28 weeks: Ode to my belly button

We had another doctor appointment this week. It turns out that I lost 5lbs (not good), which isn't a huge surprise being as though I had trouble eating for a good week or so. Even once I was feeling better it takes time to rebuild the stamina to eat as much as I need to each day. I guess I am again in training like people in those competitive eating contests - who knows...maybe I will start a tofu hot dog eating contest :)

In response to my weight loss the doctor suggested that I sit down with a tub of ice cream and 'go at it'. While this seems like a suggestion most would be thrilled about, all that sugar makes the kids go crazy and I am left with a gymnastics competition in my belly for a good hour or so after this consumption - but hey at least we know everyone is doing well by their activity level. We also got an extra (unplanned) ultrasound to make sure everyone was ok - and they were. I'm not sure if it was because this ultrasound was squeezed into the daily schedule or if the tech was having a terrible day, but wow - she was not able to handle the chaos that is my belly very well. She even had to call in another tech to identify which baby was Beta vs. Gamma even though Brant and I were very clear. As challenged as the tech was, at least we got to verify that everyone is doing well.

Starting week 30 (5/12), I will begin going to the doctor every week. At each appointment I will have a non-stress test, a biophysical ultrasound and a doctor visit. I guess this means we are getting close. While I maintain my goal of just getting to June (we can adjust this goal once we get that far) my doctor suggested I schedule appointments out until the end of June which is when I would be 36 weeks. So he continues with his goal for me of 36 weeks. Keep in mind the average gestation for triplets is 32 weeks, but of course Brant and I have no interest in nearly meeting the average goal, we wish to smash it. On 6/2, I will be 33 weeks and while the longer they keep growing the better, I will be thankful just getting to June and for every week thereafter.

On a crafting note, I have completed two of the three blankets that I am making - I will post a picture once I am done with all three. This is about all I can do each day, eat, rest and attempt to craft - needless to say crafting has fallen a bit behind schedule but I WILL finish all three blankets!

sometimes boredom sets in and my mind begins to wonder - this is one of those times
ode to my belly button:

I have never seen inside of you so well before
yet I can no longer see below you
and I wonder what prompted you to transform in this manner

you used to be an innie, round, cute, and firm
but now you are more of an outie, oval shaped and look a bit like a caldera

will you go back to an innie? or will you stay as an outie?
only time will tell
for now, I think the kids enjoy treating you as a 'target' while practicing soccer
and as my days grow less active, I admit I do enjoy the surprise of how you transform as the day progresses
eventually, you will have to make up your mind as to your final state
but for now, as with all part of my belly, enjoy your freedom and flexibility
we will take up this debate again in a couple months.

27 weeks: Happy Birthday Daddy-to-be

What I didn't know about dehydration and anti-nausea medication is that when the two are combined, everything must get out of your system somehow. While I was on medicine to prevent getting sick - this meant that everything came out 'the other way'. I spent all Tuesday and Wednesday still unable to eat and losing all liquids. Late Wednesday I began getting sick again but resumed taking my anti-nausea medication which seemed to make things better. By Thursday morning, I started feeling much better and this time I truly believe that the worst of this illness is behind me. I don't even want to think about how much weight I lost since I hadn't eaten anything real since Saturday, but onward and upward. Keep moving forward and making progress again.

Unfortunately, during these several days of illness was Brant's 30th birthday on Wednesday. While I recognize that I am much slower these days (being pregnant) I still would have managed to do something fun for his birthday had I not been in my current state. But as I mentioned I am happy to report that on Thursday I am feeling much better and the birthday celebrations will take place - just within 1 standard deviation (that was my attempt to be nerdy).

Brant and I were able to enjoy a little bit of the weekend doing semi-birthday activities. On Friday Brant, Dan and Tom went out drinking after enjoying some cake (thankfully Brant loves the simple marble cake so I was able to make it). Then on Saturday Brant and I tried to adventure out and were sort of successful. I'm not going to pretend it was the best birthday celebration ever, but it was reasonable. On Monday I got a little sick again but recovered and this time I truly think I am better.

I have taken this recent illness as a sign though. I am done, I am done doing anything. I am done doing anything that involves any sort of physical exertion. If I am doing too much then I am burning calories that the babies could be enjoying - so for the next month (at least) I will do nothing but rest and eat. We are getting so close to our goal of June, there is just no way I want to mess it up now by doing too much - it just isn't worth it.

I am thankful to have such a wonderful, patient and understanding husband who took such great care of me during my period of weakness postponing his decadal birthday celebrations. Now if he can just deal with a log-of-a-wife for the next month+ then we will hopefully end up with three healthy babies.

26 weeks: Pincushion

Wow - this week had a lot going on, starting with 3 doctor visits and ending with a second visit to the emergency room. Sorry the blog got a little behind, I was pretty distracted most of the week - although it was nice to know that people actually read this and noticed ;)

On Wednesday we had our monthly ultrasound. In this appointment we learned that each baby is just over 2lbs which means they are all in the 50th percentile for singleton babies given their gestational age (there aren't statistics for triplets but if we can keep up with singleton growth progress then that is fantastic!). During the ultrasound, we caught Alpha elbowing Beta in the head. Also you can see Gamma pushing with a leg and an arm in the picture. The tech tried to say they were fighting but I insisted it was just playing - gotta keep positive. Until they are born, they can do no wrong and I must assume they are all just having fun playing in my belly together.

On Thursday we went in for our normal doctor appointment (scheduling issues prevented the ultrasound and appointment from being done on the same day). Our normal visit turned into a longer appointment than either of us expected. After getting weighed and STILL gaining a 1/2lb a day we met with the doctor who informed me I would be getting additional tests done this week. First I got the glucose test. This is where you drink some 'flat orange soda' flavored liquid and then wait an hour. After this wait period you get your blood drawn to see if you have developed gestational diabetes. I actually thought the beverage tasted like an unfrozen Mr. Freeze, but for those of you unfamiliar - flat orange soda is a pretty good description also. For me, the two hardest parts of the glucose test was the fact that I had to not eat or drink anything for an hour - telling a pregnant woman not to do this makes our appetite even worse! Of course the anticipation of getting my blood drawn didn't help my mood either. Brant did a great job of distracting me for the hour. The kids all seem to really like the sugar and we were pretty entertained by their increased activity level after the pure sugar consumption.

After the glucose test, I had to get a steroid shot. I knew this was coming. From what I understand most woman who are at risk for delivering early get this steroid shot to help with the development of the lungs. What I didn't realize is that this test had to be done twice - 24 hours apart, so I would be returning to get another shot the next day. Triplets and full term (40 weeks) never happens, so I was happy to get this shot just knowing that whenever these kids decide to appear (not before June I keep reminding them) they are likely to have better lung function due to the shot. I have also learned that if I must pick between a shot and getting blood drawn, I will pick a shot every time. At least I am starting to get over one of my needle/blood issues although Brant will probably contest that there was still whimpering involved.

On Friday we went to the doctor again for the final steroid shot. This was quick and pretty painless compared to the prior day although I must say I was beginning to feel like a bit of a pincushion. On the drive home I was feeling great, the sun was shining - it was a beautiful day - my energy was up. I took a nap and woke up to a talk show discussing the side effects of taking steroids. Immediately I called Brant to inform him that I might be turning into a man since I had just taken two doses of steroids, but he didn't seem too concerned and calmly explained this was for people who weren't pregnant and had been taking steroids for years. Sometimes you just need someone to be rational - thankfully he is great at this role.

Saturday was another great day. I went for our final crafting adventure before Keren has her baby and again the sun was shining. Even after crafting, Brant and I went out for some low-key shopping adventures and I was doing ok. I realized that it might have been the steroids that made me feel so good, if the babies were getting a 'kick' from them, I must be too.

Then there was Sunday. Sunday was not my favorite day. I have promised myself never to complain during pregnancy as I am so thankful to be pregnant and never want to take it for granted, but I must admit, Sunday was a tough day. I ended up getting nauseous several times throughout the day, developing a fever, bloody nose, and bloody gums from that persistent gum tumor that isn't going to go away for a while. By the evening, we were getting concerned as I hadn't kept anything (even water) down for a whole day - and remember I am trying to feed 4 people here. After Brant chatted with the doctor I was allowed one more time to get sick and then must come in. Dehydration can bring on contractions and we just can't risk that so early on.

Well around 1am Monday morning I hit my allotted threshold for getting sick and we went into the emergency room. I was strapped into bed with four different belts, one for each baby and one to monitor contractions. Of course the babies were turning and moving all about each time I continued to get sick so the belts weren't as effective as ideal. I had to get an IV as I was severely dehydrated. Well let me tell you that if you have blood/needle issues when you are feeling ok, then when you are not feeling well they are much worse and when you are dehydrated and you can't get the IV in the normal hand location, things are even less fun. I squirmed, I got sick and I yelled all while the poor nurse was just trying to make me better. After the fact, Brant mentioned something of blood spraying everywhere since I was squirming while she tried to put in my IV, but I have no recollection of this - I was too busy screaming and flailing about.

Due to the movement of the kids and the monitoring belts ineffectiveness, we had an ultrasound which confirmed that everyone was doing well, had enough fluid around them and were doing fine even though I was in some rough shape. This was extrememly encouraging.

After about 8 hours in the triage area, several anti-naseua medications and four successfully eaten saltine crackers we were sent home. Brant and I were both exhausted and ended up attempting to rest most of the day. I still couldn't eat much on Monday but had stopped getting sick, so we took it as progress and at least Sunday was over.

25 weeks: Caution wide load

While I still continue to eat, rest and grow this week my belly seemed to primarily get wider. It seems that Beta and Gamma are spreading out a bit on their respective sides. Most entertaining is the time I sit up after lying down for a while. My belly looks like a skiing mogul - with randomly placed cliffs in the form of baby bodies. My fingers have also begun to swell a bit so I have been wearing my wedding rings on a necklace for now. Luckily, my ankles are still doing ok and I have not yet formed cankles (when your calf and ankle merge into one).

We went to CVS (one of my few outings for the week) where the entrance has barriers up so the carts won't leave the store. Turns out - I am barely able to fit through those barriers - this made me realize that there will be a day where I am wider than a cart! Also, turning sideways doesn't help as I believe I have reached sphere-shape.

On a quick adventure out with Keren (who is due in two weeks!) I noticed that her and I are about the same belly size. She may even be a bit smaller than me, but of course we didn't start out as the same shape. It is pretty funny to know we are technically 12 weeks apart but looking pretty similar these days.

Needless to say, these are all good signs. I need to get as big as possible and my body is tired a majority of the time so napping/resting is getting easier. My daily monitoring has been going well with most days yielding only a contraction or so (probably from when I am on the phone laughing).

Brant also found an article about our doctor on the UofC website: http://www.uchospitals.edu/news/highlight24.html It is always comforting to know that a doctor stays up on his research while continuing to practice.

24 weeks: Visitors - part two

More visitors! I am SO lucky! My mom went back to Seattle this week after filling our freezer with yummy 'grandpa cupcakes' and then the next day Bonnie, Evan and Melissa came to visit for the weekend. It was great to have so many people around, just hard for me to remember that no one expects me to be energetic/active Kari. It was nice to have everyone around while I rested - believe it or not, resting can get sort of boring (insert shocked face here). I imagine it was a relief for Brant too, a break from my extreme neediness these days while others took great care of me. Evan brought to my attention that I seem to go to the bathroom a lot. While I knew this was happening, I didn't fully realize the extent to which it was happening. One of these days I am going to keep a tally of my visits - hey I've got to find something to keep me entertained.

At the doctor this week, we were able to hear all the heartbeats and of course I got weighed. I now seem to be gaining about a .5lbs a DAY. I guess this is why bed rest is so important. Since I have very limited activities during the day I am able to gain lots of weight - to date I have gained 50lbs!!! I would like to say all of it is in my belly, but I do believe some of that weight has made its way to my limbs, rear and face. I am just trying to build a reserve up for that time when it is difficult for me to eat due to lack of stomach space - yes, that will be my excuse ;)

I also started daily contraction monitoring. I wear a belt around my belly for an hour a day while resting and then send the results to a monitoring center to identify if I had any contractions. Now, this device isn't looking for the uber painful TV-type contractions that we see, but instead very mild contractions that I probably wouldn't be able to feel. I am so thankful to be using this device, it definitely brings daily reassurance that things are going well - something I am always looking for. Heck, if I could do an ultrasound everyday I would. If I have more than 5 contractions in an hour, then I believe I will go to the hospital to get checked out and make sure that everyone is staying inside properly. As I am a tester in my professional life, I unintentionally figured out how to press on the device incorrectly and therefore simulate a contraction. I swear I wasn't meaning to test the device, but hey since I am unable to work I guess I am just finding other ways to do the testing that I miss so dearly. Needless to say, after figuring out how to simulate a contraction, I have learned that I have to lay still, really still, for an hour each day. Staying still has never been my strength so I have learned that distraction is key during this time - so be prepared if you get a phone call looking for entertainment.

23 weeks: Visitors - part one

This week brought much entertainment. My mom came to visit on Thursday and stayed for a week. Well I should say she came to visit, but spent most of her time working on various craft projects around the house and making us some yummy food. She managed to complete all of her projects (and a couple late additions) while she was here. I'm not sure it was a vacation for her, but Brant and I sure enjoyed her visit.

Turns out while my mom was here there was a sale put on by a parents of multiples group. Brant and my mom went to this sale to hunt for some good deals on 'specialty' items. I couldn't go to the sale as there was too much standing/walking involved. They came home with a couple of good finds, but no magic stroller. I am still looking for a stroller that holds three kids, weighs 20lbs, and folds into the size of a small suitcase (therefore fitting into the trunk of our car). So far, this stroller doesn't exist - but a girl can dream...

On the way home from the sale when stopping for an emergency vehicle, someone rear ended them. Everyone was just fine and the woman took full responsibility (hey that's why they are called accidents, right?). Our car is still drivable with only minor bumper and tail light issues so overall we are very lucky.

On Sunday we got a visit from Brant's dad who was driving from Seattle to Indiana and was able to swing by Chicago on the way even though it was snowing(!) We all had brunch and were able to catch up a bit even though we just had a short time together. It was pretty surreal to see two people from Seattle in the same week :)

Brant went on his final work adventure for a while. Since we are in such a 'special' situation with our triplets, we mutually thought it was best to eliminiate travel during my neediest time. It is amazing, I really am pretty useless these days. Just sitting up for a 1/2 hour or so is exhausting - which makes me pretty useless when it comes to chores around the house. He went to DC for a couple days which is why my mom was here when she was. I can still technically be alone and I am not technically on complete bed rest, but my energy level quickly dissipates so having someone around to help is great.

We also finalized that we are moving to LA, Pasadena (Caltech) specifically. We know we will be moving in late August or early September but that is all the details we have for now. We are trying to not worry about it too much as currently we need to just focus on getting these kids big and strong and not born before June no matter how hard they try to push with their playing/kicking/punching.

22 weeks: Pardon my belly, it moves on its own

This week we had our second (and final) comprehensive/anatomical ultrasound. The wonderful news is that everyone seems to be ok. This time the appointment only lasted about an hour as the first ultrasound tech did such a great job capturing most of the needed views. At this appointment, they have permanently assigned the babies to a specific letter. So now (and going forward) - Alpha is at the bottom, Beta is on the left and Gamma is on the right. They will be monitoring their individual growth from here on out. At this point, the babies can't rearrange themselves amongst each other but still have plenty of room to flip around within my belly. In fact, Gamma made a point of doing this several times during the ultrasound.

They estimated the weights of the babies to be Alpha 1lb 6oz, Beta 1lb 3oz and Gamma 1lb 1oz. This puts the babies into the 94th, 62nd, and 37th percentile for growth of a singleton baby thus far - great news! The doctor said my goal is to get to 35/36 weeks. I just know that in a couple more weeks, Brant is going to need a wheelbarrow to haul me around anywhere. I have about three hours of energy a day, the rest of the day I spend either laying on my side or sleeping. I am usually such an antsy person, but now my full time job is growing babies and my body seems to need lots of rest. The doctor also mentioned that I need to eat as much as possible. I guess we are in the prime weight gaining period. The time before the babies get so big that I can't eat - so I am trying to fully embrace this and partake in ice cream often.

While resting one afternoon (all I pretty much do anymore) I was feeling some pretty strong movement. Upon examining my belly, for the first time I could see it move when someone was playing. It is a little bit awkward to get used to, reminds me a bit of those alien movies, but overall it cracks me up. Also, Brant was able to experience a 'power kick' which he later described as a similar feeling to that of a reflex test to ones knee - these kids seem strong. Beta and Gamma like to kick when I am squishing them by laying on their side, but unfortunately I can't lay on my back or my stomach so someone has to be squished. This leads to a lot of flipping throughout the night, poor Brant - he keeps getting less and less of the bed.

21 weeks: Big girl

Do you remember the commercial from the 90's - where the little girls sing 'I'm a big girl now'. I think it was for pullups of some sort, anyway, I have been hearing that song in my head all week.

The week started with an infant care class at our hospital. The information was a semi-useful and we left with an abundance of handouts. I must admit though, if we have a question about something we will likely consult with our friends and family before sorting through this ream of paper not knowing if our answer is even to be found. What was most fascinating at the class for me was the size of the other expecting moms. All were due in April except me but I have to say, I definitely held my own when it came to belly size. While there were some people bigger than me, there were also some smaller. When I said I was due in July - several looked shocked....that is of course until I said we were expecting triplets, then they just looked horrified. I have grown to appreciate this response - it cracks me up. Brant and I are so excited to meet our little ones (but not too soon).

Brant began to notice a pile of socks in the living room. Turns out that each night while resting, the tightness of my socks around my calves got to be too much and I would take off my socks and throw them into a pile. While hysterically laughing at the idea, Brant suggested that we go to get some 'bigger socks'. I resigned myself to the need for 'big girl socks' and our pursuit began over the weekend. Even men's socks are too tight. While I'm sure the size of my calves has increased, I really think the problem is that my body is trying to circulate so much blood these days that any tightness is extremely uncomfortable when it previously wouldn't have bothered me. At costco we settled on some anklet socks therefore eliminating the outstanding question of the socks fitting too tightly on my calves. Soon enough it will be flip flop season and then socks will no longer be needed. phew!

My final 'big girl' experience this week came when sitting in a chair at Nicole's house. A chair I have sat in for years, a chair that has never wooed or whined when I previously sat onto it....until now. Upon sitting in this chair and only shifting my weight slightly to save Nicole's phone from Peter a leg of the chair gave way. Not slightly, not cracked, but totally gave in and split all the way through. I was devastated but laughing too hard to cry. Who knew that when inviting me over these days, you must not only prepare for the large quantity of food that I consume, but now you must also test out your furniture to verify it can withstand 'big girl kari' :)

20 Weeks: New job

What a week! My body has begun showing the signs of wear from sustaining four people. I have developed a couple of minor infections including a gum tumor and several bloody noses. All of which will go away after delivery - so they are nothing I can't deal with for several more months. As far as complications go, I would take these over other issues anyday - all mangeable. We even had our first trip to the emergency room, but thankfully everyone is ok. After all of the above, my doctor decided that it was time for me to go on bedrest. I have a new full time job: growing babies. We really need to get these kids to June and the hope is by resting and eating as my primary tasks, the kids will continue to grow big and strong. So far I have gained 33lbs - which coincidentally is the average weight gain for a singleton pregnancy - but I am only 20 weeks!

After the news of my imminent bedrest as we were leaving the doctors office, I was so thrown off by no longer officially working that I apparently decided to lose my cell phone in the medical building. Thankfully, the woman who found it called 'mom home' and then Brant was able to go back to the medical building and get my phone. Phew! That would not have been fun. Thankfully, since my phone is held together with tape, I'm sure the woman realized that it was worth nothing to anyone but the owner. Either way, I owe that woman flowers on my next doctor visit.

I believe we have a triangle! While the kids still seem to overlap a bit it seems that they have finally reached the inverted triangle as expected. Alpha is at the bottom, while Gamma is on my left and Beta is on my right. They can still move around within their areas, but the days of reordering themselves is probably up, they are just getting too big.

Up until now, I have been feeling Beta move primarily. According to the ultrasound tech, Beta is in the front of his sac while Gamma and Alpha are in the back. This explains why I primarily feel Beta moving. Beta's movement has been gentle tickles but enough for Brant and me to feel, which is fun.

I imagine Alpha will demand the most cuddling once born due to his squished nature at the bottom right now, he is getting used to tighter spaces and will likely want to be held and swaddled endlessly - we are excited!

Ohh Gamma. While Brant and I were watching a superhero action movie this weekend, I began feeling what I can only describe as bubbles popping in my belly. After several more 'bubbles' I realized this is Gamma punching, kicking or stretching. When the movie was over Brant and I were discussing this new movement which feels much harder than Beta so far - and Brant suggested that maybe Gamma is a super hero and was practicing fighting off the bad guys like in the movie. Then the following morning when I flipped off of my left side (where Gamma is) I felt a bunch of movement from him too. I guess that was Gamma kicking Brant out of bed!

19 weeks: Top ten list

Top ten things I didn't appreciate enough before getting pregnant:

10. Considering style before comfort. These days it is not about WHAT I look like, but HOW comfortable it is. Those stilettos will see daylight again, just maybe not for another 6-9 months.

9. Walking at a brisk pace. Spending time in Boston, my walking pace definitely increased from the west coast days. I have recently become 'that person' that is walking so slow in a crowd. People occasionally huff at me when walking by. In the future, I will probably huff a little quieter when there is someone walking slow in front of me.

8. Clumsiness. I don't know if it is a balance thing but I have apparently decided to drop things more often than normal as of late. Most recently I decided to toss the brita water jug from the counter (and yes, for those of you wondering - dropping it onto wood floors does cause it to crack and spill everywhere. luckily, easily replaced).

7. Leaning over. Something as simple as washing my face has become more of an adventure. I find myself doing a squat in order to lower myself to the sink level. Bending at the waist just doesn't happen anymore. I guess I am getting some exercise this way.

6. Sitting at a desk. Besides my inability to focus, which is a whole separate issue - I have recently discovered that my belly doesn't fit under my desk anymore. Slouching has become crucial just to get near enough to the desk. Of course Brant reminds me that I could just lower the chair, but that would be too obvious.

5. Symmetry. I don't know if this happens to every pregnant person, but the symmetry of my belly definitely changes daily. Sometimes when looking down at my belly there is a serious slope. I can't remember the last time I saw my belly button in the middle of my belly - let alone into it.

4. Reaching my feet. When did my feet get so far away? I have a whole new appreciation for putting on socks. Especially those tight fitting knee-hi socks for those cold winter months. I find I have to turn my leg sideways just to get to my foot. Soon enough, I probably won't be able to see my feet at all - then maybe it won't matter if I have socks on. Thankfully - I have slip on sneakers - phew!

3. Incontinence. I have a new found sympathy for those with long term incontinence. I find myself visiting the restroom at least every two hours. Alpha (who seems to be resting on my bladder) and I have discussions about how during the middle of the night I prefer to only wake up once for this purpose - sometimes he goes along with this plan, but most nights he doesn't. We have discussed prioritizing this visit in return for the prompt visit upon waking up as scheduled in the am. Currently we are still under negotiations.

2. My lap. I never realized how much I used my lap, until I had less of it. Something as simple as resting a plate on my lap is no longer as convenient as it once was. My lap is so much further away and includes a decent sized obstacle when food is travelling from lap to mouth. Maybe there should be bibs for pregnant woman instead of just babies.

1. Squeezing by. Gone are the days of squeezing by someone in a crowd. I have found that turning sideways does almost nothing for my attempt to fit through a tight space. I do find it an entertaining game to run into Brant with my belly while still being several inches away from him everywhere else. He hysterically responds, 'Well hello family'.

Obviously no actual complaints, but these are just things that make me chuckle throughout the day when I run into them. Still growing/eating and trying to get as big as possible. My new goal is to make Brant's eyes water when I sit on his lap. Still just getting a whimper - but I have several more months to accomplish this goal.