19 Weeks Pregnant WITH BOYS!

Today I am 19 weeks pregnant! I know this is my second post this week but this one is to just give a general weekly update. If you missed my last post about the big MFM/ultrasound appointment, you can read that one here. I want sincerely thank everyone for the sweet comments on Facebook and on the blog post itself (also I've heard that some people are having trouble leaving comments on the blog. If that's you, try changing your Internet security settings to allow cookies). Anyways, back to thanking you. We got over 100 likes on Facebook! And that's just on the link that I personally shared. Several other people shared the link as well and I saw those comments and likes also. Wow! I really feel loved! So thanks everyone for the encouragement. It means more than you can imagine.

So this week's fruit is large tomato . . . the babies are supposedly the size of large tomatoes. (you're welcome Keith). I may be confused but this seems smaller than last week's fruit (bell peppers). Maybe we just have abnormally large bell peppers? Anyways, the internet told me that the babies should be around 6 inches long and 8.5 oz. That's pretty close to what my ultrasound showed (7 oz. for Baby A and Baby B and 8 oz. for Baby C). Also their arms and legs are proportional to the rest of their bodies now. So that's good news!

Some new things have happened over the last week. I had my first dream about the babies being here. Crazy! In my dream I was not overwhelmed too which I'll take as a good sign. Also I have started to feel little flutters when the babies move. Mostly though I only feel them when they all shift to one side (usually my right side). Today, Baby B spent the entire day in my ribs. Not the best feeling in the world. But maybe he just wants to remind me that he's in there. Believe me it's hard to forget!

Other than the exciting appointment on Monday, I have just been working and trying to relax. Oh and EATING!! I posted in a Facebook group for triplet moms and asked for suggestions for gaining weight. I've never done this before but I felt like it was really helpful. I got several responses almost immediately and a few moms even chatted with me on FB about their triplets. Basically everyone just said eat, eat, eat. But I did get a few good ideas - like drink Ensure and Carnation Instant Breakfast, focus on protein, eat things you would avoid when dieting, and eat before bed. Yesterday I ate almost 3000 calories! Wow! I'm on track today too. Luckily I really like things like ice cream and pizza, which have lots of calories to begin with. Now may be a good time to buy stock in Sonic or Gigi's Cupcakes. Yum!!

I feel like I've grown exponentially this week. Here's a picture of me this week. Definitely getting bigger!

I guess I'll only get bigger from here! I read that all pregnant women start really getting bigger around this time so there's no telling how big I'll get over the next few weeks. Bring on the double chins. I'm ready. But only if it involves ice cream and pizza.

My 3 Boys

That's right. The Mann triplets are all boys! I don't know what to think. Again. This keeps happening. I have no idea what to do with boys so of course they are all boys. I guess we'll learn.

Today we went to our big appointment with Dr. Wendell. He's a maternal fetal medicine (MFM) doctor, or a high risk specialist. Everyone in Little Rock recommended him because he's really good - actually he's the best. I was really against a male lady doctor but because he's the best I didn't have to think twice about it. Only the best for my babies!

We had a big ultrasound that looked at the full anatomy of each baby. I say "big" because it was an hour long ultrasound on the Level 2 ultrasound machine. They're definitely boys! The first 3 pictures from our ultrasound photos from today are penises. I won't share them on here but if you don't believe me just ask. I can prove it. Trying to keep it PG on here!

All 3 babies are looking great still. Baby A and Baby B weigh approximately 7 oz. each and Baby C weighs approximately 8 oz. This is what they are supposed to weigh if you were wondering. Also they all measured within 1 day in gestational age which is perfect. 

The ultrasound technician checked all of each baby's organs and limbs. (They are all there. Yay!) They were pretty mobile today and moved around a lot. Baby A completely switched from one side to the other during his ultrasound. We got lots of pictures and a DVD today. I teared up a little at one point. This is the first time that's happened to me with this pregnancy. I was way more emotional with Addison. Here are some pictures.

Baby A (above)

 Baby B (above and below)

Baby C (below)

And we got to see them in 4D today too! I wasn't expecting this so it was an awesome surprise. All 3 boys like to keep their hands by their faces so we got a good shot of Baby A and Baby C in 4D. Baby B was hiding close to his placenta so his picture isn't as good. But it's amazing how much you can see in these pictures!

The scary news of the day - Dr. Wendell is really worried about preterm labor. I apparently have all of the risks -  (1) triplets (2) low pre-pregnancy weight and (3) history of preterm labor with Addison. My water broke at 30 weeks with Addison and she was born at 32 weeks. Dr. Wendell thinks the babies will definitely come before 32 weeks, which is average for triplets. To put things into perspective, my uterus is about the size of a normal single baby uterus at 30 weeks already! And my body doesn't know that I have 3 babies in there. This is pretty scary to me. Good news is that I'm bigger than I ever got with Addison already. 

Dr. Wendell said the goal is 30 weeks (May 14). Brian and I are still hoping for 32 weeks (May 28 - our anniversary). Dr. Wendell said ideally I would be a 240 lb. 6 foot tall black woman. Exactly the opposite of myself. Pretty much he just meant that the babies need lots of room. And I'm not a good size for that right now. Hopefully I'll get there! Please pray that I can get big and fat for these babies! Seriously. I can diet and exercise later.

So basically I have to take it easy and get fat. Dr. Wendell wants me to gain 60 lbs.!! That means lots of ice cream. We went straight to Sonic after the appointment and I got a Reese's blast and chili cheese tater tots. Yum! Also I'm not allowed to exercise. Not even yoga. Good thing I didn't really like yoga. Any extra exercise takes calories away from the babies. And they need lots of extra calories so they have plenty of room to grow and stay inside as long as possible. 

For now I'm going to keep working and doing normal stuff (just with more food). I will likely be put on some form of bedrest around 24 weeks or shortly thereafter. The doctors will reevaluate this as we go along. 

I am staying with Dr. Dora as my primary doctor for now. That's good news. Dr. Wendell has been reviewing my file and ultrasounds as I've had appointments up to this point and he will continue to do so. I will see him and Dr. Dora from here on out though. Dr. Wendell wants the ultrasounds at his office so he can view them live and look himself if he so chooses. I'm pretty happy with this decision too because that means he's right there if something comes up.

So right now we're scheduled to go back to see Dr. Wendell on March 28 for another ultrasound. We'll see Dr. Dora sometime before then.

And the babies will have names soon. I promise to share them. Also, if you have name suggestions, keep them to yourself. I don't really care. Brian and I are naming these boys ourselves. Not trying to be mean! Just honest! 

18 weeks is when the clothes stop fitting

So we are 18 weeks today (tomorrow if you are reading this on Tuesday night). The babies are supposedly the size of bell peppers! According to my internet research, the babies should be around 7 oz. each this week and about 5 1/2 inches long! That seems a little big to me, but I guess I don't feel very small anymore so maybe.

I had a regular checkup with Dr. Dora Tuesday. She said everything is going great! All 3 babies have perfect heartbeats. Yay! And Dr. Dora checked to see if they are boys or girls again. She confirmed what we learned last week. Baby A is a boy, Baby B is a boy and Baby C is a girl. She's almost 100% sure about Baby A and Baby B. We'll confirm Baby C on Monday when we go to the high risk doctor. Dr. Dora gave us a brief overview of this visit so I think we're ready. Also, I gained . . . 11 pounds this month! Whoa! So that's 12 lbs. total through 18 weeks. Dr. Dora is very happy with that. Brian is too. I can tell he's relieved because he was so worried that I didn't gain any weight during the first trimester.

Here are some pictures of the babies. In reverse order so C can go first for once. 

Baby C - you can see her little arms by her face!

Baby C's tiny feet! So precious!

Baby B - looks like he's smiling!

Baby A

I love getting to see my babies at every appointment! Dr. Dora is the best ultrasound picture taker! She gets each baby's face every time! I kind of wish she could go with me to the Level 2 ultrasound!

You can't tell by the pictures but they are little wiggle worms! I thought I felt one of them kick the other night but I haven't felt it again. I know it's coming soon. Then I'll probably wish they would stop! So far I can only tell when they shift their entire bodies to one side (because it doesn't feel good!)

Biggest event this week . . . I outgrew my regular clothes and had to stop buttoning my pants. Remember last week when I said I had court and wasn't sure if any of my suits still fit? Well they don't. I found this out Wednesday night and I had court Thursday morning. Luckily I had already bought a belly band so I wore that over my unbuttoned suit pants. And I left my shirt untucked. I hope the Judge wasn't offended! I won my motion and the a judge gave me everything I asked for so I guess I was ok. I felt like a slob though. I had to wear a suit Friday too. Also unbuttoned with the belly band and untucked shirt. I felt more comfortable that day though for some reason. I think the shirt I chose Friday made me really look pregnant instead of just unprofessional. Who knows really. 

After the realization that I can't keep wearing my clothes much longer I went shopping on Saturday. Not fun. I like shopping for clothes but this was different. I had a very limited budget and most of what I tried on looked terrible on me! If you've never been pregnant and had to shop for maternity clothes, this compares to swimsuit shopping somewhat. I did find a few things I can stand wearing. And luckily for Brian I skipped the front of the maternity clothes store where they keep the designer jeans. I'm kind of a jeans snob if you don't know. But I don't pay full price ever. And I'm not starting now! If someone has some designer maternity jeans I can have I would be your BFF forever. For real. But no pressure. 

Did you hear about the woman in Mississippi who thought she was having triplets then delivered quads? Surprise! How did they not know?! I mean I'm 18 weeks and I've had 6 ultrasounds already. That's just crazy to me. But what if it happened to me?! I asked Dr. Dora and she said something isn't right about this story. She said she's positive I am only having 3!

Here's a link to the surprise quads story in case you haven't seen it and would like to read about it:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/17/identical-quadruplets-triplets-mississippi/5567673/

Also, today is Brian's birthday! He's 33 if you're wondering. For his birthday he got to go with me to see Dr. Dora. And he got to see his babies too. And I cooked him dinner. He said he didn't want anything for his birthday but he got a few gifts too. Here's a picture of Brian with his mini cheesecake I didn't make this but I wish I could make tiny cheesecakes. I can only make full-sized cheesecakes and then I have to eat a full-sized cheesecake because Brian usually only eats one piece and Addison doesn't really like cheesecake. She called the crust cinnamon dust! Ha! She's a mess.

And here's a picture of me in my maternity clothes. I feel like I've gotten so much bigger this week! Maybe I have. Yesterday my favorite jeans wouldn't button :( I was pretty sad. And very thankful for the belly band so I could still wear them.

Next Monday is the big appointment with the high risk doctor. We'll confirm the gender of all 3 babies then too! Then I can start baby shopping. Don't tell Brian.

17 Weeks - Almost Too Busy to Post!

17 weeks today! Sorry I don't  have any fruit comparisons today. None of my weekly pregnancy emails told me this week and I did not have time to go out and actually research this. The only reason I am actually posting this today is because I wrote a draft yesterday. Just got home from work at 9 and just now eating dinner at 9:30 (I did eat at work too so don't get too worried).But supposedly they are the size of turnips? That doesn't help me at all. I also think the turnip comparison is for weight. They should be 5 oz. (and they are!!) And supposedly they will double in size in the next few weeks according to some unnamed internet sources that I looked at before today.

We had the follow up ultrasound yesterday. I was worried the appointment would be cancelled because the weathermen were predicting SNOW!! But we got nothing. Of course. We did get snow Friday night though. About 4 inches. Addison loved it! 

I love this picture. Pure joy. This is why kids are so awesome. Me? I just watched because Brian said the babies weren't allowed to go sledding. But it was so worth it to see Addison's excitement. 

Now that my ADD moment is over ... Back to the ultrasound. This one went so much better! We checked their size, heartbeats and amniotic fluid. All 3 babies are doing perfectly! Perfect heartbeats and fluid. And all 3 weigh around 5 oz. That's the right size according to the ultrasound technician. They measure size by measuring each baby's head, belly and femur. They don't measure length anymore though so I don't know how long they are. 

Oh and we looked for sexes today too. This isn't definite still but ... Baby A looks like a BOY, Baby B looks like a BOY (again) and Baby C looks like a GIRL (still). I asked how sure she was and she said 80%. I'll take it. Brian's happy because with 2 potential boys he's thinking they're probably right about at least 1 of them. I think they're probably both boys. She pointed out the penises. Weird that there are baby penises growing inside me but I'll deal with that. Baby A looks pretty clear to me. Baby B isn't as clear but that's the one Dr. Dora thought was a boy before. 

Here's a picture of Baby B from yesterday. So cute! Looks like he's sucking his thumb!

I hope he doesn't end up sucking his thumb like Addison! It's cute but really hard habit to break. Brian finally got Addison to stop when she was 5! Of course his first attempt worked too after I had been trying for years. 

We also got our cribs this week. They came on Monday while I was at work. And Brian built them already!!

Obviously I'll put them in different places but they're in the room!  It's getting real to me finally. We have 3 cribs!

We'll order the bedding once we find out for sure if they're boys or girls. Brian finally told me his names yesterday. I'm not sharing any names though so don't ask.  Also no one else gets a say in case anyone was wondering. 

Next Dr. Dora appointment next Tuesday. Then the next week we go to the high risk doctor and we get a level 2 ultrasound. They'll check each baby's full anatomy at that appointment so we should confirm sexes then. I can't wait! 

Here's a picture of me. 

Getting bigger finally. Some of my clothes are starting to get tight too. I'm not happy about that but it's making the pregnancy feel more real. I had to unbutton my jeans last week after lunch one day but other than that I'm still buttoning my pants. Mostly just my shirts are a little snug and some are even a little short. But I have court in the morning and I have no idea what I'll wear. Hopefully I can find something court appropriate. I think at least one of my suits should still fit.

Also I still love ice cream. Kroger makes Baby Ruth ice cream that is AMAZING! I don't even like Baby Ruth candy bars but everyone needs to try this stuff. Seriously. Do it.

16 Weeks

16 weeks today! I guess we may be half way . . . we'll see. If these babies are like Addison then we're half way there. Anyways, the babies are supposedly the size of avocados this week (for Keith who likes the fruit references).

This was a rough week for me. I mean, most of my pregnancy symptoms are gone now that I'm in the second trimester. Oh wait, that is except the worst pregnancy symptom. For me at least. I am an emotional wreck this week. I also started feeling sick yesterday. Today I sound like a man (apparently a drag queen according to my coworkers but still a man). I guess that means more ice cream though so that's good at least. And my regular clothes are really starting to get tight so I had to go out and buy some belly bands so I can quit buttoning my jeans pretty soon.

If you remember, I had an ultrasound appointment on Monday. I was really excited about this appointment and have been looking forward to it since my last appointment. We were going to get to see the babies on the big ultrasound equipment AND we were supposed to confirm the sexes of the babies. But that didn't happen.  In fact, nothing really happened except they measured my cervix (looks good by the way so yay!). We left the appointment more confused than before. I didn't even get any pictures!

When the ultrasound technician (I assume that's her title) came in she asked if we knew the sexes because apparently everyone at the doctor's office has been wondering. We said we were supposed to confirm that today. So she checked. Kind of. She didn't look too hard in my opinion. At least not compared to the last ultrasound girl or Dr. Dora. So here's what she told us - Baby C looks like a girl and Baby B looks like a girl too! What?! But Dr. Dora said Baby B was a boy! So she checked again and said maybe Baby B is a boy, I'm not sure. So now we don't know about any of the babies' sexes. I don't trust her opinion about Baby C either anymore. She didn't really check Baby A at all. Then she checked my cervix and said we were done. I asked her "aren't you going to measure the babies?" And she said "No, we just did that so we're not doing that today." (we didn't just do that - we haven't measured them in a month!) I was kind of in shock so I didn't question her at the time.  The more I thought about it though, the more upset I got. I mean, my understanding was that we would get these stronger ultrasounds every month to check the babies' measurements. We need to make sure they are all growing at the same rate right? And she didn't even check their heartbeats!

After I got back to work I became very upset. I'm usually a laid-back, go-with-the-flow kind of girl but not when it comes to these babies. I am constantly worried that something will go wrong. So of course the more I thought about the ultrasound and how she didn't even check the babies at all, the more upset I got.

So . . . Brian to the rescue! He emailed Dr. Dora and told her our concerns. And it turns out I was right! (I love saying that). They were supposed to check the babies at this appointment. I guess there was some confusion somewhere. But Dr. Dora fixed it. So we have another ultrasound scheduled for next Tuesday. They will measure the babies then and check for sexes then too. Yay! Brian is hoping and praying that Baby B is still a boy I know!

Lucky for me I have a great husband and some great friends to support me through my emotional roller-coaster pregnancy. One of my friends even cried because I was upset! I guess she's a keeper.

Other than my emotional state I had a pretty good week. We ordered 3 cribs and 3 crib  mattresses on Amazon yesterday. They should be here by the end of next week! Yay! We also had a "snow day" yesterday. I put "snow day" in quotations because we didn't actually get any snow. We got freezing rain for a few hours so the roads were a little icy and we stayed home. I got up at my normal time and worked from home for a while. But I did get to rest some which was really nice. This past weekend Addison and I went out to lunch and had some Mom and Addison time too which was nice. I wish we had time to do this more often! Oh, and I've gotten to eat lots of ice cream this week too.

15 Weeks and Growing

15 weeks today! For anyone who likes the fruit-baby comparisons, the babies are supposedly the size of apples this week (or 4 inches long).

I am finally starting to look a little pregnant (sometimes). Here's a picture I made Brian take of me tonight. For anyone who asked for photos of my bump, you're welcome. I guess I'll post a few here and there.

Most of the time I just look like I've gained a little weight. I'm in that awkward phase where I look fat instead of pregnant. But I'm getting there. Several people have commented on my growing bump the last few days. Jack (my boss) even rubbed my belly today. Pretty awkward but I know he means well.

Basically I've been trying to eat right and get some exercise while I still can. Here's what I've been doing:

Exercise: I've been trying to get to the gym some and I've been doing some prenatal yoga at home. I've been making it to the gym about once a week, but I would like to go twice a week if possible. Brian would prefer that I do nothing. My main goal is to stay healthy, keep the babies in for as long as possible, and keep myself strong enough to stay off bed rest as long as possible.

At the gym I do a light 30 minutes elliptical workout then either a very modified core workout or light upper body machines. 

Funny story about the gym this week: So yesterday I went to the gym after performing my Dance Mom duties. Unfortunately, there was a camera man there! And FYI, I just looked fat yesterday. Several of my coworkers confirmed this by laughing at my muffin top before I headed out. I blame it mostly on my poor choice of shirts but still, I had no business being in a video for a gym. Of course this happened though. For anyone who doesn't know, I have been in the 10 Fitness commercials here in Little Rock for over the last two years off and on. I happened to be at the gym at the right (wrong) time - 10 am on a Wednesday to be exact - and I ended up in several shots for the commercial. Sometimes my cameo appearance is still included in current commercials. Hopefully this time they only got either my chest up or my butt down. Yeah I know, good luck with that. At first I was in good shape. I was parked on an elliptical next to an older out-of-shape lady who had no business being in the commercial. But then, of course, an attractive (for the gym) athletic younger guy gets on the elliptical on the other side of me (if he turns out to be hideous in the commercial don't judge me - I couldn't be caught staring at him so I really don't know). I almost started picking my nose so they wouldn't use me again. Maybe I should have . . . . 

Today I decided to stay home for my workout. So I did my yoga video (thanks Bethany and Keith). Now I've never done yoga before so I have nothing to compare it to, but is she serious? First, the yoga instructor and the students are all wearing unitards. And they are supposed to be in varying stages of pregnancy. I, on the other hand, do not wear a unitard, ever. Then, the instructor tells me things like "feel the dignity of your pose" as I'm falling over, or my favorite, "yoga is like childbirth" (yeah right, I know that's a lie). Then there's the "guided relaxation" segment at the end. This is the portion of the workout where my dogs always find something or someone outside to bark at. And either Brian or Addison always decide that this is a good time to come in the bedroom and ask me questions, including "what are you doing" or "are you asleep?" Needless to say, the guided relaxation doesn't work for me. So yeah, yoga probably isn't my thing. I do like it though because it stretches me out. But I haven't really been able to fully relax during or after yoga yet. Maybe that comes later? Maybe I just need a less cheesy yoga video and/or instructor. 

Pregnancy Diet: Not really a diet I guess. But I am supposed to eat an extra 900 calories per day (300 per baby per day)! This is on top of my previous daily calories, which was around 1200. So basically double the calories. I try to get 2000+ calories a day. I am also watching fiber and protein. I downloaded a pregnancy nutrition app a few weeks ago to keep track of everything and that has really helped. 

My goal is to make my meals count and still eat mostly healthy good-for-me-and-the-babies food. I get full pretty fast (unless it's pizza, and then I can eat a gross amount that would put any grown man to shame) so I try to eat snacks. I've started eating bigger breakfasts, like a smoothie with fruit, yogurt, almond milk, flax seed and spinach if Brian is out of bed (don't knock the spinach until you try it - you can't taste it and it's so good for you!). And I've been eating snacks between meals, like pretzels, granola bars, yogurt (yum! and good for calcium too).  

Another big thing I have to watch in my diet is water. I need more than the standard 64 ounces recommended for everyone. I was told 80-100 ounces per day. I've done pretty well with this, usually closer to 80 but still good. And I can track my water with my nutrition app!  But as you can probably imagine, all that water means I can never sleep through the night without getting up at least once to use the bathroom.

My favorite foods right now - pizza, ice cream, cookies, and yogurt. I guess these aren't pregnancy cravings though because I love these things all the time anyways. I also rediscovered bagels with cream cheese. One thing I have noticed is that I have reverted to my high school/college days and dip everything in ranch again, like pizza of course.

Home Sweet Memphis

We had a great trip to Memphis this weekend (in our new minivan of course). I always love going home but I can't seem to get there often enough. You would think a 2 hour trip wouldn't be too hard to squeeze in but you'd be surprised. I can only imagine how this will be when we have 3 more kids in tow. Maybe everyone will just have to come visit us in Little Rock more often.

We had a full schedule of things to do this weekend, but first, my mom made homemade spaghetti. She called on Thursday to see what I wanted since I can eat anything I want as she put it. I'm not sure why she asked. My answer is always spaghetti. This was our first trip home since we told everyone we were pregnant and that we were having not one but three babies. I loved seeing everyone and showing off my ultrasound pictures in person. In a family of 5 kids I don't get to be the center of attention very often. Maybe that's why God decided I needed to have triplets - so I can get some attention for once. Whatever the reason, I'll take it. (Disclaimer - I do get plenty of attention. There's lots of love and attention to go around in my family. I just have to share).

The main reason for our trip - Brian's sister and brother-in-law had their baby this week. That's right, Baby Liam arrived this week! The triplets will have a cousin only a few months older than them! Sorry Liam that you only get to be the baby for a few months! 

Addison got to hold sweet Liam. A little practice for her big sister duties. She's a natural.

And of course Brian got in a little baby time too! Actually, he hogged the baby and didn't want to give him back. He's ready I think . . . maybe.

We also visited with my BFF Carly and her babies - Maddy (almost 6) and Sadie (4 months). Sweet Sadie is such a happy baby! I would have brought her home with me but I guess I can wait a few months and have 3 of my own!

Now that I've spent time with other people's babies I'm ready for mine to be here! But not too soon. Trying to keep these babies in as long as possible. 

I spent most of the day Saturday shopping for baby stuff - my first real babies shopping trip! We found some great cribs at a store in Memphis. Then we found them at a better price online when we got home! Yay! I also picked out my nursery bedding at Pottery Barn Kids. So cute!  I also made the executive decision that we won't use bumpers in the cribs unless the pediatrician says we need them. I've been reading that doctors are recommended that parents NOT use bumpers because they can hurt the babies. Addison survived with bumpers and so did most other babies but we'll save the money where we can. This way the babies will be able to see each other in their cribs too, which I've heard is great for them.

So this was a perfect weekend. Spent time with family and friends, played with some babies, went shopping for baby stuff, and ate lots of good food. Oh and I finally got a good night's sleep one night, thanks to my Snoogle that Brian bought me last week (photos to come in the future). Hopefully more of those to come!