our door. It was so great to see her, since usually her trips this direction revolve around holidays where it's rough to see everyone. She and Lainie came over on Thursday afternoon prepared a ton of meals for us to freeze for when after the babies show up. It was so much fun. I had to sit at the table and keep my feet up, but it was just like old times making spaghetti in college. Thursday night, Zach and Mandy came in from Houston for their Celtic Women concert and the shower. I was so happy to see them as well since the last time we saw them was at Christmas. I think they were kind of shocked at how much I've grown since Christmas (when I wasn't even really showing much less the giant bellied woman that I am now). Friday, my grandparents drove in from Louisiana. I love seeing them and was so happy that they felt up to the trip. Saturday morning, my aunts on my dad's side drove in from Louisiana as well. It was great to see them, too. I felt so blessed to have all those family members come from so far away for the shower.


(The out of town crew)

We had over 20 people show up, and there were tons of generous gifts (lots of matching clothes which I can't wait to put the boys in - I'd better get it in quick before they get too old and Bob puts the kabosh on matching triplets). We played a few games and ate some pretty fantastic cake. :) A girl (especially a pregnant one) can NEVER have too much cake.


(Grandma and I putting our heads together to try and get the word scramble done)

The whole day was a great success. When Bob and Zach returned from Buffalo Wild Wings, Bob checked out all the gifts which he later sorted by size and style so we could get a count of all of the things we have and still need. I could hardly believe we have over 2,000 wipes and around 1,000 diapers of various sizes to get us started. We are so blessed to have such great friends and family.

Time to Move this Party to the Hospital

Apparently regular bedrest at home couldn't contain Angela and the triplets. A week and a day after assigning her to our couch, the doc said it's time to move everybody to the hospital.

They assure us everything is ok, they just want to monitor Angela and the babies up close and personal. So, here we sit in Angela's new home, her hospital room watching a very small tv. We are still hoping this is an 8 1/2 week party as we want the boys to cook until we hit week 34. For now, we just take it one day at a time and hope everyone continues to feel good and this precautionary move doesn't turn into something much more exciting.

I told the nurse I hope for the next couple months we are very boring patients.

So, here is to be boring!

High Anxiety

We are about to start week 25 of this triplet pregnancy journey. The babies will be here before we know it. On one hand that can be kinda scary. We know that our new trio will bring all kinds of joy but will also bring a whole new kinda work and stress into our lives.

We were both more than ready nine months ago for a baby. Or at least as ready as you can be. I have labeled myself a professional worrier on more than one occasion. If only. It sure would be nice to be paid for something I'm so good at. Anyway, we weren't ready for the doctor to tell us we were having triplets.

The thing is, I'm not worried, I know we'll be ok. I'm anxious as hell though. I'm anxious to know when they will be here, will they be able to come home quickly, how will we manage holidays and grandparents and trips to the stores, first bikes, first crushes, proms, cars and graduations. I'm anxious to see how we will do without Angela's paycheck until the kids go to school and Angela can go back to work.

I really do think that is different than fear. I know all that will work out, I'm just anxious to see how it will work out. Being afraid of running 3 two year old boys through a Chili's knowing they will wreak havoc on everyone in the joint is different than wondering how we'll make it an enjoyable experience for all. Isn't it?

I had to laugh at myself the other day, now that Angela has been put on bed rest and is no longer working, I've had to step up a bit around the house. I was already doing just about everything but now I just do it all day instead of just after work. The other night I sat down after a long day of keeping the house running and wondered how I did it. Wow that was a lot of work I told myself. What made it funny to me is that what I just did was nothing compared to what we'll be doing in just a few months.

Working all week, including driving Angela to and from work, to and from the doctor, fixing dinners, cleaning the house, doing yard work, doing laundry and dishes, sorting through shower gifts and putting them away seemed like a real busy week to me.

Who am I kidding, once the boys are home things will be much different. Sure Angela and I will split up most of what I listed but now we'll have to keep the boys fed, changed and happy which will be a chore we know will be overwhelming at times.

I haven't seen anything yet.



Oh did I mention that now twice a day we put Angela on a fetal monitor that measures contractions. I set it up, strap her in and an hour later unstrap her and hook the monitor to the phone line where it sends the data to a nurse. Several tense minutes later a nurse calls to tell us if everything is ok.

Our 2nd full day on the monitor was also the last time we went to the multiples specialist who performed a cervix check. We came home and put her on the monitor and when the nurse called she said Angela had too many contractions and to run the monitor again. Same thing, run it a 3rd time but before you do, run to the pharmacy (take Angela with you because she needs the pill right away, it can't wait for you to make the 15 minute drive home). We run it a 3rd time and they say, oh, did you have a cervix check today? You shouldn't have run the monitor today, that skews the results.

Thanks for telling us that now.

The thing is, once again I wasn't afraid that this was it and it was time to head to the hospital, the boys were coming. I was anxious to see if this was it but I wasn't afraid. Had they been born on Friday I know it would have been a tough road but I also know everybody would be fine.

I do think it's fair to say that I'm glad they aren't here yet only because I still have some painting to do. I'm anxious to see how I'll pull that off as well. I may actually be afraid of screwing that up though only because at some point Angela will be able to go up the stairs again and she is very particular about those things.

Leaving Is Never Easy....

After several weeks of wondering whether or not I would be able to return to work after every doctor's appointment, the hammer finally fell. On Tuesday, Bob and I went to the multiples doctor again. Neither of us expected to "get benched" as Bob calls it. I was feeling great, work was going well with me doing as much sitting as humanly possible in order to keep teaching, and after getting such a good report following opening day, it came as a complete shock to me that my days at Sam Houston were over.

Even now as I write about it, I'm getting a little weepy. I loved my time at Sam. I've been there for nine years, and I've made some of the best friends I've ever had. I even enjoy all the little personality quirks of my many wonderful students. After the doctor dropped the equivalent of a nuclear bomb on me, Bob and I left the office as quickly as possible. It took a while before I could make those traditional post-appointment phone calls. In fact, I made Bob call his parents first because I couldn't seem to stop crying. We decided to go ahead and let me work on Wednesday so that I was able to get things ready for Tommy (who is going to be subbing for me for the rest of the year).

As Bob drove me to work, I focused on not crying, but as soon as I walked in the door and saw all my friends, I started to bawl, and I think I didn't stop until Bob picked me up and took me to the doctor. It was great to spend my last day with everybody. Laughing and talking like usual really helped me get things together. So many people stopped by to say goodbye, and I really appreciated everyone's kind words. Even now, as I sit on the couch and ponder the rest of the school year along with the next 9 and 1/2 weeks left of our pregnancy, I don't know what I'm going to do without my daily dose of the "gang."

I'm going to miss all of Patrick's great stories of illicit and hunting adventures, Mike's toilet humor (especially in regards to crumbly toilet paper and fresh finishes), Eric's entertaining observations on life in general and in the lounge (and his love of the Rangers), Bryan's stories of the pursuit of love and concert tickets, Tawnay's love of harassing the students with me and all our hallway conversations, Courtney's willingness to bring coupons and to go out to eat and her stories about the funny things Miles is up to, Chris's quiet observations about life and his ability to handle the crazy requests his 8th period girls always throw out (no matter how much they beg, I hope he never gives in and goes to the Hannah Montana Movie), Scotty too Hottie's Colorado dreaming, Mercedes' struggles with her under performing AP students and the love she has for Buddy Jones, Teri's Economic's nerds and making fun of them with her, Poppy's secret love of WWF and Keno, and all of the other characters who pop in and out of our lunchtime fun zone. We definitely have the best department in Arlington if not the universe. :)

I guess now that I'm officially on bedrest, I'm going to miss the prom with Juan Perez that I'd been looking forward to for the last few years. I'm going to have to leave it up to Tawnya to be enough of a date for both him and Jo-El. Bust a move for me, Saracay!

Showers of Sam Houston Love

On Wednesday, April 8th, my wonderful friends and colleagues at Sam Houston High School gave Bob and I the traditional lunch time shower. It was so much fun. There were new decorations to add to the staple I kept in my cabinet for such occasions, and Courtney, Bryan, Tawnya, and Judy did a great job creating the festive atmosphere. It seemed like the whole department showed up for the shindig, and it was really nice to see everyone and the vast quantity of gifts was truly amazing. Bob had to go out of town for a business meeting, but my mom was able to come and participate in the festivities. There were tons of great laughs and good friends and considering it was lunch time, the conversation was surprisingly school appropriate.

After looking at the pictures, Bob said his favorite part of the shower was seeing all those teachers sitting in student desks. I love that part too because it looks like lunch time in my room with the gang - especially since most people sat in their usual spots.





Bob and I were shocked at how much wonderful stuff we received. I was really excited about the car seat and the alphabet bedding set. There were so many cute clothes and other fun stuff as well.



The department even purchased us three premie outfits with cars that Bob and I are planning on bringing the boys home in - Bob decided to model it for me when he got home - hopefully, the outfits will fit the boys better.



Everything was so fantastic and reminded me why it was worth the forty miles I drive every morning to go to work. I do love my Sam Houston peeps.

Opening Day, Opening Legs, and Viability

After our last appointment at the multiples doctor, we got a yellow light to go to Rangers opening day. I had already recruited my friend Teri to cover my fourth period class, and in light of the fact that it would probably be the only Ranger game we made it to all year, I was very, very still over the weekend so that Bob would let me go. Bob, Stephen, and I met up in Arlington and had planned to park in the valet parking so that I didn't have to walk. Unfortunately, when we got to the valet, they were full, so Bob dropped us off. Stephen and I went in and were able to see all of the opening day festivities. It was great. We saw all the old Rangers players, the fly over was really neat, and George Bush throwing out the first pitch was totally awesome. Bob missed the whole thing as he was trying to find a parking spot. Poor Bob got the raw end of the opening day festivities. I sent him for food in the 2nd inning, and he and Stephen couldn't find a stand that was selling hot dogs - they were all out - and the Rangers had the most exciting inning of the game. I, on the other hand, had a great time. During the middle of the game, someone behind us spotted Laura Bush above us to the left eating peanuts. It was quite exciting. I have to say that for his first public appearance after the inauguration, Bush got a pretty great welcome. I was very excited to see him so close. He came out of the dugout right in front of us, and returned the same way. Stephen got some great pictures of the former prez, and we both cheered our lungs out. (Bob, who had been threatening to boo the former owner of the Rangers - not the president - was stuck in traffic for the big event). After the game, the big question was how to get me to the car. It was a pretty long walk, which I was pretty sure I could make, but it would have taken me forever and Bob was not keen on that idea at all. Stephen procured for us a ride from the grounds crew. Thanks to the Big Man, DT, and of course Dennis, the gator ride to our car was a savior. I don't know what we would have done if Bob had to struggle through the traffic to come an pick me up at Home Base. It was a fantastic time. The weather was great, the game was wonderful since the Rangers won, and it was everything I hoped it would be, but I have to admit, that was certainly my last outing as a woman pregnant with triplets. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that life is changing and that we can't do as much as I'm used to doing. I think this is somewhat of a relief for Bob as I don't fight him on every single thing like I was doing. I've taken up my post on the couch and am firmly entrenched.

On Tuesday, we returned to Dr. Graham for another cervix check. At this point, I think I've given up on personal grooming. I really need to shave my legs - they gross me out, but I just didn't feel like all the bending and stretching was worth it, so poor Dr. Graham is getting Angela au natural. Anyway, the cervix check went pretty well. It hadn't grown nor had it shrunk which has given me another week of reprieve from bed rest. We go back on Tuesday for another cervix check. Dr. Graham gave us the game plan for the rest of the pregnancy, which is nice to know. From now on, we will go to the multiples doctor every week where they will check my cervix & the health of the babies. Every other week at the multiples doctor, they'll measure the boys and do a fibernectin test which indicates if I'm having any kind of pre-term labor. We will also see our regular doctor every other week. Dr. Snead will check for my sugar level - which was a little too high this last time, so I need to cut back on some sugar (very difficult for a generally big girl who loves anything that is the opposite of healthy) - and my general health. Dr. Graham also told us that at this point we are 23 weeks along and the babies are VIABLE!!! This is a huge hurdle. We've made it this far with all of the boys doing well and if anything happens, they will probably all make it. Bob and I are so relieved to get to this point. We have several more weeks to go, but the average for triplets is 32 weeks. We are hoping to make it to at least 34 weeks. At the beginning of the pregnancy, I was hoping to make it all the way to 36 weeks, but as things get more and more difficult, I don't know how long this body will hold out. I'm starting to get so huge and uncomfortable that I'm having trouble doing every day things like taking off my pants - who knew it could cause such pain and anguish to change your clothes.

Another exciting thing that has happened this week with the triplets, is that I am starting to be able to feel them kicking and moving around on the outside of my belly. Every time they do a few little kicks, I'll grab Bob's hand and try to help him find the active child, but of course the little stinkers go all still every time Daddy tries to feel them. They don't even respond to his poking and prodding. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we are both hoping that they'll stop kicking so much, but at this point in the pregnancy, we're very excited about every little movement. Especially since it means that I know they're all still doing okay in there.

Heads and Tails

This past week has been a very doctor friendly week for us. For the first time in our pregnancy, I am starting to realize exactly what being pregnant with multiples means. Right now, several of my friends are also taking the pregnancy journey, and I've noticed that I go to the doctor A LOT more than they do. Last Friday, we had an appointment with the multiples doctor who found a "dimple" in my cervix that he wanted to check again on Tuesday. Bob and I were a little worried that I might be put on bed rest, but we made it through that appointment okay. On Wednesday, we were scheduled for an appointment with my regular doctor, Dr. Snead (whom we hadn't seen in about a month). Dr. Snead checked in on the boys and verified for us that they are all indeed young men with the equipment to prove it, hence the crotch shots below. (Daddy is pretty proud).


Baby A's man bits.


Baby B showing his goods.


Baby C's head and tail.

Thursday, we didn't have a doctor's appointment, which was a relief, but on Friday, it was time to go back to the multiples doctor. At Friday's appointment, we met with Dr. Graham (up to this point we'd been seeing Dr. Payne, and thanks to my good buddy Deeann, every time he touched my girl parts, I'd think "Payne in the Cain"). Dr. Graham seems to be a little more aggressive on the whole idea of bed rest. My cervix had shrunk by about .3 centimeters since Tuesday, and Dr. Graham appeared to be about to drop the hammer of bed rest. I think the pleading look on my face and my desperation to attend opening day saved me from sitting indefinitely, for a few more days at least. Dr. Graham and I struck a deal (and Bob and I did too) - if I sat all weekend and didn't try to do anything, the game would be okay as long as I returned to the doctor on Tuesday. This girl has a powerful need to see W throw out the first pitch, so I've been sitting and trying not to give Bob too hard a time.

Before the resting negotiations, Dr. Graham gave us a tour of my uterus and a peek at our babies. Bob and I forgot our video tape, so of course Baby A gave us a huge yawn and waved his hands around. Bob swears that Baby A is throwing out some rock fingers in this shot, but I say the jury is still out. You definitely can see his little face - kinda cute, if you ask me.



Baby B showed us his profile, and I think I spy a Campbell nose (i.e. very prominent) on that profile. Bob says it looks like a regular nose, but I think there might be a definite length on that nose that neither of us have. My mom is pretty excited about a Campbell nose, having one herself.



Our little C-monkey, was standing on his head for most of the appointment. We got a shot of him as well, but I have no idea which end is which. I'm sure that someone more skilled than Bob and I can see a baby in this picture, but I can't for the life of me find him. If you figure it out, let us know. Either way, Baby C likes to hang out above my belly button and away from the other two who are seemingly fighting for the best position - I guess this might be our laid back kid.

It's All Good - Fingers Crossed for Opening Day

Today we had an appointment with the multiples doctor to see how my cervix is progressing. Thankfully, my "dimple" has disappeared, and I was cleared to return to work.