More good news!

We had another great check up yesterday. I am now 14 weeks and 4 days along. All three babies are growing on schedule and as far as they can see at this point, they are healthy and developing normally. Each is approximately 9 cm in length and weighs about 4 oz. The appointment started out a bit rocky though, as we had an ultrasound tech that, while cordial, said almost nothing as she scanned, checked and measured the babies. This was SO different from the previous tech who had been friendly, chatty and had literally nararated our way through the ultrasound. Our standard nerves turned into absolute panic as the tech continued in near silence. I asked, "do they all look okay?" and her answer was, "I'm still working on Baby A." Okay, rephrase. I asked, "Do they all have heartbeats?!?!" Her answer? One word. "Yes." Relief washed over me, but it left Jeff still terrified, and he proceded to spend the remainder of the ultrasound antsy, anxious and as he told me later, praying and bargaining with God about what he would do/give up in exchange for healthy babies! I later learned he nearly offered up coffee! For those of you who know Jeff's love and addiction for coffee, that's big. :-) Fortunately, the doctor then came in and completely put our fears to rest. He said they're all looking great. He also told us that our ultrasound tech was "old school" and had been strictly trained by some previous doctors to just get in, do the scan and measurements and get out without saying much to the patients. We're very lucky that the doctor himself is very warm, confident and reassuring, so things ended well at the ultrasound. I then proceeded downstairs for my other appointment with my regular OB, who monitors everything else...my weight, general health, etc. and will ultimately do the delivery. I've gained a total of 10 pounds, which she said is about right for this point. We discussed at length that I'm still not feeling very good, and eating is a total chore. I learned that during a pregnancy like mine, my stomach empties VERY slowly, about 8 hours for a normal size meal! No wonder I'm never hungry. She instructed me to eat tiny little meals (essentially snacks) every few hours, and gave me pointers on the types of foods that are easiest to digest. She also advised me to drink 4 liters of liquid a day (is that possible???), which aids in digestion but is also important for things like my quickly increasing blood volume, etc. I'm giving that a shot starting today, and hoping that it will help. We also discussed delivery dates, and that in all likelihood these will be August babies. She absolutely will not let me go beyond 36 weeks, at which point they would be essentially full term and there are really no further benefits to keeping them in...and the risks to me go up exponentially. Assuming all goes well and we continue without complications, we will most likely greet our little ones at around 32-34 weeks - early to mid August. While both doctors are very happy with my progress, they both warned of the challenges to come. With each week, the risk of spontaneous miscarriage goes down considerably, but the risk of pre-term labor now goes up. No rest for the weary! I was also warned that as the symptoms of fatigue and "morning" sickness improve, they will be quickly replaced by the discomfort of the physical strain of carrying three babies. My favorite quote from one of the docs was, "Your head may be excited about this, but that's only part of your body that thinks this was a good idea." Hmm. While I know it's coming, it's still hard to imagine because I'm barely showing...not even wearing maternity clothes yet. Everything is getting a big snug, though, so I think I'll be doing some shopping this weekend! We are so very grateful for how well things are going, but will continue to need everyone's prayers each step of the way! We appreciate how supportive and excited you all are for us.