Quick Check-Up this Time

It was "Photo Friday" again yesterday, but this was just the quick make-sure-they're-all-still-in-there check-up and didn't take too long.  Before my ultrasound I had a physical therapy appointment to check the progress of the carpal tunnel syndrome.  The finger pads on all but my pinkies are completely numb.  There is no pain, however, which is a major improvement.  The downside is that I've developed some sort of strain in my forearm ligaments, giving me a sharp pain in the wrist right beneath my thumb.  So I have some new exercises to do (and some bruising all down the inside of each forearm where the PT "massaged" the ligaments...ouch!)

Then it was back to collect Joe and head for the ultrasound.  It was an easy one this time, as I said - quick check to make sure the cervix was holding tight (it is), then an overview to find all the Salvateenies.  Last we knew, Baby A was head down, sort of straight up and down closest to the birth canal.  Baby B was then over to (my) right and alternated positions but was pretty much laying "transverse", or on his side.  Baby C (Caroline) was then up top on (my) left.  This time, Baby A's head is still down in the middle, but his legs are curled around to (my) right.  Baby B has squished himself into the space to (my) left of Baby A, and his legs are stretched across into the same area as Baby A's.  Caroline seems to be in the same place.  What was weird was that the space vacated by Baby B is where I tend to feel the most baby movement.  The sonographer thinks it's because there are four feet in that area, most likely taking turns kicking each other. :) It also means that right now, the majority of baby mass is on my left side, which may be why I'm so much more comfortable laying on my right.  The important news is that all their sacs are adequately full of fluid and their heartbeats look good.

The doctor came in to double check my cervix (still as it should be) and then we chatted about how everything else was going.  Again I was complimented on my positive attitude and lack of complaining.  That, coupled with the so far uncomplicated (knock on wood) progress of the babies led the doctor to tell me I'm the "poster mom for having triplets"...now if only I had any confidence that status would carry over AFTER they're born!

Showers, Doulas, and Contractions - oh my...

On Sunday my friends from the ballpark converged to have a shower for me - all ladies this time, with just a few exceptions.  First, there was the host and her husband, who made some excellent food for the brunch gathering.  Then a bunch of my "usher buddies" who, I realized, are on average much closer to grandmother age than mother age.  And finally, a few fans.  Among the fans were two young sisters whose dad brought them to be part of the party, and was enticed to stay and join in the party.  He didn't seem to mind being outnumbered.  I tend to refer to the folks who sit in my section as "my fans"...meaning the fans who sit in my section.  It was nice to realize that some of them might actually like me enough to be "my fans".  It was a nice, laid back affair - lots of chatting, exchanging of advice and stories, and no silly party games.  The gifts were a little extravagant - but oh, so cute and oh, so practical.  Definitely a high point in the road. :)

Monday Joe and I met with a potential "night doula".  The doula code seems to be "We take care of mom so she can take care of her baby" (or in my case, babies).  In the case of a night doula, taking care of mom means that I get to sleep while someone else watches, feeds, and cleans the babies.  She also said she will wake me to pump, clean and prep bottles, do the dishes that have accumulated during the day, do the babies' laundry, and generally straighten up a bit.  She'll care for the babies in the living room so that we're entirely free to SLEEP the three nights a week she's here.  And on top of all this, she seems charming.  We checked her references and the families she's worked with all gave her rave reviews.  She specializes in working with twins and we will be her first triplet family, but she has more experience than either of us do, so we'll learn from her.  The only catch is the cost - pretty high - so we'll be welcoming any and all donations. HA! :)

Last post I listed all the things I have to monitor each day.  The most frustrating to monitor is contractions.  Starting this week, I've gotten a few belly tightening contractions.  But they don't hurt at all, and I'm still able to move around, so I'm never entirely sure they're contractions and not just a baby having moved into a new spot.  Until I try to squeeze my belly and there's no squeeze.  The contractions, when they come, tend to come later in the day - after 6:00 or so.  When I recognize a contraction I get all ready to do the monitoring.  And during the monitoring, I might have one contraction, but definitely not the six that are the limit.  I think I had three today.  The frustrating part is not knowing if I'm really noticing it all.  A friend who is having triplets is on bedrest now after her ultrasound showed so partial shortening and dilation of the cervix.  She's also having the non-painful contractions, though she sounded like hers are a bit  more debilitating than mine are.  Mine just make my belly feel bigger than normal.

Tomorrow's another day of monitoring - I'll be at the ballpark.  Then Friday is full of doctor's appointments - physical therapy and ultrasound and consultation.  Fingers crossed!

Congratulations!

That's a word I've been hearing a lot since we've told people we're expecting triplets.  But at this point we're getting to hear it from more and more of the medical professionals, which is good for calming the nerves.  At 25 weeks the doctor congratulated us that we'd gotten to the major milestone of the babies being "medically viable".  On Friday night, the nurse who calls to monitor my pre-term labor symptoms (nothing to worry about so far) congratulated me on making it to 28 weeks, which is the next hurdle after which the babies can be considered to have a good chance at problem-free birth.  From here on out, each week is a victory and a step closer to healthy babies who come home from the hospital with us.

But I hear what you're wondering - "what," you ask, "are pre-term labor symptoms?"

Each day I have to wake up (a good start), test my urine to see if it's shedding glucose or protein beyond the very narrow limits that have been set for me - this is done with a little strip with special sensors on it that change colors and then I have to match the colors up to a code.  This part is a little difficult, because the shades of teal in the protein scale are pretty similar  on the "trace" (allowable) and "+30" (not optimal) ranges.

Next I have to check my blood pressure - making sure it is above 90/60 and below 150/90.  If either part is outside that range, I'm supposed to rest for a half an hour, check the equipment (all the air out of the cuff, feet flat on the floor, arm at heart level, etc.), and take it again.

Then, if I haven't already done it, I need to make sure my bladder is empty, then go drink about 16 oz of water, and then go lay down for an hour to monitor for contractions.  The first two steps may seem to be counterproductive, but both a full bladder and dehydration can trigger contractions.  It has been explained that my uterus can contract without actually causing any pain.  I hadn't experienced any contractions until last week, when I noticed that my belly was all of a sudden hard where it had previously been squishy.  A contraction doesn't "count" unless it starts at the top of the uterus and lasts at least 35 seconds, and I'm not supposed to worry unless I've had more than 6 in an hour's time.  While I have had two episodes where I felt that belly-hardening, when I've gone through the steps to monitor, I haven't noticed any 35-second contractions.  Which means the ones I have noticed were probably being triggered by a full bladder or some sort of exertion.

At some point during the day, I need to do a "kick count".  This means, at some point when I notice the babies are "active", I have to note the time and count how long it takes until I feel ten separate motions.  These go pretty quickly for me in the evening, since the babies get excitable around 7:30 or so (assuming I've already eaten).  What worries me sometimes is that I can get all ten kicks out of one part of my belly - just from one baby.  They've told me that it's impossible to track the movements of all three babies, which is true since there are some times when I can't tell which baby is which.  But I don't want to give a positive kick count result and then later realize that 2/3 of the babies were totally calm during the test period.  I usually piggy back my kick count onto my evening contraction  monitoring, since I need to do that twice a day.  It's more to keep track of, but not really that challenging.

Before bed I need to check my blood pressure one more time with the same parameters as before.  So, that's two BP checks, two contraction checks, one urine check, and one kick count each day.  If any of them are beyond the parameters I was given, I'm supposed to call in to the "pre-term birth prevention center" and let them triage the situation.  So far (knock on wood), I haven't had to call.  Each Friday night a nurse from the program calls and collects my results.  They're maintained and reported to the doctors in case anything needs to be adjusted.

Oh, and then I need to remember to eat my 93 grams of protein...which I should probably do right now!

At the ballpark

Sunday was most likely my last day working at the ballpark.  This is a momentous occasion - I have worked for the Giants for the better part of twenty-two seasons.  And yet I was too tired to properly mark it.

A little background - in 1989, as the Giants started their march toward the post-season, I realized that the National League playoffs (back then when the dates were predictable) were set to begin on my sixteenth birthday.  I thought you needed to be sixteen to get an after-school or summer job, so I summoned my courage and went into the "Usherettes" room on the mezzanine level and informed the head usherette (the amazing Iris Nolli) that if they thought they might need some extra help for the playoffs, I would be sixteen just in time.  Keep in mind that the Giants were not perennial playoff contenders and this season was pretty special - the crowds were growing beyond what the team had prepared for.  Iris looked at me and said, "Honey, if you can get me a work permit, you can start tomorrow!"  So I went and got a work permit, and the rest, as they say, was history.

I worked at Candlestick for the eleven seasons between 1989 and 1999 and have worked at the new ballpark on Willie Mays Plaza (under its many different names) during the eleven seasons from 2000 until now.  During that time I've seen one major earthquake, two World Series, six playoff series, one All Star Week, Barry Bonds's race to 73 home runs in 2001 and his eventual record-setting home run total, Greg Maddux's 300th win, Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter, JT Snow's amazing save of Darren Baker at home plate, among so many other moments that I'm sure will come flooding back in the next few days.

Of course, the most important ballpark moment for me was meeting my husband on August 14 of 1999.  I was supervising the give-away of JT Snow growth chart posters at, I think, F Gate, when a mutual friend brought him by to introduce me to him.  Of course, we didn't actually start dating for a few years, but being that I was an avid KCBS listener, it was an exciting moment to meet THE Joe Salvatore. :)  And the ballpark was the first place we went "public" with the news that we were pregnant at the first exhibition game of this season.

I've made a lot of good friends at the ballpark, both among my co-workers and the fans in the sections I regularly work.  But I know that it will be hard to keep in touch with many of them without that ballpark connection, which makes me a little sad.  On Sunday, I worked in the Press Box, but I snuck out to see a bunch of the "regulars" that I'll miss.  It was heart-warming to realize that they will miss me too.  But I've been so tired, and so unwilling to face that it might really be my LAST day, that I failed to do anything special to mark it.  No pictures of the employee tunnels, or my section, or with the people I work with.  I convinced myself it was a way of making me come back at least one more time ... but then I realized that most of the people I'd like to see (and take pictures of) won't be there for the mid-week day games I'm scheduled for.

Leaving school was easy, because I'll be back there before long.  But I won't be back at the ballpark anytime soon.  I can't imagine that it will be easy to find a babysitter for three little ones so that I can stand around at the ballpark...and even if I could, I wouldn't be guaranteed to be in the same spot I'm used to, hanging out with the same people I'll miss.

It feels like a really, really silly thing to get emotional about, but it was my first job ever, a defining part of my personality, and one I'll have to say good-bye to now that I make the transition to this new part of my life.

Back to the doc's at 27 weeks

Today's appointment was for the "full biometric ultrasound" - each little part of the babies is measured. The sonographer is pretty familiar with where everyone is, so it doesn't take quite as long as it used to - about 45 minutes today. The ultrasound machine is able to measure the different parts of the baby (head, brain, stomach, waist, arm bone, leg bone, etc.) and then runs it through some sort of algorithm that gives an idea of how "old" the baby is. Our "gestational age" is 27 weeks, 2 days. One of the boys (we think it's Max) and Caroline measured at 27 weeks 3 days. The other boy (Daniel, we presume) measured at 28 weeks, 2 days. But the oddest thing is that their little arms and legs are still SUPER long! In fact, the sonographer asked how tall I am and where the stretchy limbs might come from. Perhaps our plans for athletes in the family will come true.

We asked if there was any way to tell how much the babies weigh and wouldn't you know it, there is! The same program predicts the weight of the babies based on the measurements! Baby A (Daniel) is currently 2lbs, 10oz. Baby B (Max) is 2lbs, 7oz. and Baby C (Caroline) is 2 lbs, 5oz. That's seven and a half pounds of baby in my belly! And I've personally just weighed in at half a pound over my pre-pregnancy weight. Of course, those babies can all double in size OR MORE in the next eight to nine weeks...YIKES!

After all the photos, blood pressure, etc. we met with the doctor and went over the next steps. Next Tuesday marks 28 weeks which means I get to start measuring for protein in my urine, and feeling for kick counts - at least 10 in a two hour span. We also talked about the delivery. It will be by C-Section, hopefully planned for 36 weeks, but it could be earlier if there are any problems. Hopefully there won't be any problems. Unless I have to be under general anesthetic, Joe will be allowed in the room to hold my hand, which is good news. They won't schedule the C-Section until week 33, since there are still so many factors that put me at risk for an earlier delivery. Fingers crossed that everything stays on track!

For the pain update - the hands are still primary - swollen fingers, numbness in the thumb and three fingers and both sides, pain when I sleep. But I also have some sort of muscle pull/strain in them middle-right of my back that would be easily treated with anti-inflammatory drugs which, of course, I can't take. So I muddle through, trying to find a comfortable position. IT's salso starting to get uncomfortable to be on my feet for prolonged amounts of time, or to roll over in bed. There's a lot of pressure on my groin from the weight of the babies and all the other junk in there and it gets worse when I move from sitting to standing, or put on my shoes (one leg up) or roll over from one side to another. And I can only imagine it'll get worse over the next two months. But it'll be a small price to pay if all the Salvateenies come out OK!

Pregnant Entertaining

This month was my turn to host Book Club. As the club is made up of 10 women, 8 of whom have children and the 9th who runs a pre-school/daycare center, they are all very supportive of me and the pregnancy. Our club has evolved such that the host each month chooses a book and then serves a meal somehow related to the book. Luckily, the book I chose was a memoir of a father with triplets, so I had an excuse to make something easy - spaghetti with meat sauce. Pam and Gretchen insisted on bringing the rest of the meal, so the arrived with bread, salad, and dessert. And after we were finished eating, they, along with Julia, jumped up to clear the table, wash and dry the dishes, and put everything away! It was the easiest dinner I'd ever hosted! And considering that mealtime is likely to be chaotic for a long time for us, it was MUCH appreciated!

Emotional Roller Coaster

Tonight I'm laying on the couch, resting (that's what I call it so I don't feel like I'm being lazy). I've got the laptop propped up on my big ol' belly and I'm watching the last episodes of Ugly Betty that I missed on tv. Joe's at work and I sent him a little instant Facebook message to say hi - and right as he responded, one of the babies kicked hard enough to pop the computer in the air! Must be missing their daddy!

But that was all they needed - they were off on their kung fu practice for the next twenty or thirty minutes. Little pops and shimmies throughout my belly bouncing the computer around. I hadn't noticed them moving around a bunch the last day or so, so I was ecstatic to feel them so active. And then I got sad - a little weepy. Why? Whenever anyone new talks to us about having triplets, invariably the idea that we're being very efficient with our triplets comes up. "Well - getting it all done at once - at least you'll only have one pregnancy!" And tonight, as the Salvateenies were doing their floor show, I realized that's true. These next few months are my only time to experience this and it makes me a little sad to think it's going to be so limited. Just this one time and even this one will be shortened by four to six weeks at least. So I've got to get the most out of these little dance parties as I can now!

Lots of updating

OK, I've been putting together a journal offline tagging things that have happened each week, and Joe just reminded me I should probably be putting it here. So here it all is:

Week 12 (March 30): Spring Break! By the time we left for Spring Break (Arizona – Spring Training), we’d decided we’re having the triplets. It’s going to be hard, but all the tests have shown that my health is fine and the babies are doing well. On Thursday we’ll have tests to predict for genetic or chromosomal problems with the babies and based on that we’ll make our final decision, but for now, that’s where we are. Which is good, considering at our “3I” appointment on Friday (3/26) the Nurse Practitioner was all googly “look at them, aren’t they cute?” as she looked at the ultrasounds and printed us pictures of them. I can’t imagine how hard that would’ve been if we’d already decided to reduce.

Week 13 (April 6): The week started off with an appointment for a big ultrasound and a nuchal translucency test. This is a test they do to measure the space between the skin and the spine at the back of the babies’ necks. Matched with the bloodwork I had done last week, this can give us a ballpark idea about the possibility of chromosomal deficiencies. Because of the complexities of triplets, they couldn’t give us the answer right away, so I went back on Friday. Friday morning I had my “blood pressure teach”, where I learned about signs of pre-term labor and how to take my blood pressure, which I’ll do twice a day until sometime after delivery. Then I went to see the genetecist to get the results of Thursday’s tests. It all seemed good. With two of the babies, the chance of Downs’ Syndrome is only about 1/950 or better. With the third (“baby B”), it’s 1/411, which is riskier, but is still less than a quarter of a percent of a chance. For other chromosomal problems, the chances are even slimmer. So, that’s encouraging! That plus my good results mean we’re sticking with the triplets!

At the Giants on Thursday we started telling people – just that we’re pregnant, not that it’s triplets. Everyone was very excited. We did share with both Lila and Chris Filippi the “rest of the story” – and got notes back from Lila and Alanna asking if we were really having triplets or of it was an April Fool’s Day joke – maybe we should’ve taken that into account when we decided to start telling people for the first time!

On Sunday we told people at KCBS. We told Joe Rogers and Phil Handler the “big” news…everyone else just got the pregnancy update. J

I went back to school on Monday and started telling people. Kate, Mozy, Martha and Belén knew already, but that left everyone else at school. I had to make sure I told Laurel before anyone else, because I knew she’d be upset to hear second-hand. Then I went down to tell Bonnie – she was in a meeting with Patty Crespo but let me interrupt. Turns out when I was exhausted before Spring Break, Bonnie had asked how everything was going and my response (“OK”) led her to think that the IVF had not worked. So it was quite a surprise to her that I was in fact pregnant – and with triplets no less! Everyone I told at work was really supportive, if totally shocked. The most often asked question (after “you’re kidding!”) seems to be, “So, do triplets run in your family?”, which I think is code for, “So, did you do fertility treatments?” Oh well, I’m not hiding anything!

Week 14 (April 13): My appetite seems to have returned, though I feel like I haven’t gained any weight, or more like I’ve lost weight. On Thursday (4/8) I had my first pre-natal massage – at Avant Garde with Martha and Belén. From there I went to book club at Dianne’s where I shared the news. Pam and Gretchen already knew. Everyone else seemed excited. Carol wondered why “everyone” was having triplets – apparently she has just heard from one other person who is expecting a threesome! In other news, my cravings have been for cheeseburgers and ice cream sandwiches (at least I’m through the Spaghetti-O’s phase). I’m not tired as much as I was in the first trimester. That said, I’m also not experiencing the “burst of energy” or “nesting impulse” that’s supposed to come with the second trimester. What I am experiencing is HEADACHES…low-grade dull headaches, piercing/throbbing headaches, and all the ones in between. Ugh.

Week 15 (April 20): The cravings now include salt and vinegar chips! Nothing new or exciting to report other than that everything is going according to schedule and everyone has seemed really happy for us.

Week 16 (April 27): 4/21 – I had a doctor’s appointment today. Thinking it was just a consultation, Joe didn’t come with. But it turned out we did have a quick ultrasound to check how all the babies were doing. This one was with Dr. Tran, and there was also a doctor from Labor and Delivery there. Dr. Tran talked about on of the twins having shifted into “pole position” at the birth canal, with the other two on either side. This was really strange, but she said we should wait until the next u/s to verify that. I told them I was worried that I hadn’t gained any weight (in fact, I’m about 8 pounds shy of my pre-pregnancy weight at this point) and Dr. Tran said it’s probably not a problem, since the babies are “little parasites” and getting everything they need. But she suggested I up my calcium intake and take an iron supplement to make sure I’m covered, and the other doctor made a recommendation to meet with a nutritionist. On 4/25 we made the Facebook announcement about the triplets – “resting for four”. People were pretty overwhelmed, but entirely supportive.

Week 17 (May 4): Not much new this week. On Saturday I had an entirely too-busy day. First the CTA Leg Breakfast, then to Lullaby Lane with Daddy and Linda Plack, then to Sunnyvale to pick up the Peg Perego triplet stroller ($60 on Craig’s List!), then to Pam’s for Quynn’s makeover birthday party and photo shoot, then back to the City for dinner and the ballet with Sue. I really need to remember I’m pregnant and start taking it easy – that was TOO much… At the end of the week, I had a dream last night that the babies were born and we forgot what we were planning to name them! There was one boy - who ended up being named Elliot in the dream, though we couldn't figure out if we wanted to use one L or two...twenty minutes later, I dreamed that I was frantically trying to find the birth certificate to change the name back to what we'd planned in the first place! When I told Nathanael, he decided we should name one of the babies Eliot Theodore so that he could be Eliot T. S. – cute. It does point out the issues involved in not knowing the genders of the babies – we need to flesh out SIX possible names – 3 for boys and 3 for girls! Hopefully they can tell at the next couple of ultrasounds who’s who! In other news, I heard that Myda’s kids are collectively known as the “Winklets”. I think the babies need a nickname, so we have decided to call them the “Salvateenies”. J

Week 18 (May 11): Finally started getting ravenously hungry this week. Ate lunch, and half an hour later I was hungry again. Have to stash some better food in that drawer! 5/7 – big, long ultrasound! It is now official – the babies have switched position! The twins are now in “pole position” – one head down in the birth canal, one over to my right (kept switching from head up to head down) and the singleton baby was over to my left and up a little higher. The big news from this visit is that…the twins are boys! We couldn’t find out about the third one – completely uncooperative, even with a second check from Dr. Regenstein. The appointment went so long, I actually nodded off! On Mother’s Day (5/8) my mom and I went out to Lullaby Lane to start looking at stuff and register. It was overwhelming and I got exhausted before I was only halfway done. On Monday we made up for it by watching the movie “Babies” – an hour and a half of no dialog and adorable babies. But terrifying when they all started crying at once and we realized that’s what life will be like for us 24/7.

Week 19 (May 18): 5/13 – A quick ultrasound appointment to double check the fluid level around the babies – everything looks good! On Friday, I went to the Parents of Multiples consignment sale with Jayanthi. Again, totally overwhelming. Too much stuff, too many decisions. Exciting times! Since announcing my pregnancy, I’ve found out that Stacy Wenzel is just about as pregnant as I am, Sam Medios (now Rescino) is pregnant, and Myda Winkelman (nee Geraldo) is pregnant with twins, and now just found out that my friend Tania’s pregnancy test came back positive! On Monday I took my pre-natal vitamins (and iron) but didn’t eat breakfast. Halfway to work, they officially did not set well with me. I pulled over into an empty parking lot and threw up…luckily there was a soda machine with 7-Up on the other side of the lot! (and, yes, I splashed water on the ground and cleaned up after myself). Closest I’ve come to morning sickness and really glad for that! On Tuesday Martha and Belén threw me a staff baby shower. Very nice. A good time was had, I think, by all.

Week 20 (May 25): 5/21 – The longest ultrasound so far! Two and a half hours! They checked each baby and measured every conceivable spot on their teeny tiny bodies. And…the third “mystery” baby is…a GIRL! On Saturday, I had to go in for a glucose test – yick. I had to fast, get my blood drawn, the

n drink this icky sweet stuff, then get my blood taken three more times. Then, finally, I got to eat some food!

On Sunday night, I got to go to a second shower – the former students shower! Colleen and JoAnna

organized an outing (with Tony Pilara, Sam & Mike Rescino, Joe Rogers, Nathanael, and Joe) to LaLola, a tapas bar in North Beach. The girls went to a lot of effort, with decorations, and favors (felt pea pods with Lindt

Chocolate “peas” inside), and amazing chocolate cupcakes with fondant pea pods and peanut m&m “peas” on top.

Week 21 (June 1): I went to an appointment with a nutritionist and learned that I need to eat 93 grams (13 oz.) of protein a day! That’s a lot of protein! The best first step is to start drinking lots of milk, since each glass counts as about 10 g of protein and also counts as one of the 4 portions of dairy required each day. I also got my first maternity clothes in the mail – good timing as my belly is just starting to pooch out and make my pants uncomfortable. The babies are growing! The last Friday of the semester, the kids in my fourth and sixth period classes threw me baby showers – including games (baby bingo and pin the sperm on the egg) and food and presents. So sweet. I worked three Giants games over the weekend and my ankles were pretty swollen at the end of it. I hope this isn’t the start of a trend.

Week 22 (June 8): SCHOOL’S OUT! This week involved a lot of cleaning and a lot of packing. On graduation day I begged off supervision duty because of the heat and humidity – luckily I chose June 1 as the official day to stop wearing my wedding rings because my fingers have swollen up. Another side effect of the pregnancy? Carpal tunnel syndrome. Apparently the swelling puts pressure on the nerve in the carpal tunnel – hence the tingling in my mid fingers. After packing up my classroom, I headed to an ultrasound appointment. Everything looks good with the ’teenies. The appointment took about 45 minutes but everyone checked out. Their little legs are long in comparison to the measurements of all the rest of their body parts – I wonder where THAT comes from? It shouldn’t be a surprise, though, that they kick! Over the past week or so they have started moving and I feel them mostly as little popcorn pops through my belly. But they’re getting stronger!

Week 23 (June 15): The belly is getting bigger and I’m getting more tired more quickly. We’ve pretty much decided Baby “B” (the one who keeps doing flips) is Max. And Max keeps kicking me! Daniel does the rhumba, Caroline wiggles, but Max? Kick, kick, kick! Right in

the ribs!

Week 24 (June 22): 6/18 – The big news from the doctor’s visit this week? The babies are officially “viable”. We obviously don’t WANT them to come this early, but if they did, they could survive outside the womb. All the babies measured well this time – and it was a pretty quick appointment. Max and Caroline measured right on at 23 weeks 2 days. Daniel is a tad bigger at 24 weeks 0 days. They caught a picture of all three of them with their heads stuck in a row, just like three little peas in a pod! The sonographer actually yelped when she saw it, telling us she’d NEVER seen that before.

The docs are a bit concerned about the pain associated with my carpal tunnel – radiating up to my elbows and down from my shoulders. They gave me wrist splints (which help not at all). On Monday I had an appointment in the injury clinic from which I got a referral for PT and for a visit to the spine clinic “just in case”.

Sunday was our big baby shower. Family and friends, hosted by Chris and Jayanthi. Joe’s sisters came up from SoCal and so many other folks came to celebrate with us. I think it was a great time for all, especially for Joe’s first father’s day. J

On Monday I also went for my “pre-term labor teach”. At this appointment, they taught me how to find the top of my uterus and monitor for contractions. They also gave me my “limited activity restrictions” – after any activity I’m supposed to rest for at least 30 minutes. No vacuuming, no heavy cleaning, no lifting more than 10-15 pounds. I could get used to this. J Tuesday was a support group meeting for “new and expectant parents”. There was a man there who is also having triplets – with a surrogate. Nice to know we’re not the only ones!

Week 25 (June 29): The appointment with the spine doctor reveals that there is no nerve/spine problem. The hand pain and pain radiating to my elbows is from the carpal tunnel and should subside after delivery. The pain in my upper arm appears to be from strained muscles – let’s hope a little rest and a nice massage will help with that! The problem with the CTS is that it makes writing thank you notes very difficult! And we have so many to write!!!

We also went shopping to find out how we can fit all the baby seats in Joe’s car. Scary. We can do two of the infant carriers, but we have to put a convertible seat in the middle. So we’ll need four car seats total, but on the other hand we won’t need a new car for a while (hopefully).

Week 26 (July 6): 7/2 – doctor’s appointment day. The sonographer says the babies are all doing excellently and growing on target. The nurse says my blood pressure is perfect and that my weight is progressing OK (I'm still about a pound or so under my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'm steadily gaining a pound to a pound and a half every two weeks). The doctor and the RN both made comments along the lines of "if anyone can avoid pre-term labor, it'd be you". So the plan is still to hold out for 34-36 weeks. The doctor says that many women are in wheelchairs by week 34, but we hope that won't be me. The doctor also says that her experience is that babies who come at 36 weeks tend to GO HOME WITH THE PARENTS and not spend substantial time in the hospital. So it's time to start clearing out that extra room and building the cribs! (We've gotten 3 hand-me-down cribs and 4 mattresses!)

So, everything seems to be going according to plan. We are off to Half Moon Bay tonight - fun!