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.