Be Careful What You Wish For

I've been told that there's an old Spanish proverb that says, "Be careful what you wish for, for you just may receive it." Well, that's happened to me twice this last week or so.
My sister was in from Hawaii for Christmas, so we got to spend it with my family, and then saw Dave's parents a few days later. Everyone has been so great about being flexible and doing what works for us best. I kept mentioning that I really needed to get out of the house. (Christmas shopping was actually something I looked forward to doing -- I had to be alone and I was getting something big done!) Dave has been great about letting me get out as much as possible, but it's been a long couple of months as the kids have had lots of colds.
So anyway, we planned one evening at my Mom's, one at our house, and one at my Dad's. Well, as you may have read already, I spent most of Christmas Eve at the hospital with Jack, so that threw all of our plans out of whack. We didn't even open any presents until the 26th! I have to say it was kind of nice not to have the focus be on presents, though. We had some nice family gatherings squeezed in with some good food, and that was great for me. Somehow I don't think next year Alyssa will wait to see what we got her until the night of the 27th, though!
So now I find myself at the hospital once again. This time I am here with Drew, and we are next door to the room where Jack was. At least Drew was nice enough to get sick during the day instead at night! He also has RSV and a couple of small places with pneumonia on his lungs. He's actually been on antibiotics since Thursday, so he should be getting better soon. He wouldn't eat very well for us this morning, and it seems he got dehydrated. He had a scalp IV put into his head (not fun for baby or Mom!), but it fell out. But now he is doing so much better that they are letting him keep it out, yeah! He still has electrodes on his chest and his toe (also known as the ET phone home light). He's had some breathing treatments that seem to help, and so far he hasn't needed oxygen. He definitely looks better than when we got here, so I am so grateful to see my little boy doing better!
I never thought I would use my NICU knowledge again, but it's just like riding a bike, I guess. Drew is on all the same monitors he was as a newborn. But I have learned a lot, too (like double check what the ER doc says with the pediatric hospitaltician). I think the boys have learned a lot, also. It didn't take them long with all the poking and prodding to look at everyone who came into the room with distrust. It's like their little faces were saying: “What are you going to do to me?” But it seems that most of that is over now - thank goodness!
I have to say that it's much quieter here than at home, but when I dreamed of peace and quiet, this is not what I had in mind!!!!! We are at a new hospital, though, that is more like a hotel than anything. So if you have to be in, this is the way to do it! That will teach me to wish away my life or want other things, huh? Hopefully, we'll get some rest and be home soon. I am fighting a sinus infection, too, so I need some shut eye myself.
As for Jack, he is doing much better. Yesterday, he really smiled a lot and seemed like his old self. He is still wheezing a little bit, but the RSV lasts around 2 weeks, so that's expected. Lauren is hanging in there so far. She is starting to wheeze and cough, too, though. She is also cutting her first two teeth, so that is making her nice and cranky!
So we could really use your prayers for our family to get healthy and stay there. 2006 has been quite a tough year, and I have to say I'm kind of glad to see it go. I'm looking forward to 2007 and the fresh start (and hopefully sleep!) it will bring.
God bless you all and Happy New Year!
Amanda

Copied and edited from our previous page on Babysites.

I Knew There'd Be Days Like These

Hello everyone!
I thought today would be a good day to give you a taste of what life is like for me. Today was actually an exceptionally bad day, so it will be therapeutic for me to write about it, and that much more amusing for you.
Let’s say for simplicity that my day started at 7:45 am (you know I was up before then, right?). I awoke to the sounds of the babies grunting/crying and Alyssa yelling “MOMMY!” over the monitor. I was dreaming about a friend of mine getting married in Las Vegas, and I struggle to switch gears from what was evidently some pretty deep sleep up to full speed Mommy. I decided to go for Alyssa first, because, let’s face it, there’s not much the babies can do if I ignore them (plus sometimes they give warning cries and go back to sleep).
I went in to get Alyssa and she wanted her breakfast. But she also informed me that the babies were crying, and they are hungry. I grabbed some dirty bottles from last night, took Alyssa downstairs, and heated the water for her oatmeal. Then I went back up to get the bottles that are made for this feeding and Drew. He makes this terrible noise now when he is hungry, ever since he went on the antibiotic for his ear infection. As I picked him up, I realized that he is wet all over his back. So I put him in the Pack ‘n Play by the changing table, assemble Alyssa’s oatmeal, and go upstairs to grab another baby. Lauren is still sound asleep. She shares the crib with Jack and has scooted so their feet are touching - so cute. So I picked up Jack and he is wet, too. I guess it’s time to bump the boys up to size 2 diapers. I grabbed the cooler of breast milk that needs to go into the fridge, and went downstairs and put Jack next to Drew and run upstairs to get Lauren and the bottle bundles (they help me feed 3 babies at once). I took her downstairs and put her in the Pack ‘n Play by where I feed the babies (so this became the uncontaminated area). I got Alyssa’s Princess bib on her and got her red juice in her purple cup with the lid and let her pick which color Hello Kitty vitamin she will eat (these are all very important details to her). Then I set about the task of detoxifying the babies and putting dry clothes on them. Alyssa finished her breakfast while I am doing this (amongst continual cries of hungry babies scattered throughout the downstairs). I grabbed a wet paper towel to wipe her face off and the globs of oatmeal that have fallen on the floor. I told her she needs to wash her hands and set up her little stool in front of the bathroom sink so she can do it herself (also a big deal to her). She immediately goes into hysterics all over the floor, because she wanted to wash them in the kitchen sink (did I mention she went to bed an hour late last night?). This was her second tantrum of the day; the first one was over some playing cards.
Drew is changed by now, but between the changing table and setting him next to Lauren, he has developed another wet spot. I decided to ignore it, because I have 4 screaming kids to deal with. I got Alyssa somewhat calmed down and got her into the bathroom. She wanted to put on lotion, but not to wash her hands (this is a big change from the kid who used to carry bars of soap constantly and washed her hands neurotically during all my ultrasounds). I told her I’d give her lotion after she washes her hands. She goes into another tantrum. Honestly, a few hours later I can't even remember how that saga ended.
I then worked on getting Jack and Lauren dry pants and bottles made. I set the babies up to feed with the bottle bundles. Then along comes "help." Alyssa’s new thing now is to help feed the babies, which she thinks is pretty neat. Lauren is her favorite victim for this. She does an ok job, but you have to watch her like a hawk, which is not really what I needed when I had 2 other babies to watch eating at the same time. Lauren got frustrated that the bottle kept going in and out of her mouth and started screaming. If Lauren is not happy, she makes it very clear - I dread her temper tantrums in the future. Luckily, Alyssa soon lost interest and went off to play.
By now it’s almost 9am and the babies still aren’t done feeding, so I resorted to turning on Dora to distract Alyssa so that I could fully focus on the task at hand. I finally got the babies fed, grabbed some breakfast and checked my email. I wrote my poor husband a long email titled “issues” and proceed to discuss things like our bug infestation and bumping the boys up to the next size diaper. I will forget to tell him about all this by the time he gets home, otherwise. I also got an email sent off to the nurse who took my blood to see if I’m still anemic or just tired because of my life! Then I suddenly remembered that I haven’t changed Alyssa’s diaper yet today. Luckily, it is a commercial during Dora, and she is willing to lay down for me to change it.
Soon it’s time for another feeding and Lauren woke up a little ahead of schedule. I got ambitious and decided to nurse her, especially while Alyssa is being entertained by the electronic babysitter. Drew woke up when I was almost done, making his horrible noise again. I got him a bottle from parts that are still in the dishwasher and needed the water shaken off them. I finished off Lauren, who took a quick nap and then decides that she was hungry again, while I am also feeding Drew. Jack woke up and wanted his turn. I got really ambitious with him and decided to try out the Podee bottles that allow him to self-feed. On the way to make his bottle, I noticed that the nice man from the Purdue extension office has emailed back that he does think we have fleas. Without a dog or a cat in our house, though, he thinks they will eventually die off and vacuuming will help tremendously (like I have time for that). The nurse also emailed back that I'm not anemic. Just my triplets making me exhausted, I guess. I got Jack’s bottle assembled and it doesn’t work because I used the wrong kind of nipple. I opened a new package and give him that one (you can tell he isn't a firstborn, since I didn't even wash it yet). He eats about an ounce, and then falls asleep. Then Alyssa decided today is the day that she wants to go on the big girl potty for the first time for me. The babies were still feeding, but almost done. I decided to interrupt their meals to seize this opportunity, and Alyssa gloats over her moment of glory. During this time of gloating, I finished off Drew's feeding and I got Alyssa and I some lunch. I was blessed to have wonderful leftovers from a dinner that a friend had brought over Monday. But before I finished my lunch, the doorbell rang. Alyssa got up to see who it is. It was grandpa. Whew, otherwise I wouldn’t answer the door (even though Alyssa is staring out the window) as it is noon and I am still in my nightgown, haven’t showered yet, and my house looks like a tornado hit it. I gave up on the Podee bottle with Jack (after several times of sticking it back into his mouth - I was warned they have to be older for their suck to be strong enough for it to work). I fed him a "real" one, with my Dad’s help to get it down, while Jack comes in and out of naps. My Dad graciously listens to my grumbling about how these bugs have sent me over the edge, and rewards Alyssa for the potty event by giving her a nickel. Lauren woke up hungry now and I made a bottle for her. She eats some and falls asleep for my Dad, while I cut apart and label my Dad’s copies of the first portrait of the triplets (they are almost 11 weeks old now and he doesn't have any pictures when friends ask to see them). Drew and Jack wake up and want to be fed, so I start bottles for them. My Dad helps keep their bottle bundles propped up, while I finish up Lauren’s bottle and she goes back to sleep. My Dad mutters something about this place being a zoo and soon leaves for home. It’s time to put Alyssa down for her nap, so I interrupt Drew and Jack’s meals, since they are sound asleep anyway. Alyssa insists on wearing her 2 princess skirts to bed and then we climb in to read stories. I somewhat enjoy her first choice, called I Love You, You Stink. It’s a series of letters kids wrote about their siblings. My favorite was from Timmy who has 5 sisters and asks to please have a brother. The second book is Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. I have read this book twice a day for about 2 weeks, I think. I grumble inside at the thought of reading it again. I have it almost memorized and can read it fast, like a white man trying to rap (no offense to Eminem). I say a quick prayer, give Alyssa a hug, and she tells me that I stink and I need a shower. I head downstairs to finish feeding the boys and notice I have a voicemail. I decide it can wait until the feeding is over, especially since I want to try to get the babies all eating at the same time again. A few minutes later, I noticed that Drew is wet again after he does some serious grunting, and I chide myself for not getting those size 2 diapers out yet. Towards the end of the feeding, I noticed Drew starting to make gurgling sounds that can only mean bad things are coming up. I moved Jack off my lap with one arm (not good for my back that is supposed to be healing) and head for the kitchen. Just inside the vinyl kitchen floor (which a dear friend of mine mopped for us yesterday), Drew lets loose. Half goes on the floor, half all over him and me. But for round two I make it to the kitchen sink, where luckily the washcloths from last night’s bath are still drying, so I have something to mop us up with. I get him changed, finish the feedings and check voicemail. One of our “Tuesday night nannies” has called and would like to introduce her surrogate granddaughter to the babies. It’s 3pm and she called 2 hours ago, but she is very gracious about not hearing from me sooner and the tornado that hit my house. We had a nice visit and I am grateful for friends like her that I can tell, “I knew there would be days like these."

Amanda

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Family Update

Here's some details to update you about our family.
First backing up to fill in some details.
We would like to announce the birth of our babies on July 21, 2006:
*Lauren Diane was born at 2:11pm. She weighed 5lbs 6oz and was 17 3/4 inches long. She was named in honor of Amanda and her Mom (Marilyn), who both also share Diane as their middle name.
*Andrew "Drew" Jonathon was born at 2:12pm. He weighed 5lbs 3oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. He was named in honor of Amanda's Dad, John.
*Jackson "Jack" Robert was born at 2:13pm. He weighed 4lbs 6oz and was 19 1/4 inches long (Alyssa was only 19 inches!). He is named in honor of Dave, who also shares Robert as his middle name (in honor of his Uncle Bob Pampe).
Proud parents are Dave and Amanda and big sister Alyssa.
Current updates:
*Amanda is now home for the hospital. The babies are still there in the NICU, however, with no commitments from the doctors as to when they can come home. Alyssa is delighted to have both Mommy and Daddy home with her and asked if she could come with us when we went home from the hospital tonight. She is doing pretty well and seems happy, but probably has no clue what has been happening to our family.
*Amanda is getting better each day. She is walking more and more and making progress. She hasn't been getting much sleep lately as she gets up often to "feed" the babies. She definitely feels much better than she did while she was pregnant, though.
*Our babies are doing remarkably well and we are so filled with joy to be with them. It is so much more fun for us the second time around with all the first-time parenting fears out of the way. They are all in isolettes now (off the baby warmers, but not in an open air crib yet).
*Their bilirubin levels are still climbing, but not enough to put them under the lights yet. We have enjoyed getting to feed them many bottles and hold and cuddle with them. They have all nursed at least twice also. They are all in separate bays, though and haven't been able to see each other. Alyssa also isn't able to see them while they are in the NICU.
*All the babies have lost weight, as expected, and are under 5 lbs now. Jackson has lost the least amount and is now putting on weight. Gaining weight is one of the criteria they must meet before going home. As of Monday night weights, the other two were still losing some weight. The doctors aren't concerned about this, though.
*All the babies are also having a common condition where their heart rates slow down (called bradycardia). They are able to "self correct" this and bring their heart rates back up on their own (although sometimes they need a nudging). The doctors don't seem too concerned by this, though. We forgot to ask if this is something they can come home with or not.
*Drew was on the apnea machine for one day, but is off now. All babies are now off of their IVs and are only "wired" now with the monitors for oxygen, heart rate, breathing, etc.
That's a quick snapshot from us.
Lots of love, hugs, kisses and thanks,
Dave, Amanda, Alyssa, Lauren, Drew and Jack

This was copied and edited from our previous website on Babysites.

Houston, We Have a Website Problem

Hi everyone!
We hope all of you are doing well. Due to the website problems, we haven't been able to log on for awhile, and we obviously haven't been able to keep you updated on things. To be honest, not a whole lot has changed. Amanda is REALLY uncomfortable, as the babies are now getting bigger and bigger, and there's just not a lot of room left. Her contractions have been under control, and she continues to amaze me with her positive, selfless attitude. I'm very blessed to be married to such a strong Christian woman.
So, many of you are probably wondering...How much longer? Well, if I knew, I would tell you. My hypothesis (yes, science geek is back!) is that it'll be in the next week or 2 at most. The doctor will probably do an amniocentesis (they get some of the amniotic fluid from each of the babies' amniotic sacs) to test to see how well their lungs are developed. If they are all developed, then the babies will most likely come out. So, please keep praying for Amanda and the little ones.
Lately, we've had a flurry of activity in our household. We've had visits from Uncle Ben, Aunt Caroline, Aunt Fran, Great-Grandma, and for two days now, we've had the joy of having Uncle Bob (who is presently putting together an aquarium swing. Thanks!!!!) and cousin Erin at our house. Our family and friends have been incredible to us, so please know how thankful we are. Alyssa has loved all the visitors, and she feels so comfortable with Uncle Bob and Erin that she decided to play soccer in the backyard with just a diaper on. (Hey, it was like 100 degrees in the shade today, and she spilled blue icy stuff on her princess Barbie jammies.)
Alyssa continues to be a joyful blessing to us. I've been teaching her about Jesus, and lately, I've tried to get her to tell me where Jesus lives. So, I point up to the clouds through her window and say Heaven. One time I asked her, and I pointed through the window again, wanting her to say Heaven, and she said that Jesus was on the window.
Another funny instance is I gave her some cheese lately. Now, Alyssa loves cheese, as do I. So, I was cutting some Habenero Hot Pepper Cheese (her Uncle Mike would love this stuff), and she wanted some, but I told her it was spicy. She's had "spicy" chicken strips before, so she somewhat understands what spicy means. Anyway, I gave her a little piece, (Yes, another stupid dad decision!) and the next thing I see is a little 2 year old girl not quite understanding why her mouth is on fire. Little whimpers were coming out of her mouth, and she then asks me for a paper towel. She takes the paper towel, and starts licking the paper towel to "wipe off" the hot stuff on her tongue. Now, one of my favorite movies is Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey. In one scene, they dare each other to eat an incredibly hot pepper at the same time, and it obviously about kills them. To cool off their blazing tongues, Jim Carrey grabs a ketchup and a mustard bottle, and squirts them on his tongue at the same time to get some relief. So, I guess we had a Dumb and Dumber moment (I sure do have a lot of these!) with cheese lately.
Well, that's about it for now. I'll give another update after Thursday's doctor's appointment.
Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Baby B Passed!

Hi everyone!
As you could tell from the title, Baby B "practiced" breathing during the ultrasound today. We're very happy about how it went, and on Thursday we'll do it all over again with another round of biophysical tests. Amanda is doing pretty well physically, but laying on a bed for so long is starting to get to her. If you've never seen the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day, you should, because it sort of reflects what Amanda's days are like. In the movie, Bill Murray keeps reliving the same day over and over again. Needless to say, Amanda feels as though each day is the same. To her credit, however, she is unbelievably positive and willing to do whatever is needed to take care of the babies. She often says that the more she has to "suffer," the less the babies have to suffer when they come out.
Alyssa still continues to make us laugh and cry throughout the day. A couple of days ago, she and I went to visit one of my best friends (James). We had lunch at a Subway, and afterwards, we went out to James' car. He travels with his big lab doggy, Pete. Alyssa loves doggies, so she went out and had fun petting Pete. After a few minutes (yes, she has the attention span of a flea), she stood behind me as I was saying my goodbyes to James. Well, the next thing I hear is a male stranger mumbling about something being yucky. I turned around to see my 2 year old with her hands in the cigarette can, holding about 5 cigarette butts. I ran over and told her to drop them immediately, which only made her upset. Usually, I try to reason with her about these things, but holding 5 used cigarette butts in her hand just made me want to vomit, so I threw them back and told her to never, ever touch them again. The screaming and kicking which ensued was quite the site to see, let me tell you. I'm not sure if she thought the cigarette can was a miniature sandbox or what, but that was pretty nasty. Although she briefly had nicotine stained hands, she was able to go home and see her Uncle Ben, who is visiting for a few days for a wedding.
Well, that's about it for now. Please keep praying for Amanda and the babies.
Take care. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Appointment Update

Hi everyone! We're doing pretty well, and this is going to be a short journal entry because a certain 2 year old (who by the way decided not to nap today) wore me out mentally and physically today. Have you ever had one of those days where you just want to go in the backyard all by yourself and just scream? My day with Alyssa was like that.
Anyway, the doctor appointment went pretty well today. Baby A and Baby C passed their tests within minutes, but Baby B (a boy) didn't show signs of practicing breathing. What on earth does that mean? Well, we hope it means nothing. Baby B was pretty active, so it passed its amniotic fluid, fine motor, and gross motor tests, but it didn't "practice" breathing. When they "practice" breathing, they're really just taking in amniotic fluid. They don't start breathing oxygen until they are born. So, because Baby B was so active, the doctor almost just told us to come back in a week, but to be safe, we're going back on Monday to check on Baby B. What if Baby B isn't practicing breathing on Monday? We have no idea! So, we're just trusting God that He has everything all worked out and that His will will be done. Sooo.....please pray that Baby B "wakes up" for the appointment on Monday, and that he practices breathing.
On a lighter note, our brother-in-law (Ben) is visiting with us for a few days because his cousin is getting married. So, Alyssa was very excited to see her Uncle Ben tonight.
Well, that's it for now. See, it really was a short journal entry. Please keep praying! God is good!
Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Happy 4th of July!

Hi everyone!
We hope you all are enjoying a peaceful 4th of July. I've been praying to the Lord that Amanda's delivery date would be at least July 4th or beyond, so I'm thankful to God that He's blessed us with a "long" pregnancy. July 4th is one of the best holidays, because it lets us reflect on the blessings God has given this country. I look forward to the day when I can explain to Alyssa and the triplets that we live in the greatest country on earth, and that the freedom we enjoy so much here came at a huge price that is worth fighting for.
"OK, enough Patrick Henry, how's Amanda doing?" Amanda is still hanging in there, and I'm constantly amazed by her positive attitude. She's been on bed rest for about 3 months now, and I think it's safe to say that most of us would go coo-coo by then. The babies will again have biophysical profiles this week (they're every week from now until they are born), so please pray that all goes well and that they all pass their tests like they did last week.
How's Alyssa? She is...well...Alyssa. She's a funny and cute little pile of energy that never ceases to amaze me. Over the past 5 days, she's gotten to hang out with all of the grandparents, and everyday continues to be an adventure with her. Yesterday, Mommy (bladder infection) and Alyssa (sore tummy) weren't in the best shape, and Alyssa has had some pretty big blowouts. One resulted at 2:30 a.m. last night, but she seems to be doing better. With all of these blowouts, though, her tushy gets pretty sore, and since I dedicated almost an entire journal entry to her last "diarrhea episode", I won't bore you with any more details, but I am a bit nervous...ok, terrified... on how tonight's bath will go.
Speaking of baths, Daddy did a dumb thing a few nights ago. Alyssa gets a kick out of seeing daddy blow bubbles from the bathtub water and making funny noises. Well, I thought I would do something different, so after I blew bubbles, I drew in some water in my mouth. I was going to show Alyssa that I could "spray" water from my mouth like a water fountain. (We're still trying to teach Alyssa how to spit her toothpaste from her mouth, so I view this as a learning experience for her!) My plan was to "spit" the water right past her face in a nice stream. For whatever reason (can I blame it once again on being a guy?) I chose to aim about 2 inches from her face (again, not thinking clearly). Obviously that was a little too close, because I ended up spitting water right in her eye! She was just shocked that her good ol' Daddy would hurl water right in her face. Good one Dad! So, once again, I tried to be funny, and I ended up making my 2 year old upset. Now, everytime I go to blow bubbles in her bath, she's going to hold up a washcloth so she won't get showered with Dad's spit. Poor thing.
Alyssa has been scared of getting in a pool, so this incident couldn't have helped any. Yesterday, however, she seemed OK with water because she liked getting sprayed with the hose. (It was in the high 80's/low 90's up here yesterday). We went out to water some of my tomato and pepper plants, and Alyssa started to try to drink the water coming from the hose. Because she was in her Elmo jammies and they got wet, she wanted her Elmo jammies off. So, it was quite a sight seeing little Alyssa running around in the front yard with just tennis shoes and diapers on, and she enjoyed getting sprayed with water. (I'm not sure how the neighbors reacted seeing a half-naked 2 year old playing with water, though.)
Well, that's about it for now. The next update will be Thursday to let you all know how the doctor appointment went. Take care and enjoy the fireworks tonight. (Due to our DST time change, Alyssa will be in bed before the fireworks starts, so we're going to watch Elmo's fireworks on PBS at 8:00.)
Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Babies Get an A+

Hi everyone!
All the babies passed their tests today, so we definitely continue to thank God and give Him the praise and glory for continued good health for Amanda and the babies. We weren't sure how long the appointment was going to be, since they allow 30 minutes for each baby, but it took about 40 minutes total. To "wake up" the babies, Amanda chugged an apple juice and downed a Nutri Grain bar. Like I said in my previous journal entry, the ultrasound tech tests for amniotic fluid levels, gross and fine motor movement, and breathing abilities. The "hardest" one to find is breathing ability (because babies don't practice breathing very often), so the criteria for the test is breathing for 30 seconds every 30 minutes. That's the main reason why some of these tests can last so long.
They also measured the babies, and it looks like our little girl now has the lead, weighing in at a whopping 4 lbs! Baby B was 3 lbs 11 oz, and Baby C was 3 lbs 13 oz. Now, relatively speaking, they are still "small" babies. Alyssa was 7 lbs 2 oz when she was born and we thought she was little, but with the possibility of having premature babies, we were excited when they finally reached the 1 lb mark. So, to see them all around the 4 lb mark, we're very thrilled and thankful to the Lord. The doctor told us that if the babies were born today, they'd be in the NICU for about 7 weeks, and it would cost about 1/2 a million dollars. Thankfully, we have insurance, and we've almost reached our out-of-pocket maximum.
As a dad, I get stressed out at these appointments because I feel like everything is totally out of my control. Many "nervous" people like to chew their nails. Not me. I chew my shirt. As a kid, I used to chew on my shirt, which would leave behind a big, nasty wet spot. Over the past few months, I think I've reprised this habit. I do have enough sense, however, to not have coffee or Mountain Dew before these appointments.
Amanda's contraction numbers per hour are still doing "well," but they are getting stronger. Sometimes, at home, she'll say out of the blue, "Owww!!" (Another reason why I'm chewing more shirts than ever...Guys never want to hear their wives in pain while pregnant.) When she informed the doctor about this, the doctor decided to increase her medication amount a little bit, so hopefully that'll help.
Thankfully, Grammy was able to come over to help watch Alyssa, so the appointment was very calm and peaceful. One of the nice things about not having Alyssa with us at the doctor's office is that I get to read some magazines in the waiting room. Now, I've mentioned the Mr. Mom movie quite a bit, and here's another example of how I'm like the actor in the movie. In the movie, Michael Keaton (Mr. Mom) has an interview lined up after he's been let go at an auto plant. He's in a waiting room with some other guys who are looking for a job, and they end up talking about recipes, and Mr. Mom asks one of the other guys if he can get a certain recipe from one of them. How does that relate to me? Well, believe it or not, as I was driving to the doctor's office, I started getting excited about the fact that I could look at some magazines and find some new recipe ideas. Sports Illustrated? Nah. Sporting News? Nah. ESPN the Magazine? Nah. Give me a Good Housekeeping or a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, and I'm set. Pathetic, huh?
In family news, my mom, Anne, has a big day today because she's now "retiring" from over 30 years at the newspaper. She's very deserving of retirement, but I'm sure her readers will miss her food columns quite a bit. I say "retiring" because she's now going to be a full-time Grandma with the triplets, Alyssa, and Will (my brother Mike and Laurie's son). So, congratulations Grandma! Papo and Grandma are coming up this weekend for a nice visit (please, no rain!!!), and I'm also excited since they're bringing some Shyler's beans (yes, I get excited about beans), pulled pork, and some Donut Bank coffee and donuts.
Well, I need to go wash some sheets that a certain 2 year old got chocolate on. Thank you all for your prayers and supports, and please keep praying!
Take care. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Almost 30 weeks!

Hi everybody! Today, Amanda had a doctor's appointment, and everything looks great. Tomorrow, she'll be at 30 weeks, so we're very thankful to God for blessing us so much.
At next week's appointment, the ultrasound tech will start doing biophysical profiles (BPPs) of the babies. Are you going to get all science-y on us again Dave? Not really. Basically, they'll check to see if each baby is developing the way he or she should. They'll look at whether or not they're practicing breathing, how much they move, what the amniotic fluid levels are, etc...Each baby gets 30 minutes to "pass" the test. If a baby seems "stressed" (not moving much, not practicing breathing, etc...) they may decide on getting the babies out, but they'll do another biophysical profile a day or two later to double check. Sometimes, the baby may be sleeping, so it will "fail" the test because it won't be moving too much. Hopefully, all of our lil' ones will pass with flying colors, and they'll stay in Mommy's tummy a bit longer. Next Thursday will be a bit stressful, so please pray that all goes well, and that the babies are as healthy as can be.
Speaking of stress, parents need breaks to regain their mental and physical strength. In particular, 2 year olds with curly hair named Alyssa can wear a dad down. Thankfully, Grammy and a friend of Amanda's have helped watched Alyssa this week, so I (and Grandpa) can get some stuff done around the house. Usually, housework is stressful, but considering the alternative (chasing Alyssa all over creation), it's actually a bit relaxing.
Lately, I've been noticing some signs of stress that needed to be dealt with. I knew something was wrong when I made some OJ for Amanda and went to put it in the microwave to be nuked. Then, I gave Alyssa her bottle of vitamins and kept the one pill I got out for her in my hand. I knew I was really in trouble mentally when I got stressed out from listening to one of Alyssa's children songs as we were driving. I think it's called "There's a Hole in the Bucket," and it's basically a dialogue between a little boy named Henry and a little girl named Liza. The boy keeps complaining about why he can't fix his bucket, and the girl tries to fix his problems. The boy constantly comes up with whiny excuses, and by the end of the song, I about took the CD and flung it into a pond. I felt like yelling, "HENRY, JUST FIX THE DANG BUCKET!!!!" Liza has enough at the end of the song, too, and tells Henry that he's just plain lazy.
The next example shows why I needed a break or else I was going coo-coo. While sleeping, I had a dream that I was in my hometown where I grew up, and I was at a childhood friend's house. This was one of those scary-type dreams, because I knew I was being "watched" by someone outside the house. Now, this dream would've been labeled a nightmare had my "stalker" been Freddy Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street movies) or the hockey mask wearing Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th movies). Apparently, my stress level was at about an all time high, because I couldn't even get stalked by one of these cool movie star psychos. Heck, I would've even been OK with getting stalked by the little Chucky doll. But noooooo!!!! I have another type of stalker after me. In my dream, I carefully walked outside to find out who was stalking me, and lo' and behold I find out that my stalker is none other than....David Hasselholf!!!!!! Are you kidding me????? The Knight Rider and Baywatch star is now in my dreams!!!! AAAUUUGGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may need my sister-in-law (who's a psychologist) to help me figure out that one.
Please don't think I don't like David Hasselholf. Hey, in the 80's, Friday night was the best night for TV. I had the Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, and Dallas to watch. He was one of my TV heroes, as he cruised around in that cool Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (KITT). But come on!!!!! See what happens to my brain when golf with my dad gets rained out? The negative effects last for weeks!
Well, enough about my psychotic episodes. Remember, just like in the Mr. Mom movie, my brain is oatmeal. But, I wouldn't want it any other way. Despite the struggles of raising a 2 year old, she is a wonderful little girl with a tender heart, and I absolutely love and adore her. The scary thing is that she's a carbon copy of me, and I see my own mannerisms in her. Amanda usually says, "See, she's just a little you."
Well, that's about it for now. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Alyssa and the Firetruck

Hi everyone!
Hope all is going well with everyone. This is one of the longer journal entries, so grab a Coke and relax. A quick update on Amanda...she has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and she's overall still tired, but she has periodic days of having a bit more energy. As for her pneumonia (try to spell that one phonetically), her cough is slowly but surely going away.
As a stay at home dad, I am starting to get into the routine of being a full-time dad. The first few weeks were very trying, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Usually, on most days, Alyssa and I go to the park to play. A few journal entries ago, I told you that the park had slides made from a plastic that can totally electrocute you from static electricity. The negative to that is obviously the huge shock you get, but the positive is that you go really fast! Today was a July-like humid day, one that makes you sweat by just going out to get the newspaper. Well, increased humidity means increased friction. Thus, when Alyssa first went down a 15 foot slide, she went about 4 feet and stopped. She scooted her little butt down, and then I went. Needless to say, if Alyssa went 4 feet, then I went about 4 inches. So, the park wasn't much fun.
Adjacent to the park is one of the local fire departments and a pond. Alyssa and I went looking for fish and frogs, and we saw one big frog. Then, we went to look at the big red firetrucks. Some of the firemen told us to come on in, and they showed us some of their big engines. One of the firemen gave Alyssa a little fire chief hat, a fire department bracelet, and a firetruck playing card. I was a little hurt that I didn't get a fire chief hat, but Alyssa is a lot more charming than I am.
After the park, we usually run an errand or two, and then it's time to head home for the last half of Sesame Street (Elmo's World occurs then). Then, it's a little bit of Mr. Rogers, lunch, and nap time. Nap time usually lasts around 2 hours, and I either try to do some chore or take a nap (my preference), too.
Grammy (Amanda's mom) came over today to help plant some flowers. The flower responsibilities used to lie with Amanda, and I have neglected the flowers/weeding a bit, so she was a huge help. I also think I've figured out a way to get Alyssa to help with the chores, too. She has a little blue bucket, and I was dethatching some spots in my yard. My goal was to have her pick up the old, nasty grass and dump it in the trash from her bucket. Well, she didn't seem too enthused about it, so I showed her how to stuff dethatched grass in her bucket, and for some reason, she loved it! She actually thanked me a couple of times, so my point is that the Tom Sawyer method of getting people to think that chores are fun may just work. "Hey Alyssa, let's see who can pick up all the toys first!" "Alyssa, because cleaning up your room is so fun, please let me do it tonight, OK? No, daddy, I want to do it!" If it works ,it works, right?
She now absolutely loves the vacuum, too! Granted, when I turn on the attachment thingy, I try to vacuum up her tushy, and she just cracks up laughing. Today, though I missed her tushy and somehow stubbed her toe, which led to quite a cry. She also likes using the big broom, even though it's about 3 times bigger than she is. Now, if I could only get her to sweep dirt and not play ride em' cowboy on it, it'd be perfect. Hey, can you imagine if I can get all 4 kids doing all the chores by the time they are like 4 or 5? Baby A...do the dishes! Baby B...take out the trash! Baby C...fix me a chicken pot pie! Alyssa...find daddy's remote! Ah, I can see it now. Alright kids, Notre Dame football is on TV now, so go play with mommy for about 4 hours. Hmmm... wonder if mommy will go for that one?
Well, that's it for now. Oh yeah, I tried one of those Sudoko (spell?) games, and I about lost my mind. I started playing it way to late in the night, and by the time I realized it was going to take well over an hour to solve, I was determined to not let this thing beat me. Oh yeah, it was an "Easy" one, too, which made me feel even more ding batty, but after about 75 minutes of chewing my shirt, and telling Amanda how stupid and frustrating these dumb puzzles are, I finally finished. If I had a match next to me, I'm sure I would've torched the game to smoldering ashes (yes, I'm competitive). And, now, for some unexplainable reason, I want to do another one! This is how people get addicted to things! They mess with your mind until you're hooked! Remember, It all goes back to the journal entry on how Mr. Mom's brain was turning to oatmeal. No mushy brains for this dad!
Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This post was copied and edited from our previous website on Babysites.

Happy Memorial Day!

We hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day! Amanda and I look forward to the day when we can teach our little ones how blessed they are to live in the greatest country on earth.

How about some updates? Amanda has started to take iron pills due to her anemia. It's working a bit, but she's still pretty drained. The babies are really moving around, and today Amanda's tummy morphed to a unique shape, due to someone's tushy (Baby B- the hyper boy) sticking straight up.

Alyssa hasn't felt very well lately. She had diarrhea about five days ago, and she's felt warm the last day or two. Last night, she had a fever of 100.1, so I gave her a lukewarm bath and some Ibuprofen to get the fever down. She slept almost 11 hours last night, and I think she's doing a lot better now.

A couple of cute things she did today: First, she wanted to make little "poopies" out of playdoh (she's definitely my daughter, huh?), so we had some fun with that. Later, right before her nap, she decided to put on one of daddy's boxer shorts. They were just slightly too big, so she had to settle for her little princess jammies.

Dad (me) is doing pretty well. Thanks to Grammy (Amanda's mom), I was able to play some golf (my stinkin' hook is back! Not good!) with some friends yesterday, and not only did she give me some valuable R & R, but also she helped straighten up the house! Thanks Grammy!

In a previous journal entry, I expressed my frustrations with the naming of different pieces of furniture (armoire, dresser, secretary, kradenza, etc...????). Today, I learned how glad I am that I'm a male because it took me about 10 minutes to put away one of Amanda's skirt outfits. "Just put in on a hanger, dummy!" you are probably saying to yourself. You would think it would be that easy! Apparently, in the woman world, there are skirt hangers??????? Who on earth invented these things? Are there blouse hangers, too? Dress hangers? Sock hangers? What world do women live in? Males just have plain ol' hangers! One hanger works for everything! As Charlie Brown always says, "Good Grief!" Of course, I couldn't find a skirt hanger in her closet, and I couldn't find one in our spare bedroom (not gonna have one of these for long!). I guess a skirt hanger has a little clampy thingy for the skirt. Well, Alyssa has a bunch of toddler hangers that have little clampys. So, I suggested (I was totally serious, too!) that I get one of Alyssa's hangers. No such luck, says Amanda. So, I had to find a skirt hanger with a skirt already on it and double up. I bring one out to her, and it's a skirt hanger that won't double up well!!! Are you kidding me???? Now, I had to find a skirt hanger that doubles up well???? I couldn't find a skirt hanger, much less one that doubles up well!!! I finally found one that doubled up well (still confused on that one), and then I fled downstairs and watched some manly A-Team on the TV Land station. Next time I have to hang up laundry, I'm going to get another woman to do Amanda's because I just don't get it.

Well, that's it for now. Some of our friends from church (Kim and Wayne) brought over a lasagna dish with fruit that just looks awesome, so I'm going to start getting that ready.

Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Good Day!!!

Yes, today was a pretty good day with Alyssa. Amanda is doing well, but she's pretty tired from the anemia. We're now at 26 weeks, so that's a very good thing. Amanda continues to keep her mind sharp by playing Sudoku, the game where you have to match numbers accordingly. She's very smart, so I don't want to go up against her with any of the puzzles, because she'd kick my tail.
Like I said earlier, Alyssa had one of her better days today. A couple of funny instances today: First, we just finished shopping at a store where she always gets a blue sucker. When we got into the car (she climbs into her seat by herself now- she wants no help!), she dropped her sucker in the worst spot on her car seat. It dropped on the fuzzy material thingy that goes right in front of her main attachment clip. So, I had to defuzz her blue sucker. 500 feet down the road, Alyssa starts whining/crying (which she honestly very rarely ever does in the car). I turn around, and the blue sucker is now in her hair, and she doesn't know what to do. So, while driving, I reach behind to her and just yank it out of her hair. Apparently, that's not a good thing to do, but hey, it worked. Amanda later asked me if I held her hair roots down before I yanked it out, and I just said, "huh?" When confronted with a problem to solve, guys don't think, they react, which isn't always a good thing. So, once again, I "dehaired" the blue sucker for my little princess.
We finally got home, and Alyssa had lunch. For some reason or another, she decided to put her milk bottle in time out. Not sure why, but it was pretty cute. Later on, we had a pretty non-eventful trip to another grocery store. The only bummer was that their donuts weren't up to standards for tomorrow's Donies with Daddy, so we had to make an extra trip to another grocery store (they sell donut holes, one of my favorites!).
Well, that's it for now. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all again next week. Please keep praying for Amanda and the babies!
Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Steak Anyone?

Well, today was quite the day with Alyssa.
Before I get to that, a quick update on Amanda. Tomorrow, she'll be at the 26 week mark. Today, she had a doctor's appointment, and everything looks great. It's amazing to see how much bigger the babies are on ultrasound. We used to be able to see all 3 at once, but now we can only see one at a time.
Taking Alyssa to the doctor's appointment is a headache in itself. She loves pushing the elevator buttons, which is fine, but once we get to the exam room, complete boredom apparently sets in. She usually turns on the water faucet to wash her hands about 10 times, even though we try to tell her that her brothers and sister are on TV. The exam room has a bathroom, and she likes going inside and shutting the door. For some reason, she gets freaked out about opening the door from the inside and starts crying (which is weird since she can open the door from the outside with no problem). Even though she panics, 30 seconds later, she'll do it over and over again.
Back to Amanda... she had a bunch of tests done last week, and she aced most of them. She's a bit anemic (low iron in the blood), and that's pretty common in triplet pregnancies. The babies are getting the iron they need, but momma is getting a little sucked dry. So, I take that as a hint that I need to step up as the grill chef in the family and do some more grilling. I just hate the idea of grilling more steaks, burgers, brats, etc... Actually, she'll be on an iron vitamin, which should help with the anemia. Other than that, she's doing pretty well.
Back to Alyssa...everyday, I think I could write a journal entry on my adventures with her. Yesterday, we went to a park to play. I ran ahead of her to get to the slide (yes, I like playing at the park, too), and all I hear is Alyssa crying. I turn around to see that she fell into the mulch. Apparently, two year olds don't know that they have to close their mouth when they fall, seeing that I spent the next 5 minutes picking out mulch chunks from her mouth. The park is a pretty small, but nice, park. One of the problems with these new parks is the type of plastic they use to build the slides. Every time we go down the slide, we build up quite a bit of static electricity, and whenever I hit the ground, I get a nice little shock. Usually, I try to touch something (to get rid of the shock) after I go down the slide, but sometimes I touch Alyssa and give her a pretty good zap. It's kind of funny, because now Alyssa yells to me, "No shock!"
Tonight, during bath time, Alyssa was playing with this duck thing that we have on the faucet spout. Well, she accidentally hit the shower button (yes, once again) and cold water came pouring down on her. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde! She's nice and calm, playing with the ducky as nice, warm water streams out the faucet. Then, seconds later cold water comes down on a two year old, sending her into a panicked frenzy. Great way to get her ready for bed, let me tell you.
Alyssa has been quite the handful lately. Have you ever seen the original Superman movie with Christopher Reeves? There's a scene where everything has just gone wrong (Lois Lane dies, earthquake hits, Lex Luthor's scheme is apparently working, etc...), and he's just had enough. Angry to the point of losing it, Superman just flies up with a gigantic yell and gets away from it all (until he fixes everything a few minutes later). So, tomorrow after Alyssa gives me green eyes (turns me into the Incredible Hulk), I'm going to look up to the sky, scream, and fly away. Then, after I jump up 2 feet in the air (a soaring vertical is not a gift I have) and realize I can't fly and get away like Superman, maybe I'll try Flash's (or Forrest Gump's) superpowers and just run.
But, I love my little 2 year old more than anything, and I guess we'll just continue our adventures tomorrow. Until next time...

Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Alyssa's Sore Tushy

Amanda update- For the past few nights, Amanda has had a few more contractions over the "limit" of 4, so the nurses are going to be monitoring her contraction #'s closely to see if her medication needs to changed. Last night, she was given an extra dose, and it calmed things down. The medicine she's on eventually will not be effective. In simpler terms, the receptor sites in her body get full with the medicine she's on, and the medicine doesn't do it's job anymore. As a result, we'll probably have to go to the hospital again to "flush" her system out, so that the medicine will work again. If it works and the medicine is again effective, she'll get to go back home. If not, she'll stay in the hospital until the babies are born. So, it's something that we're expecting, but again, we'd like to stay at home as long as possible.
How about an Alyssa update? Well, her tushy is pretty red because she has some virus that makes her have a pretty bad case of diarrhea. Now, when a two year old has a sensitive tushy, there is nothing like wiping her butt for the 20th time in one day. A hockey mask, a chest protector, and oven mitts are all prerequisites for changing a 2 year old with severe diaper rash. Tears flying out, arms swinging, legs kicking, and screams of horror all come at you at once. I honestly believe that if I had a toddler translator, I would've had to put Alyssa in timeout for cussing me out. Apparently, it's impossible to convince a 2 year old that wiping her tushy will make the rash go away quicker.
I also learned that sore butts don't want to go into a soothing bath either. I've used this analogy in another journal entry, but have you ever tried to put a cat in a bathtub? Another analogy...Do you remember when you were a young kid, and you fell and got scraped up pretty well, only to have your mom pour some chemical on you that felt like high-powered sulfuric acid? You think I'm joking don't you? Next time Alyssa or one of our triplets have diaper rash, I'll let you come over for the fun experience. If I'm going down, I might as well bring some of you along with me. Amanda, hearing the fits of rage coming from Alyssa's room, even came in to help calm her down, and I was so thankful (yet mad at her for getting up) she came in to help. She truly is a supermom!!!
The tushy was better today, but she still hates getting wiped (and trust me, I don't like wiping!). The doctor actually told us to dry out her rear end with a hair dryer, and Alyssa loved it! At first it scared her, but after I was a little goofy with it, she joined in and let me dry her off with it. The night ended pretty sweetly, too. As I laid Alyssa in her crib, she handed me her Care Bear and told me to give it to Mommy. That act, along with her normal routine of praying for Big Bird and Cookie Monster, helped me to get mentally ready for tomorrow's adventures with her.
So, the night ended pretty well. That being said, I'm still pretty nervous about the tushy adventures tomorrow. I'm thinking that if it's still sore tomorrow, I'm just going to give her a wipe, and tell her from 10 feet away on how to wipe her own tushy. Chicken? Heck yeah, I am!
Well, that's it for now. Until next time...

Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Alyssa's New Room

Hi everyone! Not a whole lot to report today. Amanda is doing pretty well, and her contractions continue to be 4 or less per hour, which is where the doctors and nurses want them. It seems like this pregnancy started sooooo long ago, yet we're just weeks away (hopefully around 10) from seeing our three babies arrive.
Knowing that time is running short, I've been tackling the job of painting Alyssa's new room. Her new room replaces my old Notre Dame room, which was painted blue and gold and was adorned with Notre Dame memorabilia. Since Alyssa is taking over the room, I guess I'll have to make my new science room (it'll be finished by September) a Notre Dame room. I love picking on my students who are Michigan fans anyway. Her new room is a light apple green color to go along with her butterfly theme. Have you ever tried to paint a light color over a dark color? Let me tell you, it's not very fun. Even with 2 coats of primer (which was even colored light apple), and 1 coat of paint, the blue still comes through in some areas. I've been "painting" the room for approximately 1 1/2 months now, so hopefully I'll get it done fairly soon. I bought a 2 liter of Mountain Dew to get me fired up during Alyssa's nap so that I can finish painting.
Well, I think that's it for now. Tomorrow morning is "Donuts with Daddy", where Alyssa gets to have a donut for breakfast (and dad gets 2), so I'm going to bed now.
Take care. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Amanda's Doctor Appointment

This morning, we went to Amanda's doctor appointment, and we knew it was going to go a lot more smoothly than the last one. Why, you ask? Dropping off a 2 year old with a friend does wonders when going to a doctor's appointment. Instead of trying to entertain Alyssa or chase her all over creation, I actually got to read the Sports page in the waiting room! I take for granted the sweet little things in life like reading the newspaper in peace.
Anyway, the appointment went pretty well. They measured the babies, and the ultrasound tech told us that each baby weighs 1.6 pounds. In a few weeks, more fat will be produced which will beef them up a bit. One of the really neat aspects of this ultrasound was how real the babies looked. We could see their eyes and everything, and it even looks like the baby girl has a similar shaped head like her big sister. At the end of the appointment, Amanda had a glucose test (to test for gestational diabetes), and we'll know the results in a day or two.
We were able to drive our "new" minivan to the doctor's appointment, since Alyssa wasn't with us (we haven't installed all the car seats in it, yet). The minivan drives wonderfully, and even though we all say we'll never get one, it is a very nice ride. For those of you who don't know my car history, I used to drive an 89' Chevy Caprice, and boy, did I love it! My first car was an 81' Chevy Caprice, so when my Mom offered the '89 to me (the air went out, and her town is UNBEARABLE in the summer without air) I jumped to the opportunity of having a newer Caprice. The Caprice was actually my Grandma's, but when she died, my Mom drove it. So, it was a three generation car, and it will dearly be missed. Anyway, we now have a Honda Odyssey, and it will serve us well as we travel with a crew of 6!!
Well, that's it for now. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Bathtime with Alyssa

Hi everyone. As Amanda and I watch American Idol, I thought I'd write a quick journal entry. Not a whole lot new on our front. Amanda still has the cough, so it's cut down on her phone time. Amanda has a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and it should be a longer visit since she has a glucose test, and they're doing a bunch of measurements of the babies. So, tomorrow's journal entry will fill you in on how that went. God has blessed us so much, and again, please know how much we appreciate your support and prayers.
I thought I'd give you a brief view of how our nights go here in our household. For a long time, Amanda and I would switch off getting Alyssa ready for bed. I think it was easier when we did that, because I would just do what Amanda did. Getting her to take a bath, read a story, etc... took about 30 minutes for Amanda. I was never that fast, but now that I put Alyssa down every night, something has happened to my routine. Nowadays, if I get her down in under an hour, it's a miracle.
Usually, it goes something like this: Alyssa doesn't want to come upstairs to take a bath, it's impossible to undress her, she constantly wants to see Mommy, it takes forever to get her to go pee pee on the potty, and when I finally get her in the bathtub (ever tried to put a cat in a bathtub? Alyssa is just a hair easier at times), she wants her Big Bird toy, her floating letters, her cups, bubbles, and milk. Then, I get to shampoo her hair and rinse it. That's tons of fun, seeing that she likes water being poured on her head about as much as cats like being dunked in water.
Tonight, as she was taking a bath, I turned the water on to shampoo her hair, and guess what happened? A rubber ducky covered the water spout. Apparently, it hit against the shower knob which activated the shower. Now, it had to have been about 10-15 minutes since the water had last been turned on, so can you imagine the cold water coming down on a 2 year old kid from the shower? Fun, huh?
Once I got her out of the bath and dried, it was time to get her diaper and jammies on. For normal people, that takes about 3 minutes. For me, it took about 15. Then, we went to say nigh night to Mommy. The stalling continues, because she snuggles up with Mommy. Now, I'm the bad guy because I had to take her away from Mommy. Once we got to the bedroom, it was time to read a couple of books. This also took more time than I could imagine, since she had to pick out the specific book to read.
After we read books, it was prayer time. A couple of months ago, we started to encourage Alyssa to pray, and it was sooo neat to see her start praying. Granted, her prayers are usually for Big Bird and Cookie Monster, but we're really excited about her willingness to pray to God. When we ask her who loves her more than anyone, she says Jesus. That brings such warmth to our hearts, as we want her to put her trust in Christ as her Lord and Savior when she gets old enough to understand. So, after prayertime, it's time to put her down, and as long as she has her pink elephant (Bie) and her blanky, she usually falls asleep within 30 minutes.
As much work as this is, I truly do love being with her, and I feel closer to my little girl since I'm able to spend more time with her. So, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Another Day with Alyssa

Today has been a pretty good day. Amanda is still doing pretty well, but she's getting pretty uncomfortable. Baby C (boy) is kind of up in her rib area, so that's hurting a bit. Her shortness of breath is getting better, though, and we were blessed by having a friend (Peggy) drop off a homemade pizza and dessert for dinner tonight.
Yesterday, I had a few more experiences with Alyssa that I thought I'd share with you. Anytime you go somewhere with your kid, you tell yourself to never be judgmental towards other parents. That being said, I was very proud of the way Alyssa was acting at the library yesterday. We were playing with the toy train, puppets, and other things.
While we were playing, I noticed that there were two twin girls nearby, and one of them was losing it. She reminded me of a young Nellie Olsen (Little House on the Prairie), constantly crying and screaming until she got her way. As I was thinking to myself, "Gee, lady, why don't you whip that girl in shape?" I made a gigantic mistake that set off a time bomb inside of Alyssa.
The library we were at has a large reading "tree" where kids can read books underneath it. There is a part of the tree where you can pick up your kid and they can grab hold of a stick, and then you twirl the kid in circles to make the "tree" move. Well, Alyssa likes doing that when we go to that library, so we did it once. A mother (with a 6 week old baby) and her 2 year old son noticed what we were doing. I overheard the mom saying that she wished Daddy was around so that he could do that with their 2 year old. Well, being the nice guy that I am, I offered to pick him up, and the lady gladly accepted.
Nice gesture, right? WRONG! Apparently, 2 year olds are extremely jealous, and when Alyssa saw me holding some other 2 year old boy, she got pretty ticked off. As I was going in circles with the boy, I heard a whimpering and feet running behind me. I thought I might have to restrain Alyssa from going after the 2 year old boy, but I think she just wanted me to know that she was the only 2 year old who could be held by Daddy.
That was the beginning of the end. From then on, the pleasant stay at the library was one struggle after another. It was my kid who tried to grab a toy train out of another kid's hand, and it was my kid who began whining in front of others. Knowing that my time was rapidly coming to a close before she really erupted, we got out of the library. I tried to put her in the car when I heard Alyssa scream so loudly that it hurt. You see, Alyssa doesn't like help anymore. She likes to do things on her own. So, when I put her in the car seat, the eruption came. So, my lesson for the day was this: never judge any parent by how their kid is acting. They may have a cold, their blanky may be getting washed, or they may have a soiled diaper. And, even if your kid is doing great at the moment, the smallest thing can give your own child green eyes. (See previous journal entries about green eyes.) Well, that's it for now. Until now next time...
Mr. Mom

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.

Shopping with Alyssa

Amanda is doing pretty well today. She was especially excited to remember that she had leftovers from Boston Market. (I personally don't think it's fair that she even gets to have leftovers, because I devour all of my food. I'm always jealous that she has more good food to chow down on later.) Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and Amanda is very deserving of Mother of the Year. If any of you are mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day! Guys couldn't go through what you do during pregnancy. The closest thing I can relate having things growing inside of you is a couple of hours after I eat a hot and spicy burrito from our local Mexican place. Amanda, like most moms, is amazing.
Papo and Grandma (my parents) are up this weekend to give me some stress relief so I don't get green eyes (see previous journal entry). The Hulk almost appeared today at the grocery store. She likes it there, because she gets stickers and drives in a little car. Lately, however, the car doesn't hold much appeal to her. As a result, she usually likes to push the cart, which is fine with me. Today, even pushing the cart wasn't good enough. She had to run around the aisles, grabbing every can she could get a hold of. "Gee, Dave, why not put her in the cart?" Do you know what happens when you put a lit match to gunpowder? You have to pick your battles, and as long as she doesn't destroy too much, I'm fine. I again refer to the Mr. Mom movie when he took the kids to the grocery store. Granted, he had three, and I only had one, but I guarantee my one has equal amounts of energy to his three.
Our grocery store, like most shopping centers, had a little section with Krispie Cream Donuts. Alyssa found them and wanted some "donies." I told her that we had some at home, and she was satisfied. Notice, I didn't tell her she could have any at home; I just said that we have some at home. What she heard was, "Alyssa, we have some at home, and when we go home for lunch, I'll give you one." When she was denied a dony, the temper tantrum erupted. Now, when Alyssa disobeys to a certain level, she goes to time out. If she continues to disobey, she gets a spanking. To her credit, she rarely gets a spanking. Knowing that time out was probably inevitable from this raging tantrum, she cried herself to the time out couch, and put herself in timeout! "Why waste time?" she probably thought to herself. I tried to pick her up while she was crying (ever try to pick up a thorn bush with bare hands?), and she cried, "No! I'm in timeout!" Eventually, the thrashing stopped, lunch was served, and she calmed down. Can you imagine having 3-2 year olds????? Hopefully, Alyssa will be trained to referee them by then. And, hopefully, our grocery store will have a station wagon version of a grocery cart.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

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Thursday's Doctor Appointment

Amanda had a doctor's appointment yesterday, and it went pretty well. All of the babies have a strong heartbeat, and Amanda has now reached the 24 week mark. Why is that important? The 24 week mark usually is the date where babies have a chance to survive if they are born. Granted, we'd like the babies to stay in as long as possible, but we feel blessed to have made it this far. Our next long term goal is 28 weeks. Ideally, we'd like to go at least 32 weeks, so I'm praying for July 4th or beyond. Maybe we'll call one of the babies Freedom or Liberty.
The doctor has told us that it's a matter of time before Amanda returns to the hospital. So, please pray for Amanda's duration at home to be a long one! Due to her ongoing struggle with pneumonia, she still has shortness of breath and periods of coughing. The doctors says that she'll have those wonderful side effects for a good amount of time.
As for Alyssa, she is just the cutest little goofball ever. Last night, she tried to drink both of her sippy cups (milk and water) at the same time. She is becoming quite the Energizer Bunny. The kid NEVER stops!!! While we were sitting in the waiting room to be called, Alyssa looked at a magazine for about 4 seconds before she wanted to explore everything. We went up and down the elevator because she likes pushing "butts" (buttons). In the exam room, she washed her hands about 5 times and used up a box of tissues to wipe off her hands. While going to throw away the tissues in the trash, what does Alyssa decide to do? Tickle mommy's unsuspecting feet while she's laying down on the exam table! You might be saying, "Just hold her!" Playing pitch and catch with a wet, slippery bar of soap is easier than holding her. As we were leaving, Alyssa playfully pushed the nurse (whom she adores by the way) in the behind. Leaving took about 3 times longer than it should have, since Alyssa loves hitting the big blue handicap button which opens the doors.
When I feel my blood about to boil, I tell Alyssa to shape up since I'm getting green eyes (That's the first sign of David Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk.) Now, though, she thinks the green eyes gimmick is funny, because now she'll say she has green eyes and is getting crazy. I can't win. She is quite the little helper around the house, though. She loves giving mommy her Boost drinks, and she loves unloading the dishwasher. Now, if I could only get her to fold laundry and cut the grass.
Well, that's it for now. Until next time...
Mr. Mom

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Mr. Mom Strikes Again!

Hi everyone, it's me again. Quick update on Amanda... She's doing pretty well. For the most part, her contractions are where the doctors want them to be (4 or less per hour), so please keep praying for her. The babies are pretty hyper, too. I was touching Amanda's belly today, and Baby C jumped around, bumped my hand, and totally startled me. My ensuing shriek probably scared the baby, but it was sooo cool to feel the baby move so much.
Do you want to hear another Mr. Mom story? Today was Alyssa's first dentist appointment. Amanda has been to every doctor's appointment with Alyssa, so she was a bit sad not to see her first date with the dentist. To my delight, the office was decorated with memorabilia from my alma mater. They had a light switch, a poster of where our basketball team played, and numerous other sports stuff. So, the dentist appointment started off pretty well.
Then, being a male caught up with me. Apparently, you are supposed to brush a 2 year old's teeth before you see a dentist. Because as I was playing with Alyssa, I noticed chunks of crackers smothered in the crevices of her teeth. She was also drinking soy milk in a sippy cup, which is a no-no to dentists because it contains sugar and is supposed to be given to kids only during breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (In my defense, we give Alyssa soy milk anytime during the day because she's sensitive to milk, and we want her to get her daily allowance of calcium.)
As beads of sweat started to form on my head, the unthinkable happened. Alyssa climbed up on a chair. No problem, right? WRONG! She climbed up the chair on the side, and it began to tip over. Of course, I was a tenth of a second too late as she fell to the ground, while being bonked on the head by the chair. Now, the sweat was really starting to roll, because about every female dental worker (there must have been at least 25 of them) came over to see what happened. I could see the pity in their eyes saying "Oh, I'm sorry little girl that your Dad is here and your Mommy isn't."
Fortunately, she wasn't hurt, and the actual dentist appointment went really well. She was quite the little ham, and I was actually told to teach her how to spit (so she doesn't swallow too much fluoride from the toothpaste)! Just like Mr. Edwards did to Laura Ingalls, I get to teach my little girl how to hock a loogy (spit). The Grandmas are gonna love that one. As we were checking out, I sat Alyssa on the counter. She did her usual cute things like saying bye bye and blowing kisses. However, she decided to let a loud stinker which vibrated the counter. Nothing like letting the world know she's my girl! I pretended to be embarrassed, but deep down I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Since she did so well, we went to McDonald's for a Happy Meal.
That's it for now. Again, please continue to pray for Amanda and the babies. Take care. Until next time...

Mr. Mom

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From A Dad's Point of View

Hi everyone, Dave here. I thought since the boxes of bon bons were gone, my favorite soap (Days of Our Lives) is over, Alyssa is sleeping, and The Apprentice doesn't come one for another 6 hours, I'd write a little journal entry myself.
One of our favorite all time movies is Mr. Mom, and I watched a little of it yesterday. In the movie the Dad and Mom are arguing over the dad's lack of taking care of himself and the home. The Dad responds by saying that his brain is now oatmeal, because he has yelled at Kenny (his young son) for coloring outside the lines and he now gets excited about watching the same TV shows his young daughter watches. Due to my recent role of being Mr. Mom, I can totally relate to him. I often have been singing the Veggie Tales song in my head, and I've argued with Alyssa as to whether or not her book shows a sun or a moon or whether the crayon she has in her hand is pink or purple. I know I'm right!
With Amanda on bed rest, I need to know where things are in our house. One struggle I have is knowing what on earth the difference is between a nightstand, vanity, dresser, chest of drawers, and a cabinet. Don't even get me started on what the heck a kradenza, a secretary, and an Armour are. When I roomed with guys in college, I never had problems like this. Wasn't everything either a cabinet or a dresser?
Also, we guys apparently have problems finding things. Today, Amanda wanted her conditioner. I searched for it, and I didn't find it. It was right there on the bathroom counter. But, in my defense, the label was facing the wall, not me. For guys, if things we're looking for isn't 3 feet in front of us, it's not there. Amanda asked for some more Kleenex boxes, so I went down the hall to the closet. I looked up and down the closet, and I didn't see any. Later, she went down to look and returned with 2 boxes. Apparently, she expects me to move things when I'm actually looking. As long as I can find Amanda's medicine and a rambunctious 2 year old, I'm good.
So, watching shows like Mr. Mom has been somewhat therapeutic for me. Another toy I use for "mindless therapy" is my plug in Mrs. PacMan game, but some 2 year old left it on and the batteries are now dead. Hopefully, this weekend when my mom and dad come up, I'll get some therapy at a local golf course, while Grandma watches Alyssa.
Well, Alyssa is still sleeping and Oprah isn't that good today. I thought you may be interested on how we Mr. Moms survive while trying to take care of a mommy and a 2 year old. For one, like Michael Keaton in Mr. Mom, shaving is low on the priority list. Cleaning bathtubs? No problem. A gallon of bleach costs 69 cents and does wonders. Cooking? I cooked 3 lbs. of taco meat before church on Sunday to chow down on throughout the week. My laundry? Since I'm a stay at home dad, I don't worry about laundry anymore. It's usually 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and I'm still in a t-shirt and boxers. Once the laundry pile gets above Alyssa's head, I'll wash it. Free time? Golf with dad when Grandma can watch Alyssa. Shopping? Give Alyssa a blue sucker at the grocery, and she's content. Energy? A pot of coffee and a 2 liter of Mountain Dew. Exercise? Hmmm... still working on that one. Does chasing a 2 year old count?
Overall, things are going pretty well. As you may or may not know, I'm off of work through the end of the school year (June 1). Next year, I won't be coaching tennis due to my apparently "booked" schedule in the fall. My friends at work threw me a baby...party. (Guys don't do showers). The staff at my school is the absolute best, and I feel like I have the best teaching job in the world, even if we still don't have a contract this year.
To wrap up my first entry, I must say that I have the best wife in the entire world. God has blessed me with a fighting, courageous women who wants nothing but the best for her three babies. Without a doubt, she's quite a woman. In fact, she even gave me a Colts draft update while I was giving Alyssa a bath, and she watched Rocky I-IV on a TNT marathon a couple of days ago. Isn't she the greatest wife? God has blessed us with soooo many things, and He gets all of the praise and glory. Please know how much I appreciate all of your prayers and support for Amanda and me. Until next time!
Dave

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All is Well

After a few days home, we are now settling into our new routine. Dave is now a master at using all the home monitoring equipment. We had a couple of sessions of high numbers of contractions (around 8-10 an hour). Amanda is "allowed" to have 4 an hour without any problems. But after those two episodes, they went ahead and increased her medication, and the contractions seem to be under control again. She is still coughing and very short of breath sometimes, but is feeling better. All the good sleep at home has helped immensely.
This has been a very difficult and long week for all of us. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for so many of you who stood with us through this time. Thanks for the flowers, phone calls, visits and meals to help us out. We could really feel your support, almost like you were there in our hospital room, cheering us on that we could do this for a while longer. Thanks so much! What would we do without you? We love you all very much! It is a little discouraging at times to think that we need to stay pregnant and go through all of this MONTHS longer, but with your support and God on our side, we know that we can do it!
A quick note about Alyssa. She seems to be taking all of this very well, although we're not sure how much her little mind understands. Amanda had a coughing spell today and she said, "Mommy's coughing and doesn't feel good." She comes to check in on Amanda often and has gotten more attached to her Daddy then ever. Thanks for all the love and attention you have given her, especially at times when we just couldn't. She still does all kinds of cute things to make us laugh. Today she was watching the Sound of Music (one of her new favorites). She later went up the stairs from a sitting position just like Gretel and sang "the sun has gone to bed and so must I."

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Happy Anniversary

It's hard to believe that today is our 9th anniversary! It seems like 2 lifetimes ago that we got married. We definitely feel more than 9 years older than we did that day. Little did we know what life had in store for us! We certainly never would have guessed triplets!
We finally got a pretty good night's sleep last night, but Amanda woke up with her heart racing. Her resting heart rate was around 135. It felt like her heart was going to come right through her ribs.
The resident stopped by and said her breathing was pretty good and she could take a real shower! He said not to worry about the racing heartbeat, but suggested we call the terbutaline pump people. We did, and they lowered Amanda's doses, which helped tremendously.
The doctor came in and said that he felt Amanda was already starting to get pneumonia when she came in (laying in bed continually for 2 days from the Mag didn't help, either). This probably was what started the contractions, but he felt that they were well under control now. He gave us a wonderful anniversary present, that we could go home! Amanda is now on strict bedrest. She can only get up to use the restroom, take one shower per day, and to visit the doctor. Also, the showers all have to be sitting down, as she could easily faint from the medicines she is taking (they dilate the blood vessels and steam makes this worse).
As we were packing up to go home, we found out that Monique was having her babies today, too. It was quite a happy day for all of us! Hopefully someday soon we can get all of our babies together to celebrate.
Shortly after we got home, a nurse came to help us set up our home monitoring equipment. Amanda is to monitor her contractions for an hour every morning and night. This information is transmitted via the phone line every morning. We also talk to our nurse then and tell her Amanda's blood pressure and pulse rate. Also, if we are worried, we can send in a monitoring session anytime and check to see if everything looks ok. If needed, the nurse can advise us to take additional medicine (after consulting with their pharmacist). Between all of this equipment and changing Amanda's terbutaline cartridges 1-2 times a day, and his previous experience with giving fertility shots, Dave is becoming quite the medical professional!

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You've Got Pneumonia

Amanda woke up Dave around 1am breathing hard and very short of breath. We called the nurse and she put Amanda on an oxygen mask for an hour, while we waited for the residents to get out of surgery (yep, both of them were doing C-sections, so no doctors were available). They wanted Amanda's oxygen levels at around 94%, but she was only able to keep them up that high while on oxygen (they dipped below 90% at times without). The resident ruled out fluid on the lungs (a possible side effect of the Magnesium Sulfate - Mag). She put Amanda on oxygen just through the nose and ordered an inhaler. She also called our doctor at home in the middle of the night for further direction. (Boy were we glad we weren't the ones to make that phone call!)
Around 4am, a big machine came into the room, almost like a big dinosaur coming in to take over. A nice man announced he was here to take an X-ray. Poor Dave had fallen asleep again and had to get up and leave the room. Amanda needed some convincing that this was safe while pregnant as well as necessary. But what can you do when the big dinosaur is already in there!?
The inhaler arrived and helped a little, but Amanda was still very short of breath. It was hard to take deep breaths through her nose, as she was fighting a cold. The doctor came in a few hours later and said it sounded like a respiratory infection, but he hadn't seen the X-rays yet. Then he said the beautiful words, "Today I am going to transition you to the terbutaline pump." This meant that Amanda would soon be getting off of the Magnesium Sulfate - way before expected! He also prescribed some antibiotics for her.
Later that day, the resident came by to do another ultrasound. That was the first that we heard that Amanda did have pneumonia. The babies were doing well, though. The girl was moving around the most and her heart rate was around 130. The boys both had heart rates around 150. During the ultrasound, our fertility doctor also stopped by to see how we were doing. It was good to see him and catch up a bit.
Later in the afternoon, a lady came by to show Amanda how to use her terbutaline pump. Terbutaline also works to slow or prevent contractions, but has the opposite side effects of the Magnesium Sulfate. It causes the heart to race and a lot of jitteriness. The pump works much like an insulin pump. A tiny catheter is put into the thigh, with the site having to be changed every 5 days. A thin tube goes from the catheter up to the pump and the pump is placed in a small pouch that is worn around the clock. It even comes with a special pouch for shower time. The pump delivers a low dose of terbutaline all the time, with a bolus (booster) doses every 4 hours. These can all be adjusted as needed to keep contractions under control.
After that Amanda was taken off the Mag (only having to serve 30 hours of her 72 hour "sentence"). The IVs came out and they cut back on monitoring fluids, etc. The fog started to lift and she was breathing much better. After 12 hours on oxygen, her lungs were now able to keep up on their own. We had a little party in our room that night with Monique (whose room happened to be next door) and we watched American Idol. The doctor stopped by, but wouldn't commit to when Amanda could go home yet.

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Back in the Hospital Again

Over the weekend, Amanda had a couple more episodes of cramping, but they went away. But by Sunday afternoon, she was getting contractions that were stronger and more frequent. After playing "should we call the doctor or not?" we finally did. He sent us to the hospital right away to get checked out.

When we walked up to the hospital, our friend from our multiples class, Monique, was out front. She walked in with us and helped Amanda get into a wheelchair. While Dave was getting Amanda registered, Monique decided to wheel Amanda up to the second floor. They didn't hear the registration lady and Dave say "Wait, Come back!" Getting off the elevator it must have been quite a site for the nurses. Down the hall came Amanda in a wheelchair with her belly full of triplets and Monique pushing her, with her belly of twins (almost ready to be born). The teacher from our multiples class was on duty and asked Monique if she called all her friends from class to come visit her or something. (Monique had been there for a week and was bored while "trapped" at the hospital.)

They took Amanda to her room and started monitoring for contractions. Amanda was afraid this might be a bunch of hype for nothing. But they soon saw that she was having a lot contractions, some of them 3 minutes apart. The resident checked her out and agreed they were pretty strong and would contact her doctor.
Soon we heard those dreaded words we hoped never to hear, "Let's put her on the Mag." This referred to Magnesium Sulfate, a drug that is only given by IV in the hospital. It relaxes all of the smooth muscles in the body (sometimes even those in the eyes). It can have some really bad side effects, so they closely monitor everything while you are on it. Because of the muscle weakness, they don't let you out of bed except for restroom breaks. They started with a booster dose (bolus) right away. Amanda felt like fire was going through her veins, far worse than any fever. Fortunately, this was only for about 20 minutes, then they dropped down to a dose 3 times lower. Amanda did experience the weak muscles and being hot she was told about. She felt like she was in a deep fog, but was surviving OK on the medicines. Luckily, her eyes were spared and she could see fine.

The good news is that the contractions stopped almost immediately after the Mag was started. If labor couldn't be stopped and the babies would have been born at this point, they wouldn't have survived. It was a scary time, to say the least. The doctor had a couple of options to treat Amanda, but decided to use the "big gun" in case the other option wasn't strong enough. Amanda was also given a second medicine, Indomethacine to also help stop the contractions (she was given this after her cerclage, also). She was prescribed 7 doses of the Indo and 72 hours on the Mag. The first night, Amanda had to sleep with a blood pressure cuff on one arm, which took measurements every hour. On the other arm, she had both IVs running in and a pulse oximeter on her finger (this measures pulse and oxygen levels; it makes you look like ET with its red light on the end). Somehow she managed to get a little sleep with being this wired but not much.

As stressful as this all sounds, God really gave us His peace that everything was going to be ok. This was further reinforced when many of our neighbors, friends and Amanda's parents were able to quickly clear their schedules to watch Alyssa. This freed Dave up to be at the hospital as much as possible to be an advocate for Amanda. When you are in the hospital, you really need someone there for you!

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Ch...Ch...Ch...Cha...Changes

Today is Dave's first day off work. We were so blessed that his school let him take extended leave so that he could take care of the other 5! It will be good for him to go from 2 full-time jobs down to 1. His girls love having him home, too. His school has been incredibly supportive of our family during this time. They threw a wonderful surprise baby shower for him before his last day, too. We are so thankful for them and humbled by their generosity!!!

We also want to send out a huge thanks to all the friends and our parents who helped us with watching Alyssa for the last 2 1/2 weeks. We don't know what we would have done if you hadn't been there for us. You went beyond the call of duty to help us out so much with everything from meals and laundry to little touches to make Amanda more comfortable during bedrest and checking in to see how we were doing. Please know how much we appreciate all that you have done for us!

Another change is that last weekend we became minivan owners. Our conversion to being suburban yuppies is now complete. This was another huge blessing and gift from God for us. It's kind of scary to see now where our 4 kids will sit. It makes it that much more real. It's also much nicer of a van than we had ever dreamed of owning. A million thanks to some very precious people that helped make this happen for us.

Dave is also working on painting Alyssa's room, so that she can move up to a "big girl bed". (Dave is giving up his beloved Notre Dame room for his little girl.) Then the real fun of setting up two nurseries will begin. We are so thankful for the many generous friends who have donated boy clothes and other baby gear to help us get started. God provides again!

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Checkup (Almost 21 Weeks)

This checkup went very smoothly. They did another full scan where they measured the babies' heads, abdomens and femurs (leg bone). The measurements were all right where they should be. The girl (Baby A) was laying on her back with her arms over her head. One boy (Baby C) was sucking on his fist. The other boy (Baby B) was laying tummy down for a while. If you could stretch the babies out at this stage, they would measure around 10-12 inches head-to-toe.
Increasing Amanda's medicine seemed to help a lot, and all her other checks were good. They told her she didn't have to come back for 2 weeks. She was also relieved to have the nurse tell her that if she had to go under general anesthesia (like with the surgery in Feb) during the delivery, that they would get her in a wheelchair somehow to go see the babies in the NICU. Amanda was worried that she might miss the delivery and not see the babies for a while.

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20 Week Checkup

This week's checkup went pretty well. The babies all looked good, and they assured us that the girl is doing fine. Amanda always worries about her since she is underneath her brothers and doesn't seems to have as much room (and she can't feel her move as often). They increased her medicine a little more to take away the discomfort in the evenings. They thought Amanda looked tired, too, so they said to come every week now. At 20 weeks, Amanda measures like she was 28 weeks (for one baby).

Amanda has noticed that she has been a lot more hungry and tired lately. The babies are really growing now. Dave was glad, he was a little worried she looked too small for someone carrying 3 babies.
Only 4 more weeks and the babies at least have a chance of survival if born early!

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Go Directly to Jail

Despite feeling badly the night before, Amanda woke up in the morning feeling pretty good. But as she got up to get breakfast, the cramping pains started up again. But again, after laying down for a while and drinking some water, they went away. She decided to cancel her activities for the day and rested just to be safe.
By the evening, when she got up to get dinner, though, the cramping was much worse. After resting for a while, they still weren't getting any better. She debated whether to call the doctor or not (what if he was getting ready to watch the NCAA Men's BB semifinals)!? But then she remembered the nurse saying "always call". The doctor was very gracious about her interrupting his son's surprise 30th birthday party. He told her to stay laying down and he was going to call in a prescription for her. If it wasn't better the next day (Sunday), she was to call him back. The medicine is actually for blood pressure, but as a calcium channel blocker, it is also helpful in relaxing muscle contractions.
Being all alone made it very difficult for Amanda to get a prescription. Fortunately, Amanda's mom was home and didn't hesitate to drop everything and race over to the pharmacy before it closed. The medicine definitely helped, but took a while to kick in (so she was glad she had called the doctor after all). Thus began Amanda's first day of bedrest. The doctor had guessed that Amanda might start bedrest around this time, so we were just a little early. It turned out to be God's perfect timing, as Dave was off on Spring Break, and we had a week to line up help to take care of Alyssa.

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18 Week Checkup and Multiples Sale

When we went in for our checkup today, they started as they always do with an ultrasound. They did a "full scan" this time, where they do several measurements on the babies. This is how they can track their individual growth and make sure they are growing appropriately. Everything checked out great. They were also 100% sure it's two boys and a girl. The doctor told Amanda to start laying down for an hour every night and counting contractions. That way she could establish a pattern of what was normal for her. If she had more than 4 or 5 an hour, they wanted her to call right away. In a multiples pregnancy, there is no waiting around to decide if you are in labor or not. It has to be stopped right away before it's too late. This seemed to so opposite of a singleton pregnancy, where you almost have to prove yourself that you are having contractions!
Dave was off on his first day of Spring Break, so he took Alyssa to see his parents and shop around for minivans there. Amanda spent the evening at her first event for multiples - a baby clothes and equipment sale. When people asked what she was having, the 2 boys and a girl answer still got quite a reaction (even though most of the people there had twins). She was able to catch up with an old co-worker there who had twins. She was able to meet two other moms who had 2 boys and a girl triplets. One of the moms even had an older child, spaced about the same ages as Alyssa and our triplets. It was good to talk to them and have them scout for a triple stroller for us. But as the time wore on, Amanda wasn't feeling so well. She went home and immediately laid down. After drinking some water and resting for a while, the discomfort went away. But it was definitely a sign to take it easy and not do too much during probably her last weekend alone for a very long time!

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Multiples Class and NICU Tour

We were looking forward to our multiples class and finally being with a group of people just like us - expecting multiples. When it came time to introduce ourselves, we were asked to go first. Our announcement of upcoming triplets brought gasps and wows from the group. So much for our hopes to feel "normal" for a few hours. Everyone else was expecting twins. It's only one more baby; come on!Anyway, the class was really good and we got some good tips, especially ideas on how one person could feed 3 babies at once. We also got a very helpful packet of info to take home, including free offers and discounts for those expecting multiples.
At the end of class we toured the hospital, including the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). This is where our babies will be taken care of, unless they are carried almost to term and can breathe well on their own. It had a very peaceful environment and was dimly lit and fairly quiet. It is a huge room full of what they call "pinwheel" bays. They have circles of 4 bays each (with a huge pinwheel on top), and one baby goes in each bay. Unfortunately, even with multiples, each baby has to be in its own bay. They said they try to keep siblings within eyesight of each other or within the same "pinwheel". We also learned that only 2 people per family are allowed in at a time. Due to tight security, one of the two people has to be a parent. Children under 14 aren't allowed at all (we were hoping Alyssa could meet her siblings sooner). They also don't allow any visitors from 7-8 am and pm, while the shift changes happen. It was really good for us to get some of our questions answered and to know what to expect a little more.

This was copied and edited from our previous website, on Babysites.