Looks like she's at St. V's for good

Well, the day has finally come. No, not THAT day. The other critical
date, the one when the docs decide that Abby needs to be looked after,
24/7. So, as of about half an hour ago, she's been admitted for the
duration. We're still optimistic that the babies will stay put for a
while. We're not that far from 28 weeks, and the doc says he's going
to get us there and "then we'll come up with a new plan." Every day
after 28 weeks pays huge dividends. Abby's spirits are, as always,
quite good. She amazes me. I'd be such a whiner.

I think we're both more relieved than anything. She won't have to get
up much anymore or fix herself lunch, etc. And we know they'll keep a
close eye on her.

So this is her home away from home -- for as many weeks as it can be.
Visitors are welcome. Just contact Sam via phone or
samperry42@gmail.com. Thank you all for all the positive vibes. Abby
will return to posting soon (witty commentary on hospital living, I
have no doubt). Thank goodness for WiFi.

The mind of a Cockapoo

Mommy and Daddy have been spending a lot of time preparing for something lately, but I can't quite figure out what it is. What I really like is the fact that, a couple months ago, Mommy decided to start staying home with me all day long! It's really great, although she doesn't take me outside to play fetch very much. (Daddy and I played in the snow yesterday, which was a lot of fun.) She does give me lots of treats though. I think maybe Mommy is eating too much, because her tummy has grown a lot. Daddy keeps feeding her ice cream (I prefer Frosty Paws) and Chipotle. Mommy drinks a lot, too – water, Gatorade, orange juice, 7-UP, you name it. I think Daddy secretly likes going to Costco and buying things in bulk. He's always saying, "Sigh, I guess I'll go back to Costco then." Uh-huh, sure Daddy, you just can't stand going to Costco, can you?

 

They keep talking about getting closer to 28 weeks, whatever that means. I think it must mean they're going to have a party for me or bring me new toys or something like that. I'm such a good boy, I do deserve lots of presents. Mommy says they want to get to 28 weeks and then as far after that as possible. Maybe I get presents every week after 28?

 

OH NO! IT'S THE UPS MAN. MY SWORN NEMISIS. BARK! BARK! BARK! He is retreating! Huzzah!! I have successfully defended my castle once again. What would Mommy and Daddy do without me? That dastardly UPS man would probably pack them up and ship them off somewhere. It's a good thing I'm here to defend them from "He Who Drives the Brown Truck."

 

I have two new rooms to play in upstairs. One is pink and one is blue. I think Daddy painted them that way so I can relax in whichever room matches my mood at the time. I also have a lot of new furniture and many boxes to explore and assess. I'm smart, and I always ask, "How can this item serve the needs of a Cockapoo?" Usually, if it's a paper product or a wrapper of some kind, my needs are best served by chewing the item until it is unrecognizable. I typically do this to water bottles that Mommy leaves on her nightstand for me.

 

Mommy and Daddy keep asking me, "Are you going to be a good big brother?" I do not know what this means. But as the prince of this castle, I am sworn to honor and protect all who dwell within these walls. Therefore, should Mommy and Daddy choose to expand the royal family, I will extend my protection to whoever needs it. I am the one in charge, after all.

 

Mommy is currently undergoing some tests, and Daddy says those will determine how much longer she gets to stay home. She might have to go stay at some place called "The Hospital." It sounds like some kind of hotel, because Daddy says if she does go there, people will take really good care of her and bring her food whenever she wants! That sounds pretty good to me, but I think I'd rather have her home. Daddy says we'll know more later this week. Until then, I'm signing off. I have to go take a nap and then go hunt for my Nylabone.

 

-- Prince Milo, the Cockapoo

26 Weeks and I ate the whole fruit bowl.

Wow, I am 26 weeks today. I forgot to mention, but 2 weeks ago we hit our first goal of the pregnancy which was 24 weeks. 24 weeks is considered viability. The survival rate for babies born at 24 weeks is anywhere from 30-50% and most of these babies do end up having some type of disabilities. So, our next goal is to get to 28 Weeks. At 28 weeks the survival rate jumps to over 90% and the risk of long term disabilities goes down significantly. And of course our ultimate goal will be to get to 34 weeks. Things are looking pretty good on the contraction front. I typically have 0 to 2 for each hour of contraction monitoring. My Doctors set a threshold of 5 an hour before I have to start on any anti-contraction medication. Actually, they are pretty surprised that I am not on anti-contraction medication at this point... most triplets Mom's are.

I am experiencing high blood pressure. This has been going on for a few weeks and my doctors are watching it closely. As long as I do not develop any of the other signs of Pre-eclampsia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-eclampsia
I should be okay.... Otherwise the duration the the pregnancy could be spent chowing down on cheeseburgers at St. Vincents. As much as I do love those cheeseburger, I would much rather be at home. Anyhow, my blood pressure seems to come down if I lay on my left side, so that is what I spend most of my time doing these days. That and eating. The other night I was so hungry after dinner that I decided to have a healthy snack of some fruit. That turned into eating a banana, a pear, an apple, and a orange. Wow, I ate the whole fruit bowl. I guess the babies are needing some vitamins! Back to the Doctor on Thursday.

Last Week's Ultrasound Pictures

Since I get an ultrasound every week, we do not always get pictures. Every 4 weeks they do an in depth ultrasound with measurements. These are the pictures from last Friday. The babies were measuring 23Weeks and 3 day. Baby A and C weigh 1 lbs 4 ounces and Baby B weighs 1lb 5 ounces. The measurements are right on track and they felt good that all the babies are around the same weight because it means they are all getting good blood flow.

Baby B kicking his brother Baby A. They are already rough housing.

Proof that Baby C is in fact a girl

and Baby A is a boy

Baby B (who loves the camera) giving us a great view of his little face!

Trading Spaces

Well, I felt like I was living an episode of Trading Spaces (or maybe Design Star) this weekend as Dr. Larry "The Handyman" Magid (AKA my father-in-law) and I went on a marathon, 36-hour home improvement binge which included painting 2 rooms (1 blue, 1 pink -- originality prevails!), assembling 2 dressers and 1 crib, and installing 2 light fixtures. Oh, and picking up the dressers required driving the oh-so-rare complete loop of 465 (since we had to get to 2 Babies R Us locations on opposite sides of town -- no worries Jaime, it was worth it for the dresser).

 

We'll post pictures soon. We think the rooms look really great though. They'll look even better once I put away the boxes of extra brushes, rollers and paint cans.

 

Also, and this might have been the paint fumes, I think that 104.5 plays 2 Bob Seger tunes for every non-Seger classic rock tune. Oh, and the only businesses that can afford to advertise on radio right now are the jewelry stores. Remember that next time you're shopping for your bling. Even in a weakened economy, these guys are raking in the profits. So take a firm negotiating stance, and don't be the one to write the check for their next media buy. Anyway, back to Bob Seger. Now, I like Seger. But 104.5 could use a touch of variety in their playlist. I swear I heard Like a Rock and We've Got Tonight in the same 45-minute set. Now, don't be mad, Bob. I still got love for you. Night Moves and Turn the Page are right up there with the best of the genre. On the plus side, I found I could enjoy Like a Rock without thinking of Chevy trucks. Much.

 

So things are definitely coming together. Abby is taking it as easy as possible. Milo, the internet, digital cable and her Nintendo DS are keeping her entertained. I hope everyone out there will keep thinking those positive thoughts -- we appreciate it. And so do Babies A, B & C (who are getting closer to having names!).

Musings in haiku

Two Diaper Genies
Sitting in my dining room
Their purpose a mystery
------------
Ready to buy paint
Rooms, for now, are unadorned
Weekend fun for all
------------
Names for three babies
For us, not an easy task
But we're getting close
------------
Her high blood pressure
We do not favor it much
We root for decrease
------------
Friends and family
Their generosity shows
Thanks for the shower
------------
Cravings are quite strong
Send me on an evening drive
Off to Chic-fil-A
------------
Abby wants pizza
Last Friday, Little Caesars
And Crazy Bread too
------------
Ultrasound today
Babies moving to and fro
A father amazed

The baby shower

Last saturday was my baby shower....or should I say babies shower. My Sister, Aunt, and Cousin did an amazing job planning it and my Mother-in-Law was kind enough to host it at her house. We even had M&M's with my picture on them! Thank you to everyone who attended and for all the generous gifts.