9 weeks: Graduation

During our third ultrasound appointment 12/16, the tech was unable to get all three babies into one picture and had to do a split screen to get a picture of everyone at once. Already?!? Turns out Gamma wasn't interested in being near Alpha and Beta and decided to wonder off. In this ultrasound we can start to see a baby-like embryo - enough to see Beta is happily resting upright while Alpha has decided that upside down is the most comfortable position. Gamma was bunched up in a way we couldn't really identify the position. Perhaps all those times that Kelly and I hung upside down from the spiral staircase wasn't just because we were odd, but because it was hereditary.

After chatting with our doctor for a while, he decided it would be best for us to find a specialist for High Risk pregnancies. The average triplets are born under 4 pounds and at 32 weeks. Keeping in mind that both Brant and I were over 10lbs when born, I am not interested in being average. We are officially due 7/21 but instead setting our goal to be delivering in June rather than May and trying to get these kids up to 5lbs. I'm not sure how realistic these goals are - but you gotta shoot for something, right? The bigger the babies get and longer they stay inside, the better. I say that now, but you might need to remind me of that when I get so big I can't physically move. Our doctor suggested that home arrest (I mean bed rest) could start as early as 18 weeks. The bed rest is intended to help everyone grow as big as possible.

In the meantime we learned that I should be eating ~4000 calories a day! Think about that, think about how much food that is. First thoughts, that sounds great, second thoughts, is that even possible? To gain up to 80lbs as a vegetarian. Can you get fat on fruit?

We headed to Seattle to begin our xmas travels of three states in so many weeks. While into hour 2 of the 4+ hour continually turbulent plane ride, I NEEDED to go to the bathroom. I asked the flight attendant of the odds of the seatbelt light turning off and she seemed hesitant. I gave her my serious 'Kari eyes' and asked what I was supposed to do because I really had to go. She said she couldn't tell me I could go but also couldn't stop me if I went 'at my own risk'. I hesitated but then realized there was no option. While making my way to the back of the plane avoiding the nasty glares of those passengers in my same predicament, two flight attendants gave me a nasty look when I reached the bathroom. I went ahead and on my way out said, "Look, I'm pregnant - I had to go." This was my first public declaration that I was pregnant. Of course the instant I sat down they announced that no one should be out of their seats unless it was a medical emergency. I turned to Brant and suggested that a medical emergency is subjective, right?