First Pediatrician Visit

The Boys are GREAT!





We had our first pediatrician visit this past Monday. The first time out of the house with all three was an adventure. Unexpectedly, the car seats did not fit in Mikki's Yukon (yes, I probably should have worked through this problem prior to the minute we needed to leave). Avoiding a potential meltdown, we quickly adjusted our plans and took two vehicles. Upon further reflection, I think that we can realign the seats in the Yukon so that the boys can all ride together next time. However, the Bertrands will be in the market for a bigger vehicle in the near future. Any car salesman that can provide a serious triplet discount should get in touch with us - emphasis on serious!

Once at the doctor's office the boys got to try out their pimp-tacular stroller:





They then waited "patiently" to meet their new doctor (in birth order, Jackson, Maxwell and Harrison):







Fortunately, all three of our big boys received A+ grades on their physical exams. They all have already exceeded their birth weight with Jackson weighing in at 6 lbs. 1 oz., Maxwell at 6 lbs. 3 oz. and Harrison at 5 lbs. 13 oz. The preemie clothes and diapers won't fit for much longer!

The boys will get to visit with their doctor one more time next Monday, and, if all is well, they will not have to go back for another two months.

On the home front, the boys are eating, peeing and pooping at an extraordinary rate. They drink two plus ounces every 3 to 4 hours, which correlates to about 24 bottles a day, which in turn correlates to roughly 24 to 30 diapers a day. Thankfully, they also sleep pretty well. They are up for 30 minutes to an hour at each feeding and then they sleep a few hours until the next feeding. One week in, they remain on the same schedule. If one wakes up a little early for a feeding, we wake up the other two so that we stay on schedule. With the help of grandmas and great grandmas, we are able to feed them all at once. Our current trio has also been very helpful thus far. They love to help with the feedings, even getting up early for school so they can feed their baby before getting on the bus (we'll see how long that last).

We have really enjoyed everyone's interest in our journey with these boys. It has been an awesome experience. Thank you for the continued well wishes.

The Bertrand 8

The Trio is Back Together

Maxwell Francis Bertrand, born September 16, 2011 and weighing 6 lbs. 1 oz., spent 2 days in the NICU and 3 days in the special care nursery before being discharged to come home on Wednesday September 21, 2011. Max was the second born and the biggest in both weight and length (19.5 inches). He required two days of oxygen post-birth but was otherwise perfect. Max has really fat cheeks and a small birthmark behind his neck. Best of all, he has wild hair that is difficult to tame - just perfect for a kid named Max! He looks uber tough and menacing at times, though his toughness is offest by his high pitch squeal.

Here are a few pics of Max's trip home:







Max was VERY happy to be home:



So, as of this past Wednesday, there were two:







Jackson Robert Bertrand, born September 16, 2011 and weighing 5 lbs. 15 oz., spent 2 days in the NICU and 5 days in the special care nursery before being discharged to come home on Friday September 23, 2011. Jack was the first born - the big brother. He required two days of oxygen post-birth and would have come home sooner but for an isolated drop in his heart rate on day 3 that bought him a few extra days of monitoring. Jack appears to be the strong, silent type. His head has a little bit different shape to it which may be a result of being stuck at the bottom of the pile during the pregnancy. He also has more of an olive skin color.

Jackson's trip home:





And then there were three:

In birth order from left to right, Jack, Max and Harrison.





Other than the sleep deprivation (which is not easy), we are doing really well. The boys are proving to be great babies so far. We are on a decent schedule with feedings every 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. These guys rarely cry and they sleep/eat together. We can put them down while they're still awake and they put themselves to sleep. They are eating like monsters, taking in 2 oz. per feeding. Their weights are steadily going up and their jaundice levels are going down (with no treatment). We know two things: (1) we continue to be extremely fortunate and blessed and (2) things will certainly get harder. We are very grateful that the boys are taking it easy on us which allows us to ease into our new life.

We appreciate the great many well wishes and prayers. We are having a lot of fun. There is not an hour that goes by that we don't look at each other and say: WOW, this is amazing. We will post more pictures soon!

Love - The Bertrand 8

The Boys ARE IDENTICAL

Lab results on the placenta have confirmed that the boys are in fact IDENTICAL. The boys were spawned by one AWESOME egg, were SAFELY tucked into three separate sacs, and they shared the same SUPER placenta. We are accepting all ideas regarding how to identify them moving forward....electronic chips? tatoos? fingernail polish? hair style? clothes? hmmmmm. For now we will keep their hospital bracelents on. We will utilize a color scheme as well: Max = Red; Jack = Blue; and Harry = Green. Considering that they look alike, I'm sure glad they are cute!

Harrison is Home

Harrison Kent Bertrand, born September 16, 2011 and weighing 5lbs. 10 oz., spent 2 days in the NICU before being cleared to hangout in the room with his parents. Harrison did not require any oxygen assistance and he was sucking a bottle 2 hours after his birth. To the amazement of the hospital staff, he easily passed all of the tests given to premature babies. So, after 2 days of monitoring, the doctors could not find any reason for Harrison not to be released to join mom in her room. His jaundice levels are a little high and there remains a possibility that he could require some form of treatment.

With much excitement, Harrison was discharged from the hospital with Mikki last night. We made it home around 11pm and he slept in his bed for the first time. He is doing SO awesome. He is eating really well and has almost gained back all of the weight he lost after birth. The little dude is rarely fussy, which makes our job pretty easy at this point. We are bringing Harrison back to the outpatient clinic today so they can check his jaundice levels.

Here are a few pics of Harrison and his trip home:









Max should be discharged today so that we get to enjoy the fun of bringing another baby home. We cannot wait to have them all together again.

The Bertrand 8

The Boys Are Here

We welcomed the boys into this World on Friday, September 16, 2011 at 7:33 a.m., 7:34 a.m. and 7:35 a.m respectfully. It was an unbelievable experience. Mikki was amazing:



Jackson arrived first weighing in at 5 lbs. 15 oz., Maxwell second at 6 lbs. 1 oz. and Harrison third at 5 lbs. 10 oz. They were fat and healthy.



All initially went to the NICU, but they only stayed for two days prior to moving to the special care nursery. Jack and Max required some minimal oxygen help for the first two days, but both are completely off of it now. Harrison (the runt) has out performed his brothers so far and he was moved to our room Sunday night. Harrison will go home with us tomorrow. Max may also come home with us depending on how the next 24 hours go. However, Jack will stay at the hospital until Friday or Saturday (his heart rate dropped last night for less than 20 seconds earning him five additional days).

Oh, and the boys look to be identical!! While we are still waiting for some test results, they share exactly the same amount of cuteness and they have the same blood type. We are relying on hospital bracelets for now, but we will need a good identification plan once we get home

We cannot explain how incredibly blessed we are. The odds of having spontanous identical triplets born healthy at 34 weeks is beyond comprehension. Mikki and the boys are the talk of the hospital and no one can recall seeing anything like this before. The only explanation is that we were chosen for these wonderful gifts and we plan to enjoy the ride.

We will provide a detailed birth story later, but, in the meantime, we have included a slideshow on the right side of this page (for those reading on email you will have to go to the actual web page to view the pics). Enjoy!!

Love,

Hunter, Mikki, Coby, Claire, Caroline, Jackson, Maxwell and Harrison - Party of Eight

The Boys Are Coming!

The delivery date has been moved up to Friday and we will be off to the hospital in a few hours. The boys and Mikki are fine, and there are no worries. It is simply time to get the boys out. We are very excited and almost ready - still packing a bag or two as we speak. The delivery is scheduled for 7am.

We truly appreciate all of the prayers and well wishes. Stay tuned for updates and hopefully pictures as time allows today.

33 Weeks and 5 Days

We visited Dr. L. today. From what we could see on ultrasound, the boys heartbeats were great, their fluid sacs were full and they passed all of their breathing and movement tests. We were unable to get an estimate of their weights, but we are guessing that they will all be around 5lbs at birth - which is awesome. As for Mikki, her cervix is still holding strong and she has shown very few signs of premature labor. The last few weeks have been very tough on Mikki, but, overall, she is doing amazingly well.

So, we are a go for September 20! We are as ready as we'll ever be and we are excited to see our boys...Mikki is also really tired of being pregnant. We pray that these little guys will be healthy and strong so that they can avoid the NICU altogether. Having made it to almost 35 weeks, no one would be surprised if one or all of the boys come home with us. However, it is very possible, if not likely, that one or all could spend a week or so in the NICU. We would like to think that we have prepared ourselves for either scenario, but that is probably wishful thinking.

Thanks to everyone for the continued prayers and well wishes. We are very happy to have you with us on this journey.

Hunter and Mikki

D-Day has been set - September 20

The date has been set: September 20, 2011. We visited Dr. L yesterday and were told that Mikki still looks good with no signs of premature labor. While Mikki is sooo done with being pregnant, she is motivated to give these boys more time to mature prior to delivery. With that said, two weeks sounds like an eternity to Mikki. So, we are taking it a day at a time and today is 32 weeks and 6 days. Every day in the womb from this point forward equals multiple days the boys will not have to spend in the NICU.

We have been so blessed to have our family helping out over the last few weeks. Different members of our respective families have been cooking, cleaning and driving our current trio to their various after school activities (essentially taking over for Mikki so that she can spend more time off of her feet). I’m not sure that we could do it without them, and we certainly can’t thank them enough.

We have posted a new (and likely last) belly pic to the belly watch slideshow. Mikki’s transformation has been nothing short of phenomenal. She is carrying around 15 pounds of baby! Sheeish.

Also, check out these blankets that my Aunt Jana quilted for the boys. They are awesome. You can just imagine the boys dragging these things around for years to come.







We go back to see Dr. L next Tuesday, at which point we will get to see the boys on ultrasound again. If all looks well, then the final countdown to September 20, 2011 will begin!

Oh, and Geaux Tigers!

Hunter and Mikki

32 WEEKS!

Well, today Mikki hit her initial goal of 32 weeks. I'm so in awe of her and the boys are so lucky to have her. This has not been easy - especially the last few weeks. Hopefully we are fortunate enough to make it a few more weeks. I know that Mikki is motivated to keep these boys cooking a while longer so that they are as healthy as they can be when they enter this world.

Please send Mikki your thoughts, prayers and inspiration to get her through these next few weeks!

Quick Update - Last MFM Appt.

Today turned out to be our last MFM appt. Mikki is 31 weeks and 5 days. The boys have grown a pound a piece in the last 2 weeks; Jackson is now 4 lb. 13 oz., and Maxwell and Harrison are both 4 lb. 3 oz. Jackson is in the 81st percentile and M and H are in the 64th percentile - on the single baby chart. All of the boys, and all of their parts, looked really good. So, MFM decided that they did not need to see Mikki or the boys again. They told us that we can look forward to scheduling the c-section b/w 34 and 35 weeks, assuming, of course, Mikki does not go into labor prior to then. That would put the boys' arrival between Sept. 15 and Sept. 22.

We visited with Dr. L after MFM. She found that Mikki's cervix was holding, but she recommended that we (and by we I mean Mikki) go forward with a steriod injection to bolster the boys lung development. Mikki received one shot today and she will get a second shot tomorrow. Maybe the boys will come out ripped!...ok...ok...that would just be weird. Mikki then signed all of her consent forms and we were given a copy of her file in case she goes into labor unexpectedly. Dr. L scheduled us for another appointment in one week, at which point we will (I think) schedule the c-section.

We did not get any good pics of the boys today as they are just a jumbled mess. We will try to post some other photos (baby stuff and perhaps THE belly) this weekend.

It's starting to get very real! We will soon be the parents of triplet - possibly identical - boys. Whoa.

Week 30/31 Update

Amazingly, and anxiously, we are nearing our initial goal of 32 weeks. The past 16 weeks have been such a blur, especially the last month. In fact, I’m trying to recall how the last 17 days have passed without a blog entry. Hmmm. Our apologies go out to those that have been following us and have been wondering if all is OK. Happily, we can report that the boys are still cooking (growing) and Mikki is doing wonderfully (but for the pressure, pain, uncomfortable-ness, sleeplessness, breathlessness, internal furnace, swelling, and fatigue). We are hopeful that Mikki and the boys will hang in there for a few more weeks.

We last went to the doctor on August 16. MFM confirmed that ALL of the boys are still growing together at an impressive rate. They are all measuring above average even for a singleton. Their fluid sacs looked great, and their little noses, lips, hands and feet all looked perfect. And, they have hair (lets keep the bald jokes to a minimum). Jackson (Baby A) had managed to perform a somersault since our last appointment, likely because he grew tired of Maxwell sitting on his head. He remains on Mikki’s left side, butt down and head up. His legs/feet were curled up very tight under him and he was facing Mikki’s back. Jackson weighed in at 3 lb. 8 oz. and his head measured in the 98th percentile (that’s right….big brain). Maxwell (Baby B) was positioned very similar to Jackson, but on Mikki’s right side. He weighed 3 lb. 4 oz. Harrison (Baby C) remains at the very top, though his brothers have been encroaching on his space. Harrison has become the most active…we like to think it's because he is trying to push his brothers back down. Harrison was laying horizontal with his chest facing up. His head was facing towards Mikki’s right side and he was actually starting to slide under Maxwell. Harrison weighed in at 3 lb. 3 oz.

We left MFM with a glowing report and headed downstairs to see Dr. L. Once there the good news continued as Dr. L found no signs of pre-mature labor (i.e. the cervix is holding). Mikki was told that she is doing fantastic and there is every reason to believe that she will go past the average of 32/33 weeks. All of the doctors and nurses that we saw were amazed at how great Mikki’s body was holding up. We have been so incredibly fortunate up to this point!

We have posted some new pics of the boys from their 30 week appointment – look to the right. Here are a couple worth highlighting:



This is a 4D shot of Harrison. He looks so snuggly with his hands up near his face. I cannot wait to hold him.



Here is Jackson’s alien face.



And Maxwell’s hand/fingers. We will soon get to hold that hand. Wow.

We are starting to feel a little more prepared – though we take comfort in knowing that it is impossible to be completely prepared for the circus that is coming. With the help of Mikki’s parents, we put together 3 baby beds last weekend. All of the beds were given to us or are on loan (you know who you are and thank you!). We have set all of them up in our room along with a changing station. It looks like we are running a daycare center. We put a second changing station out in the hallway for those days where we have help and are able lock ourselves in our room for nap time. We also have bassinets that will allow us to roll the babies into other rooms (and out of our room) when we need a break. We have three bouncers setup and a few swings. And, thankfully, we have received enough donated clothes to get us through the first 18 months or so.

Let me just say that we are so incredibly humbled by everyone’s kindness and generosity. It really does take a village, and we have a great village. Another example was the shower put on by the “dance moms” at BRDC. Have you seen the reality show Dance Moms? Our group of dance moms (and dads) are nothing like that. Instead we have a great group of parents, kids and teachers that are supportive, caring and thoughtful. They surprised Mikki with a shower that ultimately resulted in about a three month supply of diapers. In fact, our diaper supply has reached 2,200 or so and takes up almost all of the boys future closet. We have calculated that we will need about 24,000 diapers….so…we are almost there….(!) Thank you dance moms and dads and teachers!

We are going to try to take pictures of some baby stuff (and maybe an updated belly pic) and we will share those pics in our next update.

As for our current trio, they are starting to settle into their school routines; Coby in 8th grade, Claire in 3rd grade and Caroline in 1st grade. All are off to a great start. Life with our kids is busy and hectic, yet fulfilling. We try to imagine adding the triplets to our life and we have no idea how it will work….but we know that it will. We’ve been watching Making Room for Multiples on TLC in an effort prepare ourselves. The other day a new mom of triplets was asked “how in the world do you care for three babies at one time?” She responded: “how do you not?” We liked that answer. Maybe we will have t-shirts made.

Please keep Mikki and the boys in your thoughts and prayers. We are in the home stretch.

Hunter and Mikki

Rolling Right Along (28/29 Week Update)

We are a little behind on our weekly posting. I guess having no urgent news to report is a good thing. Mikki hits 29 weeks tomorrow. It’s amazing to me that she is still getting around so well. While she is spending a lot of time resting, she also continues to drive our current trio to their various activities. I even caught her demonstrating to Claire the proper technique for a double turn the other day….that is just ridiculous. However, our challenges are certainly increasing starting with this week. The kids begin school tomorrow and Claire has already begun her new year of dance.

As for the boys, they seem to be doing great. We saw MFM and Dr. L last Monday. The reports were unanimous – everybody looks good. Mikki is showing no signs of pre-term labor and her weight gain has been really good. The boys continue to grow and get stronger at an impressive rate. They are all weighing in at well above average for even a single baby. All were between 2lb 8 oz and 2lb 12 oz. The tech kept talking about their “big heads”. Their head sizes were in the 90th percentile – obviously they must have big brains. Their stomachs were in the 70th percentile. There little legs were closer to the 40th to 50th percentiles. We smile every time we think about their big heads and small little legs…such funny, alien like creatures at 29 weeks.

We have just a handful of pictures from this last appointment. Here are two of our favorites:



This is a good example of Jackson’s never-ending plight. He continues to get pushed farther and farther down. Here, you can see that Maxwell is sitting on poor little Jack’s head. We got a very similar shot at the appointment before this one, which suggests that Max has been sitting on Jack for the last two or three weeks. Poor dude. Do babies pass gas in the womb? Hmmm.





In these shots Harrison is showing us a little love. Comparatively speaking, this little guy has it made. He has room to move and takes full advantage. He also provided us with a very cool moment at the last ultrasound. I was sitting to Mikki’s left as she lay on the exam table. During the ultrasound we could feel Harrison moving very high in Mikki’s stomach before he finally settled in. We asked the tech how he was positioned and she quickly investigated. What we found was that Harrison had turned his head to where it appeared as if he was looking right at me. His little face looked as if it was right up against the inner wall of Mikki’s stomach….as if he was peering out at me, listening to what I had to say. We could feel his head pushing against Mikki’s belly. It was a great moment.

We recently found a few pictures of the boys that we have never posted. These are long lost photos from the first ultrasound at 12 weeks. They just grow up so fast!











Keep those prayers coming. They are obviously working for Mikki and the boys. It’s amazing (and scary) that these boys will be here in just a few short weeks. I don’t think there is any way for us to appreciate just how challenging (and crazy) our lives are about to become. There is no way for us to be completely prepared. We’ll just take it as it comes. One day, one week at a time. It’s sure to be a fun ride.

Fun fact of the day: total number of baby beds that I have set up to date – zero. We are not ready!

With lots of love,

Hunter and Mikki

Name Game Announcement (27 weeks)

Our poll has ended and we are ready to announce names. We appreciate everyone’s participation in the poll and we have enjoyed almost all of the advice and input you guys have offered us. As you may recall, we started the Name Game on a mission to find strong, masculine and enduring names for our boys. We also wanted names that could be easily shortened into something fun.

What we haven’t shared before are our thoughts on middle names. We have decided to use family names that have special meaning to us. This has proven to be a difficult task that has taken a considerable amount of thought as there are so many people in our family who possess qualities that we will strive to instill in our boys - kindness, strength, and integrity, just to name a few. We are hopeful our boys will be sweet and gentle, yet independent and strong. We want them to be leaders and patriarchs who are blessed with the desire and ability to help others and put their family first. Of course, now that I’ve written this, they will surely be tyrants!

Without further delay, we introduce you to our boys:

Baby A – Jackson Robert (Jack)

Jackson is the rock and pillar who has propped up and protected his brothers and mother. If ever he would have given in to the pressure, the whole house of cards could have fallen. For his efforts he has been kicked, elbowed, sat on, and slept on. We thus picture him as being strong and tolerant. He will likely be the first born…the older brother…the one the others will look to and lean on. His name sake, Robert, is Mikki’s grandfather whose life and memory personifies these qualities that we already see in Jackson.

Baby B – Maxwell Francis (Max)

Maxwell is strong-willed and independent. He will surely cause a little trouble, but he will also stand up for what is right and protect the ones he loves. He may get knocked down, but he will never stay down. He will be a fighter. Maxwell’s namesake is Frances, my grandmother. She personified strength, love and determination. She had an unbelievable love for her family, and she always put us first. Every game, every awards presentation, every time we needed her…she was there. She was also a fighter whose battle with cancer was, and will always be, inspiring.

Baby C – Harrison Kent (maybe we'll just call him Harry when he has been bad)

Harrison is kind, gentle and sweet. Closest to Mikki's heart, he is a big teddy bear type, perhaps even a momma’s boy. He will always be there for his brothers. He will be quick to lend a hand and take care of others in need. He will be loving and caring, and appreciative of the fact that he was born with his two best friends. Harrison’s namesake is my father, Kent. Not to say that my father is a momma’s boy; but, he has a gentle soul that I hope is passed to at least one of my boys.

With great optimism, we will soon welcome Jackson, Maxwell, and Harrison into our world. We are certainly not naïve enough to think our boys will be perfect; but, as their parents, we get to hope and dream. It's all part of the fun of parenthood.

Now all we have to do is keep them straight once they are born!! “Is that Jackson?…no that’s Maxwell…Jackson is over there….I think…. Or is that Harrison!?.” This is going to be fun….right?!

Hunter and Mikki

Week 26

It's been a fairly uneventful week, at least in regards to the boys...which, I guess, is a good thing at this stage. Mikki hit 26 weeks last Thursday and is already creeping up on week #27. The boys have been very active, which means Mikki has been increasingly uncomfortable. It's hard to imagine that she can physically grow much larger. In honor of her amazing feat, we offer the 26th week photo:



Why, you ask, is she holding a tape measure? Fair question. The tape measure is set at 43 1/2 inches, which illustrates the approximate combined length of the boys. How all that baby is stuffed into that stomach is anyone's guess. I can't imagine how it must fill to carry around that load 24 hours a day. I feel uncomfortable after a single large meal.

Well, it's about to get very busy for the Bertrand 8. Claire starts her new year of dance on Monday and the kids start school shortly thereafter. Coby is having his 8th grade orientation today and the girls have their orientations next week. All the while, their momma (and chauffeur) is nearing all out bed rest. What is the plan you ask? Another good question. We are largely flying by the seat of our pants right now. It's difficult to plan for the unknown, i.e. when will Mikki be unable to drive, when will she go on full bed rest, when will she go into the hospital, when will these boys decide to make their entrance into the world, how long will the boys stay in the NICU before coming home? We can only plan so far in advance. For now, it's good knowing that we have great family and friend support on standby to help as needed.

We go back to Dr. LaFranca and MFM on Monday. We will of course pass on any news and new pics after our visit. Also, as a teaser, we are nearing the end of our Name Game, which means we will be announcing the boys names soon. Stay tuned!

Hunter and Mikki.

Week 25 Update

The Boys at 25 weeks:







We visited with MFM on Friday and the boys looked great. Their weight gain continues to amaze as they’re all right at 2 lbs, which is on the high end of the scale even for a singleton. They were all very active, especially our trouble maker Baby B (that’s got to be Maxwell – Max). A and B were literally performing somersaults and even our laid back guy, Baby C, was much more active. (Mikki swears that she didn’t sneak any coffee prior to the visit!) It is truly amazing to see and feel all of them moving at once. I’m not sure how Mikki takes it, though I guess that she has little choice.

After the visit, we took a tour of the NICU and special needs nursery at Woman’s. It’s impossible to fully appreciate just how small a 2 lb. baby is unless you see one in person. Quite honestly, the thought of caring for such a little person is very scary. We know this though, the facility and people at Woman’s are terrific. To the extent our boys have to spend time in the NICU, we know that they will have the very best care.

If anything, the visit to the NICU provided Mikki with the motivation needed to carry these babies a little longer. Every day the boys stay in her belly is a day (or a few days) (or a week) less in the NICU. Please keep Mikki in your thoughts and prayers. It gets a little tougher on her each passing day, both physically and emotionally.

25 weeks down, and another 7 -10 weeks to go!

Finally, in case someone is interested, or you know someone who may be interested, we are selling our boat. $7,000 or a year's worth of diapers (times 3). Here is the link. http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/boa/2499341474.html

Hunter and Mikki.

Happy Birthday Supermom (Week 24)

Happy Birthdays all around (the baby picture edition)! As noted in our last post, July 4th was Coby’s birthday and we posted one of the few recent pictures that we have of our little man – ok, in no way is he little any more, armpit hair, deepening voice, wanna be mustache, girlfriend…I’m not sure if I’m proud or just a little grossed out.

Anyway, we found a couple of our favorite baby pics and decided that we would share:



Now that is just cute.

And, while it will embarrass him for years, here is the long lost video of Coby’s Justin Beiber song….enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3p77DdbMdo

My favorite pic of Coby and Claire:



While I’m at it, my favorite dance pic of the girls:



Today is Supermom’s birthday, and following on our baby picture theme, how about this pic:



That may be the single cutest baby pic of all time. The story is that little Mikki was pointing to a recent boo-boo on her toe. Regardless, it’s super cute.

Happy Birthday Mikki! Your strength and grace in carrying our boys is nothing short of awe-inspiring. You often times make it look so easy, and I know it’s not. I love you.

To share a little about our story, Mikki and I were kinda destined for this (not the triplet + plus three part, but the living happy ever after part). See, we were born two months apart in the same small town at the hands of the same doctor. Even before our birth, Mikki’s parents lived in my great grandmother’s apartment behind her house; the same apartment I lived in later with my mom. Mikki’s mom recalls visiting my great grandmother and seeing the same family heirloom piano that now sits in our foyer. We rode the same bus to kindergarten, driven by the same one-armed bus driver (seriously, he had one arm and the bus was a stick shift…you don’t forget something like that). If this isn’t sounding a little Forest Gumpish already… Mikki had an eye issue as a kid that required her to wear an eye patch throughout kindergarten. There’s a lot I can’t recall about kindergarten, but I remember the one-eyed girl who decorated her eye patch with stickers. I moved away in 1st grade, but was back in 10th grade. Immediately, Mikki was my first crush. She was in my 10th grade English class, Mrs. Burk, and we were dating by our Junior year. We have definitely had our ups and downs since then, but we have been way up for quite some time with no downhill stretch in sight. Again, Happy Birthday to my wife.

Claire actually brought out our high school yearbooks this past week. In honor of our awesome picture themed post, how about these beauties:



Yes, that is Mikki in my letter jacket singing the alma mater at a basketball game. She is without a doubt embarrassed of that short hair now. I liked it though.

How about a few more (because she was so cute):





Also, because we have promised them a few times, and it’s a tribute to Mikki’s artistic abilities, here are a few shots of the girls’ room and bathroom (recall that the girls have been forced to share a room with the boys on the way and Mikki was left with the challenge of painting their room with ALL of their favorite colors).









And, finally, because turn about is fair play:



Anyway, this has been all about us, rather than our future trio…so, thank you for bearing with me. As for our boys, Week 24 has flown by fairly unremarkably. Mikki has done a good job of resting and keeping her feet up. Our current trio have shown some understanding and have kept their demands to a minimum. The boys are getting stronger by the day. It is incredibly strange to feel and see all of them moving at one time. And, by the look on Mikki’s face, it's even stranger to feel them from the inside. So, we (mostly Mikki) trudge forward…into the 25th week. We see MFM again next week. Maybe we can talk the Dr. into some 4d pictures that we can share.

Hunter and Mikki.