Halloween

10/31: We had a Spooktakular time last night! Rob carved our pumpkin and it turned out GREAT!!! He also baked Halloween cookies! I made eyeball punch that was really scary looking and tasted great! Steve and Issis took the kids trick-or-treating and we handed out candy! We gave out 15 lbs of candy!!! We saw great costumes too!!! Here are pics of our night!!!
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OB APPT take 2 and Rob's BD Present

10/30: We had to return to the doctor today. I was a bit stressed since yesterday's tests were going to determine if I was going to be admitted to hospital today. Needless to say, my BP was a little high (for the first time)AND unfortunately, I had protein in my urine!!! BAD NEWS!! The doctor came in and told us that once again I needed to retest the urine and he would take it from there but to be prepared. I retested and we sat anxiously waiting for the results. About 30-40 minutes later, the doctor came in and said that the lab only found trace so he was going to conduct a pelvic exam (what every woman wants to hear!) to make sure everything was okay. Everything was great and then he listened to our little heartbeats which were also great!! He wants me to do a 24HR urine test for a more detailed exam and I have to return to see him on SAT morning! I also had to go back to the lab for more blood work!! NO hospital tonight! YAY!!! You can not believe how relieved we are!! I did not want to miss Halloween tomorrow! What's funny is that I feel GREAT! I actually have more energy now than I have had in the last few weeks!!!
On a happy note: Rob's birthday is coming up in a few weeks on NOV 11th. Since things are getting critical as you can see from the last 2 days I decided to give him his BD present early. His BD present-- 18 Holes of GOLF at Turtle Bay Resort, Arnold Palmer Course!!! He was ecstatic!!! So, after leaving doctor's office Steve met up with us and they went golfing! (I kept my fingers crossed the whole time at the doctor's office that the golf gift was going to work today--I had spent a few days planning and keeping it a secret from Rob up until today!!!) Happy Birthday Rob!!! Here are some pics!!
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OB Visit and Halloween Preparations

10/29: Today we had 2 appts at the clinic-with the diabetic nurse and with OB. I have been testing blood sugar levels 4X/day and although my blood sugars have been doing well, the doctor is anticipating a spike soon. So, our 1st appt was to learn how to do insulin. It was quick and easy. Our next appt started out well. I gained 1 lb in 2 wks. This is really good considering the babies gained 1 1/2 lbs in 2 wks! Funny how that works!! My BP was great! The doctor came in and we listened to heartbeats! All is well--heartbeats sound great!!! Then he measured my belly and my belly is measuring 38 weeks! My body believes I am actually 38 weeks pregnant! CRAZY! Then for some unpleasant news. He said I had a drop of protein in my urine test. He wanted me to retest and do some bloodwork and that if it showed again I would have to be admitted to hospital today! Talk about being unhappy! We went to the lab and did the tests! Fortunately, he didn't call and no hospital---YET but he wants to see me again tomorrow. From now on, I have to see OB TWICE a week! This only means that we are getting really close!!! It's too exciting for words!!!
We made a couple of stops on the way home. We needed another plastic tote for the baby clothes so we stopped at Walmart. Rob was going to run in alone but I had to buy a BD card. Rob's birthday is in a couple of weeks and I realized today that I really needed to get my ducks in a row. I bought my sweetie a BD card. This is actually the first year that Rob has NOT given me a list of 10 things he wants for his BD!!! Of course, his mind is on the babies now.
We also stopped at the commissary to buy our pumpkin and Halloween candy. We had to wait to last minute or Rob would have been the only happy trick or treater!! We are having company over on Halloween. Steve and Issis are coming over to take the kids trick-or-treating here on post and then eating dinner with us and we are expecting our good friends Meegan and Jonathan to join us! We will all be pooling our candy together and doing it all from one location!!! The more the merrier!! Later in the evening, Rob decorated the front porch for Halloween! Here are some pics!!
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Sunday, Gifts and Crib Bedding

10/26: It's Sunday! Every morning Rob asks me what I want for breakfast! This may seem like an innocent question but in reality it's an upsetting one to me! I really can only have certain things for breakfast--protein, less than 20 grams of carbs and more protein! So, basically all I can have is eggs, eggs and more eggs with bacon or sausage and one piece of toast. Rob does a really good job alternating between the bacon, sausage and how he cooks the eggs but eating eggs every day has become difficult and boring!! So, when he asks me what I want for breakfast---I just want to choke him! I know he understands my frustration and I understand that he is doing his job feeding me--so, this morning I snapped---I said to him--"why do you ask me what I want for breakfast?! He knows all this is emotional to me and he simply went downtstairs and fixed me breakfast and he actually found a new way to cook my eggs--he poached them this morning! Is that love or what? He tries so hard to make sure that I don't get bored with my food!!! He is also cooking a roast today and the whole house smells yummy already!!
Today I wanted to include pics of the crib that we have set up with the bedding.
This morning Rob opened the front door and we had a box from Amazon! Yay, we love opening presents!! We had presents from Auntie Chantel in Alaska!! She sent us an assortment of great books and some of them even in Spanish! Also, some lullaby cds!! Thanks Auntie Chantel!!! We love you!!
Auntie Lucille made beautiful blankets that are reversible. The boy blanets are blue/yellow and the girl blanket is pink and purple! She hand made them with lots of love for our little ones and we truly appreciate them. Oh, she also made the pillows! We love you Auntie Cille!!!

29 WEEKS

10/25: WOW! 29 Weeks! Things were rough this week, I am not going to lie!

Eating: I can only eat small amounts and it's hard! I still have no appetite and Rob pretty much has to force me to eat every meal and every snack!!

Sleeping: I still get up once an hour! It is very uncomfortable!! (Belly just too big!)

Walking: Rough--can barely walk a few feet without being out of breath!

Although things were rough this week we are truly blessed that we have made it this far and that the babies are all doing so incredibly well! Thanks for all the prayers that come our way!

SAT FUN: Okay, I can't stay in bed all week! It drives me nuts! So, because I was so very good this week we went to Xander's birthday party! Happy Birthday Xander!!! It was a kiddie party with a Halloween theme and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to eat birthday cake!! (I stayed on the couch with my feet up the whole time except when we sang Happy Birthday!!) Here are some pics! Make a Wish!My Sweetie!! ¡Que Chulo!I know--not hungry for food but look how anxious I am waiting for cake! :)Friendly Witch? hmmmm....

Halloween Bingo

28 WK PERI APPT

10/23: Perinatal appts are always exciting. Today is no different! We want to know how much our peas have grown!! It's like when you plant a garden and you check everyday for growth!!! Very exciting!! The ultrasound was great and once again the doctor says that I am doing "phenomenal"!!! The babies are growing so well!!! We were so happy to hear the news. I did have to get some blood work done because I have been itching like crazy--everywhere--my legs, my back, my arms, my feet, etc!! WELL---this is caused by Cholestasis. Cholestasis affects women in the 3rd trimester especially those who are carrying multiples!! Treatment action right now is on hold until the lab results of my liver functions come back!! We will see!!!
In two weeks our peas each gained quite a bit!!! It truly is amazing!!! Here are the latest stats!!!
Baby A: 2 lbs 15 oz, BABY B: 2 lbs 13 oz and Baby Girl: 3lbs 1 oz
On a separate and happy note: Happy Anniversary to my parents! 42 Years!!! ¡Feliz Aniversario, Mamá y Papá y que siga la fiesta!

Daddy Duties

10/20: The CRIBS and dressers have arrived!!! YAY!!! Rob went to the NEX to pick them up! He came home with a completely loaded truck and spent the next few hours putting one of the cribs together! He only put one crib together at this time because initially we will only be using one crib. Studies have shown that multiples do well in a co-sleep environment because they spent so much time together in utero. They will help regulate each others' sleep and often do better when together, at least for the first few months. Babies are comforted by touching each other and close physical contact calms them.

On a very special note: We would like to thank our parents for their generosity!!! Both of our parents have paid for one crib and one dresser!!! Mom & Dad Walter and Mom & Dad Longoria, thank you so much!!! We truly feel so incredibly blessed!!! ¡A mi Mamá y mi Papá, muchas gracias por comprarnos una de las cunas!

Sunday Outing

10/19: On Sunday Rob went to play golf. He is trying to get in his 'guy fun' before babies arrive! I have so few pics of Rob on the blog that I thought I would share these!!!

28 WEEKS

10/18: Bring the champagne out--we made it to our second BIG Milestone!!! Okay--I can't have champagne and I am celebrating with a cup of cocoa!!! We are ecstatic beyond belief! We don't want the babies born now but making it to 28 weeks is HUGE. We have also made it without any complications which makes this even sweeter!!! I didn't blog this week because there was nothing to blog about! I spent all week resting. I mean all week! I didn't do anything!!! We had an OB appt yesterday and we once again did wonderful!! My cervix was checked (not so pleasant!!!), my sugar, my urine, my BP, my weight---everything is great according to the doctor who instructed us to keep doing what we are doing! I get the BEST care in the world from ROB!! The babies continue to move like crazy--which is always thrilling to feel and I continue to grow!!! So, we made it to 28 weeks and every week from now on is hugely important as we are in our last trimester!!! YAY!! Our babies will do the bulk of their growing in this last trimester and they should gain as much as 250 grams a week. A brain structure that connects the left and right hemispheres starts forming. Skin and fat thicken to enable babies to keep themselves warm. Surfactant, a soapy chemical that helps lungs absorb oxygen, starts covering lung tissue. The instinct to suck and swallow develops, allowing babies to nurse. Lots of important stuff going on in this 5 star SPA that my belly has become!!!

Rob's Day

10/12: I am an early bird...so this morning, I woke up at 6:30am and could not go back to sleep! Since it's Sunday--I decided to sneak out of the bedroom very quietly and go dowstairs and bake Rob breakfast muffins. He would not have approved so I was very quiet!!! He is a heavy sleeper so I knew I could go mix the muffins and put them in the oven before he woke up! I made him apple cinnamon muffins that turned out delicious--or so he tells me because I can't eat them. I made him coffee (which I also can't have) and prepared a nice plate with a muffin and grapes and brought it to him upstairs! He got breakfast is bed!!! He does so much for me that I just wanted to do something special for my sweetie! After breakfast he stayed in bed and watched the Cowboys play. After lunch, he went golfing with Steve! So, Rob had a great Sunday!!! I just wanted to show him my appreciation even if it is small!!!

Rob relaxing after he got home from golfing!

27 WEEKS

10/11 : Another week down!!! Can I get an AMEN!!!??? I have to say that after hearing warnings from my doctors I thought that I would be completely bedridden by this time without the ability to get up BUT I am NOT!!! I still feel great and have energy to do most everything!! The lower back gets achy by the end of the day (lots of belly weight) and I get tired easily but overall once I rest I am still able to function almost normally!! YAY!!! I have been on my "diet" and watching my sugar and carb intake and my blood sugars are doing really well! I don't like poking my fingers 4X a day but it's not too bad! We have readjusted and Rob always makes sure that I have 3 solid meals a day plus 3 snacks. The last snack of the day is usually at 9pm and it's my protein shake--that is a very important snack because it is what feeds the babies throughout the night!!! Speaking of babies--they really like tumbling and pushing!! I feel them all the time and it's amazing to watch my belly...looks like a scene from the movie Tremors!!! Lots and lots of movement!!! Imagine if you will-6 legs, 6 arms, 6 elbows 30 fingers and 30 toes all poking my insides!!! It's thrilling to watch!!! Please continue to keep us in prayers!!!
Ellie finally sent me pictures of Baby Melanie!! She is adorable!! My little sister's last baby!!! She is 8 months old and is just so cute!!! I just had to share!! In the first pic she looks totally serious!! The second picture is on a Friday night ready to go to football game!!! Go Eagles! The last picture is of Meagan and Andrew celebrating Andrew's 8th Birthday at Tia Norma's!!!

A Mi Familia Hispana

10/10: Primeramente, hoy cumpleaños my cuñado, Robe--¡felicidades! A todos nuestro amigos del valle y de la frontera, muchas gracias por mandarnos saludos, oraciones y felicitaciones!!! Se los agradesco muchísimo. Los bebes siguen creciendo y todo marcha muy bien.

Baby Names

10/10: We are still getting emails asking about baby names. We have not decided on middle names for the boys yet but we have decided on first names. Here they are:
Baby A: Austin
Baby B: Matthew
Baby C: Emily Noelani (Noelani is a traditional Hawaiian name that means Beautiful Girl from Heaven. We love the name and it is also very close to my actual name of Noelia!!!)

26 WK PERI APPT

10/9: Today we had our PERI appt. We are always excited for these appts because we get to see the babies and hear about their progress!! Overall, we got another A+ and a huge KUDOS from our doctor! She says that the babies are doing amazing!!! All three are over the 50 percentile which means that they are developing the same as if there was one baby!!!! She actually said it's quite amazing to see how their growth is so perfect!!! YAY!!! So, she checked my cervix which is good and long (this is really good) and she checked the water and said that was great, and then she went on to measure each baby! Each bone she measured along with the head and brain, etc, were all exactly what they should be as far as growth!!! We were so happy to hear all of this!!! One of the most exciting things was that when she was taking a pic of Baby Girl, she was yawning---oh, so big!!! It was so cute to watch!!! We were amazed...Once again, I want to thank all of you who pray for us and our little peas!!! I know that prayer has a hand in these babies!!! All babies are weighing OVER 2 LBS!!!! So, right now I am carrying 6 lbs, 10 oz of baby weight!!! Here are the weight updates for each pea!!!
Baby A: 2 lbs 2 oz, Baby B: 2 lbs 5 oz, Baby C: 2 lbs 3 oz

The DIET

10/6: This morning we had to meet with the dietician at Kaiser. So, I was expecting the worst and just dreading this appt but we sit down and basically--in a peanut shell (shout out to our friends in Alabama!) they say I have to eat more FAT!!! Imagine that! For the first time in my life they tell me I HAVE to eat sausage and bacon and eggs for breakfast as opposed to my normal breakfast of my shake and fruit and yogurt! Isn't that hilarious?? Fat helps the circulatory system and brain development in the babies and since there is 3--they are not getting enough! So, they changed my diet a bit. I am not allowed to eat cereal, milk, fruit or yogurt in the morning. I can eat it but it has to be later in the day when the sugars are more easily broken down! My breakfast has to be full of protein, fat and a small amount of grains like one slice of wheat toast! They want me to eat lots of fatty beef like rib-eyes. You can imagine that my darling meat-eater husband was fidgeting in his chair with excitement writing and rewriting in his head what his next grocery list was going to look like! He was going to be able to buy "forbidden" items!!! Anyway, overall the dietician believes that with this new change in my diet we will be able to control the sugar levels in my body! Oh, also--I HAVE TO EAT 3 solid meals and 3 snacks a day!!! No excuses!!! Along with testing my sugar levels 4 times a day I have to test my ketones. I do that first thing in the morning and if I have ketones in my urine it means that I didn't eat enough the day before!!! What a way to police me!!! So, Rob has been really good about making sure we are following everything!!!

26 WEEKS

10/4: 26 Weeks!! Oh, MY!!! It has been a difficult week...mostly in my head....but I am better now!!! In reality, the diabetes thing is nothing---we will deal with it and get on insulin if we have to...not a big deal!!! I still feel pretty good for being as big as I am. I am more and more tired though. Everything is exhausting to me including something as easy as taking a shower. I have given up drying my legs. They just air dry now...don't bend down to dry them anymore. I save my energy for lotion. My skin gets dry and I really need to do the lotion thing all over my body! Funny the wheel and deals that go on in my head!

SAT NIGHT: I have a date tonight! We were invited to a party. The Rosales family was celebrating their daughter's Quinceanera! It was an opportunity to go do something festive and for me--to get out of the house to something besides a doctor's appt!!! We had a good time-- here are some pics of the night!!

Nellie and Rob

Nellie and Issis Nellie and Toni The Girls Betts Clan: Steve, Issis, Xander, Stevie and Chance

A Little Bump in the Road

10/3: Well, we almost made it 26 wks without any kind of issues but yesterday Dr. B's nurse called to inform me that I flat out failed my glucose test!! I was so disappointed! Statistically and realistically I knew there was a good chance of this but I was hoping that I would not have to deal with this issue! Dr. B wanted me to come in and start dealing with this issue immediately. We went to the clinic and picked up our prescriptions and filled them. We got testing strips, lancets and the glucose meter! Today, we had to meet with a nurse to teach us how to use everything and what to do but in reality, I didn't need a lesson. My mother is a diabetic and I have seen her test her blood sugar for the last 10 years! I have been bummed because I really watch what I eat but the nurse explained to us about the pregnancy hormones and that diet isn't always to blame. I am dealing with it better now and I know that we can deal with it and manage it!!! (We have to test my levels 4 times a day.)

OB APPT

10/1: Today we had our OB appt. Normally, this appt seems really boring to me but today I knew that my OB wanted me to do the 1 hour diabetes test and for some reason that made me anxious. Not really sure why because I don't drink soda or eat alot of sweets but my little sister had gestational diabetes with all her 3 kids! So, anyway, the doctor was running late so we went down to the lab to start the glucose test. I had to drink a very sugary-what tasted like TANG- drink. It wasn't that bad but it tasted like pure syrup!!! We were instructed to return in one hour exactly for my blood to be drawn. We returned upstairs and my appt started--my BP is still holding steady and is at 116/68! Wahoo!!! My weight is also holding steady and I am gaining slowly...to date, I have gained 23 pounds! So, once all the initial testing was done we waited for the doctor. He came in and congratulated me on the BP, the weight, etc. He then listened for heartbeats which is always thrilling to hear. Baby A was 150 beats per minute, Baby B was 140 bpm and Baby C was 156 bpm. All are doing perfectly!!! YAY!!! He then proceeded to measure my belly. This is the first time that it is measured. It measured 34 wks. I asked what this meant and he explained that the body can not tell that there is more than one baby. So, my body thinks that I am actually 34 wks pregnant and not 25 1/2 wks...ahhhhh that explains the "take it easy". He said the uterus believes that I am 34 wks and that is the importance of "take it easy" so that I don't go into pre-term labor!!!! This really makes sense to us now!! So, he said to continue to take it easy and to be back in 2 wks unless there were any issues. So, far we have had no issues and all is still going very well!!! We returned to the lab and had my blood drawn and then came home. The appt was a bit long so when I came home I went straight to bed and took a long nap. I wanted to be rested because my girlfriend Meegan was going to be coming over this evening for a visit!!! Meegan's visit was fun and Rob cooked dinner for us!!! I really am blessed with great friends who come to visit, send cards, email and call!!! You guys are awesome!!!