OH BOY...We're having GIRLS!!

 

Pink, Pink and More Pink ~ 

Identical Baby Girls

Adam and I couldn't be happier to announce that we are having three baby girls!


Yesterday was another marathon day in Rochester, starting with an ultrasound at 8 a.m.  I nervously climbed upon the table and held my breath until the ultrasound tech showed us three strong heartbeats.  Truthfully, after seeing heartbeats I didn't care if saw anything else...however, the doctors needed more.  An inspection of each baby showed no signs of birth defects.  Each baby had a healthy heart, kidneys, brain, etc. 

We are currently at 20 weeks, 1 day, which means yesterday we hit the milestone 20 week mark.  Our singleton weekly fruit update is: 


BANANAS!! 

I am a little confused at how a banana is bigger than a mango, but who am I to judge. 

The singleton counterparts on average would be 6.5 inches long and weigh approximately 10.2 - 10.6 ounces.  The babies also now have taste buds and can finally taste what they have me wanting to eat (Mexican ~ lots of Mexican!!  And fruit).

While some moms can say they have definitely felt baby movement, I am still not sure.  However, after our ultrasound yesterday I can assure you, we have one active brood!

Here are your baby updates, complete with adorable profile shots!

Baby A:  Baby A had a strong heartbeat of 141.  She has adorable little feet and is very flexible!

She is however still our Runt Baby.  She is the smallest of the three but if she's like her momma, that doesn't mean much!  She weighed in at 8 ounces, showing a two ounce weight gain from two weeks ago. 

While she is growing, her total measurements only place her at 18 weeks, 6 days.  Dr. Borowski wants to monitor her more closely to make sure all is 100 % perfect.  Keep those fingers crossed that Runt Baby eat this week and gains!!


Baby B:  Well this little lady loves to cuddle with both Runt Baby and Baby C, making getting photos of her a little more difficult.  But it's hard to complain when she's so darn cute! 

Her heartbeat was 138.

Baby B gained 3 ounces since our last appointment, giving her a new weight of 11 ounces.  (Competitive
Mom Note:  This is more than a singleton baby!!)  Her total measurements place her at 19 weeks, 6 days.  She is doing wonderful!



Baby C:  Last but definitely not least!!  Baby C is the most active of our babies ~ she really did not want to stay still at all!  In fact, at one point she heard Adam talking to her, paused, and then waved at us!  It was beyond words.  Her heartbeat was 147.

She is also our little chunker!  Baby C also gained 3 ounces since our last appointment, giving her a new weight of 11 ounces.  (Again, bigger than the singletons....just saying...)  It's her total measurements that are impressive though!  She is currently measuring at 20 weeks, 2 days!  Maybe she should start sharing with Runt Baby...

As you can see everyone is doing wonderfully and gained weight ~ we gained 8 ounces of baby in the last two weeks.  The doctors were very impressed. 

And when I said everyone gained weight, I mean everyone! 

Belly Watch 2013 ~ The one and only picture

I currently look like I could deliver tomorrow ~ don't get any bright ideas!!  We need the babies to bake for at least 8 more weeks!!  However, I cannot complain because I am for the most part all baby/belly.  I have the normal aches and pains of a woman who is ready to deliver, which is normal, seeing as how I have gained a significant amount of weight.  But I have to tell you something ~ it is 100% worth it!

Adam and I feel very loved to have been blessed three more wonderful daughters.  We hope you continue this journey with us and welcome your prayers as we enter this next stage of pregnancy. 

Thank you.  We love you.

Adam & daneille

19 Weeks and Counting...

Mangos!

Sorry for those of you waiting for your weekly update.  Today we are at 19 weeks, 1 day.  Every day is a milestone for us with these babies.  I mean, honestly, who else do you know that has carried triplets (for me, it was no one personally, or no one at all, until I found out I was carrying triplets)?! 

We are doctor free this week and instead of relaxing, it is making me nervous.  We go back to Rochester next Wednesday, but until then, we will just be holding our breath, hoping and praying for the best.  I know this makes me sound like a crazy person, and truthfully, sometimes I am, but after everything we've been through, as excited as we are, there is this underlying sense that someone is just waiting to pull the rug out from under us.

Despite the fear, we still find joy in relating our growing babies to fruits and vegetables.  Your weekly fruit update:

Week 19 ~ A singleton baby would be the size of a mango!  The average length would be 6 inches and the baby would weigh in at at approximately 8.5 ounces.

Now, last week our babies were measuring at 6 ounces, 7 ounces and 7 ounces...that is after each one gained 2 ounces from our previous check up!  Hopefully they are still gaining in there and next week I can post some really impressive numbers!  Keep those fingers crossed and I will keep eating  : ) 

For those of you who wonder if I am feeling the babies kick or not yet.  The answer is, I really do not know for sure.  With Madison, my placenta was in the front, so I was never able to feel anything.  With the triplets, my placenta is in the back, so I should be feeling something ~ the question is when, and will I even know what it is I am feeling?? 

Sometimes I think I am feeling them move around inside of me, but to be honest with you, I have no idea.  I haven't had anything concrete that I can point to to say, yes that was my babies moving.  It gets frustrating, especially when the doctors ask you if you've felt them.  I sheepishly answer, I do not know  : /  Then I am told not to worry because it might be too early yet to feel them.  Supposedly movement does not become noticeable until 18 - 22 weeks...but I am anxious and I just want to feel them move. 

As much as I want to know I am feeling them move, this is nothing compared to poor Adam.  He has to wait even longer to feel them, and has to rely on his crazy wife, yes me, to tell him if I've been feeling them move or not. 

So, even though I am not 100 % sure what I am feeling is baby movement, I am going with it.  Each time I feel something "new," something I do not ever recall feeling, I am relating it to the babies.  I hope they know how much they are already loved. 

Thanks for following and watch for next week's installment of Belly Watch 2013.

Love,

Adam & daneille

Baby Steps...

Ordering Shower Invites. 

We personally hit a milestone today.  We ordered Baby Shower Invites for the babies' first shower. 


While some of you may not realize or even acknowledge the importance of this step, it was huge for us.  With Madison, I had ordered sample invites so I could get a perspective on quality versus price versus design, etc.  The things you think are important when you don't know any better...

I ordered and less than a week later we were told we would never need those invitations.  Of course the sample invites came within days of our coming home from delivery...

So here we are crawling up to 19 weeks and needless to say I was worried about ordering shower invitations.  I mean, let's face it, from here on out, I am going to be a bit crazy (Sorry Adam).  Each day we are still pregnant is a miracle and each day we fight not to worry about repeating history.


For example, at this time in our pregnancy with Madison, I was barely showing at all and Madison had helped to dislocate my ribs putting me in the Emergency Room with severely high blood pressure and pain.  With the triplets, I am definitely showing!!  However, knock on keyboard, my ribs seem to be fine and the only back pain I am experiencing is from normal pregnancy issues (or in my case gaining 35 plus pounds in less than 20 weeks!).

So here we are, incredibly blessed and happy, but nervous and worried...at least we have shower invites on the way so the babies will have something more than a smile to wear hopefully toys to play with when they arrive!

Though I suppose this means we have to find the nerve to go and actually register!!  Details...Details..

Oh Sweet Potatoes!

18 weeks and counting...

Well folks, we have reached 18 weeks ~ there is still a long road ahead of us but we are getting there, slowly but surely, we are getting there.

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday with Dr. Weber (Eau Claire).  The babies had three strong heartbeats:  Baby A was at 153, Baby B was at 152 and Baby C was at 157.  As the babies get bigger it is harder to get good photos of them, so unfortunately I do not have any photo updates for you this week.  You'll just have to take my word that they are adorable!

Our singleton schedule shows the babies as sweet potatoes this week.  The babies are trying to keep up with the singletons!!  Baby A weighs in at 6 ounces and Babies B and C were at 7 ounces each.  This means I gained 6 ounces of baby in two weeks!!  Unfortunately, I do not know if this is good or bad : /

There are no comparison numbers out there for triplet babies.  Therefore, as their overachieving mother, I have decided I want my babies to keep up with and surpass their singleton counterparts.  Babies B & C are holding there own and Runt Baby (A) is hanging in there.

The average weight for triplets is only 3 pounds, 10 ounces per baby.  Needless to say this is not a lot!  Accordingly, I want our babies to come out at 5 pounds a piece, closer to a singleton birth weight of over 7 pounds.  This gives them more hope for better health.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Dr. Weber is very impressed with my size ~ though he did tell me I was starting to show  : )  I am all baby!  I keep getting bigger and that's what is best for our babies.  However, it is a little bit startling when you figure I have already gained between 35-40 pounds!!  Anything to help the babies grow and kick those singleton butts ~ yes, I may be slightly competitive!

And, no we are not holding out on you, the babies' gender is still a mystery.  You will all just have to wait a few more weeks to find out if we will be buying a lot of pink or blue in the near future.  Our biggest blessing yesterday was simply seeing the flicker of three strong heartbeats on the ultrasound screen, followed by Runt Baby's tiny foot, a wave from Baby B and a wonderful profile shot of Baby C. 


We cannot wait to introduce our precious miracles to you all!

Layers...

They are onions.

Just like onions have layers, so do our emotions.  The last six months have been incredible for Adam and I ~ a journey neither one expected but one we would never want to do with anyone else. 

Sunday marked the six-month anniversary of delivering Madison.  As I sit four months pregnant, my emotions are up and down and back again.  The trauma of losing a child and the joys of expecting triplets...the heartache of loss and the love of new beginnings...yet under it all lies a layer of fear.  I hate being afraid, especially of things that I have no control over.  Yet I am afraid. 

Many might think that I am afraid of what is to come.  This is simply not the case.  While I know our world is going to flipped upside (wait it already has been), both Adam and I want nothing more than to endure and survive and celebrate our wonderful babies.  We are not afraid of the future...we are fearful of the past repeating itself. 

Yet, we have no control over God's choices and decisions.  We are simply here to live the best lives we can, with the blessings we have, and to always try to be better people for both.  While I can write/say this, it does not change the fact that every day we are afraid this miraculous gift will be taken away from us.  So please, while you are saying your daily prayers, we would be honored if you would include our three precious growing babies.


Speaking of our growing babies, we are now the size of ONIONS.  We have reached week 17 and according to the online size chart, a singleton baby would be the size of an onion, weighing approximately 5.9 ounces and measuring 5.1 inches in length.


 

 





If you recall, last week a singleton baby was only weighing in at 3.5 ounces...this means a singleton baby would have almost doubled in size in a week....hmmm...




We have a doctor free week so I have no updates on our babies' sizes but if they doubled in size, our runt (baby a) would be approximately 8 ounces and our slacker babies (babies b & c) would be almost 10 ounces each!!  Talk about getting big!  All we can hope is they are growing and thriving  : )  We will see them next week for our 18 week check up with Dr. Weber (that's right we get a travel break and will stay in Eau Claire).

For those of you who like to imagine just how big I am getting...at mediation yesterday, the defendant stated "Maybe you'll go into labor and then I won't have to worry about this today." 

Sorry bud!  My onions have a little longer yet to bake!

Half Way There...

16 weeks and growing...

Our precious babies are 16 weeks today, and according to our specialist, we have reached what could likely be our half way point.  A normal, singleton pregnancy lasts approximately 40 weeks; however, a triplet gestation is only 32-34 weeks.  Given my size and stature, the doctors are keeping their fingers crossed I am able to make it to 32 (despite this I have it in my head I will be able to make it to 35 or 36 weeks!!).

Speaking of doctors, we made the early morning trek to Rochester yesterday for another ultrasound, meeting with our own high risk nurse (who will be with us for the entirety of our pregnancy), and Dr. Borowski (the specialist).  Of course I was anxious and when the ultrasound tech asked how I was doing, I responded that I would let her know after we saw heartbeats...

And oh we saw heartbeats!  Three perfect, strong heartbeats.  Baby A had a heart rate of 152, Baby B was at 144 and Baby C was at 153.  All fabulous!

The babies were pretty active yesterday morning, waving and showing off.  However Baby B did not want to give a good profile shot and preferred to show off his or her spine!  That's right, we still do not know gender, but we're ok with this.  Our main goals for yesterday were met by seeing three heartbeats and growth for all three babies!

Here are some photos for you  : )




This is my runt baby, Baby A ~ A little smaller than its womb-mates, but this could be due to a plethora of factors.












This is Baby B ~ Again, not too cooperative (which makes my dad think it could be a girl...)











Last and definitely not least, Baby C ~ Who always wants to be in center of attention!







All the babies are currently growing proportionally to the amount of time between visits, which the doctors find promising.  And according to our online size guide, the babies are now the size of avocados!  Very fitting since they LOVE all things Mexican (except beans!). 

However, the guide, which is made for singleton babies, says they should be 3.5 ounces now ~ Well, go figure, our babies are overachievers!  Baby A, my runt baby, is already measuring at 4 ounces and both Babies B and C are measuring at 5 ounces each! 

This is fabulous news!  Most triplets are born weighing approximately 3 pounds, 10 ounces only...my goal is to have these babies come out at a whopping 5 pounds a piece!  So as the doctor says, "Eat Momma Eat!"