Tonight we decided to go out for dinner instead of eating in. I got home from work early so Jon and I headed over to the daycare center to pick up the kids. It is always fun to pick them up because I usually work late so I don't get a chance to do that.
Anyway, the kids were excited to go out and we found a restaurant that did not have a wait and they had a parking spot right in front. Since it was only 5 degrees outside this is always a bonus. So we were seated right away and once we got settled in the kids were being really good coloring and telling us about their day. All of a sudden a man walks in and is seated close to us. I did a double take as he looked just like Santa Claus. He was wearing a red sweater, he had the right belly, and he had white hair and a full white beard. Jon and I just glanced at each other and smiled. The next thing I know K starts shouting out "Look Mommy, it's Santa" Jon and I immediately started to laugh at this. K kept repeating it as I was trying to explain to him that it looked like Santa but it wasn't Santa as he has already gone back to the North Pole. Both Jon and I were thankful that this man did not hear K (at least we don't think he did) but what do you expect when you wear a red sweater, you have white hair and a beard and you are out in public shortly after Christmas! :O)
Friday, January 12, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Special Care Nursery
Tonight we went up to the hospital to visit some friends that just had a new baby. We had never taken the kids back to the Special Care Nursery where they spend about a month growing and feeding so we took them with us and stopped in at the nursery. We recognized a couple of the nurses that were working and they asked if they could take a recent picture of us. We agreed and the photo is above. The kids really enjoyed talking to the nurses and when they gave us this picture to take home E hugged it the whole way home. It was fun.
Our Road To Triplets (Part 5)
So after the Holiday season we went into the new clinic for another ultra sound. We were told at this ultra sound that there were three heart beats. The fourth baby's heart had stopped. I have never expressed a lot of emotion about this because at the time I was so overwhelmed. However, I can now safely say that there are times when I think about that fourth baby and wonder about what our life would be like if it had made it. Would it have been a boy or a girl what would it look like, etc.. It is funny because at the time when they told us there were four heartbeats, Jon said to me "what's one more?" Shortly after the babies were born and we were still trying to adjust to life at home with three newborn babies I said to Jon one night during our 3 am feeding...do you remember when you said "what's one more?" he smiled and I said..."now you know!"
Anyway, back to the story. The doctor was pleased with how all three babies were progressing and baby c had caught up to babies A & B so there was really no concern for baby c anymore. We were relived that Babies A, B, & C looked good.
Our next appointment was with a genetic counselor at the clinic. We both left this appointment feeling very confused and uncomfortable. This woman asked us all of these questions about our family history. Then she told us the risks that we could run into with one or all of the babies have problems and what our options would be. Both Jon and I declared that if any of our babies had issues that was what God wanted for us and we would handle that when the time came. We were blessed in the end to have three healthy children so this was not even an issue anyway.
The next appointment I had was with the dietitian. I will never forget this appointment because I could no believe the amount of food I was to be consuming on a daily basis! WOW! A snack consisted of a bowl of cereal and a banana, this blew me away because that was what I usually ate for breakfast! I LOVE food so I was thrilled that I was supposed to eat, however, I think it is comical that even though I love food so much I just never felt like eating. This must be God's sense of humor! I did manage to strike up a good relationship with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey so good that I am surprised that one of the babies did not come out a monkey!
During all of this time I continued to work. It got to the point where Jon would drop me at the door and come back and pick me up at night as he did not want me to be taking the bus or walking the distance from the parking lot to the building. Work was very flexible and at twenty weeks they allowed me to work from home two days a week and in the office the other three. At 22 weeks the doctors told me that it was probably time to stop working and start relaxing more at home. I probably could have kept working from home but at this point I had decided that I wanted to rest and start mentally preparing for the babies. I had a great routine down of sleeping in when I could, getting up and watching movies, tivo, surfing the net and just plain old sitting around growing babies. As I have mentioned before I am the type that runs 500 mph most of the time so I got very bored on bed rest after about the 2nd day!
My mom would rescue me from my boredom and pick me up and take me on outings. Of course we had a wheel chair or I would take the riding carts at the store. I am sure it was quite the site to see.
I remember that I really looked forward to my doctors appointments every two weeks as it was an outing and they did an ultra sound at every appointment. It was so much fun to see the babies moving around. At our 20 week appointment they did a level 2 ultra sound. We had decided to find out the sexes of our babies. The technician was very nice as she asked us if we wanted to know the sexes first before she dove into all the measurements and pictures she needed to take (this takes almost 2 hours). She first went to baby A and she announced that it was a girl. I remember I was so shocked as I really thought that I was having all boys. Then she went to baby b after a minute she said it was another girl. At this point I looked over at Jon who was shuffling in his chair a little uncomfortable. Then she went to baby c after a few seconds she announced oh this is definitely a boy! We were so excited that we were having two girls and a boy. I think we would have been happy with any combination! I never thought I would have a daughter so it took me a little while to get used to the idea of two girls and a boy. Of course now I could not imagine it any other way. That ultra sound also showed us that all of the babies looked healthy! We were thrilled!
Around this time my girlfriends threw a shower for me and I will never forget how my family and friends blessed us with so many gifts. It was incredible and such a blessing. Work had a shower for me as well. It was fun to have more outings.
I continued to grow those babies and have ultra sounds every few weeks. Everything was going along great....then we hit week 29! To be continued...
Anyway, back to the story. The doctor was pleased with how all three babies were progressing and baby c had caught up to babies A & B so there was really no concern for baby c anymore. We were relived that Babies A, B, & C looked good.
Our next appointment was with a genetic counselor at the clinic. We both left this appointment feeling very confused and uncomfortable. This woman asked us all of these questions about our family history. Then she told us the risks that we could run into with one or all of the babies have problems and what our options would be. Both Jon and I declared that if any of our babies had issues that was what God wanted for us and we would handle that when the time came. We were blessed in the end to have three healthy children so this was not even an issue anyway.
The next appointment I had was with the dietitian. I will never forget this appointment because I could no believe the amount of food I was to be consuming on a daily basis! WOW! A snack consisted of a bowl of cereal and a banana, this blew me away because that was what I usually ate for breakfast! I LOVE food so I was thrilled that I was supposed to eat, however, I think it is comical that even though I love food so much I just never felt like eating. This must be God's sense of humor! I did manage to strike up a good relationship with Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey so good that I am surprised that one of the babies did not come out a monkey!
During all of this time I continued to work. It got to the point where Jon would drop me at the door and come back and pick me up at night as he did not want me to be taking the bus or walking the distance from the parking lot to the building. Work was very flexible and at twenty weeks they allowed me to work from home two days a week and in the office the other three. At 22 weeks the doctors told me that it was probably time to stop working and start relaxing more at home. I probably could have kept working from home but at this point I had decided that I wanted to rest and start mentally preparing for the babies. I had a great routine down of sleeping in when I could, getting up and watching movies, tivo, surfing the net and just plain old sitting around growing babies. As I have mentioned before I am the type that runs 500 mph most of the time so I got very bored on bed rest after about the 2nd day!
My mom would rescue me from my boredom and pick me up and take me on outings. Of course we had a wheel chair or I would take the riding carts at the store. I am sure it was quite the site to see.
I remember that I really looked forward to my doctors appointments every two weeks as it was an outing and they did an ultra sound at every appointment. It was so much fun to see the babies moving around. At our 20 week appointment they did a level 2 ultra sound. We had decided to find out the sexes of our babies. The technician was very nice as she asked us if we wanted to know the sexes first before she dove into all the measurements and pictures she needed to take (this takes almost 2 hours). She first went to baby A and she announced that it was a girl. I remember I was so shocked as I really thought that I was having all boys. Then she went to baby b after a minute she said it was another girl. At this point I looked over at Jon who was shuffling in his chair a little uncomfortable. Then she went to baby c after a few seconds she announced oh this is definitely a boy! We were so excited that we were having two girls and a boy. I think we would have been happy with any combination! I never thought I would have a daughter so it took me a little while to get used to the idea of two girls and a boy. Of course now I could not imagine it any other way. That ultra sound also showed us that all of the babies looked healthy! We were thrilled!
Around this time my girlfriends threw a shower for me and I will never forget how my family and friends blessed us with so many gifts. It was incredible and such a blessing. Work had a shower for me as well. It was fun to have more outings.
I continued to grow those babies and have ultra sounds every few weeks. Everything was going along great....then we hit week 29! To be continued...
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Snow Angels!
It snowed here on New Years Eve and the kids loved to go out and play in it. Most of it has melted now so we are waiting to get some more snow so we can go sledding. This has really been a mild winter here in MN!
Enjoy the pics!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Our Road To Triplets (Part 4)
Jon and I went into the second ultra sound hoping and praying that all three babies would look great and be progressing normally. You can imagine our surprise when the Ultra Sound Technician announced to us that this time there were four heart beats! Jon just looked at me and all I said was get me a Kleenex as I started to cry. We went from not being able to get pregnant to being really pregnant in about a month. I told the ultra sound tech that I was not coming back as I was afraid that next time they would tell me there was five babies in there.
After she announced that there was four heart beats she then told us that baby D did not look like it should. It was very abnormal in shape. She then told us that baby c (Kendrick) was abnormal and a little behind babies A & B in size. She suggested that we meet with the doctor so I got dressed and we then met with a different doctor. He went over all of the ultra sound pictures with us and told us that there was an 85-90% chance that baby D was not going to make. The doctor explained that what would most likely happen was that the baby's heart would stop beating. Then he went on to explain that he has some concerns about baby c due to the size and shape of the sac. He gave baby C about a 50% chance of survival.
Needless to say Jon and I left the doctors office that day feeling confused. We vowed not tell anyone about baby D as we were so confused as to what decisions we would have to make and we did not want to be judged for those decisions. As we knew that quads would be a lot to take on but who would ever want their baby to not make it or have to make a hard decision about reducing. I started to do some research on my own and both Jon and I decided at that point that selective reduction was NOT something that we were capable of doing. No matter what happened we were going to take what God gave us.
I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. I called a very good friend from high school as I knew her mom was a nurse and she worked with higher order multiple pregnancies. My friend told me to call her mother right away and get some advice. I spoke with her mother and she told me to get to the specialist as soon as possible. She said that there should be no messing around and we need to see the experts. So I had the doctor at the clinic that we were at refer me to the Perintologist group.
Jon and I had our first appointment with the specialist on Dec. 24th, 2003. I remember we were both really looking for some answers to what was really happening and what to expect for the next 9 months. We mentioned to this doctor that the first doctor we spoke to mentioned that we should look into Selective reduction and then we asked her what she recommended. She then proceeded to tell us that there was more risk to all of the babies to go in and reduce than to carry the pregnancy out. She gave us lots of statistics with percentages and all on how what the risks were with triplets. Jon and I were so relieved and since Jon is a numbers guy he was really impressed with all of these statistics that the doctor rambled off. This Doctor was wonderful she gave us a ton of information and she told me that she gave baby c a better chance than 50%. She also told me that my treadmill was now going to be my coat rack, I needed to gain 75-80 pounds, I might have to have a cerclage, I would be on full bed rest (flat on my back) at 20 weeks, and she instructed me to start taking lots of different vitamins. All of this freaked me out but I was going to do anything I could to carry these babies as long as possible.
When Jon and I left the office that day we had an ultra sound appointment set for just after the first of the year and I also had an appointment set with the dietitian about my diet for the duration of my pregnancy. We both felt that we were finally going to get some real answers. We proceeded to enjoy our holiday season with family and friends and everyone was thrilled for us about our baby news.
To be continued...
After she announced that there was four heart beats she then told us that baby D did not look like it should. It was very abnormal in shape. She then told us that baby c (Kendrick) was abnormal and a little behind babies A & B in size. She suggested that we meet with the doctor so I got dressed and we then met with a different doctor. He went over all of the ultra sound pictures with us and told us that there was an 85-90% chance that baby D was not going to make. The doctor explained that what would most likely happen was that the baby's heart would stop beating. Then he went on to explain that he has some concerns about baby c due to the size and shape of the sac. He gave baby C about a 50% chance of survival.
Needless to say Jon and I left the doctors office that day feeling confused. We vowed not tell anyone about baby D as we were so confused as to what decisions we would have to make and we did not want to be judged for those decisions. As we knew that quads would be a lot to take on but who would ever want their baby to not make it or have to make a hard decision about reducing. I started to do some research on my own and both Jon and I decided at that point that selective reduction was NOT something that we were capable of doing. No matter what happened we were going to take what God gave us.
I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. I called a very good friend from high school as I knew her mom was a nurse and she worked with higher order multiple pregnancies. My friend told me to call her mother right away and get some advice. I spoke with her mother and she told me to get to the specialist as soon as possible. She said that there should be no messing around and we need to see the experts. So I had the doctor at the clinic that we were at refer me to the Perintologist group.
Jon and I had our first appointment with the specialist on Dec. 24th, 2003. I remember we were both really looking for some answers to what was really happening and what to expect for the next 9 months. We mentioned to this doctor that the first doctor we spoke to mentioned that we should look into Selective reduction and then we asked her what she recommended. She then proceeded to tell us that there was more risk to all of the babies to go in and reduce than to carry the pregnancy out. She gave us lots of statistics with percentages and all on how what the risks were with triplets. Jon and I were so relieved and since Jon is a numbers guy he was really impressed with all of these statistics that the doctor rambled off. This Doctor was wonderful she gave us a ton of information and she told me that she gave baby c a better chance than 50%. She also told me that my treadmill was now going to be my coat rack, I needed to gain 75-80 pounds, I might have to have a cerclage, I would be on full bed rest (flat on my back) at 20 weeks, and she instructed me to start taking lots of different vitamins. All of this freaked me out but I was going to do anything I could to carry these babies as long as possible.
When Jon and I left the office that day we had an ultra sound appointment set for just after the first of the year and I also had an appointment set with the dietitian about my diet for the duration of my pregnancy. We both felt that we were finally going to get some real answers. We proceeded to enjoy our holiday season with family and friends and everyone was thrilled for us about our baby news.
To be continued...
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Playdate with the D Family
So I am taking a break from the Road Trip To Triplets story to blog about our play date with another set of triplets. They are three boys who are exactly 14 days younger than our trio. The mom and I were bed rest buddies as we had met through the local multiples club and both ended up on bed rest at the same time.
This was our 4th or 5th play date together and it is so much fun. They played I-Spy, ring around the Rosie, hog pile daddy Jon, and so much more. We always have such a great time. Here are some photos from this evening and other play dates we have had.
This was our 4th or 5th play date together and it is so much fun. They played I-Spy, ring around the Rosie, hog pile daddy Jon, and so much more. We always have such a great time. Here are some photos from this evening and other play dates we have had.
This is a picture of the very 1st E&D Play date!
This is a picture of our play date this summer!
Here is a picture of the E & D play date tonight. Boy all these kids are growing up fast!
Hog pile on Daddy Jon!
Daddy Jon playing Ring around the Rosie with all of the kids!
Hiding in the Kitchen for I-Spy!
Playing Cut the Pickle
E with one of the D boys.
Our Road To Triplets (Part 3)
We had so much fun telling our parents and siblings that we were expecting. I know most people wait to tell anyone that they are pregnant until they are 3 months along but Jon and I had been working on it for so long that there is no way we could have kept it a secret. Our families and friends were thrilled for us.
Jon and I discussed many times in the next two weeks waiting for our ultra sound the what ifs about if there would be more than one baby. Neither of us really believed that there would be more than one baby because Jamie had told us that the hormone levels were all very normal. I was such a nervous wreck the day of the ultra sound as I was so afraid that they would tell me the baby had disappeared or that something was not right.
Unfortunately the ultra sound technician we had that day did not have very good bedside manner. However, once we were called back I was instructed to put on a robe and as I was doing this Jon and I were looking at ultra sounds on the wall that showed what one baby looked like and then what twins looked like. The ultra sound tech then came in and got to work. She did not offer me a screen to look at right away but Jon could see everything on the screen. He kept walking back and forth from the screen to the chair and he seemed nervous as he could see that there was more than one heartbeat. Finally after what felt like forever (probably only 5 minutes) the ultra sound tech told me that I would need to come back in 10 days as she could not fully see what she wanted to see. I remember feeling crushed at this statement. She then turned the screen toward me and said "let me show you what I do see, there are three heartbeats and four Sacks" WHAT three heart beats? She then proceeded to show Jon and I Baby A, B, & C and their little hearts beating. I was in shock, I could not believe what I was seeing or hearing from her. Then after she printed off a picture of our three Sacks she exclaimed to me "I don't know where you are going to put all of them as you are not a very big person but you are having triplets" This comment freaked me out because I did not know what she meant. I was not big enough to have triplets? Would I explode? We were then brought out to the waiting room and told to wait so we could meet with the doctor.
So here we are in a waiting room with a dozen people in it waiting to see the doctor after we had just received the biggest news of our lives. Jon just kept giggling through it all. He thought it was great! I on the other hand was totally freaked out. Then Jon leans over and says to me "I guess that answers what kind of vehicle we are going to get...a minivan" this sends me into to tears as Jon and I swore we would never drive a mini van.
The doctor appointment did not go all that great either. First, the nurse calls us back and then tells me that I need to urinate in a cup to determine that I was pregnant! WHAT? I then explained to her that I was just told I was expecting triplets from the ultra sound Tech and there was no way I was going to pee in a cup she argued with me about it but I won that fight in the end. Then the doctor came in to speak with us. We had never met this doctor before as the person we usually would see was not available. This doctor proceeded to tell me how hard it was to carry triplets and that I would be on bed rest for most of my pregnancy. She told us that the chances of having three healthy babies were slim and that we should consider selective reduction. Needless to say, we left the doctors office that day feeling very confused. We scheduled another ultra sound for 10 days later.
We immediately drove over to my parents house as my Grandmother was in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and this was two days before Thanksgiving. We walked into my parents house and I told me mom and my grandma that they both better sit down. Once they were sitting I exclaimed that we were expecting triplets and then I broke down and started to cry. My mother was sooo excited as she was jumping up and down. I think my Grandma was to stunned to move as she just sat there in disbelief. My mom asked me why I was crying and I told her that I did not know I think I was just really confused about the whole situation. I was really happy that we were pregnant but it was just so shocking to think about three babies and what that meant. My mom made me call my dad who was on his way home from work so I could tell him the big news. He was happy but shocked like everyone else. I then had to go off to school but I should have just stayed home as I could not focus on anything but the thought of triplets!
So a week or so went by and Jon and I started to get used to the idea of having three babies and then we went in for our second ultra sound... To be continued....
Jon and I discussed many times in the next two weeks waiting for our ultra sound the what ifs about if there would be more than one baby. Neither of us really believed that there would be more than one baby because Jamie had told us that the hormone levels were all very normal. I was such a nervous wreck the day of the ultra sound as I was so afraid that they would tell me the baby had disappeared or that something was not right.
Unfortunately the ultra sound technician we had that day did not have very good bedside manner. However, once we were called back I was instructed to put on a robe and as I was doing this Jon and I were looking at ultra sounds on the wall that showed what one baby looked like and then what twins looked like. The ultra sound tech then came in and got to work. She did not offer me a screen to look at right away but Jon could see everything on the screen. He kept walking back and forth from the screen to the chair and he seemed nervous as he could see that there was more than one heartbeat. Finally after what felt like forever (probably only 5 minutes) the ultra sound tech told me that I would need to come back in 10 days as she could not fully see what she wanted to see. I remember feeling crushed at this statement. She then turned the screen toward me and said "let me show you what I do see, there are three heartbeats and four Sacks" WHAT three heart beats? She then proceeded to show Jon and I Baby A, B, & C and their little hearts beating. I was in shock, I could not believe what I was seeing or hearing from her. Then after she printed off a picture of our three Sacks she exclaimed to me "I don't know where you are going to put all of them as you are not a very big person but you are having triplets" This comment freaked me out because I did not know what she meant. I was not big enough to have triplets? Would I explode? We were then brought out to the waiting room and told to wait so we could meet with the doctor.
So here we are in a waiting room with a dozen people in it waiting to see the doctor after we had just received the biggest news of our lives. Jon just kept giggling through it all. He thought it was great! I on the other hand was totally freaked out. Then Jon leans over and says to me "I guess that answers what kind of vehicle we are going to get...a minivan" this sends me into to tears as Jon and I swore we would never drive a mini van.
The doctor appointment did not go all that great either. First, the nurse calls us back and then tells me that I need to urinate in a cup to determine that I was pregnant! WHAT? I then explained to her that I was just told I was expecting triplets from the ultra sound Tech and there was no way I was going to pee in a cup she argued with me about it but I won that fight in the end. Then the doctor came in to speak with us. We had never met this doctor before as the person we usually would see was not available. This doctor proceeded to tell me how hard it was to carry triplets and that I would be on bed rest for most of my pregnancy. She told us that the chances of having three healthy babies were slim and that we should consider selective reduction. Needless to say, we left the doctors office that day feeling very confused. We scheduled another ultra sound for 10 days later.
We immediately drove over to my parents house as my Grandmother was in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and this was two days before Thanksgiving. We walked into my parents house and I told me mom and my grandma that they both better sit down. Once they were sitting I exclaimed that we were expecting triplets and then I broke down and started to cry. My mother was sooo excited as she was jumping up and down. I think my Grandma was to stunned to move as she just sat there in disbelief. My mom asked me why I was crying and I told her that I did not know I think I was just really confused about the whole situation. I was really happy that we were pregnant but it was just so shocking to think about three babies and what that meant. My mom made me call my dad who was on his way home from work so I could tell him the big news. He was happy but shocked like everyone else. I then had to go off to school but I should have just stayed home as I could not focus on anything but the thought of triplets!
So a week or so went by and Jon and I started to get used to the idea of having three babies and then we went in for our second ultra sound... To be continued....
Our Road To Triplets (Part 2)
At this point Jamie, the nurse practitioner knew the predicament that we were in with the insurance and she felt sorry for us. She then informed me that their was a compassionate care drug donation program for the drug she wanted me to start taking. She told us that she was going to get us signed up for it. We then got three months of the drug for free so we decided at that point to try it for one month and if it did not work then we were going to take a break for awhile.
The drug was horrible as it made me feel weird. Jon had to give me shots (which he was used to from the MS meds) and I was a nervous wreck about the whole thing. At this same time we would see Jamie every day for ultra sounds so she could monitor how many eggs I was going to release. On D-day we went to the clinic and had Artificial Insemination done. Jamie showed us Jon's stuff under the microscope and it was really cool to see all the sperm swimming around. Jon then proceeded to walk down the hallway with his chest puffed out exclaiming that the world could only be so lucky. All of the nurses had a good chuckle over this one.
So after the procedure we once again started the waiting game. It was only two weeks but it felt like forever. This time I felt different but I was sure it was just the new medications that I had been taking. The Sunday before the Wed that marked the two week point I woke up around 5 am and I could not fall back to sleep. I quietly went into the bathroom grabbed one of my many pregnancy tests that I had stored away and headed down stairs. I took the test and then curled up on the couch to watch some TV while I waited for 10 minutes to look at the results. Then the moment came...I turned the test over and for the first time there were two lines. I was numb I just sat there for a long time staring at the stick trying to convince myself that there really were two lines and I was not just imagining it.
I waited for awhile and then I quietly went back upstairs with my test and crawled in bed. I was so nervous to even talk about the positive test that when I nudged Jon to tell him I said "what are you doing?" He said..."uh sleeping". We both have a good chuckle about this one. Anyway, then I told him "we should get up and go to church because I think we have a lot to be thankful for" he was confused until I handed him the stick. He flew out of bed and turned the light on and he verified that yes there were two lines on that stick!
We decided that we were not going to tell a single person about that test until I had a chance to call Jamie the next morning to verify what we found. It was hard not to tell my mom as she had been going down the infertility road with us. The next morning when I called Jamie all the air went out of my sails when she explained to me that it could be a false positive because of the meds that I had been taking. She then told me that I should wait and come in on Wed morning for a blood test at the office. It is fair to say that I think I took at least a dozen pregnancy tests between Monday and Wednesday morning and every single one of them was positive.
The big day came and I went in for my test. She told me she would call me at the office the minute the test results came back later that morning. I was such a nervous wreck...then the phone rang, it was Jamie and she said the tests were all right I was pregnant! She then proceeded to tell me that all my hormone levels looked normal so she was sure it was just one baby. I scheduled another appointment for Friday so I could go back in to make sure all the hormone levels were progressing. Fridays test came back and the numbers progressing the right way and Jamie said everything looked very normal. We then scheduled an appointment for two weeks later to have an ultra sound to make sure the baby looked normal and to see the heart beat. To be continued....
The drug was horrible as it made me feel weird. Jon had to give me shots (which he was used to from the MS meds) and I was a nervous wreck about the whole thing. At this same time we would see Jamie every day for ultra sounds so she could monitor how many eggs I was going to release. On D-day we went to the clinic and had Artificial Insemination done. Jamie showed us Jon's stuff under the microscope and it was really cool to see all the sperm swimming around. Jon then proceeded to walk down the hallway with his chest puffed out exclaiming that the world could only be so lucky. All of the nurses had a good chuckle over this one.
So after the procedure we once again started the waiting game. It was only two weeks but it felt like forever. This time I felt different but I was sure it was just the new medications that I had been taking. The Sunday before the Wed that marked the two week point I woke up around 5 am and I could not fall back to sleep. I quietly went into the bathroom grabbed one of my many pregnancy tests that I had stored away and headed down stairs. I took the test and then curled up on the couch to watch some TV while I waited for 10 minutes to look at the results. Then the moment came...I turned the test over and for the first time there were two lines. I was numb I just sat there for a long time staring at the stick trying to convince myself that there really were two lines and I was not just imagining it.
I waited for awhile and then I quietly went back upstairs with my test and crawled in bed. I was so nervous to even talk about the positive test that when I nudged Jon to tell him I said "what are you doing?" He said..."uh sleeping". We both have a good chuckle about this one. Anyway, then I told him "we should get up and go to church because I think we have a lot to be thankful for" he was confused until I handed him the stick. He flew out of bed and turned the light on and he verified that yes there were two lines on that stick!
We decided that we were not going to tell a single person about that test until I had a chance to call Jamie the next morning to verify what we found. It was hard not to tell my mom as she had been going down the infertility road with us. The next morning when I called Jamie all the air went out of my sails when she explained to me that it could be a false positive because of the meds that I had been taking. She then told me that I should wait and come in on Wed morning for a blood test at the office. It is fair to say that I think I took at least a dozen pregnancy tests between Monday and Wednesday morning and every single one of them was positive.
The big day came and I went in for my test. She told me she would call me at the office the minute the test results came back later that morning. I was such a nervous wreck...then the phone rang, it was Jamie and she said the tests were all right I was pregnant! She then proceeded to tell me that all my hormone levels looked normal so she was sure it was just one baby. I scheduled another appointment for Friday so I could go back in to make sure all the hormone levels were progressing. Fridays test came back and the numbers progressing the right way and Jamie said everything looked very normal. We then scheduled an appointment for two weeks later to have an ultra sound to make sure the baby looked normal and to see the heart beat. To be continued....
Friday, January 05, 2007
Our Road To Triplets (Part 1)
Since I have becoming more comfortable with this blog stuff I have decided to document our road to Triplets. Thanks to Lots of Scotts for the great idea!
I will never forget my 26th birthday on July 31, 2001, as that is the first time that Jon told me he wanted to start a family. I thought he was crazy as I was clearly not on that road yet. However, from that conversation I did start to think about having a family and what it would be like to be pregnant and a mother. I always knew I wanted kids but I had to really think about the changes they would bring to our life.
The next year I was feeling more ready and both Jon and I agreed that it was time to start a family. However, for us it was not that easy as I had to go off the medications that I was taking for my Multiple Sclerosis (another story for another day). The doctor gave me the all clear and I stopped the medication. Jon and I were disappointed when after the first three months of trying nothing was happening. However, we were busy moving into our house and focused on other things.
Another month went by and I went to see the OBGYN because still nothing was happening for us. She suggested that I start Taking Clomid at this time and warned me that it would increase my chances of having multiples. I remember this day clearly as it kind of spooked me a little and I remember Jon laughed about it. I also remember that the same day this appointment took place, I also had school that evening. After class a classmate and I were talking to our professor about something and the professor said to me something in regards to "Twins". I was so shocked that I asked him to repeat what he said and he repeated this "Like when you have your twins someday"! I was so stunned and I laughed and asked him what made him think that I would have "Twins". He just smiled at me and told me that he just had a feeling that I would be the mother of "Twins" someday. If this was not God foreshadowing my life for me I am not sure what is. Still Jon just laughed about the multiples thing when I told him this story about what my professor said.
We started the Clomid and weekly ultra sounds to monitor what was going on and nothing was happening. After 6 months of Clomid the Nurse Practitioner (Jamie) suggested we go on some stronger medication. However, at this same time the insurance company had dropped us for any further infertility treatments or medications. Since Jon was laid off and looking for work there was some big decisions to be made. To be continued...
I will never forget my 26th birthday on July 31, 2001, as that is the first time that Jon told me he wanted to start a family. I thought he was crazy as I was clearly not on that road yet. However, from that conversation I did start to think about having a family and what it would be like to be pregnant and a mother. I always knew I wanted kids but I had to really think about the changes they would bring to our life.
The next year I was feeling more ready and both Jon and I agreed that it was time to start a family. However, for us it was not that easy as I had to go off the medications that I was taking for my Multiple Sclerosis (another story for another day). The doctor gave me the all clear and I stopped the medication. Jon and I were disappointed when after the first three months of trying nothing was happening. However, we were busy moving into our house and focused on other things.
Another month went by and I went to see the OBGYN because still nothing was happening for us. She suggested that I start Taking Clomid at this time and warned me that it would increase my chances of having multiples. I remember this day clearly as it kind of spooked me a little and I remember Jon laughed about it. I also remember that the same day this appointment took place, I also had school that evening. After class a classmate and I were talking to our professor about something and the professor said to me something in regards to "Twins". I was so shocked that I asked him to repeat what he said and he repeated this "Like when you have your twins someday"! I was so stunned and I laughed and asked him what made him think that I would have "Twins". He just smiled at me and told me that he just had a feeling that I would be the mother of "Twins" someday. If this was not God foreshadowing my life for me I am not sure what is. Still Jon just laughed about the multiples thing when I told him this story about what my professor said.
We started the Clomid and weekly ultra sounds to monitor what was going on and nothing was happening. After 6 months of Clomid the Nurse Practitioner (Jamie) suggested we go on some stronger medication. However, at this same time the insurance company had dropped us for any further infertility treatments or medications. Since Jon was laid off and looking for work there was some big decisions to be made. To be continued...
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep....
So now that we are in big beds, Daddy taught them how to kneel and pray to God. It is the sweetest site EVER! They really get into praying to God before going to bed.
Here is the prayer we always say before bed:
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep, the Angels watch me through the night until I wake to morning Light. Amen.
Also, for Christmas we received a daily devotional prayer book for children and we say a prayer from that each night as well. After we say all of our prayers then we name everyone we want to pray for and it is so fun to hear who they say every night.
We always end our prayers with "Yeah God"
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Sextuplets!?!
Okay so not really but it is two sets of triplet dolls. Each of the girls got a set of triplet baby dolls for Christmas from our friend J . They were both so excited about these dolls. Each set includes two girls and a boy. 
I explained to E that the dolls were triplets just like A , K , and herself are. I am not sure she quite got it but she named her babies, Joey, Sarah, and Shayla!
It is really cute to watch both of the girls be little mommy's. They rock, burp, change the diaper, and push these babies around the house. They love them. Now I just need to find a baby doll triplet stroller to fit all of these babies. A has not yet named her babies but I am sure they will be wonderful names.
These dolls have had to go everywhere with us. Here is a picture that shows how the girls lined up their babies right by their little table before dinner the other night! It is just to darn cute!
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from A and E!
Ksays Happy New Year too but he would not wear the hat!
Here is a bunch of us at midnight having a great time!
This one is for my mom! Happy New Year to all!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Race Cars
K is our child that really gets into things. I think his first obsession was the Wiggles. He was so hooked on the Wiggles that we could not even say the word in front of him or he would cry to watch it.
His next "joy"was Elmo. All three really liked Elmo so we watched Elmo's world around here for awhile. 
More recently he has been hooked on Mickey "House" so for Christmas he received a bunch of Mickey Mouse stuff. They all still like the Mickey Mouse stuff and we have been watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a ton.
So low and behold, since we have not opened gifts with my family yet, Grandma M went out and bought the Cars movie for K so now he can watch Race Cars. The only problem with this is that the girls do not have any interest in it. Thank God for two TVs as they get to watch TV before they go to bed every night.
His next "joy"was Elmo. All three really liked Elmo so we watched Elmo's world around here for awhile. Next we moved into the Little People Videos. These were my personal favorite as they were easy to listen to and just so sweet. K loved these videos.
More recently he has been hooked on Mickey "House" so for Christmas he received a bunch of Mickey Mouse stuff. They all still like the Mickey Mouse stuff and we have been watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse a ton. K new joy is Race Cars. Grandma E bought him a shake n go race track for Christmas and we have changed the batteries out on that thing at least 4 times since Monday. He LOVES 
it. So when the family was here for Christmas, K watched his cousin E's Cars movie one night. Ever since he has been asking to watch Race Cars about 100 times a day.
it. So when the family was here for Christmas, K watched his cousin E's Cars movie one night. Ever since he has been asking to watch Race Cars about 100 times a day. 
So low and behold, since we have not opened gifts with my family yet, Grandma M went out and bought the Cars movie for K so now he can watch Race Cars. The only problem with this is that the girls do not have any interest in it. Thank God for two TVs as they get to watch TV before they go to bed every night. Here is a picture of K with his cousin E in their "Cars" outfits.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
St. Anthony Part II
So my mom has been here all morning helping me with the kids and also helping to get some stuff cleaned up around here. She was doing my laundry for me bless her heart, and she went to put sheets away where they belong and what do you think she found.....the gifts I was looking for last night. Now I swear I looked in those drawers at least three times for these gifts. Oh well at least they are found and now I can stop looking. That St. Anthony is darn good!
St. Anthony
So I have been missing my wedding ring since Labor Day. I took it off when Jon and I went camping so I would not lose it camping and we knew it came home with us but we could not find it anywhere. We had a delivery guy in our house that same week we got home so we thought that maybe he had taken it but we would never accuse anyone with out being sure.
I have been so bummed out about this as I knew Jon took a lot of time picking out my diamond and it meant a lot to me. So for Christmas when Jon asked me what I would like I told him a new diamond. So he went out and picked out a new diamond for me and it is beautiful but for some reason when I opened it up I just did not feel right about it.
When I was laying in the hospital with a lot of time to think I remember I prayed really hard to St. Anthony to find me ring. I just felt like it was such a waste to get a new one even if it was covered by the insurance. When I got home I did not think much more about it and I was trying to fall in love with my new diamond ring. Until last night....
I was cleaning out the closet looking for something else that I have misplaced when all of a sudden I looked down and in between my shoe rack and another bin lay my watch and my wedding ring. I think I stopped breathing.... I got up and brought the ring downstairs and dangled it in front of Jon's face. He could not believe it. We both thought that ring was long gone. So Jon is going to take the new diamond back to the store. We are sure this diamond will make someone else happy some day but for me I am just so grateful I found my wedding ring again! St. Anthony works Miracles, now if I could just find that gift!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Transition # 1 Complete
So I have been telling people that we have three big transitions to do with the kids after the 1st of the year. The big switch from cribs to bed, potty training, and as we tried earlier getting rid of binkers.
Since I am not able to lift the kids for a period of time due to the surgery, yesterday, we made the decision to transfer them to toddler beds. I just held my breath as I was not sure and a little uneasy about how it would all work out. I have heard horror stories from lots of multiple moms about this transition.
However, I am happy to report (knock on wood) that we have been through one nap period and the through the night with no problems. They are very proud of their big beds. They have all taken turns sneaking upstairs in the past day to lay on their new beds. It felt great to take their cribs down and pack them up. Although, I have to say that it was bittersweet as my babies are not really my babies anymore as they are getting to be my big kids.
In fact, the other day I called one of them baby and my nephew who is 6 informed me "they are not babies anymore Aunt Nicole". I told him that they are my babies! So as much as I want to hold on to time and take in everything I can, they will always keep growing and changing. They will continue to amaze us everyday and for that we are so grateful.
So one transition down and two to go. Hopefully the next two will go as easy as this one has gone. Sweet dreams!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
MOST WONDERFUL TIME....
We had so much fun yesterday! From the minute we woke up it was a blast. The kids were really excited about what Santa brought and then the whole family moved into the living room to open up other gifts. I kept reminding them that it was so nice that Baby Jesus shared his birthday with us and they all agreed.
Here is a picture of all of us before we sang Happy Birthday to baby Jesus! Big thanks for Grandma E for making the cake! As you can see K was ready to eat...So I am struggling a bit with this laying around and recovering thing....
I am the type of person that is always going 500 MPH at everything. This has been challenging for me to be in the hospital and now at home with a million things going on and having to have everyone else take care of it for me. When I think about what happened with being sick, it truly was perfect timing. I mean we were getting ready to leave town for the holidays and so I could have gotten sick on the road. I had just finished my Master's the week before so it could have interfered with getting that complete so as I said, it was perfect timing. God has a way to make things work out and I have to say that his timing on this one was perfect. The more I think about it I come to the conclusion that this is a sign to me that I need to SLOW DOWN! So for now I am going to take it easy and be the QUEEN around here so I can get some rest and I can come back with a vengeance when the time it right.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Guess What I Got For Christmas.....
An Appendicitis!
I was feeling a little funky all last week so I decided I better go to the doctor on Thursday and at that point everything looked normal but he wanted me to come back for a CT Scan on Friday morning. I was not thrilled about the idea as we were trying to get ready to leave town that day and I was supposed to be at work. However, he convinced me to come back so I did. Good thing as my appendix was twice going on three times the size it was supposed to be. They wanted me to get in an ambulance and go straight to the hospital but I told them I would drive myself as I wanted to go get my mom so she could come with me.
Anyway, to make a long story short this has been brewing for awhile and I really haven’t felt that great but I have been so busy with school, work, and kids that I just ignored it. So as much as it stinks that I have to deal with this over the holidays I am grateful that it happened when it did and it was not more serious that it could have been if I had waited any longer.
The good news is that instead of us going to see the family the family has now come to us. I feel fine, a little sore and I am sad that I can’t pick up my kids for awhile but very grateful that everything has worked out fine.
God bless and Merry Christmas!
I was feeling a little funky all last week so I decided I better go to the doctor on Thursday and at that point everything looked normal but he wanted me to come back for a CT Scan on Friday morning. I was not thrilled about the idea as we were trying to get ready to leave town that day and I was supposed to be at work. However, he convinced me to come back so I did. Good thing as my appendix was twice going on three times the size it was supposed to be. They wanted me to get in an ambulance and go straight to the hospital but I told them I would drive myself as I wanted to go get my mom so she could come with me.
Anyway, to make a long story short this has been brewing for awhile and I really haven’t felt that great but I have been so busy with school, work, and kids that I just ignored it. So as much as it stinks that I have to deal with this over the holidays I am grateful that it happened when it did and it was not more serious that it could have been if I had waited any longer.
The good news is that instead of us going to see the family the family has now come to us. I feel fine, a little sore and I am sad that I can’t pick up my kids for awhile but very grateful that everything has worked out fine.
God bless and Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
A Joyus Season!
Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family and friends. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this season!
I love this picture of the kids laughing!
I love this picture of the kids laughing! 
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Sickness...
We have had a week full of sickness around here. It is nothing to serious just bad colds and ear infections but it does make life around this house a little more crazy. I took A to the doctor tonight and she was also put on the same antibiotic that the other two were put on on Monday so hopefully we will all be feeling great by the weekend and for the Christmas Holiday.
A has a big fear of the doctor because the last time she went she had her flu shot. So all day today whenever I would mention the doctor A would say "I happy now mommy, I happy" Poor thing was scared to death to go to the doctor so she thought that if she acted "happy" she would not have to go. It was really sweet watching her try to be happy when really she felt horrible. She is now in bed sleeping full of meds so hopefully she will sleep all night.
A has a big fear of the doctor because the last time she went she had her flu shot. So all day today whenever I would mention the doctor A would say "I happy now mommy, I happy" Poor thing was scared to death to go to the doctor so she thought that if she acted "happy" she would not have to go. It was really sweet watching her try to be happy when really she felt horrible. She is now in bed sleeping full of meds so hopefully she will sleep all night.
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