Jack & Jill...our pail runneth over...

We've been bitten by the Stomach Bug!

2009-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, you read correctly..... The trips have a stomach virus. Just when we had gotten them on a great schedule and they were sleeping through the night......BAM! We got hit with a virus. Seriously? I feel like I've been careful with the trips. Yes, we've taken them out of the house a little, and I let them be around their cousins this summer, but I've been careful. The bad thing is, Jack got "the bug" because Jackson or I brought it in the house. We went over to Jackson's parent's house(and didn't even take the trio). Unfortunately, I had no idea that our neice had diarreah and had thrown up that morning. Soooooo......of course we were playing with the little cutie, and Aunt Jill was loving all over her. Then I came home, and I did sanitize up to my elbows, but I guess that didn't quite get it. Jack started a couple days later and the poor little fellow has had it for three weeks now. Gabe and Isabella started four days after Jack, so you can only imagine all the diapers we have been going through. I took Jack to the doctor and my mom and I had the priviledge of getting a stool sample. Just imagine trying to get a sample from a runny diaper. We even tried putting Saran Wrap in the little guys diaper. Still didn't work, but finally mom was able to get enough(thanks mama!). Dr. Holly thought it was either the Rotavirus or a bacterial infection(can't remember the name of it, but I'll let you know). I have to say, these past three weeks have been a real challenge for me. I have felt so sorry for my babies, bacause I feel like they have been suffering unneccesarily. It is so frustrating when your children are hurting and there is nothing that you can do about it. And for three weeks! Hello! Jack is scrauny enough already, and the sweet baby has lost so much weight. Gabe on the other hand..... He would throw up, have diarreah, and still scream for his bottle. We offered Pedialite between feedings(once the vomiting stopped), and now Gabe wants his "Pedialite Snack." Not Good. Thank God, Isabella has had the smallest case of it. She only threw up twice, and her diarrea is only about once or twice a day(unfortunately it happens to be in the middle of the night).

I called Dr. Holly back on Friday, bacause I was really starting to get worried about my baby boy. Three weeks is just too long for a baby, especially a five month old preemie, to have this bug. There's got to be something they can do. So she called in a prescription for both of the boys, and I am praying that it works!

So now, we start from square one. The schedule has gone out the window. I'm trying really, really hard to get them back on track, but it's hard when they wake in the middle of the night with a stinky diaper. Hopefully soon this will all be over and the entire family can start getting some sleep again.

Just for fun, here are a few pics of the trips getting ready to watch the Bulldogs play. GOOOOOO DAWGS!

Gabe, Isabella and Jack

Isabella working on her cheerleading moves

Her outfit is complete

Air Triplets

2009-08-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know my husband, he looooves Michael Jordan...and I mean loooooooves him! I think he has every game that Jordan has ever played and he never gets tired of watching them(must be a guy thing). So for one of our baby shower gifts, Jackson's mom and dad gave us Jordan outfits for the trips. Jackson's mom came over the day and we had a blast taking pictures of them in their outfits, and I had to share. The onesies came with little hats and socks, but they were too small, so I improvised making headbands with the hats and wristbands with the socks. Hope these crack you up as much as they did us!

Gabe, Jack and Isabella

The bros

Air Isabella

My My, How Things Have Changed!

2009-08-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

My babies are 4 months old, and time is flying by! Things have changed so much since the last time I blogged (shocker). First of all...Laid Back Jack is laid back no more! It was like he has woken up all the sudden. I guess he said, "I've been quiet long enough, now I'm going to be heard!" He is the loudest screamer and he talks the most. He is constantly cooing and jibbering. I can already tell that he is going to keep us on our toes and have us laughing all the time. He is quite the character. He can go from a complete screaming fit to laughing his head off.

Gabe is still a Mama's boy, but really loves his Daddy too. He wants to be able to see Jackson when he's holding him, and smiles at him all the time. He's starting to develop a cute personality. He is all smiles now, especially in the mornings. But when he's ready for a bottle, look out. That boy can eat! He's pretty quiet when it comes to talking. He's got the softest little voice.

Little Miss Isabella may be the sweetest baby in the world! Well, of course I think they're all sweet, but she is an angel! She is all smiles all the time! The only time that baby is fussy is when her reflux is acting up or when she is sleepy. She loooves this little stuffed octopus that she talks to all the time.

I think I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. They still aren't sleeping through the night, but it's getting better. I still haven't let them cry themselves to sleep yet, but I guess that's coming soon. The doctor said that three nights should do it. Ugh, I'll try. We had to move Isabella to her own room, and it seems to be working out pretty well. She didn't move to her big girl crib as soon as the boys did, so she didn't really get used to being in the room with them. So, for now, she has her own girlie room where she and her Weez sleep(Weez is my mom for those of you who don't know). Weez sleeps in her room because Isabella still has choking issues. Her reflux makes her spit up a lot, and sometimes she chokes and needs help. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if she wouldn't have had mom in there with her.

So yes, my mom is still staying with us. And for all of you who ask why, I invite you to come spend 24 hours with me, and then I think you will understand.

The babies had their first physical and occupational therapy session a few weeks ago, and it went really well. Gabe even rolled over for the first time! Show off! They gave us some exercises to do at home, and Jack and Isabella go back at 6 months. Gabe is scheduled to go once a month because he has "high tone." From what I understand, that means that his muscles are a little tight and he needs just a little more work. So, we do our stretches with every diaper change, and we'll go back this month to see how he's progressed.

I still look at my babies and can't believe what miracles they are and how incredibly blessed we have been. They are all doing so great, and amaze me everyday. Even though it's a lot of work, they are so much fun.

Here are a couple of pics from the last month.

I love these next three pics. All three babies are having intense stare downs with their carseat toys. Jack, Gabe and Isabella

So that's about it in a nutshell. Any advice on getting my little ones to sleep through the night, or when it might happen would greatly be appreciated. Well, gotta go......babies are calling!
BTW...I'm already working on my next blog, so it won't be a month

"Multiple" Personalities

2009-05-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my babies are 10 weeks old, and they are literally changing daily! They are really starting to develop very different personalities, and it's so fun to watch them interact with each other.

Sweet Jack. Jack is my laid back baby. He could care less if the sun rises or sets, he's just happy to be in this world. As long as you feed him and change his diaper he is good. He's the one that will wait for the other two to have their bottles. I think he would sleep all day long if you would just give him his pacifier every once in a while. God knew what he was doing when he gave us Jack.

Mama's Boy Gabe. Gabe has definately become a mama's boy lately(and that's fine with me!). He can get a little frantic at times, and all I have to do is walk up to him and he quiets down. He's also quite the snuggle bug. He loves to nuzzle in and go to sleep. And let me tell you, that is some good luvin!!

Miss Priss Isabella. She is definately all girl. The little thing is the most high maintenance for sure. Put it this way, the nurses in the NICU said she came out spoiled. She loves human contact, and is already a little mess. She will fight you tooth and nail if she does not want her pacifier or if she is not ready to lay in her bed. Boy arewe going to have our hands full with that one.

Just a little update.....

They are now all smiling at us, and that is the best feeling in the world. They're still eating every three hours, so sleep is minimal at the Michael house, but hopefully that will change sooner than later. All three of them love their Little Lamb Cradle 'n Swing. Thank goodness, because they really don't like bouncey seats or anything like that. And don't even think about turning on any type of vibration for Gabe. He screams bloody murder. Another thing that seems to pek their interest is their Baby Einstien play mat.

Mom and I ventured out of the house to Target last week. It was quite the side show. We got the typical questions that we were told we would. "Are they triplets?" The best one was, "Did you have them, or did you adopt them?" But at least everyone was nice.

I went back to the doctor last week to get an IUD, and Dr. Leach got to hold them for the first time. We both still couldn't believe that all of them were in my belly 10 weeks ago.

So that's about it. Mom and I are taking them to the doctor for their 2 month check-up tomorrow. Wish us luck. Three screaming babies...oh Lord!

BTW.....to all of you mom's of multiples who blog on a regular basis...hat's off to you. Especially you Suzanne. How do you do it??? I'm trying to get better.

Taking Pictures & Having Fun

2009-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some fun pictures of the babies. It's amazing how much they are changing.

I can't believe they're already 4 weeks old!

Isabella loves to scoot down to the bottom of her bed

Sweet Baby Jack. Check out how Jack & Isabella are mirroring each other.

Gabe is so comfy in his Moses basket

Playing dress up with Isabella

More to come!!

Gabe Is Home!!

2009-04-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

I'm such a terrible blogger. My sweet baby Gabe has been home since Saturday, and I'm just blogging about it. We're finally starting to settle in, so hopefully I'll get better at this.

Jackson & Gabe with oxygen in tow

But anyway......

Praise God! All three of my babies are home! We were able to bring Gabe home Saturday. We had to bring him home on oxygen, but at least he's home. I have to admit, it has been a little overwhelming to bring a baby home hooked up to oxygen tank, but we're trying to adjust.

Look at that precious face!

I thought I was going to lose it after we got Gabe home. Besides the oxygen, they sent us home with a monitor that tells us his oxygen saturation. We're only supposed to do spot checks on him, but of course, I'm a little paranoid, so I wanted to leave it on him. About the time Gabe's monitor started alarming, Jack got choked. His little lips turned blue as he was trying to gasp for air. Luckily we got him under control, but we were still having trouble with Gabe's monitor. We called Gabe's favorite NICU nurse, Lisa, who gave us a couple tips, and Jackson seemed to get it figured out. I, on the other hand, just wanted to cry or run away, or both. This is such a scary time when they are this young, and I am so paranoid. Couldn't they just send a NICU nurse home with us until they were about three or four months old? :) Seriously, I've just heard stories of mom's finding their children not breathing, and it scares me to death. What if that happens and I don't know what to do? I'm so worried that I would freeze. I'm just praying that I don't ever have to go through that.

Ok....I just had to get all of that off my chest. I know things could be much worse, and believe me, I know how incredibly blessed I am.

Welcome Home Jack and Isabella!!

2009-04-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Getting some good-bye hugs from Susan and Lisa

We were so blessed to bring home Jack and Isabella yesterday after spending 18 days in the NICU. My sweet little Gabe is still there because of some oxygen saturation issues that he is trying to work through. Yesterday was such a roller coaster of emotions for me(not that my emotions aren't enough of a roller coaster). On one hand, I couldn't be more thrilled that two of my babies were well enough to come home after only a 2 1/2 weeks, but on the other hand, I could hardly stand to leave one behind. We are so fortunate to have the best nurses taking care of our sweet baby. I know he is getting lots of hugs and getting extra spoiled, so that makes it a little easier.

Daddy getting Isabella ready for the ride home

It's Jack's turn!

Gabe waving good-bye. See you soon brother and sister!!

As for the two at home, they did great last night. My mom and Jackson's mom stayed up with them ALL NIGHT and watched them breathe so I could get some rest between feedings. Thank you!! So we survived the first night with two. Whew!!!

A night off

2009-04-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Jackson and I want to say a very special thank you to our Mom's for giving us a night off tonight. As much as it hurts me to not see my babies, I needed a night off, so our Mom's went for the 8 o'clock feeding. The triplets are so blessed to have such wonderful grandmothers (and grandfathers) to help take care of them.
We get to visit the triplets at 8am, 2pm, and 8pm. That's when I get to breastfeed(yes, I'm breastfeeding all three of them) and we get to love on them for about an hour. They are doing so great, and hopefully coming home very soon. Gabe is still on a little oxygen, so he may have to stay a little longer than his brother and sister. We should know something by the weekend.

I'm still planning on backtracking and blogging about the birth, but it's hard to find the time traveling back and forth to the hospital three times a day. I'll catch up sooner or later....I promise!

Grandma Weez changing Isabella's diaper

Mamommie working on Gabe

Two happy ladies!

Thanks Mom's! We love you and appreciate everything you do!!!!!

Tornado Warning

2009-04-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Last night we were at the NICU on our nightly visit, when someone came over the intercom, "Tornado Warning for Clarke County." Jack has been fed, getting some loving from his Grandaddy, I'm feeding Isabella, and Gabe is still waiting on his groceries. The nurse comes in and says we have to move the babies to the utility closet. "What?" How are we going to move them with all their monitors(and now Gabe is on oxygen) and wires to a utility closet? Well that is just what we did. We all grabbed a baby and IV stands, and off we went. Needless to say, our three little ones filled up the utility closet, so we had the place to ourselves. Jackson got to feed Gabe, and then all we had to do was wait, watching the babies like hawks to make sure they were breathing and doing well. Thankfully, after a little hail, strong wind and two hours in very tight quarters, the warning was lifted and we were back to bed in our room. Whew! We survived our first tornando warning with the triplets!

Grandaddy with Jack and Me with Isabella

Jackson feeding Gabe and Mamommy keeping watch over everyone

Catching Up

2009-04-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Oh My Gosh! It has been soooo long since I've been able to blog. The hospital blocked my blog so I couldn't do anything for the 3 WEEKS that I was there. I'm going to catch everyone up on everything as soon as I get a minute, but I just wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know that Jack, Gabe and Isabella are doing great and they are 1 week and 1 day old. They just got moved to open air cribs today-yeah!!!!! I promise to post everything from the past couple of weeks, but here's a quick peak at my little miracles.

Isabella, Gabe and Jack

My Special Visitor

2009-03-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know me well, you know that my dog, Molli, is my furry baby. I treat her like a human, and I love her to death. She is definitely a mama's girl(though she loves her daddy too). Since I've been stuck in the hospital, Molli has been staying at my mom's house (thanks Mama and Robbie)! I can't tell you how much I miss her, and I know she's extremely confused. So Jackson decided to bring her to St.Mary's for a little visit. Talk about lifting my spirits. It's amazing what a big ball of fur can do for a girl that's about to go crazy. Here are some pics of her visit.

Two more things: First, I need to say a very big Happy Birthday to my love, Jackson. He is 34 today and having to spend his day and work and at the hospital with me. I promise, we'll celebrate when we get these babies here. I love you, baby. Thanks for keeping me company and always cheering me up!

Second, there is not much change in the baby department. I have had a lot of contractions lately, and I thought last night might be the night, but not yet. My nurse, Sandy called Dr. Leach and he put me back on the meds that stop my contractions, and for the most part, that has done the trick. I'm still not dialated, but I may be a little more thinned out. But the good news is that the babies are lower. That's something right? The fetal specialist come in today to check on the little ones, and I'm sure I'll get two thumbs up and the "just keep going" speech.

I'll post after I see the docs.

Stick A Fork In Me.....

2009-03-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

'cause I am DONE! Friday night I noticed that Gabe was not moving like I was used to. Jackson tried to reassure me that everything was fine, but I didn't sleep that night worrying that something was wrong. These babies have always been so, so active, and out of nowhere, Gabe was still. I called the doctor on Saturday morning and pretty much lost it on the phone. I couldn't stop crying and told it I was a nervous wreck. Of course, she told me to come to the hospital to monitor the babies, so that's what I did. Thank God, all three babies heartbeats sounded great, but they wanted to do an ultrasound. Dr. Campbell noticed that Gabe's fluid levels seemed a little low and that could be why his movement slowed down. She offered for me to stay in the hospital and I said "yes!" Up to this point, I have been anti-hospital, but I think I've gone as long as I can go. (Here comes the complaining) I'm uncomfortable as hell(measuring 44 weeks pregnant), emotionally and physically exhausted, and I've made it to my goal week of 32 weeks. I've had enough!!!!

31 weeks

So, the fetal specialist came in this morning to check on the babies fluid, and he said everything looked great. Don't get me wrong....I thank the Good Lord everyday that my babies are super healthy and that I have made it this far, but I am ready for them to be born. When he left, I just cried and cried and felt so guilty for the way I reacted to his news. What a selfish mama I am to want them out. They are doing great and I'm crying? Things could be so much worse! I know I'm very blessed to be where I am, and I'm trying to change my attitude. So please keep me and the triplets in your prayers and pray that they come when God is ready for them to. For now, I'm in the hospital until the babies decide to make their appearance, which means I'll be blogging a lot more.

Sorry for the no make-up face

Just for fun, here's a picture of Jackson and me on my very last night out. I went to our friends Dominic and Diana's wedding reception. I only went for about an hour, and it was next door to our house. And yes.....I did wear heels!

Having a contraction before going to the reception. I know, I know :)

30 Weeks(Measuring 41)

2009-03-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

I had my 30 week doctor's appointment today, and things went pretty well. The good news.....the babie and me are doing great. All the munchkins are 3lbs or over and I couldn't be more happy. Also, my cervical length is still nice and long. The bad news....I'm starting to get really, really uncomfortable. I hate to complain, and I am thrilled to have made it this far, but I'm ready to get these babies out of me. I have enjoyed every bit of my pregnancy....until now.

Dr. Leach said he still thinks I have a couple weeks in me, which is good, but boy I'm ready.

I also found out that he is going to be out of town all of next week! I'm a little nervous about that, considering I always assumed he would do my c-section. The other docs in the practice are awesome, but Dr. Leach is my man. I'm just going to try to rest, rest, rest and do absolutley nothing next week to try to hold off.

I go to the fetal specialist on thursday, so I'll get some accurate mearurements of the trips and make sure they are still going strong. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures, but they are so squished at this point.

I can't wait to see my babies!

This is 29 weeks, but you get the idea

What a Weekend!

2009-02-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am so glad to have this weekend behind me. First of all my sweet dalmation baby Madison was put to sleep on Saturday. I've had her since I was eighteen years old, and I'm just devasted. She was the best dog and has lived everywhere with me. I even drug her to Tampa and back and she was sucj a trooper. Her health has been failing for quite some time now, and it wasn't fair to let her continue to suffer. It was such a sad moment.
Then.......if that weren't enough drama in one day, I started having contractions and some really bad back pain. So I called the doctor and he wanted to come to the hospital. Exactly what I didn't want to do. The good news was that I wasn't in labor...yet. But....the contractions kept on coming. I got my steriod shots early and they put me on a medication to try to slow down my contraction. At first, it wasn't really doing the trick, but the the Lord, late last night they subsided. They checked me again this morning and I was still dialated to 1/2 cm and 30% thinned out.
So it looks like bed rest for me :( I can go into work for short periods to do payroll, taxes, etc., but for the most part it's rest, rest. rest. As hard as it's going to be to stay off my feet and do NOTHING, I've got to keep these little angels in for 4 more weeks, hopefully. I really am thankful that I've made it this far with no complications. We have been very blessed.
I go back to the doctor on Friday for a checkup, so I'll update then.

Update and Pregnancy Pics

2009-02-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

I went to the fetal specialist on Monday and got another great report. Thank you Lord! The babies are doing remarkably well. They are growing by leaps and bounds. Here are their current weights:

Gabe: 2lb 8oz (what a big boy)

Isabella: 2lb 5oz

Jack: 2lb 3oz

I can't believe I have that much baby in me! Poor babies are so squished.

Dr. Rosemond recommended that I go ahead with steriod shots to help their little lungs along just in case they decide to come any day now. I have been having more contractions than usual, and Monday was the first day that they were coming consistantly at 20 minutes apart. Thank God they have subsided somewhat, but I think he wants to be on the safer side. So the plan is for me to go Tuesday and Wednesday for the first rounds of steriods, then I will get one more dose when I go into labor.

So only 4 1/2 weeks til my goal of 32 weeks! Still no bedrest....WOOOHOOO!!!!!

Now, on to pregnancy pics. My sister-n-law Candice took them last weekend and did an amazing job. They are exactly what I wanted. She is an amazing photographer and has a great eye. Check out her website at http://www.candiceholcomb.com/

Not only is she good with pregnant ladies, she's great with brides and kiddos too!
I love all of them, but here are just a few of them that we picked out. Hope you like them!

Thanks Candice! What a lucky girl I am to have such a wonderful photgrapher in the family! Can't wait to see what she does with my little munchkins when they get here!

I'm Gonna Miss This

2009-02-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

Last night I was looking at some of my maternity pictures that my sister in law did, and it hit me. This is it.....this is the last time I will be pregnant. Big tears came up in my eyes and I was so sad all the sudden. I only have about six more weeks of being pregnant. I need to remember everything....every flutter, every kick, everything. Thank goodness I've been fortunate enough to have an ultrasound every two weeks, so I have a lot of pictures.

Jackson have discussed getting my tubes tied or him having the big "V", but it just seems so final. I know it seems practical for us to do that, but I would hate to regret it one day. Who knows....we may want another one in a couple of years. I don't think we would go through fertility treatment again, but who knows, I could get have a baby without it.

I have to remember, no matter how uncomfortable I am or how huge I get, I have to cherish every moment of this amazing experience and not take one day for granted.

By the way....I'll post some maternity pics soon. Candice did an amazing job!!!

My Growing Babies

2009-01-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor on Tuesday and got a great report. I'm just amazed at how these babies are growing!

Gabe is a whopping 1lb 11oz

Isabella is 1lb 9oz

Jack is 1lb 5oz

Big Boy Gabe

Miss Priss Isabella

My sweet baby Jack is getting squished on the bottom. Poor baby didn't even want his picture made, so I only have pics of Gabe and Isabella. It may have been because Isabella was actually sitting on Jack's head, so he was a little embarrassed and didn't want to show his precious face:)

How We Got Here

2009-01-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

My last day at Dr. Slayden's(My fertility specialist)

Jackson & I knew we wanted to start a family as soon as we got married. It's not that we had trouble getting pregnant....Jackson could look at me and I would get pregnant. I just had a hard time holding on to the pregnancy. I miscarried three times in less than a year. The first two were after the babies heartbeats were detected. Unless you've gone through the loss of a pregnancy, it's hard to understand what it feels like, and it's hard for me to put it into words. I don't know how I could have gotten through it without strong faith in The Lord, my husband and my family and friends. After my third miscarriage, my doctor refered me to a fertility specialist. After extensive testing, my fertility specialist decided that fertility drugs were my best options. He wanted my body, with the help of the drugs, to produce multiple eggs in one cycle in hopes that one of the eggs would be a "good egg", and I would carry it to term. The first month of treatment, we tried Clomid. My body didn't respond the way the doctor wanted it to. I actually ovulated before any of the eggs were mature enough to be fertilized. Then, the next month, they found a cyst of one of my overies and had to postpone treatment. Ugghhh! Then, the doctor decided we should try injectables(Menopur). So here we go, a shot in my stomach every night. I didn't care..... I would do anything to get pregnant and stay that way.

Ok... the injectables did what they were supposed to do, and my eggs were ready. We decided to do IUI(intrauterine insemenation). Since I do get pregnant so easy, we wanted to try that before we resorted to in vitro.

Two and half weeks after the IUI, I got a positive pregnancy test! I was excited and scared to death. Would it work this time? I had eight eggs that were mature enough to be fertilized, surely one of them will be good. The doctor told me that he thought I would carry one, maybe two. Two loooong weeks went by, and it was finally time for our first ultrasound. How many would there be? Would this really work?

The sonographer started the ultrasound and it seemed like forever before she spoke. TRIPLETS!!!! What??? We knew there was a chance we could have multiples, but you're never really prepared for someone to tell you that your having three babies at once! All the blood had drained from Jackson's face, and tears began to fall down my face. We frantically began asking questions.....Do they all look ok? Are they measuring like they are supposed to? Are their little heartbeats strong? YES! YES! YES! More tears. The sonographer asked if I was ok. I said "It's just that, we've lost three." And she said "Well Honey...you just found 'em."
So that's it in a nut shell. That's how I got pregnant with my little miracles. Isn't amazing how God works. I lost three babies, and he gave them back to me. I was meant to be a mom of triplets.

24 weeks with triplets!

2009-01-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

Yipeeee! The triplets are viable today! Whew! What a relief. Today I can breath a little easier because the babies can survive on their own if they decide to come early. When Dr. Leach told me we had to make it to week 24, I thought it would take forever, but it actually has gone by pretty fast. Thank you God for these three precious babies.

I've got so much to blog about, but I'm still trying to figure this thing out. I promise to keep it interesting and post lots of pictures.