Bump Day: Week 25

How far along? 25 weeks.

Sleep? Getting better here at the hospital.  I've come up with a system so they only have to wake me up at 3 AM and 4 AM.

Maternity Clothes? Just jammies most of the time.

Stretch Marks? Zilch.

Best Moment this week? Watching my super cute and awesome babies' shower through skype on Saturday.  Brian went as my stand in again.  Pictures will be up soon.

Miss Anything? The outdoors.  I have a really awesome view which is nice on a pretty day... but I need some of that Vitamin D.
 

Movement? Yes, especially when the nurses are trying to monitor their heartbeats.  The more they move, the longer it takes, and the more uncomfortable Momma gets.

Size of the Babies? Three Rutabagas!  Or according to my ultrasound last Friday... Baby A is 1 lb 5 oz, Baby B is 1 lb 6 oz, and Baby C is 1 lb 9 oz

Food Cravings? Not really, just starting to get tired of hospital food.

Morning Sickness? Nada.

Gender? Three girls.

Bed Rest? Yep yep... hospital bed rest.
 

Limitations? Just stay in bed.
 

Labor Signs? No contractions since I was first admitted to the hospital so doing good.

Weight Gain? 26 lbs.  Slowly but surely gaining weight.

Pregnancy Symptoms?  No core strength = difficulty rolling in bed or sitting up.

Belly Button In or Out? Slightly out.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still On.

Mood? Spirits are still up.  I'm not completely bored of this place yet.
 

Looking Forward To?  Using my time to do some photobooks and prep for our baby girls.
 

What Brian is Saying: "I miss famiy being home"  Although he knows I'm in the best place right now, I can only imagine how quiet it is at home without me or Ryley.  Soon we will have a FULL house.
 

Bump Photo:

 

Patterson Triplets Reveal

So this may be REALLY late, but I still find it amusing the reactions we received when we told our friends, family, and even strangers that we were having TRIPLETS!  Mostly people seemed confused at first and then shocked and then excited. 

I'll start off by telling about our reaction to the news.  I had an ultrasound done at 6 weeks to confirm we were in fact pregnant.  The ultrasound tech was excited to tell us we were expecting Twins.  Immediately, I was thrilled but overwhelmed since I have always wanted twins.  Brian was mostly overwhelmed and already worrying about raising two babies at once.  The news sank in and we were both very excited.

Next, we told our parents.  It was the night before Thanksgiving that we went over to Brian's parents house.  And just in mid-conversation... Brian threw out, "Oh and we are pregnant."  His Mom and Dad were so excited.  We then proceeded to show them our ultrasound pictures..."There is a baby in his/her sack, and there is ANOTHER baby in his/her sack."  They were so excited that we were expecting twins.  But then we had to have Brian's Mom swear to secrecy as she left the next day for a two week vacation with her sister.  Sorry about that Susan!

We wanted to tell my parents the same night, so we drove to their house.  There were no cars in the driveway and the lights were off.  Dang, they weren't home.  So I called my Mom and did some detective work and realized that they were at a wine bar nearby.  We drove to the bar, found their car, and waited in the parking lot.  My morning sickness and fatigue became too much so our "steak out" lasted for about 10 minutes.  We would try again in the morning.  The next day was Thanksgiving and we decided to just show up again at their house before we were supposed to meet at my Aunt and Uncle's house.  So when we arrived and knocked on the door, my Dad answered and Brian and I both yelled, "We're pregnant!"  My Dad started jumping up and down and then you could hear my Mom from around the corner, "Wait, what?  Julie, come here!"  She was still in her Pj's so I went to greet her and told her the good news as well.  They were both so happy for us.  We did the same thing with the ultrasound pictures as we did with Brian's parents.  They couldn't believe we were having twins and there were a few tears shed.  Once again, they were sworn to secrecy until Brian and I were ready to tell the rest of the family.  I somehow made it through Thanksgiving without too much morning sickness but the weekend that followed was miserable.  I don't think I left the couch.

At 8 weeks, we went in for a second ultrasound.  This time the doctor did the ultrasound and she knew almost immediately that they were not twins.   She looked at me and said, "Are you sitting down?"... Well obviously.  "Do  you see what I see?"  And I responded, "Are there three?"  "Yes, congratulations.  You are having triplets!"

Jaw drops and I fall back on the table.  Hands down, the most shocking news I've ever received.  The next few minutes were a blur.  At some point I remember Brian saying, "Oh S%!T" and the doctor doing measurements and saying that we needed to go buy lottery tickets since we were so lucky.  She informed us that we now needed to go see a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor that specializes in high risk pregnancy.

Wow, triplets.  Three babies.  We can do this.  Brian and I spent the next week or so letting the news sink in.  I would be sitting on the couch and just blurt out, "Three babies" because I was picturing there being three children running around us.  The shock gradually turned in to excitement and although I still sometimes have to remind myself that I am carrying three babies, it is such a blessing.  A lot of people have said to Brian and I that if there is one couple that could handle this, that it would be us.  And I couldn't agree more.  I can't wait to raise these three little girls.

Next, we decided to tell our parents... again... but this time that we were having TRIPLETS.  We invited all of them over to our house on a Wednesday night.  The Patterson's arrived for dinner so we told them first and then my parents arrived a couple hours later and we spilled the news.  They were shocked as well, but both grandmothers were in full swing trying to plan on how to take care of me and then how we were going to get help caring for the triplets.  Typical Moms.  I love them.

We waited until I was 9 weeks along to tell my brother and his wife, Stephanie.  You can see their reactions in the video posted below.  And we waited until about 11 weeks to tell our close friends and other family.  It was so much fun to tell people.  My close girl friends thought we were lying (as you can see in the video as well) when we said I was pregnant and then they really didn't believe us when I said it was triplets as you can see by no one really even reacting to the news.  I think the funniest reaction is from my cousin, Natalie, at our family Christmas at the River House.  We always do a Chinese gift exchange and Stephanie rigged it so I would pick first.  I knew which gift to open that revealed we were having triplets (You can watch this in the video as well). 

Others we gave this film strip printed from our photo booth (Have I mentioned we have a photo booth company... Snap Happy Photos).  Most people were confused at first when looking at the pictures and we would have to explain that we were indeed having 3 babies.  Oh, and it is skinny me in the picture :)

 

 

So that is how our friends and family found out that Brian and I are being blessed with triplets.  We are so excited for their arrival.

One more thing... shout out to my sissy-in-law Stephanie who dislocated her shoulder yesterday.  Send her some well wishes to her blog Beautiful Mess.
 

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!  Thought I would share these SUPER cute pics I took of Ryley and PJ Funny Bunny 3 years ago.  I just melt every time I look at these pictures.  Enjoy.

 

 

 

Bump Day: Week 24

How far along? 24 weeks!  This is very exciting considering our obstacles this past week.

Sleep? So so.  With vitals being checked every 4 hours, contractions monitored every 6 hours, and medication at 3 AM it can be pretty hard to sleep sometimes.

Maternity Clothes? Right now... mostly large t-shirts and pajama pants.

Stretch Marks? Still no, but getting bigger each day.

Best Moment this week? There have been a couple.  1.  Watching my sweet husband go in my place to my babies' shower.  I was able to be skyped in but I was so proud of him for facing a room full of women and opening baby gifts with a smile on his face.  Thanks, Brian!  2.  This milestone of 24 weeks... Let's keep cookin' girls.

My friend Marion came to the hospital to help me get ready for the shower.  Here I am skyping to the shower.

Miss Anything? My puppy dog, Ryley.  She is having a blast at Brian's parents but I miss her moans, craziness, and seeing her face at the edge of my bed when I wake up in the morning.

Ryley as a puppy.

 

Movement? Yes, I can even just watch my belly move sometimes.

Size of the Babies? Three Ears of Corns.

Food Cravings? Still craving the apples and nutella combo.  Trying to eat as much as possible these days.  Need to gain some more weight.

Morning Sickness? Still glad its gone.

Gender? Three girls.

Bed Rest? Yep and in the hospital.  They are taking good care of me here.

Limitations? No getting up except to go to the bathroom and shower. 

Labor Signs? Contractions have stopped but they continue to monitor for them every 6 hours.

Weight Gain? 19 lbs... have lost a couple lbs since coming to the hospital.  I blame it on the magnesium I was on for a couple days when I didn't have an appetite.  Also I'm losing all those muscles I have. 

Pregnancy Symptoms? Uncomfortable in any position after about 30 minutes so I have to constantly change positions.

Belly Button In or Out? Its finally Out.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Don't have them on in the hospital but they still fit.  No swelling yet... knock on wood.

Mood? Optimistic that I will stay pregnant for a LOT longer.

Looking Forward To? Watching Brian attend my last babies' shower this weekend and STAYING PREGNANT.

What Brian is Saying: "Now you look REALLY pregnant"  Guess its because at 24 weeks with triplets, I'm equivalent to a full-term woman pregnant with one baby.

Bump Photo:

Here is an additional bump photo since I don't think the ones of me in bed do me justice of JUST HOW BIG I AM.  Brian snapped this picture on my way to the bathroom.

 

Bump Day: Week 23 + Hospital Update

Let me start off today's Bump Day with an update on my pregnancy and the baby girls.  I went to my scheduled doctor's appointment on Tuesday at 1:30 and by 5 PM I was being admitted to the hospital. 

Waiting at the doc.

 

Getting to the hospital.

 

 

The reasons why my doctor admitted me were because my cervix is continuing to shorten (Thank the Lord I have that stitch from the Cerclage... See that post here) and I was having contractions that I could not feel.  I was put on the labor and delivery floor to begin Magnesium Sulfide, antibiotics, and given my first round of steroid shots (Ouch!) for the babies' lung development.  The Magnesium was to help decrease the contractions and help with the babies' brain developement.  After a while on the high dose of Mag, once again, my blood pressure decided to plummit to 51/29... no bueno.  They stopped the Mag and my BP quickly came back up.  When the doctor came much later that night (that poor lady is a workaholic) she instructed the nurses to put me back on the Mag at a lower dosage over a longer period of time.  At that time they also let me eat and drink... no liquids or food for this pregnant lady for about 8 hours up to that point, which is WAY too long.  Let's just say I was parched.

The night was not so fun.  Because my BP likes to go down, they set the BP cuff to automatically go off every 15 minutes.  So, I would settle down and at that moment right before you fall asleep be startled again by the BP cuff.  Over and Over and Over again.  Not only that but if it was too low for their likings (I still felt fine) then an alarm would sound...
 
bing bing bing Dah Dumb, bing bing bing Dah Dumb, bing bing bing Dah Dumb

You get the picture... it was soooo annoying.  That would go on for a full 15 minutes until the next BP reading and if it was also low, then about 5 minutes later the nurse would come in to check on me and turn off the alarm.  The resident doctor also came in at some point.  The only moment I fell asleep was in one 15 minute increment and was awakened by the nurse so it could have only been 5 minutes, tops... All... Night... Long.  Poor Brian stayed with me that night.  He said he was not woken up as much as me and got a little more sleep but I know he was worried and sleep deprived when he had to leave for work the next morning.

Yesterday was more of a blur.  I was moved to the antepartum floor (for ladies not in active labor but on hospital bed rest) in the morning around 9.  The Mag that I'm on has some side effects like any medication.  So I feel like its about 78 degrees in my room and anyone that walks in is shivering and complaining that they are in an ice box.  I feel like I have a horrible sunburn that is just radiating heat from my face, chest, hands, and feet.  The isolating fan helps.  Also, it gives me horrible dry mouth so I'm constantly drinking fluids and not wanting to eat as much.  I got in about two 30 minute naps yesterday.  Hard to sleep with the medication, BP being taken every hour, and nurses coming in and out.  My mother-in-law was nice enough to stay the day with me and watch me just lay there.  She finished 3 little baby hats though.  Super cute :)  I couldn't stand to look at the tv, my phone, or the computer... I think due to the lack of sleep.  I was having a horrible time concentrating and carrying on conversations as well. 

Snoozing while I get fanned.

At 6:30 Brian, my parents, and his parents all went down to our infant care class that I had signed up for weeks ago.  I was able to skype in and tried to pay attention but again, it was very hard to concentrate.  They seemed to learn a lot though and will pass along the knowledge before these bambinos get here.  Brian mastered swaddling one baby while holding another... Go Daddy Go!

The doctor came again late last night and gave us the next plan of action.  She believes I will be here at least a week and that they would begin weaning me off of the Mag the next morning.  My contractions had stopped but still a little bit of irritability so they want to keep a close eye.  I was actually able to get some sleep last night which felt sooo nice.

This morning, I began a lower dosage of Mag and at 3 PM was taken off completely... Freedom!  I'm now allowed to get up and go to the bathroom, hallelujuh!!  Now, its mostly a waiting game... see if any contractions come back and monitor the babies.

Everyone here at the hospital have been extremely nice and I just got moved to a new room with a very nice view of Houston. 

Now for the bump update...

How far along? 23 weeks.

Sleep? Very sleep deprived but catching up.

Maternity Clothes? No, just these glamorous hospital gowns.

Stretch Marks? Nope.

Best Moment this week? Meeting my new niece, Oakley.  My brother and his wife Stephanie got a new puppy and they brought her to my house over the weekend.  The cutest thing was that she was sleeping on Brian's side of the bed and woke up, walked to me, and snuggled right in to my baby bump... heart melted.  I was also rolled outside in the wheelchair to watch Oakley and Ryley play together... best buds.  See more pics of Oakley on Steph's blog here.

 

Miss Anything? Yes, lots.  The outdoors, my dog, sleeping next to my husband.  This is going to be tough but totally worth every second for these three girls kicking inside me.

Movement? Yesterday morning I think they decided to run a relay race.  It began with baby C moving and kicking for about 1 minute, then onto Baby A for a minute, and then Baby B decided to move around after that.  These girls are already working together.

Size of the Babies? Three Large Mangos!  They were actually measured at 1 lb 1 oz, 1 lb 4 oz, and 1 lb 5 oz on Tuesday.  Growing girls.

Food Cravings? Apples with nutella and Peanut Butter Patties Girl Scout Cookies. (Not together, I'm not that crazy).

Morning Sickness? Completely gone.
 

Gender? Three girls.

Bed Rest? Hospital bed rest.  See all the fun details above.

Limitations? No standing or sitting. Must stay less than 45 degrees.

Labor Signs? Yep, see above.

Weight Gain? 21 lbs.

Pregnancy Symptoms? Having to pee ALL of the time.

Belly Button In or Out? Slightly out.

Wedding Rings On or Off? They still fit, but didn't bring them with me to the hospital.

Mood? Up and down the past 2 days considering what we have been through.

Looking Forward To? Getting through each day and not going in to labor.  Its a count down.

What Brian is Saying: "You okay?"  About every hour 2 nights ago in the hospital.  He's worried and checking on me.
 

Bump Photo:
(Bump photo was taken at home just before we went to the doctor on Tuesday.)

 

 

FYI: My belly seems much bigger than it looks in these pics... just sayin'.

 

Bump Day: Week 22

How far along? 22 weeks.

Sleep? Surprisingly, yes.  Only waking up once to pee.

Maternity Clothes? Yep yep

Stretch Marks? Nada.

Best Moment this week? My mini-spa day... Jen straightened my hair and my Mom painted my toenails and shaved my legs!  Feels nice to have smooth legs :)

Miss Anything? Anything outside of my bedroom and bathroom... standing... driving... things are much different on bed rest.

Movement? Yep, those kiddos are kickin' more and more each day.

Size of the Babies? Three Spaghetti Squashes!  I know that sounds huge but I think it is the length of the spaghetti squash.  They are close to 1 lb and about 11 inches in length.

Food Cravings? Not many this week.  Just eating what people give me.  No more aversions which is good.
 

Morning Sickness? Completely gone.  I feel great but I have to stay in bed now.

Gender? Three girls.

Bed Rest? Yes, only able to get up to go to the bathroom.  I can shower but it has to be quick.

Limitations? No standing or sitting.  Must stay less than 45 degrees. 

Labor Signs? Nope.

Weight Gain? 20 lbs... gaining like crazy now since I actually have an appetite. 

Pregnancy Symptoms? Sweaty hands and palms... not sure if that is a pregnancy symptom but its new and its annoying.

Belly Button In or Out? Slightly out.

Wedding Rings On or Off? Still On.

Mood? Pretty happy these days.  Not too bored yet with the bed rest so that is good.

Looking Forward To? Showering... pretty pathetic, but its nice to get up and move around a little bit.
 

What Brian is Saying: "...Now get back in bed"  Whenever I get up to pee/brush my teeth/shower.  He gets worried and scurries me back to bed quickly.  Already taking care of his little munchkins.
 

Bump Photo: 
(Bump photos have now moved to the bed... Ryley was lucky enough to join in this week)

 

Bed Rest: Day 1

Well... that day is here.  The day I have been dredding, the day I have been hoping wouldn't come this soon, the day I go on Bed Rest.

 

Yesterday, my doctor decided to put me on mandatory bed rest.  You may be wondering what all that entails so I will let you know (since I'm just laying here).  It means I have to lay down at a 45 degree angle or less at ALL times.  My only priveleges are to get up to go to the bathroom and when I shower, I must sit on our bench.  So... I'll be doing what I can from a horizontal position until these girlies are born (about 3 months).

 

It may sound like I'm complaining but really I'm just trying to wrap my brain around this new lifestyle.  I know it is what is best for the babies and me so I'm going to do this bed rest thing to the best of my ability.  I'm going to ROCK this bed rest.

 

I do have this feeling of helplessness.  My husband is already being a Saint.  Making sure I have what I need, making me dinner, and checking on me.  He is having to take on 100% of our housework, taking care of our dog, putting the nursery together, taking care of ME, and bringing in the dough at work... all while I lay in bed.  This is just the beginning and I already can't give him enough kisses and thank yous for all of the work he will be doing for the next few months. 

 

I'm also going to have to have someone here most of the time.  Julie-sitting as Brian likes to call it.  Someone to make me meals, refill my water, let Ryley out, and keep the house somewhat in order while Brian is at work.  There is no way I'm going to be able to repay our friends and family for the sacrifices they are about to make.  I can't thank them enough for wanting to help my growing family.

 

Now that I'm in bed, I will have more time to blog, make photobooks, and buy baby things.  I guess you could say I'm living the "Ultimate Couch Potato Lifestyle".

 

Thanks to everyone in advance for all of your love, help, and support.  We truely appreciate it.