Triplets, 7 Days Old

Austin, 7 Days Old---Happy Birthday Daddy! Matthew, 7 Days Old---Happy Birthday Daddy!!Emily, 7 Days Old---Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

11/11: Tuesday - Today is Rob's Birthday! Happy Birthday Daddy!!! We arrived at the hospital and upon looking at the babies we discovered that the babies were off the cpac. The nurses were so excited to share the news with us!! (This is the little mask that was opening their airways and allowing their lungs to stregthen!!) Oh, my---this is so exciting that all three are off of this!! They are breathing room air on their own without any kind of assistance and they are 31 weeks today!!! What a pleasant surprise and a great birthday present for my sweetie!! We could not be happier!!! I am feeling lots of pain still from yesterday's procedure but nothing can keep me away from the hospital and spending time with my babies!!! The power of prayer is amazing!!!

Important Updates:

* Emily lost her belly button today. The nurse saved for us in a small ziploc!

*All three OFF CPAC and breathing on their own!

Triplets, 6 Days Old

11/10: Monday - I woke up feeling okay. I pumped and showered. Shortly after showering my headache returned. I have had a headache since being discharged from the hospital only this time the headache was 10X worse. The only relief came when I kept my head down on the pillow. Rob called the doctor and the nurse spoke with me and got my full symptoms. She advised me that this was not related to my incision BUT instead my anesthesia-my spinal tap! She told me I had a spinal headache and that I needed to speak to an anesthesiologist and that she would make arrangements and would call me back. The nurse called me back and advised me to go to the hospital--she made an appt at 10am. When we arrived at the hospital they immediately took me in and the doctor consulted with us. He told us that I had a spinal headache and that spinal fluid was leaking...yea, scary. Two solutions: ride out the headaches which are excruciating and could last between 1, 2 or 3 weeks or even more...and could get worse!!! OR have an epidural blood patch. So, basically, another epidural only this time they would inject about a teaspoon of my own blood in my back so that the small little hole where the spinal fluid leakage was occurring would be filled!! We chose to do the blood patch...so they immediately took me in and started IVs!! Not fun!!! The procedure took about 3o min and then I had to stay laying down for one hour. After one hour---viola--headache gone and now I only have to worry about mild back pain for the next few days!!! GEEZ!!! So, we went to the NICU and spend a short amount of time with the babies and then I had to come home as I was not doing well at all!!!! Keep us in prayer!!! The babies were all doing well and that made me extremely happy!!!
Thanksgiving: Today we celebrated Thanksgiving! This had been planned and the turkey had been unthawed before my "spinal" issues emerged!! So, before we left for the hospital Rob put the turkey in the oven and then called Steve and Issis for them to come over and take care of the turkey and sides for our Thanksgiving dinner. Why so early? Well, our best friend Steve will be leaving for deployment to Iraq in the next few days. He will be missing Thanksgiving. (The Army has a way to always send loved ones right before BIG holidays!!) So, we had Thanksgiving early and it was wonderful!! As for me, thank goodness the doctor sent me home with pain meds and more percacet!!! Enjoy our pics!!
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The Sweetest Thing

Austin Santiago Walter, 5 days old

Matthew Robert Walter, 5 days old

Emily Noelani Walter, 5 days old

11/09: Austin, Matthew and Emily are doing GREAT!! We spent 5 hours at the hospital today! We are allowed to hold the babies!! We are also allowed to change diapers! To date I have changed 2 diapers and Rob has changed 3. It is challenging and a bit scary! They are so small and wiggly!!! Today we were able to see their little beautiful faces without their tubes for a few minutes. It was only long enough to take a couple pics!!! Austin, Matthew and Emily are the most beautiful babies in the entire world!!! I am posting one pic of each but Rob has sent out the link to snapfish. The pictures are way too many to post here!!! Daddy goes crazy snapping many pictures!!! I promise to post more updates with more details when I feel better!! I am still hurting and very tired!!! Please continue to pray for us!

Hospital Discharge

11/07: I was discharged from the hospital Friday afternoon, 7 NOV. I was asked if I wanted to stay one more day. It was a hard decision to make. I was actually torn because I wanted to come home but I wanted to stay at the hospital to be close to our little babies!! We decided that I would actually get more rest at home so we decided to go home. We informed the staff and everything was initiated for discharge. Before being discharged many things had to happen. First of all, my doctor removed my staples and explained to us about surgery after care. Our next meeting was with our Lactation specialist, etc. Once all the paperwork was accomplished, we planned on going to the NICU to spend time with the Babies. As we left my hospital room, I started crying. Leaving the hospital turned out to be the hardest thing I had to do!!!
We want to express our gratitude to all! We honestly feel everyone's love all around us! We also feel the power of prayer and the strength of our Good Lord! We want to thank everyone for all the cards that continue to come, for all the flowers and fruit baskets that we received while at the hospital and for all the wonderful balloons, teddy bears and other gifts! Everything is so beautiful and greatly appreciated!!!
We continue to be asked by friends and family what we need. At this time, the babies don't need anything but love and your continued prayers. If you would like to send anything for them, gift cards would be greatly appreciated for diapers!! We anticipate needing many, many diapers!!!
We want to thank Issis for coming to the hospital as fast as she could upon finding out that the babies were coming on Tuesday!! She was there every minute to help calm Rob and to keep post with cell phones and communicating news to everybody!
We also want to thank Christy for taking over the blog while we were at the hospital! I know everyone was anxiously waiting for news and pictures and I appreciate her ability to take over this job!
Updates: Mommy left the hospital weighing 18 lbs less than when she arrived!! YAY!

The Walter Family

Well, here are some long awaited pictures. I know that some of you may have seen all or some of them already but here they are again. I talked to Nellie this morning and she is doing wonderful. She should be able to go home within the next few days. The triplets will most likely have to stay until they reach that 40 week mark. (Sometime in January) Nellie said ,'It is just the most amazing feeling in the world...I am a mom.' Rob is doing well and even went home to sleep last night. Thank you to all of you who have visited, called, left messages, and prayed for this amazing family of 5. I tried to be as accurate as possible with which baby was which but I am in Alabama and they are in Hawaii so hopefully I am close. Emily does have jaundice so she is under the light. Matthew and Austin will eventually get jaundice also...once they catch up to Emily. She is already superior to the boys!!!!

*Disclaimer: You might need tissues...or a shirt sleeve.

Before and After Pictures

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Austin

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Matthew

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Emily

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Congratulations again to Rob and Nellie! Your children are beautiful and they and you both are loved by so many. We are all here to help you when you need it, don't ever be afraid to ask.

1 Minute and 43 Seconds

Well, Rob just called me and gave me the information for Austin, Matthew, and Emily (in that order). All 3 babies are doing great and are in the NICU but are breathing on their own except for the oxygen tube in their nose. Now for the baby details:

11:30 Hawaii Time Austin was born weighing in at 2 lbs 15 oz and 15 1/2 inches long.
11:31 Hawaii Time Matthew was born weighing in at 3 lbs and 15 3/4 inches long.
11:31 and 43 seconds Emily was born weighing in at 3 lbs 5 oz and 16 1/4 inches long.

Isn't it amazing that it only took 1 minute and 43 seconds to bring into this world what God has been planning for forever!

Isis also told me that they have their moms beautiful hair! Nellie is still resting and doing well. Rob is very excited and was getting ready to head down to see his children after he got off the phone. Nellie is in RM E645.

We have babies!!!

Well, I just called Nellie's cell phone and Isis picked up. She is acting as the secretary and helping out where she is needed. I know that Nellie would want me to say thank you to everybody for their thoughts, prayers, and support over the past months. Isis said that the babies are beautiful and doing great. Nellie is doing well also, just tired. She said that she would make some phone calls later on after she gets some rest. Once again, I will update as I get more info.

Happy Birthday Austin, Matthew, and Emily!

*This is Christy (Nellie and Rob's Friend), I will be posting for Nellie since she is in the hospital getting ready to have the triplets.

Nellie is at 30 weeks today and the doctors have decided to deliver the babies today, November 4th, sometime before noon Hawaii time. As she posted before she was admitted on Saturday. They have been running tests on Nellie and the babies and have decided that it is better to do it now than to wait for something bad to happen or have to have an emergency c-section in the middle of the night. The hospital is prepared and ready for these beautiful babies. The babies are all over 3 pounds and doing excellent. Nellie is doing well and happy to know that today is the day and not have to keep wondering and waiting throughout the day whether it is going to happen that day or not. Rob is doing well also and keeping his good sense of humor: he told me to tell everybody that the babies would be named...Obama, McCain, and Sarah! Hahaha! Well, that is all the news that I have for now. I will post as I get information. Pray for their health, safety, and most of all that they have a sense of peace as this wonderful adventure starts for the new family of 5.

They are on the Labor and Delivery Floor at:

Kaiser Permanente- Moanalua
3288 Moanalua Rd
Honolulu, HI 96819

30 WEEKS

11/01: Well we made it to November and 30 WEEKS (according to the doctor we are 29 Wks 4 days though)!! It is an amazing feeling!! We had a doctor's appt early this morning. We are coming to 'nitty gritty time' and the doctor's are watching me like a hawk!! My urine test yesterday showed protein and although my BP has been GREAT they have decided to admit me to the hospital!!! He is not sure if I am showing signs of preeclampsia or it's the choleastasis. I am sad, however, I know that it is best for the babies! The doctor's want to be safe!! He has advised me that they will start steroids today to develop the babies lungs! This is just another indication that we are very close!! So, we came home to pack and we will be heading to the hospital in about an hour. Please continue to keep us in your prayers! I am not sure if I am going to have internet at the hospital but I am hoping!!!

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!!!

BUMBO seats

9/30: Gifts are still coming!!! Rob and I are incredibly appreciative of all of our friends and family who support us with gracious gifts!!! (I am always excited to open boxes!!!) Today we got a HUGE box from TARGET. The Lemonds family, my boss Dave and his wife Kristen, sent us BUMBO seats!!! We got 2 blue and one pink one!!! Thanks Dave and Kristen!!! These are awesome!!!! We love them!!!

If you do not know what a bumbo is here is a quick explanation: The Bumbo Baby Seat is a snug and cozy environment for your baby. This revolutionary infant chair is uniquely designed according to the baby’s posture. The Bumbo enables babies to sit upright all by themselves! Bumbo Baby Seats are suitable for babies from as soon as they can support their own heads unaided until they can get out of the seat on their own.

25 WEEKS

Change of Scenery but the sun was in my eyes and made it hard to smile!!

9/27: We are blown away that we are at 25 weeks! It is going so fast!! Overall, I feel great!!! Don't get me wrong it's not all roses...there is an awful lot of discomfort at this time. I still have to drink protein shakes every single day. Rob tries to make them different and he always tried to make me an awesome breakfast, lunch and dinner! I also have to take extra iron which if anyone knows---problems with digestion--know what I mean (hint: prunes!! Not pleasant!!) Sleeping is good but I do have to get up every hour. I get up---stretch my legs, straighten my hips, go pee, drink lots of water (I am always thirsty!) and then make sure I flip to the other side when getting in bed!! This is every hour on the hour!!! Crazy!!! Oh, and I almost forgot my fits of crying with overwhelming emotions every other day. Rob has gotten pretty good at reading me and now just turns and says do you need a hug!!! This is a big indication that I am having a mini-meltdown and need to shed some tears to regain balance!!! (I am not normally a weak and weepy person so this is very difficult for me!!) BUT--we have made it to 25 wks and are so thankful for all of you that read our blog, send kind comments, call, email, pray for us and always support us!!! Thank you for everything!!!
SAT NIGHT: we had our friends Steve and Issis and clan over for dinner. We had fajita night! The fajitas were really, really good!!! My honey sure can grill!!! After dinner we played our chicken train game (domino game) and I was trying to redeem myself from my frightful loss last SAT night. I almost won!! I actually had first place in the bag up until the last game where I ended up with too many points and I lost to Steve by 3 points!!! So, from fourth to second!! Not too bad! Rob was the big loser of the night!!!

Kaiser Labor & Delivery Tour

9/26: Today we had our L&D tour. Our hospital has a new unit that just opened in July. We were very happy to go see the new 'digs'. As the tour started the tour guide turned to us and asked us if we were the ones with triplets. We said yes and she said that they were getting ready for us already!! We feel really good about this. She also said everyone recognizes our names at the hospital now!! Kind of cool BUT most importantly---they are working at getting everything ready for our delivery and that really puts us at peace!!! The L&D ward is really nice and now the whole experience is in a private room. The pre-delivery is Mauka side--means mountain--so all beautiful mountain views. The post-partum experience-great ocean views!! The tour guide was excellent!! As the tour was ending, Rob asked where the NICU was and she asked if we could stay a bit longer after the tour was done. So, she called up to the NICU and asked if we could tour it. So, we were able to tour it and see where our little ones will be spending their first few weeks of life!! The staff in the NICU was very informative and they too informed us that they are preparing their area for our three little ones!!! We were also able to see a tiny baby that was born at 22 wks and now is 24 wks! She was so small and all I could think of was---OMG I have 3 that same size in my belly right now!!! Quit scary!!! Overall, the experience was very, very good!!!