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.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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
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
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