More Baby Stuff

I have new stats on the girls... as of my Tuesday ultrasound Lia weights in at 3 lbs 5 oz (60th percentile) Brynn is a whopping 2 lbs 14 oz (50th percentile) and little Claire had a great growth spurt and is tipping the scales at 2 lbs 10 oz (40th percentile.) They seem to be thriving... and I couldn't be more happy with their progress. I hit 29 weeks tomorrow. I take medication as needed to stop my contractions, which are becoming more frequent. My cervix is still holding strong and measured 3.9cm. Odd considering that last time it was 3.7 cm. Can a cervix grow? Whatever, who really cares. I'm getting more and more tired and it's getting harder to move, but I'm still only on modified bed rest. I figured out that with three 3 lb babies, 3 placentas and 3 sacs of amniotic fluid, I'm carrying around what would be equal to a singleton pregnancy with roughly a 15 pound baby. By the time I'm finished hopefully the girls put on at least another 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, so by then I'll feel like I'm lugging around what would be a single pregnancy of a 20 pound baby. Sheesh, Miriam only weighs 25 pounds. Speaking of my sweet little Miri, I look back at how difficult I thought the end of my pregnancy with her was and want to laugh. When I was 39 weeks pregnant with her I thought I was so miserable I couldn't go another day so I went out jogging to induce labor. Well, it worked. My contractions started that afternoon, water broke at midnight and I delivered her at noon the next day. Oh, life was so simple then. What I wouldn't give to only feel 39 weeks pregnant :)

OK, so I have to post a picture of our enormous stroller. We weren't able to find a store that carried it, as it's probably not the highest demand item, so we read great reviews on it and ordered it online. When it showed up on the porch in 2 massive boxes, I knew it was going to be huge, but I'm telling you, this thing is ridiculous. It's about 6 feet long and has a freaking steering wheel. Not to mention it was insanely expensive. Unfortunately, there aren't many triplet strollers to choose from. The stroller is so big you can't even see our dining room table that is swallowed up behind the stroller.

And last, I just think these little booties are adorable. They are about 2 inches long. Awww...

Family shower

First, I need to just say that between my mom, two sisters, eight sister's in law and my mother in law, I have some of the greatest women and most wonderful friends in my family. Thanks for such a fun family shower. You are all the best. Needless to say the triplets were very spoiled.My big sis Jenette, me, little sis Julianne (aka shmoobs) and my fabulous mommy at my family shower.

My Own Personal Holiday

Today is a holiday for us Lloyds... I hit my 28 week mark, which I feel is the biggest of my pregnancy. The triplets really could come anytime now, but I hope to keep them cooking for another month, and don't have any reason to think they are coming soon. On Sunday I went in to Labor and Delivery again because my contractions wouldn't stop. They discussed giving me steroid shots to help develop the babies lungs, but decided against it. They explained to me that they do this only if they feel the babies will be coming within a week, and they didn't feel that was the case in my situation. I was given medication to stop the contractions and after about 5-6 hours was sent on my way. My cervix is still long and closed. My ultrasound on Tuesday showed no problems. All of the girls have great heartbeats and plenty of amniotic fluid. They will measure the babies growth and give weight estimates at my ultrasound this coming Tuesday. I'm pulling for little Claire to have had a big growth spurt! I can really tell the girls are growing, not just because of the size of me, but how forceful their movements are becoming. It's amazing to watch my stomach when they all get moving. Feeling them move really is one of the best parts of being pregnant. It's a happy holiday!

The almost 26 week post

This weeks doctors appointment was very promising. I was a little concerned during the ultrasound when I was told that my cervix was now at 3.7 cm instead of the 4.7 it was last time... hmmmmm. The ultrasound tech assured me it was nothing to be worried about and so did the mid wife. My doc was out of town, so when I got home I emailed her. This was her response "I'm not concerned with 3.7 cm at 25 1/2 weeks, in fact I'm thrilled! You are in great shape right now." Lia, Claire and Brynn all looked great. Lia and Brynn are just over 2 pounds and little Claire is our runt. She is only 1 1/2 pounds. That also caused me to feel a little concerned, but I was again assured that it's nothing to worry about. She is continuing to grow at a normal rate, and that is what matters. All three have good amounts of amniotic fluid and strong heart beats. I asked for a picture of all three together, and since they are now so big, this was the best they could get:What you're looking at here is Lia's bum on the left and Brynn and Claires heads.

And here is the belly that is housing the three girls:

I am now officially bigger than I ever was during my pregnancy with Miriam. I am measuring over full term and I've gained 30 pounds. I know it's just a matter of days before the stretch marks start appearing and I'm ready for 'em! Bring it on.