Week 32 ~ An ending to start a new beginning...

Well let me start off by saying that this has been the craziest week of my life... What I thought had started as another uneventful week of laying on my couch basting these babies to perfection started changing pretty quickly...  Monday went off without a hitch, same old same old, then Tuesday came and I woke up with some puffiness around my eyes.  As pre-eclampsia has always been a worry of mine as I know that it's the reason behind many pre-term deliveries with multiples, the puffiness worried me a little.  My feet have been puffy since week 12 and so have many other parts of my body, but the eyes was a different story.  I called my doctor she told me that if the swelling hadn't gone down by noon (it was 9:30), to come in to labor and delivery and get myself checked out.  So by noon, the swelling had gone down a bit, but not enough to satisfy my paranoid self.  I called Gabe and told him that I'd feel better if I went in to get checked out.  We came in and got some testing done and they said that everything looked ok and my blood pressure was good but they would take some blood tests just to be sure.  As this point I'm like... perfect! I just came in to waste everyone's time... well I guess I needed at least ONE paranoid trip to labor and delivery!  My doctor came in about an hour later and told me that they had found protein in my urine, which is one of the signs of early onset pre-eclampsia.  She thought it best to admit me.  So I go and get myself a wonderful room in the maternity ward and start regular blood pressure tests, blood tests and this 24 hour urine sample where every bit of my urine has to go in a container for 24 hours so they can test it.  This starts at 6am the next day (Wednesday).  The nurse had told me not to worry, that if I filled the container, they could bring me another one.  I saw this as a challenge and I accepted it!  I could fill that container, I know how to drink my water!!  Well during the whole day/night, I must have drank about 3L of water and I made sure I kept going to pee.  I had a great day with visits from Sarah and Isaac and my aunt Marie and cousin Tanya and that night my friend Becky brought me some treats, it was a pretty good day.  I was getting ready to be staying in the hospital for at least a week to try to give the babies the best chance, so I was not worried that much.  Thursday morning comes around and I swear to you there may have been two fingers width of pee in that jug within 24 hours... They had also weighed me within that time period and in 24 hours, I had gained TEN POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!  So right away alarms went off, I was retaining all the water I was taking in, my kidneys were starting to shut down.  The doctor came into my room that morning and told me to stop drinking and stop eating right away as she was going to deliver that afternoon!  I started freaking out and crying and worrying about how early it all was but everyone kept reassuring me that I had done great getting them this far.  So here we are, Thursday morning at 10am, finding out that we were going to meet our boys that afternoon. Gabe leaves work, rushes over to be with me while we try to absorb this news and get the family ready.  We call our family right away, thankfully my mom was already with me... She had made it back from Florida the previous night at like midnight!  Can you say perfect timing?   So we begin to get ready, I get poked and prodded for the next 4 hours... the part that hurt the worst that whole day was when the nurses were trying to put my IVs in and I was so swollen and my veins were so hard to find that they had to try to poke me 6 times in one arm (with quite a big needle mind you) until they gave up and called an expert.  She switched arms and got it in two tries, but she also had a hard time finding a vein that would co-operate, and then she informs me that she had to do it one more time as I needed two of those IVs... anyways, the time flew by.  Four fifteen rolls around, my family surrounding me, Gabe waiting in his scrubs, looking as though he's part of the delivery team, and they tell me it's time.
They roll me into the delivery room where there are at least 20 people in the room waiting for me and the babies.  There were 4 people assigned per baby, the anesthesiologist (the ones who would put a spinal in my back to numb me chest down) my OB and her student, nurses to help her out, a nurse with me to make sure I was doing ok and some other nurses who just wanted to be in there because they hadn't seen a triplet birth before... so quite a big crowd.  I'm so lucky to have the husband that I do because him being in there with me calmed me down.  Once they finally got the spinal in (it took her forever because she didn't get that I couldn't bend over as much as she wanted me to...due to my being pregnant with THREE BABIES!!!), I was laid down and we waited while the drugs took over my body.  Gabe and I were just talking at this point about how 3 1/2 years ago, on our first date at Boston Pizza, we never would have anticipated this very day... As we were talking, I kept trying to ignore the fact that they were soon going to cut into my belly and I was so scared I was going to feel it all... The anesthesiologist looks at me and says that they're getting closer.  I asked her: "Oh, they're getting ready to cut?" and she says "No hun, you're wide open, they're getting ready to go get your babies!".  I hadn't felt a thing! Phew, what a relief!!! It took them a little while to get to my uterus as I was quite swollen on the inside too.  I guess what happened in the end was that my placentas were making so many demands that my body couldn't handle that they started attacking my liver and kidney functions, so it's a really good thing that I went in for my so called paranoid trip to labor and delivery!  So they finally get to baby #1 (who was Baby B), and shortly after 4:30pm, our beautiful Zachary was born.  Then Samuel (baby A) came out to join his brother and even though it took a little while to get to him and they had to go elbow deep in me to do so, Jacob finally emerged.  All three were crying probably wondering what the hell was happening to them.  I didn't get to see them as they had to be rushed right away to the NICU to get tested but here's a look at what they looked like before being rushed off...

There they are, all over 3 lbs, all pink and rosy... They are now in incubators, all breathing on their own, but not eating normally yet.  They all have a feeding tube and are either getting their nutriments that way or they are supplemented by IVs.  Jacob is not tolerating milk and he's not digesting it, so he's just taking mostly IV nutrients until his little body decides its ready to take milk.  I had to try to get a little bit of milk from me to give to him to see if he would respond better but he's just not ready.  So Jacob is, for now, still getting most of his nutrients from an IV, Zachary wasn't tolerating cow's milk so they switched him to another type of non-dairy milk and some of mine and he's doing better on that and Samuel has just been taking it all in like a champ.  Now is time for them to grow some more and to get lots of mommy and daddy love.  We try (and are able to), see them as often as we can but we know they need their rest so while they rest, I'm taking care of myself the best that I can.  All my liver and kidney functions seem to have come back to normal and aside from feeling like I've been hit by a 50lbs brick in my mid-section, my body is doing ok.  I walk a little more everyday, although I need to take frequent breaks as my back is also all out of whack having carried a tonne of weight for the last bit of my pregnancy.  I'm taking some drugs to try and help me sleep and make it through the day.  My swelling has gone down a bit but still has a ways to go.  I currently look like a regular 9 month pregnant lady ready to give birth, so I'm getting smaller :).  I actually had my first post-delivery comment today as I was downstairs in the hospital lobby waiting for Gabe to take me home to shower... I was sitting in a wheelchair, minding my business and this lady looks at me as she walks in and says "so it's not happening today huh? False alarm?" (or something of the sort) and I just look at her and smile and said "Nope, I already had them".  She walks away all sheepish and says sorry... I mean, I can't fault her, I do look super pregnant but still!!

So anyways, there's a lot of information right there and I know I've left a lot out but it's getting time for me to got get more cuddles in with my boys soon.  Most of the immediate family has gotten a chance to meet them and that's all they're allowing right now.  I had let my niece in with me this afternoon and thinking she was my daughter, they let her in but then I was told that she wasn't allowed as she wasn't a sibling.  I know this will break my other niece's heart but rules are rules and as much as it pains to have to say no to some people, my boys' health have to come numero uno so for now, it'll be what it has to be.  I look at it as though they were still technically in my belly and they need to be as isolated as possible.

I was discharged this morning after they removed my staples and gave me all sorts of information about taking care of me.  I'm still in the hospital but I'm using one of their on site hostel rooms for mothers of babies in the NICU.  It's not bigger than my bathroom and I do have to share it (there's a small curtain dividing us) but since I can't drive for at least 2 weeks, we figured this would be the best way for me to be near the babies at all times.  I also get the use of the Ronald McDonald room where I can shower, eat some home cooked meals (from incredible volunteers) and have fridge left-overs if I miss the meals.  We will do this, with Gabe coming to see us at the end of the day after work, until I can drive again and then we will re-evaluate.

They are starting this program here in conjunction with a US university where they're trying to get parents (mostly the one staying with the babies) to learn how to take care of their babies in the NICU.  From feeding them, to weighing them, to writing logs down on their heart rates and all the stuff that goes on there and they want us to get comfortable actually presenting our own babies to the doctors doing their rounds every morning.  So I will be one busy momma soon with having to do all of that with all three of my babies!  Right now, it's just cuddle time and making sure mommy recovers time though so it's a little easier going as I let the wonderful NICU staff take care of my boys.  I have also been blessed to have the most wonderful man at my side through all of this, he has been strong and he has been weak at times where I needed him to be and he hasn't faltered once.  Some people say that having triplets will forever alter our relationship and it will, I'm sure there will be times when the kids are out of here and driving us crazy that I'm going to want to stab him in the heart, but for now, all I can say is that I love that man more than ever.  Here's a few shots of us getting some skin to skin cuddle times...

 





This has been a very emotionally trying week and I kid you not, I cry every time I'm alone... It can be hormones, it can be just knowing how little they are and thinking my stupid body is the reason they had to come out or it can be just the fact that this is a crazy situation for all of us involved and our lives are now completely turned upside down never to be the same again.  All I know is that I love those boys more than anything in the world and I cannot wait to see what they become, but until then, this momma is checking out and going to get some cuddle time with her little men.

What a wild ride!!!

Welcome to the world Jacob (bottom), Zachary (top right) and Samuel (top left)... we love you!!! 

Week 31 ~ Bits and Bites and a word from Mr.Tripletville

Just a few bits and bites from my week...  This might be a long one as I've finally convinced Gabe to write his own little blurb because I'm obviously not the only one going through this pregnancy and who knows? This may one day help another hubby somewhere in the triplet life universe!  Settle in folks and have a glass of wine for me!

Monday was a holiday so Gabe was home with me all day which was great because I really didn't feel good, I felt sick all day feeling like I wanted to throw up with bad acid reflux.  I also had another (my 5th this pregnancy I think...) huge meltdown... I just wanted this pregnancy to be over, I wanted them out, and then I felt guilty about wanting them out because I know they still need to grow, then I was worried about if I was going to be up to par when they were here or if I was going to go into a huge post-partum depression state... all sorts of breakdown worthy thoughts.  I'm really glad he was home to help me get through it, he's pretty incredible that husband of mine!   That night, Gabe went for a drive and I decided it would be a good idea to try and take care of my ever growing toenails.  I thought I could do like I always do, just grab a corner and rip the end off (yes, I realize that this is not the best method)... well, my whole toenail came off!  It started bleeding and wouldn't stop... so trying to get it cleaned up and put a band-aid on it when I can barely bend over to touch my toes was so much fun! It must have taken me 20 minutes and 5 band-aids before I actually accomplished my task. I don't know what happened there but I guess my toenails are falling off now... good times!
I had an appointment with my OB this week and she asked me if I had gotten balloons from people for making it to 30 weeks and still being at home... haha.... the other triplet mom in the area is about 5 weeks behind me and she's already in the hospital.  I hope she's ok!  I guess getting to where I am is quite an accomplishment!  The doc has officially cut me off from driving... not that I was doing much of it anyway but I'm stubborn enough that I will keep doing something until a professional tells me to stop so I guess I have to stop!  I was also advised to keep horizontal unless I have to go to the bathroom or get food or whatever.  I've noticed now that if I sit up for longer than 5 minutes, I start getting cramps that go away after a while if I lay down on my left side.  So even just sitting down now is not something I can do without feeling real discomfort.  We had a dinner last night with Gabe's family, including his great uncle Bernard whom I enjoy tremendously.  They brought our dining table in the living room so that I could join them at the table long enough to eat and then I laid down right after but I was still able to participate, so that was fun. We had an amazing laughter filled evening (with great food!!).
I started blood thinners this week due to my constant horizontal state and risk of blood clots.  Gabe had to come learn how to give the shot to me as I really don't think I could give them to myself.  The nurse explained it to him and said that she wanted to watch him do it.  The last time he had to give me a shot, he didn't have to look really, just stab, but this time, he had to go in at a 45 degree angle... I don't know where he went to school, but his 45 degrees looked more like 80 degrees and the moment he went in the nurse said something along the lines of "her leg isn't a dart board honey".  Anyways, he got the job done and he's gotten better every night.  The solution burns as it goes in though so he keeps thinking he's hurting me so he feels bad but we gotta do what we gotta do!
I went to the school this week to get my flu shot and it was great to see many of my co-workers and as soon as the bell went off all I heard as I waddled down the hall was "Madame", "Hi Madame", "Guess what I have in Math this year Madame"... If you're a teacher who loves their students, getting out of a school when the bell rings is not an easy feat!  Made me realize how much I truly miss them all...
We got out dishwasher all set up, WOO HOO!!!!!  Not that I can fill it or empty it, but it still makes me happy.  We also got an additional countertop and I (well my mother) was able to empty all our numerous boxes and I finally got my kitchen back!  It's looking good!!  My mother finished making the black out curtains for the baby room, they look amazing!  We also got the third crib that was given to us and a friend of ours came to help assemble it (thanks Liam!).  As I stood in the room, all finished and ready for the babies, I was able to see them all (hopefully) sleeping and I got a little emotional...
My rash is doing soooooooo much better, it's almost gone!  The OB prescribed me some anti-itch cream that has a side effect of drowsiness... SCORE!!!  So not only am I not that itchy any more overnight but I have something that helps me sleep, it's pretty awesome.  Between the creams and the pill, I'm almost rash/itchiness free... what a relief!!!  Now if I could only find a magical pill that helps with the acid reflux I might have a few great nights of sleep before the babies come!  Zantax doesn't seem to help and neither does Gaviscon... well I say that but who knows how much worse it might be if I didn't take it, and I don't want to chance it.  Trust me, waking up with vomit in your mouth is not the most pleasant way to wake up!
I laid low pretty much all week except for the hospital/school appointments.  I had a great visit with friends on Thursday afternoon.  One of them is expecting a little girl at the beginning of Dec so we may have our babies at the same time!  It felt  good to gossip :)
As I don't have much to do these days except for TV, reading and thinking, it got me thinking of all the things I miss that I always took for granted.  I miss my normal clothes, being able to easily bend over (at least this has forced me to bend with my knees and not my back...HA!), rolling over in bed without sounding like a wounded hippo (I'm sure that's how they sound), getting a good workout in and sweating, doing housework (yeah, I actually miss it.. I must be losing my mind), shaving my legs, wearing my really nice fall boots (all I can wear at the moment are slippers), cooking a nice meal (and not just rolling a banana into a wrap with honey and peanut butter, although it's amazingly delish!), going for a walk with my husband and dog, working (yeah, I miss my work...so much!), getting in my car and going to visit a friend, etc...  I have to keep reminding myself that it's not permanent and how lucky I am for that!  NEVER take any of those small things for granted because some of us can't do these things and some will never be able to do them so appreciate all that you can do, even if it's just bending over to tie your shoes... so many precious things!
My mother asked my OB how much longer she thinks I'll go, and the doctor said she hasn't seen anyone go past 34 weeks.  The specialists say that I may even go 36 weeks... so who knows?  My mother just left this morning for a quick 10 day trip to Florida to take a break before the hustle and bustle of the babies arrive so let's hope I make it at least another 10 days!  Of course, she's taken every insurance available to make sure she can come back anytime, but I'd like her to have a break before the hurricane hits this household!  I was thinking of playing a joke on her and telling her tomorrow that I had to have the babies, but I can't be too cruel and worry her more than she already does!
I'm still enjoying feeling the babies in my belly but honestly, it's the only thing about this pregnancy at this point that I'm still enjoying.  I just know that I won't ever have that feeling again and that makes me sad but the moment I see their faces will take all the sadness away...

My boobs don't even look that big anymore compared to my huge belly!
Babies are supposed to be the size of a pineapple this week and all over 3 lbs!

Don't mind the stretch marks, but I guess I am one of the unlucky ones who got them! 

And now a word from Gabe.... (I've wanted him to do this for a while now!)

So my lovely wife has been asking me to write in her blog for a while now and I haven't really got around to it but today seemed like a good day to start since I was talking to my friend Nesha on Facebook and after asking how MC was doing she also asked me how I was doing in all this and we got to talking about about it. A lot of people, not all, and certainly not my wife, forget that it can be demanding on the spouse of the said pregnant lady.  I know my wife is a very strong woman and this is very demanding on her in many ways as she has shared in her posts. I think she is amazing in the way she is handling all of this and in no way am I taking anything away from her but there is the other side of the coin.
As you know for the last couple of months MC has been very restricted in what she can do around the house and rightfully so. Pretty much the only thing she was able to do was the dishes. That left me with a lengthy list of things to do, chores around the house and of course going to work Monday to Friday. When I get home from work I know that she is bored out of her mind and who wouldn't be so I spend some time with her talking or watching tv with her but I also have to try to find time to try and keep the house tidy (which I haven't been on top of much), doing laundry, getting groceries, assembling cribs, assembling shelves, putting a new roof on our leaky shed, building shelves in the shed to try to store things and the list goes on. It seems like the minute we get one room cleaned and organised the mess just really moved to another room. Very challenging finding a place for all this stuff. 
It is mentally draining finding the balance between spending time with my wife, getting things done around the house, running errands outside the house and trying to find some me time.  I feel guilty leaving my wife at home to run errands when I know she is home alone....again....and probably bored.  But through it all, I love her very much and I wouldn't change it for the world! (well, maybe I'd hire a maid if we could afford it).
MC seems to be poking fun at my poking her with a needle at 45 degrees. I have very good intentions of stabbing her at a 45 degree angle but when my hand starts to approach with the needle I worry that might come in to low at a 25-30 degree angle and then might skim her leg, not make penetration and stab myself instead so that's really why I end up with an 80 degree. It's for my own protection really. 
As for her not being able to drive any more I'm happy the doctor told her not to drive any more because I was worried. She had to put her driving foot in an awkward position because her belly (and the babies) are in the way. If something would have happened that she needed to slam on the breaks she could have broken her ankle or even worse she could have missed the brakes because of this awkward position and not been able to stop. So the doctor made the right call. I can imagine it is very tough to give up that last bit of independence she had during the pregnancy but it is for the family's safety and only temporary.
A big thanks to all who have helped me out with my never ending list of things to do to get ready for the babies including my brother in law Eric, my buddies that I can always count on and most of all my dad.   Finally a big thanks to Liam for helping me set up the last crib. It was nice to hang out and chat. While talking he mentioned how he shared a room with two of his brothers growing up and how my boys will obviously have to share a room for a while and it made me realise how materialistic our society has become. It's like everyone wants the biggest house, the newest of everything and the best of everything. I'm not saying with our family that a larger house wouldn't be nice but all we really need is each other and we will find ways to make it all work. Family is what is really important and it saddens me that a lot of us, myself included, often lose sight of that. A roof over our heads, a place to sleep, food on the table and love in our hearts is what we need, what we have, and what matters...

Week 30 ~ Itchy & Scratchy Show

This week I had a doctor's appointment with the specialist for a growth scan and all babies are doing great and Gabe said "Way to cervix babe!" (still holding strong).  Baby A is just shy of 3lbs at 2lb 15oz, most likely 3lbs by now, Baby B is 3lbs 1oz and Baby C is 2lb 11oz.  It's getting harder and harder to get their measurements as Baby A & B have decided to hide their heads almost directly in my vagina and Baby C is trying to give himself some room, bum in the air (hence the big bump of last week's post) with his head directly under my left rib, so that's pleasant!  They're all growing at about the same rate, so now I have about 9lbs of baby in my belly, not counting the extra stuff.  I waddle so much, I'd officially need a walker just to get to my bathroom!  I can hardly shower now, my lower back hurts sooooo much.  In just a week, I went from having to sit down immediately after my shower to having to sit mid-way through...  Gabe actually got me a shower chair.... I haven't used it yet, I don't want to, I know I'm being stubborn, but I just hate the feeling of being so defeated by this pregnancy.  My doctors have prescribed a blood thinner which comes in the form of a shot that I'll have to give myself daily. (haha..yeah right, I think hubby will have to do that while I close my eyes...).  This is because I am so immobile now that my blood is not circulating well enough and that could cause blood clots, which is NOT something you want.

My body has decided it wasn't enough to give me stretch marks that could rival the Grand Canyon, it also wanted to give me a rash.  No one knows what it is, even the specialist had to take out a book to compare my rash to pictures and she still wasn't sure... so now I'm using every cream I know to try and stop the itch. You know the feeling of having a mosquito bite itch that you just can't help but scratch?  Well I have that pretty much on my whole body... now skip ahead if you're disgusted easily as I'm about to give you a preview...

Lovely, isn't it?  I'm sorry if this is too graphic, but for those of you expecting triplets, just know that this pregnancy can bring on the weirdest things!  This is all over my belly and my legs too :(





A doctor friend of mine thinks it may be eczema, so I'm trying some of that cream too.  Anyways, it just sucks because I wake up scratching and you know, once you start, you can't stop!  The worse was last night, it was my toes that were itchy... well let me tell you, scratching your toes when you're 45 weeks pregnant is not an easy task!  I'm seeing my OB on Tuesday so maybe she'll have another solution.

I've also learned this week how valuable water & diet is in a pregnancy... I had the WORSE acid reflux for like a whole day and night and another day so I did some research, drank tonnes of water and very carefully watched my diet and it's pretty much gone!  I blame it on the McD's I ate and the dehydration it gave me.

On a positive note, I had a great visit with one of my besties this week!  She's one of those friends who I can be 100% myself with so I didn't even have to be entertaining or try to look presentable.... trust me, she's plenty entertaining on her own and she knows just how to make my day shine a little brighter, thanks Jo! xox

Gabe and I went to Babies R' Us last night to get the rest of the small items we needed for the babies.  These are items that I'm sure people would have been more than happy to get for us, but there's a controlling anal part of me that needed to go, and also I felt like I hadn't bought my own babies anything from me.  We got lucky and got a super close Expectant Mother parking, I got in the wheelchair and away we went.  The total at the cash made us realize how lucky we are to have such amazing people around us who have given/bought us stuff. Thanks friends and family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   We bought enough bottles for one day's formula supply...wait for it... 24 bottles!!!!  Crazy isn't it?  We didn't have to buy 24, we already had many given to us, but it's crazy to think we're going to go through 24 bottles a day!!!  We worked on the baby room some more today and I think I finally feel ready for the babies to be here.  As much as I know they have to stay in to grow more, I can't help but think: GROW QUICK I NEED YOU OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The doctor think I might go another 6 weeks.... AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home stretch now folks! Thanks for all your support!!

Week 29 ~ Relaxation time

That is pretty much what I did all week... relax... I had one doctor's appointment with my OBGYN where I heard the heartbeats, three quick different heartbeats all around 150 bpm, pretty good indeed, my babies are thriving.  Let's hope it keeps up!  I had a very low key week this week, which was good as I'm starting to be pretty much useless on my feet.  The docs want me to move around when I can to prevent blood clots but when you're carrying these many babies, moving around is a hard task.  I am now at the point where I have to sit down immediately after I shower before I towel off because my lower back hurts too much.  I would need one of those old people shower chairs where I can sit down while I shower! haha... I remember when I was younger, I had a friend whose mother would limit our showering time when we slept over to 3 minutes; she would be pretty proud of me because I don't think I've ever showered as quick as I do now. I also have to sit down to brush my teeth so I now ALWAYS remember to turn the tap off while I brush... so hurray for water preservation!! My belly is getting so big and I don't realize it that I bump it on everything... I swear every door I open hits me right in the belly and it's not pleasant!  You'd think I'd learn, but no.... every time I open a freaken door, bam, right in my belly, poor babies, I'm beating them up already!

I was reading up on these last "11 weeks" of my pregnancy (more like 3 - 6) and they're saying that the babies are supposed to triple in size.... hahaha.... (that was a laughter riddled with tears...).  So they're saying that if I made it to full term, I would have 21 lbs of babies to carry around, can you imagine?!?  I'm having another growth scan on Friday and I'm betting baby B is going to be close to 3 lbs... I figure by the time I have them, they'll have at least doubled in size, so that means about 14 lbs of babies or more (I'm dreading but also hoping for more).  Nevermind banging my belly on doors, I won't FIT in doorways!!!  

Halloween was a good night, I put on my skeleton t-shirt and waited for the 2 kids Gabe said we'd get. We got like 6 in one go and one little boy pointed to my belly and asked me if I had a baby in there.  I said that I had three and his mouth dropped.  Another little boy beside him pointed to my belly and then my boobs and said "are they in there (belly) or in there (boobs)?"  HAHA... I knew my boobs had gotten bigger, but I didn't think they were big enough to have babies in there... cutie pies...  By the time we got through our 10ish kids, I ran out of chocolate bars (I hadn't bought a lot due to the 2 kid prediction my husband had told me about and I also ate some because I didn't think we'd need many), so I ended up having to use some of the candy Gabe had gotten from his work... thanks Lynn!!  At least all the kids got something :).  The best costume we saw was a baby dressed up as a lobster in an actual pot, it was the cutest thing!  I can't wait to dress up my boys next year!!

Last night was the worst night of my pregnancy so far, I must've pulled some muscles or the babies decided to all have growth spurts at the same time as my lower belly hurt so much that I couldn't sleep.  I was scared it might be contractions as my lower back got into the action too but it was false alarms.  The only way I was semi-comfortable was when I was sitting up with my feet on the floor and my belly hanging in between my legs.  Well, I couldn't have slept very well like that now could I? So I laid down and tried to find an "ok" position, it helped that my amazing husband rubbed my back as I breathed through the pain.  I also took a few Tylenol, hoping they'd work.  I got so exhausted at some point that I just fell asleep but being used to switching sides like 10 times a night, my semi-conscious switches woke me up fully in pain every time.   Funny enough, sometime during the night, it got better because when I woke up this morning, the pain had died down almost fully.  I hope it doesn't become a nightly event.  I'm not sure if it's because I did too much yesterday or what... I'm torn between laying low all day and not doing anything and moving every once in a while to avoid blood clots.  I know blood clots are not something I want, so I'll just have to try to find a balance.




So the babies this week are about the size of a butternut squash, are about 15 inches long and should be about 2.5 lbs each. Their skeletons are getting harder and their lungs are in full development stage.  Crucial growing time!

This is my view of my almost constant disproportionate belly, as you can see on the left,
 there's a pretty big bump, I think it's a bum but who knows?  

56" inches round but I don't really know where to measure now...
Doc says I'm about 44 weeks pregnant... haha
I have gained a gross amount of weight too, I'm up to like 70 lbs,
I seriously think about 50 lbs of it is in my butt, thighs and boobs... 

Gabe had his diaper party last night, this is part of what we got, thanks boys!!