They give each baby 30 minutes to complete the tasks, and ours were going so crazy that it took them about 5 minutes. The sonographer asked what it feels like to be me with those busy babies in there...I told her she didn't want to know:)
The doctor estimates that they're 3lbs, 3,25lbs, and 3.5lbs at this point. I asked him what we can expect in terms of delivery. I think since we've gotten so many good reports, we secretly take it for granted that we'll blow past the 32 week average and get our babies to 34 or 35 weeks. He said that's definitely not true. He said the reasons that they make a decision to go in and take babies early (high blood pressure, preeclampsia, placental failure, growth restriction, etc...) aren't present, and he doesn't plan to see them in me....and least for the next 4 weeks. What we can't account for is what my body will do with all of these extra people on board. It could decide to go into labor at any point.
So the doc said this..."While it smells like roses and fresh baked cookies inside to the babies and they're happy as clams, there could be a terrible storm outside"....that's the analogy he used. And this was Dr. Doom just a few short months ago! What he means is that my body will likely decide when we're done. Not my boys. He said he thinks we're good for 2 more weeks and he really expects that we'll go at least 4 more. Any single day they're in there is a blessing, so the longer, the better.
New developments in my world....I'm MUCH slower, and my skin is done stretching. I woke up one morning and noticed that my belly was covered almost entirely in stretch marks, when I had just a few, hidden, small ones with Piper. But for every one I see, I just know my boys are growing, so I sort of love them. And Matt has promised a gift of an eventual surgical solution, so I'm aok on that front:) Piper did point to them the other day and say "Yucky Mommy." Ha!
You all know that I'm a busy body. Well, now I'm more of a busy mind trapped in a much slower than usual body. I'm still doing amazingly well, considering that the vast majority of my triplet mom friends were either on hospital or home bedrest at this point. I cannot complain.
My mom comes over most mornings and helps with the housework and with Piper, which is a lifesaver. And friends are already dropping off meals and doing any single thing they can to help. I am trying to seem as normal as I can for Piper, so I still go to the park and tend to her much like normal...with the exception of staying home during more evening family outings when she and Matt have dates while I rest.
She is still the single sweetest person I know. And Matt and I more and more look at each other every day and crack up that we're gonna have FOUR running around saying "MOMMYDADDYMOMMYDADDYMOMMYDADDY COME OOOOOONNNNNNN!" and giggling. Every morning when I go to her and she's grinning from ear to ear and jumping in her bed saying "Hi Mommy! Where Daddy go?", the thought of the exponential joy to come literally makes me tear up.
I got a steroid shot today and will get another tomorrow that will help prep the babies lungs and other organs for their inevitable preterm delivery. The doc said these steroids are the biggest advancement in preterm labor treatment in the last 100 years. He's a huge fan. The shots today and tomorrow will protect my babies for 4 weeks, at which point they lose some of their magic healing potential, and the boys should be more able to fight the development battles in their absence.
We didn't get any pics of the boys today, but I've included a few family pics we got last week of our little threesome.
Appointments every Wednesday now, so I'll continue to update. Thanks again for the love and support. It means a lot to us.
I'm so happy for you, Amber! You are doing so well. I know it is hard when your body slows down on you, but keep in mind this is such a short period in your life, but such an important one for those boys. I can't wait to meet them!
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