Hi all! Been a couple weeks since our last update. Lots to tell, and fortunately it's all good. I'm now on the twice weekly schedule for check ups, so we get lots of glimpses at the babies and positive reinforcement that things are good. We are 30 weeks, 3 days along, and enjoying the "gravy" zone of gestation. All the kids appear healthy and to be thriving, and now our goal is to give them as much time as possible in mommy's tummy to mature and get stronger before they enter the world. They are growing like crazy: Baby A is 3 lb 6 oz, Baby B is 3lb 4 oz, and Baby C is 3 lb 3 oz. They range from the 40th to the 46th percentile for a single baby at the same gestational age, so we are thrilled with their growth. It's coming at a bit of an expense of mommy, though, who has lost 3 pounds in the last two weeks as they steal what they need from me. So, back to the Boost/Ensure drinks and anything else I can stomach to pack on some extra calories. Dairy Queen, here we come!!!
These guys/girls have turned into quite the sqirmers the last few weeks, too. The bigger and stronger they get, the more I can detect who's moving and (sort of) what they're doing. Rather than just a kick sensation, sometimes I can almost tell if they're turning over or wriggling around. The activity definitely centers around food too...they're most active after a meal, and often they make a lot of "noise" first thing in the morning before I've had breakfast...perhaps their way of telling mommy it's time to eat!
Even with things going as well as they are, last week we decided to go ahead and get the steriod shots that hasten the babies' lung development, should anything unexpected happen that would force us to deliver. There are basically no drawbacks, and gives us a little extra peace of mind. We're going to need that extra peace of mind for the next few weeks, as my high-risk specialist as well as my favored OB in my OB practice both go on vacation for 2 weeks, starting next Monday (coincidentally, they're married and obviously going on vacation together!). We've developed such a trust and comfort with each of them and their approach/philosophy of care for our particular situation, that it's going to be hard to feel the same about the doctors that are covering for them...so we're praying that there are NO issues that arise while they're gone. I've set a mental goal to absolutely, positively NOT deliver these kids 'till they've returned. That will be August 14. Let's hope that God and these babies are on the same plan!
We
finally started the nursery last weekend! We took down the guest bed that was in there and put up one of the cribs. Still have a ways to go: paint, get a dresser/changing table, a chair for feeding, an initial stock of diapers and wipes, etc. but we're on our way. We have also been blessed with gifts and hand-me-downs of things like pack-n-plays, swings and bouncy seats, so we're not feeling overwhelmed with all the "stuff" we still need to buy. At this point it's more a matter of getting organized and buying items to fill in the holes of what we already have.
We've also jumped head-first into the search for childcare assistance for when these little ones arrive. After months of procrastinating on this, we have recently gotten some pretty good referrals from friends, neighbors, and my triplet group, and new options seem to pop up each day. The hardest part is figuring out what we most need/want and how to fill those needs with the people we've met. Ironically, of all sources, the nanny agency we signed up with delivered the least impressive candidates. Fortunately we don't pay anything unless we hire one of their referrals, so it's risk free.
Overall, I continue to feel so blessed that in addition to the babies' progress, my health continues to be good - I'm not on bedrest, can still drive, and am allowed a very moderately active lifestyle for now. I'm definitely tired and try to get lots of rest, but in between naps I'm able to run quick errands, see friends, go out for the ocassional dinner with Jeff...whatever I can tolerate. I'm measuring at the equivalent of about 42 weeks for a single pregnancy (that's past due!) so it certainly is a challenge to move and get around sometimes. I do continue to experience those contractions that I mentioned in an earlier entry and am still on an oral medication to manage them, but as of now they are not causing any change in the cervix which is when the doctors would truly become concerned and would move to more actively treat the situation.
We're also feeling lucky that Jeff is now on a very limited travel schedule - basically staying close to home and only taking day trips from which he could return within a few hours if necessary. He's also been a model husband and daddy-to-be, joining us at doctor's appointments and basically not letting me do much of anything around the house. We also love our housecleaner, Marcy! She comes twice a month and keeps things in ship shape.
I've posted a few pictures - the belly shot of me is with my two nieces Signe and Shannon, who visited with their dad (Jeff's brother John) last week. Sorry it's blurry, but I think you get the idea. Only the Burkes will appreciate this, but it appears as though John has inherited his mother's gift for snapping a photo...sorry Belle! :-) I also included a few other ultrasound shots, but as I've mentioned before they get less interesting the bigger the babies get, so hopefully you can make something out.
Hi all! Been a couple weeks since our last update. Lots to tell, and fortunately it's all good. I'm now on the twice weekly schedule for check ups, so we get lots of glimpses at the babies and positive reinforcement that things are good. We are 30 weeks, 3 days along, and enjoying the "gravy" zone of gestation. All the kids appear healthy and to be thriving, and now our goal is to give them as much time as possible in mommy's tummy to mature and get stronger before they enter the world. They are growing like crazy: Baby A is 3 lb 6 oz, Baby B is 3lb 4 oz, and Baby C is 3 lb 3 oz. They range from the 40th to the 46th percentile for a single baby at the same gestational age, so we are thrilled with their growth. It's coming at a bit of an expense of mommy, though, who has lost 3 pounds in the last two weeks as they steal what they need from me. So, back to the Boost/Ensure drinks and anything else I can stomach to pack on some extra calories. Dairy Queen, here we come!!!
These guys/girls have turned into quite the sqirmers the last few weeks, too. The bigger and stronger they get, the more I can detect who's moving and (sort of) what they're doing. Rather than just a kick sensation, sometimes I can almost tell if they're turning over or wriggling around. The activity definitely centers around food too...they're most active after a meal, and often they make a lot of "noise" first thing in the morning before I've had breakfast...perhaps their way of telling mommy it's time to eat!
Even with things going as well as they are, last week we decided to go ahead and get the steriod shots that hasten the babies' lung development, should anything unexpected happen that would force us to deliver. There are basically no drawbacks, and gives us a little extra peace of mind. We're going to need that extra peace of mind for the next few weeks, as my high-risk specialist as well as my favored OB in my OB practice both go on vacation for 2 weeks, starting next Monday (coincidentally, they're married and obviously going on vacation together!). We've developed such a trust and comfort with each of them and their approach/philosophy of care for our particular situation, that it's going to be hard to feel the same about the doctors that are covering for them...so we're praying that there are NO issues that arise while they're gone. I've set a mental goal to absolutely, positively NOT deliver these kids 'till they've returned. That will be August 14. Let's hope that God and these babies are on the same plan!
We finally started the nursery last weekend! We took down the guest bed that was in there and put up one of the cribs. Still have a ways to go: paint, get a dresser/changing table, a chair for feeding, an initial stock of diapers and wipes, etc. but we're on our way. We have also been blessed with gifts and hand-me-downs of things like pack-n-plays, swings and bouncy seats, so we're not feeling overwhelmed with all the "stuff" we still need to buy. At this point it's more a matter of getting organized and buying items to fill in the holes of what we already have.
We've also jumped head-first into the search for childcare assistance for when these little ones arrive. After months of procrastinating on this, we have recently gotten some pretty good referrals from friends, neighbors, and my triplet group, and new options seem to pop up each day. The hardest part is figuring out what we most need/want and how to fill those needs with the people we've met. Ironically, of all sources, the nanny agency we signed up with delivered the least impressive candidates. Fortunately we don't pay anything unless we hire one of their referrals, so it's risk free.
Overall, I continue to feel so blessed that in addition to the babies' progress, my health continues to be good - I'm not on bedrest, can still drive, and am allowed a very moderately active lifestyle for now. I'm definitely tired and try to get lots of rest, but in between naps I'm able to run quick errands, see friends, go out for the ocassional dinner with Jeff...whatever I can tolerate. I'm measuring at the equivalent of about 42 weeks for a single pregnancy (that's past due!) so it certainly is a challenge to move and get around sometimes. I do continue to experience those contractions that I mentioned in an earlier entry and am still on an oral medication to manage them, but as of now they are not causing any change in the cervix which is when the doctors would truly become concerned and would move to more actively treat the situation.
We're also feeling lucky that Jeff is now on a very limited travel schedule - basically staying close to home and only taking day trips from which he could return within a few hours if necessary. He's also been a model husband and daddy-to-be, joining us at doctor's appointments and basically not letting me do much of anything around the house. We also love our housecleaner, Marcy! She comes twice a month and keeps things in ship shape.
I've posted a few pictures - the belly shot of me is with my two nieces Signe and Shannon, who visited with their dad (Jeff's brother John) last week. Sorry it's blurry, but I think you get the idea. Only the Burkes will appreciate this, but it appears as though John has inherited his mother's gift for snapping a photo...sorry Belle! :-) I also included a few other ultrasound shots, but as I've mentioned before they get less interesting the bigger the babies get, so hopefully you can make something out.
No comments:
Post a Comment