Our Loss of Man's Best Friend

Yesterday was a very sad day at our house as we had to put Champion down due to somewhat of a freak accident. On Monday morning, Champion was jumping out of the bed and got his back leg caught between the mattress and the foot-board of the bed. He was obviously in a lot of pain, but seemed to be OK for about 24 hours. Then yesterday, he was simply trying to climb up onto his ottoman to lay down for a nap and his hip popped out of the socket. He was in excruciating pain so we got him to the vet quickly and they sedated him. After some x-rays, they anesthetized him and popped it back into the socket. The doctor said that he got it back in, but it went in way too easily, and thus would easily pop right back out when he tried to move. He simply had too much ligament damage from his accident the previous morning. We were given the option to try surgery which would require weeks/months of recovery time. Of course, Champ was not a young pup anymore (he was about 11 and a half) and he had some other health issues so there were no guarantees. Plus, the recovery process would require Champ to stay downstairs in a crate for an extended period of time, which would be pure torture for him. And of course, the next few weeks/months won't exactly allow us to be overly attentive to his recovery. Ultimately, we made the incredibly difficult decision to end Champ's suffering. Melissa and I, as well as Rokky, were there with Champ 'til the end. He's now in doggie heaven and pain free...and warm...and will never be hungry again (he was always starving)!

Below are a few favorite photos of Champ, doing what he liked to do best...being lazy! When fed, and warm, Champ just wanted to snuggle!!

Rest in Peace little buddy...we'll miss you!

31 Weeks and Counting...Appt Update

OK, so technically tomorrow is 31 weeks, but who's counting right?

Today, we had our last "planned" appointment of the calendar year and everything looks great. Today's appointment was just a "consult" so they didn't do full growth measurements like last week, but he did a quick ultrasound to check heartbeats and all 3 look good.
All three boys are head down, which really surprised Dr. Strauss. He said that's really rare with triplets. So my first question was "Does that mean that we'll avoid the C-section?" He said "there's not a chance." Apparently there are only a few places in the country that do vaginal births with triplets, and none of them are around here. There is too much risk because as the first one is being born, it's very difficult to monitor the heartbeats of the other two, so they just don't really do it very much at all for safety reasons. And they NEVER do it at UNC (or anywhere in the state of NC for that matter), so we're still locked in on a C-section, sometime between now and Jan 27th.

Our next scheduled appointment is January 7th (in Chapel Hill). This will be a full scale appt where they check growth, heartbeats, fluid levels, etc, etc. Between now and then, the doctor just wants Melissa to check her blood pressure a few times and if it gets higher than 140 over 90, then call them. Today it was 108 over 55, so it's in good shape for now!

After that, we have another appt scheduled for January 21st...of course, that one is apt to change depending on circumstances.

Melissa is still not ruling out going back to work at the first of the year. Dr. Strauss continues to be amazed at how well she's doing. She still has the philosophy that she'd rather be miserable at work, where she can be distracted, than be miserable at home doing nothing all day. We'll see and she's definitely playing it by ear.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Depending on the potential snowfall (we'll post videos and/or pictures if we get snow), and any other crazy events that might happen in the next 8 days (we're hoping nothing crazy happens), this might be the final post of a very wonderful 2010!

Love to all!
Jason-

Almost 30 week - appointment update

One word: Awesome. Dr. Strauss continues to be amazed at how well things are going. Everything with me looks great (even though I hit a wall last night and was miserable due to the four hours of constant movement and discomfort from the boys 'moving') cervix, blood pressure all great. The boys continue to amaze Dr. Strauss. They are literally clustered together on the growth chart hovering around the 33% range. That number is in comparison to a singleton pregnancy so the 'low' rating is not alarming or bad in any way. As a matter of fact, Dr. Strauss commented that he can't remember the last time that triplets all clustered like that on a growth chart. What that means is that they are all developing at the same rate and that makes him very happy. Heartbeats were all strong (upper 130- mid 140) and their weights are heavier than most singletons at this stage. (A - 3 lbs; B- 2 lbs, 15 oz; C- 3 lbs 2 oz). All vital organs look great and all is well.

I asked Dr. Strauss to give me a timeline for delivery. Actually, what I asked for what the best (worst) case scenerio - he says that if I make it that the latest he would deliver the boys is January 27th - YES, 36 full weeks! While I understand that it is great news, it is also hard to think about lasting 6 more weeks, especially if they keep gaining weight like they have over the last 4 weeks (each boy gained 1 lb +) By the end of this, I could possibly be carrying between 12-14 lbs of babies. I can't even begin to imagine how they would fit if they were all that big or how I would manage to do anything but it is still good news to hear.

I have 5 more days with students and then a teacher workday next Wednesday and then I am done with work for Christmas break. If (and that is a big IF) I go back after Christmas, I would start with a workday on Jan. 3rd but I am not making any promises beyond next week!

28 Weeks!

I went back to see Dr. Strauss on Friday for a check-up. This was a "biggie" because we actually had to go to the clinic at UNC Hospital. Until now, we had simply been going to a satellite clinic that does ultrasounds since it is closer. The irony is, when we got to Chapel Hill for my blood work and exam, I wasn't sure where to go. I checked in at the desk and she sent me to the back to give my sample and I had to ask for directions! After they took my samples and I went to my room, Dr. Strauss' nurse, Jeannette, came in and looked at us kinda funny because my chart claimed that I hadn't been seen since August! What she didn't realize was that all my other appointments were logged in 'cyber medical space', just not in hard copy in her file. She wasn't too happy about it but in my opinion, keeping his patients happy and under less stress is more important than keeping his paper files in order.

Yet again, more good news was shared. My weight gain is great (his words, although I can't feel the same was since I am the one gaining all this weight!). Blood pressure and first round of lab work came back normal, yeah! We are waiting to hear about the blood glucose results to see if gestational diabetes has developed. Here is a prime reason why I really like Dr. Strauss. He point blank told Jason and I that it is not uncommon for multiples, triplets in particular, to 'fail' this test. He said that each placenta automatically creates more glucose because that is how the baby gets his nutrients. Therefore, with 3 placentas, I will most likely not be within normal range. All this means, again in his words, is that I will have to be inconvenienced and come back to UNC for a 4 hour glucose curve test. He said there is a good chance that those results will also show high, but not to worry. We will talk about the next step if we have to go there. So instead of me panicking and worrying about the blood results, I haven't even thought about them (until writing this entry tonight). That is how a doctor keeps his patients calm and in control. He took a quick peek at the boys to check heart beats and all are healthy and strong. He asked Jason and I a few questions about plans once the babies were born (support system, nursing plans) and was pleased to hear that we had already been talking about those things and seem to have a good support system in place and ideas about pumping and formula feedings. He said he just likes to check with his patients at this point and make sure that conversations are at least taking place.

All in all, he couldn't be more pleased. I did ask about some swelling I have had in my left leg in particular (a warning sign of preeclampsia) and he told me that what I have is normal and gave me more specific things to look for (none of which I have experienced).

We set the next appointment (growth and measurement ultrasound) for Tuesday, December 14th and then the next set appointment isn't until Friday, January 7th. I am sure that I will see him at the ultrasound clinic for a 'quick check up' between those dates but he doesn't seem to worried about seeing me, which I have to take as a good sign.

Here are the pictures that got you to read this far (or at least scroll here!)

16 weeks (below) vs 20 weeks (below)



24 weeks (below) vs 28 weeks (below)
Chase wanted to pose too!

Nursery update

Well, now that the expansion of the third floor is done and all the junk has been removed from the nursery, my mom and I have spent the last 2 weekends getting it organized and ready for the boys. I wish I had thought to take a picture when it was literally stuffed from wall to wall (including the insides of the closets!) so you had a true sense of how much work she has done with me to get organized. Jason worked like a manual laborer along with my mom moving the large items out of the room last weekend and then mom and I tackled the task of baby items.

We decided to organize the boys 'stuff' into 3 sections: Newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months. For each hanging rack there is a shelf for onsies, bottoms, jackets/t-shirts, PJs, sleepsacks according to size. One the side of each hanging rack is hanging clothes associated with that size. To the left of the Newborn rack is all the 'triple items' that we have. We realized that we have TONS of 0-3, 3-6 month stuff but not much newborn which makes sense with a full-term baby. Not sure how quick the boys will grow into the 0-3 month size but we can always 'pad' them if we have to!

We also have baskets/bins for burp cloths, socks, towels/wash cloths, toiletries, hats and shoes (broken down by sizes)

Here are pictures of each closet to give you a visual of what has been done. Now we (meaning Jason) will paint and organize the crib(s) and get furniture put into place. Then we will be ready for the boys to make their arrival. However boys, don't get any funny ideas, the middle of January is still the plan!

Let it snow!

The first snow of the winter...it started snowing during Chase's nap on Saturday afternoon, so when he woke up, he was surprised to see snow coming down. We quickly got on our gear and went outside. We had to go across the cul-de-sac to go see our neighbors who were outside and we got some quick video of Chase enjoying the snow.

Chase's new woodplay set!!

So, for Chase's Christmas present, we decided to get him a play set. We investigated Woodplay sets, which are known for their durability and longevity. Well, they are also really expensive, even with heavy discounts right now on their entire product line. Anyway, since they are so durable, we decided to look on Craigslist for used ones. We found one in the Raleigh area that was gently used. A family in Cary with 3 kids, the youngest of which is now 10, didn't really use it any more, so they were getting rid of it. It presented a good deal to us, and included installation. That is, Woodplay (the manufacturer) charges $350 to break it down, transport it, and then re-build it at our house. This $350 was included in the price, so we felt like it was a good deal.

Anyway, the installation took a few days, because there were a few rotten boards. Woodplay guarantees the wood, so they replaced these boards for free...but it took a few days to get the pieces in. Here are a few pictures from the installation process, and then the final result.

Merry Christmas to Chase...and thank you so much to the family members who contributed to Chase's Christmas present. Even though he got it early, hopefully through the videos below, you can appreciate how happy his present has made him!






















And now for the videos (4) of Chase's introduction to his new play-set.

25 1/2 week appointment update

25 1/2 weeks and all is great! All three boys are growing exactly as we had hoped and doing their best to make me even bigger! So all the anatomy results are fabulous. We even got to watch the boys 'exercise their lungs' as the nurse called it. This was good to hear. One of the biggest problems preemies normally have is under-developed lungs so the fact that they are strengthening theirs in the womb is good news in my opinion. The stats we got are as follows:

Trip A - 151 bpm heart rate; amniotic fluid level almost 7 mm; weight 2 lbs, 1 ounce; 58th percentile for overall growth

Trip B - 134 bpm heart rate; amniotic fluid level just over 6 mm; weight 1 lb, 11 ounces; 34th percentile for overall growth

Trip C - 144 bpm heart rate; amniotic fluid level 6.5 mm; weight 1 lb, 12 ounces; 47th percentile for overall growth

It is not abnormal for multiples to be at different growth rates and percentiles. The good news is that all three are making great progress and the doctor continues to be happy with that. Because each boy has his own sac and placenta (in layman's terms = nutrient source), percentages aren't too concerning to anyone as long as they continue to grow and develop - which they are. Chase always measured small on growth charts (and still does to this day). We are continuing to focus on all the positives which is what the doctors are focused on too.

My next appointment is Friday, December 3rd and I will actually go to Chapel Hill to the hospital for that one. I will have my gestational diabetes test and other exam items done at that time. Until then, no news continues to be fabulous news.

I am still working full-time and feel pretty confident about my first working goal of Thanksgiving. From there I plan to take it one week at a time. I will get to the point of having weekly appointments pretty soon so if Dr. Strauss tells me I need to wrap it up, then I will. Until then, Thanksgiving is right around the corner so I will keep my focus there and not get too far ahead of myself with anything else. Below are a few pictures we got today. Because the boys are getting bigger and do not have the kind of space they used to, the pictures are harder to get (at least the 'cute' ones). We are still able to get the important anatomical shots - even with them moving and kicking all over - but the 'family' shots are harder to get.




Trip A really wanted nothing to do with a 'family' picture today. He kept rolling over and showing us his back, literally. So this is a shot of his left shoulder at the top of the picture and some ribs just below that. He is looking away from the camera so the back of his head is all you will get from him.



Trip B gave us a nice profile shot. Looks like he has a HUGE nose but it is cool to be able to see such distinct profile parts (eye socket, nose and lips).



Trip C turned his face toward us when she took this shot so he looks more like a skeleton. You can see his left eye socket pretty clearly and the outline of a nose in the middle of the head with his chin sticking out toward the middle of the screen. His left hand is raised above his belly.



Trip C again with the alien 3D shot. He is holding his hand above his head in a fist with his thumb sticking out. Looks like this is our photogenic boy. Pretty cute though!

Milestone for Chase

While I am not foolish enough to believe it is due to anything other than his belly being upset and needing a better position, Chase pooped in his potty today! He was so excited when he was done (mostly because of the relief he felt) but we made a big deal of it and he got to flush it down the toilet and say good-bye to it. Maybe we are turning a corner, but I am not getting my hopes up. Could I have only 3 in diapers instead of 4? We'll see what happens over the next few months!

24 week profile picture

16 weeks VS 20 weeks VS 24 weeks


Well, it's that time again. I didn't think it was possible but I am even bigger now than I was 4 weeks ago. I know I said it last time, but I honestly, truly don't know how I can stretch any more! My poor belly button is already sticking out so far and the area around it is bruised because I have no depth perception so I bump into the faucet in the shower (yes, it's funny, but it also hurts like the dickens!)

Will the belly be bigger than Chase's head? Well, to be fair, this time around he was actually looking at the camera. However, I fear we will get there before this is all over!

20 weeks 24 weeks

For those who have asked what we need or how they can help, unfortunately, there are some things that we honestly won't be able to answer until later. For one, until we get the remodel finished and can 'clean out' the nursery, we won't know about crib spacing/layouts and furniture for that room. Second, until the triplets are born and we get a better sense of what we need, there isn't much 'fun' stuff. We have registered for stuff at Babies 'R Us again for those who are curious. I am seriously under-estimating on diaper needs but I have 2 friends at school who are hosting a 'diaper drive' for us - which is AWESOME - so I decided to get the styles and sizes that I know we will need. As we get some of those delivered to us, I will adjust the registry and add more. On average, a newborn uses 8-10 diapers per day. Multiply that by 3 and we will use almost 100 diapers every 3 days! How do you begin to plan for that?

Anyway, we just wanted to get this information out for those who are interested. We are grateful for the continued thoughts and prayers as they are doing their job and making this pregnancy so smooth. My next appointment is November 16th in the afternoon. It will be a growth and measurement appointment for the boys so we will have a better picture of their growth and progress over the 4 week period. We will update the blog after that appointment (unless Chase gives us a reason to post something)

Appointment update - almost 24 weeks

Well, yet again, Dr. Strauss was excitedly pleased with how the boys and I are holding up. All the questions he has for me warrant a negative response (which is good) and he is just pleased with where we are right now. He actually commented to the Ultrasound nurse that I am not a complainer (which I try not to be) but he is surprised that I am not more uncomfortable with all the pressure on my lower abdomen. All heart rates are good (around 140-160 depending on the boy) which is good. They were all very active and busy which is normal for that time of day. I am doing great as well. Cervix measurement, which is an indicator of impending delivery, was great so no worry about that any time soon based on the numbers. The fluid pockets/levels for each of the boys is well above normal as well, yet another great thing for all of us. Dr. Strauss says I can keep working since things are going well which is good news for me. At this point, I feel good about my first work target date of Thanksgiving. If all continues to go well after then, well, we'll see. We go back in 2 weeks for an actual growth ultrasound to measure the boys and their progress but we got some pictures today just to 'check in' on them.

Trip A waving hello to everyone. The ultrasound nurse commented that it might not be too much longer before we can't see much of him. His position has him potentially blocked out by his brothers as the all continue to grow and get bigger. We actually got to witness that today when the tech was trying to get a 3D scan and Trip B's spinal cord was in front of Trip A. It was weird to think about being able to scan through a spinal cord like that!


3D image of Trip A. Facing front with his umbilical cord snuggled near his chin. You can see his eyes and nose pretty clearly. His mouth is covered by his hand and umbilical cord.

3D image of Trip B. This is the only shot we got of him today. He was not very cooperative in either 3D or black and white scan. You can see a good view of his nose (which looks enormous in this shot but it is simply because he is looking down. It also looks like he has a lump on the upper left side of his head, yet again, just a result of the picture angle. What looks like a beaded necklace near his chin is his umbilical cord too. We joked about the fact that the boys must be bored and wanting something the play with which is why they all keep messing with the cords!



Black and white scan of Trip C. He was extremely cooperative today so we got lots of shots of him. He moved a little right as we were taking the shot so you can't see much in his chest or upper body area.

3D scan of Trip C. We actually got this one in hard copy because the ultrasound nurse said it was such a sweet shot. His features are very clear and he is either sucking on his fingers on his right hand or has them tucked under his chin. Either way, too cute!



Trip C black and white shot. You can see his fingers above his head (or maybe it is part of a brother's hand!) and he is bending his leg which is in the upper left corner of the scan.

Trick or Treat...

...or as Chase says, "Trick or Treak"

On Thursday afternoon, SciQuest had it's annual trick-or-treat event for the kids.
Chase's penguin costume made it's debut. For the record, Mom is 23 weeks along in this picture.


After all the trick-or-treating, everybody went to the breakroom to eat the candy and other snacks. Chase got to see his buddy Alex (Tiller) from his previous daycare. Alex is almost exactly 2 months older than Chase. They have really missed each other!


On Halloween morning, we had to carve the pumpkin. First, Daddy cut it open and started cleaning it out. Chase was not sure at all about the pumpkin"guts".


Then we drew the face on the pumpkin. Mommy gave Chase several options (preview on a piece of paper) and Chase chose the smiley face one. Captain was also intrigued by this whole process!


Our finished product!


Then on Halloween evening, we went to Uncle Matt & Aunt Jenn's house to go trick-or-treating with cousins Bise and Meredith. The other strange little girl in this picture is Bise's neighbor who went trick-or-treating with us. Bise was a transformer and Chase felt like he needed help with his mask.


We're ready to go!!


One house had a gigantic inflatable Shrek on the front porch, so we had to get a picture of that. Chase is a big fan of Shrek!


After leaving each door, Chase would run back to the street and scream "I got candy!!"


Finally, we got back to Bise's house where we got to eat our candy. Cute cousins!

Chase Memory.....

I had to get this down before we forgot because it made us both laugh so hard. So after his shower tonight, Jason was drying Chase off in our bathroom getting ready to brush his teeth and dry his hair. Chase looked down at his chest and told Jason, "get the dirt Daddy". Jason giggled and responded, "that isn't dirt buddy, those are nipples." Chase then said, "oh, hippos." We both burst out laughing, which Chase then did too.

Kids says the cutest things sometimes.

Appointment Update (21.5 weeks)

Melissa had another appointment this afternoon and everything looks great, both with her and all 3 babies. They performed ultrasounds to get growth and development measurements on all three boys. They all checked out great. "A" and "B" are measuring 15 ounces while "C" is exactly one pound. All of the measurements are right in line with expectations for 21+ weeks.

If you recall from the last appointment (9/21) there were two very minor issues that the doctor wanted to keep an eye on. Boy A had a little bit of excess fluid in his left kidney...and Boy C had a slight issue with the dura not completely fusing together at the top the brain. Well, we are happy to report that today's ultrasounds show that both of these issues are no longer issues. Boy C's dura shows no issues any more, meaning it has completely fused, like normal. Boy A's kidney was measuring a proper amount of fluid, well within normal range, so everything is fine there too!

The doctor was also extremely pleased with Melissa's condition as well. She's been feeling very well (relatively speaking of course). She obviously gets fatigued quicker than normal, but for being almost 22 weeks pregnant with triplets, she's holding up really, really well. And, according to the doctor, her cervix looks fantastic! Trust me, that's all the details you want. :)

We have appointments scheduled on two week intervals (for the next 6 weeks), which gets us through Thanksgiving and then he said we'd go to weekly after that. So the next one is on Tuesday, Nov 2nd. As for bed-rest, the doctor still has no specific time-line for Melissa, but he said that Melissa can continue with her current schedule and we will continue to play things by ear. Since Melissa has her planning period as the first class of the day, she's going to try to go in late (sometime during the middle of that planning period) a couple of days a week. Occasionally if she doesn't sleep well at night, or has had a rough day the day before, going in late will really help her body to just chill out a little bit. The doctor liked this idea a lot. He said that her body will be the judge of when she needs to change her work schedule and/or eventually go on bed-rest. He has the philosophy that unless it's medically necessary for bed-rest, he is fine for Melissa to continue working and doing things that she feels comfortable doing. He obviously wants her to continue to take it easy, but at least for now, he thinks it's actually better for her to continue being active (relatively speaking of course). That made us both feel great, because Melissa and I are both pretty sure that she would go crazy if she was forced to be on bed-rest before she really felt her body needed it. And when Momma's crazy, we're all crazy!

We are extremely pleased with today's appointment and the results. Again, the next appointment is Tuesday, Nov 2nd. We'll have another update that evening. Here are a few ultrasound pictures of the triplets.

Supposedly this first one is a picture of all 3...if you can pick out three heads, well, you should be an ultrasound technician!


This is a profile picture of Boy A.



And Boy B...


And Boy C...