Secrets out! Everyone get excited!

So we announced earlier than expected our surprise to Facebook. I choose to do this earlier because my life was surrounded by this secret and it was driving me crazy. I don't usually need to talk about things in my life, like with girlfriends and the like, but this secret was big and I needed to talk about it. I needed to be able to express my sentiments and ask questions. I am mean really, how many people do you know who have had triplets? I am beyond ecstatic but also very consumed with many, many other emotions. And those emotions change from one moment to the next. I am guessing these emotions are because of three times the pregnancy hormones going on inside my body.

And now comes the boring part of this post. I wanted to share my story, mostly for the journaling aspect of this blog.


The first part of January I was feeling blah. So I took it as a sign that my weight was depressing me so I decided to get serious about burning some calories. I am in love with Dance Central for the Kinect. We played everyday for like three weeks (beginning in December). But as I was dancing my heart out one day my stomach began to hurt. Keep in mind that I had been feeling blah and I thought it was just a weight issue. But on January 10th my stomach hurt. Almost like I was pulling muscles in my stomach. Dance Central isn't that crazy, so I stopped for a couple of days to try and make the pain in my stomach, and then my back go away. On January 12th I decided to take a pregnancy test. I was about a week late. Test kind of had a positive line, but not really so we decided to take it as a NO. Three days later still nothing had changed with my body so I was getting frustrated. Then on Saturday January 15, 2011 I freaked out. I began to weep, sob, get hysterical what happened you ask. Nothing. Aidan was watching Transformers (with Shia LaBeouf) and I lost it. I scared Aidan. He asked that I call daddy. My three year old realized mom was a freak and requested she call for help. I then regrouped and decided that I was way too emotional and took another test. EXTERMELY and QUICKLY positive. Then I did as Aidan requested but only after I sent Brian a picture. He was shocked too.

All that weekend I sobbed. Mainly because I am always able to find out early, super early that I am pregnant. With my last pregnancy (lost pregnancy) we found out at 2 weeks pregnant. Had an appointment at 4 weeks and had no heart beat, just a sac. Then we went back at 6 weeks and had a heart beat and then began losing the baby at 6 weeks 4 days. I was so scared of the next few weeks. We kept our pregnancy secret for about a week. And then many close to us started asking what was wrong. Nothing wrong, just trying to be cautious and keep the scary emotions to ourselves. At that point we realized it would be best if some family knew our secret. That way prayers could be offered up for this new development. I know I sound crazy but I really was. :) We made a doctors appointment for February 7. Aidan's 3rd birthday. We went to the doctor and he confirmed our pregnancy and then he decided that since the last pregnancy was not successful he just wanted a ultrasound to check on the baby. We got an appointment for the next day. Now things get interesting.

The next day we go and begin to get our ultrasound, the basic doppler. The tech put the microphone thing on my tummy and instantly I saw something crazy but I really don't know what I am looking at so I kept my mouth shut. She had it on my stomach for about 3-5 seconds when she said "I think it would be best if we do this vaginally." Okay. Now I am starting to get concerned. With the last pregnancy they need to go in vaginally too.

She then begins again and I hear Brian gasp, the tech is mumbling to herself and I am looking on the screen. Truly unsure if I am seeing two sacs. Brian gasps again and the tech asks me what I see. I told her I was unsure. Brian says "I see two sacs, two babies. Twins?" She says nope. Then she looks at me and says "I see triplets. Two sacs, three babies." I instantly go into shock quietly sobbing. I was delighted to see my babies, but scared. I was scared thinking about trying to keep one incubated and thriving, now there are THREE!!!

The tech then begins giving us a detailed explanation of what we are looking at. Two sacs. One sac has two babies...identical twins. The second sac, a "singleton". She then calculates my due date as being on September 12. That put us at 9 weeks pregnant. Sounds correct. She measures my babies. All three are measuring at 7 weeks 5 days, plus or minus a day. She said for triplets that is FANTASTIC, she is excited. Then she let us listen to the heartbeats. Each baby had a very strong, good rthym. She then beings to tell us all the things that will be now expected of us during this new pregnancy. Bi-weekly visits, visits with a prenatal specialist, lots of ultrasounds, preterm labor, etc etc. In all the commotion we left and forgot to get a picture of our babies.

Then we went to make an appointment with our doctor. The receptionist ask me when we want to see him, the reason, etc. I begin crying again only this time hysterically. I can't say anything. Brian talks to her. He tells her triplets. She gets a big smile. "Congrats! How long have you been on treatments?" Brian and I look at each other and respond "no treatments, natural." She then gets a concerned look on her face, looks at me, touches my hand and says "its just shock. You will be fine. You babies will be fine.Congrats!" That makes me cry a little more and realize that it is shock and that I need to calm down, for my BABIES!

We left the doctors office I looked at Brian and said "I love you honey...but I need my mommy, now!"He smiled his amazingly understanding smile and agreed. I immediately called my mom.
Brian and I had originally planned to keep it a huge secret but we decided lots of prayers were an absolute must now. My mom was concerned (mainly because I was hysterically crying and she couldn't understand me) and then excited. She asked if she could tell one person. Yes mom, go ahead. Side note when I called her later that day she said "please don't be mad, but once I got off the phone I jumped up and said triplets really loud and now everyone in my office knows." :) She is so cute. We had many fun experiences that day telling everyone of our news. It was fun to hear everyone's response and reactions.

Since then we have seen our doctor twice. Once as a follow up to the first discovery ultrasound and the second was a check up. He could only find two heartbeats but he assured us that finding two was good because they are so hard to seperate with the audio doppler. He tracked two heartbeats one was 185 hbpm and another one was 165 hbpm. He said that was awesome! We have since made an appointment to see him again and the prenatal specialist. Things are going quickly but slowly at the same time.

I am currently 12 weeks along, nearly through with my first trimester. I already have grown out of my big levi's and some sweats. I am currently wearing some of my maternity clothes from when I had Aidan. Some of these clothes I only wore the last two weeks, because I didn't need them.

Facts about triplets that we have learned:

-My due date is Sept 12. Most women with triplets deliver at 28-32 weeks. Almost no one goes full term. On average twins are born at 36 weeks and triplets at 30 weeks. 30 weeks puts us at the middle of July. What! So soon!

-Identical babies must be identical in everything. Meaning what their gender is. We are hoping for one of each.

-Women pregnant with triplets grow three times faster than women pregnant with one baby, or a singleton as the lingo describes. Barely three months and full term maternity clothes already. Okay sounds normal.

-It is rare that triplets don't spend any time in the NICU. My doctor is convinced that with my stature (height and weight and general way my body is) that he thinks I should be able to go a long time and avoid preterm labor. For the first time in my life my fatness might be a good thing.

-He also believes that I may just be on the best weight loss program ever! He doesn't imagine I will gain a terrible amount of weight. Women on average need to gain 50-80 pounds to ensure healthy triplets.

-And last but not least, I am convinced that the Lord has chosen to bless us with triplets because he must be trying to evacuate heaven. Otherwise why give one family so many blessings at once?

As I learn and experience new things in the pregnancy I will share with you all. Now I can be open and forthright, no more secrets.