more good news!!!

we had a doctor appointment yesterday and received more good news. the babies look great with a good amount of fluid around them and umbilical blood flow. the technician had a hard time telling who was who because they have been shifting so much, which explains all the rib and back pain i have been having the past week. oh well! baby B is even growing hair that we were able to see on the ultrasound - it was great! the doctor is very happy with how well things are going. our next appointment is friday, june 8. we will keep you posted.

update

the weekend was great! we had two wonderful showers where we were surrounded by family and friends and felt a great deal of love and support. we received wonderful gifts for our three little treasures. thad was blessed by extra hands helping him work on house projects friday night (until midnight) and all day saturday. thanks so much to Thad's parents, Thomas and Betty, and Adam. we are so grateful for all your help - i hope we can repay you sometime. i was amazed by all that got done!

we had a doctor appointment yesterday morning with the high risk doctor. all is well - praise the Lord! the babies were even in sync with the same heart rates at 158. CRAZY! thad spoke with our primary doctor today who reviewed the chart from our appointment yesterday and said she wants to begin seeing me every week until the babies are born. nothing major - with only 7 weeks to go she said it is time to come on a weekly basis. i am excited about getting to see the babies each week and hear their heartbeats.

we also had an appointment yesterday afternoon with a neonatologist and got a tour of the neonatal floor at Spectrum. it was really helpful to see the floor and hear from a very kindhearted doctor in the unit. it was also a little overwhelming to hear about potential problems and see these tiny babies hooked up to various contraptions. i am comforted by the thought that the Lord loves our babies even more than we do and will be with them through it all. i also learned the neonatal floor is open to us as parents 24/7 so we can spend lots of time there with them. plus they will put the girls by each other, which is comforting. the nurses and staff seemed really caring and knowledgeable.

needless to say, yesterday was an extremely long and tiring day. i was completely worn out. it doesn't take much these days to tire me out. this upcoming weekend we will be having another house project weekend. my dad will come into town (my mom has been here since monday afternoon) and he and thad are moving the washer and dryer to the first floor from the basement. a group of my coworkers are coming on saturday to help with various projects around the house - what a blessing! we have so much to be thankful for.

this weekend

i have not created a post for a few days now because i have been in a lot of rib and back pain. it is getting better though, which is such a relief! my mom came last week Tuesday to take me to the doctor appointment and help around the house. it has been such a blessing having her here working on projects for me and taking excellent care of me. in fact, i am most likely headed back to Corunna with her this week Thursday for a couple days because of the family shower in Corunna on Saturday. Thad plans to stay back in GR to work on a few house projects he has not been able to do because of the chemical smells being dangerous to me and the girls. so he hopes to work Thurs & Fri evenings and all day Saturday on finishing the stripping project in the living room. if anyone is interested in helping him out, we would be extremely grateful. he had used a heat gun on the majority of the crown molding and only has a couple areas to go. then he will use chemical stripper to get the remaining paint off. next will be staining and sealing the woodwork. it is the crown molding up high between the ceiling and the walls so if you are available and handy on a ladder, let us know. i feel bad for Thad because he has been working so hard every day and usually on his own. i would love for someone to be able to help him out.

i will be heading back to GR Saturday evening with my sister after the shower. then on Sunday, Thad's parents are throwing us a shower at their house. should be a great weekend. thanks everyone for continuing to support us and pray for us.

our awesome niece and nephew

Kristy sent me these pictures this week of Chloe and Bryce and I had to share them on the blog. They took the kids to the Tulip Festival a couple nights ago dressed up as little Hollanders. They are so stinking cute!!! Bryce looks like the ride over on the ship was a bit rough. Kristy said he was not excited about wearing the outfit and the only way she got Chloe to wear her outfit was by saying she looked like Snow White! How funny. Our girls are going to love their cousins.

THREE GIRLS!!!

Well, the ultrasound technician was pretty sure Baby B is a girl! Three girls in the home...good thing we have two bathrooms. We had a great visit and another wonderful report. My cervix is nice and long, which is such a blessing. The high risk doctor said that he was confident with the length of the cervix that I would not go into premature labor in the next two weeks. He gave me permission to travel to Corunna on May 19 for the Family Baby Shower - another blessing!

When I saw my regular doctor today, I told her about this cold that I have had for the past couple weeks and how I got better and then it came back and I am sick again. She said with the babies pushing up on my diaphragm so much, that I am a good candidate to get pneumonia so she put me on an antibiotic to avoid that. She also said there is not much I can do about the back and rib pain. And unfortunately, she said it will only get worse. She said I am measuring at about 36 weeks even though I am at 25 weeks, which explains why strangers keep telling me I look like I am going to pop any day now. Overall, she was really encouraged by the way things look so far. It was so reassuring to hear that all is well with me and the babies. What an answer to prayer.

The babies looked great via ultrasound. They are really cute (not that I am biased or anything!). Each baby gained weight over the past two weeks - Baby A weighs 1 lb. 11 oz. (up 7 oz.), Baby B weighs 1 lb. 13 oz. (up 8 oz.), and Baby C weighs 1 lb. 7 oz. (up 4 oz.). I am proud of our girls and praising the Lord for all of the blessings he has been giving us.

the new nursery

when we learned that we were having triplets, we had to pick another room for the nursery because the first one was too small for three cribs. the only problem was that the room for the second nursery was a work in progress. thad and i had begun stripping the woodwork in the room and had just finished the hardwood floors. it was no where ready to be used as a nursery for our three little treasures. fortunately, thad's mom has been over several times a week to work on the room (stripping the windows, staining and sealing the woodwork, patching and sanding the walls, etc). this past weekend, the new windows were put in the nursery, which are a huge blessing. the room is much quieter now with the new windows! tonight is incredibly exciting because the first coat of green paint is going on the walls. the new nursery looks wonderful and i am encouraged that we will soon be able to set up the cribs and baby furniture! (i guess it is the "nesting" i am going through because i want that room ready for the babies the sooner the better!!!!)

sisters

ever since i have been on bed rest (5 weeks now), my sister has come EVERY week and picked up laundry to do for me and thad. i cannot begin to tell you what a help it has been. lynnette and i were talking the other day about how i always used to say that i wanted to have two girls someday so they could experience the relationship of having a sister. in my opinion, babies A & C (maybe B too) are so fortunate to have a sister(s). don't get me wrong, my sister and i had our hard years when i was a bratty little sister and we did not really like each other or get along. but now, lynnette is my best friend and i thank the Lord for the blessing of having a great sister!

Thad's Graduation

Well, he did it! Thad finished exams last week and officially graduated on Saturday. We are so proud of him and relieved it is finally over. Thanks for everyone who has been praying for him during these past two years, especially the past semester with him beginning a new job and learning we are having triplets!

baby B is still a mystery!

baby A weighs 1lb. 4oz. baby B weighs 1lb. 5 oz.
baby C weighs 1 lb. 3 oz.

these pictures were taken at today's appointment. the babies are doing well! the ultrasound technician tried very hard for us to find out baby B's gender but it did not happen. baby B is facing my back rather than A and C who are facing my stomach, which was making it difficult. the tech had me laying on my side and rolling over slowing time many times to try to see in between those legs, but B was being modest and we still don't know the gender. oh well, there is always next time. and more importantly, we were thrilled to learn that the babies are doing well. the hearts are on the left sides of their bodies and pointing in the correct direction. other organs looked good and the babies weights are right were they should be.

we saw the high risk doctor today and he said he was very encouraged by things so far. we have hit a critical week this week in terms of viability should i go into preterm labor at this point. each week is another milestone in terms of better chances that the babies would make it should they have to be delivered early. in addition, he saw no evidence of twin to twin transfusion, which is a scary concern with having a set of identical twins. the tech said that baby A and C are the ones that split from one egg, so they are our identical twins. baby B has not changed positions as much as babies A and C are. at times A and C were both laying sideways across my belly. it was cute seeing both of their heads side by side; but it made the task of the technician's more challenging. baby A would then shift back into her position in the middle. she kept popping up in the pictures the tech was trying to take of the other babies - what a ham! baby B kind of seems to be doing his/her own thing on the side while A and C are moving all over each other. it was cute. we got a vhs tape of the ultrasound so beware to any visitors, we will most likely have to watch it!

after the appointment, i had to go over to the hospital to get my first steroid shot. the shot helps promote lung development, which is important due to the fact that triplets are born premature. tomorrow i head back for shot number two. the walk through the hospital is exhausting. i can't believe how tired and out of breath i get. i also talked to the doctor about this pain on my rib cage. he said it is very common with multiples because the rib cage is actually moving to accommodate a rather large and fast growing uterus. he said my uterus is growing three times faster than with a single birth, explaining all of the aches and pains. my new best friends are tylenol and a heating pad on the sore areas. our next appointment is may 8, 2007. we'll keep you posted!

what a week!

it has been a fabulous past couple of days. my mom came on wednesday to help us with cleaning and running errands. she was such a great support to me as she helped talk me through my times of overwhelming excitement and then the times when i panic and feel as if i am not sure i can do this. she also helped us get a lazy boy rocking chair, which is heavenly, and also pick out a new scratch and dent refrigerator, which should hold many more bottles and baby food than our old one! the old fridge got moved upstairs for the overflow - what a blessing!

friday was the twins/triplets sale, which proved to be well worth the time. we got some amazing deals and it was so fun hanging out with the two grandmas. at the sale i met another triplet mom who reports her three kids are in kindergarten and doing well. it was encouraging and i can see i will enjoy joining the Mothers of Multiples support group after the babies are born. (i will be posting pictures of some of the great finds from the sale soon!)

after my mom left on friday, the house was spotless and i rested until some friends came over who threw us a shower. liz, amanda and stephanie brought some wonderful clothes and baby items they/family members were no longer using or had found at garage sales. we even received our first crib on loan - pretty exciting! we received so many beautiful gifts and they even made us a diaper cake. it was so fun!




nate and jessa came in time for the shower on friday night. nate and thad headed to the pickwick to watch the tigers game. the rest of the weekend was so much fun having nate and jessa here! jessa was so helpful for me taking me on errands saturday morning and talking baby stuff. the boys went morel hunting with adam. jessa and i sorted baby clothes with our friend lisa and her son, nathan, who stopped by. after a nap, jessa, kris, sophie and i headed up to honey creek inn to meet the boys for dinner. what a fun weekend. i am a little tired still from all the activities so i will probably sleep all day monday.




tuesday is our next doctor appointment and ultrasound. i love our appointments and the confirmation it brings that all is hopefully well with the babies. and there is a good chance we will be able to find out baby b's gender.

this upcoming weekend is probably going to be one of the many highlights of 2007 - thad's graduation. i am so proud of him. for the past two years he has worked so hard earning his MBA. i have hated it at times because of the stress it has caused him but i have also seen so much growth in him. and it allowed him to get a great job at spectrum health as a strategic market analyst, which is allowing him to use so many of his great gifts and skills! i could not be more proud of him. after all, he did give me the precious gift of three little lives inside of me.

frozen drinks

the babies seem to love slurpees and the frozen orange cream cooler from olga's. whenever i have one, they move around like crazy. i have a feeling thad will be making slurpee runs all the time! he only has 9 more days of school - yippee!

cute girls clothes

we received some great hand me down girls clothes on friday, which are adorable! we remember seeing them on Sophie so it will be fun to have them reused on our little girls. don't you love the baby converse? it has helped me feel more prepared for the babies. grandma joyce and aunt lindy keep finding great deals at goodwill (sleepers, baby bath, maternity clothes, stuffed hippos, etc.). thanks to all the people who have brought stuff so far. we also got a great gift of diapers delivered today - preemie diapers are so tiny!!!! thanks for everyone's help and support!

babies' registries

many of our friends and family have been asking where we are registered. as new parents to be and the added element of having 3 babies at once, it has been an interesting task. so we did our best and ended up registering at Target, Babies R Us, and JCPenney (Thad wishes we could get it all from Goodwill or the Salvation Army - his favorite places to shop!). many of the items are online only, which i tried to avoid but it was difficult as i have been working on the registries online versus going to the stores themselves, which sounds extremely exhausting. i will keep the registries updated if we get items given to us or loaned to us that we no longer need to register for. we put diapers and wipes on the registry because we will certainly go through a lot. however, i just picked some that were recommended to me to put on the registry and i am in no way picky about what type of diapers we get. to be honest, i don't have a clue about diapers; my only thought is the cheaper the better!

we are EXTREMELY happy to accept and/or borrow used baby items. many friends and family members have already been offering lots of helpful baby items like clothing, cribs, and car seats, which we are truely grateful for. we cannot thank you enough.

we are also hoping to get some baby items at these upcoming events: there is a twins/triplets sale (sponsored by Mothers of Multiples) April 20 at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Byron Center, where the two grandmas and i will be searching for some good deals. there is also a baby stuff sale at Third Reformed Church on April 21 . plus, it is almost time for garage sales!

It's A Girl! It's Another Girl! It's a ?

We had a great visit to the doctor's office today. The babies were extremely active and close to each other making it difficult to find out the gender. But the technician said she is pretty sure Baby A and Baby C are both girls!!!!! Baby B had his or her legs curled up against it's body making it impossible to determine the gender. Baby A is in the middle with her head down, Baby B is on the left side with the head up, and Baby C is laying sideways with her head on the right and her legs on the left. All three babies are doing well! Their heartbeats were nice and strong. We are so excited to be their parents and praising the Lord for our healthy babies.

name ideas????

Happy Easter! We had a great weekend at my parents for Easter. (Well, Thad is a little stressed with grad school work and all of the final projects, papers, presentations, assignments, and so on he has to get done before graduating April 28 - only 20 more days!!!!). I especially enjoyed spending time with our always entertaining niece, Chloe and her sweet baby brother, Bryce.

Many people have been asking us what we are planning on

naming the babies. Well, we are hoping to find out the sex(es) before making a decision, but we have appreciated many of your helpful suggestions. Chloe, for example, has recommended many viable options we are considering: Mello, Lello & Jello and Hayla, Kayla & Chelle. How can you beat the suggestions of a 3 1/2 year old?

Something crazy I read this weekend - triplets will go through 24-30 diapers a day! I am still trying to wrap my mind around that.

We have another ultrasound and doctor's appointment tomorrow. We will keep you posted on how it goes, especially if the babies cooperate and we learn the gender(s) tomorrow! Thanks for following us on this incredible journey.

one week down!

my first week of bed rest is over. the highlight of the week was hearing from many friends that i had lost contact with. i really enjoyed hearing from so many of you through emails and postings on the blog. life has been so busy that i lost touch with many of you and, as thad says, this week everything slowed down for me and allowed me to reconnect with many of you. it has been wonderful!

my outing for the week was a concert at calvin college. dad and mom vh took thad and i (and the babies) to a sufjan stevens concert last night. the babies seemed to enjoy the concert because they were moving around quite a bit. thad and i enjoyed the night out too. thanks dad and mom!

TRIPLETS!!!!!!!!!

we found out we are having triplets last week friday (3/23/07). it was most definately the biggest shock of our lives! (especially considering we were not on any fertility drugs.) we had no idea twins or triplets even ran in our families. but we have gotten over the shock and are so thankful to God that all babies are doing well; two are nine ounces and the little one is seven ounces.

we hope to use this blog to keep our friends and family updated on all the medical appointments and as i grow as big as a house. we ask everyone for their prayers that the babies contiue to remain healthy and get all the nourishment they need - it is going to get a bit crowded in there.
i am off work on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, so i would love visitors :)

for those of you who were (like us) expecting a due date of 8/21/07, we are now looking at a due date of 7/10/07, which will be 34 weeks. the doctor said by that point the babies have grown as much as they can under the circumstances of being in close quarters with each other and trying to all get the nourishment they need. it may be sooner than 34 weeks but that is what we and the doctors are hoping for (we have two doctors now - one is our regular obstetrician and the other is the high risk pregnancy doctor). the goal is to keep the babies in the womb as long as possible as long as they are continuing to gain weight. pray, pray, pray!!!