Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Update!

Wow!  What a differnce two weeks can make!  These babies have grown a whole inch and a half each!!!  We are so very thankful!  Once again, they were all performing!  It's amazing to see how their personalities are already forming.  A was literally doing backbends for the camera; B, once again, our chilled out one, would just turn every now and then, as if to say, "please, I'm way too cool for that camera- go on." However, it wouldn't movefor A and C to get in the picture.  C, our little surprise, surprised us once again by sucking its thumb!  It was amazing to see!  It was as if it had just discovered its thumb, and it would look at it, then put it back in, then look back at it.  It was absolutely precious, and it melted my heart.  Andy wasn't able to go to this appointment, and they did miss seeing their daddy.  However, they gave us several pictures!  If I was smart enough to scan them in, I would, but at the rate my brain is going right now, I'll never figure that one out!  As I said last time, A is my daddy spit out.  The picture even looks like Daddy.  B is Andy spit out, and once again, we are not sure about C!  Ha!  I know you probably think I am crazy telling you who they all look like when they are only 3 1/2 inches long, but I swear, it is truly amazing and very obvious! 

We've also had another appointment since then, and, praise God, all  babies are rocking right along!  The ultrasound tech said that they look like they will be big babies.  I'm not sure they can help it since I weighed 9 pounds 10 ounces.  I don't think that they will get that big, but God willing, we will have some 4 or 5 pounders!  Carrying almost 28 pounds of babies would most definitely be hard.  Their hearts were beating very strongly too.  We also got to see every vertebrae in their spines.  That was awesome.  Again, God truly is weaving these little ones together in my womb, and it is  such a miracle!  We also got to see their stomach organs, which were no bigger than a dot, but still nonetheless, unbelievable! The sonograms really do remind us what miracles these precious babies are each and every time we get to see them!

It's unbelievable to know that God chose us for this journey.  Every day seems like a new journey, and one we are so thankful for.  Although there have been surprises along the way (baby C!), and scares, we are having to trust in God like never before.  And time and time and again, He always is in control of us and these wonderful blessings- and always faithful to us. We are taking everything day by day.  One day will be great, and another comes, and it truly is hard, but how could I ever complain when I think of the work that God is doing in my body?  It is unbelievable to fathom!  Are we scared, of course!  Andy has never even changed a diaper, but I do feel like he will have several opportunities to perfect that in the future.  I've only babysat 3 babies the same age probably one time.  So no, neither one of us know what to expect, but our God will take care of us and lead us in each day's journey, and I assure you He already knows what to expect!

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.  We need them daily.  Please pray that each baby will grow in concordance with the other.  Please pray for their hearts- that they would be beating strongly, and that God would be working in them even now.  We have our next ultrasound on December 6th, and God willing, if they are all turned the right way, we will find out what they are!!!  We absolutely cannot wait to know what God is blessing us with!  Thank you in advance for all your precious prayers for our growing family.  We cannot thank you enough...

Maggie

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Life... Now

I have hesitated whether or not to start this blog up again or not, but I've decided to give it a shot! It may not always be perfect, but that is life!  I am going to try and be as honest as possible, so please don't be offended! 

It is absolutely amazing what a year (or almost a year) can bring!  A year ago, Andy and I were just rolling along with the punches.  Since then, I've gotten a new job, we have enjoyed being in our house, and Andy is still as nice as ever.  Also since then, we have TRIPLETS on the way!  Yes, God is always good in His own timing!  This is a blessing that we have prayed and prayed for, and God has answered our most earnest cries.  We asked for one, and He has blessed us with THREE!

So, now you ask...  are they natural?  do they run in your family?  Now, seriously, I could probably count on my hand the number of triplets that are natural.  You now ask... was this pregnancy brought about by fertility drugs?  Of course.  I'm not ashamed to say so.  Neither is Andy.  We just needed a little help!  After an almost two year struggle with infertility and nine months of clomid and heartbreak, my doctor, Dr. Smith, here in Oxford, sent us to Memphis to a fertility doctor, Dr. Kutteh, who got us on the right track.  For anyone who cares (and you'd be surprised who does), I'll be more than happy to tell you all about how we got to this point.  Just not real sure the world wide web needs to know everything... 

And so it begins... 

We found out that we were having twins, yes, I said twins, on October 4th.  Our first scheduled ultrasound was not until a week later, but because of complications, we ended up in the ER and cheated so we could have our first sonogram.  We didn't really cheat, but the ultrasound was just necessary.  When they did the ultrasound, the tech immediately asked, "do twins run in your family?"  Andy and I both have twins in our families, but we knew full well that the twins were probably a result of our fertility treatment.  So...  we went on for a week getting used to the idea of twins.  Then on October 10th came our next  routine ultrasound in Memphis.  Because of further complications, we told the tech that we knew it was twins, but we just wanted to know everything was ok.  Well, we saw babies A & B really quickly, but all of the sudden, the tech got silent and said, "well, you guys, um, there is C- there's another one!  Congratulations!  You are having triplets!"  Wow!  Shock set in for Mama and Daddy!  Daddy Andy, who had been holding my hand and being the ever so calm presence that I needed that day, all of the sudden became motionless.  I can't explain it.  His hand went limp, and his face was 20 shades of white.  It was as if he'd seen a ghost, and all he'd really seen was our baby C!  I, on the other hand, was smiling from ear to ear- and couldn't quit smiling.  It may have been the best day of my life besides getting married.  If you've seen Father of the Bride II, I was like Diane Keaton only seeing myself stroll down the street with three perfect babies all dressed in smocked outfits, while Andy saw the dollar signs and crying.   We both have alot to learn.  Life isn't perfect!  After two seconds and after seeing their heartbeats, Daddy Andy was the natural caucasion color again, and I realized that every day may not be a smocked outfit kind of day, but we had three miracles on the way. 

So...  yes, we're having triplets!  Are we nervous?  Of course.  What kind of question is that- who wouldn't be?  However, we do know that God gave these three precious blessings to  us in His perfect timing, and this is all in His perfect will.  We do realize what a big task the Lord is giving us in raising three children, and we are scared, but all we can do is do our best to raise them in a way which pleases Him!  Again, I say, we prayed and prayed for one, and he heard our most earnest cries and granted us three! 

We had our first appointment with a high risk doctor in Memphis on Tuesday, November 15th- Dr. BK.  It had been two weeks since we had last seen A, B, and C, and we missed them.  They tend to scan you alot when you've got three in there- which is just fine with us.  We love seeing them.  The high-tech machine they have is unbelievable.  Andy got to hear the heartbeats for the first time!  (I had heard them at a previous ultrasound).  The smile on his face was contagious!  Everyone in the room was either crying or smiling from ear to ear.  We tend to worry all the time about them, but when you see these wonders, these miracles, flipping around on the screen and hear their heartbeats- your world just stops in an instant.  It's almost God's way of calming us down and saying, "I'm in control, and I will take care of all 5 of you."  It's amazing.  They could zoom in on each baby, and we could see the profile of each child.  Baby A looks like my nephew, B is Andy spit-out, and C is a surprise- we're not sure who C looks like.  C has a way of surprising us.  They all have big heads, where we are supposing their big, smart brains sit.  (Daddy would love a scholarship for all 3- we have high hopes!)  The big heads and large jaws are all from my side, but their precious chins are Andy.  They all measured in larger than we expected - A & B- 11 weeks 5 days and C, the usual runt, was 11 weeks 6 days, while their heartrates were A- 166; B- 167; and C- 169.  B was definitely chilled out, a characteristic that doesn't sound like their OCD parents.  It had his legs crossed and his hands behind his head and wouldn't let A or C get in the picture, but boy, did they try.  I have a feeling this may be an omen of what's to come at our house, but we are ready... we think.  I didn't want the  whole hour and fifteen minute sonogram to end.  I couldn't get enough of each and everyone of them.  Psalm 139 had never rung so true in either of our minds. They truly are our miracle babies.

A few weeks ago, a friend sent me the verse at the end of this paragraph.  How wonderful it is.  Our God truly does perform "wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted," and our babies, our blessings, are truly proof of what God can do.  Please keep each and every one of us in your daily prayers.  Please pray specifically that God would allow each child to grow at a consistent rate with the other, and most importantly, that these babies would one day know their Creator as their Savior. 

"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed. Miracles that cannot be counted!" Job 5:9

Love to you all,

Maggie