Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Baby Updates!

So today I had my growth scan at the perinatologist office and everything went great. I now measure a whopping 37 weeks while in actuality I am only almost 23, yikes! All my parts looked great and were measuring on track. As for the babies they looked wonderful and were still measuring at or ahead of an average single baby which the doctor said was really super great for triplets at this stage. Below are some pics from today including one babies thunder thigh (these are photos of photos so sorry for the poor quality)!

Baby A - 1lb 3oz
Baby B - 1lb
Baby C - 1lb 3oz
Average weight for singleton at 22w4d - 15.7oz


On another note, my sister-in-law Amy dropped me off at my appt. today along with my little sister Kira. Both sisters were able to feel a baby kick which was really exciting since they were the first people other than Brian to feel any movement!









Monday, June 29, 2009

I miss you dear drugs...

Out of no where, whammo I have allergies like crazy. Itchy throat, cough, drainage, stinging eyes...yuck. While it was delicious, red licorice doesn't cure this issue like the ladies on the Internet said. Oh dear drugs today I severely miss you....

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Assembly Part 1

So Saturday was a very unusual day in the Milligan household for one main reason. You see yesterday Brian decided to NOT play golf and instead slept in and then set up 2 of the 3 baby cribs! Yippee! While it was a tedious process (or so it looked) he said it was actually easier than he expected and after golf today is going to go buy the 3rd crib and get it setup as well (its funny how places only stock 2 of each crib at a time and look almost cross eyed when you say you want to buy 3). So below are some pics of him getting them set up along with 3 new little friends that my sister got us as a baby shower gift who were cheering him on (please ignore the mess, our house is officially under construction now).


Friday, June 26, 2009

Your Pregnancy - 22 Weeks

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. Your baby's acrobatics are pretty constant, and since he responds to sound, rhythm and melody, you can try singing and talking to him. After he's born, the same sounds will soothe him.

At 22 weeks your baby has a survival rate of 10% if born (this stat is so important to us too as preterm labor is such a concern with triplets. While 10% isn't much, its a whole lot more than the 0% we had last week! Grow babies Grow!)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

22 Week Belly Pics!

So below are my official 22 week belly shots. Pretty soon I'm going to have to have Brian start holding it up for the pics. Can you believe I still have 3 more months to grow... yikes!











Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Labor & Delivery - Trip 1


So last night I finally realized how scary this whole pregnancy thing really is. You see whether or not you have three babies or not its really hard to distinguish what a contraction is during your first pregnancy. They say its when your stomach tightens but mostly your stomach always feels tight. Now with triplets it gets even more complex because they push their heads or butts up against the skin making a very hard spot. If two or three do it at the same time you end up with a really hard stomach. Anyways, last night I was having a mix of these head butts and contractions and ended freaking myself out enough that maybe they were all contractions and ended up in Labor & Delivery. Sure enough only the ones that took the wind out of me were actual contractions and the doctor said it was completely normal at this stage in a triplet pregnancy. As long as they didn't come regularly or stronger, no worries. Everything else look really good and we were released within a couple hours. So now I'm going to really try to keep my heart rate under control when these occur and know that it doesn't mean labor is imminent just that there are three foot long babies in my tummy and my body is really confused on what it should do. The good news is I now definitely know the difference between contractions and headbutts so I can stop poking those poor little heads when they come to the surface.

Monday, June 22, 2009

The Bain of my Existance


Yes you are looking at the correct picture, these mattress are beginning to cause me constant misery. You see I had been told to buy the cheapest mattress out there because it really didn't matter, which I agree. But then I came across this article that talks about the reduced risks of SIDS when you have an extra firm foam mattress or a coil mattress that has at least 150 coils. Well it turns out the third cheapest mattress at Babies R Us had 150 coils, yippee, right? No. The third cheapest crib mattress costs a whopping $84.99! Times three plus tax that is almost $300! Not to mention I now feel a mix of guilt that I bought the bare minimum of SIDS approved coils while also feeling like an idiot for spending more on crib mattresses than we spent on the queen mattress in the spare bedroom. Who knew having three babies at once would be so complex...oh yeah...everyone.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Not Another Cat Photo

Sorry I realize this is not a blog about cats, but I just couldn't resist. How on earth can a person plan on having 3 babies when they have a cat with these types of attachment issues??? He has been my furpal for a long time but I'm hoping to soon share his love with my wonderful sister Kira once the babies arrive. Uhhh Kira, you are still looking for a place to live that allows cats right???

Friday, June 19, 2009

Meeting Other Multiples

So today I used one of my outings to go and observe a playdate with the Austin Moms of Multiples. A group of the south moms all met at The Jumpy Place in Kyle to let their kids bounce and to visit with each other. The Buda triplet mom, Laura, was kind enough to invite me to join so that I could meet other people who had twins or triplets. In total I think there were two sets of triplets and four sets of twins. I could be off on that count because there were kids everywhere. Anyways it was great. It was a real treat to see all of these great little kids running around and getting along so well. Another good sign was that all the moms seemed to be really happy and were really enjoying themselves as well. Not only did the visit allow me to meet some really nice people that I hope to keep in contact with as our babies get older, but it also got me very excited to have my very own trio! Only 11-15 weeks left to go~

21 Weeks!

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well. The fetus is steadily gaining fat to keep warm. Growth rate is slowing down but organ systems, like digestion, are continuing to mature. A waxy film, called the vernix caseosa, is being produced by your baby's oil glands and covers the skin to keep it supple in the amniotic fluid. Buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Feeling is Believing

Last night Brian felt Baby C move twice from the outside, yippee! Now all he has to do is feel Baby A move and he will finally be convinced that there is truly three babies inside for sure, so he says...

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Eviction


The transition of a new baby coming home is bound to be difficult for any couple. However, there are little things that make this transition a little harder than it should be. Unfortuantly poor Brian is currently having to go through one of these difficult changes. He has now been officially evicted from his closet. You see we plan on having the babies in our sitting room which is currently where Brian's closet resides. Therefore the babies will have to thus take over ownership of that closet. Brian tried to persuade me that he wasnt' ready for the commitment of sharing a closet with me and that maybe we should move slowly...you know like one shirt at a time. However, with baby room set-up fast approaching this was truly not an option. Poor Brian.


Shower Gender Board

Just for the record, here is the shower board where everyone recorded their gender guesses. The winners will each win a free night of babysitting!!!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Doctors, Doctors & More Doctors...

So tomorrow will be an entire month since I was initially placed on bedrest due to this crazy triplet pregnancy. At first it was strict bedrest requiring my mom to come and make me breakfast and lunch. I was only allowed to get up to use the restroom and shower every other day. Then two weeks in my level was lifted and I was allowed to make my own meals and have one outing per week. Last week, due to another wonderful appt. I was given the privelage of moving about in the home throughout the afternoon as long as I spent 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening on strict bedrest. Well today I had another appt which went wonderfully and I've now been given an additional outing per week. An outing is classified as dinner out or a less than 30 minute errand (1hr including drive time). So I'm really happy and hoping that next week I'm given a trip to the pool which I've been dying for. With all of this being said, they did remind me today that at 28 weeks, I will be strictly confined to the house, no ifs ands or buts.

So how do I get these upgrades each week? Well I see a ton of doctors. Initally since it was a triplet pregnancy I started out by having to see my OB every other week. Also due to my hypothyroidism I also had to see my endocronologist every 4 weeks during the pregnancy. Then at 16 week I began also seeing a perinatlist who specializes in maternal fetal medicine and makes sure all the babies are growing on schedule. Then because I was having trouble getting in the recommended 4000 calories a day I was referred to a nutritionist who I will see as needed. Finally, when I hit the 18 week mark I began seeing Laura, my pre-term labor nurse who sees me every single week to make sure I'm not going into early labor, have preclampsia and to check several other factors. So... what this means is that every week I see at least one doctor and have at times seen up to 3 in one week. The point of this story is just to show you how crazy they really watch a triplet pregnancy to prevent and/or stop and possible complications. It sure is alot of waiting rooms but I'm glad to have all the extra eyes!

Speaking of crazy, at my appt. with Laura today, I now measure 34 weeks. I am in reality only 20.5 weeks pregnant. So a person pregnant with one baby would be planning on giving birth in 6 weeks from now... Yikes.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Baby Steriods?

So last night after a delicious cherry ring pop (thanks mom) I was laying on the couch visiting with my parents when all of a sudden Baby B moved so strongly it felt like he/she did a roundabout backflip combo. It made me jump it was so strong. A few moments later the same thing happened again. Of course Brian was out picking up supper and wasn't there to feel it. Sadly I finally had to get up and reposition when my parents left and figured Brians chance at feeling a baby move was yet again missed. However, soon after Brian arrives home, the same baby begins to perform once again. Brian quickly came over and then waited...nothing. Right as he was about to move and go eat his now getting cold dinner, Baby B kung fu kicks him directly in the hand. His eyes got wide and he quicly pulled away. He was so shocked. He said it felt kind of like when you are in the creek and the minnows come up and bite on you. Its funny because thats actually a really good description of how it feels from the inside when there are the light kicks. Anyways, Brian was able to feel Baby B one more time that evening and we are hoping that the other two babies make their exterior kicking appearance very soon. Hmmm could cherry ring pops be the new baby steriods we need???

Friday, June 12, 2009

Yippeee 20 weeks!



How your baby's growing:
Your baby weighs about 9 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. Your baby can hear sounds by now -- your voice, heart and your stomach growling, as well as sounds outside your body. It will cover its ears with its hands if a loud sound is made near you, and it may even become startled and "jump." The baby is moving often, too -- twisting, turning, wiggling, punching and kicking. He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). Hair is beginning to grow on your baby's head and lanugo, a soft fine hair, covers his or her shoulders, back, and temples. This hair protects your baby and is usually shed at the end of the baby's first week of life. Your baby's skin is covered with a whitish coating called vernix caseosa. This "cheesy" substance, thought to protect baby's skin from long exposure to the amniotic fluid, is shed just before birth

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Does a Cat Purr Soundtrack Exist?

So Brian and I are starting to get worried that the only way these babies are going to be able to sleep following there birth is with some sort of purring cat noise. Our cat Popcorn has always been a lap cat but now if I lay down he is quick to join me. I have worked hard to teach him that he is not allowed to actually walk on the belly but that doesn't stop him from doing the scoot up as far as he can...

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Baby updates!

The average weight of a baby at 19 weeks is 8.47oz so all our babies are still on the large size which is great! If you measure head to toe they are each about 10-12 inches long now and have almost an inch long foot!

Baby A - 11oz
Baby B - 9oz
Baby C - 11oz

Baby B has hiccups!

19 Week Baby Pics
















Belly Shots


Here are my belly shots thus far...


13 Weeks







15 Weeks








18 Weeks

Back Track

Okay so I've decided to share my blog with others and thus have deleted several posts that were wayyyyy to private. So as I am now about 20 weeks pregnant I will recap the last few months in this post.

So last post I had found out we were having twins and was so excited and a little scared. Well I was also having a few issues that they had to watch closely. So I went for a third u/s to make sure the issue I was having had been resolved. I went alone b/c it was just a standard visit right? Not so much. The Dr. looked around and quickly found both babies to my relief. He then began to look at my issue and he said, "oh no." These are probably the scariest words a dr. can say to you. He then said the sentance that would change our lives for ever, "I've heard of this happening but have never seen it happen in my years of practice...there is a third baby." My eyes got really wide, are you kidding me, I've had two u/s where was a third baby then. I was in complete shock. He then explained to me the risks of having triplets such as pre-term birth, bedrest for up to 6 months and a whole lot of expense. He explained that with my heighth and age I could handle it but if I were to reduce one of the babies it may give the surving two a better chance of making it longer. He then gave me the cards of a high risk Ob/gyn and a card for a "reduction" specialist in Houston for if I decided to go that route and sent me on my way.

I was numb and got up to check my cell phone b/c I had heard it vibrate during the appt. It was Brian texting me asking me how everything went. Hmmm...this probably isn't something you tell over text right? So I said it went fine and that I was about to leave the office right then. I went down the elevator and out the doors and who is sitting on the bench waiting for me...my wonderful husband. He saw my face and immediatly looked concerned and said, "oh no what happened?" He immediatly thought something had g0ne terribly wrong. I didn't know what else to say but..."uhhhh they found a third perfectly healthy baby." His face was priceless. He was so relieved everything was ok and very excited about the third baby although within a few days he was also incredibly terrified.

So thats the omg its triplets post. After some discussion we decided reduction wasn't for us and we knew the risks when we took the medicine we took after the m/c's. Now we did think it was less than 1% and that we'd never be that couple, but sometimes things just work out that way.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Baby Shower

So this last Saturday we had our wonderful triple the fun baby shower! Our wonderful family worked together to create a large gathering that was a ton of fun and went wayyy to fast. We recieved so many beautiful gifts and are so thankful for everything we recieved. I'm still waiting on pics to post but here is one of me before the shower at approximatly 19 weeks...