Wild Weekend!!

First, and most importantly, the babies are perfectly fine! They enjoyed a rather calm weekend truthfully. It was their Mommy who had the wild weekend...and it started right around 6 on Friday. Out of no where I got really hot and sick while visiting the babies and was in horrible pain. Came home, talked to the doc and decided to just kinda take it easy and see what happens. After more sickness on Saturday and Saturday night Joseph took me to Urgent Care first thing Sunday morning, they sent us to the ER and it was determined that the gall bladder had to come out. Monday morning at 9 surgery started, the gall bladder is gone, I am at home now and feel 100% better. Apparently gall bladder issues after delivery are very common, so this wasn't too outta whack...not even for me!

And while I am here, I figured I better update on the babies and I have made some changes to "The Triple Crown" in hopes of getting more people interested. Babies first of course...they are all still doing awesome. They are in big girl and big boy beds maintaining their own body temps. They are also taking all of their feedings, often times more then they need. They are pooping. They are almost completely ready to come home...just two more little obstacles in our way, and one is going to prove tougher then the other. They have to pass their car seat test (I don't even know how they are going to fit in the car seat they are so small!) and they have to eat from a bottle using a full term nipple. Last week we had been switching them back and forth and I felt this wasn't working and asked them to just use the preemie nipple and let them eat and get the hang of it. Today we are going to move up to the next size and hang here for a few days. Then hopefully we can move up to the full term nipple. Needless to say...they are headed in the right direction and we are pretty close to home! Which is mind blowing, but I can't wait to have them home and here and begin our life as a family! It is going to happen soon...how soon, well we will just have to see, which leads me right into....

The Triple Crown Event...which sounded a lot better in my head I guess. I just wanted to find a creative way to raise money for Families of SMA in Memory of Jackson and thought the coming home guessing game would be great...I have only had one participant and I hope more of you join in. I know I gave you until this evening to get your pick in so we still have time! I am going to change up the rules a little bit though and go with this...make any size donation to Families of SMA and you get 1 pick on when the babies are coming home. Simple enough?! I hope more of you can join in the game and give even just a little to Families of SMA...can you believe it has been 3 years since Jackson passed away and they still need our help in finding a cure for this horrible disease. I hope you will help if you can! And a big shout out to Michelle and Adam for their awesome donation. I will fill in your guesses on the calendar and get the calendar posted soon!

And now I am off to put my feet up. Though I feel so much better I am still pretty swollen and need to get off of my feet. Thanks for sharing in our journey! As always,

please Remember Jackson!

All my love...Nichole

And no post is complete without a picture or two right?!

One week old party in Claire's big girl bed. Claire, Abby and Brayden!

And who doesn't love some little piggies?!

1 Week Old and The Hedgepeth Triple Crown Event

Oh my gosh...the babies are a week old already! I can not beleive how fast that first week went, and I even know how life in the NICU is and how fast it goes. Those babies are truely amazing and a gift sent straight from heaven above, as I cry writing that. I never thought that I would be able to look at them and love them as much as I do, but boy oh boy was I wrong. And then to watch Joseph with them...that's a whole box of tissues right there.

I first have to say thank you to all of you for supporting us these last 3 years, first with our battle against SMA and loving Jackson Cole so much, so much that we let him go, to keeping these triplets in until almost 33 weeks (which they will not say, 1 day away and they keep calling them 32 weekers). It is just amazing how well they are doing and I know it is because of all the love they feel and know is out there for them...

So...how are those babies doing you ask?! I keep saying amazing, but I can't think of another word. They are now 7 days old completely off all tubes and IV's (except their leads which monitor their heart and breathing rate while in their house, when we hold them these aren't even on them...it's our eyes that do that job). They are up to full feeds (28mL) and eat every three hours. Right now they are letting them eat as much (or little sometimes) as they want to see how close they are to that 28. If they can get their calories, gain weight and meet their goal for the day then they are in an awesome spot. In other words, in one feeding if they only take 20 mL but the next time they take 40 mL that's a total of 60 mL and they need to have at least 56 mL between those two feedings so they hit their goal. Now if they took 20 and 20, well that's only 40 and we aren't there. Make sense?! Another issue right now is maintaining body temps...which they are actually doing and could be moved into a bed, BUT considering they are only 7 days old, 32 weekers and working on feeding they are staying in the isolettes for now so they do not have to work as hard at keeping their temp up and feeding. Feeding is more important right now, so that is what we are focusing on. All in all, they say the babies could come home within the next couple of days to 2, 3, 4 weeks, it's just a wait and see kind of plan. We should also be expecting set backs at this point...I don't think these babies know the word failure so we are just going to keep chugging along and see what happens!

Quick update on Mom and Dad...I think Joseph is wearing himself thin being wrapped around not 1, not 2 but 3 little fingers already. They cry he runs and picks them up, end of story (we may have to start working on that!). He is still working full time right now (he was there for the delivery and took some days this week to help me get settled back at home). He will being taking time off when they come home, but probably only a week and saving a week for "vacation" sometime in the next 18 years! Me...well I am all swelled up again as we like to say. I gave birth to 11 pounds of baby and I'm down 5 pounds...those don't add up to me! I am back on Lasix and Dr. Hilton has asked me very nicely to go on bedrest, which I am trying to do. Just since being up 1.5 hours the swelling which had gone down nicely in my belly over night is already starting to come back. So...I am really taking it easy and have even conseeded to the wheelchair while at the hospital...the things we do for babies! Hopefully after a few days I'll look like a normal person again!

Each week I plan on updating about the babies and if one is off then I will update as needed about him/her. Right now they are all at the same spot and doing their thing. In honor of them coming home this month I decided to do a little contest. You can find information about the Hedgepeth Triple Crown over to the right, over there ------>. I will also try to end each post with some pictures from the week, but you can always see daily pictures on Facebook...are we friends?! I really hope that you check out the Hedgepeth Triple Crown...it's not what you are expecting I am sure. And if you can support our little idea, well thank you, and if you can't, I understand that too. So here are the pictures from our first seven days...

Friday...hello world! All I know is Abby has the A on her hat and I just noticed for the first time the 3 nurses standing guard behind Joseph...


Saturday...was a blur and I can't find a great picture!

Sunday...Kangaroo Kare!


Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...just lots of feedings, scheduling and holding of precious babies, who got to put on clothes. Here are some of the favs...

Three very different personalities! Can you guess who just hangs out where ever? The relaxed one? The drama queen/king?


Daddy getting crafty with three babies. My Mom has already given me my next idea...


And it's already been posted a time or two...but my perfect family. What you can't see...all of our love for one another, our determination to make our life with these babies the best ever, our promises to them, our dreams for them, our love for each other, and finally...our love for Jackson Cole deep in our hearts forever...


All my love,
Nichole

Coming Soon...

I have decided that instead of stressing myself over the blog I will try to have updates on the babies up on Friday. I can't put another thing on my plate right now and know y'all understand. So, later tonight or in the morning there SHOULD be an update on the babies. Thanks for the support!

Also, a bonus tomorrow. They are already mentioning the "h" word for the babies, which blows my mind, but whatever! I have come up with quite the little contest that I hope you can join us in...a guess the day the baby/babies may come home for a small donation all going to a great cause and even a little something for the winner contest. If you read my blog daily or have an opinion please take the poll over there -----> to help with part of the contest, or if you have an opinion that isn't an option leave it in the comment secetion. Thanks!

Talk with you tomorrow...

Nichole

The Hedgepeth's...Party of Two to Five in less than 2 minutes!

The babies arrived safe and sound Friday afternoon between 12:32 (Abby and Claire) and 12:33 (Brayden). Everything happened so quickly...I don't even know if I could explain how it happened. I woke up feeling a little "funny," the doc checked me, I was 5 cm, they sent me downstairs for monitoring, doc checked again, 6 cm, decided it was time to deliver and before I knew what was happening the room was full of family and friends, Joseph got there, away for a c-section we go. Several minutes after all the babies were here and checked out our family was complete...










Things continue to go so well...as of right now ALL babies are breathing on their own, they are not on any oxygen and they are eating 10 cc's (2 whooping teaspoons) every 3 hours.

There was a time when Claire was on a nasal cannula, but she has come off of that and seems to be doing a lot better and is a lot more comfortable. She still has a tube in her nose in case she has trouble taking a bottle, but that has not been an issue since the nasal cannula was removed. Tonight I got to give her a bath and that baby has some lungs on her. I am so impressed with how well she continues to do. At one point yesterday I would have said she is the weakest of the three...but now I would say they are all pretty even. Anyway...introducing Claire Elizabeth...










Brayden was also struggling with his feeds a little bit Saturday so they put in a tube for feedings for him, which he has NOT used since. He continues to defy the odds if you will...boys are notorious for struggling more in the NICU, but not my Brayden. He is doing everything on his own and comes in a close second at feeding time for getting the bottle down and burping. He has remained the most stable so far and is just amazing...I love my baby boy! Introducing Brayden Jae...










Abby, the runt if you will, continues to amaze me and seems the strongest of the 3...she is Joseph's daughter that is for sure, she eats a bottle and burps in about 3 minutes flat! I always secretly worried about Abby and everyone told me the smallest is usually the strongest and well, she is proving all of those people right! She did decide to see if we were paying attention once or twice by forgetting to breath, and they threatened to put her on the nasal cannula but that has not been an issue since Saturday morning. She is going to be one strong willed little girl! Introducing Abby Love...










Sunday had to be one of the greatest days of my life. Joseph and I got to do "Kangaroo Kare" which is skin to skin contact with the babies. This helps them in so many ways and it helps me with the milk issue (which is going so-so). Below are a few pictures from our session, which lasted from about 8:00 to 10:30...the best 2.5 hours of my life so far...and I am sure there are many more great times like these to come!

Here is Joseph with the girls. It takes a real man to whip off his shirt in public and hold his baby girls. I think the girls were excited to be together again, what do you think?










Here is Mommy with Baby Boy. They just slipped him right under my shirt. He got nice and comfy and enjoyed the time with Mom...










Here is a picture of all three babies together again...it's a lotta work to get them together, but the nurses have been wonderful and very helpful in any way that we ask. The order is Brayden, Claire then Abby...










And finally, the most recent picture of our new, completed, five member family...











So...that's the latest with the world's cutest triplets ever! My new goal in life is to spend time with them and get them home, but also to work on giving an update at least a few times a week. I can not thank y'all enough for being part of our journey and I hope you continue to be part of our journey. I love all of y'all. Until next time, as always, Please Remember Jackson!

Nichole (whose working on a new signature...)

Update from the World's Worst Blogger-Week 32+

So, it's 5:20 in the morning, I can't sleep and I thought hey...what a great time to update my blog (aren't you lucky that I can't sleep?)! There has been lots going on and right now my one and only goal is to keep these babies in and rest as much as possible. This morning I decided to rest at the computer. It also doesn't help much that I get all my emails and stuff to my new phone, which means there is no need to really go to the computer anymore...

Anyway...baby news, and there is lots of it! Last week I saw my fav OB Dr. H and she was so impressed that I had made it this far, so impressed in fact that she scheduled a c-section for today-32 weeks and 4 days-but only if the specialist, who is now Dr. F approved it. I saw Dr. F on Monday...he didn't approve it-blah. He had great reasons though and I left there feeling bad wanting to get these babies out. In a side note the babies continue to thrive (which is unusual for triplets this late in pregnancy). They continue to grow and gain weight. Their weights as of Monday are...Abby-4 lbs 5 oz, Claire-4 lbs 3 oz, and Brayden 4 lbs 2 oz. They continue to grow in the 45th-50th percentile which is very rare for triplets and the difference between the Abby and Claire is 3%, and 4% for Brayden and Abby. How can one have a c-section knowing they are doing so great?! I left Dr. F with the promise that I could schedule my c-section between 34 and 35 weeks, which isn't too far away. If an emergency occurs they of course and come out immediately. What is an emergency...1 of 3 three things-my water breaks, I dilate to 6 cm or I become pre-elcamptic.

So, where does that leave us you ask? Well I had to call Dr. H and cancel my c-section and she has since already scheduled another one for May 10th at 11:00...12 days away, which I can do, hopefully! That will put me at 34 weeks and 2 days and there are lots of rumors flying around that these babies aren't even going into the NICU but rather straight home with Joseph and I...holy s***! But we are ready, I can promise you that! I will continue to see Dr. H every week, maybe twice next week because her biggest concern is me dilating. If I get to 5 cm (I was 4 Mon) then I will go into the hospital on hospital bedrest...I'm not really good at that, so hopefully that doesn't happen, but considering I have had 0 sleep tonight and some doozies of contractions, it wouldn't surprise me if I went in the hospital today. Just have to wait and see...

And that folks is where we are at. Can you believe that in 12 days or less you will be meeting Abby, Claire and Brayden?! I know I sure am ready to meet them. Now...you know me and my rules and regulations and thoughts and opinions, so don't get too excited that you are just gonna run over here and meet them...there WILL be guidelines, but we'll get to those in another post (maybe around June-hehehe). For now I am off to get ready...I get really bored during the day so today Joseph is dropping me off at my Mom's and she is taking me to my appointment at 2:20 then hopefully bringing me back home afterwards. The best way to keep up with what is really going on is via Facebook...if we aren't friends friend me people, then you don't have to worry so much about this blog! Thank you for sharing in our journey...we are almost to the biggest day of mine and Joseph's life, then the next journey begins! As always, please Remember Jackson! All my love!

Longest Post Ever?! Take Two!

I know it has been forever since I have updated the blog, but things have been REALLY crazy, and I have already written this post once, but lost it, so I'm having to start all over again. Anyway, a week after going out on bed rest I ended up in the hospital and everything started to happen so fast. I am going to try to give a run down of what has happened, what we should expect to happen and what will probably happen...

First report...Babies

-I am super happy to report that all babies are doing great. They are in my belly where they belong and continue to grow and thrive. They have been monitored, measured, monitored, measured some more and scanned a lot. They have tolerated the pre-term labor very well and have been nice enough to stay put! I go for a growth scan on Thursday, so I will have updated weights then, though there are no promises that those weights will end up on this blog...just look at my track record lately! Anyway...the most important thing is all babies are doing GREAT!

Second report...Mommy (that's me)

-I have been doing well. The whole bed rest thing is really hard and though it sounds like a walk in the park it's not, especially when you know you have triplets coming and a lot to do to get ready for them. However, after last night's trip to the hospital for more monitoring (more info below) I decided that I have got to stop trying to be SuperMom whose all ready for babies and become SuperIncubator who cooks these babies as long as possible. I have so many people around me who are willing to help, and I just need to take advantage of that. As for my lovely stretched out body that you think could not stretch anymore...well we are good. I got as dilated as 4 cm, but have dropped back since taking it easy to 2-3 cm. That muscle can open and close which I never knew, but I guess it's a good thing that it went backwards for me. Just means more time for the babies. Being in the hospital took its toll on my too, I did not like that, which is just another reason to stay off my feet at home in my bed. Other then not sleeping much and some serious back pain I feel good for having three close to 3 pound babies in my belly.

Third report...hospital stay

-So on April 1 I ended up in the hospital for 5 days due to pre-term labor. The really crazy thing is when I went to the doc I just wanted conformation that everything was fine, I did not in the least bit think I was in labor. But once I got to the hospital and on the monitors it was obvious I was having serious contractions and thus began the process to stop labor. First step was my first steroid shot for babies lungs, followed by an ambulance ride downtown to the big hospital where they started two meds to try to stop labor-and those are the worse meds ever, stay away from them if you can!! I am still foggy on a lot of stuff and randomly remember things I said and did. Anyway, I got a second steroid shot, continued to dilate (was 2 at the doctor's office and got to 4 quickly). Saturday marked 29 weeks which wasn't great, but not to bad either and they decided to stop all meds and we were prepared for the babies to come. They had a different idea...after touring the NICU (just to get out of my room-hehehe) and having the neonatologist come down and talk to us labor stopped on it's own and everyone who was ready for the Hedgepeth Triplets was now bored. Monday they allowed me to go home to my bed where I would rest better, and that's kinda where we have been ever since...well until last night. Last night wasn't that big of a deal, it was more of a Mommy flip out. I hadn't felt the babies move and you know that sends me into a tizzy, so off to the doc I go who says it could be b/c of blah blah blah, and to go get monitored. Which I did for peace of mind. The babies did great, we came home and I am working hard on bed rest!

Fourth report...What to Expect Next

-No one knows. What we do know is that everyday the babies are in me is a day or two less they are in the NICU. As long as they show no signs of distress and I am not in active labor they will stay put until 34 weeks. If I do happen to go into active labor though they will not do anything to stop it at this point, which is a little scary, knowing they could come at any minute. I go back and forth on if I can make that or not, but I'm already close to 31 weeks, so what the heck is 3 more right?! We have made the decision that no matter how far I make it we will deliver downtown at CMC Main. This is a bad comparison, but I figure I'm having a liter of babies and one of them may be a runt who needs extra help and instead of having 2 babies here and 1 there I have decided they will all be at the best NICU available. That didn't go over to well with my OB, but he'll be ok! So our main goal is to grow babies and stay off my feet!

And that is where we stand. I am very sorry for the lack of updates, but as you can tell it has been a crazy few weeks ever since going out of work. I am so thankful for all the family and friends who have been so helpful! I am thankful for all of you who read these silly updates and pray for us...Lord knows we need them. I go back to the doctor Wed for a Mommy check and Thursday for the Babies check and though no promises are being made, I will try to do better about updating. As always, I want to thank you for sharing in our journey and I just ask that you continue to pray for Joseph and I along with these babies. I can not believe we are closer to the end then the beginning. What a journey it has been. And, like always, please Remember Jackson!

27 Weeks and 5 Days Equals

Some big changes in the Hedgepeth household. Today was my first official day of "modified bedrest." I didn't go crazy, but only because I do not have to stay in bed all day, I am allowed to do little things here and there and today I choose to go to lunch with my Mom and Aunts. So...why bedrest already you may be asking? Well that requires an update from my appointment Monday...

All is great first off, so no worries there! Little stink pot Abby has decided to move into position or "drop" if you will so she is now placing A LOT more pressure on my cervix. My cervix is still perfect, but you can just feel a head now. Plus with the added pressure of stink pots Claire and Brayden, that's a lot of pressure on the cervix. I never really thought I'd talk about cervixes and dilation on my blog, but it's pretty important stuff, so therefore I blog about. If hearing that my cervix is closed/tight/thinning/changing/anything else a cervix might do bothers you then sorry, but as long as it stays closed we are in great shape. There is also no dilation going on, but I'm sure you'll hear about it if/when I do start dilating! The scary reality of Monday's appointment was that Dr. Hilton thinks I've got about 3 more weeks left in me...THREE FREAKING WEEKS PEOPLE! That would take me to 30 weeks, and though early, she said anything after that would be a bonus! Saturday is a BIG day because it marks week 28 which is oh so important in preemie world. So...due to her little predictions, I am outta work and off my feet as much as possible but still able to do a few things here and there (which is a good thing...did you here 3 weeks?!). Now, I just have to work on not pushing it to much, resting and growing babies! Oh...and I did get my "prenatal cradle" in the mail yesterday (after I finished my last day of work) but I will be using that to hopefully push Ab's up a little bit and take some of the pressure off. It's a little uncomfortable, but you do what you need to do.

In other news...Monday is a big day too! We go back to the specialist for an ultrasound and finally another growth scan. The last time we got weights on the babies was March 1st....that's a REALLY long time when you are use to getting them every 2 weeks! The nerve of my doctor to go on vacation! I'm really excited to see how big they have gotten...according to the size of my belly they should weigh about 13 pounds each-haha! According to my book they should weigh about 2.5 pounds but they have actually always measured bigger then the book. I just can't wait to see how big they are. I promise I will update after that appointment, either Monday night or Tuesday sometime!

So, that is where we are...growing babies while on bedrest. My mind is always going a mile a minute and I'm getting anxious about where to have the babies and thinking about the NICU again and stuff like that. I really want Dr. Hilton to deliver these babies, but I'm not sure about the NICU at the hospital she has to deliver them at. I plan to go visit them next week if possible and if I'm not comfortable then I'm just going to have to make the decision to go downtown and have a doctor I've never met deliver but at least I know the NICU in and out downtown. We'll just have to see! Anyway...as always, thank you for sharing in our journey...can you believe we are almost done with this pregnancy?! We love all of y'all and I'll update after Monday's appointment! As always, please Remember Jackson!

Week 27!

HELLO THIRD TRIMESTER!!! Can you believe we have made it this far?! I do not know where I really expected this whole pregnant with triplets story to go, but we made it to week 27 and that is freaking awesome. One more week and I am to my original goal of week 28...holy cow! Things are really starting to set in and I'm going a little crazy trying to figure out what in the world I need to do to get ready. No matter what, I know when these babies come there will be lots of help and love, and we'll make it work!

So anyway...how are things going?! First, sorry for lack of week 26 update but I was:

-put on an inhaler
-in urgent care
-urged to go to the ER
-had a regular OB appointment
-got a chest x-ray
-had a clear x-ray
-found out I have an enlarged heart, nothing major, just something to watch
-took two sick days from work
-been in panic mode getting ready to go out of work (more info below about that)

Friday was a furloughed day at work, so I actually had it off too, but I mostly just rested all day, well, and won some money at possibly my last Bunko! Today I have had zero energy to get motivated, but I am here and blogging. I STILL have a nasty cold and I am taking medicine around the clock. My new favorite med is my inhaler because it really does help open up my lungs, even if it is for only an hour or two...it's the best breathing I get. Sleeping...well, who the heck knows what that is?! I get very stiff if I stay in one position to long, and I have to use the bathroom all the time, so I am up probably every hour to tinkle or adjust positions. Also new these last two days, major swelling in my feet and legs. At least it's staying there for now, but I officially have creases in my ankles (if you can call them that?!) so I am trying to stay off them as much as possible and keep them up as much as possible. Thankfully there are some good b-ball games on for me to watch!

I also made the decision that week 27.5 I would take myself out of work. I see the doctor on Monday and I am going to ask to be written out beginning Thursday the 25th. I could keep working, but with the swelling and stuff, I'm just not willing to take the risk. My number one priority is to grow these babies, even if it is really, REALLY hard sometimes. Up until I got this cold I was really enjoying life and going along great, but this cold has sent me from great to MISERABLE! I get very frustrated because if I didn't feel so bad I know that I could keep working and preparing for the babies, but that's not the case, so we do the next best thing which is take it easy. As I said, I go to my reg OB Monday and then the following Monday I go back to the specialist for another scan. I'm very excited for that scan because we have not had one since March 1st...can you believe that?! All the babies should be well over two pounds and huge, and I am excited to see what they find.

So, that is all she wrote for week 27. I just ask that you continue to pray for us and these babies...it's becoming more of a reality everyday! I am so excited to meet them and begin our new life as parents of triplets, but they need to stay put a little bit longer. It is crazy to think they could come anytime between now and 7 weeks from now, though we are aiming for 7 more! As always, thank you for sharing in our journey and for the continued prayers and support. We are almost to the finish line...WOW! And also like always, please Remember Jackson!



Oh...and another great thing about week 27?! New Moon came out on DVD which I am off to buy with my winnings from last night-woohoo!!

Week 25 (and 24, 23, and 22)

I do not even know where to start...first, so sorry for the lack of updates. Things have been really crazy with baby showers, work, setting up the nursery and battling a nasty, NASTY cold, which is still going on. But...I have finally found a few minutes to sit down and update everyone, and I'll try to keep the words short and just entertain with pictures-hehe!

Week 25 is feeling great...we are a week past our first "goal" which was week 24. At this point, if something happened and the babies had to be born, they would have a chance of surviving. Now, it would be really hard, but at least they would have a chance. From here are next goal is week 28, which was set by my specialist at like week 7, so that what we'll aim for. As for my regular docs, they seem to think these babies are never coming out and that they will have to induce me based on their exams. Contractions are a lot more frequent, and actually the other night got as close as 3 minutes. The minute I pick up the phone to call they stopped. I once again blame it all on stress because I had a really stressful day at work...long story short I messed up my FMLA and had to get it taken care of so that I could continue to work. That's all taken care of, I can continue working, the next two weeks are 4 days weeks, then a 5 day week, then another 4 day and then it is Spring Break...so I'm thinking I might be able to handle that. My main goal is to work 152 days of this school year so that I can get my year's credit and my pay raise for next year. That falls around March 23rdish, so after that, I will not feel bad about going out. And I finally have a long term sub, which is a former 2nd grade teacher from our school, and I'm actually in her room, so I know my students will have the best, and that was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. And other then the nasty cold, which Joseph and I both are battling, things have been really good. I had 3 awesome showers and got lots of goodies for the babies! The nursery is really coming along. We have a rather long to do list (thanks Chris!) but at least it is keeping us on track.

And in some baby news...as of last Monday's appointment the babies weigh the following:

Abby- 1 lb 6 oz
Claire- 1 lb 9 oz
Brayden- 1 lb 13 oz

Once again the difference between Abby and Brayden is 25%, which is a little high, but he was measuring 25 1/2 weeks, so that makes the numbers off. All babies are growing and doing great! I go back this Thursday (which is the wrong day!) My doctor is out of town, so I will be seeing a new doctor. They most likely will not do a growth ultrasound, so I probably won't have new weights, but they will be checking fluid levels and making sure the girls aren't experiencing twin to twin. Also this week I have my sugar test-yuck-which I am not looking forward to. With Jackson I failed my first test and had to go back for the 3 hour test, twice!, because it made me so sick. Hopefully that will not be an issue this time...

And now...the reason everyone comes to this blog, pictures of the babies. I will include a picture of each baby from week 22 and 24 for your viewing pleasure (except for a 24 week picture of Brayden because he was not photogenic that day). And there is also a belly pic...it just continues to grow and grow and GROW.

Abby Love...
22 weeks and looking like she is ticked off at the world, but I would be too if I was holding up a brother and a sister...






And in Week 24 you can see just how squished she is...I have a 4D, but she has two heads pressing into her face, so it's not so cute...






Claire Elizabeth...
Just enjoying life in the middle of everything








A great shot...you can really see her features, which are all Joseph in my opinion!







Brayden Jae...
Wishing Claire would move her tush outta his face...And probably because of this embarrassing picture decided to not give us a good week 24 picture. Maybe on March 29th...





Then there was this very neat, and rare picture...

They normally are not all head down and especially not in one shot, but there are three heads for ya!






And finally, the ever growing monster of a belly...

It gets bigger everyday...trust me!







And that's all! I really am sorry for the lack of updates, I know many of you are anxious to hear how the babies are doing, and though I do the best I can, I promise to do better! Thank you for sharing in our journey and for all the prayers. We feel them everyday as these babies grow and practice karate, or soccer, or whatever sport they are playing. We are so thankful for all of you in our life. As always, please Remember Jackson!

Coming Soon...I Promise!

I know that I have not updated a lot lately, and I apologize, but a good update is coming this weekend. I am still battling a cold, work is getting stressful trying to get everything ready to leave and I'm just plain ol' tired. So hang with me, and I promise a good update soon, including pictures!

Before I go I need to ask for prayers for the Wagner Family please. They lost their son Andrew to SMA last night. Andrew fought the disease for so long, but his body gave out. He was born a few months before Jackson and we communicated a lot when J was here. I know how that family feels right now and I just ask that you lift them up in prayer so they can get through this. And just for the record, SMA SUCKS BIG TIME...sorry I said sucks Mom, but it does! Thank you for all the prayers for Joseph and I and these babies, for Andrew, for all families who live with this disease everyday and for Jackson. Please don't ever forget him...

Nichole

QUICK update

***WARNING...in the post below from earlier today I sound very grumpy...sorry! I've had no sleep and a nasty cold but I know everyone wanted an update on babies, so I put something up. I promise to post something great/good/or at least better once I get over this nasty cold. Thanks everyone, and love you!

And then I have to get back in bed because I've been consumed by a HORRIBLE cold. Here are the latest headlines in triplet land:

Week 22-was B-U-S-Y!
-ultrasound went great. Brayden is still the big boy at 1 lb. 1 oz. Abby and Claire both weighed in at 15 oz. The difference went from 25% all the way down to 9%...that's my Abby-rock on girl!
-Had 3 hours of contractions that stopped the minute I picked up the phone to call.
-Joseph finally felt a baby (Brayden) kick-about freaking time!
-Had a shower at work last Thursday-it was great!
-Started getting sick around Thursday night-it was not great
-Had a shower in Newberry on Saturday-it was great!
-Got the house rearranged and another crib set up-it was great!

Welcome to Week 23...one week closer to that all important week 24!
-Had a dr. appoinment yesterday-it was so-so. All the babies are fine, my weight gain is an issue, only have gained 15 pounds, remember my goal of 34?! Yikes! Right now as long as the babies are growing they are not too concerned, however, I think Muscle Milk is coming back into my diet per my honey!
-Had Jury Duty, which I got excused from in less than 4 mins.
-Still have a horrible cold, which has sent me home to bed on this lovely Tuesday, however, I know I needed to update, so this is about all you are getting.
-Next appointment is Monday with Dr. S., then the next week regular OB and a sugar test-yuck!
-The babies are VERY active now and kick all the time, and I'm completely in love with the feeling. I don't even care that they wake me up sometimes, ok well maybe a little, but it's SO WORTH IT!

And finally...super excited that this is MY doctor, though I hope I'm not her first surgery! Abby and Claire share a placenta and are at risk of developing this twin to twin stuff, but Dr. Stephenson monitors every two weeks...and now there's a treatment. It's a great article if you have time to read it...

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/02/23/1266352/better-chance-at-life-before-birth.html

Now me and babies and cats are going back to bed. I hope to put pictures up soon, but you know, I'm sick, I'm tired, I need my rest, I'm carrying triplets, I'm working full time, I'm getting a house ready for triplets, I'm a wife, and I got a new Blackberry...so I'm busy. Please take a minute to remember that precious angel of ours...Jackson Cole, love you baby boy!

Week 21 Is Here!

The weeks are flying by, kind of anyway! Happy to report that we have made it to week 21 which is one week closer to the all important week 24-yay! It's getting harder to post about each week because there doesn't seem to be much going on...I am still able to work, I go to the doctor's every Monday and babies just continue to grow. This week's appointment wasn't the best by any means, but it went fine. Dr. Hilton did the ultrasound and she played around but didn't do any measurements or anything. All babies had good little hearts just a beating. I'm always so nervous that first moment, but then I calm right down. This week I measured large again, but not nearly as big as last time. I am now measuring 31 weeks, up from 29 last time, but it has only been 10 days, so I grew 14 days in 10 days-hehehe. Next week is a specialist appointment and I hope it goes as great as the last one. I also hope to be able to report that Abby is packing on the ounces! They have really started kicking harder, and I can see it when they kick-along with feel it of course-and I can normally identify which baby is kicking. Brayden is by far the hardest kicker, he is the biggest after all. I feel Abby the second most because she is all the way on my right. I don't feel Claire very often and I think that is just because she is stuck between the two. As I typed that she gave a little kick, hers are normally up high or down low depending on how she is laying. I can also tell when she flips and goes head down because the pressure is horrific. And of course anytime anyone looks at or touches my belly they all stop what they are doing, so I'm sure that is an indication of things to come right?! So, there is some neat little baby info!

What about me you ask?! Well, I gained another 2-3 pounds this visit. I actually forgot to write down my weight from last time, but according to my calculations I've gained around 14 pounds, which would actually put me up about 5 pounds this time...oops. Guess that shows that the babies are growing, growing, growing. At this point I think Brayden and Claire are over a pound and Abby is got to be pretty close. Over the next 7 weeks they'll pack on the pounds and get close to 3 pounds each (hopefully). My cervix is nice and closed with no baby putting to much pressure on it, which is great. I'm not really sure when to expect to start thinning out, but for now it is doing great! The only negative to my appointment was low iron, which was to be expected, I actually held off a longer then some. So, because of that I have to start taking a daily iron supplement, nothing major, just a pill. Really, other then that, I'm doing great, well once you get over the back pain, shortness of breath, lack of sleep, constipation (hey, I've shared worse with you!), and stress the of preparing for 3 babies. I've said it once, I'll say today, and probably for the rest of my life...I would not have it any other way though. And, for your viewing pleasure, here's a week 21 shot. Joseph zoomed right it on the belly for you...



And with that, I am off to my Mom's for dinner, yummy. So thankful for wonderful family and friends who are taking such great care of me, the babies and Joseph! As always, thanks for sharing in our journey and I'll check in soon. The next couple of weeks will be fun...I'm surprising (don't tell him!) Joseph with Monster Jam tickets for Valentine's Day, which he so deserves for taking such great care of me, I've got not one, not two, but three (that's my number) showers coming up this month, I get a paid day off to report to Jury Duty and get dismissed, and March 8th is when they have written me out which is like 3 weeks away-wow! So, things are just getting interesting. Specialist on Monday for hopefully an awesome report and great pictures. As always, please Remember Jackson!

Pictures!!

I have PICTURES! Does that help make up for being so behind with the update?! Hope so. I have zero energy at the moment, so I will upload the new awesome pictures and probably not say too much tonight. After an unscheduled visit to the doctor's (everything is fine!) I'm pooped and I'm working really hard on staying off my feet and laying down to try to relieve some of the pressure and swelling (not pre-eclampsia swelling like last time, just three babies bearing down on me causing swelling swelling). Anyway...here are some great pictures from the ultrasound on Monday. All babies are doing great. The tech was great, she took fun pictures first then did her measurements, which I really liked. Joseph got to go, along with my mom, so it was a great visit.


Here's Abby Love! She was facing us, so this was the best picture we have of her. She's looking at all of you saying "hello all 5 blog readers!" Abby weighed in at 10 oz. this week and was measuring 19 weeks 4 days. A little bit behind, but she continues to grow and we are saying some extra prayers that she'll put her Mommy at ease and catch up next visit!


Here's Claire Elizabeth! She finally flipped to head down (maybe that's the added pressure, thanks girlie!) and is right in the middle of all the action. Claire weighed in at 13 oz. this week and is measuring right on track, 20 weeks 1 day (I think...it's a lot of numbers to remember!). Anyway...Claire has always been the most photogenic of the group...why you ask?! Here's one more of her...

YES she's sucking her thumb and I'm completely in love with this picture!

And, last but not least, here's baby boy...


Big ol' Brayden Jae! Yes, I said big. He weighed in at 15 oz. (that's almost a pound people!) and was measuring ahead at 20 weeks 5 days. He's going to show those girls who is boss that's for sure!

So, as you can see, we had a great appointment with great pictures. Makes me very happy to have great pictures to share with y'all. The difference between Abby and Brayden is 25%, which is higher then they like, but he's measuring ahead, her behind, and it's not helping the situation. Dr. S. assures me they are all doing great and we can't expect them to be equal. I do ask for prayers for me to stay calm and enjoy this pregnancy (and maybe throw one in there for Abby to catch up and make me feel better too). So, that's it for now. Saturday marks week 21...bring it on! As always, thank you for checking in on us and for all the love, support and prayers, you will never know how much it means to us! And as always, please Remember Jackson! Now, I'm off to put my feet up and eat ice, yes, I'm in love with ice, but not fresh ice, ice that has been out for a little while and breaks really easy...yes, I love it. Just one more thing for poor Joseph to try to keep up with!

Worth the Wait...

So, I'm only 2 days behind with my weekly update, but I promise once we get through the week 20 details pictures of the nursery! You better not start scrolling down looking for pictures...it tells me if you read this stuff or not!!! Anyway...week 20 marks a pretty big week for babies, if anything were to happen that required me to go into the hospital or anything like that they would do it. Before this week, I'd be on my own so to speak. And unfortunately I've known (well, followed blogs) of many people who had their water break at 18 weeks and they were sent home because there was "nothing they could do" and stuff like that. So, being in week 20 makes me feel much safer that they will do everything for these babies-YAY!

As for babies, well, they have really picked up on their kicking and moving, though still not enough for Joseph to feel. I know he wants to feel them so badly, and I want him to too, but these are stubborn little babies I tell you. I know in the next few days/weeks they will really be kicking and everyone will be at ease! According to my book this week the babies should be about 9 oz. I'm thinking this is going to be pretty close to what they weigh. I go in today for another baby scan, so I'll have an update on that later! Really, there is nothing new to report. We are all doing great and I'm so thankful for such an easy pregnancy, considering it's triplets and all. My biggest problem is back pain, but it's so worth it...it's really not even worth mentioning!

So...on to what everyone really wants to see this week (until I say I have pictures from my scan, which I can't say b/c I haven't the last few times!). Due to the Winter Storm of 2010, which amounted to maybe an inch of snow and some sleet/freezing rain, Joseph and I (supervisor of course) worked in the nursery and it's pretty much done. There are a few things here and there to do, like get cribs, add some more stuff to the walls, paint a special something on the wall, etc. but for the most part, it's done! I decided to just show the finished product, but first, here is a brief run down of what we did...

1-had to prime it with a tinted primer, remember horrific green
2-started painting
3-measured for chair railing to make sure paint was at right levels (why? two toned!)
4-touch up painted to make sure everything was right
5-hung chair railing...that was a choir since the gun thing broke!
6-touch up on railings and walls
7-put room back together
8-hung some of the decals that we had

And here is the finished product...


Joseph and I are super thrilled with how it turned out! We went with a monkey theme, but only in bedding, I don't want everything monkeys! We thought this was a theme that could be used for a boy and a girl, and once we get the cribs and bedding in there I think it's really going to look great! So, there is the nursery! If we are Facebook friends you can check it out from start to finish over there later.

So, that's it for now. School was cancelled today, so I'm off and work was actually cancelled for Joseph too, so we have a day together to do nothing but hang out, relax and go see the babies! I will try to update later tonight on babies, but if not tonight, then soon I promise. As always, thanks for checking in on us and sharing in our journey...we are so happy you are a part of it! Also, please always, Remember Jackson!

Doctor's Appointment

So, the appointment for this week went great! I only gained 2 pounds, which freaks Joseph out (he thinks I should gain more) which brings my total weight gain to 9 pounds, an average of 3 pounds per baby sounds good to me. I will probably start back on the "Muscle Milk" to help with weight gain but to also help with my calcium intake, which has been not stellar and lead to the most unbearable pain I've ever experienced in my life...a leg cramp. Which 36 hours later is still very tight and sore and has me limping some.

All the babies looked great on our quick little scan. Claire actually decided to join her brother and sister and is now head down. They just all want to talk with each other. They are little stinkers if you ask me...yesterday they were kicking pretty good so I call Joseph over and we wait.............they stopped. Joseph removed his hand and went back to his spot, they moved. Yes, it's going to be a long lotta years with these babies. Dr. M. assured me that though I don't feel them moving nearly as much as I would like in the next few weeks they are really going to get going and probably keep me awake and uncomfortable and all that good stuff. I just need to feel them so I'm able to relax. So soon they say....

And finally, the answer to the question of how big did I actually measure?! Just so everyone knows what this means (that's you Dad!) they measure my big ol' belly and that number is close to how many weeks along you are. I, of course, will measure further along then I really am because I'm carrying three babies as opposed to just one. Anyway, 17 days ago I was 17 weeks along and measured at 20 weeks. Today, I'm almost 20 weeks and measured 29 weeks...YIKES! Thanks to my Mom (I wouldn't expect anything else outta her) and someone else (are you going to claim your vote?!) who voted BIG in the poll...you were right, that's for sure. At the rate of which I am growing my body is going to think it's time for these babies to get on outta there. I've got to be really careful in all my activity and stuff to keep them in there snug as long as possible.

Dr. M. is very concerned about me working, but says as long as I feel good and the babies aren't coming out (they are not, they are actually up pretty high today he said) then I'm fine. I really feel great, I'm super tired at the end of the day, but for the most part feel so good. My back gets sore very easily if I stand too long and sometimes pressure will build up downtown if I sit to long, so I just make sure to stay in a chair and then move to another chair and so on and so on. This is the first full week I have worked since the week before Christmas, so it's taking me some time to adjust to working all day, everyday again. We are considering me taking a day, or half day, each week but I've got to save as many days as possible, so for now, I will continue to work and let my sweet class act like the teacher.

Alright...so my quick update turned into a really long post. Thanks for checking in on us and I'm sure I'll update soon...maybe with snow pictures, nursery pictures or Joseph, my brother and Lauren running in their 5K this weekend...who knows. As always, thanks for sharing in our journey and please always Remember Jackson!



Oh...and yesterday morning I woke up to a completely painted nursery! There needs to be another coat put on, but it looks so GREAT! I can't wait to show off all of Joseph's hard work...you'll be amazed at how great it looks!

Step 2...started!

Last night as I was updating the blog Joseph began phase 2 of the nursery...he has pretty much trimmed out the whole room and soon it will be ready for paint. I think paint will begin going on the walls Thursday and Friday (and maybe tonight if Joseph is feeling real froggy). It's so exciting to see all the hard work he's been doing and knowing that it's because we are having triplets. Does that really blow anyone else's mind sometimes?! It still shocks me on some days...don't know if I'll ever get use to it!

Anyway, so that's the only real update I have today. I did take a "done up" picture this morning, they always turn out a little bit better (I almost typed a little big there, judge for yourself)...









And now I'm off to work on my shower invitation list. I'm only have a few (work, friends/family, and one in Newberry) so the list is pretty long...I gotta get working. It stresses me out because I don't know who to invite, who not to invite, don't want to hurt feelings, stuff like that. I think I'm going for the "invite everyone and hope they aren't offended" method, and if it offends you, sorry. Now, if you are just itching to get an invitation, let me know and I'm sure that can be arranged! So...off to work I go. I'm even disconnecting the laptop from the internet and moving to a comfy spot because it's going to take awhile, and once I turn my list over to Chrissy I get to see the invitation, now that's motivation! Thanks for checking in on me/us. I'll be back Thursday or Friday evening with an update on my appointment. As always, please Remember Jackson!

Step 1...check

Yesterday on the nasty rainy afternoon Joseph got the first step of the nursery done...it is now primed. We had to use a tinted primer to cover up the nasty green and to accommodate the color we chose. Below are updated pictures of the nursery...

Here is Joseph priming away...










Here is the finished coat of primer...









So, Joseph and I are really excited to be finally working on a nursery again. We had a blast decorating Jackson's and we have waited years to do it again. One thing we always seem to agree on really quickly is paint colors. So, yesterday after the priming was done we couldn't wait to go get the paint. Here is a little hint (or big if you are pretty observant) of the paint color/colors...










And finally, I did have Joseph take a belly pic of, but it's horrific looking (that seems to be how things are looking in my house lately). I'm going to go try for one more, and if it doesn't work, well then, I guess the horrific one goes up! I'll be right back....ummmm, OK, so my belly pics just aren't too flattering tonight. We'll try again in the morning when I'm "done up" as Joseph likes to say. I'm already in my pj's and well, just yuck for tonight.

Anyway...so that's what we have completed in the nursery. Step 2 is under way as I type. I'm excited to scoot on over there and see how it looks. As always, thank you for sharing in our journey. You'll hear from me soon...either about my "big" (thanks MOM!) belly or with pictures of step 2 completed. And also, please always, Remember Jackson!

Welcome to Week 19!

Week 19 is a big week for us...we have begun buying stuff for the nursery, by stuff, I mean stuff to paint it, and well, actually we've only bought primer because the room is a horrific green (pictures will be below). But...it's a start, and we know where we want to go with the nursery, so we are just excited to get started. If you are interested in the theme of the nursery, well, you'll have to find our registries and see if you can figure it out...I'm going to make you work for it of course!

So, before I get to the before pics of the nursery I thought I better let everyone know how I'm/we're doing. Early this week I was a bit down, just really anxious and nervous. I know y'all must be praying for me and keeping us in your thoughts because I feel a lot better already. I do feel the babies everyday, and some days it's more then others, but I can tell they are getting stronger which is calming my fears big time. I go back Thursday to Dr. M. and I'm interested to see how big I measure. I'm guessing it's going to be around 24-25 weeks, I've really started to pop out. Hopefully I'll get a picture tonight (family game night at my house) and can put it up soon. Anyway...family is going to start arriving soon, so on with the before pictures of the nursery...a little photographic scrapbook!









This is when we brought all the baby stuff we had outta the attic and dropped it into what would be the nursery...it was a lotta stuff!












This is the some of the keep stuff somewhat organized. Please note the horrific green paint, old blinds and ever more horrific curtains...all to be replaced soon!









This is a crib...can you tell?! Just showing off our one crib. This will probably be in our room first for all three babies, then moved into the nursery when they start sleeping in their own cribs, or kept in our room for a fussy one, or who the heck really knows...it's a crib, in front of horrific green walls!









This last picture really has nothing to do with the nursery exactly, but more of a "this is the reason why we don't really need boy clothes right now" in case you see something about that on an invitation or something. Who knows...Abby and Claire may be wearing lots of blue too! And, we consigned a good chunk of clothes that I just didn't really care for...that's a lotta clothes! Oh, and the walls are still horrifically green here too!

So, that's the before pictures of the nursery. I'm excited to get to work on it (well, ok, excited to watch Joseph get to work on it) and show off what it looks like as we go along. As always, thanks for checking in on us and sharing in our journey. We are glad to have you along for the ride. Also, as always, please Remember Jackson!



And, I put a little poll up for the fun of it...vote!

Sorry for the Delay...

I know it's Thursday, and I went to the doctor on Monday and I was suppose to update and I didn't...sorry, again, for like the one millionth time! Anyway...I guess I've been avoiding updating because I wasn't super thrilled with how the appointment went. So, let me break it down for you...

My appointment was suppose to be at 2:45, we were there at 2:40 like good little patients and I was called back to a room at 3:30. Yes, that's a wait time of 45 minutes, which was crazy. Then Lauren introduces herself as my tech, and I may have hurt her feelings because I asked where Andrew was, and she offered to get him, I declined, but maybe I should have. Why you ask?! Well little Lauren labeled my babies all wrong and had the Abby and Claire switched and I told her so, but she did not believe me. A mother knows these things...well that, and Abby is lowest and will always be on the right, they can not switch sides, but they can flip being head down or feet down. Abby prefers to be head down (she loves to put all the pressure on me) while Claire prefers to be feet down...maybe they like smelling each other's feet (if they could smell and were in the same sac and everything!). Anyway, so we are scanning along...very specific scan again today to look at heart development and for clefts...I'm happy to report all hearts looked great and all upper lips looked great too, ZERO signs of any trouble. I did ask ahead of time for a CD and great pictures, I got neither. She was zoomed in so far that when she printed the pictures they are actually blurry-yuck! I guess all the oh let's take cute pictures moments are gone-yuck! So moving on, in comes Dr. S. who notices the babies are labeled wrong, I tell her I know, poor little Lauren looks confused, we get the babies correctly labeled, Dr. S. does her peek at all of them, doesn't reassure me about my fear of "are the babies moving enough?" and says ok, let me tell you how they are doing. Brayden and Claire weigh about 8 oz. each and Abby weighs about 7 oz. Not a big deal right?! But, Abby is measuring a little bit behind, just a couple of days, but the difference between her and Brayden is 12%, which is up from the last scan which was 11%. Abby has always measured smallest, but on Monday it just flipped me out big time. I don't know if it was just the stress of the bad appointment, the fact that Joseph wasn't there with me (I had 4 others though, no worries there!) or just me flipping out because I'm afraid. Anyway...Dr. S. (and Jean my genetic lady) assure me all babies are perfectly fine, as long as they are with in 20% of each other with growth then that is normal. I will be fine once the babies get here (in many, MANY weeks) and are home in our house crying, letting us know they are healthy. I'm very eager to really feel them kick, I feel them flip and roll and stuff, but I want some good strong kicks. That's coming, I know!

So, anyway...that is how the appointment went Monday. I go back next week Thursday to my regular OB and he'll do great easing my fears and all that stuff. Then the following Monday it's back to the specialist. So...until these babies are here I'm asking that you keep me in your prayers that I will calm down, not be a worry wart and just enjoy this pregnancy. As always, thanks for sharing in our journey and please, always, Remember Jackson!