34 weeks and another doctor visit

Well, I made it to my goal, which was 34 weeks. My doctor didn't think I'd make it to Monday-I showed him! Anyway, I've been very tired lately, sleeping away my days and nights. Shawn's been doing everything, so I don't have much to say about our days. 

Today we went to the specialist for fetal monitoring and the biophysical exam. Both went well. The babies have plenty of fluid, they're practicing fetal breathing, the blood flow through the cord is fine, their heart rates are also good. Couldn't ask for anything more. The monitor picked up that I'm still having mini contractions. Or as the tech called it: an irritable uterus. That's also what the tech at the hospital called it. I think that it'll happen this week. We'll see!

As for Bridget, she had a great potty day. She went 5 times, including one poop, and had only one poop accident at school. She also took over a 2 hour nap at school, so she was in great spirits this evening. 

Shawn got all the swings, bouncers, carseats, etc. inside and washed. They're all set up now. Bridget likes to put her dolls in the swing and push it REALLY fast. I put a stop to that right away! 

Yeay! She pooped on the potty!

Finally, the day has arrived...Bridget pooped on the potty! I could tell she was trying to push 'em out, so Shawn and I coaxed her to the bathroom. She ran to the bathroom without much fuss, which is good, because the past several times she started to poop, she screamed about going into the bathroom and screamed even more when we put her on the potty. So today, Shawn took her in, and remained calm with her. She did fuss a bit because she had a hard poop, but she survived. There was no mess in her pants either. Yeay! She did have two accidents in the afternoon. One was pretty blatant, the other happened when she was on her top bunk during nap time, she tried to get down and go potty, but had the accident at the bottom of the ladder. So today was a very good day. She's been doing very well. I think she told us she had to go 6 times today, yet another improvement.

Thanksgiving morning I'm going for fetal monitoring at St. Joe's because the doctor's office is closed Thursday and Friday. The test will be done in the Labor and Delivery ward. I think Shawn and Bridget are going to come with. I want Bridget to see the hospital before I'm actually admitted so that she's not afraid. I'm going to see if they will give us a little tour of the nursery and NICU as well. I just hope that the babies pass the test so that I'm not admitted that morning. That would stink!

Shawn keeps thinking it will be another 2-3 weeks, and I'm thinking it will be shortly after Thanksgiving. My blood pressure was high (for me) at my last visit and the dr. realized that one girl is always sleeping during fetal monitoring. She'll wake up when stimulated, but I got the impression that he's keeping a close eye on her. 

I'm at the point where I don't want to go anywhere or do anything. I've been sleeping the days away.  Some days I'm napping 5 hours! This is in addition to a good 8-10 hours sleep overnight. Poor Bridget has been spending her days playing on her own, and I'm grateful that she's content to do this. I think it's wearing on her though. Today, all she wanted to do was cuddle up with Shawn and I. We got lots of hugs and kisses today.  Shawn gave her a little pep talk about the babies and how Bridget will have to share us with the babies, but no matter what we will always love her. It was very cute. 

Ok, that's it for today.

Thanksgiving Luncheon

Today was Bridget's Thanksgiving Luncheon at her school.  "Ugh" is about all I can say! We were running a bit behind schedule, so we were rushing to get her bathed, dressed and ready to go. Bridget didn't like being rushed. She was screaming and throwing tantrums about every last little thing. We got out of the house at 10:55 and the program started at 11.

On the car ride over, Bridget stopped crying and was getting in a good mood. We all played "I Spy" in the car. Once at school and in her classroom, her mood flipped again. She was shy and didn't want to cooperate at all. She didn't want to play with her friends, she wouldn't talk to her teachers or anything! The children had prepared two Thanksgiving songs to perform for the parents. This probably being Bridget's last school event until she gets into a regular preschool, Shawn and I were excited to see her perform. Instead, she wanted to cry and hang onto Mom or Dad's legs. It was very frustrating. At least she wasn't the only one crying. One other boy was acting up too. 

So then it was time for lunch. Bridget refused to wash her hands like all the other children. Shawn and I were about to just leave because she was crying, stomping her feet, and being defiant. Finally, she washed her hands and sat down to lunch. 

Bridget did eat a good lunch, and her mood improved....momentarily. Then we had to go. Now she's throwing a fit because she didn't want to leave. So Shawn swept her up, and we thanked the teachers, and high-tailed it out of there. 

There are a few photos and video from the event posted on My Mobile Me gallery. (Click the link at the right.) The one 4 second video was an accident. I forgot to switch the camera to photo mode. But I still uploaded the video so you can see 4 seconds of her tantrum! There's also a new video of our latest ultrasound. It is not very good. All babies were facing away from the camera. But very briefly you can see baby C (boy) and baby B (girl). The entire video is 1 minute 40 seconds long. 

Potty Training Update: We haven't given in. Her butt hasn't been in a diaper for a week now. Overnights are good. She did wet the bed last night, but that was the first time she's done that. Yesterday was her worst day yet. I think she had 5-6 accidents! I think she's being defiant towards me because she wants to play with me and I'm always sleeping or I tell her I can't play on the floor with her, or she's too rough around me, etc. Today has been a good day, with only a poop accident so far. I just hope she'd master this soon because Shawn and I are both tired of cleaning dirty underpants. 

Fantastic News!

Great news all around today...

...Bridget's potty training is going well. Only 1 accident today. She pooped in her pants (on Shawn's watch..hee-hee!) She's still not taking the initiative to tell us when she needs to go. We've been making her try about every hour and a half. She's been dry overnight since the beginning. That's fantastic! We're very proud of her. Make sure when you see her you tell her how proud you are of her. She really likes that she's "almost a big girl now."

...Had a visit with the specialist today. Shawn and I were both a bit nervous because the specialist is very thorough, and if the slightest thing were wrong, he'd be the one to tell us so. I had 3 different exams in 3 different rooms in under 2 hours, so it was quite a marathon visit. 

...Room #1: Ultrasound. The ultrasound tech measured bones, head, etc., checked out the organs and ran the numbers to give us an approximate weight for each baby. The girls are weighing in at about 4 lbs. 1 oz, 4 lbs. 4 oz, and the boy is weighing in at a hefty 4 lbs. 9 oz. I'm at 32 weeks now, and they've been telling us since 28 weeks that the babies growth should start to slow down the rest of the pregnancy as the babies start competing for space. Well, all three are still measuring average compared to singleton babies. YEAY! That's really great news. When the dr. came in to check the babies out, he thought he'd be the jokester today. He said, "Babies 1, 2, and 3 look great, but I just can't seem to find baby 4." Ha-ha dude! Not funny! Then he checked my cervix and said, "Doesn't look like anything's happening with you. You may just have 40 week triplets  going on here!" Yah, again, not funny dude! But it didn't stop Shawn from chiming in, "Only 2 more months to go, honey." Why do men think they can say things like that? It's not like they've ever been pregnant! Oh yah, all three babies are lined up like little soldiers. Their heads are up and their feet are down (all breech). This showed some major movement in the past month. They are no longer in a triangular shape. This also explains why the majority of the movement that I feel is in my lower belly. There are 6 feet kicking me in roughly the same spot. Also, lucky me, all three of their butts are resting comfortably on my bladder. 

...Room #2: Fetal Monitoring/Non-Stress Test. Very boring. Uneventful. What the tech is looking for is that the babies heart rate varies in response to its own movements (or my movements). Shawn thought playing games on his cell phone was more entertaining than talking to me, so I was bored to tears the entire time. 

...Room #3: Biophysical Exam: This was a new test for me. The tech explained that it's kinda like a pre-Apgar test. There are 5 things they are looking for, each worth 2 points. So each baby gets a score out of ten. This was a very quick exam, done by ultrasound. BTW, I should have bought stock in ultrasound gel, because I swear I've been through a few cases of the stuff the past 7 months. Anyway, I only remember 2 of the things they looked at: amniotic fluid level and indication of "fetal breathing". All three babies were showing signs that they are practicing their fetal breathing. Of course, they're not breathing like we breathe, but there's this little movement that can be seen, and babies that do this earn their 2 points. The technician said that it's almost unheard of for 32 week babies to be showing signs of fetal breathing, and all three of mine were, so that was outstanding! My little over-achievers, I'm so proud of them for being at the head of their class before they're even born! When all was said and done, all three babies scored a 10 out of 10 on this exam. Yipee!

So that was it for the doctor. The routine from here on out will be that I see the specialist every Monday for the fetal monitoring and biophysical exam, and I see my regular doctor at the end of the week for fetal monitoring. If any of the exams show signs of distress or if I go into labor naturally, then the little ones will be born. So basically, it's a wait and see what happens game from here on out. 

After that, we picked up Bridget from Grandma Joan's house. I asked Shawn for a little help getting out of the car, and ya know what he said? "You're not crippled." And he didn't help me out. What a jerk! I know he was extremely happy to have just gotten such good news, but that's no excuse!

It sounded like Bridget had a great afternoon with Grandma Joan. She took a 2 hour nap. Now, why won't she take a nap at her own house? She ate a great lunch. She found hidden pictures in her magazine. She colored and made a Thanksgiving picture for grandma. And, she went potty without any accidents.

Next up, the three of us headed to Aunt Mary's house for pizza. That was a lot of fun. Mary gave us some preemie hats and bibs, and Bridget had a blast putting all the gear on her stuffed animal named Super Dog. Bridget also ate a bunch of deep dish pizza, probably 3/4 of a whole slice all by herself! She got a bit crabby near the end of the visit, and she threw a tantrum because we wouldn't let her play with scissors, but other than that, it was a very nice visit. Aunt Mary also gave us a huge basket-o-baby-stuff. Pj's, swaddling blankets, onesies, burp cloths, bedtime blankies and preemie diapers. The outfits were very cute, and I'm sure we'll be bringing them to the hospital with us.

After that, Shawn stopped at Frye's to pick up memory for his new work computer, then we finally made it home by about 9 pm. What a long day, but also what a great day. It's looking like the triplets really have a shot at avoiding the NICU and coming home with us by the time I'm discharged from the hospital! 

Potty Training Day 3

Ok, so yesterday, Bridget had one more accident later in the afternoon. She stayed dry all through the night again. WOW! I can't believe it. The last issue is trying to get her to poop on the potty.

Today was a great potty day. She went to school today, and had just one accident, which to no surprise, was a poop accident. Now, we're 2 hours from bedtime and hopefully the tally will remain at one accident today. Definitely improvement. Now, supposedly, she's to be potty trained in 3 days, so I'm hoping tomorrow's accident tally is zero.

Shawn's bowling tonight, so it's just B and I for the rest of the night. It's really hard for me to do anything with her. I'm really tired all the time, and my hips and back hurt when I walk around. My muscles are non-existent from the lack of movement and I'm basically uncomfortable all the time. The absolute worst thing is overnight my right hand goes numb to the point where it hurts and wakes me up. I can usually make it to about 2 am without pain, but then after that, I'm up every hour shaking out my arm until the circulation comes back. Last night was really bad. I was up every 45 minutes for several hours. The last time I was up it took over 20 minutes to get the feeling back in my hand. I couldn't move my fingers and it hurt really bad. If there's any bright side, then it's that this only happens overnight. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep at night doesn't do much for my attitude throughout the day.

So, I have 2 hours to entertain Bridget before her bedtime. We've already read a long Disney book and played with some magnets. I think I'll have her listen to her 2 library books & CD's, then we'll probably color a bit then start her bedtime routine. 

---Update---

She ended up listening to her library books, then we played with her dollhouse for awhile. Then bedtime. Of course, she had to be a pain in the bottom when Shawn's not around. She was out of bed 4 times. "I gotta go potty." Ok, so she sits on the potty and does nothing, she just wanted to delay bedtime. Then it was, "I want a drink of water." So I got her a sip of water. Then it was, "I'm hungry." which I usually just ignore, but this time she was crying so much and holding her belly, that I actually believed her. So I gave her some fruit snacks. Finally, she says, "I hear a noise in my room." So I ask what kind of noise? "The noise of a digger." What?!? I'm sure it was a car passing by, but I had forgotten to turn on her bedtime music, so maybe that's what she really wanted. So I put her bedtime music on, gave her a stern warning that it's bedtime, and she's not to get out of bed unless she has to use the potty, and there's no more crying and screaming. That worked.

Whew! Then I pretty much passed out on the couch. 

Potty Training in Progress

Well, yesterday we tackled Day 1 of the 3 day potty training boot camp. We began the day by Bridget throwing out all of her pull-ups. She fought it at first, actually crying about having to throw out her diapers. I had to first put her in underpants, then she was willing to throw them out. Overall, Bridget did very well. She liked wearing her Elmo underwear. We made it all the way until about 1 pm without incident. At 1 I asked her if she needed to use the potty. She said no, then proceeded to pee in her underwear. So we ran to the potty, and I stuck her on the toilet and tried to get her to finish on the potty. Within the half hour, she also pooped in her pants. 

After that, she went on the potty and stayed dry the rest of the night. So part of the boot camp plan is that there's no diapers from this point forward...not even at night. So we were interested to see how this first night would go. 

Step 1: No drinks 2 hours before bed. Done.

Step 2: Go potty right before bed. Done, she went.

Step 3: Get Bridget out of bed 30 minutes later so that she understands that she's allowed to get out of bed overnight to go potty. Done, she was try and she tried to go.

Step 4: Put Bridget on the potty when we go to bed. Done, she was still dry. She tried but didn't go.

Step 5: Wake Bridget up shortly before her normal time and have her go. Done, she was still dry, and she went potty! This happened at about 6 am.

Step 6: When she wakes up have her go again. Done, she went! This was about 9 am. She usually wakes up at 7 am, but must have been extra tired from us waking her up so much. 

So now we're half-way through Day 2. I was hoping there would be no accidents, or at least an improvement from yesterday's 2 accidents. Nope!  Almost the exact same thing that happened yesterday happened today. Bridget had cereal and juice at about 10 am. When she finished, I asked her if she wanted to use the potty. She said no. A few minutes later, she looked at me and started peeing. So I snatched her up and ran her to the potty. She did hold it, and finished on the potty. So that was an improvement. Within a half hour, and AFTER she was showered and dressed in clean clothes, she pooped in her pants. 

Today's focus is getting her to take the initiative instead of me saying, "Do you have to go?" or "Let's try going potty." We'll see how the rest of the day goes. Both Shawn and I are very proud of our big girl!

Croup...Again!

Last night, actually this morning at 12:30 am Bridget woke up crying and barking like a seal. Croup again! So Shawn ran the hot shower while I rocked with Bridget for awhile. Then the three of us sat in the hot steamy bathroom for about 15 minutes while Bridget's barking cough subsided. Poor kid! Fortunately, she fell asleep a short while later and slept through the rest of the night. She even woke up about an hour later than usual. 

First thing in the morning, Bridget got in to see the pediatrician. As suspected, it was the croup and she was prescribed one day of steriod and 5 days of breathing treatments with the nebulizer. She's been a bit crabby today, but overall, she's doing well.

Office update: Bridget is going to move into the office once it's renovated. The triplets will move into Bridget's current room that is already set up to be a nursery. Painting is supposed to begin tomorrow, though Shawn still hasn't finished clearing out the room, and he's bowling tonight. Maybe, just maybe the renovation will be done next weekend, though I'm not holding my breath!

My job for today is to pack away all of Bridget's 24 month and 2T clothes. She still fits into some 2T clothes, but what we have is summer stuff, so it's time to pack it up. If I get that done, then I'd like to reorganize her drawers with all of her 3T winter clothes. That might not sound like much to you, but that's a tall task for me!

Rewind to yesterday: Bridget and I had lots of fun painting pumpkins. While Bridget was at school on Tuesday, I painted our big pumpkin green. Then yesterday, Bridget and I added black hair, and I finished it off by painting eyes, a nose and mouth. Finally, we topped our green-faced pumpkin off with Bridget's black witch's hat. It turned out pretty good! While I was putting the face on the witch, Bridget painted some small pumpkins. One pumpkin was painted all black because it's going to be turned into a spider today. The other pumpkins that she painted were brown, purple and pink. We'll spice those up with feathers, buttons, bows and googly eyes today. 

Last night was also Bridget's curriculum night at Chesterbrook Academy. Of the 10 kids in her class, only 3 families showed up. According to Bridget's progress report, she's doing just fine. She's mastered several tasks such as putting puzzles together, shapes, counting to 5 and using sentences to convey her thoughts. Even many of the tasks that the teacher only listed at "developing", Shawn and I know she's mastered already. It just may be that on that particular day of observation, Bridget did not perform those tasks. There's several of her classmates who are potty trained already, and Bridget is not, so that's one thing we really have to get her to do. I got the "3 day potty training boot camp" booklet, so we're going to start that. According to the book, for the next 2 weeks we're not supposed to mention the potty at all. She just gets to go in her diaper unless she tells us she wants to go potty. And every diaper change we're supposed to act very disgusted by having to change her yucky, gross diapers. Then in 2 weeks, boot camp begins. Two of her classmates used this method and were completely trained in 3 days, including no diapers overnight. So I hope this works. Keep your fingers crossed and check back in 2 weeks and 3 days to see if it worked.