Welcome to the World Jack, Luke and Wendy!

Wow. We have been caught up in a whirlwind of babyhood! Life has done a complete 180, but we have found out an amazing thing. Life is pretty great on this side too. :) There is so much to share about the birth and consequent life after the birth of these triplets. I'm sure to leave something out, but I'd like to document the events and thoughts that have really stuck out to me. So, let's start at the very beginning shall we? I hear it's a very good place to start. :)

The morning of my scheduled c-section (September 6th), Mom picked me up and took me to Dr. Melillo's to have my cerclage removed in preparation for the surgery that was supposed to start at 3:30 that afternoon. The plan had been for us to come back to the house so I could finish packing and say bye to Charlie and Liv before Eli and I had to leave to go to the hospital. But as things typically go with my pregnancies, this was bound to change. My blood pressure was a little high, and my feet were a lovely sausage shape, so Melillo sent me over to Riverside right away to have some blood drawn. Should the tests have come back showing that I had Preeclampsia, an IV of magnesium would need to be started before the surgery. Thankfully, it was just a case of pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. In an effort to keep it from turning into Preeclampsia, they pushed the section up to 2:30 and Eli was able to make it with about 40 minutes to spare.

In the meantime, I sat there contracting every 3 to 7 minutes, and feeling them a bit. Definitely can't claim to have felt TRUE labor pain, but at least I was able to have a small taste of it. After all, I have 5 children now! I should be able to say I experienced something. :)

The c-section went well, and the whole event might have even been a dream. It was so surreal. And so "been there, done that" for such a major surgery. The partition between Eli and me and the surgical plane was much lower than at OSU, so Eli was able to see a LOT more than last time. One very neat thing about this delivery was that Dr. Melillo coached and aided another Resident through the surgery. As it turned out, that Resident was Dr. Brian Palmer...a friend of ours from the Hilliard Ward! He was the one who actual brought Luke, Jack and Wendy into the world. It was so neat to have people you care about involved in such a special event.

So the stats. (Because that's really what everyone cares about!)

The babies did SO well! They were able to come with me to recovery, and Luke and I had some special skin-to-skin time as he was making little grunting noises that indicated he might need a little extra help breathing. Initially, all babies were sent to the Well Baby Nursery, but it was later determined that Luke should go to NICU for some help from the CPAP. He was there the first night, a day and a night and then rejoined his siblings in Well Baby. The time in the hospital was so priceless for me. Without it, I wouldn't have had such a wonderful bonding experience with my youngest children. Eli brought the kids to hospital to meet their new siblings...

But the next day Eli came down with a stomach virus and they weren't able to visit for the last couple days. I missed them terribly, but it gave me the opportunity to bond with the babies and get a feeding schedule started. Jack was our all-star breast feeder, picking it up right away. Wendy and Luke still have times when things don't go so smoothly, but for the most part, they are doing a wonderful job too. Especially considering that Luke was a day behind the other two in getting started.

As was my hope from the beginning, all of my babies came home with me from the hospital! The transition could not have gone better. We kept them on the schedule I established in the hospital, and so far they eat and then immediately fall asleep until we wake them up to eat again. Not too tricky really.

We took J,L &W to the pediatrician on Monday and they are looking great. Luke has actually gained weight since he was born, and Wendy and Luke are looking good too. Dr. Patty gave us the go ahead to let the babies sleep at night, making sure to feed them at least once. So far, we've awakened them before they've awakened us. That makes for happy parents! :)

As I write this, the triplets are sound asleep for designated "nap time" in the crib, and the twins are having a picnic snack and watching Wipe Out with their Dad. (High quality programming right there.) I suppose we're making this work as a family. :) Charlie and Liv are so loving and tender with their new siblings. They are always checking on them and kissing them. They touch them so gently. Charlie, being the independent, capable guy that he is, needs to be reminded that even though he's strong enough to pick the babies up, it's something that only adults can do right now. :) Our family feels complete and filled with love. It's wonderful to be in my own home with my own "little" family. It's been a long road, but we've arrived!

Finally, at around 8:30 the night before I was discharged from Riverside, I walked down to the cafeteria by myself (sans phone), and ate some pizza, a salad with blue cheese dressing, and two whole cups of caffeinated soda! :) I sat there and finally had a moment to feel the significance of the last few days and months. I wish I could put that feeling into words, but I simply can't. I just hope that I will remember it in the future, when things are hectic and stressful, and life just feels too fast. I sat there pondering for a while, then I went up to the 4th floor to say good-bye to the nurses that were working that night. It was the first time in my life that I actually walked down that hallway ...... and into my new life. :)

(a bit of business! If you would like to visit the triplets, make a meal, or schedule a play date with Charlie and Liv, I have set up a calendar at CareCalendar.org to help schedule these things. Simply go to the website and enter these codes to gain access to the calendar. CALENDAR ID : 86903 SECURITY CODE : 6046 Then sign up for the date and time that works for you! If you are interested in signing up for a play date, email me at abbybowman@yahoo.com for the special code to use. )

Bed Rest: Day 114 (Last Full Day of Bed Rest)

Today is my last full day of bed rest. Tomorrow I will go home to my family of four for a few days before returning to the hospital again to deliver these babies. So many things are coming to end. The biggest thing is that this is going to be my last pregnancy. It's hard to believe that we are done so soon, but we've prayed about it, and this is what seems right for our family. Even through all of the "difficulty" I have with my pregnancies, it is a time in life that I absolutely adore. To me, it is fascinating to watch the process of creating a new life...or two or three as the case is with us. :) And it can be such a spiritual experience, being pregnant. I grow in my testimony and am made more aware of spiritual things. I gain a greater understanding of the importance of family, and of my family in particular. I gain a greater appreciation for parenthood...and motherhood. How blessed I feel to have been able to experience all of this. It saddens me a bit to think that this is it.

I also will miss the friends I have made here at Riverside. I love the nurses so very much, and I will truly miss their companionship. But I am so grateful for the physical, emotional and spiritual care they have given me.

So here I am, for the second time in my life, feeling the totality of the past and future colliding. It may not ever happen again, but THIS is what eternity feels like. And it is incredible.

Bed Rest: Day 110

The c-section is officially scheduled for 3:30 on September 2nd! Let the countdown begin!

Bed Rest: Day 109 (Quake!)

Today I laid down for a nap. And suddenly, my bed was shaking. Then, my tray table was shaking. And then I heard the cabinet next to my bed hitting the wall. And suddenly I thought, "Earthquake!" I called Eli, and he hadn't felt it, so I called the nurses. A few of them confirmed that I wasn't going crazy, so I flipped on the news. Sure enough, there was a 5.9 quake 80 some miles south of our nation's capital. It was felt up and down the east coast.

I'm sure that my family living on the west coast has been laughing at all of the Facebook posts about this quake. But for me, like most people who've spent their lives in the east, this was the first time I've ever experienced an earthquake. It made me dizzy, and the feeling lasted for a while. It wasn't until much later that I realized just how out of luck I would have been if the quake had been a dangerous one. By the time I'd even gotten out of bed to get to a safer place, the quake would have been over. You just can't move 4 people at the same time very quickly!

Bed Rest: Day 107 (I Will Teach You)

Having a lot of time sitting in my hospital bed, I have enjoyed looking back through our blog and seeing how our lives have changed in the past few years. As I was searching through the posts, I came across this poem that Eli had written before the twins were born. He never posted it. Not sure why. But with his permission, I am posting it now. This shows exactly who he is as a father, and just how much he loves his children, and the ones that will be arriving shortly. Our family is blessed to have him.


I Will Teach You

I cannot teach you how to invest
how to sew
or how to dress.
I cannot teach you racquetball
i cannot teach you
much at all.
But this I can and will teach you
to say your prayers
like your mother and I do.
I'll teach you how to find the best
in everyone
and forget the rest.
I promise you'll learn how to read
the books of God
and how to lead.
I'll teach you to think of virtuous things
and care not for
the temporal things.
I'll share with you the love of Christ
and a hundred kisses
where one would have sufficed.
But most of all I'll live for you
and die for you
if I had to.
And when I'm old and have become forgetful
remember this
that I was grateful.
To be your Dad, pillow, and friend
now remember all
you were taught, til' the end.

~E.S.Bowman
8/21/08

PS. I just noticed the date Eli wrote this. It was exactly 3 years ago today. How appropriate!

Bed Rest: Day 105

First, I saw this quote by Joseph Smith to his wife Emma on Facebook yesterday and thought he was FOR SURE talking to me. How fitting. How true.

"I wanted to say something to you to comfort you in your peculiar trial & present affliction. I hope God will give you strength that you may not faint. I pray God to soften the hearts of those around you to be kind to you & take the burden off your shoulders as much as possible & not afflict you. I feel for you, for I know your state & that others do not, but you must comfort yourself knowing that God is your friend in heaven & that you have one true & living friend on earth, your husband."

:)

And now, it's time for an update on this bed rest/babies thing. For the most part, this pregnancy has just been a whole lot of sitting, laying down, getting stuck with needles occasionally and WAITING. So updates have been quite infrequent. But the countdown to baby time is beginning!

Here's what has been going on this past week. Most importantly, I am now 32 weeks!!! This has been the goal for this pregnancy and we've reached it! Secretly, my personal goal has been to carry these babies longer than Charlie and Liv (34 weeks, 1 day), and for all three babies to weigh more than the twins did (4lb 4oz and 4lb 9oz.)

Besides that great news, my blood pressure has elevated from what it has been most of the time I've been here. However, my blood pressure has been lower than what it is typically. Soooo...my blood pressure is now back to normal or just slightly higher than normal. This is typical for someone carrying triplets, so I haven't worried about it. To cover our bases though, Dr. M ordered a couple blood tests and urine tests on Wednesday night. Everything came back normal. So we had a brief "scare" (and by scare I really mean a very, very slim possibility) that I would deliver the babies within the next two days if the test results came back that I had Preeclampsia. But I don't, and so the babies are still snug inside.

I also had an ultrasound yesterday to check my cervical length. Result? 14mm! No weights for the babies, but we did get another 3-D pic for Luke and Wendy. I think Jack is going to keep his little mug a surprise! Which is fine with us. :)

Luke.

Everybody knows it's Wennndy.

Given all of the above information, this is what the next couple of weeks are looking like for our family. Dr. Melillo said that he would be fine sending me home next Wednesday, but he is going to be out of town for a few days immediately after that, so I don't feel comfortable going home if something should happen once I get there. So instead, I will be released on the 29th after he's returned from his trip. I will be able to go home and spend a few days there with my family before the triplets arrive. And of course, a nesting mother who hasn't been able to nest has a few other items on her TO DO list! :) Technically, I will no longer be on bed rest, but this body of mine has deteriorated quite a bit, and as I'll still be carrying this large load in front of me, my contribution to the basic functioning of our home will be limited.

For now, there isn't a set time and day for the c-section. Dr. M is looking into that. But it will be either September 1, 2 or 6. Unless I actually go into labor myself! Amazing that I might come out of this having 5 children and not having experienced actual labor. I actually had to ask Melillo what I should do if labor does start! Haha! Jack, Luke and Wendy are in our near future. After months of focusing on NOT having them, it's strange to think that we actually WILL have them. Time to put all of those great organizational ideas I've collected on Pinterest during these last few months to good use! :) We're in the home stretch baby! I mean...babies. :)

Bed Rest: Day 100!!!!!!

100 things I am thankful for/that...

1. Hospital towels. It's post-shower exfoliation!
2. The wonderful nurses here at Riverside. They're not just nurses, they're friends.
3. My MIL and the amazing love she has for her children and grandchildren. She made such a sacrifice to help our family during this challenging time.
4. My own mom, for her care, love and service to our family...and of course, her laundering skills!
5. Dr. Jason Melillo. A Dr. who goes above and beyond the call of duty; and who is cool enough to come to my room and hang out for an hour to laugh with me and the nurses.
6. My Husband. Eli stepped up to the plate and did what was required. He's never complained about the stress and significant work increase that has come with living as a single parent. In fact, he has only expressed how much he cherishes this time with Charlie and Liv. What an exceptional father he is!
7. The sisters at church who bring my family two meals a weak to help ease the work load.
8. The sisters at church who have rotated weeks and taken Charlie and Liv out for play dates.
9. The family and friends who have donated clothing, equipment, diapers and formula.
10. All of the visitors I've had here at the hospital.
11. All of the visitors who also brought me meals and snacks!
12. Hospital ice and orange juice!!
13. The High Risk Support group here at Riverside.
14. Wheelchair rides outside.
15. Missing the record breaking high temperatures this summer!
16. Barely any swelling.
17. Bath and Body body washes. :)
18. Netflix online streaming.
19. Hulu.
20. Cable.
21. Good books.
22. Hospital beds that conform to your body.
23. Pillows. Especially my gray body pillow Eli has affectionately named "The Iron Curtain".
24. Make-up, good hair dryers, and toenail polish.
25. The time and ability to THINK, CONTEMPLATE AND FEEL.
26. The spiritual knowledge and growth that come from the time to do the above.
27. The view out of my window. At first glance it's just the side of a building with some windows, but when you find out that all of the other rooms have a view of a brick wall and giant fan, you find the beauty in those windows.
28. Charlie and Olivia. Their energy and love makes this whole thing so much easier for me. I look forward to their 3 weekly visits more than anything.
29. Frequent ultrasounds that allow me a brief glimpse of the triplets once every week or two.
30. My ability to SLEEP. Oh my. I have no problem sleeping at night! It helps that Dr. Melillo gave the order to stay out of my room during the night shift. Oh yeah!
31. TED hose that I wear to give my bruised and welted legs a break from all the heparin shots.
32. Heparin shots, that keep me from wearing those ugly TED hose! :)
33. Terrible service from the Dietary department. It has given me a cause to work for. I'm gonna make some changes here!
34. Blogs, email, Pinterest, Facebook and Google +.
35. My family was not at home when lightning hit the tree in our front yard and the largest branch fell into our driveway...where our van would have been parked.
36. Feeling these babies move. I just can't get enough of that feeling.
37. Clean sheets everyday.
38. Never having to clean my room.
39. Showers.
40. The calm and peace that I feel.
41. Pandora
42. TLC
43. Having everything within reach.
44. Gray, cozy days.
45. Bright, sunny days.
46. The giant humidifier that is now residing in my previously dry room.
47. Loaded baked potatoes and taco salad that they added to our menu selections.
48. Afternoon naps.
49. The wrist brace for the carpal tunnel in my left hand.
50. Sundays in the hospital, and how they force me to make conscious choices to focus on the Savior.
51. My laptop.
52. The "Words With Friends" app on my phone.
53. My ability to connect with the babies that are on the way.
54. That I don't have to worry about household chores for a while. :)
55. The reflection of the sky in the windows across from my room.
56. Having the scriptures on my phone.
57. Pepcid and Maalox!
58. Skype!
59. Blogger, which allows me to keep a record of this time in our lives.
60. Eli's T-shirts...because that's about all that fits me now.
61. Having someone to clean my room everyday.
62. The little personal pizzas you can order from the cafeteria.
63. Pictures and videos of what Charlie and Liv have been doing this summer.
64. How the kids get excited when they see my face pop up on the computer screen.
65. Eli being able to take his FMLA time a little early. It's done wonders for everyone to have him home with the Charlie and Olivia before the babies arrive.
66. I can still reach my toes to paint them!!
67. Strong fingernails that grow at the speed of light.
68. I'm still pregnant. :)
69. Jackson, Luke, and Wendy are growing well and are healthy.
70. The multitude of prayers being offered up daily for our family...even by those we've never met.
72. Laughter.
73. Benadryl Gel. It FINALLY relieved the constant itching of my stretching skin.
74. The triplets are gaining such a great amount of weight!
75. 3-D ultrasounds.
76. Hospital ice packs.
77. My new, space age hospital bed! It helps me get in and out of bed, and roll from side to side. And it turns into a chair! Sooooo cool!
78. The opportunity to help bring 5 precious spirits into the world.
79. The amazing gift that is pregnancy and motherhood.
80. Uplifting music.
81. The special time that is babyhood, however fleeting it may be.
82. The possibilities of the future.
83. Memories of the past.
84. Sitting right here in the present and savoring all that it is.
85. Access to the hospital cafeteria menu in addition of the regular patient menu. Variety! Thank goodness for the meeting another mother and I had with the dietary department!
86. Water. Normally not something I choose to drink, but when I'm pregnant, I can't get enough.
87. The prayers.
88. I haven't had to have an IV for this hospital stay.
89. All of the blogging I have done these past three years. I love to look back at pictures of Charlie and Liv, who will soon be the BIG brother and sister. My heart is breaking just a bit.
90. I haven't been as uncomfortable as I thought I would be.
91. DELICIOUS chocolate covered strawberries sent to me by a friend of my Dad's, whom I've never met.
92. Cards from members of my Grandparents' church congregation wishing us blessings, and promising prayers.
93. This pregnancy has gone so fast! (But on the flip side, it makes me a bit sad knowing this will be my last pregnancy.)
94. The $$ Laura "sneaks" me so that I can order out occasionally.
95. The plant my Grandparents brought me when I first entered the hospital. It doesn't get much water, but it's still lookin' good!
96. An outdoor lunch with my Husband and children.
97. My children's fascination with, and curiosity in, every sound and sight.
98. Friends who have called and visited and generally made this experience enjoyable for me.
99. Pregnancy brings me so close to the veil. There are incredible sacred and special experiences there.
100. My amazing family here on earth, those who have passed on, and those who are waiting to arrive. And most of all, my Father in Heaven. For these are only 100 of the infinite blessings he has bestowed upon me.

Bed Rest: Day 94 (Weigh In)

Mondays are weigh-in days. Today is Monday. For the first time in my life, I weigh over 200lbs. 204lbs actually. And you know what? I kinda think that makes me pretty cool! :)

Bed Rest: Day 91

Today we had an ultrasound to measure the weights of the babies and generally check that all is well. Eli was able to make it to the appointment, so it was nice for him to be able to see the babies. I am holding steady at 7mm, and the triplets are growing like crazy!! Their weight results are...

That's 10lb 11oz of baby!

The ultrasound tech gave us a wonderful surprise by using the 3D ultrasound. No one thought we'd be able to get shots of the babes that were decent enough to break out this newer technology, but we got lucky today. If you've seen 3D ultrasound pictures before, you will notice that ours are a little harder to see than others. That's simply because there are various limbs and body parts surrounding their faces. It really gave us a greater appreciation for just how smooshed together there kiddos are. Jackson was the only one whose face we were not able to see, but we did get some cute shots of his piggies!

Luke's cute little face.



Wendy's profile.



Jack's little piggies! We weren't sure whose they were at first,
but after further analysis, it's likely they are Jack's.



Had to include a picture of Jack's TOENAIL.
The 3D ultrasounds are pretty amazing!

We had some great news today at our ultrasound and we are feeling so good about how things are going. All of the prayers are working! We are blessed.

Bed Rest: Day 90

Today I'm 30 weeks! We are definitely taking these babies home! Ultrasound tomorrow at 2:00, so I'll have some weights and hopefully some pictures to share.

Thank you. That is all.

Bed Rest: Day 84

84 days in the hospital and 42 days of bed rest at home. It's actually hard to believe that I've been here that long. It's also hard to believe that I ever did bed rest at home! Time is so strange.

Since I've been in the hospital, Charlie and Olivia have gotten even better at talking, they are doing so many big kid things, and they are really, truly playing together. Thank goodness for modern technology that allows me little glimpses of their development. Pictures, videos, and Skype are my best friends right now. :)

Today, Eli took the twins to their first movie at a movie theater! They went to see Winnie the Pooh at Easton.

I guess they only saw about 11 minutes of it before the kids were done and they had to leave. As much as they love to watch movies at home, the big screen just didn't thrill them. They preferred to watch the fountain and walk around.

You know what? I will TOTALLY take that. Two year olds who'd rather explore the world than watch a movie? Yes please! But it's still a big "first" in this world of technology, so it's worth documenting.

Also in recent events, the front of our house now looks like this...

Thanks to the lightning bolt that has now provided us enough firewood for the winter. The Lord was watching over my family that day. Eli had happened to take them for a little drive last Sunday and when they got home he found our tree in our driveway. If he had just stayed home, that tree would have fallen on our van; quite possibly with the family in it. Now we just have a little clean up to do. And by "we" I mean Eli. (Thanks hon!) The large branch also didn't make contact with any part of our house. Another major blessing.

I also want to make sure I mention that Eli took the kids to Young's Dairy Farm a couple weeks ago. We had family in town from Tennessee, so they took the quick trip out there to visit with their cousins, have some ice cream and enjoy some of the fun things Young's has to offer.

These kids have been so busy!

Bed Rest: Day 77

Bed Rest: Day 72 (Our 7th Wedding Anniversary)

Yesterday, Eli and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. It feels like 7 years is both too short and too long for all the changes in our lives. But we both agree that life is even better than when we were sealed in the Columbus, Ohio temple. We both agree that the blessings and challenges the Lord has given us over these 7 years are something we could have only done TOGETHER. I can't imagine having someone else by my side. Eli is the most wonderful husband and father. His love for our family and for me is abundant. And he shows it. I am grateful that he is a faithful priesthood holder and for how much he loves our Savior.

To celebrate, we ordered take out from Bravo. I had forgotten just how delicious their house salad is. Mmmm. We both had their Pasta Bravo and of course, some yummy bread. It was fantastic, and for the first time since being in the hospital, I ate nearly the entire meal simply because it was so tasty. We watched a movie, and then watched Master Chef. Because Gordon Ramsey is just as much a part of our relationship as we are. :) The nurses and Dr. M made a special effort to make our evening enjoyable. They are so sweet. It was a wonderful anniversary celebration. We probably won't have another like it.

Happy Anniversary My Love!

Bed Rest: Day 65

On Friday I had a full ultrasound of the triplets. Everything is looking wonderful! It's been awhile since I've posted some pictures of them, so I thought I'd post a few from that ultrasound now that I can get them on CD. The bigger these babies get, the harder it is to get good pics of them, so I've just picked out a few of the best ones.

First up, Baby A...Jackson. He weighed in at a whopping 2lb 3oz! I am 26 weeks along, but he's measuring 27 weeks. Go Jackson!

Profile

Jack waving.

Second, Baby B...Luke. He weighed in at 1lb 15oz, which is right on track for a singleton. Nice work Luke!

Luke's face was pressed up against the placenta
making it tricky to get a good profile pic.
This is the best we got.

And third, Baby C...Wendy. She is keeping pace with her brothers as she too weighs 1lb 15oz. You show 'em girl!

Wendy face on. Check out that chubby cheek!

While the triplets are busy sharing the food supply (like good babies should), I am also moving in the right direction. My cervix is back up to 14mm from the 7mm it was when I entered the hospital. So things seem to be working.

The babies are now holding a very rowdy party in there almost 24/7, and my tummy often looks like the waves on the ocean. I love feeling all that movement. It's such a special experience. I took a picture of my belly yesterday to post, but it will have to wait. When I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror, I realized that my belly had grown quite a lot during the night. :) So I'll have to retake the pic to get a more accurate portrayal of the torpedo that is my stomach. This seems to be the way this pregnancy has gone though. Every couple of weeks or so, I have a day that is just horribly uncomfortable. Then the next day I wake up looking significantly bigger than the day before. Thankfully that discomfort only lasts for the day and then I feel good again. I'm not yet to the point where I am incredibly uncomfortable. These babes are doing their best to keep me feeling good, and I truly appreciate their effort! Let's just hope they are this accommodating when they finally arrive. :)

However, with this ever increasing size I am running into difficulty with my clothes. Before I came to the hospital, I had already outgrown the summer maternity clothes I had from last time. So I ordered a few more things from Old Navy, getting a size bigger than I really thought I needed to allow for tummy growth. Nice try Abby. I'm quickly outgrowing those things. Soon I'll be stuck with Eli's T-shirts, and then...HOSPITAL GOWNS!!! Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuun! When it comes to that, I am requesting the pink ones they reserve for labor and delivery. Pink is a much better color on me than the standard teal gown. :)

If that's my greatest complaint, I'll take it. After all, there are always sheets to spare. Toga, toga, toga!

Bed Rest: Day 63 (The Letter)

There are many reasons why I love my husband, and many more reasons why I married him. But ranking right up at the very top is his sense of humor...some might call it silly. Yesterday I received this email from him in response to my recent boredom. I have fought it off for almost 9 weeks, but a few days ago it caught me.

My Dear and fairest Wife,

It’s saddening to hear how bored you are. My soul yearns to heal your broken spirit. Oh, how I would have you smile again! To think, you were doing so well fending off boredom for so long. I wonder what has changed. What has allowed boredom to overtake you, my love? Maybe it is that you’ve been in that sick and disgusting pit for a few unspeakable weeks now, and Boredom’s incessant fervor for maliciousness has finally granted it the victory over you that it has so tirelessly fought for. Boredom’s zeal for your malcontent has finally bore fruit. I pray that you may ever meet it in battle. Fight this Boredom. Fight with books. Fight with motion picture revelry. Wield the pen and write, for pity’s sake! Fight against Boredom’s armies with such valor as to be worthy of such a victory. Fight honorably and your triumph shall not elude you, dearest love.

Thankfully yours through eternity’s unyielding years,

~

I guess I married another Shakespeare. Lucky me! :)

Bed Rest: Day 62

I was watching The Price Is Right this morning and saw this commercial.



Who knew?! I qualify for a niffty little scooter. In fact, I can answer "yes" to every question except the one about falling. I say it's time to put these Scooter Store people to the test. Can they really do what they say they can? Let's find out. :)

*It has been brought to my attention that I actually did "fall" while I was here. More of slip with an injury, really, but it counts.

Bed Rest: Day 60 (4th of July 2011)

Eli and the kids came to visit me today, which is always my favorite part of the week. But today was an extra visit thanks to our Founding Fathers. :) They gave me a free country in which to live, and an extra day with my family. As Eli didn't make it into any our photos, I thought I'd throw this video in here. Charlie and Liv really can't get enough of that curtain!

After my visit with them, I headed downstairs to post-partum to see our friends' new little baby. No pics of that unfortunately, but it was so nice to hold that little guy and visit for a while! And in typical Mom fashion, mine stopped by with a 4th of July surprise. A tasty burger and fries from Johnny Rockets! Served on a very festive red, white and blue plate from Target...of course.

For my more patriotic and sentimental posts about this special holiday, see my previous three posts.

:)

God Bless America!

Bed Rest: Day 54

It's been awhile since I've blogged, but that's because I've actually been pretty busy! For sitting around all day that is. I've had a lot of visitors, which I absolutely love! Charlie and Liv are always the highlights of my week. Being on this side of town also means that I am closer to friends and family I don't usually see as much. When my door opens and I see a friendly face I haven't seen in a while, it just makes my day. When they have real food in tow, it makes my week! I am SO done with hospital food. The same seven menus just rotate each week, so after that first week it gets harder to find something you want to eat. For instance, this is a picture of the hamburger here.

Gordon Ramsey would die if he had to stay in the hospital for an extended time! He'd wheel himself down to the kitchen and rip them apart. I'm sure of it. "You call this a hamburger?!" he'd yell. "It's slop! It's RAW! Get out of the kitchen!" But alas, I am not Gordon Ramsey. If I tried that, they'd move me to the Psych Unit instead of the High Risk Maternity Unit. So I'm stuck with what I've got. Time to do more in-depth research on the world of take out and delivery. :)

There isn't much news in the baby department, thank goodness. Things are pretty much staying the same. I don't think I will have another ultrasound to measure the babies for a couple more weeks, but I am hoping that they are continuing to grow as well as they have been. So far, they have been a little larger than average for my gestation which is wonderful when you are looking at delivering early. I'm feeling good and very confident that things are going to turn out well.

Bed Rest: Day 47 (Sickness, Visits, and Baby Names!)

My stay here at Riverside has been fairly uneventful, which is a good thing. Until today. I slept horribly last night and then woke up around 6:00am and had to book it to the bathroom. It seems that I have a lovely stomach virus. Eww. Thankfully, I felt much better after that and was able to get some more rest for a couple hours.

Now I'm feeling pretty good, except for the fact that I pulled a muscle. It must be the room, because this happened last time too. On my way to the bathroom I slipped and caught myself with these very toned legs of mine...NOT. And needless to say, I could feel that groin muscle give a bit. When I finally got out of bed after some rest and a small breakfast to take a shower, I realized there was no way I was doing that today. It took my about 5 minutes to get out of bed, get my clothes and walk to the bathroom. All I can say is thank goodness for those sock warmers!

In other news, Eli brought Charlie and Liv to visit me this past Saturday. We were both a bit nervous about what they would find interesting in my room. I figured they'd make a break for all the medical equipment, but instead, they went for the simple things. My little refrigerator was fascinating to them. Just their size!

And oh the curtain! They hid behind it, put it over their heads, twisted themselves up in it and watched it twirl as they let it go. Finally, they just can't resist a few good rides on the hospital bed. Up and down we went, and then again and again and again. This particular activity is special to me for another reason. My Grandpa Legge had a lot of health issues and he had a hospital bed in his room at home. In fact, I only have one memory of him out of bed, and even then he was in a wheelchair, sitting on the porch with me. BUT. That bed was oh-so-fun! He used to give my cousin Josh and me rides on that bed. It was about the coolest thing ever! And now my own kids are getting to experience this thrill. :)

Last, but definitely not least, we have finally decided on the names of these babies. We will be having a Wendy Jane, Jackson (Jack) Eliot, and a Luke Wilson. Yes. I know. Luke Wilson is an actor. And no. We did not name our baby after him. It just sort of worked out like that. In fact, we've been discussing the name Luke for a long time, but I just couldn't commit. Part of it was the whole actor thing, but I just needed that moment of confirmation. I finally had it on Father's Day, much to Eli's delight. :)

And that's the update. Stay tuned for more!

Bed Rest: Day 44 (New Room)

Yesterday morning, I was told that they were going to move me to a larger room that had just become available. I knew immediately what that meant, I was going back to the room I was in with the twins.

As I packed my things, I wondered how I was going to feel when I walked in. As they wheeled me down the hall, I kept thinking that the last time I was in this room, I was in a hysterical rush to leave...not sure I would ever see my Dad alive again. As they wheeled me into the room, I thought about that night, but I felt love. Love for the twins that I got to know so well here, even before they were born. For the Drs. and nurses who helped bring my precious children into this world safely. Love for my Dad who sat on the couch right next to my bed and visited me when I was here last time. And love for these triplets, who will be blessed to receive all of the love and expertise of all of the people who loved and helped their older brother and sister. It's all come full circle, and I'm glad to be here.

Today, Eli is bringing Charlie and Livy here to visit me for the first time. And I will tell them that this is the room I was in while I waited for them to come into our lives, just like we are waiting for their brothers and sister.