And The Countdown Is On...

I never would have dreamed I would type the above title, but, yes, we finally have a date!  If, and only if, nothing  happens before MAY 7th, then the triplets will be born May 7th by c-section, here in Oxford!  If something does happen to happen, then we will deliver then.  By something, I mean water breaking, etc...I'm so excited to have a date that I don't know what my name is, but at the same time, I'm/ we're so scared that I'm not sure either of us knows our names.  We went to Memphis today, and the doctor said everything looked great- fluid, placenta, and cord wise.  They didn't weigh them, but they did look as if they had grown some since last Tuesday.   A, as usual, didn't like the probe being on top of her, so she frowned at us.  Girlfriend has a personality of her own.  Kinda scary.  Sweet B was still head-butting our girl.  They each have one eye out on the world, if that makes any sense.  Our precious C is still breech.  He is one smart joker.  I wouldn't get involved down there either. He is still right under my chest on the right, and I can occasionally feel his sweet hand, reaching up to my heart- causing some awesome heart burn.  It's as if he's telling me he has my heart.  He doesn't have to remind me though.  They've each stolen my heart from day one.  I am to continue on all of my medicines until the day before delivery.  We go to our Oxford doctor, Dr. Smith, on Wednesday and will travel back to Memphis for an appointment with Dr. BK on Thursday.  Naturally, on the way to Memphis, my phone got Gatorade all in the battery, so it quit working, so if you have tried to contact me, I have Andy's phone.  However, with the loss of my phone came the loss of Dr. Smith's cell phone number.  Yikes.  I know his office's number by heart, so I called immediately, and to whom did I get transferred?...  To none other than Dr. Smith himself, which made me feel great because Dr. BK had already called and scheduled everything with him.  And, honestly, Andy and I had only made it to Southaven, right outside Memphis.  So, we are on go for that date if something doesn't happen before then...

As excited and absolutely thrilled as we are, we are really scared.  It's hard to believe that this whole life changing experience has come close to its end.  Our lives have changed a million times over just by being pregnant, something we thought would be impossible.  God has worked on us in ways I could have never imagined.  However, I know our lives will change even more with three precious babies who will look to us for everything, at least at first.  How have we gotten through this?  Only by the grace of God and from prayers from sweet friends like you...  I've never known someone who has been on as many prayer lists as we are, and for that we are so thankful.  Each and every day comes with its own struggles.  For instance, as I've mentioned, these wrists would show up on an x-ray as an elderly person's, and for some reason I can't hear out of my right ear.  Strange what pregnancy can do to you.  However, I'd give up my right ear hearing and my wrists to have these babies.  I know this sounds extremely vain, but the stretch marks are rampant, but each one will be a sweet reminder of one of the most wonderful times of my life, and so for these marks, I am so very grateful.  I am truly going to miss this- every kick and every punch and every hard breath.  I couldn't ask for a more wonderful gift than this.  Praise be to God!

Please continue to pray for us as we near the end of this pregnancy.  Please pray for these precious souls as they are born!  Please pray that each one would be healthy and have developed lungs, etc.  Please pray for no medical difficulties, and if some occur, for grace to deal with them.  Please pray that we can hold out for two more weeks.  Please pray that God would grant every doctor in the delivery room unfathomable wisdom.  Please pray for our nerves, as they are pretty twisted right now.  Please pray that these babies would be o.k. spiritually, physically, and mentally.  And most importantly, please pray that God would receive all glory, honor, and praise for this wonderful gift, and all that He has done...  Praise Him!

And, now...  A fun video up to this point... If it were only as easy as A,B,C's and 1,2,3's... However, it will be a Wonderful World!

33 Weeks, 5 Days!!! So Thankful!

Well, here we are~ 33 weeks, 5 days!  Who would have ever thought?  God has been so very good to us, and we owe Him all the glory!  He continues to remain faithful!  We had a great appointment on Tuesday in Memphis.  All the babies are over 4 pounds- something we never thought would happen!  A is 4 lbs, 13 oz; B is 4 lbs, 7 oz; and C is 4 lbs, 12 oz!  We are in awe of God's faithfulness to us, not just this time, but time and time and time again!  They were all precious, and as always, it was so much fun to see them!  A is still looking like Andy- she has the same exact profile as he does.  She may be looking a tad bit more like her brothers, and B and C look so much alike it's crazy.  I know things may change, and it's just a sonogram, but we may have to find a way to tell the boys apart!  It's funny how she looks like Andy's nieces, and they look like my nephew.  We still tend to think they're pretty cute.  They all have still have lots of hair!  C wouldn't let us get a good picture of him.  He likes sucking on his hands too much, however A and B really performed.  They are both head down- and literally, I feel like she is ready to come at any second.  She and B are butting heads to see who will come out first.  I'm scared to move for fear my water may break, and Andy would be delivering babies at our house.  Yikes.  Our doctor was very pleased with us, and he thinks that since we have made it this far, that there is no reason we should not have them here in Oxford.  As of today, my Oxford doctor is out of town until Monday, so please pray for him to get home safely and for them not to arrive before he gets back.  I completely trust what Dr. BK (Memphis doctor) says we should do, and I don't think he would want us to have them here if there were lots of risks.  I completely trust Doctor Smith (Oxford doctor) as well.  In fact, I cried when I had to go in the Memphis hospital because he wasn't there to chill me out.  It does scare me that there is no NICU, but Dr. BK seems to think it will all be ok.  I know both doctors will work together to do what's best for the babies.  If one of them does need the NICU, Dr. Smith has said that they can fly one/some/all of them to Tupelo's NICU, which is supposed to be wonderful.  Andy and I have prayed and prayed that this would not be an emergency delivery so that our families could be here, and I believe this is God's way of answering our prayers.  If we have them here, then it would more than likely be a planned delivery so Dr. Smith could make sure there were enough doctors, nurses, etc.  This is all in God's hands, and He has  been so very gracious to us thus far, and I have full confidence that He will take care of us, whether it be in Memphis or Oxford.  Of course, we want to do what's best for the trips, and God has done above and beyond what we could have ever imagined.  Praise Him!

I go to one of Doctor Smith's partner's today since he's out this week, so please pray for that to go well.  As of last week, I was not dilated, so they were pleased with that.  I do think these babies are getting quite comfortable with their surroundings and like being inside of me, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  As hard as it is getting, I still love feeling their movements.  I'll definitely miss this.  I feel like we're already best friends, and I haven't even met them yet.  It's hard to believe that I only have possibly 2 weeks, or even 2 days (who knows?) of this pregnancy left.  I absolutely cannot wait to meet them, and I'm sure I'll cry my eyes out when I finally get to see them, but I almost feel more comfortable having them right here inside me so I can always feel and talk to them.  It's gonna be hard when they grow up, but I know the Lord will prepare us for that when it comes.  I told Andy a while back that they're already growing up, and with these hormones, I'll have them grown up by the time they get home from the hospital.  Poor Andy.  My hormones are insane.  

Please pray for all of us!  Praise God for their great weights and great stats!  Praise Him we've gotten this far!  34 weeks, hopefully, on Saturday!  Please pray that they'd continue to grow.  Please pray that whether the trips be born here or in Memphis, that all would go well.  Please pray for us as we continue to prepare to be the parents the Lord wants us to be- it's a big responsibility!  Praise Him for all of the support we have.  We could not have made it this far if it weren't for our families and friends and church!  Please pray that the Lord would continue to give us strength to get through each second of each day.  Please pray that these sweet, precious miracles would never know a day that they don't know our Lord.  I can't wait to tell them what all He's already done for them.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

Now, some sonogram pics!

Baby Girl A...  She's up against somebody else's face...

Baby Boy B

Baby Boy C's hand.  He'd had a rough day.  His head is in my rib, so he has many rough days.  You can kinda see his nose/ profile, but something is floating in front of his chubby cheeks.  His face is normally just like B's.  

And, if you really want a good laugh for the day...  We're giant.  YIKES!  

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ~  Colossians 3:15

.........

Maggie

Praise God! 32 Weeks, 4 Days, & Still Pregnant!

Praise God we've reached a wonderful goal!  32 weeks, 4 days, and we're still rocking along!  We've had so many goals throughout this pregnancy- 24 weeks, 28 weeks, 30 weeks, and now 32 weeks!  No one, including Andy and myself, ever thought we would have made it this far, but God is in control, and our new goal is 34 WEEKS, possibly 36 (wow!) weeks!  God has been so merciful to us throughout these months, and how terrible of us not to believe He'd get us this far since He's been in control from the infertility on...  We had a great appointment on Tuesday (our Memphis appointment day now)!  They didn't weigh the babies yesterday, but all of their placentas, fluids, and cords looked great!  We are so thankful!  Heart rates were also good at A- 155, and B and C both at 141!  Our girl still is Andy spit out.  I know things can change, but as far as these sonogram pictures go, it looks as if I had nothing to do with her.  She is still sassy and always frowns when the sonographer presses down on her, and I honestly don't blame her because it is not the most comfortable thing. I must say, I think she's pretty cute!  :)  We're going to have our hands full though.  Our sweet boys still look alike- they actually have more of me, or rather my daddy- big lips and jaws, according to these pictures.  They all have tons of hair that just floats in the sonogram.  It is too funny!  They are all getting extremely smushed in there too.  All of their cheeks look like someone is squishing them together.  They're literally running out of room.  The doctor has said they may not grow as much right now due to space, or lack thereof, but we are focusing on brain and lung development now, however, we'd be delighted if they kept growing as well!  The longer they stay put the better.  When we went to Memphis I was positive he'd be keeping us because I have felt terrible lately, and I was in shock when he mentioned 34-36 weeks.  For some reason though, in the most far back place of my mind, I thought he may not keep us.  The far back place of my mind was correct, and we're back home for now.  I am having the "normal" side effects of being extremely pregnant.  Right now, I am larger than what full term is for a normal pregnant person- way larger than the picture I posted last week.  (I need to quit using the term "normal," because I am not sure we'll ever be "normal")!   I am really puffy and swelling, but not too badly, and having headaches, all more than likely due to one of the fifteen pills I take daily.  Thankfully, my blood pressure has remained lower than usual because of one of the meds.  I can't walk to the bathroom without sounding as if a heart attack is around the corner.  Contractions are horribly terrible.  Carpal tunnel has taken over my wrists. Shots are no fun, and getting out of the bath is miserable.  The things I used to take for granted!   I'd be lying if I said this is easy because it is not, however, how can I complain when I see these sweet miracles on that screen- kicking each other or sucking hands or thumbs?  I don't mean to come across as complaining or not thankful at all.  What blessings each of these babies are!  Each headache, each swollen  toe, each breath, each pill, and each shot, etc. is truly a gift and totally worth it, a million times over.  Each day that they are inside of me is even more of a gift.  The Lord has really taught me what sacrifice is.  What I am going through is  NOTHING at all compared to what He has sacrificed for me already.  I have to look at it this way to realize how great it really is.   This is not to say that I haven't had days when I've called Andy or my mother crying like crazy.  My hormones are a tad bit (a lot) out of whack, but we continue to persevere.    Our God is a whole lot stronger than crazy hormones.  He is so good and has had mercy on us time and time and time again, and He's answered our most earnest prayers.

Please continue to keep praying for all of us.  Praise Him for 32 weeks, 4 days!  Praise Him they're all doing well as of now!  Praise Him that we are surrounded by such a good support system.  Praise Him that we're still pregnant!  Please pray that the babies' lungs and brains would be developing well, and that they'd keep growing at the same rate.  Pray that they would not come a second earlier than when they should.  God's timing is perfect, so please pray that they will come in his perfect timing.  Please pray that the Lord would calm our nerves.  We're getting pretty nervous- and just plain scared.  Please pray that the delivery would be a planned delivery instead of an emergency so our parents can make it.  Please pray for the placentas, cords, and fluids to remain at good levels.  Please pray for patience and perseverance as we wait for them.  Please pray for these last days not to creep by and for Andy and I to enjoy just being the two of us right now.  Please pray for Andy as he continues to work to support all of us.  Most importantly, please pray that these precious babies wouldn't ever know a day without Jesus or a day that they don't realize His great sacrifice.   To God be the glory...

Maggie

"Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

James 1:17

31 Weeks, 3 Days, and Still Pregnant!

Since my last post, we've been back to both doctors!  God has been so good to us!  Last Thursday, we went to my Oxford doctor, Dr. Smith.  It was a relatively good appointment.  He was pleased with everything, but I do believe we have every OBGYN and pediatrician doctor in Oxford on pins and needles.  I think they were all relieved when we moved to Memphis.  Well, we're back, which makes me anxious and thankful at the same time!  We had a tad bit of a scare when we were doing heart tones last week.  Baby girl's heart rate got up to 191, which totally freaked me out.  It sounded as if a horse was having a heart attack.  I knew something was up when I saw the sonographer's face.  She wouldn't answer my usual question that I ask for each child, "does he/she look normal?"  And, I honestly knew by the sound of her heart that something wasn't right.  She finally answered very calmly, and said, "well, it's a tad bit fast, but I think that we've caught her in action."  She ended up monitoring her for several more minutes, and her heart rate went down, thankfully- and was fine when in Memphis yesterday.  Praise God!  Baby boys B & C's heart rates were 151 and 157, so they were doing well.  Of course, as I've said, it's super easy for me to cry right now, so the tears began to fall.  I had convinced myself that we'd be having babies that night.  Thankfully,  my doctor said all was o.k., and he calmed my nerves like he always does.  I am convinced that they teach a class at OBGYN school on how to calm down neurotic women like myself.  Whatever they teach works.  So, here we are on Tuesday, and we're still pregnant!

Yesterday, Monday, we went to Memphis, and I honestly didn't feel as if they'd be keeping me.  And they didn't!  As upset as I was about coming home, God has really done a wonder on my nerves.  I'm o.k. with being home.  (Notice I said o.k., not perfectly o.k.!)  I was a wreck when we left Memphis last Wednesday, so I've come a long way!  Our appointment went well!  The babies are growing, growing, growing!  They ended up weighing them- A- 3lbs, 14oz; B- 3lbs, 9 oz; C- 3lbs, 11oz!  Each child grew 4 ounces in a week!  We were so proud of them.  They did tell us that they may begin to slow down on growth since there is not much room, so we'll see.  However, my cervix had shortened a good bit- 2.2, which they expect.  Our goal is now 34-35 weeks.  Seems like an eternity to me, but I'm willing to do it for these miracles! Our baby A is literally ready to come out.  All of these drugs seem to be working against her though.  She is now head down, along with B, who has been head down the whole time.  They are competing on who will come out first- will just depend on who they pull out first.  Our sweet C is still breech.  A had  her whole hand in her mouth, and we couldn't get as good of views of B & C.  B, our usual chilled out child, is very active.  He wants to meet the world.  C is in my back.  Even his little face is facing backwards, so we were unable to get his picture.  We could see his profile, and he was sucking on a thumb or fingers.  He turned away quickly though so we couldn't tell.  We go back to our Oxford doctor on Thursday and back to our Memphis doctor on Monday.  I'm so very thankful for these doctors.  Yesterday when I saw Dr. BK (Memphis doctor), he gave me a huge hug.  Just what I needed!  As I said earlier, Dr. Smith also has a way of telling me to chill out.  I'm grateful God  has given these men the wisdom to take care of our babies, as well as the wisdom to calm me down.  Too bad I can't bring them to my house and let them calm me when I get uncomfortable and am convinced that the babies will be coming within an hour.

It's hard to believe we have gotten this far!  32 weeks on Saturday!  God has remained so faithful to us throughout this whole pregnancy, and we owe all the glory to Him!  Just a year ago, I had had surgery to see if I could even get pregnant, and now, here we are, with THREE precious miracles on the way- and due at any time!  I never would have dreamed that we'd be here, but God in his sweet providence= and perfect timing- has placed us here, and we're so very thankful for that! I asked Andy the other night if he ever thought he'd be having triplets, and his response was, "I'm not sure if anybody ever thinks that!"  Ha!  Neither one of us would trade any of this for the world.  It's had its challenges, but the rewards will far outweigh the hardships.  As nervous and scared as we are, we feel confident that our Lord will continue to take care of us and provide.  Eleven weeks and counting of bed rest could have possibly been the best experience I've had.  I'm OCD, and the Lord has shown me how to calm down and get my priorities straight.  As I've said before, I had always pictured the perfect delivery story- leaving the morning of the delivery and taking pictures and such- having everything be perfect from the nursery to every little detail. (And, the nursery is almost ready- will post pics one day when it is! :))  However, God has really shown me what's important.  And, everything will be perfect in its own way, maybe just not how I originally thought.  Thankfully, the Lord has worked in my heart and shown me how imperfect I really am, and that life's not perfect!  That's why we have Him.  Life will never be perfect with three precious babies, but oh, how wonderful it will be!  Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers.  Please pray specifically for consistent growth rates for the babies.  Please pray for our nerves and our hearts as God works on us daily.  Praise Him that we aren't perfect, but He is.  Praise Him for their growth rates thus far!  Praise Him for 32 weeks!  Please pray that these sweet babies will never know a day that they didn't know Him.  Praise Him from whom all blessings flow.

And, one pic for those of you who have been wanting one.  We're ENORMOUS.   As my mother said, "it's not really a large basketball, but maybe one of those big yoga balls."  Enough said. 

From the fullness of grace we have received one blessing after another.

John 1:16

Maggie