HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well we are about 12 hours away from meeting the 3 girls!!  We can't believe it is here already but are both excited and nervous at the same time.  A little earlier than we anticipated but one thing we have learned with these three is plans need to be flexible!  At least their birthday will be easy to remember 1-1-11!  A little funny side note is that this will be Grandma & Grandpa Stonner's 3rd, 4th and 5th great grandchild born on January 1st....pretty crazy!  Scheduled delivery is at 9am tomorrow morning.  Going to be a crazy, fun, & interesting 2011!!  Happy New Year everyone!

And to the hospital we go...

   Just a quick update as I need to pack my bag (yes, I meant to have that done 3 weeks ago)! Our appointment this morning didn't go quite as planned... though all three girls look good, Baby B's fluid has dropped significantly. Enough that the doctor is sending us to the hospital TODAY! We will get a couple doses of steroids over the next couple days - which helps with the babies lung development - and they plan on delivering on Saturday! YIKES - while we knew this was fast approaching, I can honestly say I am not quite ready for this all to be happening. Well, time to go throw a few things in a bag... I'll try to get Travis to do some updating as things progress. Here's a link to our Christmas photos for this year... http://pleggmiles.shutterfly.com/2676

Happy New Year to you all!

Looks to be a year full of surprises!

Week 31 done and onto Week 32!

   Just a quick update... We had a quick appointment with our OB yesterday and all is well with the girls. They are getting BIG - the sonographer had lots of fun trying to figure out which baby was which along with their heartbeats! How there are three babies fitting in my belly I'm still trying to figure out! We were instructed to go ahead and find a pediatrician - there are way too many to choose from in my opinion. I also asked a few questions regarding the delivery, etc. and she told us that she envisions our specialist determining when the babies are to arrive... basically, she said that she imagines Dr. Z will see something he doesn't like and say - let's get these babies out this afternoon.... or something to that effect! For now, however, we're all doing well and we'll just see how things proceed!
   We had a nice quiet and relaxing Christmas - needless to say that will be the last of those! Hard to imagine there will be three little girls with us next year! Grandma and Grandpa Miles and Aunt Hilary arrived late Christmas day. We had our Christmas on Sunday and the girls made out well already... I have a feeling they're going to be pretty spoiled - or rather, already are! The baby's room is ready to go - Grandma Phyllis has got it in tip top shape and organized to the hilt! We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are getting geared up for the new year! We visit our specialist on Thursday, so until then...
   31-week update from Baby Center... How your baby's growing: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. See what your baby looks like this week.

Merry Christmas!

   We got an early Christmas present today... Our appointment with Dr. Zaretsky (MFM specialist) was morning and it was all good news! We're so lucky to have him as our specialist - not only does he know what he's doing, but on a personal scale he's just a really nice and authentic person. Anyway, all three girls had good fluid, heart rates, and dopplers! Yeah! We also got to see A and B practice their breathing - such big girls, and maybe, just maybe, B and C are finally learning how to share?! Whatever the reason, we were very happy to see our girls and hear/see that they're doing well. We also learned some interesting news... the average gestation for twins who have had TTTS (twin-twin transfusion syndrome) is 31 weeks - and for triplets it's (obviously) less (28-29 weeks), which means we're doing well! Since beginning this journey we've heard some of the oddest comments/compliments, today's quote of the day: "we're lucky you have a cervix of steel." hmmm... is 'thank you' an appropriate response since it's really just genetics?!
   We're so thankful for this 'borrowed' time and while Travis is still set on 34 weeks, my goal remains 32 weeks... either way, time is getting short! Again today I turned to Travis and said that I can't believe three little humans are growing inside of me... it's truly unbelievable and crazy to comprehend. While I don't think either of us will ever be "ready" for what will be coming shortly, we're pretty sure we'll be able to manage whatever comes our way... after all, we have no choice! We did find out the reason why we see (and for me - feel) so much movement in the upper left quadrant of my belly - the girls' heads are all together down in the bottom right belly quadrant, and B and C's legs are up in the left quadrant! No wonder there's constant movement up in that region - that's a lot of feet and legs! A is still on the bottom, and B is still behind C... somehow. To be perfectly honest - I still can't figure out how they all fit in there and I've decided it's better NOT to think about it! Anyway, below are some pictures from today's appointment: next weeks appointments are Monday and Thursday...

   We hope you each have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

God bless you and your families...

Above: Baby A showed us her face again today!

Below: Baby A shows off her flexibility (she'd better enjoy it while she can, because if she takes after either Travis or I she won't have it for long!) That is her leg and foot -- the sonographer had to check to be sure!

Above: Baby C's profile

Below: Baby C is also flexible - that's her leg that she's hugging!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

30 Weeks!

   Another milestone today... 30 WEEKS! Our doctor up in Cincinnati should be pleased - he told us we needed to make it at least 8 weeks for Baby B and here we are 8 weeks later with the buns still in the oven! Of course we're hoping to make it at least another 2 weeks, but we've learned that every day is a blessing at this point...
   We had our appointment with our OB yesterday - my doctor is out this week, so I was able to meet her partner -- probably a good thing, since it's possible she could also deliver our girls! It was a very quick appointment, she did a quick sono to check the heartbeats (no way to check them otherwise). Dr. Jaffe said she gives Dr. Zaretsky (our specialist) a lot of credit for keeping the girls straight... there's a lot of baby in my belly! Everything looked good and she recommended Zantac for my acid reflux which had reached an all time horribleness! I took it last night and had the best night of sleep I've had in a long time... (aside from getting up for the bathroom every couple hours that is!) Our next appointment is on Thursday morning, so we'll see how that one goes...
   As every week, for those of you interested, here's the report from Baby Center on the growth of the girls... How your baby's growing: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
See what your baby looks like this week.
   I've posted a few pictures of my burgeoning (look it up Travis) belly! I'm amazed by how much it grows week to week... at least I know where the weight is going! I'm up 48 pounds as of yesterday and my knees and back are taking the brunt of the weight! However, we need the girls to each gain at least another pound before we want to see their sweet little faces. I believe I forgot to mention that we attended a Cesarean class last week and were able to tour the hospital as well as learn all about what to expect... can't say it's something I'm looking forward to - especially the recovery! ouch! We'll post a short update after our appointment Thursday! Until then - happy Christmas!

 Ignore the double chins!

 Yikes! Now that's a big belly!

29 weeks, Dr. #2 visit

  Today we had our appointment with our maternal fetal medicine specialist - well actually, it was with his associate as our doctor was out of town this week. It was growth day - and likely the last time they'll be checking all these measurements (unless these babies manage to stay in my belly for quite awhile longer)! Boy is it getting crowded in there, and since the girls were feeling active this morning the measurements weren't the easiest thing to take! Travis and I have given up trying to identify all the body parts - we used to be able to see their whole little body on the screen and now it's just a head, or a stomach, or an arm... pure craziness! Anyway, I'll get on with the report...
   Baby A is a "rock star" and was estimated at 3 pounds! She's gained a full pound since the last time they took growth measurements! She's fully enjoying having a placenta all to herself. Both her fluid and doppler also look good - so, basically, the doctor's aren't too worried about her, she's growing and doing well. Better yet, we actually got to see her sweet little face today! It had been about 2 months since we've seen her face so I was very happy to see that she still has one! We also saw her eyes open and close (when they open it is pretty freaky). The picture didn't turn out quite as clear as C's did last week, however, she's at the bottom and has lots more stuff in her face!
   On to Baby's B and C... The sonographer moved on to who we initially thought was Baby B, but turned out to be Baby C! I don't know how they can keep them straight, but I'm certainly happy they know what they're doing, because I find it utterly confusing! Anyway, they figured out who was who - which was actually a great sign! It meant that there was NOT a significant size difference between two which is a huge concern! So, Baby C, being her normal cooperative self, was the easiest to measure and was estimated at 2.5 pounds - quite behind her sister, but still up half a pound from last time. She still has a great fluid pocket and her blood flow looks great. Baby B was again more difficult to measure (she's kind of under her sister and on top of A if that makes sense). However, once the measurements were taken they estimated her at 2.4 pounds! Again, behind A, but keeping up with her twin. Best of all is that they found a nice pocket of fluid and her blood flow was well within the normal range! We were told last time that Baby B will most likely dictate when we deliver - the sweet baby has already been through so much! All in all, a very good appointment which was a nice change!
   The only 'upsetting' news was that hospital bed rest was brought up... If our two little ones don't start catching up, the doctor mentioned that they will probably want me on hospital bed rest to monitor me a bit more closely. Needless to say - I'm getting back to the 4000 calories a day, and will be drinking Ensure like a champ over the next couple weeks to try to ward off any more of that talk! It's gotten pretty difficult to consume so many calories - I'm full on a full-time basis!
   The girls remain very active - my belly has taken on a life of its own amusing both Travis and me! I do feel a little bad that I have no idea who it is that is kicking/boxing/headbutting me, but we'll figure that out when the girls arrive! We're getting closer to figuring out names, but we'll keep those a secret until the big day! We have two appointments again next week (Monday and Thursday) and will hopefully be spending Christmas at HOME and not in the hospital! Fingers and toes crossed... Guess that's all for now. Below are a couple pictures that were taken at our appointment - both of A for a change!

Above: Baby A's profile and she's giving us a thumbs up!

Below: Baby A's little face! She looks different from her sister as well - though it could be the imaging! It makes us excited to see just what they'll look like when they arrive...

That's all for now... Hope all your shopping is going well! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

29 Weeks Dr. #1 visit

   Just a quick in and out visit today with our OB and we got a good report. The girls have rotated positions somehow - one of my favorite parts of each visit is finding out where each baby is located! At least I'll know who's kicking for a little bit! All three of the heartbeats looked good, which is always nice to hear. Baby A has rotated from the bottom to my right side and is in a "cephalic" position (head down, bottom up, feet toward my ribs). Baby C is over on my left side and is in the same position (meaning I have four feet ready and positioned to give my ribs a good 'ol kick). Baby B is in the middle (of course), but we did find out that she is not exactly squished between her sisters, but rather positioned a little above her sisters. She is still breech (head up, feet down) - she has both her sisters booty's in her face! The poor dear...
   The doctor is thrilled that we got past another milestone (week 28) and is very happy with how things are looking at this point... of course the real verdict comes on Friday when we find out how each of them is growing and the doctor takes a close look at blood flow. However, it was nice to hear a good report! Weight gain is going well, that is I'm gaining the appropriate amount I guess - or at least no one is complaining at this point! When I asked what my fundal measurement was the doctor told me that I really wasn't measuring all that big... although we must put that in perspective - considering I'm measuring at 39 WEEKS! I guess that's not all that big considering there's 3 babies in my belly, but I sure find it interesting to know!
   That's about it for now. We have a cesarean birthing class tonight at the hospital that we'll be delivering at. It'll be nice knowing a little bit more about what to expect. Otherwise our appointment of Friday is at 11:30 - not that I'm counting down the hours or anything! For now, here's the 29-week report from Baby Center... How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day. See what your baby looks like this week.
   As always, thanks for all the prayers and warm wishes! 

No change = Good news?

   The girls continue to keep us on our toes! We had our weekly checkup today and things were about the same as they were last week.... which is neither great nor terrible. We were hoping that B would have a little more fluid, but no luck there. The doctor will be doing growth measurements again next week and we're already anxious to see if her growth is being affected (restricted) by her environment. It seems that Baby B will be determining many different decisions in the near future. The doctors will be keeping a close eye on her doppler, which at the moment looks good. Depending on how she does in the upcoming weeks we may have some tough decisions ahead of us. However, for now we'll just have to see how things progress...
   During the sonogram, we got to hear Baby C breath - it was kind of odd and cool at the same time. Both B and A had the hiccups - I could actually feel A's (it feels so odd since she's so low). We also saw C kick her twin sister in the head - they're already tough little girls and maybe take after their Daddy a little too much (I've heard stories about how Travis used to tackle his little sister)! Other than that, we don't have much to report. Our two-a-week appointments start next week and I see my obstetrician on Wednesday morning and then we see our specialist on Friday, at which point they'll do the girls' growth/weight measurements again. Below are some more pictures of Baby C - the other two are face-down and we were told it's not likely that they'll show their sweet little faces again.

Above: Showing off her flexibility - Knee-to-chin

Below: C show's off her frog face - or at least what I think looks like a frog face!

Above: Look at that smile! 

Below: it then turned into a grimace of sorts!

Thanks to you all for your support throughout our journey. Ever since we found out we were pregnant it seems we've rarely have a dull moment. Please keep the girls - especially Baby B - in your prayers... 32-weeks has become an even bigger goal for us!

Milestone Day! 28 weeks...

   We're on to week 29! It's hard to believe that we've made it to this point - for awhile there we really weren't sure we'd make it this far... with that in mind, I honestly feel like we deserve a mini celebration of some sort! I might treat myself to Starbucks after our doctor's appointment in Friday... yep, big celebration huh?! Despite the happiness we feel making it to 28 weeks, I think we're both quite anxious for our appointment on Friday. Things happened so quickly last time there was a fluid differential that it's somewhat disconcerting to be in a similar situation yet again. Hopefully, they'll either be no change in fluid or perhaps Baby B will be in a better position for viewing a bigger pocket that was hidden last time... probably wishful thinking on that end. Fingers crossed for the time being.
   We also realized last night just how far along we are - 32 weeks is only FOUR weeks away! Kind of scary exciting! I think it got both of us a little more motivated - Travis has a list of "to do's" he plans to have done by this weekend... which included taking the car seats out of their boxes (picture below). Next job is to see if we can fit three across in the Escape... we figured it's worth a try! I also figure since the weight limits on the car seats state 5-35 pounds, the girls will have to stay in the hospital until they weigh at least that much (excluding other health reasons)??? Something else to ask the doctor...
   In other news - the acid reflux has gotten even more out of control, the girls are blocking even more of my stomach, or whatever the cause is! I think it's time to move to something stronger than Tums, but I'm a bit nervous about trying something new (another question on my list). The side effects of the procardia (nifedipine) I'm taking for B's blood pressure are again prevalent, I can't wait until I'm off that stuff! There's a chance I might get to stop taking it once we get to 30 weeks... I'm staying hopeful!
   Below are some belly pictures as requested... Fair warning - it's one giant belly that seems to be growing daily! I'm up 40+ pounds and the scale just keeps climbing... Anyway, here's what Baby Center had to say about week 28: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week--rotate them to the right and throw in one more baby along the bottom and you get the picture of what's going on in my belly!).

 Above & Below: 28 week belly... in my new maternity pj's - though I plan to wear them during the day moreso than at night!

 Below: Sorry, not a big fan of skin pictures, but gives another view of just how big my belly's getting (or rather, how big the girls are getting!) The dot you see is from our surgery...

 Above: A closer view of what remains from our surgery... it's amazing what they can do! not to mention how much your skin can stretch in such a short amount of time!

 Above: Our THREE car seats... perhaps we're odd to have wanted three different car seats, but we look at the girls as individuals!

Below is a closer view of one of the car seats...

 Happy Holidays to you and your families!

27 Weeks - Trouble sharing yet again...

   Our girls just don't like to share... not a good sign for the future, but more on that in a bit. So we had two doctor's appointments yesterday - one with our OB and one with our specialist... the holidays limit appointment times! First was the appointment with our obstetrician. We had a quick sono since that's really the only way to listen to each of the girls' heartbeats (no way to distinguish otherwise) and surprisingly all of them were looking right at me! Either they like the sonographer better or they are punishing their father wasn't with me since they rarely will look at us anymore when we're at our specialists! Their heartbeats were all good, and the doctor is pleased with our progress and growth. Perhaps more pleased with the babies growth than mine (my weight keeps continuing to creep up - guess that will continue to happen!). My blood pressure remains a little high, but the doctor is pretty positive its simply a reflection of having triplets rather than a typical 'high blood pressure pregnancy'. It could also be because I am rarely on my feet... maybe the doctors should start visiting me at home! At any rate, my sugar levels, etc. all look good so the doctor is pleased. Next week is a BIG milestone for us - 28 weeks! Viability improves tremendously at that point... We'll go back to see her in a couple weeks and then I'll be seeing both her and Dr. Zaretsky (our specialist) weekly - meaning TWO "get ready" days a week which is always exciting!
   After that appointment was over we headed over to our next appointment with Dr. Zaretsky. We picked up Travis on our way since his office sits right between our two doctors. This week's visit was just a quick scan of biometrics - heartrates, dopplers, and fluid check. I think they'll do growth and cervix again next week. Anyway, the each of the girls' heartrates were good. Baby 'A' continues to have a lot of room - though she doesn't really take advantage of it! She loves having her legs and feet extended up over her head, such a squirrel! Her doppler along with everything else was all good. We think we know why she didn't want to look up at us as well - B's little booty was right in her face! No wonder she wants to keep face down! Our 'middle child' - B - gets a little more squished each week. When we look at her we see all sorts of body parts - since both 'A' and 'C's' extremities continually enter the view. B's doppler looks really good - which we found out is extremely important since she now has less fluid than her twin sister! Our twins really don't like to share...
   If you remember back to when I posted the information regarding the twin-twin-transfusion syndrome, you'll recall that C had almost no fluid whereas her sister had over 11 cm of fluid! We had the surgery removing all the connections, etc. and ever since their fluid has been about equal. Well, what the doctor's found odd when they did the surgery is that C actually has a larger placenta share than B - usually the baby with the larger share is the recipient (of course our case was reversed!). So, the doctor isn't extremely worried about the fluid differential - C had about 5 cm and B's was at 2.7 cm - attributing it to the placenta share difference (rather than a missed connection), however, as always they'll monitor us a little more closely from this point forward. B's pocket might also have been smaller due to the way she was positioned... all the girls were in contorted positions yesterday! At any rate, the forward flow for each baby looks great for now... We had a long talk with the girls about sharing and will see how they look next week!
   Probably the coolest thing we saw at our appointment was Baby C's eyes opening and shutting! There's really babies in my belly - not aliens! I have no idea what she was looking at, but her opening her eyes and looking around was an amazing sight... In other news, the girls continue to be quite active - daily boxing of either my insiders or each other, I haven't yet figured that part out! Oh, and no, I have no idea when baby is which when they're moving/kicking/punching! I used to think I knew, but after seeing the sonograms and the way they overlap... I realized I really have no idea! Travis and I were making progress in the name department - don't bother asking, we're keeping the names a secret - but we've been changing our minds and are no closer than we were months ago! Our plan is still to wait and see the girls before naming them - though Travis of course still thinks we should each get to name one and then name one together... yep - he obviously really likes a name that I'm not so sure about!
   Our nursery is pretty much ready to go, with all the preemie and newborn clothes washed and ready for wear... hopefully not for awhile yet! Mom and Bre were a big help and it sure was nice having them here last week. As you can see from the length of this particular post - I'm back to being alone at home (even our dogs are up in Iowa!) which means this is my socialization outlet... poor Travis! Below are a few pictures from our appointment - all of C since she was the only one to cooperate. She looks like a real baby... Below the pictures I've posted the weekly update from Baby Center.

Above: The sonographer didn't get one with her eyes open but we watched her open and shut them a number of times! I think she has Travis' nose! What a little sweetie...

Below: She's blowing bubbles!

Below: Her cord is in her face, but she still looks pretty cute to us!

   The 27-week update from Baby Center... How your baby's growing: This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle. See what your baby looks like this week. 

   If you've got time and are bored - Baby Gaga has a little different information... Otherwise, thanks for checking in! We continue to appreciate all the thoughts and prayers sent our way! Our appointment isn't until next Friday (12/10) and I suppose I'll post a picture of my huge belly as well next week...