One Week Old

The babies are officially one week old, and we got some great news from the Doctor today. Kayla officially no longer needs oxygen. She has demonstrated that she is fully capable of breathing on her own. And one of the benefits for us is that we can now see her face without all the tubes. Here is our beautiful daughter without her breathing mask.



The other good news we have is that both boys are eating well enough that Julie is able to start nursing them. Both have done well with this, but Braden seems to be leading the pack. He is almost to the point where he is taking all his food without having to use the feeding tube. We were also told today that they were going to take him out of the incubator tonight to see how well he can regulate his own temperature. It seems like he might be getting close to being able to come home!

Here are some pictures over the last few days.


Kayla, Braden, & Daniel just one week old


Kayla & Daniel caught smiling


And finally, one very tired Daniel


-Rich

First Family Picture

The babies are now 5 days old, and they are doing great. Kayla is making good progress, and is right about where they expect her to be for her size. The boys on the other hand are exceeding the doctors expectations. We couldn't be prouder of the progress our three little ones are making.

On Christmas in the NICU, the nurses gave us the best present we could have asked for. Since the boys were doing so well, the nurses were able to take them off of their monitors for a few minutes, and bring them over by their sister so we could take our first family picture. And as a bonus, the nurses walked the boys over to the window in the door of the NICU, and Aunt Erin, Uncle Caleb, & Uncle Brian were able to see their nephews for the first time.

Braden is on the Left, Kayla is in the middle, and Daniel is on the right.

Here they are all together up close.

Here are some other shots of the babies in the last few days...


Here we are holding our two boys.

Kayla, Braden, & Daniel with their eyes open.

Peeking through the windows of their incubators.

And of course lots more Grandma & Grandpa time.


Julie is now home from the Hospital, which is bitter-sweet. We are thankful that she was well enough to leave, but it is sad that we are no longer a short elevator trip from seeing the babies. Thank you all for your prayers and support. And who knows, maybe the next post will include a video...

-Rich

2 Days Old

Well, the babies are now 2 days old, and they are doing great. Both boys are now off of the oxygen, and are getting close to being able to come off their feeding tubes & IVs. Kayla is a little behind the boys, but she is doing very well. She is on oxygen, and is being fed through the feeding tube & the IV, but she is still ahead of where most babies are when they are born her size. And the doctor told us that if these breathing issues are all we have to deal with, then we should consider ourselves lucky. Julie is also doing well. She was able to get up and walk around for a while today, and has much more of an appitite than she did yesterday.

Here are some snap shots of the last few days:



This was Julie & I just one day before the babies were born.

Us at the hospital just minutes after they told us the babies were definitely being born that night. Julie said she wasn't sure how she was able to smile for that picture considering she was in full on labor at the time.

After the babies were born, they gave us three hats, each one with the footprints of one of the babies.

Julie's first trip down to see our new babies.

Our first time getting to hold one of our babies. I got to hold Braden, and Julie got to hold Kayla.

Daddy getting to feed Daniel for the first time, and Kayla grabbing her Daddy's finger.


And of course the Grandmas and Grandpas are loving the time with their new grandchildren.

And here are new pictures of Kayla, Braden, & Daniel only two days old.


Enjoy and stay tuned for more.

-Rich

Babies are here!

The rumors are true... We are officially parents to triplets! Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support. It was a long day yesterday, but we are happy to announce that all three babies are doing extremely well, and Julie is recovering nicely. But enough about the details, I know the real reason you are here is for the pictures! So here are the first three pictures (Warning: They are hooked up to all the monitors and breathing machines, but I figured you would want to see them anyway)...

Here is Kayla Ann

She is our oldest, and was born at 2:47 AM. She was 4 lbs, 2.5 oz, and was 16.9 inches long. The nurses in the NICU are already calling her the little princess of the family.

Please meet Braden Richard

He is our second born, and was born at 2:48 A.M. He was our biggest one weighing 4 lbs, 4.6 oz, and was also 16.9 inches long.

And this is Daniel Bernard

He is our youngest, born a full minute later at 2:49 A.M. He weighed 4 lbs, 3.7 oz, and was our longest at 17.3 inches. I was down in the NICU when they gave him a bath, so I was able to get a picture of him without his breathing machine on.

Stay posted for more pictures. They are coming later today. Thanks everyone for all your support over the past 8 months. Please continue to pray for Julie in her recovery, and for the babies as they get bigger and grow stronger.

-Rich

I can't believe it, 34 weeks!!

Hello all,
So sorry we have taken such a long break from the internet world. Especially at a critical time as we get closer to the big day. But we're finally online again and I wanted to update right away! First of all, we can't believe that as of today, I am 34 weeks pregnant! I never thought I would make it this long and at this point I am thankful for each day that the babies stay in. Of course, I am also EXTREMELY ready physically for their arrival. But the longer they're in, the better off they'll be, so I am praying to make it to December 30th. Not too far away now!

In other baby news, I had an appointment yesterday and all 3 are continuing to grow. At this point, I get checked every week and have an ultrasound. It is very difficult at this point to see in the ultrasounds. The techs are always saying things like, "let's see, whose arm is that?" or "woops, here comes someone elses leg!" It is certainly getting very crowded in there. I'm measuring at 48 cm at this point, which is the equivalent of 48 weeks pregnant so I'm definitely feeling huge at this point! I don't do too much these days. One outing a day is basically all I can take so I'm so thankful for my mom who is here to help take care of me. It is so helpful to have her doing all the laundry and fixing meals...hmmm...I could get used to this!

All three babies are measuring really well right now. Here are the latest stats:

Baby A (girl): 4 lbs, 0 oz

Baby B (boy): 4 lbs, 5 oz

Baby C (boy): 4 lbs, 5 0z

I'm absolutely thrilled that they are over 4 lbs. That has been my goal all along so I feel so blessed that they are doing as well as they are! At this rate, they could be close to 5 by the time I deliver. Wow, that's a lot of weight to carry around too!

In house news, we are loving our new place. It has taken a lot of self discipline to not stress too much about getting everything the way I want it. There are simply too many other things to think about right now so I'm putting all other house projects on hold for now. We did however paint the nursery and get the cribs all set up. We're almost done with it so I'll be sure to take a picture and post it when we're all set!

I also just want to thank all of you who are faithfully praying for us and have been so encouraging in sharing in this exciting time. I can't believe that we're in the homestretch. God is so good and I am amazed at His faithfulness to us during this journey! We'll certainly be updating more now so stay tuned!!!

-P.S. We will reveal names after babies are born. That is the one surprise we're leaving for the very end! :)

Short Update

Hello All! Sorry we have been so out of the loop. We are finally in the new house but still without internet (I'm checking from my in-laws right now). A few quick updates:

1. Babies are doing great! As of 2 weeks ago they were measuring as follows:
Baby A: 3 lbs 3oz

Baby B: 3 lbs 4 oz

Baby C: 3 lbs 5 oz

They will get measured again next week so I'm hoping they will be over 4 by then. I'm still scheduled for a C-section on December 30th. Really hoping to make it that far because we still have so much to do!

2. We love the new house! It's been fun getting settled. My mom arrived right on moving day which has been such a blessing since I'm not capable of much these days. Rich will be painting the nursery tomorrow night and then we hope to set up the cribs and decorate this weekend. I'll feel so relieved when this is all done!

Well, gotta run for now. Hopefully we will get internet set up at home soon so we can put up more pictures. I'm really packing on the weight now as babies continue to grow so we'll definitely post an updated picture of my incredibly growing belly!

30 Weeks!

Well, here I am at 30 weeks. Amazingly the doctor still hasn't put me on complete bed rest, for which I am VERY thankful! I'm slowing down quite a bit though. I often have to sit down for a while after my morning shower, an afternoon nap has become a bit of a necessity, and my walking seems rather "penguin-like" at times. But for the most part, I'm feeling very good. I had a doctor's appointment this past week and I am measuring at 39 cm, which basically means I'm measuring like I'm at 39 weeks! I can barely believe that I have 6 more weeks to grow. Wow, I will really be big!

Thankfully it looks like we will finally be in our new house this week. We are scheduled to close on both properties on Tuesday, so just praying that everything comes through and that there are no last minute glitches this time. I'm very anxious to get unpacked and settled in. At this point I want to be ready, just in case the babies come earlier. Thankfully my mom will come soon to help me with getting things ready. I will certainly need it!

Giving Thanks

Patience is a virtue, but it certainly isn't one that comes natural for me. For as long as I can remember, I have had such a hard time waiting for things. My wonderful hubby is my polar opposite in this arena. He is content to sit and wait patiently, while I run around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying desperately to speed up time.

The older I get, the more I am convicted about my lack of patience. God seems to love to teach me lessons when it comes to waiting. The biggest lesson being that of the last 5 years when he called me to wait before becoming a mom. During this time I experienced a roller coaster of emotions, and many times doing my familiar dance of trying to "speed things up" so I didn't have to endure waiting anymore. Every time God brings me to this place, He also shows me my own inadequacy. I could have created a Powerpoint presentation to show God that it was time for us to become parents, but this isn't what He wanted us to do. He wanted us to wait. We still don't know why it was 5 years, but I do know that what we learned during this time is priceless. And I know in my own stubborn ways that He was taking the time to slow me down, to speak tenderly to me, to show me what it means to "Be Still".

So here we are just a week from Thanksgiving and lately I've found myself repeating my same patterns of restlessness. Sure you could say I have a good excuse to be frustrated. After all, we are basically homeless right now and the babies are due in 6 weeks. That's enough to send me running for the hills! But God has brought me to yet another place of waiting. I can think up schemes all day of how to make us get our house faster, but it won't do any good. Instead, I need to again "Be Still". More than even that, I need to be thankful for this time. God has caused this wait for a reason, and while I don't again know why, how can I doubt Him? He only does what is for His glory and our good, so how can any of that really be a bad thing?

In reality, I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. One of which is sitting right in my lap...these 3 little miracles that God gave us the grace to wait for. So time to start remembering all the blessings our faithful God gives me. Time to stop complaining. Time to reflect on the lessons to be learned. And time to wait on the Lord.

Nursery Theme???

Unlike many mom-to-be's, I seem to have a terrible time planning for a nursery. I see ideas online and in the stores, but nothing really seems to inspire me. Add the fact that I am having triplets, and it can get down right overwhelming. What color do I paint? What should I hang on the walls? Do I need all the little accessories for the nursery to be complete? I also wonder how important a theme really is. I mean the babies will never remember it. And while it looks "cute" to the outside observer, is it really worth all that time, money, and energy?

I know I probably sound pretty grumpy here, but I think I'm feeling a need for things to be as simple as possible. So when I ogle over all the beautiful and elaborate nursery themes that I see online, it all seems just a little over the top for me.

So I'm asking you out there...anyone have any great & simple ideas? Again, it has to be gender neutral since it is for 2 boys and a girl, and I'm really not into things being too "cute". For example, I don't want anything with a lot of animals or any type of Disney theme. My ideal situation is to just have a color and a general theme that I can incorporate simply through wall stickers or stencils. You may get the impression here that I'm not excited about getting the room ready for the babies, but that's not the case at all, I really am! I think the whole process is what gets to me so I need help to get my thoughts together and get this room together before the end of December!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! :)

Latest on the babies

I had a doctor's appointment this week and everything still looks great! Unfortunately, I didn't get any ultrasound pics this time. The technician that I had was really chatty and just flew through everything so I feel like I didn't even get a chance to see them this time, but she assured me that they are growing well. Here are their latest measurements:

Baby A (girl) - 1 lb, 15 oz - the tech said she might be a little bigger, she had a hard time getting accurate measurements due to the way she is positioned

Baby B (boy) - 2 lbs, 5 oz

Baby C (boy) - 2 lbs, 6 oz

The doctor said I am right on target and everything is average for this point in my pregnancy. I asked him what my goal should be for delivery and he said 36 weeks, much later than I imagined! He also went ahead and scheduled me for a c-section which would be on December 30th. Of course, all bets are off if anything abnormal comes up, but I'm glad that the doctor thinks I could make it this long. I can't imagine how big I will be at that point!

In other updates, we moved out of our condo last night and were hoping to be closing today, but due to some last minute glitches with our buyer's mortgage, we had to postpone everything. We still decided to move out last night since we had the truck and everything already so now we're just waiting to hear when our closing will be rescheduled. Our attorney said most likely it will be late in the week. This process has been so frustrating! It definitely has challenged my patience! But I just keep reminding myself that God is still in control and I am extremely thankful that we can stay with Rich's parents for now. It won't be long before we our enjoying our new place, can't wait!!

27 weeks pregnant and Halloween

Well, I'm getting bigger by the minute. Man, I barely recognize myself these days. Things are still going well. I go back for another ultrasound this week. I can't wait to see how much they have grown! I will apologize in advance that we probably won't post those pics till sometime next week. With the move happening this week, it may take us a little bit to get back on track!



We did take a break from packing on Saturday to go to our neighbor's Halloween Party. It was a lot of fun and Rich came up with a brilliant costume idea for me as you can see below. We got a lot of compliments on it! We will certainly miss our neighbors when we move. They have been lots of fun and we really wish we could take them with us!

No Gestational Diabetes!!

I was so relieved this week to get the news that I passed my glucose test!!! Of course I had to call them to get the results (I guess in that world, no news is good news), but I am so very relieved. I know it wouldn't have been a huge deal, but it's definitely nice to have one less thing to worry about. Plus, I can still enjoy my sugary treats now and then. :)

We are in the process of packing up the condo and getting ready for our move in 2 weeks! Ahhhh!!! I obviously haven't been contributing much to the packing, but my husband has been wonderful and I feel like we're making good progress. My parents are also driving out this weekend with some furniture that we are inheriting from my grandparents. I'm so thankful for their willigness to bring all this out, it will make our move so much easier and give us furniture to fill our new space! My mom will also get to be here for the baby shower my church is having for me. So fun!

I go back to the doctor tomorrow for another quick check up. I can barely believe that I'm at 25 weeks already. Where does the time go??? It has been fun lately to feel the babies kicking quite a bit. These are such wonderful reminders of the gift these lives truly are. So in the midst of being uncomfortable and tired a lot, I am being reminded that it is all worth it. I can barely wait to meet these three little miracles.

More pictures...23.5 weeks

I went to the doctor again last week for another LONG ultrasound. Let me tell you, this was the first one where I couldn't wait for it to be over. Laying on your back for 1.5 hours with someone pressing down on your belly just stops being fun after about 10 minutes. The bigger I get, the more uncomfortable staying in one position is! But all things considered, it was still great to see the babies. They are getting so big and we got some great pics!

Baby Girl A: Measuring at 1.4 lbs. Still all crunched up...poor thing. But got a nice profile of her this time.


Baby Boy B: Measuring at 1.7 lbs. Our little photogenic one...I love this first one where it looks like he's sleeping. :)


Baby Boy C: Measuring at 1.5 lbs. Great profile pics of our sweet boy.


In other medical news, I failed my glucose test that they gave me so I have to go for another 3 hour test this week. I'm just praying that I pass this next one as having gestational diabetes would not be fun. (I'm at a higher risk for this since I'm carrying multiples.) However, even if I do have it, I hear you can control it pretty well through diet, which wouldn't be awful to do. But I have to admit that I would miss the little ice cream and dessert treats I allow myself these days!

We've started packing up the condo for our move too and it is so strange. I've really loved loved living here for the last 7 years and it seems surreal that we won't be calling this place "home" anymore. Rich has been doing a lot of the packing too since I'm now on "partial" bed rest. It makes me feel so helpless not to be able to help, but everyone keeps reminding me to enjoy it while it lasts. Soon, I won't be able to even think straight!

In other news....

We bought a house!! It was amazing, within 10 days, we were able to sell our condo and buy a new house. This was truly an answer to prayer as NO ONE had come to see our condo in the 45 days it was on the market. Then one Saturday we got a call from our realtor that someone actually wanted to see it, at which point I started screaming. A few hours later, an offer came in and by the next day, we had sold! I guess it really only took 1 person!

We went on a mad dash the following Monday to search for homes and quickly found some that we thought would work. After narrowing it down to 3, we made an offer on one, only to have it fall through the next day as they took it off the market. (We're still a little bitter about that!) So we then went on to our 2nd choice, made an offer and got it! And we couldn't be happier. We really feel like God opened and closed doors at just the right time and we can't wait to be settled into our new place.

Soon the packing will begin and we're planning on moving in early November. Here's a pic of our new place. 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath, very nice neighborhood and within walking distance to a park. Yeah!

The verdict is in!!

Well, after a long wait, we finally know about Baby A! I went for my 22 week appointment and at first it looked like Baby A would remain a mystery. But after some time, and a twist in a different direction, the truth became clear. It's a GIRL!!!!! I almost kissed the ultrasound tech. Not that I wouldn't have been happy with a 3rd boy, but my heart was really aching for a girl. :) God truly blessed us with the desires of our hearts as 2 boys and a girl was our "ideal" combo. So cool that he gives us the little things we want sometimes!

Here's a pick of our little girl. All curled up. She is definitely going to be quite flexible as she seems to get squished by her brothers a lot!


And here I am. It's definitely getting harder to move around these days, and I know it will only get worse as time goes on. But it is wonderful too...it just means we're getting closer and closer. Really it could be just 2 months away. Ahhh!!!!! I've also included another pic of me and Rich from my first baby shower on Saturday. It was so wonderful and I'm so thankful to my dear friends Steph, Christina and Melissa for all they did to make the day special. Thanks girls!!