Saturday, November 15, 2008
Blessed
** Blogger is being a butt and won't let me post pictures right. Just so you know. Maybe I'll try to add them again later.
I am. I know it. Sometimes it doesn't make daily life any easier. I Thank God everytime I read about someone else's difficulties having a baby that what I have has come so easily for me. Did I ask for 6 children? Er, no! But would I trade a single one of them for having all of the bills paid? Er, hell no! I'll drive this mini-van straight to the poor house if I have to, but I'll be loving these children all the way.
I am. I know it. Sometimes it doesn't make daily life any easier. I Thank God everytime I read about someone else's difficulties having a baby that what I have has come so easily for me. Did I ask for 6 children? Er, no! But would I trade a single one of them for having all of the bills paid? Er, hell no! I'll drive this mini-van straight to the poor house if I have to, but I'll be loving these children all the way.
Ok, enough of that.
Gosh I really have not been keeping y'all updated, have I? Work is great. I'm so glad to be in a job at a place that I want to go to everyday. I love my co-workers. Sometimes we get a few patients come through that are hard to take, or hard to get a long with, or hard to please, but they eventually drift off. Scott is doing great at home. He gets a little stressed, but he's not ready to give it up just yet (thank goodness!!).
Jamie - oh the joys of raising a teenager! It never ends. Her grades are in the toilet. As a result, she hasn't had her cell phone for several weeks now and it.is.the.end.of.the.world. She had 9000 texts last month. No, that is not too many zeroes. That is the actual number. She can't manage to finish any homework because she "doesn't have time" to do that and "all of my chores" but she can send 300 texts per day. And really, cleaning the kitchen after dinner, keeping your room at least hygienically clean and cleaning the bathroom just often enough to keep the alien fungus at bay is not really a whole lot to ask. I'm worried that I won't be able to motivate her enough to pass, yes PASS, the 9th grade. Much less have any sense of the future, college, etc. She wants to be a dermatologist but doesn't think passing 9th grade English is important?? God, give me strength.
Oh, and I almost forgot - I'm endebted to 6 Day Dental and Orthodontics for the next 2 years... Jamie has started the process of getting braces. Right now she has spacers, next week is a blah-blah inserted and then a mold taken, yada yada, followed 3 weeks later by initial.initial.initial which sounds something like something the enemy is shooting at you (RPG or some such??) but is actually an expander. I just drive her there and sign the checks. Anyway, I'll post pictures when she has something that looks like it should cost the $150 per month I'm paying.
Hunter - He alternately holds my heart and makes me want to scream. He'll be the first to run up and hug me when I get home and the next minute throw himself in the floor in a fit of fury because I tell him to put his toys away. Sheesh. So we struggle with doing as we are told at home and at school. We made a new rule that he has to get "green" for behavior ALL WEEK at school in order to play any video games on the weekends. I think that has happened once since. Except Dad gives me the big middle finger about my rules and pretty much lets him do whatever he wants. Thank you Dad. He just gets tired of the whining and says "Fine then!" and gives in.
Hannah - always my sweet pea! Though she is learning some bad habits from Hunter. She gets mad and walks off anytime you start to correct her. She got a fish tank for her b-day (thank you Didi; Daddy was NOT happy, LOL, but who's giving the finger now? I approved the gift hahahahaha!) so she bugs me daily and about getting it set up so she and DiDi can go pick out her fish.
The twins had their first ever birthday party this year. I will never do that again! It was awful! None of the girls showed up (except the cousins and 1 or 2 stragglers at the end) and several of the boys parents just dropped them off. So, guess which boys were the worst behaved? Of course the ones whose parents weren't there. GRRRR But the twins seemed to enjoy it and they got some fun gifts so I just count off those 2 hours in the tally of my life.
Babies!!
Cooper - we call him the True Adventurer (if you play any Lego Indiana Jones you know what that means). He can commando crawl (belly crawl using his elbows) and he is All.Over.the.Place. Seriously, he can not be contained. We build "castle walls" with pillows and laundry baskets to keep him in the family room but he just plows through or climbs over. It's pretty funny, except when you want to go to the bathroom and can't leave him alone for half a minute. We are working on getting baby gates to block off the entire room for him (long story, they are more expensive because we have long, oddly shaped openings so we're having to kinda save up for them or wait to get them as xmas gift) but right now he's got the run of the place.
Molly - we call her Chubs. Cooper started to lose some of that "fat baby" look when he started being so active, but Molly just keeps getting chubbier. She doesn't move much. She "dances" on her belly, and of course she rolls around, but thats about it. She can almost sit up though. She'll sit propped with one hand for a bit if you stay close by. Gosh, she's the prettiest little thing you ever saw. I entered all of the younger kids (Jamie is past the age-range) into Gap's model search, but we all agree Molly will be the one if any of them gets it.
Emily - still the princess. And the Peanut. Weighing in a grand total of 12 lbs (yes, STILL) she's like Mighty Mouse. At her last well-baby, she was still 12 lbs. So the pediatrician looked back over it and said that at her last visit, when she had supposedly made such a big jump in weight, she thinks that was an error. She thinks it must have been more like 10-11 lbs then and they wrote it down wrong. Still, she thinks she is on the same "curve" she has always been on and we are not to worry. She's still on the high calorie formula but she's just bitty bitty. She's almost as long as the other 2, just lighter. She can wear most of the same clothes as Molly, they are just big around the waist.
She just almost wants to crawl. She gets on her elbows and knees and rocks, rocks, rocks...crashes. Not there yet. And she thinks she is an only child (she always has, really). She wants to be held all the time. She wants to eat first, wants to be changed first, etc. Definitely the princess.
Is that everybody? Whew!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
I been working!
Whew! It stays busy around here. Work is great but I am exhausted. By the time everyone is down for the night, I am right behind them. That means there hasn't been time nor energy for stuff like blog updating. I think I've only taken pics of the kiddos once or twice during the past month; gotta learn Daddy how to pick up the camera and record those daily moments.
Daddy is finding caring for 6 kids a bit rough. No comment from me on his not taking advice on how to better handle things. I can sympathize, because I know it is difficult, but when I share strategies that worked during the weeks I was doing it, he ignores me, so...
Babies: They are 5 months old now. They went to the pediatrician just last week. Now one of our concerns all along has been that Emily is still so tiny. We'd been weighing them at home and the last time, about 5 weeks ago, she hadn't even reached 10 lbs yet. Well last week she was over 12 lbs! Yeah, Em! The pedi said as long as she continues on an upward curve it was fine. Speaking of which, they all on the normal growth charts now, though Em is just 10% for weight. Cooper was 16 lbs and 21 inches, Molly 15 lbs and 24 inches. So they are close, but Coopy is more compact. Hence why Daddy calls him "boat anchor".
with which we were not impressed. 
Daddy is finding caring for 6 kids a bit rough. No comment from me on his not taking advice on how to better handle things. I can sympathize, because I know it is difficult, but when I share strategies that worked during the weeks I was doing it, he ignores me, so...
The kids:
Hunter finally lost a tooth. I'd take a picture, but it doesn't look like much because the permanent tooth was already half-way in when it fell out.
Hannah had been bugging me about wanting short hair, so I cut it for her. It's really cute! She'll get it trimmed up before school starts, but I did a pretty good job. The only picture I have is on my cell phone; I'll have to take one soon.
Jamie spent her usual week at camp recently. Lots more older kids there this year; she was one of the youngest instead of one of the oldest. Lots of boys, too, apparently. Sheesh.
Babies: They are 5 months old now. They went to the pediatrician just last week. Now one of our concerns all along has been that Emily is still so tiny. We'd been weighing them at home and the last time, about 5 weeks ago, she hadn't even reached 10 lbs yet. Well last week she was over 12 lbs! Yeah, Em! The pedi said as long as she continues on an upward curve it was fine. Speaking of which, they all on the normal growth charts now, though Em is just 10% for weight. Cooper was 16 lbs and 21 inches, Molly 15 lbs and 24 inches. So they are close, but Coopy is more compact. Hence why Daddy calls him "boat anchor".We got high chairs:
and a bumbo seat
and we can hold stuff
with which we were not impressed.And last but not least, we got a nephew/cousin. (L to R Bella, Lillie, Abby, Mom Angie with baby Jack)
So that's what we've been up to :)
Sunday, July 6, 2008
I spy with my little eye
something that is red.
And it would be Me. (It is also the QOTD as the twins rolled their eyes when choosing me as the red Spyee.)
I took the kids swimming today and, duh, decided to get a little color. Instead I got A LOT of color, but it is all tomato red. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why do I always forget that this will happen and it will be wretched??
Work is going great. I was really able to jump in there more than I expected to. I was very anxious about what I wouldn't feel comfortable with , what they might expect of me that I couldn't perform, that I would feel stupid, that they would regret hiring me. But the knowledge is mostly still there, with a few muddy areas. This coming week, we have a plethora of new patients coming in at "my" clinic so the road to independence is being built quickly.
Which reminds me, I don't think I previously explained that I will be the coordinator for one of the satellite clinics, which means I will be THE P.T. over there, with a tech and (I think) a PTA (physical therapist assistant) at least part time. Right now that clinic is only open half a day because they couldn't staff the whole day, but we are already looking at staying open part of a couple of afternoons to get all of these new ones in. We expect to be open full time by the first of September, but if it goes at this rate, it may be sooner. We are also expanding into the area next door to our current space, roughly doubling the space, adding new equipment, etc which means I get to make a wish list of all the therapy goodies I'd like to have.
Going back to work though has been rough on the bod. The first couple of evenings I was asleep on the couch by 8, then dragged myself to the shower and bed. By the end I was at least able to stay up til 10! I hurt all over though. My feet were killing me from standing all day, my forearms from all of the manual therapy I wasn't used to (mostly massage-type work), and my hips and thighs from the physical assessment I had to go through as a new hire (5 min. treadmill and 4 min. step tests, 2 min. of calf raises, and 2 min. of squatting -sheesh!!). This week I will be taking advantage of the 30 day trial fitness center membership that comes with the job. Gotta get in shape!
4 month baby update to come soon - I don't have access to the pictures right now and it just wouldn't be fun without pictures!!
And it would be Me. (It is also the QOTD as the twins rolled their eyes when choosing me as the red Spyee.)
I took the kids swimming today and, duh, decided to get a little color. Instead I got A LOT of color, but it is all tomato red. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why do I always forget that this will happen and it will be wretched??
Work is going great. I was really able to jump in there more than I expected to. I was very anxious about what I wouldn't feel comfortable with , what they might expect of me that I couldn't perform, that I would feel stupid, that they would regret hiring me. But the knowledge is mostly still there, with a few muddy areas. This coming week, we have a plethora of new patients coming in at "my" clinic so the road to independence is being built quickly.
Which reminds me, I don't think I previously explained that I will be the coordinator for one of the satellite clinics, which means I will be THE P.T. over there, with a tech and (I think) a PTA (physical therapist assistant) at least part time. Right now that clinic is only open half a day because they couldn't staff the whole day, but we are already looking at staying open part of a couple of afternoons to get all of these new ones in. We expect to be open full time by the first of September, but if it goes at this rate, it may be sooner. We are also expanding into the area next door to our current space, roughly doubling the space, adding new equipment, etc which means I get to make a wish list of all the therapy goodies I'd like to have.
Going back to work though has been rough on the bod. The first couple of evenings I was asleep on the couch by 8, then dragged myself to the shower and bed. By the end I was at least able to stay up til 10! I hurt all over though. My feet were killing me from standing all day, my forearms from all of the manual therapy I wasn't used to (mostly massage-type work), and my hips and thighs from the physical assessment I had to go through as a new hire (5 min. treadmill and 4 min. step tests, 2 min. of calf raises, and 2 min. of squatting -sheesh!!). This week I will be taking advantage of the 30 day trial fitness center membership that comes with the job. Gotta get in shape!
4 month baby update to come soon - I don't have access to the pictures right now and it just wouldn't be fun without pictures!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I is a employee :)
As we speak, there is a contract upstairs printing that I just received via email. Yeah!
So, I talked about the great interview I'd had and how I was going to go through with a couple of others, despite being fairly certain about that job. Well, yesterday I visited that clinic and spent a few hours with the PT getting to know their program. It was great and I left very excited about working for them, called the Supervisor and asked when I might expect an offer. Long story, she wanted me to go another time to visit (the clinic had been VERY slow) when it was busy and then call her, though it still sounded like they wanted to hire me.
So today and I went ahead and went to this other interview, just to follow through with the appointment (this was the one who had been out because his wife had a baby, he'd finally called me). Now this is an only-game-in-town hospital in a rural county, so I honestly wasn't expecting much. I spent the first half hour saying nothing much besides "WOW!". They have a phenomenal program! I just can't even begin to relate all of the great things they have to offer, the ways they are growing, and the likability of the staff. I spent 4 hours with the director! I've never had an interview quite like it. I told him that I'd been ready to accept another position but that he had totally turned my head. I left with the understanding that he was sending out an offer letter and that I was ready to start on Monday. I had several hours of nail-biting (ack! what if he'd changed his mind!?!) until it finally arrived in my inbox.
I am nervous and excited. Nervous because it is a new place, new people, and different practice arena (I'll be doing outpatient orthopedics/sports medicine-like versus the pediatrics or hospital work that I've had experience in) and excited for all of the same reasons. I've been hoping to find a career "home" that I can and want to stay at for years to come and I hope, hope, hope that this is it.
So, I talked about the great interview I'd had and how I was going to go through with a couple of others, despite being fairly certain about that job. Well, yesterday I visited that clinic and spent a few hours with the PT getting to know their program. It was great and I left very excited about working for them, called the Supervisor and asked when I might expect an offer. Long story, she wanted me to go another time to visit (the clinic had been VERY slow) when it was busy and then call her, though it still sounded like they wanted to hire me.
So today and I went ahead and went to this other interview, just to follow through with the appointment (this was the one who had been out because his wife had a baby, he'd finally called me). Now this is an only-game-in-town hospital in a rural county, so I honestly wasn't expecting much. I spent the first half hour saying nothing much besides "WOW!". They have a phenomenal program! I just can't even begin to relate all of the great things they have to offer, the ways they are growing, and the likability of the staff. I spent 4 hours with the director! I've never had an interview quite like it. I told him that I'd been ready to accept another position but that he had totally turned my head. I left with the understanding that he was sending out an offer letter and that I was ready to start on Monday. I had several hours of nail-biting (ack! what if he'd changed his mind!?!) until it finally arrived in my inbox.
I am nervous and excited. Nervous because it is a new place, new people, and different practice arena (I'll be doing outpatient orthopedics/sports medicine-like versus the pediatrics or hospital work that I've had experience in) and excited for all of the same reasons. I've been hoping to find a career "home" that I can and want to stay at for years to come and I hope, hope, hope that this is it.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Recent QOTDs
(Quote of the Day, that is)
All of the bigs are at their grandparents in Mississippi this week. Yesterday, their aunts took them to the water park, the twins first time to go, and Jamie's third just this summer! As per their report, a good time was had by all. Apparently though, Hunter had a run-in with another kiddo that resulted in his getting a goose egg on his forehead.
Hunter: I didn't like it one bit.
Mommy: What, the water park?
H: NO! Getting a Boo Boo!!
We packed church clothes for them with the understanding that they would be going today. This morning we talked to them and Hunter said they weren't going to church, then Hannah insisted they were.
Mommy to Hannah: But Hunter said you are not going to church.
Hannah: Well, I'll just have to talk to Hunter about that. (I can just picture her little hand-on-her-hip pose)
Recently we were watching A Wrinkle in Time, a not-real-great movie version of a favorite children's book. It's very science fiction-y and I spent a lot of the time trying to explain that they were travelling to make-believe planets, etc.
Hunter: That can't really happen, can it, Mommy?
Hannah (puts her hand to her mouth, leans across to him, and says conspiratorally): You never know what is in your future.
This is a really old one, but I have to record it, because we still refer to it often. This was a day when I was still in the hospital and DiDi was picking the twins up from school every day. They had a lot of coversations about what they might do or be when they grow up. Their was some reference to Hannah having a job/career.
Hannah: Well, I'm not going to live my life with just a husband and a weinee dog!
Golly, them kiddos just crack me up!!
All of the bigs are at their grandparents in Mississippi this week. Yesterday, their aunts took them to the water park, the twins first time to go, and Jamie's third just this summer! As per their report, a good time was had by all. Apparently though, Hunter had a run-in with another kiddo that resulted in his getting a goose egg on his forehead.
Hunter: I didn't like it one bit.
Mommy: What, the water park?
H: NO! Getting a Boo Boo!!
We packed church clothes for them with the understanding that they would be going today. This morning we talked to them and Hunter said they weren't going to church, then Hannah insisted they were.
Mommy to Hannah: But Hunter said you are not going to church.
Hannah: Well, I'll just have to talk to Hunter about that. (I can just picture her little hand-on-her-hip pose)
Recently we were watching A Wrinkle in Time, a not-real-great movie version of a favorite children's book. It's very science fiction-y and I spent a lot of the time trying to explain that they were travelling to make-believe planets, etc.
Hunter: That can't really happen, can it, Mommy?
Hannah (puts her hand to her mouth, leans across to him, and says conspiratorally): You never know what is in your future.
This is a really old one, but I have to record it, because we still refer to it often. This was a day when I was still in the hospital and DiDi was picking the twins up from school every day. They had a lot of coversations about what they might do or be when they grow up. Their was some reference to Hannah having a job/career.
Hannah: Well, I'm not going to live my life with just a husband and a weinee dog!
Golly, them kiddos just crack me up!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho
Yes, the interview clothes are because I am ready to (that'saLieIhaveto) go back to work. I had a good interview yesterday, for the position I am most interested in (so far), 2 more scheduled for Friday, and a 4th that is supposedly going to call me when somebody gets back because somebody had a baby (?? I think the director's wife??). I'm pretty sure I've got the one from yesterday wrapped up; I'm going Monday to shadow the therapist and see what their clinic is like, and they have to confirm my salary request to the boss's boss, or some such, but otherwise, I think it's in the bag.
Sooooo, Scott's last day of work is Friday (after being very patient, they are finally kicking him out) and he will be a SAHD (Stay at Home Dad) again. Looks like next week we will both be home, but hopefully I'll be starting the week after that, otherwise, we'll be eating rice :o He was pretty darn good at it with the twins, but there's a third baby in the mix this time, lol, not to mention the 3 other kids being on summer vacation!!! He's lucky because they are in a good place right now and are pretty easy all day long. Now, if I can just make him remember all the housework that goes along with being the parent at home all day. (Can you believe that one day last week he grabbed a pile of too-big diapers that were under the bed because he "forgot" where we keep the ones we use?? Yeah, it's really hard, they are ON THE CHANGING TABLE. Hmmph)
Sooooo, Scott's last day of work is Friday (after being very patient, they are finally kicking him out) and he will be a SAHD (Stay at Home Dad) again. Looks like next week we will both be home, but hopefully I'll be starting the week after that, otherwise, we'll be eating rice :o He was pretty darn good at it with the twins, but there's a third baby in the mix this time, lol, not to mention the 3 other kids being on summer vacation!!! He's lucky because they are in a good place right now and are pretty easy all day long. Now, if I can just make him remember all the housework that goes along with being the parent at home all day. (Can you believe that one day last week he grabbed a pile of too-big diapers that were under the bed because he "forgot" where we keep the ones we use?? Yeah, it's really hard, they are ON THE CHANGING TABLE. Hmmph)
Friday, June 13, 2008
I want a new drug...
...One that won't make me fat
is that how the song goes? No? Hmmm
I just spent half an hour trying on everything in my closet that is "interview" worthy. Can't exactly where the fat scrubs, that are stained from working with kids in dirty homes for the past 5 years, to job interviews. Now I'm no fashionista, but I like to have cute things, or at least comfortable things that look halfway decent that I like. But I can't wear jeans or denim capris either. So that leaves the one or two pair of khakis left over from my hospital days (when my director didn't allow us to wear scrubs). Needless to say, I've HAD TRIPLETS since then.
Now, remember all those posts about not gaining much weight with my prenancy and then losing it fast after they were born? That didn't last. I pretty much have been eating my way back to sanity every day. Babies screaming unconsolably? Eat a cake. Stressed over lack of job and lack of funds? Eat all of last night's leftovers. Bored to tears? Eat a box of cereal. You get the idea. So I'm right back where I started, only now I'm stretched out and lumpier bumpier than previously.
According to Dr. Oz (I really don't watch much Oprah, but it was on one day when nothing else was) that is because food is my drug of choice. I wish exercise could be. I wish instead that when I was stressed I wanted to run up and down the stairs ten times. Or do that Yoga dvd I bought (though I could hardly get into a zen state with the three screaming mimi's in the room).
Anyway, I found 2 pair of fugly pants that I can get into with one of those chest to knees girdles left over from my wedding, and 1 dress that makes me look like...well...a cow in a dress. Goody.
is that how the song goes? No? Hmmm
I just spent half an hour trying on everything in my closet that is "interview" worthy. Can't exactly where the fat scrubs, that are stained from working with kids in dirty homes for the past 5 years, to job interviews. Now I'm no fashionista, but I like to have cute things, or at least comfortable things that look halfway decent that I like. But I can't wear jeans or denim capris either. So that leaves the one or two pair of khakis left over from my hospital days (when my director didn't allow us to wear scrubs). Needless to say, I've HAD TRIPLETS since then.
Now, remember all those posts about not gaining much weight with my prenancy and then losing it fast after they were born? That didn't last. I pretty much have been eating my way back to sanity every day. Babies screaming unconsolably? Eat a cake. Stressed over lack of job and lack of funds? Eat all of last night's leftovers. Bored to tears? Eat a box of cereal. You get the idea. So I'm right back where I started, only now I'm stretched out and lumpier bumpier than previously.
According to Dr. Oz (I really don't watch much Oprah, but it was on one day when nothing else was) that is because food is my drug of choice. I wish exercise could be. I wish instead that when I was stressed I wanted to run up and down the stairs ten times. Or do that Yoga dvd I bought (though I could hardly get into a zen state with the three screaming mimi's in the room).
Anyway, I found 2 pair of fugly pants that I can get into with one of those chest to knees girdles left over from my wedding, and 1 dress that makes me look like...well...a cow in a dress. Goody.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Dare I hope???
How does the expression go...it only takes so many days to make something a habit? I'm drawing a complete blank. Anyway....
6 nights - that's how many they have slept from 11ish to 6 or 7 in the morning!!! Sweet Hallelujah! I feel like a different person now that I can get 6-8 straight hours of sleep again. I am rested. I am productive. I have energy again.
For the record, Molly is still determined to be our holdout. Most of those nights she has either ended up with a bottle (once, she took 2 oz and went back to sleep) or in bed with me (I have a certain pillow that I make a little "nest" for her and she curls up to me and goes right back to sleep) but we can work with that.
One of the best parts, they are finally on a consistent daily schedule as a result. Previously, whatever time they woke up in the morning dictated our schedule for the day. I.e., if they were up at 4, they ate at 8, 12, 4, 7-8, 10-11, then bed and up between 2 and 4. The next day, they may get up at 6 and eat at 10, 2, 6, 9, 12, 3, etc. It was everchanging. Now, they are consistently up between 7 and 7:30, eat then, and again at 11, 3, 6:30/7, 10ish (don't ask me WHY they have to eat more frequently in the evenings, they are just so fussy and act like they are starving). I feel like we could actually, dare I say it, Make. Plans., because I can actually guesstimate their feeding times.
We are also one week into summer vacation. I have to say that, surprising myself, I love it! I wish I could stay home the whole summer with the babies and the twins (and Jamie when she gets home!). There are challenges and we will make some changes, but overall I think it's going great. I mainly want to get a good schedule with mandatory chores, reading time, etc as well as try to do some craft projects. The main challenge is game time - we rented Lego Indiana Jones and that is, big surprise!, all Hunter wants to do, so I have to limit it. Not only that, but he doesn't really want to give anyone else a chance to play, so he gets a little ornery when it is Hannah or my turn.
I'm LMBO because I did not notice this pose when I was taking pictures of the babies, but isn't this hilarious!!
And I know you can't resist this sweet face, our Peanut, Em:
6 nights - that's how many they have slept from 11ish to 6 or 7 in the morning!!! Sweet Hallelujah! I feel like a different person now that I can get 6-8 straight hours of sleep again. I am rested. I am productive. I have energy again.
For the record, Molly is still determined to be our holdout. Most of those nights she has either ended up with a bottle (once, she took 2 oz and went back to sleep) or in bed with me (I have a certain pillow that I make a little "nest" for her and she curls up to me and goes right back to sleep) but we can work with that.
One of the best parts, they are finally on a consistent daily schedule as a result. Previously, whatever time they woke up in the morning dictated our schedule for the day. I.e., if they were up at 4, they ate at 8, 12, 4, 7-8, 10-11, then bed and up between 2 and 4. The next day, they may get up at 6 and eat at 10, 2, 6, 9, 12, 3, etc. It was everchanging. Now, they are consistently up between 7 and 7:30, eat then, and again at 11, 3, 6:30/7, 10ish (don't ask me WHY they have to eat more frequently in the evenings, they are just so fussy and act like they are starving). I feel like we could actually, dare I say it, Make. Plans., because I can actually guesstimate their feeding times.
We are also one week into summer vacation. I have to say that, surprising myself, I love it! I wish I could stay home the whole summer with the babies and the twins (and Jamie when she gets home!). There are challenges and we will make some changes, but overall I think it's going great. I mainly want to get a good schedule with mandatory chores, reading time, etc as well as try to do some craft projects. The main challenge is game time - we rented Lego Indiana Jones and that is, big surprise!, all Hunter wants to do, so I have to limit it. Not only that, but he doesn't really want to give anyone else a chance to play, so he gets a little ornery when it is Hannah or my turn.
And if you give a kid a camera, they will take pictures of the things most important to them ;)
I'm LMBO because I did not notice this pose when I was taking pictures of the babies, but isn't this hilarious!!
And I know you can't resist this sweet face, our Peanut, Em:
Finally, for good measure, Miss Molly Mae:
Haven't gotten a picture of her smiling yet, but I will ;)
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Has it been a month???
I don't guess that really surprises me. The part about them being another month older - yes; the part about me not blogging for a month - no. It is a trial, let me tell you. I rarely get anything done during the day, and if I do, it sure isn't hanging out on the computer. It's more like take a shower, wash clothes, wash and make bottles, cook dinner. When dad gets home, he takes over so that I can take care of the needs of the other kids or do some of those things listed above that I didn't do during the day.
They all have rolled over from their belly to their back if put on a little incline, lol, since they are often on the couch. From their side, I've seen them each try to go to their belly, and they will all go to their back.
The evenings are a nightmare.
They are just not happy from about 4 pm until they go to bed for the night, which usually isn't until 11 or 12. Generally, dad handles it while I go to bed around 9 or so because I'm going to be back up with them anywhere from 2 to 4 am. The problem is that once they start stirring, it wakes me up and I can't go back to sleep until they are fed and settled back to sleep. All of their grunting, fussing, coughing, etc, plus my knowing I'll have to get right back up just keeps me awake, often for 2 or 3 hours straight. This wouldn't be so bad if there was a chance of me napping the next day, but that just doesn't happen anymore as they don't all sleep for long periods of time during the day.
There have been quite a few nights where they've made it to 5 or so before they wake. The last week or so, I have put Molly in bed with me (always the first to wake, then get everybody else started) for a snuggle and she goes back to sleep for a couple of hours. This has gotten us through until 5 many nights, and sometimes even 6. Last night, they were down by 10ish, and slept until 6 am!! Woo Hoo! Dad and I both got a nice, long night's sleep. What are the chances that this is the new norm? My guess - slim to none.
As for everyone else:
Hunter got a cast
and then got it off
in the space of just 2 weeks. The break is somewhere near the growth plates, so the orthopedist wants to follow him for a year or so.
in the space of just 2 weeks. The break is somewhere near the growth plates, so the orthopedist wants to follow him for a year or so. Hannah lost her two front teeth, also in the space of just 2 weeks.
She's just so darn cute with that smile!
School is out which makes the twins 1st graders, and Jamie...a high school student! :o That doesn't seem possible. I remember what was important and what we were up to in 9th grade and I just don't even want to think about it. YIKES!! She's already gone on the first leg of her summer travels, having left the day after school was out.
The babies at 3 months:
They all smile and coo, though Cooper is most proficient at both. If you "ooo" and "ah" at him he will do it right back to you. The girls are just more occasional and inconsistent. Molly smiles quite a bit, but it is much harder to get one out of Em.
Their weights are Cooper at 11.2 lbs (NOT 11 lbs 2 oz, but 11.2 on our home scale; we had dad hold the babies, then weigh without them and subtract the difference, LOL), Molly at 10.6 lbs and Em at 8.2 lbs. Em is still our peanut!! The gap between the bigger two and our little peanut is growing. But, she doubled her birth weight, so no worries.
They all have rolled over from their belly to their back if put on a little incline, lol, since they are often on the couch. From their side, I've seen them each try to go to their belly, and they will all go to their back.I've started watching them for torticollis; they just too often seem to keep their head turned to one direction, but then I'll notice that the next time they are turned the other way, so maybe they just don't like to look straight ahead.
Ok, that's enough "therapy" stuff :)
They did start tracking shortly after the 2 month mark. You can really tell they are watching your face and if you walk by, they'll follow you over a small arc. They even watch TV! Of course, it's just light, color and movement, but it's funny to see.
Well, 2 hours after starting this update, I'm going to close. I will try to keep updating periodically, as much to look back on as for all of you (both of you??) out there interested :)
Saturday, May 3, 2008
We are 2 months old
That is not possible. I almost refuse to believe it, as if I've miscounted or something. March, April, May...yeah, I guess that would be 2 months.
I gave an update just yesterday for them, so nothing much else to say. I wanted to come up with some poignant words, but mostly I'm just glad that I haven't been puked on today.
Here they are on their 2 month birthday.
I gave an update just yesterday for them, so nothing much else to say. I wanted to come up with some poignant words, but mostly I'm just glad that I haven't been puked on today.
Here they are on their 2 month birthday.
Left to Right: Cooper, Emily, Molly
Friday, May 2, 2008
This week
It's been a while since I've blogged, mostly because it has been a ridiculously busy week. We literally had an appointment every day this week (until Jamie's hair appt changed at the last minute, leaving Friday appt-free, though still busy).
First, an update on Hunter: They do believe that his arm is broken, but while the ER doc thought it was the humerus, or upper arm bone, the orthopedist said it seems to be acting more like his radius, a lower arm bone. At this point, he is still in a half-cast splint only. He goes back next week for more Xrays and possible casting. He really doesn't even complain of pain since the first day or so and he runs around like there's nothing wrong. Though, amazingly, he is utterly helpless when it comes to washing his hands, brushing his teeth, etc - go figure.
Jamie: Since I finally got to scrapbook a page or two over the past few weeks, I'll just post this one that sums up Jamie of late.
It says: When she wants something, she calls me "Mommy". Yep, that pretty much sums it up!
Einstein played soccer, on hot concrete, for a full hour, BAREFOOT, yesterday and is sporting some serious blisters this morning. Sheesh. I'm not taking anyone else to the doctor, so she better hope it heals on its own!
First, an update on Hunter: They do believe that his arm is broken, but while the ER doc thought it was the humerus, or upper arm bone, the orthopedist said it seems to be acting more like his radius, a lower arm bone. At this point, he is still in a half-cast splint only. He goes back next week for more Xrays and possible casting. He really doesn't even complain of pain since the first day or so and he runs around like there's nothing wrong. Though, amazingly, he is utterly helpless when it comes to washing his hands, brushing his teeth, etc - go figure.
ETA: one of those appts was his haircut, so he looks much better than this rag-a-muffin kid now.
Hannah: Nothing special going on with her this week, just being her usual beautiful, sweet self. Recently though, we had her ARD for the next year of Speech Therapy. She has reached all of her goals! These are goals that have been in place for the past 2 calendar years. She will continue to get speech, but with new goals. The most obvious change that we notice on a daily basis are the "S"es. She makes such a great effort with them. We have to try not to laugh because she pauses at every S- or Sh- to really concentrate on the sound. We're so proud!
Jamie: Since I finally got to scrapbook a page or two over the past few weeks, I'll just post this one that sums up Jamie of late. It says: When she wants something, she calls me "Mommy". Yep, that pretty much sums it up!Einstein played soccer, on hot concrete, for a full hour, BAREFOOT, yesterday and is sporting some serious blisters this morning. Sheesh. I'm not taking anyone else to the doctor, so she better hope it heals on its own!
Oh, the babies! It has been a trial of late. When I was reading message boards with other parents of HOM (higher order multiples) to learn what to expect, we became pretty scared about what a nightmare newborn triplets was going to be. But, then, it WASN'T. For weeks it was pretty darn easy, which I mistakenly said out loud on several occasions. They slept and ate and what it was time to eat, they ATE. Everything is supposed to even out when they hit their due date. In our case, everything went to heck on that date instead. All of a sudden, they don't eat well, are gassy, have reflux, etc.
And the spit up. Um, I've been instrumental in the daily care of 2 children (Jen and Dev), then raised 3 of my own babies. I've seen A LOT of spit up. I've cleaned up my share of child vomit as well. But I have NEVER seen actual PROJECTILE vomit until this week. No kidding, Cooper spewed 6 feet across the room the other night. PawPaw had the misfortune of being the one holding him when he did it. Since then, it's been anyone's guess who would be the one to do it at each feeding. A successful feeding is one where everyone keeps down all that they consume, even if it is only 2-3 ozs. (down from the 4-6 ozs. they were previously taking). And I can't go to bed without a spare set of PJs handy because I get it almost every night.
We see the pediatrician on Monday. I really hope we can convince her that we need reflux meds.
The other major issue continues to be Molly. She's just a miserable baby and I feel so sorry for her. The "rash" gets better and worse on a seemingly random cycle. We were going to try a new formula this week, only the one the pedi recommended is not available in stores (it has to be specially ordered) and is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. I'm talking $80 for roughly 3 days worth. Yeah. So far insurance does not cover it, and WIC was closed for half the week so we're still waiting to check that route. Molly goes to the pediatric dermatologist next week to see what they can do. We've got to get this thing figured out.
As for myself, I desperately wish I had not had that gallbladder surgery. I was doing just fine with the gallbladder I had; removing it has started a whole new slew of problems that are making life difficult. I continue to have unbearable pain. It is really strange because it is my SKIN that hurts, right over the surgical area on my belly. I can not tolerate my shirt touching my skin. I still have to take pain meds to sleep at night but I can't take them during the day (duh, they make me sleep!). I am so swollen that I'm back to wearing PJ pants and maternity pants because my pants are too tight over the incisions and sore spots. The surgeon has pretty much released me because there is nothing he can do at this point. If it does not improve soon, I will have to see a pain management specialist.
Around here we have something called the Quote of the Day. It started because mostly Hannah, but Hunter as well, just say the funniest darn things. I really wish I'd written them all down over the past few months, but I'm going to try to start now. So here is one from the other day.
Hannah got this "grow a pet" puppy that she put in water for a few days until it grew to roughly 5" or so. At that point we took it out of the water so she could play with it. Well, it shrunk back down and was all funky and distorted looking.
Hannah: "It shrunk, Daddy, and it looks dirty"
Daddy: "And it's all wrinkly, too"
Hannah: "Yeah, just like MawMaw and PawPaw"
Friday, April 25, 2008
Poor Baby
As you may have gathered if you are getting to know me through this blog, and as you well know if you know me already - I can handle a lot. I'm pretty easy, pretty resilient. Let's just say I've been through a lot, some of it at a young age, and I've just learned to go with the flow.
There is one thing that I can not handle - seeing my baby in pain. I've always admired and been astounded by parents whose children have chronic problems because I just don't think I could handle it.
Molly developed a "diaper rash" while in the NICU. (I have to be careful how to word this - don't want the freaks coming upon my blog by way of Google searches). Basically, this was no "rash" I, the nurse, my mom (a physician) had ever seen. There were areas of No.Skin. It worsened until I finally called the pediatrician. They listed 20 things I could try, 90% of which I was already doing and it wasn't helping. We did start doing baking soda soaks and tried multiple types of diaper cream. It slowly improved, but now started looking like severe scarring. On mom's recommendation, I made a pediatrician appointment.
The pedi said it was unlike anything she's seen before. She thought it looked like BURNS. (She later consulted a pediatric dermatologist who agreed that yes, it sounded like chemical burns that some babies get from their poop). She's now on antibiotic cream and Triple Paste which we layer "an inch thick". Needless to say, that tiny $8 tube of Triple Paste goes fast.
But the thing is, she Screams. Like she is being tortured, which in a way, she is. She is in such obvious pain that I can barely stand to change her. Since mom has been here most of this week so I can continue to recover, she has been on Molly-duty. I have to be otherwise occupied in the other room because I can't stand to hear her screaming. If I have to change her, I stand there and cry and try to finish as fast as I can. It is torture for a mommy.
We've been saying that if we can get this resolved, not only will she be a happier baby, but a lot of things will go smoother, because she will not constantly be requiring all of our attention. She'll sleep better and eat better and things will just all around improve.
ETA: While this post was in draft, we had another injury. Earlier, Hunter fell while on the trampoline and landed on his elbow. He came in crying and refusing to let us even look at it. He finally fell asleep on the couch. Well, I went over to check it out after he had been asleep a while and it is swollen, bruised, and full of fluid. Soooo, looks like we'll be headed for the ER first thing in the a.m. I just keep saying, "at least we've met our deductible for this year".
There is one thing that I can not handle - seeing my baby in pain. I've always admired and been astounded by parents whose children have chronic problems because I just don't think I could handle it.
Molly developed a "diaper rash" while in the NICU. (I have to be careful how to word this - don't want the freaks coming upon my blog by way of Google searches). Basically, this was no "rash" I, the nurse, my mom (a physician) had ever seen. There were areas of No.Skin. It worsened until I finally called the pediatrician. They listed 20 things I could try, 90% of which I was already doing and it wasn't helping. We did start doing baking soda soaks and tried multiple types of diaper cream. It slowly improved, but now started looking like severe scarring. On mom's recommendation, I made a pediatrician appointment.
The pedi said it was unlike anything she's seen before. She thought it looked like BURNS. (She later consulted a pediatric dermatologist who agreed that yes, it sounded like chemical burns that some babies get from their poop). She's now on antibiotic cream and Triple Paste which we layer "an inch thick". Needless to say, that tiny $8 tube of Triple Paste goes fast.
But the thing is, she Screams. Like she is being tortured, which in a way, she is. She is in such obvious pain that I can barely stand to change her. Since mom has been here most of this week so I can continue to recover, she has been on Molly-duty. I have to be otherwise occupied in the other room because I can't stand to hear her screaming. If I have to change her, I stand there and cry and try to finish as fast as I can. It is torture for a mommy.
We've been saying that if we can get this resolved, not only will she be a happier baby, but a lot of things will go smoother, because she will not constantly be requiring all of our attention. She'll sleep better and eat better and things will just all around improve.
ETA: While this post was in draft, we had another injury. Earlier, Hunter fell while on the trampoline and landed on his elbow. He came in crying and refusing to let us even look at it. He finally fell asleep on the couch. Well, I went over to check it out after he had been asleep a while and it is swollen, bruised, and full of fluid. Soooo, looks like we'll be headed for the ER first thing in the a.m. I just keep saying, "at least we've met our deductible for this year".
For your viewing pleasure
Wanna see the rest of those baby pictures? You must not because not even one of you posted on my teaser and how cute those baby feet were. :pout:
But I like to show off so I'll post 'em anyway.
http://jamiewoodwardphotography.com/gallery/obryant/
And if you're a sucker for a good cry, make sure the sound is on. Or is that just me because they are my progeny?
If you're local and need some pics of your family, make sure you give Jamie a call :)
But I like to show off so I'll post 'em anyway.
http://jamiewoodwardphotography.com/gallery/obryant/
And if you're a sucker for a good cry, make sure the sound is on. Or is that just me because they are my progeny?
If you're local and need some pics of your family, make sure you give Jamie a call :)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Teaser
It is almost 4 a.m. I have just finished feeding the babies and I'm waiting for them to decide if they are going to sleep before I get comfortable in the bed.
So, I just have a few minutes (I hope) and thought I'd post this little teaser.
We got the pictures from the newborn session with Jamie.
So, I just have a few minutes (I hope) and thought I'd post this little teaser.
We got the pictures from the newborn session with Jamie.
I love sweet baby feet :) More to come....
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Five minutes in my life
So J. called today and wanted to know if she could come by and drop something off. Sure, nothing's happening around here, it's pretty quiet, come on by. And then...
Molly started crying so I changed her diaper.
And Emily started crying.
Molly's clothes had poo on them so I have to find new ones.
But first I wrapped her up and went in to comfort Emily quickly.
Took Molly back to find clothes.
Someone besides me put up the baby clothes; can't find anything.
I hear Cooper fussing.
Go comfort him; Molly still naked.
Scott texts me.
Continue looking for clothes for Molly.
Dress Molly.
Emily is crying again.
Change her diaper.
Mom texts me.
Text Scott back.
Text Mom back.
Comfort Emily.
Cooper is crying.
Change Cooper.
Still crying.
Decide it is time for bottles.
No bottles made.
Start to mix formula.
Assemble bottle parts.
Scott texts me.
Text him back.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Doorbell rings.
Mom texts me.
Scott calls.
Answer door. It is J. She has paperwork.
Fill out paperwork.
Scott calls again (because I didn't answer).
Mom texts again.
Try to talk with J. over babies crying.
J. leaves.
Text Scott: "Can't talk now"
Text Mom.
Go back to bottle making.
Can of formula empty.
Open new can.
Slice finger open on rim of can.
Grab towel to soak up blood.
Scoop up powdered formula; try not to bleed into formula.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Run to living room and comfort them.
Go back to finish formula.
Spill formula.
Mop it up with towel. Hope it's not the same one I bled on.
Pour up bottles.
Warm bottles.
Go look for Band Aid.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Mom texts.
Scott texts.
Try to text back; bleed on phone.
No Band Aids.
Still bleeding.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Bottles are ready.
Mom arrives.
Molly is asleep.
Emily is asleep.
Cooper is asleep.
Mom says: "Well, at least it's quiet."
Assemble make-shift Band Aid with cut up breast pad and freezer/masking tape.
Wouldn't you be tired, too?
Molly started crying so I changed her diaper.
And Emily started crying.
Molly's clothes had poo on them so I have to find new ones.
But first I wrapped her up and went in to comfort Emily quickly.
Took Molly back to find clothes.
Someone besides me put up the baby clothes; can't find anything.
I hear Cooper fussing.
Go comfort him; Molly still naked.
Scott texts me.
Continue looking for clothes for Molly.
Dress Molly.
Emily is crying again.
Change her diaper.
Mom texts me.
Text Scott back.
Text Mom back.
Comfort Emily.
Cooper is crying.
Change Cooper.
Still crying.
Decide it is time for bottles.
No bottles made.
Start to mix formula.
Assemble bottle parts.
Scott texts me.
Text him back.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Doorbell rings.
Mom texts me.
Scott calls.
Answer door. It is J. She has paperwork.
Fill out paperwork.
Scott calls again (because I didn't answer).
Mom texts again.
Try to talk with J. over babies crying.
J. leaves.
Text Scott: "Can't talk now"
Text Mom.
Go back to bottle making.
Can of formula empty.
Open new can.
Slice finger open on rim of can.
Grab towel to soak up blood.
Scoop up powdered formula; try not to bleed into formula.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Run to living room and comfort them.
Go back to finish formula.
Spill formula.
Mop it up with towel. Hope it's not the same one I bled on.
Pour up bottles.
Warm bottles.
Go look for Band Aid.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Mom texts.
Scott texts.
Try to text back; bleed on phone.
No Band Aids.
Still bleeding.
Molly is crying.
Emily is crying.
Cooper is crying.
Bottles are ready.
Mom arrives.
Molly is asleep.
Emily is asleep.
Cooper is asleep.
Mom says: "Well, at least it's quiet."
Assemble make-shift Band Aid with cut up breast pad and freezer/masking tape.
Wouldn't you be tired, too?
Friday, April 18, 2008
Slight relapse
I started having increased pain yesterday and have been pretty well laid up since. I had to make Scott come home from work because I COULD NOT handle the babies. I had my follow up appointment with the surgeon today. His diagnosis is that I have been doing too much. So, it's back to Spa a la Mom for another weekend of relaxation. I HAVE to recover fully or I could have serious complications.
So I have a pile of DVDs, scrapbooking good stuff, newly printed pictures, and a couple of knitting projects.
I expect to be bored before midnight, LOL.
Fingers crossed for poor Daddy managing the babies for an entire weekend by himself again. Mom and I at least have plans to entertain the twins and get them out of his hair.
See ya!
So I have a pile of DVDs, scrapbooking good stuff, newly printed pictures, and a couple of knitting projects.
I expect to be bored before midnight, LOL.
Fingers crossed for poor Daddy managing the babies for an entire weekend by himself again. Mom and I at least have plans to entertain the twins and get them out of his hair.
See ya!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
It's like working with 3 little lawyers
So, every night before I go to bed, I tell their Daddy to whisper in their bitty ears to Let.Mommy.Sleep. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, not so much.
Last night the little darlings slept until almost 3! Not bad considering Daddy had to feed them at 9, instead of the 10:30 they were scheduled for (oh, how I'm loving that funny little word schedule). I'll barely touch on the fact that that "sleeping" involved rotating holding Molly and then Emily while I slept in the chair, because, hey, sleep is sleep.
So they all started stirring a little and I got them up to feed them at 3. They sucked those ba-ba's right down and we were all back in bed by 4. But, first we struck up a little deal. They agreed to STAY asleep until 8. That seemed a reasonable compromise. Honestly, I figured I'd get 7 or 7:30 out of that deal and we'd be right on schedule for today. And they would get a sane, happy, well-rested Mommy out of the deal.
Well! The slimey little snakes reneged on me! They started in at 5:30 and we went round and round with diapers and unsuccessful nursing until I finally made bottles at 7ish. Do you think any of them TOOK those bottles?? No, they did not. Barely a drop between the 3 of them. What are the chances they stay on schedule for an 11 o'clock feeding??
The moral of this story is not to sign any contracts while hopped up on pain meds and lack of good sleep.
Last night the little darlings slept until almost 3! Not bad considering Daddy had to feed them at 9, instead of the 10:30 they were scheduled for (oh, how I'm loving that funny little word schedule). I'll barely touch on the fact that that "sleeping" involved rotating holding Molly and then Emily while I slept in the chair, because, hey, sleep is sleep.
So they all started stirring a little and I got them up to feed them at 3. They sucked those ba-ba's right down and we were all back in bed by 4. But, first we struck up a little deal. They agreed to STAY asleep until 8. That seemed a reasonable compromise. Honestly, I figured I'd get 7 or 7:30 out of that deal and we'd be right on schedule for today. And they would get a sane, happy, well-rested Mommy out of the deal.
Well! The slimey little snakes reneged on me! They started in at 5:30 and we went round and round with diapers and unsuccessful nursing until I finally made bottles at 7ish. Do you think any of them TOOK those bottles?? No, they did not. Barely a drop between the 3 of them. What are the chances they stay on schedule for an 11 o'clock feeding??
The moral of this story is not to sign any contracts while hopped up on pain meds and lack of good sleep.
Friday, April 11, 2008
All done
Just an FYI: I am all done. I'm staying at mom's to rest. I have pics of my gallstones. Should I post them or will I lose readers? LOL
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I'm boring this week
Sorry. Nothing much witty and interesting to say, LOL.
We had pictures with Jamie today! It was so much fun and I cannot wait to see how they turned out. Just seeing them posed together....ah! they were so cute!! It went surprisingly quickly; thankfully DiDi was here to help feed, change, etc each baby as they needed while we posed the other babies. Thank you again, Jamie!
I'm gearing up for surgery, not that there is much to do. The bummer is that I keep thinking of things I want to do this weekend, but then I think, "hmm, if I CAN do that", LOL. Sheesh, I was laid up for so long that I'm not looking forward to being stuck in bed, in the house again, even if it is just for a day or two.
I have been catching up on cleaning house. I finally unpacked my clothes from the hospital :) I spent yesterday cleaning up my scrap/craft room. It was disastrous! Can't blame me; I haven't even been in there in 6 months. I cleaned the room but have only cleared off about a 10x10 section of my table, so I've been trying to work in that little bitty space :P I'm mostly just finishing up some little projects. I'll post pictures eventually, but the items are all gifts, so can't give you a peek until they are mailed off. Hmm, should I tease the recipients?? PawPaw and Jenifer J., be on the lookout :) Ha Ha!!
We had pictures with Jamie today! It was so much fun and I cannot wait to see how they turned out. Just seeing them posed together....ah! they were so cute!! It went surprisingly quickly; thankfully DiDi was here to help feed, change, etc each baby as they needed while we posed the other babies. Thank you again, Jamie!
I'm gearing up for surgery, not that there is much to do. The bummer is that I keep thinking of things I want to do this weekend, but then I think, "hmm, if I CAN do that", LOL. Sheesh, I was laid up for so long that I'm not looking forward to being stuck in bed, in the house again, even if it is just for a day or two.
I have been catching up on cleaning house. I finally unpacked my clothes from the hospital :) I spent yesterday cleaning up my scrap/craft room. It was disastrous! Can't blame me; I haven't even been in there in 6 months. I cleaned the room but have only cleared off about a 10x10 section of my table, so I've been trying to work in that little bitty space :P I'm mostly just finishing up some little projects. I'll post pictures eventually, but the items are all gifts, so can't give you a peek until they are mailed off. Hmm, should I tease the recipients?? PawPaw and Jenifer J., be on the lookout :) Ha Ha!!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Keep praying
I know that the babies are here, and home, and healthy and that's all that we wanted and prayed for (and asked you to pray for) for all those months.
One last thing though: I'm having gallbladder surgery on Friday. I'm nervous; I don't think one can have surgery and not be a little nervous. I actually know of someone who died after a "routine" gallbladder surgery and yes I know that that was a freak accident, but it scares the poo out of me. I just won't even go there about the thoughts going through my head.
So, just keep praying.
One last thing though: I'm having gallbladder surgery on Friday. I'm nervous; I don't think one can have surgery and not be a little nervous. I actually know of someone who died after a "routine" gallbladder surgery and yes I know that that was a freak accident, but it scares the poo out of me. I just won't even go there about the thoughts going through my head.
So, just keep praying.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Comments
For those of you that are new to blogging, if you want to leave me a comment about my trials, blessings, or wit, you can click on the "comments" button at the end of each post. Just type your comment in the large box, type the word verification in the smaller box, then click Anonymous. Don't forget to sign your name with your comment if you are not logging into a blogger or google account.
Clear as mud, eh??
Thanks Darci for reminding me that not everyone may know the ins and out of blogging :)
Clear as mud, eh??
Thanks Darci for reminding me that not everyone may know the ins and out of blogging :)
Friday, April 4, 2008
Something different
I ran across this and had to take the quiz.
You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.
I absolutely love Jane Austen; Sense and Sensibility is one of my all time favorite movies.
So if you are a fan, check it out and let me know who YOU are :)
PS Michelle - this one's for you!!! ;)
You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see.
I absolutely love Jane Austen; Sense and Sensibility is one of my all time favorite movies.
So if you are a fan, check it out and let me know who YOU are :)
PS Michelle - this one's for you!!! ;)
Swing Shifts
That's what it's like, working swing shifts. Only, the boss(es) doesn't tell you what shift you will be on that day, they just call you in and you have to be ready to go. So, I can nap in the afternoon, go to bed early, and darn if they don't sleep that night. But I skip the nap, stay up a little later, and find myself asleep in the chair at 5 am for the first time since 12.
I'd make the full switch to nocturnal, but sure as I do, they'll decide to be up all day instead. I was actually doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen at 3 am. Might as well; Molly was awake and crying off and on anyway. No reason to get comfortable in the bed, only to be awoken by her banshee screams.
Can't keep my eyes open. 'Night 'Night (at 8 am)
I'd make the full switch to nocturnal, but sure as I do, they'll decide to be up all day instead. I was actually doing laundry and cleaning the kitchen at 3 am. Might as well; Molly was awake and crying off and on anyway. No reason to get comfortable in the bed, only to be awoken by her banshee screams.
Can't keep my eyes open. 'Night 'Night (at 8 am)
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Busted for solicitation
Anyone who spends any time with me knows that I am so not a name-brand snob. In fact, I'm a cheap snob. Er, anyway.... I am all about a bargain. If it comes in generic, that is probably the only way I buy it (with very few exceptions, because Blue Bell ice cream has no match, despite it's lofty price).
The trio are starting to get a little rich for my blood, however.
1) Specialty formula - it could be worse; I've seen cans for upwards of $25, and theirs is only $16. Still, no generic substitutions for this crowd, no sirree. And the uber-perfect and FREE mother's milk? Eh, they could take it or leave it, and generally tend to leave it. This is the second time in my life I've been really grateful for WIC.
2) Diapers - I literally have a closet FULL of every brand of diapers (Continued thanks to all who have gifted these as I am using up almost a pack a day). We've used up all the preemie ones and have moved on to Newborn. In the hospital, they used Pampers. Since we've been home, we've used almost exclusively Huggies, with the odd Luvs thrown in. But yesterday I found a pack of Pampers Newborn. Heaven! I didn't think it made much difference but they are vastly different. Now, I will never poo-poo a free diaper (Ha! Ha! I'm clever at this hour of the a.m.), but man, I'm thinking hard about seeing if Wally World will exchange a slew of diapers for me. I don't want to know how much I might lose in price difference though. Ug!
3) Buttpaste (as it is affectionately known in our house) - All of the babies, but Molly especially, have suffered from the most horrendous "diaper rash" I have ever seen. It makes me cry to see it. I first noticed it in the NICU and it has been off and on ever since. It is like open sores on their little behinds. *shudder* We addressed this with the pediatrician the other day. She recommended one of 2 diaper creams because all of the other ones have "extra crap" in them, including alcohols and acids. So, I'm having to throw out the Boudreaux's and the generic Desitin that have always sufficed in exchange for the $7 a tube Aveeno. I have used half a tube in the past 3 days. Yikes! But I love this stuff and it is absolutely working, in combination with the Pampers diapers and Pampers Sensitive wipes, to clear up even Molly's skin.
So, for those of you that have asked what we want and/or need:
Pampers (currently collecting size 1 diapers) - though we honestly will use and be grateful for any brand
Pampers Sensitive wipes refills
Aveeno diaper cream
Bottle liners, 4 oz., Target brand (that fits the Playtex) EDIT: Actually, at the rate that they are increasing the amounts of their feeds, and the number of liners I already have, we need to start stocking up on 8 oz liners instead.
And since I reminded myself about the pedi:
Emily 4 lbs 11 oz
Molly 5 lbs 2 oz
Cooper 5 lbs 12 oz
to the best of my memory. I'll be putting a notebook of some type in the diaper bag to record all of that because I'd forgotten by the time we left the office and got loaded back up on the way home.
The trio are starting to get a little rich for my blood, however.
1) Specialty formula - it could be worse; I've seen cans for upwards of $25, and theirs is only $16. Still, no generic substitutions for this crowd, no sirree. And the uber-perfect and FREE mother's milk? Eh, they could take it or leave it, and generally tend to leave it. This is the second time in my life I've been really grateful for WIC.
2) Diapers - I literally have a closet FULL of every brand of diapers (Continued thanks to all who have gifted these as I am using up almost a pack a day). We've used up all the preemie ones and have moved on to Newborn. In the hospital, they used Pampers. Since we've been home, we've used almost exclusively Huggies, with the odd Luvs thrown in. But yesterday I found a pack of Pampers Newborn. Heaven! I didn't think it made much difference but they are vastly different. Now, I will never poo-poo a free diaper (Ha! Ha! I'm clever at this hour of the a.m.), but man, I'm thinking hard about seeing if Wally World will exchange a slew of diapers for me. I don't want to know how much I might lose in price difference though. Ug!
3) Buttpaste (as it is affectionately known in our house) - All of the babies, but Molly especially, have suffered from the most horrendous "diaper rash" I have ever seen. It makes me cry to see it. I first noticed it in the NICU and it has been off and on ever since. It is like open sores on their little behinds. *shudder* We addressed this with the pediatrician the other day. She recommended one of 2 diaper creams because all of the other ones have "extra crap" in them, including alcohols and acids. So, I'm having to throw out the Boudreaux's and the generic Desitin that have always sufficed in exchange for the $7 a tube Aveeno. I have used half a tube in the past 3 days. Yikes! But I love this stuff and it is absolutely working, in combination with the Pampers diapers and Pampers Sensitive wipes, to clear up even Molly's skin.
So, for those of you that have asked what we want and/or need:
Pampers (currently collecting size 1 diapers) - though we honestly will use and be grateful for any brand
Pampers Sensitive wipes refills
Aveeno diaper cream
Bottle liners, 4 oz., Target brand (that fits the Playtex) EDIT: Actually, at the rate that they are increasing the amounts of their feeds, and the number of liners I already have, we need to start stocking up on 8 oz liners instead.
And since I reminded myself about the pedi:
Emily 4 lbs 11 oz
Molly 5 lbs 2 oz
Cooper 5 lbs 12 oz
to the best of my memory. I'll be putting a notebook of some type in the diaper bag to record all of that because I'd forgotten by the time we left the office and got loaded back up on the way home.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Figuring it out
Scott says it's my fault. He says they are "my" children and that they are night owls. But hey, I was going to bed by midnight when I was pregnant with them, so it's not as if they've ever been subject to my up-all-night habits. Staying up until 3 and 4 in the morning is only fun if you are going to get to sleep in, NOT if you're going to get back up in 2 hours.
I'm trying a new tactic. I'm making myself go to bed before 10 so that I can sleep a couple of hours before the fun begins. Sure enough, last night, after the 11 o'clock feeding, at about midnight, Scott laid them all in the bed........and none of them went to sleep. So I got back up and was up pretty steadily until 4. That part wasn't bad; since I'd had a little nap, I was feeling ok. The part that sucked was the short sleep until about 6, after which I was NOT ready to get up. But, after that round of feeding, they like to sleep all morning. So, Yes, evil mother of newborns that I am, I don't wake them to feed them. If they wake, we eat; if not, we sleep. So we've been sleeping all morning, and have become lazy bones who stay in bed until 11 or so. Then we spend the day trying to get back on "schedule".
Whatever works.
I'm trying a new tactic. I'm making myself go to bed before 10 so that I can sleep a couple of hours before the fun begins. Sure enough, last night, after the 11 o'clock feeding, at about midnight, Scott laid them all in the bed........and none of them went to sleep. So I got back up and was up pretty steadily until 4. That part wasn't bad; since I'd had a little nap, I was feeling ok. The part that sucked was the short sleep until about 6, after which I was NOT ready to get up. But, after that round of feeding, they like to sleep all morning. So, Yes, evil mother of newborns that I am, I don't wake them to feed them. If they wake, we eat; if not, we sleep. So we've been sleeping all morning, and have become lazy bones who stay in bed until 11 or so. Then we spend the day trying to get back on "schedule".
Whatever works.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sleepless in Seattle
because...
It is the crying that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
Somebody started crying it not knowing what it was
And now they just keep crying it on and on just because
It is the crying that never ends....
Our hospital 3 hour, and then much easier, much saner, home 4 hour schedules have gone to shi......er, the dogs. Noone taught them how to tell time apparently. For some God-only-knows reason, Molly wakes up, like clockwork, an hour before feeding time. Now, this would be all fine and good, if she didn't scream like a banshee all night. So I tried holding her off until the next scheduled feeding, except that she started spitting up all the time and the pediatrician says this is because she's getting all worked up and sucking down air with all of that "fretting" so try not to let her "fret". Er, right. Tell her that.
So I decided to try a little demand feeding. Feed the ones that are hungry, then wake the others and make them eat, too, so that they are all on the same schedule, even if that schedule is weird and unpredictable.
How you wanna guess THAT worked out?? I've slept one 2 hour stretch since before midnight. AGAIN. I even woke Scott up to help because it got so out of control. And dangit if Molly AND Emily weren't up after a mere 2 hours! While I was feeding them, Cooper was lying in bed "fretting" so I got him up after the girls were done. And he wouldn't take a drop. Sh.......oot. Now he'll be up in 30 minutes wanting to eat.
I'm a little delirious and hysterical. Of course, now that I've completely given up on sleeping during this calendar day, they're all stone cold out in there.
I give up.
It is the crying that never ends
It just goes on and on my friends
Somebody started crying it not knowing what it was
And now they just keep crying it on and on just because
It is the crying that never ends....
Our hospital 3 hour, and then much easier, much saner, home 4 hour schedules have gone to shi......er, the dogs. Noone taught them how to tell time apparently. For some God-only-knows reason, Molly wakes up, like clockwork, an hour before feeding time. Now, this would be all fine and good, if she didn't scream like a banshee all night. So I tried holding her off until the next scheduled feeding, except that she started spitting up all the time and the pediatrician says this is because she's getting all worked up and sucking down air with all of that "fretting" so try not to let her "fret". Er, right. Tell her that.
So I decided to try a little demand feeding. Feed the ones that are hungry, then wake the others and make them eat, too, so that they are all on the same schedule, even if that schedule is weird and unpredictable.
How you wanna guess THAT worked out?? I've slept one 2 hour stretch since before midnight. AGAIN. I even woke Scott up to help because it got so out of control. And dangit if Molly AND Emily weren't up after a mere 2 hours! While I was feeding them, Cooper was lying in bed "fretting" so I got him up after the girls were done. And he wouldn't take a drop. Sh.......oot. Now he'll be up in 30 minutes wanting to eat.
I'm a little delirious and hysterical. Of course, now that I've completely given up on sleeping during this calendar day, they're all stone cold out in there.
I give up.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Running Tally
In the past 5 days with 3 babies, we have gone through:
5 packs of diapers
4 containers of wipes
2 cans of formula (since I'm BFing and pumping)
3 boxes of bottle liners (I use the Playtex)
6 loads of laundry (I do a daily baby load)
14 faxes and phone calls to the pediatrician and WIC to get more formula
200 text messages and phone calls from Daddy and DiDi with baby updates and calls for help (as well as a few mostly unanswered or unreturned calls from other family and friends)
Whew! What a week :)
And lest you should think that it is all sunshine and roses, I was awake with one to three of them last night from 1:30 to 7:30. I slept 3 half hour stretches between 11 and 7:30. This has happened twice, both times after I mentioned how surprisingly easy it was with 3 babies at home.
And, I learned another little Murphy's Law of babies: If you dress them, they will spit. The other day I changed them all into coordinating outfits before I fed them. And they all spit up half of a bottle worth all over those adorable little clothes.
Oh, and if you are already exhausted and a little hysterical, that will be the night you will lose a binkie, forget to refill the wipe container, and someone will spit up all over the bed so that you have to change the sheets at 5 am.
And, I'm having another bout of the gallbladder today (at least that is what we are guessing it is) with abdominal pain, nausea, and um, lots of trips to the bathroom.
I look forward to Saturday so Daddy can take over for a couple of hours and I might actually leave the house :o
5 packs of diapers
4 containers of wipes
2 cans of formula (since I'm BFing and pumping)
3 boxes of bottle liners (I use the Playtex)
6 loads of laundry (I do a daily baby load)
14 faxes and phone calls to the pediatrician and WIC to get more formula
200 text messages and phone calls from Daddy and DiDi with baby updates and calls for help (as well as a few mostly unanswered or unreturned calls from other family and friends)
Whew! What a week :)
And lest you should think that it is all sunshine and roses, I was awake with one to three of them last night from 1:30 to 7:30. I slept 3 half hour stretches between 11 and 7:30. This has happened twice, both times after I mentioned how surprisingly easy it was with 3 babies at home.
And, I learned another little Murphy's Law of babies: If you dress them, they will spit. The other day I changed them all into coordinating outfits before I fed them. And they all spit up half of a bottle worth all over those adorable little clothes.
Oh, and if you are already exhausted and a little hysterical, that will be the night you will lose a binkie, forget to refill the wipe container, and someone will spit up all over the bed so that you have to change the sheets at 5 am.
And, I'm having another bout of the gallbladder today (at least that is what we are guessing it is) with abdominal pain, nausea, and um, lots of trips to the bathroom.
I look forward to Saturday so Daddy can take over for a couple of hours and I might actually leave the house :o
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Pictures
I'm finally updating with some pictures.
Here is the last one taken of me before I delivered (except one my mom took with her cell phone that day, which I haven't even seen yet). This is about 9 days before delivery. We went down to the hospital lobby for this little photo shoot.
I call this look "Science Experiment". You're seeing the contraction monitor (toco) and 3 separate fetal heart tones monitors. I actually had 2 huge cabinets with separate computer systems in my room, on either side of the bed, because each monitor only has enough for two babies. This is what I had to endure twice a day, for upwards of an 1 1/2 hours, every day for 2 1/2 months. I was often hooked up only to the contraction monitor which didn't look nearly as strange, lol.
I have some pretty nifty delivery pictures, especially a really great one of Emily just entering the world, but I'll spare you ;)
This is pretty Miss Molly. Isn't she beautiful?! This just makes me tear up; she's so fair and adorable. I had trouble getting everyone to settle down enough to remove the binkies, but it gives you an idea of how tiny they are when seeing them against that humongo paci.
Here is the Divine Miss Em. (I'm mad because my computer is acting up and I can't view half of the pictures, so this is the best of the pictures of her that would show up) She's so dark and petite and sweet and Peanut-y.
Finally is Cooper. I swear we never see that boy's eyes; he's just going to sleep his life away, lol. He's definitely the most laid back; I can't think if I've ever heard him cry. Hmm....
Compliments on my beautiful progeny are welcome ;)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Confusion
Probably the single most common question one gets as the parent of multiples is "are they identical?". I'm always amazed that people don't know that a boy and a girl can not be identical, but most people do not quite have the experience with multiples that I have, lol.
When we found out that the triplets were 2 girls and a boy, we wondered if they girls might be identical and if they looked like it, would we have the genetic testing done to confirm or deny it. Emily and Molly are decidedly NOT identical. Emily has a head full of dark hair and still lots of red tones in her skin; Molly is blond (almost strawberry blond) and very fair skinned. Their facial features are distinctly different as well. (I swear, I will post pictures SOON!)
Molly and Cooper, on the other hand, look very much alike. They have the same amount of hair (though Molly's is a touch lighter) and the same facial features. Apparently, though, I am the only one who thinks so. Everyone keeps telling me how distinctly different they are, though I would often have to look twice while they were in the hospital.
So, last evening Scott came home and was changing the babies in anticipation of their next feeding. I'm in and out of the room and listening to him talk to the babies. I hear him addressing Cooper:
"Hey buddy! What's up. Time to eat.... (etc, etc). Now Cooper, why did your momma put you in pink pants? Huh? What's that about?"
I, of course, know immediately where this little interaction is going.
Scott keeps talking and I hear the sound of diaper tape opening....riiiiiiipppp.
"UH! What the......?!? MOLLY???"
See, I told you they look just alike.
As if I would put my son in pink pants... at least not on purpose. What happens in the dead of night while I'm half asleep is fair game.
When we found out that the triplets were 2 girls and a boy, we wondered if they girls might be identical and if they looked like it, would we have the genetic testing done to confirm or deny it. Emily and Molly are decidedly NOT identical. Emily has a head full of dark hair and still lots of red tones in her skin; Molly is blond (almost strawberry blond) and very fair skinned. Their facial features are distinctly different as well. (I swear, I will post pictures SOON!)
Molly and Cooper, on the other hand, look very much alike. They have the same amount of hair (though Molly's is a touch lighter) and the same facial features. Apparently, though, I am the only one who thinks so. Everyone keeps telling me how distinctly different they are, though I would often have to look twice while they were in the hospital.
So, last evening Scott came home and was changing the babies in anticipation of their next feeding. I'm in and out of the room and listening to him talk to the babies. I hear him addressing Cooper:
"Hey buddy! What's up. Time to eat.... (etc, etc). Now Cooper, why did your momma put you in pink pants? Huh? What's that about?"
I, of course, know immediately where this little interaction is going.
Scott keeps talking and I hear the sound of diaper tape opening....riiiiiiipppp.
"UH! What the......?!? MOLLY???"
See, I told you they look just alike.
As if I would put my son in pink pants... at least not on purpose. What happens in the dead of night while I'm half asleep is fair game.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Notes on the first few days
I want to be able to go back and have some memories of these days recorded. However, my brain has been doped up on pregnancy hormones for the past few months so my thoughts are rarely cohesive. So this may be a bit rambling instead of witty and insightful.
Molly is shaping up to be one high-maintenance baby. Schedule, Schmedule, Who Needs a Schedule is going to be her motto. We're trying to go toward a 4 hour feeding schedule but Miss Molly is Not.Having.It. She did not get the memo that if you are born in a litter, you do not get the option of going your own way; that is reserved for Singletons and Only Children. I'd be happy if she (and hence, the others) were on a 3 hour schedule, but she won't even stay on that; it's more like 3 , then 3 1/2, then 2 1/2, then 4, etc. She is currently fussing after just 2 hours since her last feed and a mere 30 minutes since I finished the whole crew. Um, round the clock demand feeding is not an option, kiddo.
Part of the problem is that she is an inconsistent feeder. Because she does not always eat well, it is nearly impossible to stretch her out to 4 hours between feeds. But if she wakes up fussing and rooting, I try to hold her off at least a bit, until something near The Schedule, and then she's so tired from wiggling and rooting that she doesn't eat. I can't win. But she will learn, I am one stubborn and determined momma and this ain't my first barbecue, so I will prevail!
Did you know that 3 week olds can move? I mean like, "wait a minute, didn't I put you on that side of the crib?" move. Their new trick is to wiggle out from under the covers by scooting around. Seriously, I've been working with kids for 4 or 5 years and I've never seen a newborn that could scoot. This leads to a whole mess of unforeseen problems.
First, they don't stay covered. Now, there are 2 major rules for NICU babies: keep them warm and make them eat. We keep our house pretty cool so I'm vigilant about the individual swaddling, the bundling together, and the extra layer of blankets, but they are simply undoing all of that. Earlier, I had them all on their bellies and I went in to find Cooper half way across the crib and still moving. Unfortunately, he was partially using Emily for leverage.
Which leads to problem #2: They're practically crawling all over each other which makes co-sleeping in a crib in mom and dad's room a short-lived plan. I remember that Hunter and Hannah only co-slept for about 6 weeks so I guess we're on that same course with these three. I'm not looking forward to trooping up and down the stairs all night so I'll be researching a solution to this problem.
Cooper and Molly are snuggle-buddies. I think they must have come to an understanding while making do without Emily for those last few days in the NICU. If those 2 are next to each other, one or both of them will wiggle around until their head is against the other. Cooper will contort himself all kind of ways to get his head up against Molly, so I try to tuck them in pretty close together. I don't always put them in the same position in bed, so currently Emily is in the middle. She started fussing so I went in there to find Molly had scooted up against her and had her head in Emily's back, which Emily was trying to move away from. Seems like Em is going to be like Hannah and decidedly NOT a snuggler.
Nicknames: It's funny to me how nicknames evolve. Sometimes we think them up and they stick, sometimes they just come out and seem right. Here are the ones I/we are using.
Emily: Peanut (because she's so small), The Divine Miss Em, Em
Emily and Molly: M&Ms
Molly: Molly McButter, Precious, Pumpkin
Cooper: Cooper Pooper, Super Duper, L'il Buddy
That's all I can think of right now. Scott asked me yesterday if the "newness has worn off" and I'm used to having the three of them home, or if I still go to the crib and stare in amazement (which I did for most of the first 24 hours). A little of both I guess. Now I'm wrapped up in getting them incorporated into our lives, but I still stop and stare, too.
Molly is shaping up to be one high-maintenance baby. Schedule, Schmedule, Who Needs a Schedule is going to be her motto. We're trying to go toward a 4 hour feeding schedule but Miss Molly is Not.Having.It. She did not get the memo that if you are born in a litter, you do not get the option of going your own way; that is reserved for Singletons and Only Children. I'd be happy if she (and hence, the others) were on a 3 hour schedule, but she won't even stay on that; it's more like 3 , then 3 1/2, then 2 1/2, then 4, etc. She is currently fussing after just 2 hours since her last feed and a mere 30 minutes since I finished the whole crew. Um, round the clock demand feeding is not an option, kiddo.
Part of the problem is that she is an inconsistent feeder. Because she does not always eat well, it is nearly impossible to stretch her out to 4 hours between feeds. But if she wakes up fussing and rooting, I try to hold her off at least a bit, until something near The Schedule, and then she's so tired from wiggling and rooting that she doesn't eat. I can't win. But she will learn, I am one stubborn and determined momma and this ain't my first barbecue, so I will prevail!
Did you know that 3 week olds can move? I mean like, "wait a minute, didn't I put you on that side of the crib?" move. Their new trick is to wiggle out from under the covers by scooting around. Seriously, I've been working with kids for 4 or 5 years and I've never seen a newborn that could scoot. This leads to a whole mess of unforeseen problems.
First, they don't stay covered. Now, there are 2 major rules for NICU babies: keep them warm and make them eat. We keep our house pretty cool so I'm vigilant about the individual swaddling, the bundling together, and the extra layer of blankets, but they are simply undoing all of that. Earlier, I had them all on their bellies and I went in to find Cooper half way across the crib and still moving. Unfortunately, he was partially using Emily for leverage.
Which leads to problem #2: They're practically crawling all over each other which makes co-sleeping in a crib in mom and dad's room a short-lived plan. I remember that Hunter and Hannah only co-slept for about 6 weeks so I guess we're on that same course with these three. I'm not looking forward to trooping up and down the stairs all night so I'll be researching a solution to this problem.
Cooper and Molly are snuggle-buddies. I think they must have come to an understanding while making do without Emily for those last few days in the NICU. If those 2 are next to each other, one or both of them will wiggle around until their head is against the other. Cooper will contort himself all kind of ways to get his head up against Molly, so I try to tuck them in pretty close together. I don't always put them in the same position in bed, so currently Emily is in the middle. She started fussing so I went in there to find Molly had scooted up against her and had her head in Emily's back, which Emily was trying to move away from. Seems like Em is going to be like Hannah and decidedly NOT a snuggler.
Nicknames: It's funny to me how nicknames evolve. Sometimes we think them up and they stick, sometimes they just come out and seem right. Here are the ones I/we are using.
Emily: Peanut (because she's so small), The Divine Miss Em, Em
Emily and Molly: M&Ms
Molly: Molly McButter, Precious, Pumpkin
Cooper: Cooper Pooper, Super Duper, L'il Buddy
That's all I can think of right now. Scott asked me yesterday if the "newness has worn off" and I'm used to having the three of them home, or if I still go to the crib and stare in amazement (which I did for most of the first 24 hours). A little of both I guess. Now I'm wrapped up in getting them incorporated into our lives, but I still stop and stare, too.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
From this day on
Our lives are officially a lot crazier now. Today we brought home Molly and Cooper :) Getting them home was uneventful as was most of the day. They've all three had only mediocre feedings today but I'm confident they'll be back up to speed soon. We learned quickly that feeding all three at the same time may not be as simple as we hoped. Monday, with me here all by myself, ought to be very interesting.
The one thing we really have to work on is the breastfeeding. I've been pumping all this time and just started really working on latching with Emily this week. She's doing pretty fair with it. Molly has had one good nursing session earlier in the week but because she is the poorest feeder, I haven't wanted to use up her energy by working on it too much. Cooper is just not having it, however. We'll see how much I'm really able to concentrate on breastfeeding when I'm handling all the day feeds by myself.
So it's likely that my updates from here on out will be few and far between. Not that they are not remarkably easy babies, but just the sheer time involved in round the clock feedings and changing for three will be suck all the energy out of me.
PS I got my hair done today and I'm fitting into my old clothes, so for the moment, I look less like I just had triplets and am the mother of six, and more like one hot momma, LOL :)
The one thing we really have to work on is the breastfeeding. I've been pumping all this time and just started really working on latching with Emily this week. She's doing pretty fair with it. Molly has had one good nursing session earlier in the week but because she is the poorest feeder, I haven't wanted to use up her energy by working on it too much. Cooper is just not having it, however. We'll see how much I'm really able to concentrate on breastfeeding when I'm handling all the day feeds by myself.
So it's likely that my updates from here on out will be few and far between. Not that they are not remarkably easy babies, but just the sheer time involved in round the clock feedings and changing for three will be suck all the energy out of me.
PS I got my hair done today and I'm fitting into my old clothes, so for the moment, I look less like I just had triplets and am the mother of six, and more like one hot momma, LOL :)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
An exciting day, from pre-dawn to well past dusk
Yesterday was full of excitement, both good and not-so. I'll start at the beginning of the day instead of good news/bad news.
Monday night Scott and I went to the hospital to visit and feed the babies. I was having a lot of pain and soreness in my back and abs, which is nothing new, my back hurts every night. By the time we left, I was leaned back in the seat of the car and just could not get comfortable. I took some pain medicine and took a bath trying to get comfortable, though I was ok enough to fiddle around the house getting baby things ready and went to bed around 11:30.
At 1 I woke up in a more pain. It was almost time to get up and pump anyway, so I did that and tried to go back to sleep. I never could get comfortable and the pain was steadily getting worse and was obviously in my stomach area. I was thinking bad reflux/heartburn or an ulcer so I was popping Tums, as well as taking another dose of another pain medicine. At 3 it was so bad that I was doubled over and finally called my mom (oh, the advantages of having a doctor in the family!). She came over and we talked about the pain, etc and both decided it sounded like my gallbladder. So off to the ER we went.
We were right, of course. I have "multiple gallstones" though my gallbladder is "not acutely inflamed". The recommendation is that I have it removed, sooner rather than later, because I "will continue to have attacks". Since I just had major surgery and already had an appt with my OB scheduled, I talked with her about it and she said that yes, I could go ahead and do it now, but that most surgeons would tell me to wait 6 weeks. We're thinking that if I can get it done ASAP, then maybe I can be recovered before the babies come home.
So, I'm in the process (as if I didn't have enough going on) of finding a surgeon and getting ANOTHER appt for that consultation. BTW, the pain stopped while I was in the ER and I'm fine now. I probably passed a stone.
When it rains, it pours.
Well, after my trip to the ER and the various drugs they gave me for pain, nausea, etc, I called the NICU to a) tell them I would not be in at 11 for feedings because I would be sleeping, and b) was my breastmilk going to be safe after those meds or should I "pump and dump" a couple of times. Somehow, word got around that I was extremely ill, running high fever, etc and they put a hold on Emily's release from the hospital. So when I arrived at 3 (after my OB appt) they said she wasn't going home. Um, WHAT!?! But I told them about the ER trip, that I DID NOT have fever and was obviously feeling fine, so they put a rush job on processing everything and we were walking out the door with her about 4.
Everyone is so excited that she is home. We've had to really hold off on holdings and visits, etc so that she can get rest after the excitement of getting home (she was awake most of the couple of hours between feedings while we changed her clothes, loaded her in the car, etc).
Then things got a little hairy. Her first feeding at home was ok, but then next her temp was very low and she would not eat. So I sat up with her on my chest for a couple of hours trying to get her warm. Then she had only a so-so feeding so, of course, we're freaking out because she's not holding her temp OR eating, both of which were criteria for her to leave the hospital in the first place. At 2 am she finally had a good feeding and a good temp and since then all has been well. We agreed on a feeding schedule that has me up during the night, so that by the time I feed and change her, make/warm bottles, pump, clean pump stuff, etc, I get to sleep about 1/5-2 hours before the next feeding. Kinda hard to get good sleep that way.
Just wait til we have 3 at home :o
Monday night Scott and I went to the hospital to visit and feed the babies. I was having a lot of pain and soreness in my back and abs, which is nothing new, my back hurts every night. By the time we left, I was leaned back in the seat of the car and just could not get comfortable. I took some pain medicine and took a bath trying to get comfortable, though I was ok enough to fiddle around the house getting baby things ready and went to bed around 11:30.
At 1 I woke up in a more pain. It was almost time to get up and pump anyway, so I did that and tried to go back to sleep. I never could get comfortable and the pain was steadily getting worse and was obviously in my stomach area. I was thinking bad reflux/heartburn or an ulcer so I was popping Tums, as well as taking another dose of another pain medicine. At 3 it was so bad that I was doubled over and finally called my mom (oh, the advantages of having a doctor in the family!). She came over and we talked about the pain, etc and both decided it sounded like my gallbladder. So off to the ER we went.
We were right, of course. I have "multiple gallstones" though my gallbladder is "not acutely inflamed". The recommendation is that I have it removed, sooner rather than later, because I "will continue to have attacks". Since I just had major surgery and already had an appt with my OB scheduled, I talked with her about it and she said that yes, I could go ahead and do it now, but that most surgeons would tell me to wait 6 weeks. We're thinking that if I can get it done ASAP, then maybe I can be recovered before the babies come home.
So, I'm in the process (as if I didn't have enough going on) of finding a surgeon and getting ANOTHER appt for that consultation. BTW, the pain stopped while I was in the ER and I'm fine now. I probably passed a stone.
When it rains, it pours.
Well, after my trip to the ER and the various drugs they gave me for pain, nausea, etc, I called the NICU to a) tell them I would not be in at 11 for feedings because I would be sleeping, and b) was my breastmilk going to be safe after those meds or should I "pump and dump" a couple of times. Somehow, word got around that I was extremely ill, running high fever, etc and they put a hold on Emily's release from the hospital. So when I arrived at 3 (after my OB appt) they said she wasn't going home. Um, WHAT!?! But I told them about the ER trip, that I DID NOT have fever and was obviously feeling fine, so they put a rush job on processing everything and we were walking out the door with her about 4.
Everyone is so excited that she is home. We've had to really hold off on holdings and visits, etc so that she can get rest after the excitement of getting home (she was awake most of the couple of hours between feedings while we changed her clothes, loaded her in the car, etc).
Then things got a little hairy. Her first feeding at home was ok, but then next her temp was very low and she would not eat. So I sat up with her on my chest for a couple of hours trying to get her warm. Then she had only a so-so feeding so, of course, we're freaking out because she's not holding her temp OR eating, both of which were criteria for her to leave the hospital in the first place. At 2 am she finally had a good feeding and a good temp and since then all has been well. We agreed on a feeding schedule that has me up during the night, so that by the time I feed and change her, make/warm bottles, pump, clean pump stuff, etc, I get to sleep about 1/5-2 hours before the next feeding. Kinda hard to get good sleep that way.
Just wait til we have 3 at home :o
Monday, March 17, 2008
I'm bringing home a baby Emily
I'm bringing home a baby Emily
Won't my mommy be so proud of me...
Finally we are going to be able to bring home one of our babies. Everyone is so excited! Our little peanut Emily is to be the first home. Though she's just a bit shy of 4 lbs, she's the best eater. They're all holding their temperatures and gaining weight, but Cooper and Molly just aren't eating consistently. I'm still hoping we'll turn that corner any day and they'll be home a day or so afterward.
Fingers crossed nothing changes and by tomorrow night we'll be on baby duty :)
Won't my mommy be so proud of me...
Finally we are going to be able to bring home one of our babies. Everyone is so excited! Our little peanut Emily is to be the first home. Though she's just a bit shy of 4 lbs, she's the best eater. They're all holding their temperatures and gaining weight, but Cooper and Molly just aren't eating consistently. I'm still hoping we'll turn that corner any day and they'll be home a day or so afterward.
Fingers crossed nothing changes and by tomorrow night we'll be on baby duty :)
Friday, March 14, 2008
If you are local, you may be seeing some of these pics in a small-town newspaper near you next week. They were taken by Baylor to send out with the article about us. I'm just glad to have a disc of them for a record of the first time the twins were able to see the babies. Noone under 12 is allowed in the NICU during RSV season (October - April) but our neonatalogist allowed this exception since a) it's publicity for Baylor, b) at the time the triplets were in a little private room off of the main NICU area, and c) she said she's the medical director and she can change the rules if she wants, LOL.Monday, March 10, 2008
I've been patient long enough
I spent 3 months on bedrest, 11 weeks of that in the hospital. I am overdrawn at the patience bank.
I'm ready for my babies to come home. We were given hope that it could be this week, and it still could be, but the nurses think that is overly optimistic of the doctor to say so. I've been home 3 days and managed to get 95% ready for one or more of them. I lay in bed and look at the empty crib. I get up at 2 am to pump and end up fiddling with baby stuff for a few minutes instead of going back to bed right away. I've been to Target every day just to look at baby things. I'm ready to parent these babies that I worked so hard to get into this world.
I only get to see them during their feeding times, during the daytime hours that I am able to be up at the hospital. Like today - I was exhausted and ended up going home to rest instead of hanging around for the next round of feedings.
And there are just so many things to feel guilty about: sleeping in instead of being up there for the early feedings, opting to snuggle with one baby while the nurse goes ahead with diapering and feeding another, having someone pick up the older kids from school so that I can stay at the hospital.
This evening seems especially rough for me. Emily and Molly were put in the same bed together tonight and I haven't seen them yet. I called for an update and the nurse said they looked at each other for a while, but eventually went on to sleep. I'm dying to see it! I'm so afraid something will happen, one of them doesn't tolerate it, and they will separate them again.
Anyway, just the ramblings of a new momma denied the joy of her new babies at home.
I'm ready for my babies to come home. We were given hope that it could be this week, and it still could be, but the nurses think that is overly optimistic of the doctor to say so. I've been home 3 days and managed to get 95% ready for one or more of them. I lay in bed and look at the empty crib. I get up at 2 am to pump and end up fiddling with baby stuff for a few minutes instead of going back to bed right away. I've been to Target every day just to look at baby things. I'm ready to parent these babies that I worked so hard to get into this world.
I only get to see them during their feeding times, during the daytime hours that I am able to be up at the hospital. Like today - I was exhausted and ended up going home to rest instead of hanging around for the next round of feedings.
And there are just so many things to feel guilty about: sleeping in instead of being up there for the early feedings, opting to snuggle with one baby while the nurse goes ahead with diapering and feeding another, having someone pick up the older kids from school so that I can stay at the hospital.
This evening seems especially rough for me. Emily and Molly were put in the same bed together tonight and I haven't seen them yet. I called for an update and the nurse said they looked at each other for a while, but eventually went on to sleep. I'm dying to see it! I'm so afraid something will happen, one of them doesn't tolerate it, and they will separate them again.
Anyway, just the ramblings of a new momma denied the joy of her new babies at home.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Everything is going great!
Scott and I just can not stop smiling and saying how blessed and thankful we are. The babies are doing absolutely fabulous; even the NICU staff is amazed.
I'll post as much info as I can remember right now. We only have a few minutes to grab some dinner before heading back to the NICU for their next feeding.
The c-section went OK. Without going into too much detail, I could feel way more than I thought I should have, so I was yelling throughout, which was freaking Scott out. So as soon as the babies-being-born portion of the surgery was over, they put me completely out for the rest. But I don't remember or care about any of that; as soon as I heard each baby cry, all that was forgotten.
Molly Katherine 4 lbs 2 oz, 15" long, 7:37 pm
Cooper Benjamin 4 lbs 8 oz, 18", 7:38 pm
Emily Claire 3 lbs 15 oz, 18" long, 7:39
They were, and have been, all breathing only room air, which was a shock to the neonatalogist and nurses. They started nipple feeding (trying from a bottle vs. formula pushed into a tube into their stomach) the next day and have steadily been able to tolerate and increase several times a day, so that by tomorrow we expect them to get their IVs out and take all formula feedings (may still get some by tube if they aren't able to suck/nipple all of it). Again, this is unusually outstanding for just 33 weekers. They are all 3 on photo/light therapy for increased bilirubin, which is not uncommon; this should last a few days only.
The neonatalogist told us to go home and get things ready, because they may be coming home as early as 7-10 days!!! We were shocked, not prepared (lol), and thrilled that it could be that soon.
My recovery is slower than I would like, but probably actually pretty normal considering the level of deconditioning I was in, followed by a major surgery. I was supposed to go home tomorrow, but I told them I was going to make certain my pain is well under control before I leave.
And finally, our excitement was compounded by this little tidbit. Take a look:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5951072&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1
So much has happened this week; I hope I covered it all :)
I'll post as much info as I can remember right now. We only have a few minutes to grab some dinner before heading back to the NICU for their next feeding.
The c-section went OK. Without going into too much detail, I could feel way more than I thought I should have, so I was yelling throughout, which was freaking Scott out. So as soon as the babies-being-born portion of the surgery was over, they put me completely out for the rest. But I don't remember or care about any of that; as soon as I heard each baby cry, all that was forgotten.
Molly Katherine 4 lbs 2 oz, 15" long, 7:37 pm
Cooper Benjamin 4 lbs 8 oz, 18", 7:38 pm
Emily Claire 3 lbs 15 oz, 18" long, 7:39
They were, and have been, all breathing only room air, which was a shock to the neonatalogist and nurses. They started nipple feeding (trying from a bottle vs. formula pushed into a tube into their stomach) the next day and have steadily been able to tolerate and increase several times a day, so that by tomorrow we expect them to get their IVs out and take all formula feedings (may still get some by tube if they aren't able to suck/nipple all of it). Again, this is unusually outstanding for just 33 weekers. They are all 3 on photo/light therapy for increased bilirubin, which is not uncommon; this should last a few days only.
The neonatalogist told us to go home and get things ready, because they may be coming home as early as 7-10 days!!! We were shocked, not prepared (lol), and thrilled that it could be that soon.
My recovery is slower than I would like, but probably actually pretty normal considering the level of deconditioning I was in, followed by a major surgery. I was supposed to go home tomorrow, but I told them I was going to make certain my pain is well under control before I leave.
And finally, our excitement was compounded by this little tidbit. Take a look:
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5951072&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.2.1
So much has happened this week; I hope I covered it all :)
Monday, March 3, 2008
The babies are coming! The babies are coming!
After 2 days of near constant cramping and contractions that the meds would only stop for an hour at a time, they agreed to deliver me tonight! So we now have a c-section scheduled for 7 pm, March 3rd. We'll post details, updates, pics as soon as we can .
Thanks for everyone's continued prayers, love and support.
Thanks for everyone's continued prayers, love and support.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Begging forgiveness and then the good stuff
If I owe you
a call
an email
a note
a thank you
a swift kick in the behind
or money
please forgive me.
It has been a very rough couple of weeks.
While the babies continue to do well and grow, grow, grow, momma has had a very hard time of it. I have grown enormous (sidenote: eventually I will have access to all the belly pictures and be able to post my progress); it's hard to walk, sit, or lie down. Despite the sleeping aid I take nightly, I often only sleep a few hours a night, and not even continuously. I pee constantly. I'm currently down to 45 minutes between pee times, literally, day and night. I have had an increase in contractions (since I'm now 32 weeks and my body thinks I'm about 44 weeks) and often have to get a shot of Terbutaline which is a fun little medicine that makes your heart race and your body shake and generally want to pull your hair out. We have had a couple of "scares" with the babies that, thank God, turned out to be nothing (heartrates going wonky and that sort of thing).
Finances have been a concern since the beginning, and while we have gotten some much needed, much appreciated, much unexpected help, we've dealt with a few setbacks that make the months ahead not look promising. The stress of that has been the proverbial straw -that- broke -the -camel's -back in terms of my mental state. But we [try our best to] continue to have faith that God will provide, though WE can't currently see the way.
Scott has been the most amazing husband and father during this time. I am so thankful to have him to go through this with. But I can tell that he is at his wit's end. He often laments that this "single parent" thing downright sucks. As his partner and their mother, it upsets me to no end to not be there taking care of my husband and children. I have to be continually reminded that it is I alone who can take care of these three future-children at this time.
So, that's why I haven't had it in me to post, call, or email anyone lately.
But, hey, what you really want to know is about these babies, right? So here goes:
Feb 14th measurements: 3-5, 3-7, 3-9; so roughly 3 1/2 lbs each.
Yesterday (Feb 28th): 4 lbs, 4.5 lbs, 5 lbs. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow, that's a lot of baby! And just to clarify, Baby A is not small; A and B are "right on track", C is just pretty darn huge.
We have a delivery date: unless they decide they can't wait (or my bladder or uterus give out, lol), I will have a c-section on March 12th. That is my mom's birthday, and I understand quite a few other great people I know have birthdays or anniversaries on that day as well, so I'm pretty optimistic :)
And speaking of giving out, we were pretty well convinced that I was going to have these babies yesterday. When I went in for the ultrasound (mind you, they wake me up early, early - ok, 7:30, lol) I was feeling very crampy and blah and having contractions. After we were all done, my perinatalogist called down to the nurse's station and told them to get me on the monitor (usually this kind of thing is left to the nurse's, mine, or my OB's discretion) and said that it just might be time. Everything was ok with just a few contractions but then I fell asleep and slept all morning. About that time, my OB's partner came in just in time to watch me make faces and have cramps and contractions throughout her short visit.. They monitored me again, but she said she fully expected to be back later in the day to deliver me; I later found out she had called my OB and had her on standby as well. But after most of the day of feeling really cruddy and having bad cramps and painful contractions, they gave me a shot of Terb and got it all slowed down to acceptable levels again. Just when I thought I was going to get my body back....
a call
an email
a note
a thank you
a swift kick in the behind
or money
please forgive me.
It has been a very rough couple of weeks.
While the babies continue to do well and grow, grow, grow, momma has had a very hard time of it. I have grown enormous (sidenote: eventually I will have access to all the belly pictures and be able to post my progress); it's hard to walk, sit, or lie down. Despite the sleeping aid I take nightly, I often only sleep a few hours a night, and not even continuously. I pee constantly. I'm currently down to 45 minutes between pee times, literally, day and night. I have had an increase in contractions (since I'm now 32 weeks and my body thinks I'm about 44 weeks) and often have to get a shot of Terbutaline which is a fun little medicine that makes your heart race and your body shake and generally want to pull your hair out. We have had a couple of "scares" with the babies that, thank God, turned out to be nothing (heartrates going wonky and that sort of thing).
Finances have been a concern since the beginning, and while we have gotten some much needed, much appreciated, much unexpected help, we've dealt with a few setbacks that make the months ahead not look promising. The stress of that has been the proverbial straw -that- broke -the -camel's -back in terms of my mental state. But we [try our best to] continue to have faith that God will provide, though WE can't currently see the way.
Scott has been the most amazing husband and father during this time. I am so thankful to have him to go through this with. But I can tell that he is at his wit's end. He often laments that this "single parent" thing downright sucks. As his partner and their mother, it upsets me to no end to not be there taking care of my husband and children. I have to be continually reminded that it is I alone who can take care of these three future-children at this time.
So, that's why I haven't had it in me to post, call, or email anyone lately.
But, hey, what you really want to know is about these babies, right? So here goes:
Feb 14th measurements: 3-5, 3-7, 3-9; so roughly 3 1/2 lbs each.
Yesterday (Feb 28th): 4 lbs, 4.5 lbs, 5 lbs. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow, that's a lot of baby! And just to clarify, Baby A is not small; A and B are "right on track", C is just pretty darn huge.
We have a delivery date: unless they decide they can't wait (or my bladder or uterus give out, lol), I will have a c-section on March 12th. That is my mom's birthday, and I understand quite a few other great people I know have birthdays or anniversaries on that day as well, so I'm pretty optimistic :)
And speaking of giving out, we were pretty well convinced that I was going to have these babies yesterday. When I went in for the ultrasound (mind you, they wake me up early, early - ok, 7:30, lol) I was feeling very crampy and blah and having contractions. After we were all done, my perinatalogist called down to the nurse's station and told them to get me on the monitor (usually this kind of thing is left to the nurse's, mine, or my OB's discretion) and said that it just might be time. Everything was ok with just a few contractions but then I fell asleep and slept all morning. About that time, my OB's partner came in just in time to watch me make faces and have cramps and contractions throughout her short visit.. They monitored me again, but she said she fully expected to be back later in the day to deliver me; I later found out she had called my OB and had her on standby as well. But after most of the day of feeling really cruddy and having bad cramps and painful contractions, they gave me a shot of Terb and got it all slowed down to acceptable levels again. Just when I thought I was going to get my body back....
Monday, February 4, 2008
Catching Up
A lot of this will end up being for my own records, since most of you that maybe reading this have been updated by email, message board, or phone.
On January 14 I had a sonogram and they measured the babies. At that time they were 1-13, 1-15, 2-1 (lbs-ozs). Everything was staying stable, which, again, is what we hoped for.
Over the next couple of weeks, I had some minor illness and was always exhausted. They did more blood work to check my iron again (I've been on iron supplements for a while due to anemia) and my thyroid. Everything was fine so they just attributed it to lack of activity, muscle wasting, and the amount of energy growing 3 babies was sucking out of me. Some days are better than others, but there are still plenty of days when I'm only up for a couple of hours before I have to go back to sleep.
Last week we hit a major milestone - 28 weeks! That was our first goal for carrying these babies. At that point, the chances of survival greatly improve and the chances of long-term problems greatly decrease. Now we're shooting for 32 or so (average gestation for triplets) but ultimately 34-35 weeks.
This past Thursday (Jan 31) they measured the babies again and they were all around 3 lbs!!! (2-13, 2-15, 3-1) That was a very exciting day as well. We were laughing that if they continue to gain at that rate, and I do go 34 weeks or more, I could have three 6 lb babies!! Can you imagine?!? Incidently, I was weighed again and have gained only 3 lbs since coming into the hospital, which makes a 6 lb gain from pre-pregnancy. These babies continue to suck up everything I eat as well as those fat stores I had, LOL.
Scott and the kids have been sick for the past week-plus and it is killing me. I am a mom, I am a caregiver and I have been for a very long time. I can't stand not being there to just give hugs, kisses, Tylenol, back rubs and cool-washcloth baths to my family. This has been a great stressor to me over the past few days. The twins are on the mend (it seems) but Jamie and Scott are both home today. Everybody pray for my big babies this week as well as me and the babies-to-be :)
On January 14 I had a sonogram and they measured the babies. At that time they were 1-13, 1-15, 2-1 (lbs-ozs). Everything was staying stable, which, again, is what we hoped for.
Over the next couple of weeks, I had some minor illness and was always exhausted. They did more blood work to check my iron again (I've been on iron supplements for a while due to anemia) and my thyroid. Everything was fine so they just attributed it to lack of activity, muscle wasting, and the amount of energy growing 3 babies was sucking out of me. Some days are better than others, but there are still plenty of days when I'm only up for a couple of hours before I have to go back to sleep.
Last week we hit a major milestone - 28 weeks! That was our first goal for carrying these babies. At that point, the chances of survival greatly improve and the chances of long-term problems greatly decrease. Now we're shooting for 32 or so (average gestation for triplets) but ultimately 34-35 weeks.
This past Thursday (Jan 31) they measured the babies again and they were all around 3 lbs!!! (2-13, 2-15, 3-1) That was a very exciting day as well. We were laughing that if they continue to gain at that rate, and I do go 34 weeks or more, I could have three 6 lb babies!! Can you imagine?!? Incidently, I was weighed again and have gained only 3 lbs since coming into the hospital, which makes a 6 lb gain from pre-pregnancy. These babies continue to suck up everything I eat as well as those fat stores I had, LOL.
Scott and the kids have been sick for the past week-plus and it is killing me. I am a mom, I am a caregiver and I have been for a very long time. I can't stand not being there to just give hugs, kisses, Tylenol, back rubs and cool-washcloth baths to my family. This has been a great stressor to me over the past few days. The twins are on the mend (it seems) but Jamie and Scott are both home today. Everybody pray for my big babies this week as well as me and the babies-to-be :)
Friday, January 11, 2008
Parasitic Aliens
First, I passed my 3-hour glucose test. Woo Hoo! (That means I do NOT have gestational diabetes). They stuck me 4 times in 3 hours, which is ridiculous, but it's all over now. Scott said he would never have tolerated that. Yeah. The things I go through to give him healthy, beautiful babies :)
It's been a good week. Well, it's been an uneventful week, which is good enough. I'm still torn about having to be here. I know it's for the best for these babies, I know it's working and they're staying put, etc, but I really miss my family. I wish I could just have a day-long pass to go home, hang out with the kiddos, watch movies, and have nice long snuggles with everyone on the couch. Do I get some of that here? Yes, but it's not the same. The twins get antsy in this little room, then they get rowdy and Scott has to take them home. If I were home, they could just come and go to my side and I could have one-on-one time with everyone. But, in the grand scheme of things, this is but a short phase in our lives and I, and we, will get through it.
I have probably mentioned before, just because it is still so shocking to me, that I have not gained much/any weight. I had another weigh in this week, and I'm actually back down a couple of pounds to my pre-pregnancy weight. My doctor's are not concerned; they just say that these babies are sucking up everything that I eat. Parasites, I tell ya.
Have you seen one of those alien movies where the aliens spawn inside of a person, and then you can see them squirming around until they burst out? (No? I know I didn't make this up in my head LOL) Well, that is what my belly looks like these days. It's really quite freaky looking. These little boogers are so active, usually at the same time, so it looks like something bubbling under the surface of my skin. I get monitored (for fetal heartbeats and contractions) at every shift change (so twice a day) and for some reason they always respond to the monitors by kicking at them. So my belly is literally bouncing up and down, and on the machine you can hear the Whomp Whomp of the kicking, as well as the Woosh Woosh Woosh of the hearts beating. It's pretty funny, and even the nursing staff is amused.
It's been a good week. Well, it's been an uneventful week, which is good enough. I'm still torn about having to be here. I know it's for the best for these babies, I know it's working and they're staying put, etc, but I really miss my family. I wish I could just have a day-long pass to go home, hang out with the kiddos, watch movies, and have nice long snuggles with everyone on the couch. Do I get some of that here? Yes, but it's not the same. The twins get antsy in this little room, then they get rowdy and Scott has to take them home. If I were home, they could just come and go to my side and I could have one-on-one time with everyone. But, in the grand scheme of things, this is but a short phase in our lives and I, and we, will get through it.
I have probably mentioned before, just because it is still so shocking to me, that I have not gained much/any weight. I had another weigh in this week, and I'm actually back down a couple of pounds to my pre-pregnancy weight. My doctor's are not concerned; they just say that these babies are sucking up everything that I eat. Parasites, I tell ya.
Have you seen one of those alien movies where the aliens spawn inside of a person, and then you can see them squirming around until they burst out? (No? I know I didn't make this up in my head LOL) Well, that is what my belly looks like these days. It's really quite freaky looking. These little boogers are so active, usually at the same time, so it looks like something bubbling under the surface of my skin. I get monitored (for fetal heartbeats and contractions) at every shift change (so twice a day) and for some reason they always respond to the monitors by kicking at them. So my belly is literally bouncing up and down, and on the machine you can hear the Whomp Whomp of the kicking, as well as the Woosh Woosh Woosh of the hearts beating. It's pretty funny, and even the nursing staff is amused.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
I've been admonished
Apparently, I'm supposed to update if I had a bad-ish blog post. Sorry. I did say that the bleeding had stopped. I'm glad to say there have been no other scares since and all is well. :)
I've had a couple more sonograms; all continues to be well. Cervix stable, babies looking good.
I had my glucose test yesterday for gestational diabetes. I "failed" by just a few points so tomorrow I get to have the 3 hour tolerance test. I have to fast in the a.m., draw blood, drink that nasty drink again, then have a blood draw every hour for 3 hours. Goody! Good thing needles don't bother me much :) My OB said that because my "failing" number was so low, the second test will probably come out fine. Let's hope so. Hospital food is bad and limited enough without them wanting to dictate further what I can and can't eat. If I'm only off by a few points again, we're going to be having a "discussion" before I let them put me on some restricted diet.
Oh, if you're local and reading this, I thought of something I could use. Magazines! Sometimes I just want to read/look at something quick while I'm falling asleep or whatever. Of course scrapbooking magazines (my subscriptions all ran out 4-6 months ago, so I haven't read anything in that time), and I also like People/ Us/ gossipy celeb stuff. Thanks!
I've had a couple more sonograms; all continues to be well. Cervix stable, babies looking good.
I had my glucose test yesterday for gestational diabetes. I "failed" by just a few points so tomorrow I get to have the 3 hour tolerance test. I have to fast in the a.m., draw blood, drink that nasty drink again, then have a blood draw every hour for 3 hours. Goody! Good thing needles don't bother me much :) My OB said that because my "failing" number was so low, the second test will probably come out fine. Let's hope so. Hospital food is bad and limited enough without them wanting to dictate further what I can and can't eat. If I'm only off by a few points again, we're going to be having a "discussion" before I let them put me on some restricted diet.
Oh, if you're local and reading this, I thought of something I could use. Magazines! Sometimes I just want to read/look at something quick while I'm falling asleep or whatever. Of course scrapbooking magazines (my subscriptions all ran out 4-6 months ago, so I haven't read anything in that time), and I also like People/ Us/ gossipy celeb stuff. Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)