You don't recognize me....it must be the hair.

The other day a previous client of mine at Campus Recreation looked directly at me as she walked by and didn't acknowledge me. I thought this was rather odd so I approached her. After a few seconds I could see something click, "Oh my gosh, I didn't recognize you, last year your hair was long and you weren't pregnant." Now, I know going from medium length hair to medium short hair can be a drastic change but I have had much larger transformations that my husband didn't notice. Let's talk about the elephant in the room, shall we?

Last year I spent most days at work looking like the picture on the left. Yes, that is me working. It is no wonder I have absolutely no rings that still fit on my fingers and all my custom sized necklaces now are uncomfortable chokers. I must admit, there are days I look in the mirror and don't recognize myself. Being pregnant with triplets you will never hear "You look gorgeous with your cute little baby bump" after 16 weeks. And if you do, you know people are just being nice.

I can't honestly say I like the extra 40 lbs I have put on. However, I certainly know this is best for the babies so I will continue to try adding on an addition 10-20 lbs. in the next few months. This is actually good for business (personal trainer/lifestyle coach). After all, I worked my butt off to be in great shape most my life. But, I still think it is nice for clients to know that at one time I was 50+ lbs heavier and it was no fun trying to get BACK into shape.

I'll continue to indulge in steak, Ben and Jerry's, high calorie smoothies and all my favorite kid cereals. And the next time someone says they didn't recognize me because of my hair, I will smile and say "yep, the hair is definitely different this year".

Hello couch!

My 23 week appointment was not quite as uplifting as previous visits. Unfortunately, my cervix has shortened to 2.6 cm, too close to the dreaded 2.5 cm that puts you at risk for preterm labor. What does this mean? I'm going to fly through all the seasons of Gray's Anatomy as I am confined to the couch! This particular show is one of my new TLC faves "Little People, Big World".

No more trips to campus for me. Max is taking me to work this afternoon for a short visit to wrap up all loose ends. I also will make one more visit next Tues. AM for my thesis proposal. My mom will be lucky enough to sit through this 30 minutes enlightening presentation (I won't bore you with the title). Obviously I will have to give my presentation seated.

Begining at my next doctor appointment, I will get a fetal fibronectin test, which helps to determine the chance of delivering in the next two weeks. I was hoping to delay this testing till 28 weeks but sometimes our bodies are unpredictable. The benefits of bedrest are to help take pressure off the cervix and hopefully prevent any further shortening. Also, it helps keeps contractions down. Over the past few weeks I have had numerous BH contractions and we want to keep my body as relaxed and calm as possible.

I am certain with rest and confinement to the bed I can keep trudging on for several more weeks...hopefully 7-10. Max has already been a HUGE help. My amazing husband is capable of juggling more responsibilities than I ever imagined! After a hard day's work he manages to cook dinner, take the dog out, wait on me, show our rental apartments, pay bills and clean the house. When my gracious mother comes down in May, he can take a well deserved break.

Well, I think a new episode of "What not to Wear" is about to start! More to come!

More resting for us - Week 22

Hayden has been my daytime companion for the past few weeks as I begin to rest more and more. I think he enjoys having me around; although he hasn't picked up on games like cards and trivia pursuit. He has gotten used to the sounds of babies since I spend several hours watching Baby Story, Special Delivery, etc on my new favorite two channels, Discovery and TLC.

On another note, my 22 week appointment went well. The babies are all estimated to be about 1 pound (double their size from 18 weeks) and my cervix is doing ok. I have shortened ever so slightly from 4.0-3.7 cm but that is normal and nothing to worry about. Nonetheless, I have been having frequent BH contractions and have been ordered to restrict my activity even more as a precaution. I'm still going to work for another 3 weeks but while at work, I need to move around as little as possible. Also, I'm not suppose to do any more shopping (grocery or otherwise), and avoid housework...darn :) This is unfortunate b/c I still feel great and get very anxious just laying around the house. As soon as my sister's pool opens in May, I plan to spend my days there to help keep me sane and weightless!

In two weeks, we will hit a major milestone in the HOM (high order multiples) world...24 Weeks! At this stage, half of all babies can survive outside the womb with lots of NICU care. Of course, my goal is 34 weeks but anything over 30 is likely to result in healthy babies down the road.

There's a Party Going On...

Last night I woke up at 4 AM to a party...in my belly. All three babies seemed to be in a boxing match. I just started feeling the kicks of the Baby A but she has caught up fast! I had to sit up and just let them hash it out before I tried to go back to sleep. I'm sure this is the first of many battles to come :)

I finally posted another belly shot. I am posting a picture every three weeks for the drama of the change. Actually, I refuse to have a shot taken of me in my typical state of relaxation...glasses and bed hair. Maybe in another month...

Everything continues to go smoothly. I have really had to slow down due to frequent irregular contractions. So far, they are nothing to get too worked up about but if they worsen, they can warrant a trip to the ER so I'd rather play it safe. My next appt. is Friday so lets pray for no cervical changes!

We Keep Going...

My 20 week appt. was yesterday. Max was in Vegas celebrating his last taste of freedom with his brother-in-laws Nick and Matt so my mom went with me. Everything looks good. The babies appear to be growing; although we will not do measurements again for two more weeks. We caught one of them yawning and trying out some of the amniotic fluid :) They all had their heads close together while their bodies were every which way. My cervix is still long and closed. So, we continue to move forward.

I have caught an awful cold. Supposedly pregnancy colds are pretty common and tend to linger. This is my first illness so far so I'll suck it up and deal. I discovered I can take benadryl at night. What a lifesaver, I got my first good night's sleep this week.

I am continuing work and school till the end of April (the end of the semester) as long as my body let's me. I only work about 12-15 hours a week at Campus Recreation, mostly administrative work and lecturing. I am also working on my thesis from home. The rest of the time, I am trying to keep my feet up and relax. Everything I read and hear from experienced triplet moms stresses the importance of rest and hydration. I am already starting to crave a good spin workout or long run but I have a few more months to go. Hopefully my pre-pregnancy fit body is helping me make this pregnancy a success.

Till our next adventure...

Coordinating the Cocoon…

I will post another belly shot next week and this post will make so much more sense:) The other night I was climbing back into bed after my 4^th trip to the bathroom, when I toppled over onto Max while trying to curl back up in my pregnancy pillow. At 4 AM, we both found it surprisingly funny. The commotion seemed to wake up the babies and for the first time, Max was able to feel one of the little kiddos kicking. What a joy.

I am feeling the kiddos more and more; although I cannot tell who is who. The boy seems to have the strongest kicks; I can already see them through my clothes. Girl A seems the calmest, or else is just lying in a harder position to feel. It is definitely reassuring to feel the little guys move.

As I am approaching the 20 week mark, I had my first scare right on cue. This morning I began having frequent BH contractions…4 in one hour. The nurse informed me to drink water, lie down and call back if I had more than 6 an hour. As soon as I lied down and drank up, they disappeared for the rest of the day.

As a standard precaution, I am supposed to start taking things much easier. That means staying off my feet for most of the day and stopping work at 24 weeks. After this morning, I am appreciating the importance this will play. It is very hard to feel so defeated sometimes but I want these babies to stay in as long as possible! Max has been great by helping out around the house and even making dinner. We know we face a few hard months ahead but it will all be worth it in the end.

My next doctor appt. is Thursday. Updates to come….

We Are Growing and Thriving

Our 18 week appt. today went great. After a very long and thorough ultrasound, all three kiddos appear to be healthy as can be and measuring a few days ahead. We did confirm the sexes and as our obstetrician guessed 3 weeks ago, we have 2 girls and a boy. Baby A and C are the girls and Baby B is the boy (I think I got B and C reversed last time). I also am doing great. I still feel well although I am definitely feeling some growing pains (rightfully so, did you see my 18 week belly shot :)). We did our first cervix check and I'm right at 4 cm (I think the average is 3.5). As long as I don't dip below 2 or experience any funneling, we should be ok.

Our trip to Orlando was fantastic. I was able to walk around Sea World and Universal Studios City Walk w/ lots of breaks and good night's sleep. Of course, laying by the pool was my favorite part :)

And...I am starting to feel these kiddos moving around! It started as little twitches about 2 weeks ago. Now, I am starting to differentiate which of the baby's are dancing. How fun and exciting!

I will start to visit the doctor every two weeks now so lots more updates to come. GO UNC HEELS!