We made it to 24 wks!! Now we will start counting down to our next goal which is 28 wks. At this point if they were born they would at least have a chance of surviving. We had an appt with the specialist in Sioux Falls on Monday and everything looked great. The babies are good weights: Baby A --1 lb 9 oz, Baby B --1 lb 7 oz, and Baby C --1 lb 9 oz. The heart rates were all similar and were nice and strong. The tech was even surprised to see all 3 babies are head down already. They may not stay that way but since we will more than likely have a C-section anyway it won't matter. That explains why I have been feeling more pressure in my pelvis lately. Somedays I feel like I am going to split in half. We even saw Baby A's head bouncing off of my cervix. I've been having feelings like someone is trying to dig their way out. That's the great thing about ultrasound. You can actually see what is going on in there. The babies are definitely getting cramped but seemed to be happy. We didn't see any fighting anyway this time.

I know I've said this before but I would like to remind everyone that we do not want to, or plan to, find out the sexes of these babies until they are born. It has been hard for us to share all of the excitement that each doctor's visit brings when we are bombarded each time with "Why don't you want to find out?". Lance and I discussed it and both agreed that we didn't want to know. We have been guessing for fun but are looking forward to the moment when the doctor pulls each one out and says what they are. I know it didn't make things any easier when Lance announced at Aunt Jean's that "we know, we just aren't telling anyone". He came up with this stupid plan to get everyone upset because he thought it would be funny. You all know Lance and his idea of humor. It isn't true but I'm sure he will keep saying just to get a reaction.

Anyway, back to our appt. We got a chance to tour the ICN (intensive care nursery) and it was a huge reality check for us. Sioux Valley just opened their new ICN a few months ago and we were very impressed. Each family has their own private room. There is even a triplet room so all of our babies can be together. Each room has a pull out sofa with a privacy screen so the parents can stay right with the babies. This is a huge difference than all of the families hanging out in the same room. Plus they have a neonatologist right there 24/7 in case the babies need something. All of this put us at ease but seeing all the tiny babies was very heartwrenching. We watched nurses working on brand new twins that were just brought up. They weighed around 4 lbs, which is a good size for preemies, but it was very difficult to imagine if that were our babies. I had to leave the room because I was starting to tear up. My raging hormones got the better of me. Then the last baby we saw was a little over 2 lbs, which is not much bigger than what our babies weigh right now. I gave my belly a good lecture after seeing that. They have strict orders to stay put for at least 2 more months. Speaking of my belly, I posted the latest photo which Lance took last night. I was 24 wks 3 days. I feel and look like I did right before I delivered Ashlyn. How I will manage 2 more months is beyond me but I know others have done it so it is possible. I am having a few contractions here and there but nothing to worry about. I have been doing a lot less at home and rarely go out anymore because my back hurts constantly now. Mostly I rest and play with Ashlyn as much as I can. She has been a comfort to me but I know she feels like mommy has turned into a couch potato. She loves it when daddy comes home and plays with her. At least she loves books so we read a LOT of books. Mostly the same ones over and over and over. I am just trying my hardest to stay out of the hospital because then I would never get to see her. I miss her when she is gone for half a day so it would be unbearable to be gone for any longer.

Well I think I have talked about pretty much everything now. The babies seem to move all the time now. I think they wake each other up. They seem to repond more to music and Ashlyn's voice. Yesterday Baby B rolled onto it's side and my stomach was lopsided with a shoulder sticking out. It was a little uncomfortable until it moved back. Lord help me when they weigh 3-4 lbs.

Thank you all for all the thoughts and prayers. Without all of you I don't think we would have made it this far and be doing so well. Our doctors are all impressed that we haven't had any serious complications yet. Also a huge thank you to all of you that have donated or allowed us to use their baby things. We already have a nursery almost packed. Oh, and I had another reality check when I bought 3 packs of newborn diapers thinking "I hope that isn't too many". I know for a fact that Ashlyn used more than one pack of newborn diapers so 3 will probably last me a few days. Yikes!! Good thing we are coupon people. Also I have learned that if I submit copies of the babies birth certificates to the major diaper companies, they will send lots of coupons.

So thanks again everyone. We feel so blessed that we were chosen to have these babies but even more blessed to have all of you for support.

Well it's after 10 pm and once again I hear snoring from both directions of the house and here I sit with 3 of my children jumping around like frogs. Of course they would happen to be the ones living inside my belly. I can almost hear them saying "Lets get this party started!". I just pray that they develop Ashlyn's sleeping habits early in life and then maybe I can get some sleep. I posted this picture of her, which was taken a few weeks ago, napping with 2 of her "pets". Don't' worry, she sleeps like her dad and a freight train couldn't wake her, so no harm came in the taking of this picture. I don't think there is much better in this world than to stare at your child while they are asleep. I have taken so many pictures of her asleep that Lance thinks I'm strange. I can be at times, but that's beside the point. I just want to be able to look back when she is away at college (or living in L.A. with Aunt Rita, if that is what she chooses) and see my little girl sound asleep in her crib, where no one could ever hurt her and she is still my baby. Yes, if you haven't already guessed, the hormones are building like a pressure cooker these days. I don't remember being this sensitive or sentimental (key word being mental) when I was pregnant with Ashlyn. I think it has something to do with watching a tiny baby turn into an independent toddler in a little over a year. I've realized how precious the time with your children really is. My mom gave me good advice when I was pregnant with Ashlyn. She said, don't ever say "I can't wait until she....." because they grow up so fast and soon they are gone. I have done my best to live by this. Even when she was waking every 2 hours to be fed I never complained once. So I have also tried to enjoy these moments with the babies all to myself. I realize this will probably be my last pregnancy (unless God has other plans that he hasn't told us about). Once they are born the days and nights will be so busy it will be hard to enjoy them the way I have with Ashlyn but you will never hear me say "I can't wait until they......". And my point is what, you ask? I don't know, forgive me if I don't really have one. Hopefully you can find something worth reading in this post. If not, at least maybe by spilling my rambling brain onto this page I will be able to sleep more and think less tonight, when I do make it back to bed. First I will stand at the crib and watch Ashlyn snore for a few more minutes. It has a much sweeter sound to it than the one that awaits me across the hall (sounds like a grizzly bear in hibernation). Good thing Lance never reads my babbling. He usually only looks at the pictures.

I hope everyone is well and that this didn't bore you all too much.

These were taken on Sunday. Two are from the Trainfest when we rode the train. Ashlyn was very tired and we neglected to pack a Binky, which she has never slept without. So daddy went and bought her this huge train-shaped sucker to try and "pacify" her. It worked, but she and daddy were sticky from head to toe by the time we got back. I never thought I would give my child candy to make her stop screaming, but I decided the rest of the passengers would not enjoy their ride unless we bribed her a little. Over all it was worth it because she really enjoyed the ride. We were worried that the train robbers would scare her but she loved them because they were riding horses.

The last picture is of that night when we were back home. After her bath we decided to wait to dress her until bedtime. She wanted to go outside and it was chilly so she wore snow boots and a fleece jacket. She loved the boots and had a great time outside.

Well yesterday I started my 23rd week of pregnancy. We will be happy to get to our first goal which is 24 weeks. Only 5 more days. Then the babies will be considered viable which means if they are born any time after that they will have a chance of surviving. Of course the longer they stay in the better their chances are so our next goal will be 28 wks, then 32, and then 34. Our Dr. in Sioux Falls says his average for delivering triplets is 34-35 wks. Though it will be torturous on my part to make it that far, the babies would be much better off so I will do my best. I seem to be getting bigger by the day. My belly measures 41 inches now and I've gained 20 lbs. Everyone says I don't look very big for triplets but I definitely feel like I did right before I delivered Ashlyn. So far no bedrest or hospital stays which makes me very happy. I would miss Ashlyn way too much. My blood pressure was up for a few days when Wilmot had their Harvest Fest and it was 100 plus degrees. But after resting for a few days it went back down. Over all I'm feeling pretty good. The babies should be over a pound now and close to a foot long. It's really hard to imagine 3 feet and 3 lbs of babies in there. I'm also starting to add to my stretch mark collection so that's another sign of my growth. I think Lance is amazed when he comes home from work each day and it seems like I've grown another inch. He always says "hey big mamma!" We go back to Sioux Falls on Monday to see the specialist again. I can't believe it has been a month already! We saw Dr. Benson on the 8th but they didn't even check for heartbeats and the only ultrasound we got was to check the length of my cervix. They will check this every appt now to make sure it doesn't start to shorten which would be a sign of beginning labor. Usually 4 or greater is good and mine was 4 1/2 to 5 so that was a relief. I'll have more news after Monday.

Here is Ashlyn eating sweet corn off the cob for the first time. She kept saying "mmm". She really seemed to love it. Since it has been so hot there hasn't been much corn to eat.

Here is my latest belly shot. I am 20 wks and 2 days. I don't look nearly as big in this picture as I feel right now. I think being tall really helps to hide it. I had to wait for Lance to take this picture for me. I tried taking one myself this afternoon but all I got was some great photos of my armpit. Don't worry I won't post them.

I just wanted to share this picture from a book I have titled "A Child Is Born" by Lennart Nilsson. If you could peek inside my uterus right now this may be what our babies would look like. It is a 4 1/2 month old fetus which would be a 5 month pregnancy and exactly where we are right now. Isn't it just amazing?

I couldn't resist posting this photo of Baby C. I think it's a pretty good example of a "butt shot". I loved looking at their feet which you can see on the left side. Although they look pretty big here, according to a book I have, at 22 wks (which is still 2 wks away) the feet will be the size of your first joint in your thumb. Can you imagine? Also I should mention that the babies will not be considered viable (which means they can live outside my body) until 24 wks. We have a month to go and I am counting the days. Even after that they are very tiny and would need lots of time in the hospital. A lot of women with triplets start experiencing pre-term labor at 20 wks but so far everything is ok with us. So keep the prayers coming please. I have been doing my best to take it easy and stay off my feet as much as possible.

This is Baby C, at 20 wks, who appears to look bigger than the other 2 in the photo but it may just be the magnification. I was amazed at how much they all look like each other. Maybe this is the way all babies look in-utero. I thought we were looking at the same baby 3 times until I saw the top of the photo said which baby was which. Baby B and Baby C had actually switched places in my uterus. B had been on my right and C on the left but they were just the opposite this time. How they can tell them apart is beyond me. All babies measured right on track and the heart rates were all between 140 and 160.

This is an ultrasound photo of Baby B. Still seems to be the clown of the bunch. Lance thinks this one is a boy. He swears he saw his plumbing but I was there and I didn't see anything. Knowing him it was probably the baby's leg he saw. This one is definitely more active than the other two but Ashlyn was also very active so it could be a girl.

Here is an ultrasound photo of Baby A at 20wks. This baby seems to get the hiccups a lot. Seems like it is always bouncing off of my cervix. This baby is at the bottom of my uterus. We think maybe it is a girl but it's anybody's guess. Feel free to email me with guesses to the sexes. It's fun to see what everyone else thinks. We have both pink and blue clothes so it doesn't matter to us.

Here was the final picture done at Walmart. They had to take it whether she was crying or not. She normally loves baths but apparently not when the bubbles are made out of cotton batting. Sitting next to her is her cousin, Kayla. They were born on the same day just 10 hours apart. They have been the best of friends and love it when they get to see each other. Kayla is trying her best to console Ashlyn. Either that or she is trying to steal her ducky, it's hard to tell.

Well I had planned to add a lot of photos today but for some reason I can't get them to upload. So instead I will just update information about our Dr. appt yesterday with the specialist in Sioux Falls. The triplets are all doing very well. They did a long ultrasound where they measured each baby and looked at all of the important organs to make sure they were developing as they should. They each looked great. They didn't tell us the length or weights but I think they are supposed to be 10 1/2 ounces and 6 1/2 inches long from head to butt (they say crown to rump in medical terms). I have been feeling lots of movement now and it was fun to see them kicking and playing with each other. The technition asked if we wanted to know the babies genders but we held to our decision to wait until they are born and be surprised. We think there are at least a boy and a girl but go back and forth deciding what the third is. Only about 12 - 15 weeks to go now. I am 20 weeks now and the Dr. says 32 - 35 weeks will be the delivery if everything continues to go well. We do plan to deliver in Sioux Falls when the time comes. They are used to seeing multiples there and they even have a new NICU with a special triplet room for them to stay in. We will get a tour at our next appt which is August 21. I will be 24 weeks then and supposedly the size of a person full term with one baby. Then I will have 8 - 11 weeks left. Ouch!! I am starting to feel a little uncomfortable especially at night. My belly is measureing 38 1/2 inches (started at 31) and I have gained 13 lbs.

Ashlyn seems to be noticing a change around our house lately. She has started wanting to be picked up just when I am not supposed to pick her up anymore. I try and have lots of snuggle time on the floor or couch. We've been trying to start organizing all of the baby stuff and she loves it all. She tries to carry her baby around in the carrier and likes me to dress her up. She is also trying to lay claim to the baby furniture. It will be hard to convince to her to give them up when the babies come.

Sorry that I couldn't get the pictures to work but I will keep trying. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the prayers and support that have come our way. We appreciate it more than you know. Well my stomach is growling so I better go eat.

Here are Ashlyn's photos done at Wal-Mart. She is 15 mo. now and growing like a weed. She weighed 21 lbs and was 32 inches at her last appt. She is talking quite a bit now and seems to learn new words every day. We are amazed at how smart she is. But of course we are a little biased. You would never know by looking at the pictures that she was grumpy that day. She has been cutting her molars and some days have been harder than others. Our days have mostly been staying home and playing together. I have really been blessed with the oportunity to stay home and raise my daughter. I wouldn't trade these days for anything. Lance can't wait to come home to her also. She hears the door and she drops everything and say's "daddy", then runs to the door.

This is a picture of Ashlyn taken last evening. She has a violet in her hand and we kept telling her to smell it. All she would do was blow on it. She loves picking the flowers out of our little flower garden. A few days ago I was weeding it and I looked up to see her pulling out flowers as fast as I was pulling the weeds. I guess she thought she was helping.

This is an ultrasound photo of Baby C taken at 15 1/2 wks. This baby is laying on it's back with the head on the left side. All of the babies were measured at this appt and were all right on target in size. According to my reading they should be about 4 1/2 inches long right now and weigh about an ounce and a half. They will have a growth spurt coming up where they will gain a couple of ounces and grow another couple of inches. At least that's what I think I remember. I'll try and keep you all updated as best I can. This is my first attempt at blogging so bear with me and if you have any pointers let me know. All we ask for is prayer in the next coming months (or years would probably be more appropriate) that all are healthy. Right now our goal is 32 wks which is Oct 16 and if I can make it past that it's even better. From what I have read most mom's pregnant with triplets start to experience preterm labor at around 20 wks. That will be at the end of July for me but hopefully everything will turn out ok.

Here is an ultrasound photo of Baby B at 15 1/2 wks. This baby is laying face down with it's head also on the right. This baby has been the most fun to watch because it is always playing tricks. At our 14 wk appt it had it's hands up on either side of it's face like it had it's thumbs in it's ears. Then during this ultrasound the technition put it on still to do the measurements and when we came back to "live cam" the baby had flipped completely around. If I had to guess I would think this baby is a boy but we won't know for sure until they are born.

Here is an ultrasound photo of baby A at 15 1/2 wks. The head is on the right hand side and it is laying face up.

This is an ultrasound photo from our 14 wk appt. It shows a picture of all 3 at once and the Dr. said it would probably be the last time we could get all 3 in one picture until after they are born.

Here is another photo with a side view.