Triplets Plus One

long awaited update

2010-05-26T09:22:00.008-05:00

I feel so guilty that I abandoned Blogger, and all of my Blogger readers. I should have at least popped my head in once a month to let you know we were all still breathing at least. Geesh. But a funny thing happened when we brought our fifth child home- our busy life got even busier. But in a good way!

I've only got a few minutes, so I'll just give a short little update on everyone. :)

I said back in February that Davey was going to lose his job because they were outsourcing it. Apparently the outsourcing company had this machine that had been down for 3 weeks, and the company had lost millions of dollars due to it, so they got rid of the outsourcing company and let the Cat employees fix it. They had it back and running the next day. So Davey (for now anyway) is in no danger of losing his job. Phew!

Kadence is growing like a weed. She still wants me to pick her up, but she's just too big! So instead we settle on her snuggling with me on my lap. :) She only has 3 days left of Kindergarten! I cannot believe that the year is already over. Soon my baby will be a first grader! I was so nervous about sending her to school, and being apart from her all day long when the year began. But we adjusted, and she absolutely loves school. She has grown so much this year! A much more mature, taller little girl is walking out my door every morning on her way to the school bus. It's so much fun watching her grow. Oh, and she has 2 fewer teeth since the last time I posted. ;o)

My middle children (ha!) are all doing fantastic. They celebrated their 3rd birthday last month! (thanks for the birthday wishes my blogger friends!) It seems like a lifetime ago that they were little 1-pound babies. Joey is 33 pounds and 37 inches tall, Elijah is 30 pounds and 37 inches tall, and Rowan is 36 inches tall and 27 pounds. (she's my little pipsqueak!) So far age 3, while still very challenging, has been less challenging than age 2. They listen a little bit better, and don't throw quite as many tantrums as they did at age 2. We are contemplating sending them to preschool in the fall, mainly so they can get out of the house for a couple of hours, and so mommy can get a little break to get some things done around the house. It's only 2 1/2 hours a day, so I don't feel too guilty considering that option. I think it will do everyone some good.

Here they are on their 3rd birthday. The boys are looking less alike than they did when they were younger, don't you think?

And then there's my little Benny Bear. :) He's gotten so big since the last time I posted! Amazing how much things change in 3 short months. He is a big little guy! He's 5 months old now, and weighs 18 pounds! He's tall too, 27 inches I think at his last check-up. He's wearing 9-month clothing. :) He rolled over for the first time this week, first from back to belly, which he has now mastered, and occasionally he can roll from belly to back. It's making diaper changes quite interesting. :) He has been saying "goo" for a couple of months, but just this week he also has added "bababa" and "mamama" to his sounds. I know they're not intentional words, but it is sooo cute to hear him say them! He is the sweetest baby I've ever met. He does not cry (ever) unless he's hungry or tired. And when he's tired he'll rub his eyes and fuss, and all I have to do is go lay him down and he goes right to sleep. Amazing. He is happy ALL the time. He is a little blessing in all of our lives, and we just love this little guy to pieces!!

And me? I'm just busy! Trying to figure out how to balance housework and taking care of 5 kids has definitely been a challenge. But I wouldn't trade our "little" family for the world. :)

Sometime in the near future I hope to move my blog to a new website. It will still be through blogger, but the web address will be different, and it will have a new title (we're not Triplets plus 1 anymore!) That and I get so many weird spam comments through this blog and I'm ready for a fresh start. I'll post the details whenever I make the move! (This blog will still be here at this address, I'll just be starting a new one at a different address)

And now, I must go do some laundry. :)

Sick of being sick!

2010-02-21T19:30:00.004-06:00

Yes, we've all been sick here. For the past 2 weeks. It started out a double ear infection for Kadence, and the following day she came down with the stomach flu. And ever so kindly passed it on to her brothers and sister. (not Ben though, thank goodness) And while the kids were battling that, Davey brought some respiratory virus home. So the very DAY that we got over the stomach flu, Kadence came down with the repiratory virus and missed 2 days of school. Then I got it. And now Eli, Joey and Rowan all have it. Thankfully Ben has avoided all of the icky stuff that's been floating around our house.

Aside from the viruses that we've been passing along here, things are still chugging right along in the McDowell house.

Davey found out that his job at Caterpillar is being outsourced. The one he JUST finished his testing for last weekend, the job where he JUST graduated to Journeyman. Sometime next month the electrical maintainance department will be completely outsourced. Nice, huh? Davey should have another job he can go back to within the plant. Not sure when we'll find out for sure? Probably like the DAY they get rid of maintainance they'll let him know. They're kind like that. Ugh.

Kadence is doing great in Kindergarten. She's a "great little student" the teacher tells me. :) I can't believe we're halfway through the 3rd quarter. Where has the year gone? Soon my little kindergartener will be in first grade.

Oh, and she has found the boy she wants to marry. :) And apparently she told him so.

I asked her, "so what did he say when you told him?"

"He said, 'Oh no. Nooooo, no, no, no, no.'"

She just giggles when he says that. So cute. :)

Not a whole lot new to report on Eli, Joey and Rowan. They're still just busy being 2! I hate bunching them together in a post, but I really can't think of anything new that they're all doing individually. They're all improving daily on their vocabulary. Rowan is speaking very long sentences now. "No Dad, I told you not to do that. You're in time-out." Oh yes, she's a bossy little thing. :) Elijah is speaking in probably 4-5 word sentences, and Joey is right on his tail with 3 word sentences. I hear a lot throughout the day, "I need it." "Joey's turn now." "Mom, Ben is crying!" (thanks buddy, I know) :) They love playing with play-doh, and love playing in the bathtub. I usually only give baths every other day, but we've been doing it every evening just for something to do. We're so tired of being cooped up in this house!!

(Ben's 1-month photo)

Of course I have the longest update about Ben because he is brand new and is doing new things all the time. He's getting so BIG!! Aside from being 2 months old today (where have the past 2 months gone??) he weighs like 13 pounds now!!! This little boy likes to eat! He is also smiling now, which is soooo cute. And cooing!! His favorite time of the day to smile and coo is first thing in the morning before we get out of bed, after his tummy is full. :) And he is most social when he is laying on our bed. Not sure why, he just likes it in there! Probably because it's comfy and that's where he gets to snuggle with mommy. :) He either sleeps in his bouncy seat placed inside of the pack n' play bassinet, or he sleeps right next to me in bed. He loves to be held, and loves attention from his mommy, and likes to think he is an only child I think. :) He may make our household even busier than it was before, but I cannot imagine our lives without him in it. He is such a sweet little guy, and has stolen all of our hearts.

And me? I'm doing much better! I went through a rough patch there for a couple of weeks where things seemed extremely overwhelming to me, and I was feeling kind of down. But my pregnancy hormones have left the building, and I'm feeling much better now. Well, aside from this respiratory virus. I think I may have bronchitis? Not cool! Especially when you have 5 little ones to take care of. :/

So that is my little update! I found time to blog tonight because the little ones all went to bed an hour early. So I had some free time before I passed out on the couch!! I'm hoping I can start blogging again soon- I miss it! But for the time being, I'm lucky if I get a shower. :)

Their first time sledding! (not Kadence's! but her first time sledding with her brothers and sister!)

Busy Mama Here

2010-01-17T12:07:00.003-06:00

I apologize for my lack in posts! I just have zero time to update anymore! I wanted to give you a quick update though and let you know that we're doing just fine here!

Ben came home from the hospital on January 3rd, after 13 days in the hospital. He started to have some apnea/bradycardia so he had to stay an extra week until that was resolved.

Everyone has adjusted to having a new baby in the house just fine! The kids all love him to pieces. They get very concerned when he cries, the first week or so Joey would cry when Ben would cry. Lol! And Rowan always lets me know that Ben is crying by saying, "Baby coy-ing! Baby coy-ing!" I love how she says it, it is so cute. I make her say it even when he's not crying. :) Elijah just loves Ben's little feet and hands, and loves when Ben is awake. "Baby..awake! Baby...awake!" he tells me. :) Kadence loves to hold Ben- it's the first thing she asks for when she gets home from school. She absolutely loves having a little baby in the house! Surprisingly no one is jealous of the baby, not once has one of the kids acted jealous when me or Davey are holding Ben.

Davey and I have adjusted just fine to having a newborn in the house once again as well. It honestly hasn't added much more stress than we already had. Ben is a breeze compared to the triplets! The only difference is I have to get up a few times during the night for feedings. For the first couple of weeks he did have his days and nights mixed up, but now we're back on track and he's sleeping 3-4 hour stretches.

The triplets are getting close to 3, and are such a handful right now. I love them to pieces, but man is it a lot to handle the three of them! They are constantly screaming and fighting, and just plain not listening. I know this too shall pass. Just wish we could fast forward to age 4. :)

Kadence is doing great in school, got all S+'s on her 2nd Quarter report card. :) She was the only one in her class to get all of the questions right on her 2nd quarter test the first time around. So proud of her!!!

I'm pumping and feeding him expressed breastmilk with a bottle. He refuses to breastfeed no matter how many times we try. Pumping, feeding him, and taking care of 5 kids is a bit daunting, but I'm still chugging along. Formula would be so much easier, but I'm not quite ready to do that yet. My milk supply typically only lasts 2 months anyway, so probably in another month I'll have to start supplementing. It will be easier for me to switch to formula when I have to.

Ben had his first check-up last week, and he had gained a full pound since birth and an inch. I told him he needs to quit growing up so fast since he's my last baby. He's not listening though... :)

Here is a recent pic of the kids (taken just 2 days ago!), their very first group shot together. Can you believe how big the triplets are getting? They're all losing that baby look and are looking like little people now. And Kadence looks so much older too! I just love this pic of the 5 of them- I plan on getting a big print made of it and hanging it up on the wall. :)

Well, better run. Got one kid naked on the potty chair, 2 in the living room getting into God knows what, and a baby in his bouncy seat crying because he wants picked up. Did I mention I was busy? ;o)

Benjamin David McDowell- His Birth Story

2009-12-26T23:09:00.003-06:00

Benjamin joined our ~~little~~ family on December 21st at 11:30pm, weighing 7lbs 3oz., and 20in long. I'm just now getting a chance to post his birth story. Thought I'd better get it done before I get home- I may never have a chance to get on the internet again. :p

Last Monday, I went in for my regular 36-week OB appt. I hadn't been feeling well all week, and my pulse had been really high, especially when I would stand up or walk around. I told my doctor about it, so he wanted me to go have a non-stress test done to see if anything was going on that we should be concerned about. Since we had requested that I have my tubes tied, and St. John's couldn't do it because it was a Catholic hospital, they had me come over to Memorial Hospital (just down the road from St. John's in Springfield) in case I had to deliver- that way they could tie my tubes.

After monitoring me for an hour or so, they took my blood pressure while lying down, then while sitting, then while standing. As soon as I sat up, my pulse jumped up to over 100, and my blood pressure went up as well. Then the nurse had me stand up, and within a few seconds my pulse was in the 140's, and my blood pressure was 163/93. (I also was getting "fuzzy" and would get a headache everytime I stood up) I thought for sure the doctor would get the results and say that it was time do deliver.

After waiting for another hour or so, the doctor finally came in and said that I didn't have pre-eclampsia, so there was no reason to deliver. He wanted to admit me to the hospital- wasn't comfortable at all with me going back to the hotel becaues of my symptoms, but it apparently it wasn't enough to deliver me. By this point I was emotionally exhausted. I literally couldn't handle any more. The past 3 weeks had been so hard on me, and I had done my best to stay strong, and keep it together, but I just couldn't anymore. I just cried and cried when he told me it wasn't time. He tried talking to me, but I couldn't even speak. Davey was not happy at all with the situation. There was obviously something wrong with me, and he was afraid that if we didn't deliver soon, that I could get even sicker. I can't remember his exact words to the doctor, but it was something along the lines of, "You're going to have problems if something happens to her." The doctor (who is a resident mind you) asked Davey to repeat himself. So Davey did. And the doctor walked out of the room. LOL.

The nurse took me down the hall from triage to my room that I had been admitted to, by this point I was still just sobbing. After a bit I finallly got calmed down, and I asked for some water. The nurse told me she didn't think I could have any. What?! She said she wasn't sure why, but she would try and find out.

After an hour or so, they still hadn't let me have water or ice chips. Finally the nurse told us that apparently the doctors hadn't taken the idea of delivering me that night completely off the table yet. I was excited to hear this, but wasn't going to get my hopes up. My OB (the resident) came back in and said that he had spoken with the attending OB, and that the attending was going to come and speak with us.

A very long 2 hours later, which seemed like an eternity (for real), the attending finally knocked on the door.

He started off saying that there really wasn't one reason to deliver me. In order to deliver someone before 37 weeks, there has to be something in black and white. I didn't fit into that category. (at this point we're thinking, ok...they're definitely not going to deliver me tonight..) Then he goes on to say that I'm more in the gray area. I have a bunch of little things (polyhyrdamnios, large baby, classical c-section scar, elevated blood pressure, elevated pulse) that when added together, we enough of a reason to deliver me.

Inside we were ecstatic. Outside we were very calm, and just shook our heads and agreed with the doctor. We asked when we would be starting the c-section, and he said hopefully at 11:00. I looked at the clock- it was 10:00. Then the nerves kicked in.

The good thing about an emergency c-section is you really don't have time to think about what they're about to do. You're so concerned about the baby (or babies in my case) and if they're going to be ok, that you really can't focus on yourself. This time I did, and let me tell ya, it was horrible. LOL. I thought about the spinal block (not a big fan of getting those!) and them strapping my arms down, and the big blue curtain, and the worst....them cutting me open while I lie awake on the table. YIKES.

They started prepping me, the nurse came in and shaved my underwear line/belly area. They had me sign some consent forms, and then anesthesia knocked on the door. Then I really started to get nervous. It was time. I kissed Davey goodbye, told him I'd see him in a few minutes, and down the hall I went.

As soon as the doors to the OR opened, I got clausterphobic. The room was so small- it totally freaked me out. I scooched over from my bed onto the OR table (which also was extremely small- not very wide at all, I was afraid I wouldn't fit on it. Thankfully I did), and they began to prep my back for the spinal. Ick. After verifying that the doctor was in the building, they stuck the big ole' needle in and numbed my back. If you've had a spinal block or an epidural, you know this feeling, and it's not a good one. It gives me the heebeejeebees just thinking about it. :p Then they gave me the spinal block, and my legs started to go tingly. They laid me down, strapped my arms down, and up came the big blue curtain. I actually was much more relaxed after they put up the curtain. The less I could see, the better.

"I'll go get Dad," one of the nurses said. Oh my gosh, it was really time!!!

Davey came in and held my hand, and made sure I was ok. I assured him that I couldn't feel a thing. We talked back and forth, wondering what they were doing. I told him they would probably tell us when they were about to pull him out. Then one of the anesthesioligists said, "Ok, you're going to feel a lot of pressure now, they're going to be pushing on your belly really hard." I turned to Davey and said, "Ok, the head should be coming out now!" He stood up with the camera and started snapping away. He got the coolest pictures of Ben being born!!! It was absolutely amazing to be able to see those pictures later that night. Neither of us got to see the triplets being born (I of course couldn't see a thing, and Davey didn't make it to the hospital in time) so it was very special that Davey got to see Ben being born, and that we were able to get pictures so that I could see it too. :)

As soon as his little head came out, he started crying. And so did I. :) Finally hearing his cry was an amazing moment. A moment that I had waited for for sooo long. After he was born and taken over to be assessed, Davey went over to check the baby out. They didn't even lift him up over the curtain so I could peek at him! It was at least 20 minutes before they finally brought him over to me- it seemed like an hour. It was agonizing. LOL.

Davey finally walked around the curtain holding our son, and sat down by me and let me kiss his little head, and see his precious little face. Davey and I both cried. It was such an amazing moment. My mom laughs and said it seemed like it was our first baby, not our fifth, the way that we acted when this little guy was born. :)

Ben's initial Apgar scores were 9/10. We went back to our room, and he got to come with us. And for about an hour he stayed in the room with us, and we thought everything was fine. Then the nurse mentioned that he sounded like he was breathing hard, so they were going to take him down the the nursery to get checked out. What we thought would be a couple of hours of being observed wound up being 5 days in the special care nursery. Luckily it wasn't anything major, he just had some fluid on his lungs, which was normal for his gestational age and the fact that he was a c-section baby.

We're hoping and praying that we can take him home tomorrow, it's been a very long week, and we're ready to get this little guy home.

Right before they wheeled me back for the c-section. I was just a little excited. :)

His little head coming out- so amazing!!

It's a boy!

Our beautiful baby boy. ^_^

Pregnancy Week 35

2009-12-15T22:08:00.002-06:00

I'm really tired of this drama filled pregnancy. It's exhausting. Thank God it's almost over!

Yesterday I went in for my regular OB appt and growth u/s. Things went perfectly fine until I had my u/s, and they found that the baby hadn't grown at all in 2 weeks. (he was 5lbs 11oz two weeks ago, measured 5lbs 12 oz yesterday) What scary news to receive. There was talk of doing an amnio and seeing if his lungs were mature and just delivering, but they called downstairs to my MFM and he wanted me to spend a night in the hospital and have the baby's heartrate monitored. At about 8:30 this morning we went in for another scan, this time with the same sonographer and u/s machine as they used 2 weeks ago when they measured me, and she measured him at 6lbs 7oz. So according to that u/s, he did indeed grow. His rate of growth has slowed down, but not to a scary level. He's still measuring ahead about 3 weeks. Kadence weighed 6lbs 4oz when she was born at 38 weeks, the average is 6lbs 3oz I think. So he's already bigger than that at 35 weeks. This is all according to u/s of course, they can be off +/- a pound.

My c-section has been scheduled for December 28th at 10 am. Makes me nervous that a date has been set! That's only 12 days away! I'm so curious to see if I actually make it to 37 weeks. When the doctor measured my belly yesterday I measured 40 weeks. No wonder I feel like I'm ready to pop. Geesh!

So now I'm back at the hotel, just kind of hanging out for the next 12 days.

If I'm not home by Christmas (I'd have to deliver by this Sunday in order to be home by then) we are planning on postponing (sp?) Christmas until me and baby are home. I told Kadence that I wrote a letter to Santa Claus, and he wrote me back saying that he would make a special trip back to our house when our whole family was together. Such a sweet little girl, she has absolutely no objections to waiting until we're all together.

I went home this weekend to see the kids and that helped sooo much. I feel like a brand new person. Within minutes of arriving home everything was back to normal. I wondered how the little ones would act towards me, if they'd act differently towards me. But other than being a little shy for a few minutes, they were all piled on my lap playing with me and giggling like I was never gone. For the first couple of hours they didn't even want me to get up to go to the bathroom. Lol. Kadence about knocked me over with her hug when she got home from school. I got all teary eyed. My kids are the best. :)

So within the next 12 days I'll be holding my newborn son. That thought alone will get me through the next week and a half. :)

One Day at a Time

2009-12-09T14:59:00.003-06:00

I've been in this hotel for a week now. Kind of neat that I've gotten a whole week out of the way. Even if I do make it to that 37 week mark for my scheduled c-section, I only have 2 weeks and 5 days left. In the grand scheme of things, 2 weeks 5 days is nothing. It should just fly by. But being up here alone, away from my family, with nothing to do.. the days drag on. And thinking of spending 19 more days in this hotel makes me want to cry. And sometimes I do cry. ;-)

The awesome thing is all of the NICU time that we're avoiding by me remaining pregnant. That in itself is worth it. Totally worth it. If I can make it until next week, we could have a take-home baby! Especially since I'll have to spend 4 days in the hospital after my c-section- if he does require some hospital stay, I'm hoping those 4 days will be enough for him to come home with me when I get discharged.

I got to see the kids on Saturday, that was so nice! Rowan acted normally towards me, but the boys seemed a bit shy. Broke my heart a little bit, but Davey reassured me that as soon as I get home things will be back to normal. They were just in a strange place and weren't quite sure why Mommy was living here now and not at home. It was wonderful to see them, and totally lifted my spirits to hug them and kiss them and tell them in person that I love them. Kadence was able to spend TWO nights with me at the hotel! It was great! She had so much fun, and was in dire need of some mommy time. Poor little thing cried and cried when she had to leave though. I cried too. I'll see her and the little ones again this weekend. I can't wait.

I take the days hour by hour. Some hours are harder than others. Some days are rougher than the next. I miss my family horribly. And I know they miss me, too. Kadence takes it the hardest, she cries almost every time we talk on the phone. "I just want to snuggle with you." She says that and her little tears just start flowing. Then I spend the next 20 minutes telling her that I miss her too, and that Mommy will be home very soon. Sigh. This is definitely rough.

But like everyone says, soon this will be a distant memory, and I'll be at home, enjoying my 4 kids, and my NEW little baby boy. ^_^ I'm going to be a mommy of 5 soon! I can't believe that, still sounds so strange to me! But I love it. Absolutley love it. Being a Mommy is what I was put on this earth for. :)

Weekend Update

2009-12-05T10:12:00.003-06:00

Well since I won't have a computer until Tuesday I thought I would do a little update on how I'm doing.

My contractions have been ok. They've been picking up more again so I'm not sure how long it will be before I wind back up at the hospital. Hoping I can hold off at least a few more days as hospital life isn't fun.

Hotel life is boring. I just sit here in my room all day doing nothing. I talk on the phone some, watch t.v. when I can find something interesting to watch, stare at the walls. LOL.

My spirits are up today because for the first time since Monday morning I get to see my kids!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!! I just want to squeeze them and kiss their little faces and never let go. ^_^

Since I won't have a computer until Tuesday, if I have any updates I'll post them via Twitter up in the left hand corner of this page, and also on Facebook.

Have a great weekend. :)

Long Update from the Hospital Hotel

2009-12-03T09:58:00.004-06:00

It's been another long week. Monday morning we drove to St. John's in Springfield because I was feeling some pains along my scar, and having an increase in contractions. At first, I think they were planning on letting me go home (after sitting there on the monitors for about 3 hours) and then the contractions really picked up.

I wound up contracting really hard for about 12 hours. They were super intense (on the TOCO monitor they were starting out at zero and going up to the 120's-140's) and were coming every 2 minutes. I think around 7 that night they gave me pain meds. I finally stopped contracting at about 2am.

Amazingly, my cervix didn't change any. Funny how now it seems as though I have a cervix of steel. Could have used that with the last pregnancy. ;)

The doctors are concerned about my c-section scar and these contractions. They don't like the idea of me being so far away from the hospital, so I am now stationed in a hotel right across the street from the hospital until I deliver.

This is tough. I haven't seen my kids since Monday morning. :( I am hoping that someone can bring them up to see me on Saturday. I miss them so much. :(

I'm going to try to answer some questions that some of you have.

Why can't you stay in the hospital? If you're too high-risk to go home, why can't they just let you stay in the hospital?

This we don't quite understand either. The doctors tell us it's because I really don't need 24 hr. supervision in a hospital, so they couldn't justify me staying there. We already checked with our insurance, and we are covered 100% at this point due to meeting our maximum out of pocket this year. I guess the hospital was unwilling to code things so that we could get it covered.

So why didn't you just go home anyway? Why let the doctors tell you what to do?

Well for 2 reasons. 1, we were told that if I leave Springfield, that I would be discharged against medical advice. That can cause a whole lot of issues, such as having to find another hospital, or even getting dropped from our insurance. But even more importantly, the reason I chose to stay was because I honestly didn't feel comfortable being so far away from a hospital either. I know this stinks, and I know it's going to be hard, but my safety and the baby's safety is what's most important right now.

Why can't they just drain some fluid out of the amniotic sac?

The main reason is because it's really risky. Even riskier than my risk of rupturing. It would be done the same way as an amnio is done to check for lung development, but rather than having to drain 2 tablespoons of fluid, they would have to drain a lot of fluid. Which would mean the needle would have to be in there for a long time. Issues that could arise could be rupturing of the sac, infection, and draining that much fluid the baby may not handle it well. There is also no medical data showing that by draining off some of the fluid that it will help slow my contractions or reduce my risk of rupturing. (this is what we were told...makes no sense to us) The only way they will drain fluid off from around the baby is if I have so much fluid build up that it's difficult for me to breathe. Sounds like a lovely side effect doesn't it?

So what's the game plan?

The game plan is to make it to 37 weeks, do an amnio, and do a c-section to deliver the baby. I will be 37 weeks on December 28th.

If I start having strong contractions, I am supposed to have hospital security come and pick me up, and I will stay in the hospital until the contractions stop.

They won't deliver the baby until I'm in true labor. In order to be in true labor, no matter how hard you are contracting, your cervix has to be dilating. So if I go over to the hospital contracting and they see that my cervix is changing, they will deliver the baby.

I will also have regular weekly appt's for the next few weeks until I deliver.

That's all I can think of at the moment. Leave me a comment if you have any other questions and I'll do my best to try to answer them. :)

I have a laptop until Sunday, and I'm hoping I can locate another one to borrow for awhile- I'm going to go nuts up here all by myself without a computer!

Oh, one more thing. At my scan on Monday, the baby was weighing 5lbs 11oz. Can you say holy-big-fat-baby-batman?? He is measuring more like a 36 1/2 weeker vs. the 33 weeker that he is. My fluid levels are up to 32.5cm. The highest they had been previously at 28 weeks was 36cm.

Pregnancy Week 32

2009-11-28T10:35:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I totally avoid posting an update because it seems to make the weeks go by faster. Does that sound dumb? Like today I'm posting my 32-week update, but I'll be 33 weeks in two days, so it almost seems like I bypassed this week all together. Well not totally bypassed it. Almost. :p I now find myself counting down the hours, not just the days. Lol.

My week started out very crappy. Lots of issues with my OB in Decatur. After saying he would get ahold of the Springfield doctors this past week, he told us during our appt that there was no need to. And when we would ask him questions, he would have no answers for us. Very frustrating.

My fluid levels are back up to 30 now, an increase of 5cm of fluid in just one week. That's not a good thing. And baby weighed 5lbs 1oz at Tuesday's appt.

My contractions are getting much stronger when I do have them. I can't even feel the Braxton-hicks anymore unless I happen to run my hand across my belly and then I realize I'm having one. Fortunately they haven't become regular enough for me to make another trip to the hospital, which I'm very grateful for. Lastnight they were coming pretty close for more than an hour, but then they let up again. I don't think it's a good sign that they are getting stronger, and I'm guessing when they do become regular, that I'll be in full-blown labor. And guessing by the size of my belly, I don't think that will be long.

I of course have no way of knowing when I will go into labor. My gut (no pun intended) is telling me that I won't go past 35 weeks. Heck I could go into labor tonight, there is just no telling what's going to happen. But judging by my size, and the fact that my contractions are getting stronger, I just don't think it will be more than 2 weeks. The good thing is that I'm almost 33 weeks. Some babies are take-home babies at 34 weeks. Some may spend a week or two as feeders and growers if born at 34 weeks. I would LOVE to make it 2 more weeks, and then maybe with my 3 day hospital stay after my c-section, we could bring this little guy home with us. Davey said the other day, "I sure hope we have him home for Christmas." It hadn't even crossed my mind that we wouldn't. He HAS to be home for Christmas! If you're praying, say some extra prayers that he'll be home for Chrismas, ok? ;)

I've put my fears of rupturing to the back of my mind since there is really nothing I can do about it. I'm taking it easy, listening to my body, and tyring not to stress about things. That's all I can do. I've been feeling pains along my c-section scar this past week, so I know it's definitely stretching. If it gets any more painful, I'll head to the hospital. It doesn't hurt all of the time. Just every now and then it will hurt for an hour or 2, and I'll have sharp shooting pains.

My Mom has been here for the past 11 days and it was a Godsend having her here! I give all the credit to her for me keeping this baby cooking for almost 2 extra weeks. Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom!! I love you so much! I was so sad to see you go today... but am SO thankful that I got through a couple of scary weeks with my Mom here. ^_^ Sometimes you just need your Mom, and this was definitely one of those times. Can't wait to see you again when baby Ben gets here!!!

I have my fluid levels checked again on Tuesday. If I don't post on here, check my Twitter update on the left sidebar of this page. I Twitter a lot of my updates.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Pregnancy Week 31

2009-11-18T20:24:00.003-06:00

I'm a couple of days late posting this, but am happy to report that at 31 weeks 2 days, I am still pregnant. Yay!

Sunday night I wound up back in the hospital with horrible back pain and contractions. My contractions were 5 minutes apart, then after an hour or so spaced out to every 10 minutes, and then when they were 20 minutes apart, they let me go home. No meds or hospital stay needed this time. Thank goodness.

I had another appt with my regular OB in Decatur on Tuesday. Thankfully he seems more on board with what's going on, and is being more realistic that I have some very serious issues here, and that I most likely will not make it to my scheduled c-section at 37 weeks.

We also discussed the risks of going to 37 weeks, and if the game plan should be re-evaluated. With my risk factors of large baby, excess fluid (was back up to 25 this week) and my classical c-section scar, my risk of rupturing is pretty high. Dr. P plans to call the MFM's in Springfield next week and try to come up with a new gameplan. He said it's hard to say when it may be too late to deliver, or when it's too early for the baby. He said if I rupture at home, we'd "wind up with a dead baby, and probably not a good outcome for mom either." Eek. I'm glad he put it so bluntly so Davey could understand how serious of a situation it would be if that were to occur.

We have to weigh both risk factors and try to make a decision. To me it's a no-brainer...if it's a matter of me and baby dying, or baby needing a little bit of oxygen from a nasal cannula for a few days...I choose the nasal cannula. We're not talking delivering at week 25 here, or even 30. If I make it to week 34, I think we really need to make a decision.

Dr. P also told me that at this point, if I'm having regular contractions at all, that I need to come in. If I have to go to the hospital 50 times between now and when I deliver, he said it doesn't matter. I'm to a size now that contracting at all could mean rupturing.

On a side note, I measured my uterus today with a tape measure and I'm measuring 37 weeks. I measure 14.5 inches from the top of my pubic bone to the top of my uterus. The baby is measuring 3 weeks ahead (he should be about 4lbs 11oz today), so that would put me at 34.2 weeks, so the rest must be the extra fluid causing my uterus to be so large.

Still holding out for 32 weeks. After that I'll take things day by day.

Discouraged

2009-11-13T09:43:00.002-06:00

After a week of being contraction free, I thought that I was better. I had gone from being afraid that I could deliver at any moment, to believing I was going to make it to 37 weeks.

Then lastnight, the contractions started again. I was once again making that decision whether or not to go to the hospital. Thankfully after a few hours the contractions stopped, but I know it's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out. Lastnight the contractinos didn't begin until 6:00 pm. But this morning when I got out of bed I started having them right away. As of right now they are more of the braxton hicks type contractions, coming every 8-10 minutes. There are some stronger contractions every now and then, but definitely nothing to go to the hospital over. Yet I know it won't be long before these little "irritation" contractions will turn into something bigger. Lastnight they started out small, then for an hour and a half or so were quite strong. I waited it out, and they stopped. If they had gotten any stronger I would have had to head back up to Springfield.
(I was rating the pain at a 5, when I start rating them at a 6 is when I'm heading to the hospital) The braxton hicks type is more of a tightening across the top and middle of my belly. The "real" contractions cause more of a cramping and pain way low in the uterus. Not a good sign when you start to have those.

I hadn't thought about it until lastnight, but it does kind of make sense that I'm having contractions again. The reason I was having contractions was because my uterus had gotten to a size that it just couldn't handle. So they brought my fluid levels down some, and that helped. I was under the impression that if my fluid levels came down, and stayed down, that I should be able to go full term. But while the fluid was going down, baby kept getting bigger. He has gained 1 1/4 pounds since I went into the hospital. So wouldn't it make sense that if my uterus is back up to the size it was 2 1/2 weeks ago, that I would start to have contractions again?

I have absolutely no idea what's going to happen. I could have a few more days or even weeks of these lighter type of contractions. Or I could be heading up to the hospital tonight. I just don't know.

I'm taking it easy. I'm drinking my water. I'm laying down. I'm trying not to stress about it. I'm glad I'm almost 31 weeks vs. 28 weeks, I'm trying to "stick it out just a few more weeks". I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing.

Which is why it's so damned discourging.

Pregnancy Week 30

2009-11-10T21:06:00.003-06:00

First of all, can I get a big YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY for making it to 30 weeks?!

YAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulder just by getting out of the "20's" and into the "30's". I did NOT want to have another twenty-something week baby. And now we've made it safely out of the 20's so I don't have to worry about that anymore! Yay!

I had my first appointment with my regular OB today since my hospital stay. I say appointment, though I'm not sure I'd exactly call it that... They did my ultrasound, and according to the measurments my fluid levels are at 23cm today, which is a decrease of 5cm since Friday. I'm not buyin' it. They didn't measure the fluid the same way they did in Springfield, so I'm just not very confident that they measured it correctly.

Then we had our "appointment" with my doctor. I kid you not it lasted less than 2 minutes. Let me first say that the typical appt with Dr. P lasts about 30 seconds to 1 minute. My friend Shelby sees this doctor too, so she can back me up on this.

Here's what was said during my 1 1/2 minute appt today:

Doctor walks in the room..

Doctor: "So what did Springfield have to say." (it came out more of a statment than a question)

Me: "About what?" (I was in the hospital for 3 days dude...where do you want me to begin??)

Doctor: "About anything."

*long pause...

Me: "Um...that I had excess fluid and that the baby is measuring large...."

Doctor: "Ok. Well we'll see you back weekly for fluid checks. Then we'll go ahead and schedule your c-section for 37 weeks I guess."

Me: dumbfounded look on face, speechless that he's not discussing anything else with me.

Doctor: As he's writing out my appt for next week, "Do you have any questions?"

Me: "Um....I....well....I guess not?"

Doctor: "Ok, see ya next week." And walks out the door.

Are you KIDDING ME???? Not one single question was asked about my hospital stay. Not once did he ask me how I was feeling now, or if I was having any more contractions. Nothing was mentioned about what the game plan was if I go into labor at home, or if I rupture at home, or what hospital I should go to. He had zero interest whatsoever in my well being. ZERO. Total disregard for my feelings and how I've been handling things.

Is that not CRAZY?!?!?!

So me and Davey talked on the way home, and if I go into labor any earlier than 37 weeks, we're going to Springfield. Even if it's the evening of 36 weeks 6 days, we're heading to Springfield. I'm actually hoping that I go into labor during week 36 just so I don't have to deliver in Decatur. Isn't that sad?

On a good note though, it didn't appear that the fluid levels had gone up any. There were still 2 large pockets of fluid, but they didn't look any bigger than they did on Friday.

And the GREAT news? This little guy now weighs 4 pounds 2 ounces!!! He's in like the 93rd % for his weight! But for his height he's actually measuring a week behind, LOL. So he's apparently short and chubby. :) I have no clue how big this little guy is going to get, but I'm guessing once he gets to the 6 1/2 pound mark, I'm going to either start having contractions, or I'm going to just go into hard labor. That's what happened with the triplets- I got to the size my body thought was full term and I just went into labor. Their combined weights were 5lbs 14oz, but when you add in the 3 placentas and the 3 sacs of fluid I was about the same size I was when I delivered Kadence.

But we shall see. Right now my contractions are few and far between, and I'm really hoping it stays that way at least until week 35. By then, if he keeps gaining at a rate of an ounce a day, he will weigh almost 6 pounds. LOL. Pretty big for a 35-weeker!!

Here is my newest belly progression photo. My belly didn't grow a whole lot from week 27 to week 30 because of all of the fluid that I've lost, but baby has put on about a pound and a half since then! And I'm rounding out quite nicely, it looks like I have a basketball under my shirt now. :)

Tough.

2009-11-08T20:01:00.002-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been tough. Really tough. I'm doing my best to cope with everything that has been thrown my way, but the days just keep getting longer and harder.

I am not a very patient person. I wish I were, but I'm not. If someone could show me a magic ball where I could just peek into the future and know what complications were going to arise, and when I was going to deliver, I could handle this all so much easier. I'm going to go into labor at home? Fine. When? I'm going to have a premature baby? Fine. What week?

I like information. I like it when the doctors are straight with me and tell me what will most likely happen. I like to search the internet for information so that I can educate myself. This not knowing is what's killing me. But there is no way of knowing, no crystal ball to peek into. According to the doctors, my fluid levels will most likely rise back to the level it was at previously by the end of next week. But it might not. Or it may rise by this Tuesday. They just don't know.

For now I'll just take comfort in the fact that tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks. The survival rate for 30-weekers is 95%, with just a 5% chance of long-term disabilities. Also I am thankful that this little guy is so big for his age. If he were born tomorrow he would probably be 4 pounds vs. where he "should" be which is 3 pounds. I am thankful that he has already received his doses of steroid shots for his lungs.

So while I have a lot on my mind, and a lot to worry about, I also have a lot to be thankful for. I need to try to refocus my thoughts to the good things, and try not to worry so much about what could go wrong. It's so hard not to worry though...

Not exactlly what I was hoping for..

2009-11-06T21:58:00.003-06:00

But not horrible either...

I had another appt this afternoon at St. John's with the MFM doctors. They did a scan and found out that while the baby's heart is handling the Indocin just fine, my fluid levels didn't come down at all over the past 3 days. (they remained at 28cm) So, they discontinued the meds because they said they had obviously done all that they were going to do.

So now what?

Good question.

Now it's just a waiting game. 1 of 3 scenarios could happen.

The least likely scenario- my fluid will remain at 28cm for the remainder of my pregnancy and will not rise any more. Very doubtful.

The scariest scenario- my fluid could return to a scary level in just a few days. This would mean lots of contractions again, and most likely pre-term labor.

The most likely scenario- my fluid levels will return to scary levels in approximately 2 weeks. This is what they see most often.

So the plan is that if begin having regular contractions, I get my butt back to St. John's so they can monitor me and assess things. They would still try to stop labor at this point, but with what I'm not sure. Mag again? We didn't really discuss what they would use to stop contractions. If I'm laboring too hard, they will go ahead and do the c-section due to my risk of rupturing.

If my uterus remains calm, then I go have my fluid levels measured via sonogram every week from here on out at Decatur with my regular Ob/Gyn. If it gets dangerously high, then they'll send me to St. John's in Springfield. Most likely I will not be delivering in Decatur- unless of course I would happen to make it to full term.(very doubtful)

Since I've stopped taking the Indocin I've already noticed an increase in the amount of contractions. Fortunately nothing regular yet. But I'm guessing over the next few days I'm going to be having more and more.

I'm trying not to let this news get me down, and am trying to count my blessings. I'll be 30 weeks on Monday, which is 4 weeks further than I made it with the triplets! That's something right?! My big goal is still 32 weeks, so I'm still holding onto that hope. Only 17 more days...

2009-11-03T22:04:00.002-06:00

Well my scan went really well today- lots of good news to report. I’ll try my best to explain things and try to make some sense, I know this is a lot of information to take in. Trust me, I know. ;o) I apologize if it's choppy or if I repeat myself.

- My fluid levels went down from 36 to 28, (they measure the fluid in centimeters) which is a good thing! The normal range for amniotic fluid around the baby is 5-20, so at 36, mine was getting really high. The medicine I’m on, Indocin, is what’s decreasing the fluid.

- They will check my fluid levels again on Friday, and if they’ve come back down into normal range, they will take me off of the Indocin.

- They only like to give Indocin as a temporary fix, and do not like pregnant patients to be on it longer than two weeks. So hopefully this Friday I can stop taking it.

- As I mentioned before, Indocin can cause damage to the baby’s heart. The doctor explained this in more detail today. Basically what can happen is the medicine can cause the baby’s PDA valve to close prematurely. It can be reversible while the baby is still in the womb- simply by taking you off of the medication, the baby’s heart valve may open back up as it should be. But then when the baby is born, the valve can stay opened, which when a baby is born, it’s supposed to close. The way they normally get baby’s heart valves to close when they are born (both Eli and Joey had this problem because they were preemies) is to give Indocin. However, Indocin would not work and they would have to do surgery to close the valve. Sound confusing? It is. Let’s just hope none of that happens.

- If the fluid levels do go down to normal range on Friday, the plan is to take me off of the medication, and to keep checking my fluid levels every few days. There is a good possibility that my fluid levels will begin to rise again, though how quickly they don’t know. The doctor said that typically the levels do not rise as quickly as they went down. So since it took a week for my fluid levels to return to normal, it should take longer than a week for them to go back up to where they were in the dangerous level. We’re of course hoping it takes the fluid several weeks to rise to that level again, but it’s so hard to say what will happen.

- As of today, the baby was handling the Indocin very well. They will check his heart again on Friday.

- The hope is that by lowering my fluid levels, that will hold off pre-term labor at least for a couple more weeks. They cannot give me Indocin again after week 32 because the risks are far too high for the baby after that point. We have not discussed what we will use to stop my labor if I should happen to go into labor again past week 32.

- We really have no long-term plan. For right now we’re taking it 3 days at a time.

- Things are looking much better today than they were a few days ago, but it’s still terrifying when the doctors are throwing words at you such as “rupturing” and “hemorraging” and asking how far away your closest hospital is, and telling you how minutes can make a difference if something goes terribly wrong at home. I hate having to worry about these things constantly. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

I’m feeling much better about things as far as the immediate future is concerned. Knowing that I should have at least another couple of weeks to keep this baby cooking is such a huge relief. I have been through so many emotions this past week I’m surprised I didn’t have a nervous breakdown to be completely honest with you. But for now I feel that I can breathe again, and know that every single day that I’m able to keep this little guy in is doing him so much good. I’m feeling very confident that I can make it to 32-weeks now. Such a turn-a-round from last week when at 28 weeks 2 days I thought for sure he was going to be born.

Things could change at any minute, but we’ll just keep praying that things keep going in this direction. Of course a full-term baby would be fantastic, but making it to 32 weeks is my first BIG goal that I’m trying to make it to.

Ok, so actually this Friday is my first BIG goal. 3 days at a time my doctor told me...just 3 days at a time.

The Game Plan

2009-11-01T08:09:00.004-06:00

Ok, I'm going to try to line out what the "game plan" is for me over the next couple of weeks. All of this could change at any moment, i.e. if I go into labor again, or if the meds start having a negative effect on the baby. But here's what the plan is thus far:

- I am on Indomethacin (Indocin), 25mg 3x daily. Indocin is used to help stop contractions, and one of it's side effects on the baby is that it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby. In most cases this would be a very bad thing, but in my case, it would be a good thing because of my overabundance of amniotic fluid is what is causing my contractions.

- Side effects of Indocin on mother are- fatigue, dizziness, and depression. All of which I have had since taking it. But if it keeps the baby in, I'll gladly take it.

- Possiblie side effects of Indocin on baby- it reduces the amount of amniotic fluid by making baby pee less, so they have to keep a close eye on his kidney function. It also could effect his heart by prematurely closing his PDA valve. And the 3rd potentially harmful side effect is a bowel perforation. The side effect to his heart is the most common, and the one I am most concerned about. However, from talking with the doctors and doing some research online, this typically does not occur if they discontinue the Indocin by week 31-32.

- I will be going to St. John's Hospital in Springfield every 3 days while I am on this medicine to have an u/s done to check fluid levels, check baby's kidneys, and check the fluid levels around the baby. If at anytime they find something is wrong, they will discontinue the meds and most likely keep me overnight to see how I handle contractions without the medicine.

- If I go into labor at home, I am to go to St. John's hospital. We will no longer be going to Decatur Memorial during this pregnancy.

- My risk of hemorraging is quite high if I go into labor, so it is very important for me to go to the hospital if I do go into labor at home. The doctor told me that instead of thinning and shortening my cervix, my contractions instead could be effecting my c-section scar by thinning it and tearing it apart. (lovely as that sounds..)

- After they take me off of the Indocin (I'm actually hoping they take me off of it within a week) we'll see how my contractions are and go from there. I'm not sure what the next step will be to stop labor after that, we haven't gotten that far.

So that's all I can think of right now. If you have any other questions, just leave me a comment and I'll try to answer it the best I can.

I have an appt tomorrow at St. John's, so I'll try to post when I get home tomorrow. Hoping and praying the meds aren't having any negative effects on baby, and that they don't keep me in the hospital again. I feel a little bit more comfortable being in the hospital, but at the same time, if they're keeping you in the hospital, it means there is something wrong, and I don't want the either.

Keep checking my Twitter and Facebook for updates throughout the day. Thanks again for the prayers and comments. :)

October 31st Update

2009-10-31T10:08:00.003-05:00

I think many of you know, but I went into the hospital late Tuesday night with preterm labor. I had Davey's dad drive me to Decatur, and Davey (who had just gotten to work) met me at the hospital. I wasn't even sure if I should go in, but finally decided I'd better at least get checked.

After 2 shots of terbuteline, my contractions weren't stopping, so they put me on Magnesium Sulfate, which is a very strong drug given through an IV to try to stop contractions. After that didn't work, they put me in an ambulance and transferred me to St. John's Hospital in Springfield. (the same hospital where the triplets were born)

After hours of very strong, very frequent contractions (I was rating them at about a 6 on the pain scale, and at one point I had no breaks between contractions, one right after the other, just seconds, not minutes apart), they finally began to let up. They would seem to come and go all throughout the day and evening. I'd have a break from contractions for an hour or more, sometimes several hours, then they would pick back up again and become painful and frequent.

During an u/s on Wednesday, they discovered that there is a TON more fluid around baby than there should be. And also that baby is much larger than he should be- he measured 3lbs 3oz, when he should have been right around 2lbs 2oz. They have diagnosed me with Gestational Diabetes, as it seems to be the only thing that fits for extra fluid and large baby- but they're not 100% sure. My blood sugars have been good the last couple of days, so I'm not sure if that's the cause or not.

They started me on betamethasone Wednesday morning, which is the steroid shots for the baby's lungs. Fortunately I got my 2 doses in, which is what they really want before you deliver.

After my uterus finally calmed down yesterday, they decided I could go home on Indocin, which is also a medicine that is supposed to stop contractions. It is a very strong medicine that can be dangerous for the baby, so I have to go to Springfield every 3 days to have an u/s done to check on baby and the fluid levels around the baby. Indocin works by making baby pee less, which is very helpful for my uterus due to all of the extra fluid already. This drug can cause heart problems in the baby,(it can cause the PDA valve in the baby's heart to close prematurely) which is why I have to go in every 3 days for an u/s.

Lots of scary stuff, but we're taking it day by day at this point. I will post an update later about what my instructions are, and what our big game plan is for the next few weeks.

I need to go lay down for a bit now, but I'll keep you posted. Thanks for all of the prayers and comments from those of you who have been following my Twitter and Facebook- it means so much to us. ^_^

Pregnancy Week 28

2009-10-26T20:49:00.005-05:00

You know how the past 27 weeks just flew by? Yeah. Well this week time came to a screeching halt. I find myself counting the days now until I deliver. Last week I would get a backache or something and say, "Only 9 weeks and 4 days to go...", or I'd just be exhausted and say, "Only 9 weeks and 2 days to go..."

I'm defnitely to that point. The point where being pregnant is no longer fun and cute...instead it's uncomfortable and you feel like a whale.

I am so there.

But I am so willing to take the backaches and acid reflux for the next 9 weeks so that we have a healthy baby! Just because complaints have begun does NOT mean I'm ready to give up by any means. I would carry this baby for another 7 months if it meant he would be born healthy.

Signs and Symptoms

- Backaches. Major backaches.

- More acid reflux than I had been having.

- Fatigue keeps getting worse, as expected.

- Contractions were much better this week- hoping it stays that way!

- Baby should weigh in at about 2 1/2 pounds now, and about 15 inches long.

My most recent belly shot taken tonight. See why my back is hurting? ;o)

Pregnancy Week 27

2009-10-19T19:02:00.003-05:00

Hello 3rd trimester! It's been 6 years since I've seen you! I almost made it to my 3rd trimester with the triplets, but not quite.

I had a doctors appt today, the usual- blood pressure (112/60, yay!), pee in a cup (no sugars or protein in urine, yay!) and being weighed (we won't go there). I also had my gestational diabetes test today. The stuff didn't taste too bad (little tip, I chose lemon-lime this time, much better than orange), but it gave me a headache and made me a little dizzy for a while. The baby FREAKED out from the sugar rush, and was kicking me so hard I thought his little foot would come out of my abdomen. Not even kidding. :)

This past 2 weeks my contractions have really picked up, and 3 times this week they've been so frequent I was timing them. Anywhere from 10 min apart, to 4 min apart. After an hour or two they've let up though. I mentioned this to Dr. P, and he said that if they get strong, or if I am ever debating whether or not to come in, to come in right away due to my history.

Not sure if I had mentioned this before or not, but I had preterm labor with Kadence at about 30 weeks. I spent the night in the hospital, and they gave me meds to stop the contractions. I was put on bedrest after that. So triplets or not, preterm labor is apparently something I have issues with.

It's so hard to make that call on whether or not to drive to the hospital or not- especially when it's 9:00 at night. Decatur is an hour and a half away. I'd like to say I can just follow my mommy instincts-I knew something was wrong when I was in preterm labor with Kadence, but had no clue I was in labor with the triplets. I only had 5 contractions in 3 hours, and was 6cm dilated.

I'm not letting myself get stressed about this stuff though. I try not to think about it until the contractions begin, then it's kind of hard to ignore. ;o)

Facts and Symptoms

- Frequent contractions. Hoping they ease up, but not getting my hopes up for that. Braxton Hicks I can handle, they don't bother me. But when I'm timing them, I get a little nervous. I always drink a huge glass of water and lay on my left side when they kick in.

- Back aches! OUCH! Thanks to my big old belly, and the fact that I'm carry really high, my back has been hurting a lot. Heating pads, hot baths, and tylenol don't seem to help when it's hurting a lot. Any other suggestions?

- Fatigue. I can definitely tell the 3rd trimester is here. That energy I had during the 2nd trimester really started to dwindle over the last two weeks. It's 7:15 p.m. and I could totally go to bed right now. :)

- Excitement. ^_^ Just 70 more days until we meet this little guy! Tomorrow it will be 9 weeks, 6 days. So crazy that I can say 9 weeks!!! I never did get around to getting baby things out last week, I really need to get that done soon!

26 Weeks, 2 Days, 4 Hours, 16 Minutes

2009-10-14T20:27:00.003-05:00

Well, I am officially further along now than I was when the triplets were born. Actually at the time of this posting, I have made it 4 hours and 16 minutes further than I did that day. And that's such a great feeling.

Today I only had one "moment" where I broke down. I looked at the clock and it was 2:30. I thought back to the day the trio was born, and figured that at that moment, I was having my ultrasound done to see what was going on. They of course saw Eli's head right away, and sent me back downstairs. Nurses started running around my bed, doctors came in, and they told me I was 6cm dilated, and that I was going to have an emergency c-section. They promised me they'd wait for Davey before they started. Which looking back I know they were just telling me that so I wouldn't freak out even more than I already was. Davey didn't make it in time for their birth- missed it by just 15 mintues. Man that was a scary day...

So I got online and watched the NICU video that I made, and I cried. I cried for what me and Davey went through, I cried for all of the pain that Elijah, Joey and Rowan went through, and I cried for Kadence because I feel that I totally missed her being 3 years old with all that went on that year.

So I had a good cry, wiped my tears away, took a deep breath, and didn't let it get me down again for the rest of the day. I did, however, watch the clock until it read 4:13, the time Eli was born, and 4:14, the time Joey and Rowan were born, and let out a huge sigh of relief when it read 4:15.

26 weeks 2 days was behind me.

I know it sounds silly. And I shouldn't have been worrying about it in the first place... There were, after all, 3 babies in there when I had the triplets- this time there's only one. It was a complete irrational fear, and I know that.

But still...it was a milestone that I needed to get past. It has been a day that I have feared since the moment I found out I was pregnant way back in April. 26 weeks 2 days...I HAD to make it past that day. HAD to. For the sake of my family, and most importantly, for the sake of this little baby boy. I've been here before, and there was no way I was going back. I had to get past this day.

And I have.

And I can breathe again.

Pregnancy Week 26

2009-10-12T15:25:00.003-05:00

As you probably guessed, week 26 holds a lot of emotions for me. I think the most emotional day will be Wednesday, when I'm at the gestational stage I was at when the triplets were born. So I'll save that post for another day- I'm sure I'll have a lot to write on Wednesday, as I'm sure I'll be an emotional mess. ;o)

Onto happier news..

The countdown is definitely on. So crazy to be saying that. Here this pregnancy has just flown by, yet it still surprises me that in a little more than 2 months, we'll be bringing a baby home with us. 77 days. Makes me nervous when I look at it that way. Lol.

Signs and Symptoms

- Contractions have picked up this week for sure. But it's completely normal at this stage of the game. I don't get nervous until they start becoming regular. Twice now they've been 10 minutes apart, and I've had to decide whether or not to call the doctor or not. Both cases the contractions calmed down on their own, thank God.

- The baby should be over 2 pounds now! Yay!! If he's gained an ounce a day since my last appt, he should weigh around 2lbs 5oz today. Give or take a few ounces of course. He's ahead of where his brothers and sisters were! Eli was the largest triplet weighing 2lbs 3oz at 26 weeks 2 days.

- Nesting has begun! With just 2 months left, the nesting phase has hit in full force this week. My bedroom is spotless (that's where the baby will be sleeping for the first few months) and I've made a list of things we need to bring back upstairs. i.e. baby swing, bouncy seat, baby bath tub, bassinet. It's exciting and crazy all at the same time. I'm so glad that I get to experience having a baby in the house one more time. With the triplets every single day went by in a blur. And though life will most definitely be hectic here after this baby is born, I'm hoping I have a bit more time to hold him and really take in that newborn baby stage.

- My little sister is getting married in 12 days!! I had mentioned that my dress didn't fit, and that I was getting it altered. I went in and tried it on and it FITS! Only had to let it out an inch. Thank goodness because that's all she could let it out. Lol!

Kadence's Birthday Pictures :)

2009-10-10T18:12:00.004-05:00

A few pics from Kay Kay's 6th Birthday! So sorry for the lack of posts...I have been posting all of my updates and photos on Facebook- it's so much faster!! But I know a lot of you can't see those updates, so I try to post on here when I get a free minute (or 20...). Takes me about 1 minute to upload all of these on FB, about 20 to upload them here on Blogger. Absolutely ridiculous.

Anywho, Kadence had a great day I think! We celebrated with her class by me taking in some yummy cupcakes- it was so cute to finally meet all of the little kids in her class. ^_^

Then we had a small party here at home with just Mommy, Daddy, the babies, Gaga, Papa, and Sarver Gaga. It was a fun time!

Kadence outside her classroom

The cake I made for her- she loved it!

The gift she had been begging us for- Barbie Salon

My little girl is growing up so fast!!

This is the face of an excited little girl. :)

The boys "hunting" while watching the hunting channel.

Daddy giving the kids rides around the living room

Rowan karate chopping the air with her balloons!

Pregnancy Week 25

2009-10-05T17:40:00.003-05:00

My appt on Friday went great!!

Baby is measuring a week ahead still, and according to the u/s, weighed 1lb 11oz. If you remember, Rowan weighed 1lb 13oz at birth, and Joey 1lb 14oz. So he would now be the exact same size that they were when they were born. That is just incredible to me. I look at this two different ways: I cannot believe that this baby inside of me is that "big" already, and I also cannot believe that the triplets were that small when they came into this world. So crazy!

His head measured 2 weeks ahead (but really only 1 week ahead compared to his body), but she said there is absolutely nothing to worry about. If there were extra fluid on his brain, they would have seen it in the u/s's. She said, "he just has a big head." Ha!

My Mom got to go with me to the appointment, and she was SO excited to be able to see him on the ultrasound. At one point he yawned, and then stretched soooo big. It was absolutely precious. ^_^

Here he is stretching out- see how his neck is stretched out really far and his head is back? So cute!!

My cervix looks fantastic, measuring 3.77cm long.

The countdown is on now...only 12 weeks left until we meet this new little person. ^_^

Pregnancy Week 24

2009-10-01T14:35:00.005-05:00

I'm a few days late posting this, but I don't have a lot of new info to share until my doctors appt tomorrow. (it was supposed to be Tuesday but got cancelled because the doctor had a meeting or something)

I'm doing really well, hardly any complaints. ;o) I'm growing like crazy, and with the baby measuring ahead by at least a week at my last scan, I'm wondering if he's now more than a week ahead of where he "should" be. In a normal circumstance, I wouldn't be concerned about him being a big baby, but with me having to deliver by the time he's 7 pounds, I'm worried that he'll reach that weight before his lungs are mature. But this is just me being a worry wart. Sort of. Lol. It is a valid concern.

I'm going to have the doctor do the gestational diabetes test tomorrow (it's time for it anyway), that might be one of the reasons he's measuring larger. But unlikely since I've never had it in any of my prior pregnancies. We'll see I guess... I'm also going to ask him to do a quick scan tomorrow to see where he's measuring at this point. Hopefully he won't have any problem with doing that.

I'll try and post more tomorrow after my appt!

Pregnancy Week 23

2009-09-21T09:25:00.003-05:00

The biggest thing that occurred this week is that we finally settled on a name! Actually, we have it narrowed down to two names.

During the first couple of months of my pregnancy, I was totally stuck on the name Sam. I tried convincing Davey, but he wasn't feeling it. So then a couple of months ago, I finally gave up on the name Samuel, and I fell in love with the name Ben. Davey wasn't feeling that either.

So a few days ago I said, "Ok, we have to sit down and figure out a name for this baby."

To which he replied, "I like the name Samuel."

To which I replied, "WHAT?!?! That's the name I loved at the beginning!!!"

"Well, it's sort of grown on me now," he said.

I was so happy! Then I paused and said, "Well crap. Now I have 2 names that I love- Sam, and Ben. What are we going to do?"

Davey said that he loves both names also, and wasn't sure which he liked more.

So we decided we're going to wait until we meet him to decide. :) Will he look like a Sam or a Ben I wonder? We both think that Eli could have been a Ben, and Joey could have been a Sam, but not vice versa. Isn't it funny how names work like that?

Facts and Symptoms

- I felt great this week! Fatigue was minimal, and aside from achey bones from my pelvis widening, I didn't have any cramping or pressure to speak of.

- I'm not sure how much the baby weighs this week- babycenter.com says he should weigh just over a pound, but last week he weighed a pound so who knows.

- He should be measuring around 11 inches long now. (again, he's measuring a bit bigger, so this is just a general size for babies the 23rd week)

- Sam/Ben is very jumpy when it comes to loud noises. Especially Davey's voice. :)

- With my ever expanding belly, my balance is a bit messed up. I have to be careful how I step- I find myself tipping over and having to grab onto the wall every now and then. :)

- I'm optimistically cautious at this point. I feel very certain that things will go perfectly until week 37, but also know from experience that things can change very quickly. Some of you may remember that it was week 24 (to the day) that I woke up in the middle of the night hemorraging. That was the beginning of a very scary few weeks for me, which included blood transfusions, the doctors trying to figure out why I hemorraged (eventually discovered one of the placentas tore away from the uterine wall) and being worried about when I would deliver. And just after things finally calmed down and we all thought I was going to be fine, I delivered at 26 weeks 2 days. I of course know all of this was due to the fact I was carrying triplets, but that worry is still in the back of my mind.

- For the most part (like 90% of me) I know that everything will be fine. :)

4 Cute Kids

2009-09-19T11:41:00.007-05:00

Amazed that I got all 4 of them to not only sit still, but also look at the camera?

Yeah. Me too. :)

This one we even got a few smiles. :)

Aren't they cute? I sure think so. :)

Rowan's hair was pulled back into a ponytail (her first!), that's why all you can see is her bangs. Going to take me a while to get used to seeing her face without her hair down, but I'm so excited we can pull it back now.

The weather is gorgeous, I just love this time of year. I step outside and feel the cool air, and smell the Fall air and think, "ahh...pumpkin patch weather." :) I LOVE this time of year.

Remember our trip last year to the pumpkin patch? We had so much fun.

Kay Kay

Joey

Eli

Rowan

The kids have all grown so much this year. Can't wait to go back and take some more photos of them. :)

Maybe Let it out an Inch or so...

2009-09-17T08:09:00.005-05:00

*****Update*****

The seamstress said she could let it out an inch, that's all the extra material there is in the seams to work with. That will work for now, but not sure about 5 weeks from now. Crap. Ashley told me I could wear a shawl, and no one would know that I wasn't zipped all the way in the back. ;o)

As many of you know, my little sister, Ashley, is getting married in October. October 24th to be exact. And I'm very proud to be her chosen maid of honor. :)

Waaaay back in December (it was December wasn't it?) we went dress shopping. And since I knew I'd be losing a bunch of weight, I ordered my dress almost 2 sizes smaller. I was confident that by summer, I'd fit into that dress.

And I did! It fit me beautifully. When I tried it on in April, I was going to have to have the top taken in a bit even because of all the weight I had lost. So yep, I did fit into that dress like I said I would.

Did being the operative word here.

I tried the dress on yesterday, at 22 weeks 2 days pregnant, and it's a bit snug. At least in one part of the dress it is. It fits me beautifully on top, and even fits around the widest part of my belly with room to spare. But there is a seam at the very top of my tummy that just can't accomodate my extra..ahem..girth.

So I'm taking it to a seamstress today, and have my fingers crossed that she can let it out a bit at the top of my belly. And considering I'll be 27 weeks pregnant by then, she may want to let it out 2 inches.

(I Googled to find that dress alteration image at the top, this isn't my seamstress or the bridesmaids dress lol)

He's All Boy.

2009-09-16T07:31:00.003-05:00

Thinking about getting this printed and hang it up in the house somewhere. :)

Pregnancy Week 22

2009-09-15T15:27:00.002-05:00

Just a belly shot this week, as I've already filled you in on everything that's gone on this week in my last few posts. :)

I have had a major growth spurt the last couple of weeks. And by "I" I of course mean the little guy. ;o)

th

Appt Update, and more Due Date Confusion :p

2009-09-15T13:57:00.003-05:00

Well my appt went well today. Didn't find out a whole lot, but no news is usually good news. Dr. P is totally on board with delivering at 37 weeks.

We brought up the due date confusion, and he said that they won't change the due date now- that the earlier ultrasounds are a better indicator of how far along you are than the later ones. Which that's true, they are. So he said he probably is just a big baby. Some babies are born at 6 pounds full term, others at 12 pounds.

So this afternoon I sat down and tried to figure out just where they came up with the Jan. 23rd due date. Because when you calculate it based on my last period, I am due Jan. 18th, not the 23rd.

So I went back and looked at all of my ultrasounds, and how far along it said I was. (I've had 5 ultrasounds already, just in case anyone is keeping track, lol)

- U/S on May 26, I was measruing 6W1D. Which would put my due date at January 18th.

- U/S on June 10, I was measruing 8W2D. Almost right on track, measuring just one day ahead of schedule.

-U/S on August 10th is where they changed my due date. I should have measured 16W 1D, but measured 15W 3D. This is where the discrepencey lies.

-U/S on August 25th, I was measuring 18w 3D, also measuring 5 days behind schedule.

-U/S September 14th (in Springfield yesterday) I measured 23W.

If you go off of my first 2 ultrasounds (which they should for determining due dates) I am due January 18th. And if you base yesterday's ultrasound off of the first 2, the baby is only measuring a week ahead of schedule instead of almost 2 weeks ahead like they thought.

So to make a long (and very confusing) story short, I think my due date is January 18th. Which would make me 22 weeks today.

Why does all of this matter? Because with them delivering me at 37 weeks, we need to know when I'll be 37 weeks. We don't want to go a week early if we can avoid it, and we can't risk going a week later.

So when will this little guy be born? Well, no later than December 27th. But depending on his size, it could be a smidgen earlier.

Hope I didn't confuse you too much. ;o)

Appt Update..and a New Due Date?

2009-09-14T16:20:00.003-05:00

First off, the appt went great! We actually saw a female doctor today, and she was really sweet. The nurse came in and did the ultrasound first, then the doctor came in to talk with us.

She said that my cervix looks great, measuring 4.5cm long. Woo-hoo! That's the longest it's been so far this pregnancy! She told me that I am no more at risk for preterm delivery than any other woman pregnant with a singleton. She said what she thinks happened with my triplet pregnancy was 2 things: the placental abruption I had (the placenta tore away from the wall some and I hemorraged) at 24 weeks, combined with the fact that I was measuring full-term when I delivered at 26 weeks is probably why I went into labor. She said that I do not have cervical incompetence, because all throughout my triplet pregnancy my cervix was great, up until the day I delivered.

So she said as far as that goes, this will be treated as a run-of-the-mill singleton pregnancy. Yay!

She said that the baby looks fantastic, but she said she was confused about the due date that Dr. P's office in Decatur had down for me, which is January 23rd. Also, to add to the confusion, according to Dr. P, I am 21w 2d pregnant today, which would actually make me due January 26th, not the 23rd.

And this is where it gets really confusing...according to my ultrasound today, I am actually 23 weeks pregnant! The baby is measuring 1lb 1oz, and is the size of a 23-week baby.

So I have an appt with Dr. P in Decatur in the morning, and hopefully we'll be able to determine just when my due date is.

This due date confusion is all so funny to me, because over the last couple of weeks I've been telling Davey, "My uterus should just be to my belly button..it's already almost 2 inches past my belly button!" Well, this explains why. LOL!

The doctor in Springfield was going to check into my records to see if I was cut vertically on my uterus. My scar on my belly is vertical, but there is a chance that they cut my uterus horizontally when they delivered the babies. I highly doubt that they did that, but we'll see.

If I was cut vertically on my uterus, then the game plan is to do an amnio at 37 weeks. If the babies lungs are developed, we will deliver that day.

So if I am in fact 23 weeks pregnant, and I deliver at 37 weeks, guess what day that falls on?

Christmas Eve. :)

I'm hoping we can hold off until the day after Christmas, but that will be something we'll discuss tomorrow with Dr. P.

I'll update again tomorrow afternoon!

Maternal/Fetal Specialist Tomorrow..

2009-09-13T21:59:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is my long awaited appointment with the Perinatologist. I'm feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Thankfully my appointment is in the morning, so I won't have to wait around all day thinking about it. My appt is at 10:00am, but it's in Springfield so I have to leave here at 7:30am.

I'll try updating the blog tomorrow afternoon or evening and let you know what I found out. Think good thoughts for us!!

Pregnancy Week 21

2009-09-11T10:52:00.003-05:00

I think I've succumed to the fact that every single week is going to go quickly with this pregnancy. I know...it only took 5 months for me to realize this, right? I think years from now when I look back, the one thing I'm going to remember about this pregnancy is how fast it flew by. Every single week it just hits me, and I'm like, another week?? Already???

Please beware that I may still start out every single weekly update with, "Whew this week went by so fast." ;o)

Week 21 Facts and Symptoms

- As far as facts and symptoms go, this week is kind of boring.

- The baby is 10 1/2 inches long this week, and weighs 3/4 of a pound. Can't believe he weighs almost a pound now!

- We'll be having an extensive ultrasound done on Monday, so we'll find out exactly how much he weighs and how long he is. Also how his heart, organs, and brain look.

- I'm very excited about my appt on Monday. Though a little anxious because it's with a doctor I've never seen before. Hope he's a nice guy. With Davey there things tend to get a little tense if the doctor is a jerk. If you know Davey at all, you know he isn't afraid to say what's on his mind, especially if he doesn't like how his wife or kids are being treated. :p So let's just hope he's a nice, knowledgeable guy, k? K. :)

- I've had some acid reflux at night, not too horrible yet. Hoping it doesn't get bad.

- We still haven't decided on a name. Everyone I know calls him baby Ben. Everyone except Davey! I told him to come up with a name that he likes, but he hasn't yet. So I told him if he doesn't come up with one by the time he's born, his name will be Benjamin. :p I would like for us to agree on a name though. We'll see what happens.

Update from an M.I.A. Blogger

2009-09-10T12:16:00.002-05:00

I feel so horrible that I haven't blogged lately. I'm so sorry guys! Is anyone even still reading? I don't blame ya if you're not!!

The main reason is just that I'm so busy. I don't know how my life has become busier than it was a few months ago, but it most definitely has. I get up at 6:45 to start getting Kadence ready, and get her on the bus by 7:15. Sometimes the babies are up by that time, if not, they're all up by 8 for sure.

Then my day is just a blur of feeding kids, playing with kids, cleaning, doing laundry, putting kids down for their nap, (I typically rest or take a nap when they do), then when they get up it's time for Kadence to get home. I get the kids up from their nap, give them a snack, try to entertain them until about 5 when I start cooking supper. We eat supper, then we almost always go outside and play until about 7:30. We come back in, the kids all watch a DVD together for a half an hour or so, every other night I give them a bath, then we start getting ready for bed.

By that point, I'm exhauted. I relax for a bit, then am in bed by 10:30-11:30. And then it starts all over again the next day. ;o)

But life is good. :)

Kadence is doing wonderful in school, and is loving it. :) I think her teacher loves her too! Kadence said yesterday a little boy was chasing her, and both her and the little boy got in trouble by one of the teacher's helpers. Her teacher said to the little boy, "Did you get my sweet little girl in trouble??" I got such a kick out of that. :)

The babies are all doing great too! Well...aside from this tummy virus that we're dealing with right now. It's been awful. I think the worst of it is over though, thank goodness. So far just Eli, Joe and Rowan have had it. Keeping our fingers crossed that the rest of us don't get it. As far as talking goes, Rowan is definitely talking the most. She can repeat almost anything that you say, (usually she repeats the last word you say) and can say 3-4 word sentences (though she doesn't do that a whole lot yet). She can sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and can almost sing the entire ABC song. She is so much like her big sister it's scary. :) The boys are talking much more now too, though are still a couple of months behind Rowan I'd say. But they're boys. And they'll get there. We're not concerned about them at all. The trio spends most of their day fighting, screaming and arguing. I spend most of my day refereeing. They are most definitely 2, and you can imagine how it is with 3 2-year-olds living under the same roof. With 1 2-year-old, you have the screaming and the tantrums. Kadence was 2 once, so I've been the mommy to a singleton 2-year-old. This is an entirely different ballgame in that they all want what the other one has, or they scream when one of them touches them when they don't want to be touched, or they hit each other over the head with a toy for no apparent reason. It's like friggin' WW3 in here every single day I swear. Especially in the afternoon. Afternoons are the worst. But sometimes they get along too, and that's the fun thing to watch when you have triplets. They have built in buddies. As much as they fight, the rest of the day they're playing, laughing and giggling together. Having triplets is definitely a unique experience, and I'm so glad I get to be a part of it. :)

This little guy in my belly is growing like a little weed. By next week he should weigh a pound! I think he is the most active baby I've ever had. He starts kicking, and sometimes he's awake for 2 hours. 2 hours!! Is it strange that I'm already getting after him for things? "Buddy! Calm down in there and go to sleep! Give Mommy a break!!" LOL. My appt with the Maternal/Fetal specialist is on Monday, and I'll give a full update that evening.

On top of everything, we're also remodeling the kitchen. I've saved up some money from some photography sessions, and decided I wanted to spend it on a big project rather than it all dwindle away and not even know where it went. (which happens so very often) Nothing too major, minor things like paint, curtains and new light fixtures. The biggest thing we're doing is putting in new countertops- which is HUGE to us! We're all caught up on everything until they come in. I can't wait to see it all completed!! I'm going to go shopping for some new decor for the kitchen (pictures for the walls, candles, etc) soon too. I'll share the before and after pictures when it's all done!

Speaking of pictures, I think I have some wedding photos I promised I'd share with you. ;o) I'll get those posted today or tomorrow!

And with everything we're taking out of the kitchen, Davey is incorporating it into his gun room/reloading room. :) So we're inadvertently being "green", when really we're just cheap. ;o) He's been busy cleaning the storage room, garage and his current gun room, he tore down a wall, and he's clearing out space for all the new (used) countertops/shelving for his room. So he gets a room remodel too, and it's the best kind- Free!!

Progression of a Pregnant Belly

2009-09-07T20:26:00.001-05:00

Just for fun, you can see how my belly has grown over the past 20 weeks. :)

Pregnancy Week 20

2009-09-06T10:41:00.003-05:00

20 weeks!! I can't believe it!! Now when I tell people how far along I am, I feel like I'm VERY pregnant. :) At 20 weeks I am well over halfway there. I'm still not sure when they'll decide to deliver me, but my appointment with the Perinatologist is next Monday, and I find myself being excited about that appointment rather than anxious. I can't wait to see what their opinion is on my risks for preterm delivery and possible uterine rupture. They also should tell me at what week I am going to deliver, which is exciting for me. :)

20 Weeks Facts and Symptoms

- I've been feeling great this week, no more pains or pressure. (fingers crossed)

- I have been getting tired in the middle of the day and whether I have time for a nap or not, I always try to lay down for at least 15 minutes to get a little rest.

- The baby has periods of being awake and asleep now. Rather than just a random kick here and there, he will wake up and stay up for 30-45 minutes at a time and wiggle and kick the whole time. Then he falls back asleep and sleeps for hours most times.

- By week 20, the baby weighs around 10.5 ounces and is 10 inches long! Starting at week 20 they measure a baby from it's head to it's toes, and no longer from it's head to it's rump.

- I find it absolutely mind-boggling that the triplets were only 13-inches long when they were born.

- My appt. with my regular OB is next Tuesday, so maybe we'll have an actual date set for delivery!

Remember These Little Guys?

2009-08-27T22:26:00.007-05:00

It's been so long since I've shared pics of the babies, I'm afraid you may have forgotten what they look like! So to refresh your memory

Rowan

Joey

Elijah (in Daddy's hat, welding jacket, and boots. He insisted on wearing them.)

Eli and Rowan playing in a box together. :)

Eli and Rowan giving kisses

Eli and Rowan cheesin' it. :)

Joe Joe man wanted some camera time too, so he snuck into the shot.

They're still just as cute as ever. And ornery. Did I mention ornery?

Pregnancy Week 19

2009-08-27T22:09:00.005-05:00

If the past few weeks had slowed down, this week certainly made up for it. This one flew by. Thinking it had something to do with it being Kadence's first week of school, and adjusting to a new schedule with the little ones.

Facts and Symptoms

- I went to the doctor a week earlier than I was scheduled because I was feeling some pain and pressure. After an ultrasound and a talk with the doctor, he thought it could be my c-section scar stretching causing the pain. But baby looked great, and my cervix is holding strong at 3.75cm. Yay!

- I must feel the baby kick at least 30 times a day now. I can tell when he's awake and when he's asleep. He's VERY active when he's awake. His favorite thing to do is bounce on my cervix. I think he thinks it's a trampoline.

- I feel the biggest kicks on my upper right side and towards the middle. Not sure if it's his feet or his hands. I think he still has lots of wiggle room in there, so maybe he's doing flips. :)

- A week ago after I posted my 18 week update, I felt a kick from the outside of my belly with my hand. I LOVE when they get that big! So far Davey's mom is the only other person who has felt it, but it won't be long and he'll be kicking that strongly all the time.

- He weighed 8oz. in the ultrasound on Tuesday. He will double his weight by week 22. Can you say growing pains for mommy? :)

And here is the lastest pictures of our little man.

Isn't he adorable?? This was the first time we've seen his profile. What a handsome little guy!

And for those who doubted that those were actually boy parts in the last u/s, this one should clear things up. :) Our sons are never modest in the womb. Our daughters were both extremely modest. Boys...

Pregnancy week 18

2009-08-22T09:49:00.002-05:00

I'm closing in on the 20-week mark, can't believe it!

Week 18 Facts and Symptoms

- By week 18, the baby is measuring around 5.6 inches long, and weighs almost 7 oz. You're getting big little guy! (so crazy for me to think that Joey and Rowan weighed just 29 oz. at birth...)

- I can feel the baby kicking quite a bit now! At the beginning of this week I only felt him 1 time the first day, 2 times the next day. Now I probably feel him kick 6-12 times a day. The kicks are increasing with each passing day, and I get a huge smile on my face with every single kick I feel. :) He's also been dancing on my bladder, which doesn't make me smile much.

- I started to get more worried this week about things. Premature labor is always in the back of my mind- that's something we never want to experience again. I give the baby little pep talks and say, "Ok buddy, I want you to be chubby and healthy, at least 5 pounds when you are born." I'm hoping that helps. ;o) My biggest concern right now isn't preterm labor though, it's rupturing. With the way my c-section was done with the triplets (vertically) it weakens my uterus for this current pregnancy. I haven't had a chance to have my questions answered yet as my appt with the Peri isn't until September 14th. I'm hoping he can give me some answers when I see him, and get a gameplan of when I'm going to deliver. My OB suggested delivering at 38 weeks, but I'm not sure I should even go that far. Another mom that I spoke with online who also has the vertical c-section scar said that her peri recommended delivering at 35 weeks. So I'm curious to see what the specialist will say.

- Been feeling great other than the worrying! Belly is definitely growing, and you can tell that I'm pregnant now for sure. I'm really enjoying this, as this will be the last time I'll ever get to have this cute little belly. ^_^ Also why I'm savoring each little kick. (except for the ones on my bladder)

Prayers for Annaleigh

2009-08-22T09:34:00.002-05:00

A couple of months ago, I heard about a fellow triplet mom that delivered her babies at just 25 weeks. I have been following their blog since the babies were born.

My heart just ached for them as I watched the parents struggle to adjusting to life in the nicu, and their babies struggling for their lives. It brought back a flood of memories...

The babies have done amazingly well, up until lastnight. Their precious baby girl Annaleigh was diagnosed with NEC yesterday. (if you remember Rowan had NEC while in the NICU too, a very deadly bowel infection for preemies) When the surgeon went in to take a look at how bad it was, he found that her entire bowel was dead. And Annaleigh will not make it through the weekend.

Being a former NICU Mom, I can't imagine what a blow this was for her parents. At the beginning, with babies so tiny, you prepare yourself for these things. You have your guard up.(though losing a baby would be devastating at any time, absolutely no doubt about that) But 2 months into your NICU stay...Annaleigh was off of all breathing assistance, was wearing clothes, and just doing fantastic. And then to find out in one afternoon that your little girl who you thought was on her way to coming home, wasn't going to make it through the weekend.

This absolutely breaks my heart. Please pray for this family as they deal with the loss of their baby. I think of their room all set up at home for bringing home 3 babies...when instead they'll be bringing home 2. :( So very sad. :(

If you would like to follow Brooke's story, click here.

My Little Kindergartener

2009-08-21T14:09:00.005-05:00

Well, I survived my first day of Kindergarten. Er, Kadence's first day of Kindergarten I should say. I actually did remarkably well, especially for an already emotional pregnant mommy. The night before I cannot say the same, as I cried like a little baby. I read her The Kissing Hand, and cried all the way through it. (though I hid it from her, didn't want to upset her) Then I tucked her in, went in the living room, and cried some more.

So I didn't do so well the night before, but I only teared up a little bit when I pulled away from the school the morning of. (ok, so I teared up a lot, but I didn't full out cry)

And today, I did fantastic! I think I just needed to get past the first day, and I'll be ok from here on out.

She had a blast yesterday, by the way. :) She couldn't wait to go back. She told me that they played in the gym, and had a cookie for a snack, and that her teacher was really funny because she pretended that the mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie had stolen all of the cookies. And she made 2 new friends, she proudly announced. Though she couldn't remember their names. (she gets that from her mother)

One of the first things she said to me when I picked her up yesterday was, "I hardly even missed you Mom!!" :) I told her, "See! I told you that you wouldn't even have time to miss me!" She was awfully worried about missing me, and her Daddy and her brothes and sister and her kitties while she was at school. :)

Today was her first full day, yesterday she only went for 2 hours. So I can't wait to see what adventures she had today. ^_^

Escape Artist

2009-08-18T21:51:00.003-05:00

Guess who has learned to climb out of his crib this week? Over and over and over again?

Eli.

I am awaken every morning with giggles coming from the hallway. He gets out of bed, then plays peek-a-boo with Joey (who is still stuck in his crib) until I get out of bed and come and get him. Sigh. I'm not ready to move him to a toddler bed yet, because I KNOW he won't stay laid down in it. Right now I can lay him in his crib and tell him not to climb out of it, and he usually listens (until he wakes up, then he's at the door again). He must have learned how to shimmy down the side, because he doesn't make a sound when he climbs out.

Crib tents won't work for him either. He's one destructive little dude. He'd have those things tore up in one nap.

The boys are also waking up at 7:15 a.m. now, at least an hour earlier than they were before he started climbing out of his bed. This will make getting Kadence ready for school and down to the bus stop interesting...

Pregnancy Week 17

2009-08-16T20:38:00.003-05:00

17 weeks along now! I think the weeks (as far as the pregnancy goes) are slowing down a bit. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it was flying by before, which scared me a bit, and bad because I also don't want the pregnancy to seem like it's crawling for the remaining 21 weeks. Can't we find a happy medium? :)

Week 17 Facts and Symptoms

- The big news this week is that I am feeling REAL kicks now!! In fact, I felt my first one yesterday! Up until yesterday all I had felt was fluttering every now and then. But the little guy is big enough now to give his Mommy a good kick every now and again. ;o) This is the time in the pregnancy when it starts getting fun!

- I had a contraction today. Nothing to worry about, just a really strange feeling to feel again after not being pregnant for 2 years! It was the only one I had, so no worries.

- My appt. with the Perinatologist (maternal-fetal specialist) has been set up for September 14th (if I remember correctly). He won't see patients until they are 20 weeks, I remember that from my triplet pregnancy. Which I'm totally cool with this time. I have absolutely no worries of anything going wrong between now and then.

- I had to pull out my maternity clothes today as my shirts just keep getting shorter as the weeks go on, and my shorts tighter. To my disappointment, my old maternity clothes are all HUGE on me after losing all of this weight over the past year. Which kinda stinks, because I really hate buying maternity clothes when this will be my last pregnancy. Ah well.

- This little guy should be around 5oz. this week, but he's an over-achiever and weighed 5oz. two weeks ago. ;o) He should also be 5in. from crown to rump.

- Joey adores the baby. (did I tell you this already?) He will walk up to me and ask to see the baby, and he'll just giggle, and make the sweetest noises, and give my belly kisses and hugs. It is the sweetest thing ever. ^_^

Back from Galena

2009-08-12T10:43:00.006-05:00

Ok, so actually we made it back on Sunday. But I'm just now getting a chance to blog about it! We brought my niece Logan home with us, and between taking care of all of the kids and editing wedding photos, I haven't had much of a chance to do anything else!

The wedding was beautiful. I wish that I could share some photos with you, but I must wait until the bride and groom get home from their honeymoon! They get to see them first. ;o) I've still got quite a bit of editing to do, but I'll make sure and post some of my favs as soon as I can!

On Thursday evening my sister Mindy and I took the kids and walked a bit in downtown Galena. And today's your lucky day, because I can share those photos with you!

(My niece Morgan, Kadence, my nephew Josh, and my niece Logan)
We found this really cool old door- which the kids thought was sooo freaky. An (admittedly kind of scary looking) man was walking down the sidewalk at the time and overheard them....

...and as he walked by said, "Booooooo!" Scared the bajeezus out of them! It was hilarous!!!

We walked on down a little further, and came across the Galena Fire Department. We were standing there ooh-ing and ahh-ing over it when a fireman pulled up in his SUV and told us we were welcome to come take a look around. The kids were psyched!

They even got to go inside of the firetruck!

And Kay Kay was kind enough to let her Mommy snap this cute pic of her sitting on the front of the firetruck. And pose oh-so-adorably-cute. Thanks Kay Kay. ;o)

And a little sneak-peek at our little flower girl. :)

Everything is going well as far as the pregnancy goes, I know I didn't do a weekly update last week, but I'll be doing one this week. Not much going on but more growing! Which is a good thing!

A Face, a Foot, and some Boy Parts :)

2009-08-05T16:09:00.002-05:00

Here is a face shot of our little buddy. :) Good lookin' skull little guy!

And here's a little bitty foot- which the u/s tech told us was not quite an inch long. :)

And proof that he is indeed a little boy. :) You're looking at his little butt cheeks and thighs here, and right in the middle there you'll see his "goods".

And his name? Well, that's a bit tricky. You see, I am absolutely, 100% in love with this name. The moment I came up with it, I knew that that's who this little guy was. Remember last week when I said I was 99.9% sure he was a boy? That's because last week I was going through baby names again, and came that name again. And it just got stuck in my head- I couldn't think of any other boy names, and girl names were completely off the table. I just knew.

Davey, on the other hand, doesn't have quite as strong feelings towards the name as I do. He likes the name. He says it's a good name. He's just not attached to it like I am. I'm hoping he comes around. ;o)

The name I love, is Benjamin. ^_^

Kadence loves it too. She adores it, actually. One of the first things she said as we were leaving the doctor's office was, "Mommy! Now we can name him Benjamin!" She will randomly walk up to me several times a day and kiss my belly and say, "I love you Ben." ^_^ And the triplets (especially Rowan) will point at my belly and say, "Ben!" So at this point I really don't know how the heck we could ever change it. Perhaps Davey will grow to love it as much as we all do. :)

On a serious note, some of you were curious as to why I had my ultrasound a month early. Good question! When I first started seeing this OB, he assured me this would be a normal, run-of-the-mill pregnancy. Then yesterday he tells me that he's concerned about how early I delivered the triplets, and the reasoning behind it. 26 weeks is extremely early even for triplets (the average being 32 weeks). So he ordered an u/s and cervical length check on me yesterday, and is sending me back to Springfield to a specialist to get his opinion. I requested the same Perinatologist I had when I was going through my triplet pregnancy. I figured he knew my case better than anyone, and might be able to give me an idea of how concerned/unconcerned I should be.

I'm not panicking by any means. Just being precautious. I'm actually very glad that the doctors will be following me more closely now- it will put my mind at ease knowing that everything is going ok. Oh, I also am now restricted to carrying 20-pounds, so I can no longer pick up the triplets. Makes things a bit tricky around here, but we're figuring out how to manage. This is more due to my risk of uterine rupture from my previous c-section scar than his worry about me delivering early, though that has a bit to do with it too.

I leave in the morning for Galena, Illinois for my nephews wedding! I'm photographing it, and Kadence is the flower girl. How sweet will she be??

Gaga is coming over to watch the trio while we're gone. Gaga is a Godsend! With me photographing the wedding, and not being able to pick them up, and Davey not getting there until Friday afternoon, there was just no way I could bring them. I'll miss them a whole bunch, but I know they'll be totally spoiled by Gaga while I'm gone. They're in good hands. ;o)

Be back Saturday sometime! Have a good weekend!

We Found Out That We Are Having A....

2009-08-05T10:15:00.000-05:00

After a surprise ultrasound yesterday (wasn't expecting one for four weeks!), we were able to find out what we're having!!!

I am so thankful that I decided to run back in and grab my camera before I left the house, because I was able to record Kadence's reaction as the u/s tech told us what we were having! (and my reaction too!) Davey wasn't there (was at home watching the trio) but he didn't mind that the u/s tech didn't tell him what we were having- me and Kadence came up with a super cute way to tell him when we got home. :)

So I got to experience this awesome moment with my Kay Kay- and it was one of the most precious, most awesome moments we've ever shared together. ^_^

So do you want to know what we're having?

Then turn your speakers up and watch this little video! It will be like you were right there in the u/s room with us when we found out. ;o) Kadence is so adorable, she was so excited she couldn't sit still!!

Pregnancy Week 15

2009-07-31T14:35:00.004-05:00

Another week has gone by again? Really?

I know...I know. I say that every week. And probably will until the weeks stop flying by. They will slow down eventually, right?

Week 15 Facts and Symptoms

- The BIG news this week is that we have decided on a boys name! I will post that in a later post though. I'll keep you waiting in suspense, just for fun. ;o)

- I am 99.9% convinced that I am carrying a boy.

- I could be 99.9% wrong about that.

- We won't find out for another month if we're having a boy or a girl, and it's starting to drive me nuts.

- I'm not really craving anything yet. Except for salads. Which isn't such a bad thing to crave when you're pregnant. I do crave sweets at night before we go to bed, but considering we have literally ZERO sweets in our house, I've been staying away from them. I finished off the Hershey's Hot Fudge that I had been munching on, and now I've got nothin'. TIP: Never send your husband to go grocery shopping- especially if he doesn't like sweets to begin with. He brought me no goodies. He's so fired.

- Trying my best to eat healthy and not gain a lot of weight during this pregnancy. By not a lot, I mean no more than 20-25 pounds. So don't worry...I'm still eating. ;o)

- The baby is about 4 inches from crown to rump at week 15, and is about the size of an apple.

- The baby is now moving amniotic fluid through it's nose and upper respiratory tract.

- The baby can sense light, and will move away from the beam if you shine a flashlight at your belly. (we haven't tried this...babycenter.com said so though)

- My belly grew like WILDFIRE this week. And I felt it too. It HURT. Between the crampiness and the round ligament pains...it was brutal. Still is hurting even as we speak. Baby must be going through a major growth spurt.

And here's me on Tuesday of this week (not quite 15 weeks in this pic), after I went dress shopping for a rehearsal dinner I am going to next week.

Told ya I really popped out this week!!!!

Holy pregnant bellies batman!

My next appt is on Tuesday, I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Keep the Names Coming!

2009-07-28T13:45:00.002-05:00

I'm loving all of the baby name suggestions you guys have been giving me! Some of them I'll read and be like, "Hey Davey! What about this name?"

Unfortunately, Davey is the PICKIEST person in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD when it comes to picking out baby names. If I've told him 1,000 baby names I've liked, he's liked 2 of them. It's pathetic.

But don't worry, I'm jotting down the names that I like, and I'll keep throwing them at him. ;o)

Only 5 more weeks and we'll hopefully know the sex of this little baby, then we can really narrow down names, at least to a specific gender LOL.

At the beginning of this pregnancy, I had decided that if the baby was a girl, I was going to give her a girly name- something that ended in a "y" sound preferrably. But now I've changed my mind, and I'm set on a strong name like Kadence or Rowan. I do have a girl name that fits this criteria, but I haven't decided if I'm going to announce it yet. I'm not 100% set on the name just yet, but pretty close. Nothing else stands out to me. (well, there are a couple more that I really like, but Davey doesn't at all.) I'm always so hesitant to tell people the names that I like, because you either get "ooh I like that!" or, "ew. I don't like that at all."

As for boy names, we've got nothin'. There are some boy names that I LOVE, but Davey HATES. And he has only given me 2 names that he likes, and I don't like them. So what can ya do. Sigh.

Time to put these three little busy bodies down for a nap- right after I break up the fight between Joey and Rowan that's going on right now in the living room.

Girls Day Out

2009-07-27T11:44:00.003-05:00

You know that sweet little blonde girl I have?

Yep, this beautiful little girl right here...

I'm taking her school shopping today. We're going to pick out school supplies, and backpacks, and shoes, and new clothes. And we're going to giggle, and laugh, and have the best time ever. And Kay Kay gets to pick somewhere yummy to eat. And I'm going to take lots of fun pictures of our special day.

As hard as it is for me to see her growing up right before my very eyes, as difficult as it is for me to be preparing to send her out into the world, I am so excited to be experiencing this with my daughter. I am so very proud of her, and the little person that she has become. And I can't wait for the world to see just how special she is, too.

And now I am officially crying like a baby.

:)

Emergency Prayer Request for Stellan

2009-07-27T09:36:00.003-05:00

I've asked for prayers before for Stellan, as many of you probably remember. Right now Stellan is in bad shape. His heart is no longer working efficiently, he is no longer urinating, and is deteriorating quickly. MckMama's latest Tweet said that their parents and families were on their way up to the hospital.

My heart is breaking this morning as I read her updates. I can't imagine one of my children going through this. Having almost lost my babies before, I can relate to the fear she must be feeling. But Stellan is 9 months old, and the ups and downs they've had with him...I just don't know how they've handled all of this...

Will you please say a prayer for this family?

Thank you so much. I'm going to go hug my children now.

Pregnancy Week 14

2009-07-25T22:53:00.003-05:00

Well another week has flown by, and with not much to report.

- I'm still tired this week. Though I haven't been taking naps anymore, I wish I were. Lol. I'm not as tired as I was at the beginning, but still tired. I'm getting the feeling that the fatigue won't go away entirely. Oh how I miss the days where I could be pregnant and not have to take care of any children, or just one child. Ok I really don't miss not having any children. That came out wrong. Oh, you know what I meant.

- My clothes are getting snugger. I can still fit into all of my jeans and shorts though, so that's encouraging. I'm not sure how much weight I've gained so far. At my last appt I had only gained a pound from my previous appointment. I know it will be more this time though. Seeing the numbers going up on the scale is tough for me. Even a pound and I'm freaking out. I really need to have Davey hide the scales and just weigh-in at doctor appts.

- The baby is 4in from crown to rump, which would make it what? 7 inches tall now? That's crazy. What's even more crazy is that the triplets were only 13 inches long when they were born.

- Kadence is still very excited about getting a new brother or sister. The triplets have no clue that I actually have a baby in my tummy, and that one of these days I'll be bringing it home. Lol. Boy won't they be surprised. :)

- Still no names picked out. We're taking suggestions. Need a girl's name that goes well with Kadence and Rowan, and a boy's name that goes well with Elijah and Joey (or Joseph). The girl's name I'd like to be a little different than the norm, and the boys name I'd like to be very normal. LOL. Who knows what we'll finally decide on. Maybe it will be easier to name it when we find out if it's a boy or a girl. I sure hope so.

Off to bed I go. It's 11:00, and I have to be on the road with 5 kids by 9:30 tomorrow morning for a 5-hour round-trip. (6-7 hours if you include visiting with my sister and my Mom at the halfway meeting point) Say a little prayer for me that the kids all behave themselves. ;)

Inspired- Morgan and Kay Kay

2009-07-24T21:14:00.005-05:00

With my niece staying the week here with us, I wanted to surprise my sister Mindy by doing a photo shoot of Morgan while she was here. So I took Morgan outside yesterday and we did a fun little photoshoot. :)

Who knew our little farm would make the cutest little backdrop for our photos? I love that we got some shots of her with some of the animals too. TOO cute. :)

I also got some adorable pictures of Morgan and Kay Kay together(and snuck in a couple of just Kay Kay). We'll have to frame one of these pictures of the girls Mindy so they'll always remember this fun week they had together!

If you'd like to see all of the photoshoot, go to my website, and click on "proofing" at the top. The password is "morgan".

1 vs. 3

2009-07-20T23:26:00.004-05:00

Oftentimes I compare this pregnancy to my last pregnancy, which of course, was much, much different than my current pregnancy. One baby vs. 3. One placenta vs. 3. Normal amount of hormones vs. 3x the hormones.

And so on and so forth.

Tonight I was reminising about the (few) months that I was pregnant with the trio, and went back in my photo archives and found a picture of my belly when I was 14 weeks along. I had to go back to my photo I took this past Saturday to compare.

13 weeks pregnant with current singleton baby

14 weeks pregnant with triplets

Whew.

It's so amazing how fast you grow when you're carrying 3 babies.

And from now on whenever I feel tired, I'm going to go back to my photo archives and look at how big my belly was during that week with my triplet pregnancy. I'm thinking it will make me feel a whole lot better about my current situation. ;o)

I still haven't decided though which is harder...having a 3-year-old at home and being pregnant with triplets, or having a 5-year-old and three 2-year-olds at home and being pregnant with one baby...I'm going to say it's a tie. ;o)

Pregnancy Week 13

2009-07-18T12:59:00.005-05:00

Well, not a lot to report since my last (very late) update I posted on Wednesday. The BIG news of this week is...

- I'm in my 2nd trimester!!!

I can't believe it. I asked Davey the other day, "Where the heck did the 1st trimester go??" He said he didn't know.

Other than that, not a lot to report this week. Boring I know.

As you can see, my belly is sticking out more this week than it was 2 weeks ago! Here in the next few weeks I should really start feeling this little one moving around and kicking. For now, I just feel him/her occasionally when he/she does a flip, or sometimes he/she's really flipping around in there. But it's not very often.

We were going to wait to find out the sex of this baby and let it be a big suprise, but Kadence really wants to find out at our 20 week ultrasound. So I'm thinking we'll take her with us that day so she can be there when the u/s tech announces if she's getting a baby brother or sister. :) I honestly don't know if I could have waited until the end to find out anyway. I'm not a very patient person. :p We waited to find out with Kadence, and I was FOR SURE I was carrying a boy. When the doctor held her up, I said, "It's a GIRL!?!?!?!" I also think I'm carrying a boy this time, so maybe that means it's a girl, LOL.

Off to pick up my niece Morgan! She's staying the week with us!

Better Late than Never

2009-07-17T20:58:00.006-05:00

So I realize it's July 17, and the 4th was almost 2 weeks ago... but I really wanted to share some pictures with you! So I hope you don't mind...

The kids all LOVED the fireworks. I was a tad bit worried about the babies reaction as it was their first time seeing the fireworks.(seriously..someday I will stop calling them that. I just hate calling them the "triplets" (we never call them the triplets at home, or in conversation) and so babies is all I've got. The "toddlers" sounds weird)

Anywho, they LOVED the fireworks! We actually saw two different shows, one in Shelbyville, and the other in Fairfield where Davey was the one on the ground lighting the fireworks! This is his second year doing it- he absolutely loves it. Wiring up things, and blowing up things...the guy is in heaven.

Joey loved it the most, he laughed, clapped and pointed to the sky the entire show. Davey was so proud- a mini little pyro like himself. Lol. Rowan also loved it, and most of the show danced around on the blanket and giggled. :) Elijah was very interested in the whole thing, but mostly just sat on his Daddy's lap sucking his thumb. :)

And Ms. Kadence watched the show just as her Mommy did when she was a little girl- with her fingers planted firmly in her ears. :) She loves watching the show, but doesn't enjoy the sound. Especially the "salutes"- the ones that really get you in the chest when they go off. I still hate those. LOL.

Daddy and his boys. :) (Joey on left, Eli on right)

Kay Kay and her dolly watching the fireworks. Notice her fingers in her ears. :)

Rowan with her fingers in her ears too!

Check out Joey pointing at the fireworks, and how happy Daddy is that Joey's loving it so much. :)

Me and Kadence

Me and Elijah

My best-friend Shelby and her adorable little boy Collin! Shelby is also pregnant- just 4 weeks behind me!

Before the fireworks, we played at the park. :)

Rowan and Kadence having fun :)

Joey, Collin and Rowan playing on the slide

Rowan met a new little friend. (no clue who he belonged to or where his parents were, LOL)

Joey and Collin going down the slide together

At Pizza Hut before the fireworks

Pregnancy Week 12

2009-07-15T15:22:00.003-05:00

I am super late posting this, I'm actually closer to 13 weeks now than I am 12! But I just wanted to check in and let you know that I'm doing just fine. Davey has been off of work since July 3rd, and doesn't go back until August 3rd (plant shut-down for the month at Caterpillar in Decatur) so I haven't had much time to jump on the computer the past couple of weeks. Plus I've been so busy with the kids, I feel my day is over before it even begins most days!

Not a whole lot to report for week 12, but here's a few little things.

- I had an appt last week with my OB, we heard the heartbeat! The baby is now big enough that we can hear it's heartbeat with the little doppler thingy they put on your belly. The doc didn't tell us how fast it was, but so far it's been much faster than my other babies. Kadence's always ran in the 140's, the triplets were always in the 150's, and this baby has been running in the high 170's. I'll make sure and ask what it's heartrate is at the next appt. on August 4th.

- I asked the doctor at what point I needed to start being careful due to my risk of uterine rupture, and he said that I needed to be careful through my entire pregnancy. GREAT. I figured it would be much later on that I'd have to worry about that, but apparently not. So no more push-mowing or lifting heavy objects for me. I am still lifting the trio, but only when I have to. (meal times, nap time and bedtime)

- I can feel the baby moving occasionally, though not all the time. I think I feel it when it's rolling around in there. It gets really rowled(sp?) up at night time, which is when Kadence and the trio were always most active, so this comes as no surprise to me. :)

- My uterus has almost reached my belly button, which I find absolutely insane! (I can only feel it when I have a full bladder though.) I kept telling myself the past couple of months, "Oh I'm not that far along..." and now all of the sudden my uterus is to my belly button. What the crap. I have a feeling this will be the fastest pregnancy I've ever had. LOL. Even if I go to 40 weeks(which I won't) it will still fly by.

I'll post a belly picture on Friday or Saturday. Only 2 more days of the first trimester!

3 Little Acrobats

2009-07-07T19:29:00.004-05:00

2 posts from me today, what is up with me?!

I heard some thumps and some giggles coming from the living room today while I was cleaning up in the kitchen, and this is what I found. I know sometimes they really bonk their heads! Crazy kids, geesh!

Thought you'd enjoy watching them laugh and play. I know I do. :)

Going to Town

2009-07-07T15:27:00.005-05:00

Last week Gaga and I loaded up all 4 munchkins and we went to town. Something we don't do very often! We went out to eat at a restaurant, then went to Menard's and Wal-Mart. The babies were so good! Not one single whine or meltdown out of any of them. Amazing! Now that I've seen that going to town with 4 kids can be fun, we may do it more often. It would just be to get out of the house...as you can imagine, going to the store with 4 kids isn't very practical. ;o)

Pregnancy Week 11

2009-07-02T23:40:00.004-05:00

**I'm posting this a couple days late, it's been a BUSY weekend! Lots of cute pics to share, but as always, not enough time! I promise I'll try my best to get them posted soon!**

Week 11 Facts and Symptoms

- At week 11, the baby is around 2in. long, and would fit in the palm of your hand.

- (Found this fact really interesting!) In the next three weeks your baby will go through a tremendous growth spurt, almost doubling in size. At no other time in your baby's life will she undergo as many rapid changes as are occurring during this stage of your pregnancy.

- This past week has been wonderful! My fatigue and nausea is all GONE!!! *knocks on wood* I feel 100 times better than I have the past month! **edited to add, I typed this up on Thursday, and wouldn't you know it, my fatigue has returned. Of course. **

- Now that the nausea is gone, the cravings have set in. I have been craving watermelon, cantelope, and waffles. :)

- I've gained 3 pounds since I have gotten pregnant. Which I am actually very happy with! I went from a 1300 calorie diet and working out 5-6 days a week to not really watching what I eat and not exercising at all. So a 3 pound gain? Yeah! I'll take that!! I'm watching what I eat now that I'm feeling better, and now that I have energy I think just getting outside more and going for walks will help keep me from gaining too much weight. I'm afraid to push myself too hard after the doctor warned me of my uterus rupturing. I'm sure that's much later on in the pregnancy when I have to worry about that, but it scares the bejeezus out of me!

And here's my 11 week belly shot. I'm sure I don't look much bigger than last week. I need to wear the same shirt for the belly pics because it's harder to see it in this pic. It looks like I just really need to do some sit-ups. Lol.

4 Little Reasons I Get Up Every Morning

2009-07-01T09:55:00.004-05:00

I snapped this pic of the kids yesterday at their great-grandma's house (Sarver Gaga) with my little point and shoot camera. The quality is not great, to say the least.

But it is probably my most treasured photo now. :)

(from L to R: Eli, Kadence, Rowan, Joey)

Rowan, You're Such a Big Girl!

2009-06-29T21:40:00.004-05:00

Today I went digging through the storage shed and found Kadence's old potty chair. Rowan has been hinting that she's ready to start potty training, so I thought we'd at least introduce the potty. (we've tried sitting her on the big potty with one of those kid's potty chair attachments to no avail)

As soon as she saw it she immediately wanted her diaper off. She'd sit on it, then get up and walk around, then come back and sit on it some more. After about 20 minutes and still no pee, I went into the kitchen to get sippy cups for everyone. Just as I entered the kitchen, Kadence started yelling something about Rowan and peeing.

I figured she had peed on the floor, but as I entered the living room, I saw a little bit of pee on the potty chair lid, and upon opening, saw some inside too. I guess she decided she had to go NOW, and didn't have time to get the lid up!

But she went pee pee in the potty! (or on, haha! Either way she hit the potty darnit)

We're going to get her some big girl panties tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Here's a video of Rowan right after she peed in the potty. I had just given her a malted milk ball (a Whopper, it was the only chocolate we had in the house, LOL) so that's why she keeps going back to the cupboard. And try your best to ignore Elijah screaming. Even in the best moments in our house, someone is throwing a tantrum somewhere.

Picture Catch-up

2009-06-27T13:25:00.003-05:00

It's been a loooong time since I've shared pics of the babies! So I went through my files and came up with these total random photos to share with you. :)

Remember a month or so ago when the kids were all sick? This is the 4 of them all snuggling together on the floor watching a movie. How sweet is that? Rowan and Eli of course are sucking their thumbs.

Rowan was sleepy- you can tell because she starts sniffing her blanky.

Joey on the left, Eli on the right

Joey driving his car. :)

The 4 amigos. Joey looks kinda goofy in this pic, but the other 3 were smiley and cute so I had to share it. That and it's just plain rare to get a group shot of them.

That's all for now! Must go clean some more! Or take a nap..can't decide. ;o)

Pregnancy Week 10

2009-06-26T13:56:00.003-05:00

Week 10 Facts and Symptoms

- The baby has moved past the embryonic stage, and into the all important fetal period! A woman's risk of miscarriage drops significantly at week 10. It's always a relief to make it to this stage!

- The baby is measuring about 1 1/2 inches now from the top of it's head to it's rump, and is about the size of a lemon.

- My uterus, which started out as the size of a small pear, is now the size of a grapefruit.

- My belly is definitely starting to round out a bit, which I'm sure is a combination of my uterus growing and just being bloated in general (which is very common in early pregnancy) I in fact have my very first belly shot to share with you! I actually "feel" pregnant at this point. Up until my belly starts sticking out I just don't feel pregnant- but now I definitely do.

(please excuse my "smile"...it was the best belly shot of the bunch. Plus it was late. Lol.)

- My main symptom is fatigue, can't wait to get past that.

- Still dealing with nausea as well. I actually threw up for the first time in ANY of my pregnancies last Friday. I was loading up the van for our weekend trip, and it just hit me. I turned around as quickly as I could and threw up right there in the front yard. EW. If you knew how much I HATE throwing up...

So I guess that's it for week 10! OH, I'm also getting very panicky that I only have 28 weeks to go. That just sounds scary. 6 1/2 months and this little peanut will be here. So funny how with my prior pregnancies I couldn't wait to get to the end and meet our new little person. Time seemed to stand still! And this time, while I'm still super excited to meet him/her, I'm also ok with the next 28 weeks going by verrry slowly. :) Remind me of this when I'm 35 weeks pregnant and miserable, ok?

Weddings, and Iowa

2009-06-24T21:46:00.003-05:00

Kadence and I made it home safe and sound from our trip to Iowa this weekend. Sorry it took so long to update!

The wedding went great! The bride was beautiful, the wedding went well (aside from the scorching heat, but we survived), and my maid of honor speech was a hit- I got teary eyed during it, and I made Stephanie (the bride) cry. One of the few moments in life where it's absolutely acceptable to make your best friend cry. ;o)

Kadence had lots of fun hanging out with her cousin Logan and her Aunt Missy(my sister). Saturday they spent 4 1/2 hours at the pool- Kadence was in heaven. (Remember this is the child who enjoyed the hotel pool in Florida better than anything at Disney World.) Saturday evening Missy dropped her off at the reception so she could hang out with me for a bit and say hello to Stephanie and Jason.

Unfortunately I forgot my memory card, so I have absolutely NO PICTURES of the wedding. What was I thinking??? Hmm...apparently I wasn't. So as people get them uploaded to Facebook and what not, I'll steal them and share them with you. :)

For now, I found this one on one of my friends pages and had to share it. I LOVE this picture of me and Kay Kay!! Vickie, if you're reading this, thank you so much for snapping this pic of us!

Pregnancy Week 9

2009-06-18T21:44:00.004-05:00

So I saw this on another blog and thought it was a cute idea. I thought what the hey. This may be my 3rd pregnancy, but I can still be excited and post little details like this if I want to. ;o) It's always fun to look back on it later.

No belly shots just yet. Though my belly is definitely swollen, I think I just look like I really need to go poo. :p No one would guess that I'm pregnant at this point. Just that I look bloated. So perhaps in a few weeks when I actually do look pregnant, I'll start posting some belly shots. ;o)

Week 9 Facts and Symptoms

- The baby is an inch long this week!

- It no longer has a tail!

- My 3 main pregnancy symptoms (which haven't changed much over the past 4 weeks) are fatigue, nausea, and headaches. Still taking daily naps (when I can) and even when I do, I am still so tired all day. The nausea has let up some over the last couple of days (knock on wood) but the headaches aren't giving up just yet.

- Remember when I was pregnant with the triplets and Kadence thought she was pregnant too? Well, now when I ask Rowan where the baby is, she lifts up her shirt and points at her belly. :)

And I'm totally procrastinating...it's 10:00pm and I haven't even started packing for our weekend trip to Iowa. Did I mention we're leaving here at 8:00am? I really don't like packing.

Sigh.

All right already. I'm getting up...I promise.

Yawns.

Heat Advisory

2009-06-18T16:33:00.004-05:00

Is it hot where you're at today? Like, REALLY hot? It is here. Currently at 4:35 p.m. the temperature is 89 degrees...but with the heat index it feels like 98 degrees. Y.U.C.K.

So needless to say we're staying indoors this afternoon. Which let me tell ya, makes for a very looong afternoon for Mommy.

Kadence and I are getting out of town for the weekend! (sorry Davey) My best friend is getting married, and I'm the maid of honor! Kadence is coming along for the drive (to keep me company!) and she gets to see her Aunt Missy and her cousin Logan. She's so excited. ^_^ So today I've been getting the house cleaned up, getting Kadence's laundry done, and then I have to pack tonight sometime.

Oh, and for those of you who were wondering what new animals we added to the farm..

2 baby sheep! There names are Sheep and Goat. Davey is constantly calling them goats (his family had goats growing up, no sheep), so that name just sort of stuck. And Kadence named the other one Sheep. LOL. We're so original aren't we?

Have a great weekend!

Jesus Froggy Land

2009-06-14T23:01:00.004-05:00

Today while I was mowing, I found 2 baby frogs. Kadence just adores frogs. I caught them for her, and she put them in a plastic coke bottle so she could play with them for the afternoon. Her intentions were to let them before supper, but right at dark, she remembered that she still hadn't released them. She took a flashlight and ran out to the garden- she always let's her froggy's go in the garden. She thinks that a frog would really love living in the garden. A few moments later, she came back in the house just heartbroken- one of the baby froggies had died. This is the letter she had me write to her dear little froggy friend. (who just so happened to be a toad..)

Dear Froggy,

I'm sorry that you died. I forgot about you. I'm really sorry for you. I hope you have a fun time hopping around in Jesus Froggy Land. We had such a great time today until you died. Your brother is having fun in the garden. I hope Jesus Froggy feeds you good and gives you lots of flies. It's a fun time in Froggy Jesus Land I bet.

We miss you a lot.

Love,

Kadence

I have no idea how or where she came up with Froggy Jesus Land, but Davey and I sure got a kick out of it. ^_^

I wish that I had a photo of Kadence with her froggy's, but this photo of her with her kittens will just have to do. ;o)

Pregnancy Woes

2009-06-13T12:44:00.002-05:00

I'm not much of a complainer. I'm really not.

But whoa is this pregnancy kicking my butt.

First, the nausea is the worst I've ever had during any of my pregnancies. Leave it to the last one to really do me in. Lol. And I'm not just nauseous in the morning...oh no. ALL DAY. For a while there all I could stomach was cereal and toast. Now I go back and forth between not being able to eat, to STARVING. But even when I'm starving, nothing sounds good, and so that makes me nauseous all over again. Sigh.

Then there's the fatigue. O.M.G. I swear it feels like I have an awful case of mono. By mid-afternoon naptime for the trio, I'm exhausted. I think I've taken a nap every day this week while they've napped. And not because I want to..but because I have to. I literally can't go anymore. And I'm typically a night owl, staying up until midnight or 1 a.m. Not anymore! I've been going to bed at 10:30-11:00.

I keep reminding myself that the first trimester will be over in a month, and I'll start to feel better then. At least...I'm hoping. Lol.

Other than the nausea and fatigue, I'm really enjoying this pregnancy! So different than a high-risk pregnancy. I was so worried the whole time with the trio. This time is just so different. I can actually breathe during this pregnancy.

The kiddos are all doing well. It rained quite a bit this week, so we've been stuck in the house for the most part, which makes for some very cranky 2-year-olds. It rained this morning, but hopefully will clear up by the time their nap is over. I'll try to get some new pics uploaded this weekend!

Oh, and 2 new animals have found their way to the McDowell Farm. Any guesses as to what they might be?

The Sweetest Little Heartbeat

2009-06-10T18:22:00.004-05:00

(I told Davey I think it's waving at us. "Hi Mom and Dad! :))

I had my first appointment today with the doctor (last visit was just with the nurse) and we had another ultrasound. The best part was we got to see it's heartbeat this time. ^_^ (158 beats/minute by the way, let the gender guessing begin) I LOVE seeing that little heartbeat for the first time- it's so amazing. I'm totally in love with this little baby. The u/s 2 weeks ago we just saw the yolk sac and no heartbeat, but this time we saw it's little head and hands and legs (well, stubs of arms and legs, haha) and we saw it's heartbeat, and that just did me in. I'm hooked. :)

The doctor told me that this will just be a run of the mill, normal pregnancy. Which is SUCH a huge relief to me. After a high-risk pregnancy last time, from the moment we found out we were pregnant, and then delivering at 26 weeks, it's so nice to just have a normal pregnancy.

He did tell me that because I was cut vertically with my section with the triplets (also called a "classic" cut, which they no longer do. My fellow triplet moms...which way were you cut?), that I have a higher risk of rupturing later on in my pregnancy. He said that I will not go to 40 weeks because of this, and that I will be delivering at 38 weeks with a planned section. Which is FINE with me! (Kadence was also born at 38 weeks due to pre-eclampsia) He told me that if I feel any pain to call or head to the hospital right away. That kind of freaks me out, but I'm not going to worry about it.

So my official due date is January 23, but since I'll go at 38 weeks, that puts me at January 9. Which would be SO COOL, because that would mean ALL of my kids would have birthdays on the 9th! Kadence is October 9, the triplets are April 9! But January 9 falls on a Saturday, so I'm guessing he may deliver me on the 8th. But maybe I can talk him into coming in on a Saturday. ;o)

Looong Night...

2009-06-03T13:57:00.002-05:00

Having 4 sick kids at once is a lot of work- especially during the night. I swear I was up 20 times throughout the night...going from Eli, to Joey, to Rowan, back to Joey, back to bed, back up again and back into Rowan's room...going back to bed...all night long. They all spiked fevers at some point during the night, poor little things. This morning they've been playing and acting fine (though I'm having to chase them all around with a kleenex and cold medicine), but I'm sure as the day wears on fevers will spike again.

Kadence and I are supposed to go to Iowa on Saturday to visit family and friends, so pray that we get all better before then! I'm feeling much better today, and I'm hoping the next couple of days the kids all get over it too.

Side note: I'm 7 weeks along today! Always so exciting when you get to that next week. I always jump online and see how much the baby grew, and what's new this week with the baby. Davey gets such a kick out of it. I'll say, "Sweetie, this week the baby's eyelids are forming!" He doesn't understand how I get so excited about all this stuff when I've been through it twice before. I told him when he's growing a human inside of him, then we can talk. Lol. It's weird, and crazy, and fascinating- no matter how many times you've been through it before. ;o) I mean, don't you think it's fascinating that from last week to this week the baby doubled in size? And is now the size of a blueberry? And it already has an appendix and a functioning liver? Cuh-ray-zee!!

Ok, I must go clean my kitchen. My poor house has been neglected since I've been sick. Big shout-out to my little sister who did ALL of the laundry in our house!! For the record...I don't know the last time ALL of the laundry was done in our house. Thank you so much Ashley!

House Full of Sickies

2009-06-02T21:01:00.004-05:00

It's true, our little home is full of...well, snot. It all started with me about a week ago, and somehow the rest of the family managed to stay healthy up until yesterday. Now we've got fevers, sore throats and runny noses all around. Oh, and lots of fussiness, especially when the fevers hit. Eli and Kadence came down with it yesterday, and Joey came down with it today. Rowan has avoided ~~the plague~~ the virus thus far, but I see fevers and fussiness in her near future.

I'm so hoping it doesn't last as long for them as it has for me. I shouldn't complain...this is the first time they've been sick since March 2008!

There is one good thing that comes out of a house full of sick kids- they're all so snuggly and sweet. ^_^

Inspired- Cat Kitten Nap

2009-05-31T22:34:00.003-05:00

I walked outside today and found these two fast asleep in their feed bowl.

Everybody together now, "Awwwwwwwww." :)

Pictures For You

2009-05-29T20:02:00.008-05:00

Because I know this is the real reason you come to my blog. :)

Rowan is Ms. Uncooperative when it comes to the camera, but I did manage to capture this sweet little grin. Sadly it's the only face shot I got of her today. Silly Sissy Girl.

Kadence and Rowan

I know I'm her mom..and I'm totally biased...but this little girl is so breathtakingly beautiful, isn't she?

Stole this idea from McKMama, thought it was so neat!

My sweet little Joey

Joey and Kay Kay

Extreme close-up of Joey. :)

Elijah giving me his, "What are you up to Mom..." face. :)

The boys

For some reason this picture reminds me of a mirror image.

And this is the way we come down the stairs. :)

Happy Friday!

Kadence's Videos for the Baby

2009-05-28T20:12:00.003-05:00

Just a short, super sweet video of Kadence talking to her future brother or sister. :)

And here's the video we took of when we told her we were expecting again. As you'll see, she totally thought she was being Punk'd. ;o)

Accidental Miracle

2009-05-27T13:55:00.007-05:00

I know...accidental miracle...sounds like a contradiction in terms doesn't it? For some reason this term came to mind during the first few days I found out I was pregnant. And in a way, it sums up the emotions Davey and I have gone through over the past couple of weeks.

As I said in my post yesterday, we weren't even trying to get pregnant. I didn't even know I could get pregnant! So it completely caught us off guard. After all we went through to convieve baby #2 (which as you know turned out to be baby #2, #3 and #4) I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that I could conceive on my own.

Even so...I had a hunch. I've been through this a couple of times before, and my mommy instincts were telling me I was pregnant. Davey kept saying, "Can you even get pregnant??" I don't know, I would tell him. I guess I could? Around the time I was supposed to start my period, I bought a pregnancy test. (without telling Davey) After 3 minutes, no positive line had shown up. But when I got up 10 minutes later and checked on it again, there was the faintest positive line. I wasn't convinced. I texted Davey and asked him to pick me up a test on his way home from work.

I took it that morning, and Davey and I both checked on it after a few minutes. There it was again, the faintest little positive line. The kind where you have to almost cross your eyes and stand on your head to see. But yet, it was there. I knew a line was a line. Davey however, wasn't convinced. "I think that's just an evaporation line," he stated like a pro. (Thanks to 2 years of infertility, Davey knows terms like 'evaporation line' and 'cervial mucous', as well as many, many others) So I pulled out the test that I took the night before and showed him that one. 2 tests, side by side, both faint positives. Still not 100% convinced, we agreed to wait a couple of days and retest.

Patience is not one of my virtues people.

The next day I bought a test from the Dollar Tree (they were always the most sensitive tests for me) and also a digital test- something I'd never used before. I got home and took the Dollar Tree test (again without Davey knowing) and it showed up faint positive. My intentions were to wait until the morning to take the digital test...but I couldn't wait. I dipped the stick into the cup o' pee, laid the test down, and waited.

The little hourglass flashed for what seemed like an eternity. I thought maybe it was a faulty test. And then...there it was. PREGNANT. That's when it really hit me. OMG. I'm pregnant.

I met ~~Mr. Evaporation Line~~ Davey at the front door with the test behind my back, smiled at him, then raised up the test and said, "How's this for confirmation?"

We hugged, both in shock I believe.

After that, I went into what I like to call "panic mode". I was pregnant. With my 5th child. 5 kids?? Then I really panicked. Oh my gosh...what if there's more than one in there??? Aside from the fact I had no idea how we'd handle another set of multiples, I knew that I couldn't physically carry multiples. Flashbacks of 1 1/2 pound babies hooked up to ventilators haunted my mind. I literally did not sleep for 2 weeks. I needed to confirm this pregnancy via ultrasound, and I needed to confirm that there was just one.

Davey on the other hand was very relaxed about the whole thing, and couldn't wait to tell everyone. He'd joke with me, "What if there's 3 in there?" (Which I did not find funny at all, by the way.)

So that was the "accidental" phase.

After the first week, I started to relax more about the thought of having antoher baby in the house. I always knew I wanted one more, though we had decided we'd wait until the triplets were in kindergarten. And that was if I even could get pregnant on my own. Infertility treatments were not an option for us because multiples were not an option for us. And with my PCOS and endometriosis, the odds were very low of us ever getting pregnant again.

Then one day it just hit me. What a miracle this baby was. And the tears just started flowing. It took us 2 years to conceive the triplets. 2 years. 2 years of heartache, and stress, and pain. (Of course I wouldn't change things now even if I could, I have 3 of the most adorable, sweetest 2-year-olds anyone could ask for.) But even still, after all we went through, I thought that was it for us. No more babies. Ever.

And then fast forward 2 years, and without even trying, we conceive. How crazy is that??

That was when I entered the "miracle" phase.

I think that this baby was always in our "plans", whether we knew it or not. As you know, there are no suprises to God. I'm sure he was having a good old laugh that day we found out we were pregnant. :)

This little baby is due around January 20th, though that will be confirmed at my next u/s on June 10th. There is just one baby in there this time, by the way. :) I can't imagine how simple one baby will seem after having 3 babies. I'll be able to take care of it with my eyes closed. ;o) And you moms of multiples will understand this more than others, but I'm so looking forward to spoiling this baby! Having multiples is an amazing, wonderful experience, and I wouldn't change it for the world. But when they're tiny little things, you're so busy, it's so hard to get in one one one time with them. I'm really looking forward to getting in some wonderful snuggle time with this one. And since this will be our last baby, I will cherish every single newborn moment with this little one. ^_^

Kadence is so excited to be a big sister again. When we first told her (we waited until yesterday to tell her), she thought we were joking! She totally thought she was being Punk'd. (Ok, so she doesn't know what Punk'd is, but she totally thought that's what was happening) After I reassured her that Mommy was not teasing, and that I REALLY was pregnant, she was so sweet! I don't know how many times yesterday I almost got tackled. She'd come running at me and throw her arms around me, kiss me like a million times and say, "Mommy, I'm SO happy you have a baby in your belly!!" I'll try to share some videos of her when we first told her, and a short video she made for the new baby. It's so sweet. ^_^

Thank you all so much for your support and kind words. I've so been looking forward to sharing this news with you the past 2 weeks! So glad you'll be here for this next adventure in our lives. :)

And Baby Makes 5 :)

2009-05-26T17:05:00.003-05:00

No infertility treatments....no planning...This is 100% an "oops" baby. And we couldn't be more excited. :)

*more to come on this, but I'll let this soak in for a bit. :)*

I really don't mean to...

2009-05-23T22:02:00.003-05:00

I really don't mean to leave you hanging, my faithful blog readers. To be quite honest, I just haven't felt very inspired lately to write much of anything. Which makes me sad- but I sit here and try as I might, cannot think of anything to write. I want it to be witty. I want it to be heartfelt. But I come up with nothin'. Nada. Zip.

Crazy that even bloggers can get writers block. Especially when 99% of the time I'm writing about my kids. But honestly, aside from sharing cute photos, I can't think of anything to write. I need inspiration.

Aside from my writer's block, summer is going great on the McDowell Farm. (I realize it's only Spring, but when the babies are running around ~~in their bathing suits~~ naked running through the sprinkler, it is officially summer. That's one great thing about living out in the middle of nowhere, the babies can strip down to their birthday suits and run around the yard, little butt cheeks just a jiggling, and no neighbors to worry about. They're 2. It's allowed. No worries people, Kadence wears a bathing suit.

Now that it's nice outside, our day goes as follows: Everyone gets up, we eat breakfast. After breakfast, I put on Baby Einstein or Bear in the Big Blue House for the babies, and then for the next couple of hours I clean and do laundry. They've never allowed me to take time out of the day and get things done like that before (at least not in a 1-2 hour chunk like that) so it's been really nice. They watch their show for a bit, then go into the playroom and play, then wander back into the living room. It's nice. And it's nice to be able ~~to keep up~~ to try and keep up with the laundry and the dishes and the toys.

After I feel that I've put a dent in the cleaning, I go play with the babies and Kadence for a bit, then we eat lunch, then the babies take a nap. During naptime I usually go take care of the garden, or my flowers, and Kadence helps. She loves watering the flowers. After nap time we have a little snack, then head outside to play. The goal is to wear them all out until they get tired. Or hungry. Unfortunately hungry usually comes first. So I herd all of them back in the house, make supper, we eat, then we play some more. Then we take our baths (unless mommy is REALLY tired...sometimes we skip the bath. Unless we're really dirty...then mommy HAS to give us a bath even though she's really tired) and watch an episode of bear, snuggle on the couch, and then go to bed. Mommy and Kadence usually stay up for a bit longer, then Mommy tucks Kadence in and reads her a book. Then Mommy collapses on the couch and reads for a bit, then she goes to bed. (not sure at what point I started referring to myself in the third person, but after I did I just went with it.)

Pshew. That's a long day let me tell ya what.

Rowan is talking up a storm now. I call her my little parrot. She will try and repeat most everything you say, especially the last word you said. The other night I had tucked the boys in bed (the boys share a room, Rowan sleeps in her own room). I told them goodnight, and told Rowan to tell her brothers goodnight and that she loved them. She leaned over a little bit and gave them the sweetest little wave and a smile and said, "Night bubbies. Wub-ooh." Totally melted my heart.

The boys aren't talking a whole lot more than they were. Eli more than Joey. But I'm not concerned. Yesterday Joey did pull my tank top down and say, "booby". Which was HUGE for Joey! So we all clapped and carried on about what a big word that was, and how proud of him we were. "Yay Joey!!!! You said BOOBY!!!! What a BIG BOY!!!" Funny the things that you get excited about when you have kids...

Kadence is growing like a little weed. She was 45 inches tall at her last doctors appt. I think the only thing we have left on our checklist for entering Kindergarten is a visit to the dentist. (Illinois state law requires a visit to your family doctor, a visit to the eye doctor, and a visit to the dentist all before entering Kindergarten. Hmm...too bad our insurance doesn't cover doctor visits.) Anywho, she can't wait for school to get here, though I think she's a bit nervous about being away from her Mommy and Daddy and brothers and sisters all day. I keep reassuring her that she'll be just fine, and that she'll have so much fun she won't even have time to miss us. I haven't mentioned how much I'll miss her. Think I'll keep that to myself. She is absolutely loving this weather we're having, and was so excited yesterday when we filled up the kiddie pool for her to go "swimming" in. That little girl is a fish. Absolutely loves the water. This is the same little girl who said her favorite part of her week-long vacation to Disney World was swimming in the hotel pool. :)

Well, I've rambled for long enough I think. Hope I didn't bore you too much. I know this summer is going to fly by, and someday I'll want to look back and see what my days used to be like when they were little.

Hoping this writer's block ends soon...this blogging once a week is for the birds.

A Walk in the Park

2009-05-17T23:12:00.007-05:00

The other day my little sister Ashley wanted me to run to Decatur with her, so we loaded up the kids and off we went! (I am slowly getting them out of this bubble they've been under for the last 2 years, I promise)

After a few minutes at Hobby Lobby, the 3 youngest decided Hobby Lobby was not an exciting place to be, even though the only store they had ever been in before was last year when we went to Target. They must like Target more than Hobby Lobby...

So I took them outside and fed them snacks in the parking lot while Aunt Ashley shopped for wedding goodies.

On our way home, we stopped at a park and had the best time. These are my favorite days. Days where we just play. And have fun. And the kids are having fun. And are enjoying their little adventures. The babies are seeing things for the first time, while Kadence is off making new friends on the playground faster than you can say "she's definitely not shy". (A woman and her 2-year-old walked by and Kadence asked me, "Mom, can I go ask that little girl to be my friend?" I told her that the little girl was the same age as her brothers and sister. ;o)) She did find 2 little boys who were more than happy to meet a new friend and climb all over the playground equipment and go down the slides with her. She definitely does not get that boldness from me. Must be from her Daddy.

Here are some pictures from our day at the park, and a little video that I think it just too cute not to share. :)

(Joey and Eli kept picking up the bread off of the ground that was meant for the duckies. And eating it. :))

STATIC! Kay Kay got such a kick out of this picture.

How sweet is this?

Enjoying a picnic in the park. (Ok, ok...so it was McDonald's...) Rowan, Joey, Elijah

Kadence at the bottom of the slide :)

Eli going down the slide with Aunt Ashley

Joey

Rowan

Mommy and her 3 little ducklings. The 4th was off playing with her new friends. :)

Video- Chasing the ducks :)

Sneak Peek- Alayna and Josslyn

2009-05-13T22:26:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I had the privilige of meeting these two beautiful, tiny little girls, who belong to our friends Andrea and Jason. They were the sweetest little things. Seriously could not have been more adorable. Seriously.

I kept saying, "Oh my gosh!! They're sooo tiny!! Davey, can you believe our kids were ever this small? Oh my gosh! They're just sooo little!" Funny the things you forget, isn't it?

I was able to get in a little photo shoot while I was there, and they were just the perfect little models. ^_^ I can only share this one for now since it's the only one that Mom and Dad have seen, but I'm almost finished with the rest! (I promise Andrea!!)

Thank you so much for letting me meet these two precious little miracles Andrea and Jason. They are just too sweet for words. ^_^

Cousins, Chickens, and a Sleepover

2009-05-08T10:56:00.006-05:00

This was actually last weekend, but I'm just now getting time to post it!

Davey's sister came down last Saturday with her 3 little munchkins, and we all had a great day hanging out. It was, in my eyes, the perfect day. :)

Between our 4 kids, and Davey's sister's 3 kids (his only sibling) there have been 7 grandchildren born in the past 5 years- with Kay Kay being the oldest. Kadence is 5, Chiana is 4, Aeryn is 2 1/2, Elijah is 2, Joey is 2, Rowan is 2, and Ian is 1 1/2.

Here they are, from the front of the 4-wheeler to the back:

Ian, Aeryn, Joey, Eli, Kadence, Chiana, and Rowan

The boys. Ian is 7 months younger than the triplets, but every bit as big. (Ian, Elijah, Joey)

Remember those baby chicks we had about 2 months ago? They're big chickens now!

Kadence, being a little monkey hanging from one of our fruit trees.

Rowan just plopped down next to these chickens. So cute. And no that's not chicken poop on her face, it's dirt. However, she did stick her finger in some chicken poop a few moments later. I know, ew right?

The kids petting a hen.

Ms. Aeryn on the right, Chiana on the left.

Kadence was so excited to have Chiana stay the night with us. This was Saturday morning, they were playing dress-up and put on a musical show for us. So stinkin' cute. :)

Guess what I did Today?

2009-05-06T22:08:00.002-05:00

*This is a cross post from my weight-loss blog, but I wanted to share this with all of you too!*

Today after watching my DVR'd episode of The Biggest Loser, I was totally inspired. The 4 remaining contestants ran an entire marathon. That is amazing! A marathon is 26.2 miles. Can you even imagine? My favorite part (other than when they crossed the finish line) was when they told Jillian that they had to run a marathon. Jillian said, "I've never even ran a marathon!!" Seriously? And these people are going to try to run one? Insane!

Then later on in the show, Helen (whom I don't really like by the way) said something that really inspired me. She said, "Who would have thought that I would ever run a marathon? Maybe this whole time I've been training for one and I didn't even realize it?"

So that got me thinking about my post the other day where I said, "Maybe someday I'll be able to run a 5k?" Maybe I had been training for a 5k and didn't even realize it?

So I got up off the couch, laced up my shoes, and headed out the door. I had no idea how long it was going to take me. Or if I could even finish it. But I was determined. (I might add that I had to Google '5k' to see how far that is. It's 3.1 miles. Ya know, in case you were wondering.)

About 30 minutes into the race, I called Davey and made him get in the car and come meet me to see how far I had run already. (I didn't plan this run out very well did I? lol) As he was approaching, I kept saying to myself, "Please be a mile and a half already...please be a mile and a half..." If I wasn't at least halfway done, I was going to scream.

He pulled up next to me and announced that I had already run 2.5 miles! I was ecstatic!!

He drove next to me for the rest of the run (made me feel like a true runner, haha).

And I did it. I finished a 5k.

3.1 miles in 39 minutes.

I felt AMAZING.

Though it wasn't official, and I wasn't racing anyone, none of that really mattered. What mattered is that I finished a 3.1 mile run.

Go me. :)

Me after finishing my run

I was feeling on top of the world. And super strong. :)

And I learned something very important today. You've got to push yourself. Because if you don't, you'll really never know what you've got in you. There's something amazing inside of all of us, we may just not know it yet.

Inspired {Scenes from the High Chair}

2009-05-01T22:04:00.004-05:00

Back in the day when I used to ~~have time~~ post photos on photography websites, these would have fallen under the post title of "JMK", which simply meant, "just my kids". Those were photos that weren't technically perfect. The focus may be off, they may be a little grainy... but ya just love em'.

So that's what these are. JMK. Enjoying an afternoon snack in their high chairs. :)

This first set is of Joe Man. He was the most cooperative of the bunch. :)

Of course, Row Row. She was semi-cooperative. :)

And Eli was the least cooperative, which is why there are only 3 pictures of this little guy. :)

Have a good weekend!

Prayers for Kayleigh

2009-05-01T09:58:00.003-05:00

Kayleigh Ann Freeman was born at 1 pound 1 oz. At 10 months of age, she has greatly surpassed all of her doctors expectations. Though she remained in the hospital these long 10 months, and had faced many, many obstacles, she was a little fighter. She made it through things that her doctors assured her parents she would not.

Here recently, there had even been talk of her going home.

Sometime last week, during another surgery, Kayleigh's brain suffered from lack of oxygen, and she is now brain dead. Her parents are absolutely devastated. Even after this devastating news, her parents were still clinging onto hope that soon they could bring their little girl home so she could spend some time with her older siblings, who due to RSV season, only got to meet their baby sissy a handful of times. In fact, the last time they saw her was the end of last summer. They also wanted so badly for her to sleep in her perfect little bedroom they made for her that she has never seen. They wanted to cuddle with her. Spend family time together in the privacy of their home before she went on to heaven.

They received news this morning that Kayleigh's brain is now swelling and deteriorating, and that she most likely won't make it through the next couple of days.

My heart just aches for this family. It literally aches. As a former NICU mom, I cannot even imagine what it must be like to spend 10 long months in the hospital, only to have your precious daughter not make it in the end. How absolutely heartbreaking. I was hoping that by posting this on my blog, that you could lift her family up in prayer. Thank you so very much.

Inspired {Azalea}

2009-04-29T11:24:00.002-05:00

I purchased 2 beautiful Azalea bushes the other day, and had to go out and snap a picture of it to show you. I love Azaleas. I love all flowers, actually. My Mom has passed down her green thumb to her daughters, and I'm so grateful. (all except for one (the youngest), but I think she's coming around. I made her help me plant flowers the other day and I think she rather enjoyed it. :))

Happy Birthday, Mema!

2009-04-28T20:55:00.004-05:00

Today is my Mom's birthday! And since she lives in Wisconsin, and we're not able to be with her, we made a little video for her. :) It's short and sweet, and though the babies didn't join in on the singing, they held their little signs for Mema. And Kay Kay sang so sweet. :)

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

(The video is only 30 seconds long...not 2 minutes 34 seconds)

Kay Kay drew this just for you Mema. "That's me and Mema, and some flowers and a rainbow. And Mom, how do you write Happy Birthday Mema?" :)

Our Week in Pictures (and a few words)

2009-04-27T23:57:00.006-05:00

I've been M.I.A. since last Tuesday, and for that I apologize. The week has just passed me by! A few of my family members actually called me concerned that I hadn't posted in so long. ("Are you ok? I was so worried about you!")

Ha! I'm fine, no worries. ;o)

We've had awesome weather this week, and we've been very busy playing outside all week long. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our week outside. Fortunately, I do have some cute pictures of the kids inside. ;o)

This week we...

Practiced our smile-on-cue smiles:

Joey gave all he had to give mommy that "smile!" she requested of him.

Eli tried with all his might, but could only come up with this goofy little smile- which makes Mommy laugh every single time she looks at it.

Rowan gave the cheesiest smile she could muster..

But won the award for best on cue smile when she gave me this one...truly a photographer's daughter when you're 2 and can smile on cue and make it look natural. That's my girl. ;o)

Kadence has been smiling on cue for years, but had to get in on the fun. She chose to give a goofy smile like her younger siblings because goofy is so much more fun than natural looking.

We watched Daddy from the window...

And Eli tried on Daddy's boots...they were still too big. Dangit.

Davey built me a raised bed for strawberries, which I planted a few days ago. He also shoveled a couple of tons of dirt into the back of his truck- bless his heart.

The babies finally have become interested in television this week, and for the past few nights have watched an episode of The Bear in the Big Blue House before bedtime. So cute. ^_^

And I got in some serious cuddle time with my 4 favorite little people in the whole wide world. :)

How was your week? Hope it was wonderful. :)

Today is a Good Day!

2009-04-21T13:53:00.003-05:00

First, Stellan made it through is surgery!! Check out his blog for updates!

Second, I met my next weight loss goal this morning! 40 pounds! (41 actually!) My weight-loss blog is now set to public, so anyone can view it. Check it out if you want to see the latest before and after pics!

More Prayers for Stellan...

2009-04-20T23:14:00.002-05:00

Please keep Stellan in your prayers tonight, and also tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. He may go into surgery tonight (rather than tomorrow morning) as his heart has flipped back into SVT after being taken off of all of his oral meds. Pray for his Mommy too, as I'm sure she is really scared right now. :(

My Friend is Having her Babies!

2009-04-19T21:12:00.004-05:00

So excited I couldn't help but post about this. My good friend Andrea (whom I met online through an infertility forum) is at the hospital right now getting ready to give birth to her twin baby girls. I'm sooo excited for her and her husband!! It's been a long road for Andrea and Jason to get to this point, and I can imagine the joy they are feeling knowing that this moment has finally come for them.

Keep them in your thoughts and prayers tonight!

I get to meet the babies in a few days when I go do their very first photo shoot! I can't WAIT!!

A picture of me and Andrea from last summer

Stellan's Name Gallery

2009-04-18T01:28:00.004-05:00

Remember baby Stellan? He's become quite the internet sensation- people from all over the world are praying for this little guy. I read on his mom's blog that at Fenway park tonight the scoreboard read, "Welcome to Boston Stellan!!" Amazing. For those of you who haven't checked in on Stellan lately, he has been flown to Boston where they are awaiting some more tests to be run to determine if he in fact needs to have an ablation done on his heart. An ablation done on an infant is very dangerous, but his heart is very sick so it may be necessary. Please keep baby Stellan in your prayers.

I also had the privilege of adding some photos to Stellan's Name Gallery this morning. (it's 1:30 am, couldn't go to bed without uploading and emailing these photos to his gallery) If you get a chance you must check out his name gallery. People from Paris, to the Great Wall of China, to Vienna, to Africa have submitted photos. It's so amazing to see all of the photos.

The photos that I took for Stellan were taken at The Cross of Hope in Effingham.

This cross stands 198 feet tall, and weighs 180 tons. It's purpose is to give travelers along the interstate "hope".

How fitting for Stellan, right?

Lying down looking up at the cross

Me standing at the base of the cross

Me standing at the base of the cross, circled.

We're all praying for you here in Illinois baby Stellan. Hugs to you and your family.

2-year Check-up

2009-04-17T15:10:00.003-05:00

These three little stinkers...

...just had their 2-year well-child appointment with Dr. F. Aside from being the biggest handful's you can ever imagine while at a doctor's office, (lots of screaming, crying, kicking, touching the icky trash cans, eating sucker pieces off the floor that Eli chucked after Dr. F. handed him one to make him stop crying...it was a very..ahem..busy check-up..) the check-up report was great! Aside from some concerns about Eli and Joey's hernia sites (won't go into detail, I'll mention more later if it's deemed necessary. Could require surgery, but we have to meet with a urologist first, so no worries right now)

Height and weight:

Joey was 27 pounds, 33 inches tall
Elijah was 26 1/2 pounds, and 33 1/2 inches tall
Rowan was 25 pounds, 33 inches tall (what a little pipsqueak!)

Thank God we don't have to go back for another 6 months. It's a work-out taking three 2-year-olds to see the doctor. OH, and they each had 2 shots too. The boys cried the longest, Rowan cried for about 5 seconds. Hehe. Showed her big bubbies up. :)

My Surprise Visitor

2009-04-15T22:26:00.004-05:00

Last week, I happened to glance outside in my driveway and saw a vehicle I didn't recognize.

Well, ok. I did recognize it. But it shouldn't have been there. It couldn't be. I squinted really hard to read the licencse plates, and sure enough...

IT WAS MY MOM!!!

I ran to the front door, and she was already partway in my kitchen. I seriously almost knocked the poor woman down I was so excited!

I love my Mom. She is awesome. And I love when she comes and stays a week with us. And so do the kids! They love their Mema! I just wanted to share a few pics from her week here with us. As usual, we didn't get many (it's always a hair issue with my mother), but we did get a few.

Come back soon Mema!! We miss you already!!! xoxo

*Also don't miss my blog below on the newest members to the McDowell Farm!

Welcome to the Farm, Beebee Kitties

2009-04-15T22:04:00.003-05:00

A little after midnight lastnight, one of our outside cats, Sweetie, gave birth to 5 adorable little kittens.

After the first two were born, I woke Kadence up so she could watch the birth of at least one baby kitten. 45-minutes later, the third kitten was finally born. ;o) I actually had to help the mother cat deliver the baby because it got stuck! It was stuck for a good 20-minutes. I kept thinking to myself...great..I'm going to traumatize this poor child if this kitten dies. But it didn't! Pshew! After it was born, and she oohed and awwed over the new baby kitten, she said, "Can I please go to bed now?" Ha! Amazing how birth is boring to her. This kid knows too much let me tell ya what.

Today, she is completely and utterly in love with her new baby kittens. She tried going to Gaga's house twice today, and had to come back both times because she missed her kittens too much. :)

I'm not sure which order they're in, but we have: Spongebob, Squidword, Sandy, Pearl, and Mrs. Puff*. Which if you are a Spongebob fan, you'll know these are all characters from the show. Kadence is a HUGE Spongebob fan, if you couldn't tell. (*Mrs. Puff is the kitten with the fat belly who got stuck. "Mrs. Puff is kind of fat too Mom. Let's name that one Mrs. Puff." ^_^

Can't wait till they're all fluffy and cute and running around chasing things!!

Birthday Pictures- Part 1

2009-04-10T20:42:00.005-05:00

I have a ton to share, so this will just be part 1. As I've mentioned before my internet moves at snaaaaaail speed. 5 pictures literally takes like 5 minutes to upload.

Enjoy the pictures! (in no particular order whatsoever)

The cupcake cake. Yum! (looks like a tree...supposed to look like a big cupcake, LOL)

Eli opening up his present from Aunt Ashley- shoes!

Mommy and Eli

Mommy and Rowan

Mommy and Joey

Mommy and Joey being silly :)

Waiting anxiously for Daddy to open their picnic table from Mema

Why is Rowan giggling?

She's playing peek-a-boo with Papa! (I have a super cute video of this I'll share)

They just waneted to dive right in. Oh wait, Rowan did! Unfortunately we didn't get it on video or any pictures of it though. So bummed!

Eli

Rowan

Joey (I have no clue why they all have this glazed over look! LOL!)

My 3 "cupcakes" :)

A Letter to My Babies on their 2nd Birthday

2009-04-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Elijah, Joey and Rowan,

You're 2 today!! I can't believe how big you guys are getting! The last 2 years went by in a blur. We said the same thing when Kay Kay turned 2, but I think it's even more true with you guys. ;o) A blur of months in the hospital, 3 separate homecomings (how many parents can say that?), some 15,000 diaper changes, around 10,000 bottles made (is that right??), countless follow-up appointments with specialists, hundreds of sleepless nights, adjusting to life with triplets plus a 3-year-old... And all that before you turned 1. ;o)

Since then it's been the adventures of 3 crawling babies, and then onto the 3 walking toddlers. Which then led to the scariest...3 climbing toddlers. Which has resulted in several mini-heart attackes for your poor mother. Thankyouverymuch. I have also become a referee in the past few months- breaking up fights over toys (or shoes, or sippy cups, or whatever is the hot item at the moment) is a regular occurance in our household- yet another job I can put on my resume someday thanks to you guys. 3 toddlers talking in gibberish sure is cute to listen to. And how cool that you guys can understand each other? I've mastered giving 3 toddlers a bath by myself, and also taking the three of you outside by myself. It was a steep learning curve, but we're finally starting to get all of this three toddlers running in opposite direction stuff down. ;o)

Yes, it's been a busy 2 years.

But we've still set aside plenty of time for giggling, playing, and snuggles. There's always room for that. Always. My house may be a mess, I may be a couple of weeks behind on the laundry, days behind on the dishes, and my floors may or may not get mopped for a month or better, but I've got happy kids. The housework will always be there- you and your big sissy will only be little once.

I remember when the doctor told us that we were pregnant with the three of you. I was so afraid. How on earth could we handle 3 infants? 3 babies? 3 toddlers? How could we stretch our love that far? But now I know there is no limit to how far your love can stretch. I honestly cannot imagine my life without the three of you in it. And I know your Daddy feels the same exact way.

Your giggles light up my day. Your smiles melt my heart.

How on earth did I get so lucky to be your Mommy?

Here are some pictures of you when you were less than a week old, and some pictures I took a couple of weeks ago.

Elijah
April 9, 2007
2lbs 3oz
4:13pm

Just look at you now Eli...

Joey
April 9, 2007
1lb 14oz
4:14pm

Just look at you now Joe Joe Man...

Rowan
April 9, 2007
1lb 13oz
4:14pm

Just look at you now Sissy Girl...

Now do you see why Mommy thinks you're all miracles?

Happy Birthday, my precious little miracles. I love you oh so very much.

Love,

Mommy

Flashback- April 8th, 2007

2009-04-08T21:54:00.006-05:00

This is the post that I wrote the night before the babies were born. I was 26 weeks and 1 day pregnant in this photo. I was completely oblivious to the fact that the very next day I would meet my three tiny babies for the very first time.

26 Week Belly Pic

26 weeks 1 day to be exact! Only 13 days until our BIG goal of 28 weeks! After 28 weeks, we'll be shooting for 30 weeks, and then 32 weeks. Our next appt with the specialist I'll be 28 weeks, and he said we'll talk then about a plan of when these babies are going to come. I can't believe they'll be here in the next few weeks!

It's late, I have no make-up on, and I'm in the hospital. But you get to see my big belly!! Good ole' stretch marks are getting darker. Oh well, that's ok. ;0)

I can't help but get emotional when I think back to that evening. Though the 2 weeks in the hospital had been scary, things were finally settling down and I was clinging onto hope that I could remain pregnant for at least another couple of weeks. The doctors weren't even concerned about me delivering in the next couple of weeks at this point. Then my mind goes to the next morning when the contractions started, and how scared I was. And when they told me it was time to deliver the babies...I was all alone at the hospital. So scared. Scared doesn't even begin to cover what I was feeling. I knew the outcome may not be good, and I didn't want to be alone for that. But I was. So I put on a brave face. I even remember smiling at the anastesiologist when I got into the O.R. I couldn't fall to pieces. I had to be strong for my babies, I knew they would be sick and would need me.

You know the rest of the story. It has a happy ending.

I'm so thankful that I can look back on that day and also think of it as a happy day. You see, though April 9th, 2007 was one of the scariest days of our lives, it was also one of the most wonderful day of our lives. It was the day our babies were born.

And today, I have 3 perfect, healthy, beautiful toddlers to hold in my arms.

I do wish that I could go back to that day they were born though. If I could, I would wrap my arms around Davey and I and let us know that everything was going to be ok...that though we had a long tough road ahead of us, that they would all be ok. And I'd tell myself that it wasn't my fault, and that I shouldn't let the guilt eat me up inside. That I did everything that I could.

My hope is that someday this day won't make me cry when I think about it. That those guilty feelings don't come back... that I can just think of it about the day Elijah, Joey and Rowan were born. But tonight, it's still too fresh in my memory and on my heart. And the tears just keep coming.