5 weeks old

Hello all! I currently have a rare moment where all three boys are currently napping during the day and I am going to try and complete this update in one sitting. It has been two weeks since I posted last and the boys are really growing fast!

During week 4, we were all blessed to have three additional sets of hands on site to take care of our family and home. Grandma Peggy, Ms. Donna and Harley were a welcome addition to the on site team and the boys were most appreciative to have some available to take care of their needs without having to wait in line!!! While the boys were happy, Mike and I were really happy as well. I was able to get a full "night" of sleep each morning. I felt recharged and able to take on the challenge of the next week when it was back to zone defense of mommy/daddy vs. boys. They boys are currently winning but we are all quickly learning how to survive and even thrive as a family. Our house also appreciated your visit as the front of the home received a little "curb appeal." Thanks to Grandma Peggy and Ms. Donna, the front of the house received it's facelift! It was a great week and we hope you all will hurry back to Florida.

During the week, we started to notice some white milky spots on Andrew's tongue. What started as a few spots on the tongue, quickly grew into a full on "yuck mouth." After researching on the internet, we discovered that he must have thrush. As soon as we discovered what he had, the same thing started appearing on Jared and Wesley. The boys are definitely learning to share starting with their first infection. When we called the pediatrician, I told them that all three had thrush and her reply was "all three?" followed by a chuckle while stating this is not the first illness that will pass among each other. We were told to apply Gentian Violet to their mouths three times daily. Well, during the first application, we learned of the "dangers" of Gentian Violet. I am sure experienced mothers out there know about this stuff but in case you do not, this stuff WILL STAIN!!! However, it does create some photo opportunities. Jared was our first victim so he got the most and taught us about Gentian Violet. We were much better when Wesley received his dose and he even looks proud and fabulous with his purple lips! It is as if he is saying, "how do I look?"

Since the crew from Texas returned home, Mike and I have been going it alone, Grandma free. We have benefited from the group at CGI (my work) providing us prepared meals that we just heat up. This has been really helpful in the evening so Mike can focus on baby activities like making bottles for the next day, relieving me to take a shower and spending time with each of his boys. I really appreciate him as a father as we have really taken a team approach to parenting this trio. Mike has become exceptionally good at one activity... putting the babies (and himself) to sleep. Over the past week, I have been able to capture moments of him spending time with each of his boys. While you may think these photos are all taken on the same night, they were taken on three different nights. They sure are cute!!!

On May 12th, the boys hit their one month birthday!! It is really hard to believe how fast time is passing. The boys had their one month doctor's appointment on Thursday, May 15th. At the doctor's visit, all three boys were given a clean bill of health. The boys were really great on this outing. They were calm in their car seats and were not fussy at the doctor or the remainder of the outing. In the photo, Andrew is at the top, then Jared and then Wesley is keeping his eye on Daddy as he takes the photo. During the outing, we went to the doctor's office, stopped at a Notary to get some paperwork notarized and then through a drive through to get lunch. They were great during the entire trip. When we stopped at the office for the notary, we brought all three boys inside and the office emptied out into the lobby to see them. In addition, they did not charge us for their services because of the triplets! Mike commented on how I like the attention we get in public. I, of course, enjoy showing off my boys!!

At the doctor's visit, the boys growth was measured. Here is how we are doing:

Andrew:

Weight - 7lb 1oz (3rd percentile)

Length - 20" (5th percentile)

Head Circumference - 33.9cm (less than 3rd percentile)

Jared:

Weight - 7lbs (3rd percentile)

Length - 20 1/4" (8th percentile)

Head Circumference - 35.4cm (15th percentile)

Wesley:

Weight - 6lbs 10oz (less than 3rd percentile)

Length - 20 3/4" (20th percentile)

Head Circumference - 34cm (less than 3rd percentile)

Andrew remains the heaviest of the bunch but Jared is quickly gaining on him. Jared must have not liked the nickname of "the baby" as he has really packed on the ounces since his last weight check. I think most of his weight has been gained in those cheeks! It's almost like those cheeks appeared overnight. Wesley, who was the heaviest at birth, has now become the smallest of the trio. Regardless of their weight, they are all doing well for their "adjusted age" of one week (age based on full term due date which was May 13th). Developmentally, they are on target. Jared is still having a little trouble lifting his head. At the doctor's I joked about this being harder due to the size of his head. The doctor said this probably is the cause of him having a little trouble. Don't worry Jared, you will grow into those cheeks!!!

Here are some other photos of the boys from the past two weeks (I have learned most blog readers just look at the pictures anyway):

Andrew poses for close-up photo. Below is a picture of Andrew following his bath. While his brothers are much calmer during their baths, Andrew still does not enjoy the bath. His screaming fit results in a very exhausted Andrew after the bath (is this really that bad?).

Jared, aka. "the baby," still holds onto his nickname of the baby. We also call him "baby J." While he has shaken the designation of the smallest of the trio, he is still the baby of the bunch. He is very quiet compared to his brothers. You can always count on Baby J to patiently wait his turn to eat or to go to sleep with ease. When preparing for the doctors appointment, I was reviewing how much each baby is eating, how often, how many wet and soiled diapers. Well, it was interesting to see that Baby J has eaten the least of the trio but gained the most weight. Below you see him in his car seat... again, where did those cheeks come from?

In these pictures, you see Wesley sitting in his bouncer with his mittens on. He has been scratching himself a lot recently so he now gets to wear mittens while hanging out. I love this photo because it looks like he is covering his ears in an attempt to block out the cries of one of his brothers. Then, he is pictured in his car seat, ready to roll! He was hanging onto the straps as if he was getting ready to ride a roller coaster. His face has great expressions and it looks like he is really trying to say something. Watch out world once he is actually able to talk!

Well, my goal was to complete this update in one sitting, I failed. After many breaks, I was finally able to complete an update for everyone. I need to finish quickly though as the boys are set to wake soon for their first night feeding. Last night was a big night for us.... it was their first night in the nursery. Prior to tonight, the boys have been living in a crib below the TV in the family room. We are now trying to introduce a nighttime routine that will hopefully lead us to a full night of sleep in the future. So far (one night) it appears to be better than family room life. Last night, they went 4 hours between each feeding! This is a big improvement over the every 3 hours as it was in the family room. Hopefully this pattern will continue.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Take care,

Kellie

3 Weeks Old

It is so hard to believe that the boys are 3 weeks old today! It seems like yesterday that I was anxiously awaiting their arrival while confined to my hospital room. Time really does fly when you are having fun and boy oh boy oh boy are we having fun!

Over the past two weeks, the boys and I have been getting healthier and stronger as we all recover. During our second week, the boys made two visits to the pediatrician for weight checks. At the first check on April 21st, Andrew weighed 5lb 1.2oz, Jared weighed 4lb 8.8oz and Wesley weighed 4lb and 15oz. Jared had only gained .8oz since the first check 3 days prior but he gained weight so we were still doing ok and he retained his title as "the baby."

On April 25th, the boys were 13 days old and we returned for another weight check. The target weight for 2 weeks is to return to their birth weight. At this visit, Andrew weighed 5lb 4.6oz and Jared weighed 4lb and 13.8oz. Both of these boys had surpassed the target of returning to their birth weight. Wesley weighed 5lb 3.6oz at this visit which was 1.4 oz less than his birth weight. The nurse was confident that based on his weight gain during the week that if he were to be weighed on Saturday, he would also be at his birth weight. As we had met our targets for weight gain, we were released from additional weight checks and did not need to return to the pediatrician until their one month appointment on May 15th. We are so proud of our big boys' accomplishments!!!

As the boys had returned to their weight at delivery, I thought it would be fun to have Mike hold all three babies to gain an appreciation for what I was carrying at the point of delivery. While he was a wonderful caretaker throughout the entire pregnancy, I still wanted him to hold all three babies to feel what I had physically experienced (pictured to the left). Let's just imagine Mike pregnant for a moment...

While we are talking about weight gain, I just want to take a moment to mention my weight loss. As of the date the boys reached their birth weight and I had reached my pre-pregnancy weight. I gained a total of 69 lbs during my pregnancy and as of April 25th (13 days post delivery), I had lost 71 lbs... yipee! During week 3, the weight loss had slowed considerably and I only lost 2 additional pounds. I hope to keep loosing to reach a much healthier weight. Taking care of these boys is turning out to be a great weight loss program!

I also had two visits with Dr. Dixon to continue to monitor my blood pressure and that darn "spot" that had become infected above the incision area. At my first follow up visit regarding the "spot," Dr. Dixon's assessment was that it was getting better but prescribed yet another antibiotic to fight the bacteria. At my visit this week, Dr. Dixon was pleased with the "spot's" healing and we were released from weekly visits and my next appointment is the regular 6 week post-partum visit on May 23rd. My blood pressure was 132/86 and Dr. Dixon is confident that at my 6 week appointment, I will be completely back to normal... how very exciting!

Over the past two weeks, we have had a lot of great moments with the boys. The boys were able to meet their Great Grandmother Pooka and Aunt Joan. Pooka and Aunt Joan were able to spend time with all three boys. The boys were all very comfortable with Pooka and were soothed to sleep the moment they were in her arms. Pooka, where are you when the boys are awake and fussy during the middle of the night??? We need to bottle a little of that Pooka magic. The picture to the left is Pooka with Wesley. The picture to the right is Aunt Joan feeding Jared. We all really enjoyed your visit.

The downside of the visit was that they were here to visit with the boys and to give Grandma Sally a ride home. So, at the conclusion of their visit, it was Mama and Papa Darnell on their own with the trio and Papa had already returned to work. From Wednesday to Saturday, we had an opportunity to experience life as a family without any additional hands on deck. Let's just say we survived but we were very happy to hear that Grandma Sally was ready and willing to return on Saturday evening and Uncle Lance was eager (or at least willing) to drive her back to Tallahassee.

As all three boys have lost their umbilical cords, we have started to regularly bathe the boys. This activity is so much fun that I had to mention it. I attempted the first bath in the baby bath tub when I was caring for the boys alone. It was a good thing that there was not another adult in the house or he may have been compelled to call 911 as he could have assumed the boys were being tortured based on the cries that were coming from the kitchen. I have now nicknamed the bath, the "torture bath" time. One would swear the boys are being tortured based on their reaction to bath time. During their first bath, I had one baby in the bath and the other two were still in their crib. Once the baby in the bath started to scream, the boys in the crib started to scream as if they were screaming for me to stop causing so much pain to their brother. The good news is that after bath time, all boys are relaxed, smell like angels and appear at peace... or it is exhaustion from the intense reaction to the bath. The other good point is that with each bath, they are getting a little calmer. I hope that they will eventually learn to enjoy bath time. If anyone out there has suggestions on how to improve the bathing experience for the boys, I am open to suggestions.

Chewie is finally starting to warm up to the boys... or at least he is acknowledging that they exist. He is still not excited about the boys when they are crying. There have been a couple of times when a baby has been crying in the swing or the bouncer and Chewie has started to bark at the baby. I am not sure if he is trying to alert me to the crying (as if I did not hear it on my own) or he is trying to tell the baby to be quiet. Either way, the additional barking does not help the calm the situation.

The boys have started to be more and more alert each day. When the boys are alert, we have started "tummy time" with them. Wesley forgot to read the memo that told him he was a premie baby and should be a little behind in development. He is very active on his tummy. He is able to move his head from left to right and back with ease. He is also starting to hold his head up and to my surprise, he rolled from his stomach to his back. He first did this two days ago and I thought it was a fluke. Today, during "tummy time" he did it twice. Andrew is also active during "tummy time" and is able to move his head from side to side and has brief moments of lifting his head. Jared is once again, more interested in sleep than any activity. We are not sure he knows what he is supposed to do because when we lay him on his tummy, he wants to go to sleep. I am really proud of anything they are able to do at this point because we should all remember that they are still about a week away from their original due date.

One action all three of the boys have mastered is the art of the spin. Using their feet and legs, the boys are able to spin their bodies in full circles. This activity along with the boys' desire to be close to each other has resulted in a new phenomenon occurring in their crib. The boys have started to use each other as leg rests.

Pictured to the left is Wesley with his legs propped up on Jared. The funniest part about this is that they were both sleeping soundly when we found them like this. Wesley was comfortable and Jared was undisturbed by his brother. We have noticed that Wesley is our big "cuddler" and we always find him moved over into Jared's crib space. The boys were originally assigned spots in their crib with Andrew on the left, Jared in the middle and Wesley on the right. This was done to help everyone keep track of who is who. However, once we continued to find Wesley and Jared cuddled up, we decided to move Andrew to the middle so he could get some brotherly love. Let's not forget that Andrew was the baby in utero that was on the bottom of the other two and was somewhat isolated. With Andrew in the middle, Jared decided to repay the foot rest favor and we found Jared with his feet resting on Andrew. Once again, both boys were sleeping soundly when this picture was taken.

Then today, the sweetness and innocence of the leg resting turned ugly. Andrew was still sleeping in the middle with Jared on his left. I was feeding Wesley while Andrew and Jared were in the crib. I am not sure who started it but the scene in the crib took a turn for the worse. First, I saw feet out from underneath their blankets. Then, I heard the sounds of frustration from both boys. I continued to feed Wesley until the sounds of frustration turned into all out cries. I then got up and discovered Andrew kicking Jared in the head and Jared kicking Andrew in the body. In the picture, Andrew is on the right and started out sleeping straight up and down. He had turned a full 90 degrees to get his feet up to Jared's head. Mark the date of May 3rd as the date I had to break up the first Team Darnell fight! I am sure this will not be the last time I move the boys to their own respective corners to "cool down." Don't worry, the boys have kissed and made up.

Other memorable moments and cute photos:

Andrew in his bouncer. During the first week, the boys were unsure of their bouncers. Since then, they have learned to enjoy time in their bouncers. There is one small issue with the bouncers. The issue is that the vibration mode lasts for 10 minutes and then shuts off. Well, the boys really like this and it is difficult to keep hitting the button every ten minutes when caring for two additional babies.

This is Jared after finishing a bottle. Ahhh, so content!!!

Wesley taking a breather during "tummy time."

The past two weeks have been wonderful!! We have really appreciated the help provided by Grandma Sally. Today, the team from Junction, Texas arrived to meet the boys and lend a helping hand. The team consists of Grandma Peggy, her friend Donna and Donna's daughter Harley. The boys are so happy to have the group here (as are Mike and I) as they are all getting held a lot which has not been the case when there is only one set of arms to hold them.

While in the hospital, the boys had their pictures taken. If you would like to see them, you can view them online at http://www.tmh.org/. Once on the site, select the link to the Web Nursery. It will then ask for the birth date for the babies, April 12, 2008. There will be two listings for Kellie D. The password to access is Team Darnell. The first listing contains pictures for Wesley and Jared. It will first display Wesley (taking an oath). To view Jared, change the name in the dropdown at the top of the page labled "viewing." The second listing of my name contains the pictures for Andrew.

This should bring everyone up to speed on what is occurring within the Darnell household. I hope everyone else is doing well.

Take care,

Kellie

Our First Week

Team Darnell has survived our first week as a family. It has definitely been a week filled with great joy and excitement.

During the last post, we left off with all three boys in the NICU. There stay in the NICU was short lived. After one night, all three were moved down to our room. The room that we were in was too small for the Eskimo trio so we were moved the biggest room on the floor. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of many years of special treatment!

The picture above is all three boys lined up in our room. Our family received all kinds of attention at the hospital for being so healthy. There was a nurse that had worked at that hospital for 22 years and in all of her experience, there had never been a set of triplets that had made it to the floor with the mother. All of the other sets remained in the NICU and were discharged from there. We are so proud of our boys and their accomplishments already!

We remained in the hospital for two more nights with the boys in our room and we were all discharged together on Tuesday. The boys were quite healthy but our discharge was almost delayed due to my condition. Dr. Dixon informed me that I had lost a significant amount of blood during the surgery and for the first couple of days, my blood level was still on the decline. On Tuesday morning, the blood tests had showed my blood levels had leveled off but I was still functioning on "half a tank." I really wanted to get us all out of the hospital and I was feeling well. I told Dr. Dixon I was feeling well and I promised to take it easy at home. With that, he agreed to let us go home. So we all rolled out of the hospital and into the big bad world at about 4pm on April 15th, 2008.

The boys were perfect on the ride home but the fourth baby (this is what I became for the next few days) did not handle the ride home. We were only minutes from the hospital and I got quite sick. When we arrived home, I proceeded to bed for a few hours but my condition did not improve. On Wednesday, I moved to the recliner in the living room where I remained for the next 48 hours. I was experiencing the most extreme head ache I had ever experienced and any movement was near impossible. I was not able to do much with the boys but thanks to Team Darnell, consisting of Grandma Sally, Uncle Lance and of course Super Dad, the boys were settling in well to their new home. The team would do all the heavy lifting and would bring me a baby to hold. This was about all I could do.

On Thursday, I went into see the doctor and my blood pressure was 150/100. This was higher than it ever was during my pregnancy and let's not forget that I was hospitalized for my blood pressure. I was sent home with blood pressure medication and medication for migraines. I started feeling better once medicated and by Friday, I was able to get up and move around. This was good because the first trip to the pediatrician was Friday morning.

We woke up on Friday and the Team loaded up to get the boys to the doctor. We arrived at the doctor's office the full Team of four adults and three babies. We were a site to behold as Daddy carried a baby, Grandma Sally carried a baby and Uncle Lance carried a baby while I led the parade into the office.

The boys were weighed and checked out. All were given a clean bill of health. However, Andrew showed some signs of Jaundice and we were asked to return with him on Saturday to test him again. The test was to determine if the signs were increasing or on the decline. On Saturday, his tests showed his score was on the decline and there were no concerns. He was weighed at this visit and he was the first baby to get back up over 5lbs! Way to go Andrew!!

I had to return to Dr. Dixon on Friday to check my blood pressure, which was 140/90 at this visit, and to check how I was healing from the surgery. Could I perform as well as the boys at their visit.... of course not! When checking my incision, the doctor discovered an area of my skin above the incision that had apparently split due to the rapid stretching from the swelling I experienced at the end of the pregnancy. This area had a strange appearance and Dr. Dixon's reaction when first observing this was.... "What is that?" This is not a very comforting feeling for your doctor to look at you and say... "What is that?" I was prescribed two different antibiotics and Mike was taught to dress my new wound. I am becoming harder to care for than the babies at this point. There was a little bit of good news at this appointment as my blood level was now up to "three quarters of a tank."

It is exciting to have the boys home and start to see their little personalities start to develop. Andrew, the oldest of the crew, is also quickly becoming the responsible and protective older brother. The first night in the hospital, I had his crib near the bed so I could easily reach at least one of the babies. He was fussy all night. The next morning, we moved his crib next to his brothers and he has been content ever since. He is the best eater of the bunch. When it is time to eat, he gulps (literally gulps - we will work on manners later) down his bottle. There was also an episode when he was in the crib with his arm resting over Jared. Grandma Sally took his arm and put it back under his blanket and he quickly pulled it back out to put it over his little brother.

Jared, the second born but by far the smallest of the bunch, has been endearingly nicknamed "The Baby" due to his tiny size. He does not have much interest in eating and would prefer to sleep all day and all night. Due to the struggles to get the baby to eat, he has received more attention and cuddling from mom. As such, the baby has become the first that really wants to be held all the time. When he cries in the crib, the moment he is picked up, he is just fine. He was born weighing 4lb 13oz and at the Friday pediatrician appointment his weight was 4lb 8oz. He is the same length as is brothers but almost a half pound less in weight.

Wesley, the youngest, is our little Mike. While all three boys are blessed to look just like their father, he has also started to develop Daddy like mannerisms. We have been swaddling the babies to put them down to sleep. Wesley was the first to fight the swaddling. He desperately wanted his arms mobile and outside of the blanket. He would work to pull his arms out and it was only at this point that he was happy. I have attached a photo of how Wesley has determined he is most comfortable while sleeping. In case you were wondering where this behavior comes from, I have also included a photo of Daddy sleeping.















The week has been full of crying, cuddling, feeding, bottle making, diaper changing, laundry and most of all loving boys that are three beautiful gifts! Here are some other memorable moments from the week....

Murray has quickly fallen in love with his baby brothers and has turned into quite the Nanny. He frequently checks on his babies and makes sure anyone holding his babies knows exactly what to do. Chewie has been a little more difficult. He is quite jealous and likes to pretend the babies do not exist. Here is Murray's first chance to meet his brothers...

Our days are filled with 24 bottle feedings and approximately 30 diaper changes. Here is a shot of our bottles....

Uncle Lance visited for a few days and offered great assistance. By the time he left, he was a pro at feeding, burping and diaper changing. It's not possible to visit without jumping right in! Here is Uncle Lance with the trio....




Andrew & Jared cuddle...

Wesley after eating just a little too much...

But most of all, the first week we all hoped for the moments where the new recruits of Team Darnell were all sleeping peacefully giving us a few moments of catch some ZZZZZs.

Sorry for the delay in posting since our departure from the hospital but hopefully everyone understands we have been a little busy. However, we have enjoyed every minute we have been able to spend with these boys!

Hope everyone is doing well and thank you to all of you that have called, sent e-mails and sent best wishes over the past 10 days. And... a special thank you to everyone that has been there to help us.

Take care,

Kellie

Day 1 - Happy Birthday Team Darnell!!!

Good evening everyone! I want to thank Heather for sending out the e-mail announcement to everyone. As she indicated, at 1 am I woke up and had the sensation that I needed to go to the bathroom. Prior to getting out of the bed, I realized I REALLY needed to get to the bathroom. The symptoms were more of a slow leak than a gush so Nurse Kim was not sure if it was urine or amniotic fluid. She completed some tests and I was encouraged to wait an hour and see what happens. After that hour, let's just say we were able to determine that it was amniotic fluid and Dr. O'Bryan, the on duty doc, decided not to play with fire and it was time to deliver.

WOW! It was fast from that point forward. I was first moved to a Labor and Delivery room to be prepped for surgery. We decided to take one more picture of the baby mountain that had amassed on my body. In this photo, you can see the baby mountain plus some of the swelling that had accumulated in my face and arm.



Once prepped for surgery, I was moved to the operating room where in less than one hour, the room was filled with a beautiful "song" sung by Team Darnell.

At this point, all three boys were doing very well. As they were finishing up with me, the boys were taken to my recovery room for their assessments. Once arriving, in the recovery room, Wesley (Baby C - on the left) was grunting and needed to be taken to the NICU for additional oxygen. Andrew (Baby A - on the right) and Jared (Baby B - in the middle) were doing well and remained in the recovery room until they were moved to the well-baby nursery. They remained there throughout the day and were observed during all routine activities.

I attempted to breastfeed both boys without success so far so I fed them both bottles. They were then taken from my room back to the nursery so I could rest. When I woke up later that day, the nurse came in to tell me that Jared was a little cool and they were struggling to warm him up. We then proceeded to spend some time as mommy and son with him laying skin to skin on my chest. I was just in awe at this point of this little life that grew inside of me, along with his brothers. Here is Jared trying to warm up:


We were unsuccessful in getting him to warm up and around 7pm, the doctor decided that Jared needed to go to the NICU. Not only was he not maintaining his temperature, he was having difficulty keeping his food down. When they told me they were going to move Jared to the NICU, they proceeded to tell me that it would be best to also move Andrew to the NICU along with his brothers for observation. So, all three boys are now down in the NICU.

Prior to the big move, we were able to spend some quality time with Andrew and Jared. Here is Grandma Sally and Andrew:

And the proud Papa with Andrew:

Maria Leon also visited to spend some quality time with the babies. Here is a moment she shared with Andrew and Grandma Sally:

I am doing pretty well. I have been removed from the IV fluids and my catheter as been removed. I have still not gotten out of bed but plan to do this very soon. Other than being tired, I seem to be recovering well so far. The nurse was just in and she is going to give me some pain medication now so when I actually get up to go to the bathroom, it should not hurt. That sounds like a great plan to me!

Now for the million dollar question, was I able to get my nails done..... no. Andrew's decision to break out of his confined space impacted the rest of us. Oh well, I am glad they were all born so big and healthy. We do not anticipate they will spend much time in the NICU.

I want to thank everyone that has supported us in any capacity throughout this pregnancy. It has been enjoyable keeping everyone up to date with what is going on with our pregnancy through this blog. We will continue to keep everyone posted on the joy of raising triplets from the Team Darnell perspective!!

Happy Birthday Team Darnell!!!

Take care,

Kellie

35 Weeks & 4 Days - Team Darnell Arrives... FOR REAL!

Message distributed via e-mail by Heather Hamblen:

Good Morning!

Mike and Kellie are proud to announce the arrival of three healthy little boys! The trio arrived this morning at just about 5 a.m. Kellie's water broke at 1 a.m. this morning and once this was realized she was taken to surgery and prepped for the trio's arrival.

Andrew Travis Darnell formerly known as "Baby A" arrived at 4:59 a.m. weighing 5lbs 3oz and is 19 inches long.

Jared Travis Darnell formerly known as "Baby C" arrived at 5:00 a.m. weighing 4lbs 13oz and is 18.5 inches long.

Wesley Travis Darnell formerly known as "Baby B" arrived at 5:01 a.m. weighing 5lbs 5oz and is 19 inches long.

All the boys are healthy and doing well. Wesley was taken to the NICU as he was having some minor breathing problems. They were anticipating that he would be released from the NICU later today. Andrew and Jared did not require a trip to the NICU.

Kellie is doing well after surgery - if you know her she sounded a tad bit groggy. However she was her normal detailed oriented self relaying the specifics of the babies arrival. It would seem that the boys were not a fan of her checking herself out to get her nails done!!!!

Congratulations Momma and Pappa Darnell!!!!!

Regards,
Heather (Burke) Hamblen

35 Weeks & 3 Days

.... and still pregnant!

It's another week down here in the hospital. The week has been relatively uneventful and there have been no significant developments in our situation that would push us to waiver off of the 37 week target. At this point we are at 11 days and counting!!! It seems like a long time from now but tomorrow will be 10 days and then we are really in the home stretch to a healthy delivery!

Physically, my blood pressure and tests have been fine over the past week. The struggle at this piont remains to be with the fluid retention that I am experiencing. I have gained 15 pounds in the two weeks I have been here in the hospital and it is all related to fluid retention.... I am swelling like a big water balloon at this point. I have achieved something that I thought was previously impossible; I have been drinking too much water. My body has become overwhelmed by the water and is struggling to process all of it. I was recently put on fluid restriction. Has anyone ever heard of a pregnant woman being told to drink less water?? It gets better. My sodium levels are low so I have been encouraged to increase my salt intake. Again, has anyone ever heard of a pregnant woman being encouraged to eat more salt?? It's like the twilight zone here in the hospital.

The maternal-fetal specialist was in to evaluate the boys yesterday and all are still doing very well and I am still not having any signs of pre-term labor. I have not had one contraction or braxton hicks contraction at this point. Again, something unheard of for a triplet pregnancy. These boys appear to be really happy where they are and are in no hurry to enter this world. I hope this is a sign of how cooperative and compliant they will be in their early days!!!

Now, let's chat about my mental state. There were some low points during this week as I was experiencing some pain from the weight gain and I was really ready to hear that they were going to deliver. Each day without that decision was harder and harder. At this point, with the maternal-fetal specialist telling me that we are going to get to 37 weeks, I have resigned myself to the fact that this date will not change. This has really helped my psyche.

In addition, who could remain down in the dumps when I am living in a tropical paradise? As mentioned in my prior post, a close friend decorated the room like the tropics. Here are the pictures of my view:

It is like the great equalizer beach! Please note that Chewie and Murray are the same size, which cracks me up. By the way, this banner is about 8 feet long and 4 feet tall. It covers most of the wall in front of me.

This is the sun that shines over the beach! When I look at this, I want to sing "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." Could he look any happier????

This is the palm tree that hangs on the door and that creature in the tree is a monkey with bananas added by Nurse Debbie.

The last thing that is helping to improve my mental state is my decision (made today) to break out of the joint!! Yes, that is right!! Mike and I are planning my big escape for tomorrow. Don't worry, his idea was to tie sheets together and shimmy down from the third floor window (let's all just imagine that image for a moment). But, I have decided to roll right out of the front door and dare them to stop me! What is so important that I need to break out of the hospital and risk my health and the health of my unborn children you ask? The answer ... to get my nails done, of course. I have been here for two weeks now and with an additional two weeks before the babies arrive, I am facing some gnarly nails if there is not an immediate intervention. I have searched high and low for a technician that is willing to come to the hospital but no such luck. So, I asked for a day pass from Dr. Dixon today and he was just not able to approve it. However, he mentioned that I am the boss so if I want to assume the risk and discharge myself against medical advice (AMA) and then readmit a few hours later, there is nothing they can do to stop me. He is just worried that I return with a blood pressure through the roof and it pushes their hand to do an emergency delivery. The nurses are very supportive of my adventure and they think everything will be fine. So, let's all cross our fingers and hope for a smooth adventure and really pretty nails! And yes, there will be a pedicure as well. I also think this will really help me recharge and then have the mental capacity to make it 10 more days.

I think I have brought everyone up to speed at this point. I hope everyone is doing well and we are all in the home stretch now! We will have babies in just 11 short days!

Take care,

Kellie

35 Weeks

Well, what can I say.... we are 35 weeks along and still pregnant. This is our 10th day in the hospital for this stay and can anyone say "stir crazy?" Physically, I am doing well. My blood pressure has remained within normal limits and all other tests continue to be normal as well. Dr. Dixon just visited and said we are still in a "sit and wait" pattern. The Maternal-Fetal Specialist will visit me on Thursday and he indicated we will do lab work at the same time to see if anything has changed. There was a day last week in which my blood pressure started to gradually increase over the day but it was back to normal by the next morning. So physically, there are no signs that would point to delivery at this point. I guess this is a good thing???

On Sunday, my close friend, Maria Leon decided my hospital room needed a little face lift. She has created a tropical paradise here in room 367. The main wall that I stare at all day has been transformed into a beach scene and a palm tree has been hung on the door. Since that time, Mike and the nurses have gotten into the spirit. The nurses created a sun to shine brightly on the beach scene. In addition, the palm tree now has a monkey with his bananas hanging out in the tree. During Mike's visit last night, he added a cut out of Chewie and Murray to the beach. He also added a picture of his floating head to the sun. I don't have my camera here right now but I will take pictures and post as it has brought me laughter over the past couple days.

The nurses continue to make predictions that I will deliver sometime this week. I have not had a growth check on the boys in over a week but based on my assessment, they are getting bigger. I am not sure how much bigger I can get at this point! It is getting harder and harder to walk and move around. It is probably a good thing that the most movement I do is back and forth to the bathroom. We plan on getting one more picture of my belly prior to delivery.

Well, I don't have much more to report today as we are just in a waiting pattern. On the far side, we are just 14 days from arrival (April 22nd) however it could still be sooner.

Take care,

Kellie

34 Weeks - Team Darnell Arrives!!!

The great day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. Around 10pm last night, I started feeling bad, I can't explain it but I was just feeling bad. When they came in to take my vitals around 11pm, my blood pressure had spiked and it was enough to call the doctor. They immediately put the babies on a monitor and the babies were also starting to show signs that the time had finally arrived. I immediately called Papa Darnell and I was prepped for delivery. Then at 1:46, 1:47 and 1:48 am, the Darnell boys were brought into the world.

The boys were all evaluated in the NICU, they are all healthy and currently doing extremely well. I am recovering and ecstatic about being a new mother. Mike and I spent the remainder of the evening resting and we hope that the boys will be moved to the well nursery later today. Until then, we are enjoying the time to rest here in the room.

There is only one thing that is causing us a little concern at this point. The doctor's in the delivery room were a little quiet as the boys were delivered and we heard a lot of whispering. Neither of us are too sure what they were whispering about and they did not tell us. Mike spoke with Dr. Dixon this morning and Dr. Dixon is recommending some additional tests on the boys, one to include DNA. We are a little confused as to why they would recommend this test to us. Maybe it is some sort of cruel April Fool's joke. The boys are so beautiful and we are still trying to figure out if they look more like Mike or me. Please let us know what you think......

Baby A

Baby B

Baby C

Hopefully everyone has a good sense of humor and understand that this post is in honor of April Fool's Day and these babies, though all beautiful, are not members of Team Darnell. Ha! Ha!

I am still very pregnant (no joke) and the new recruits have not yet arrived. They do not appear to be in any hurry to enter this world. As of today, we have made it to 34 weeks and we are still in the hospital. All of my tests show that I am very stable and my blood pressure is quite normal while I am here in the hospital (ie. 120/66). They boys are monitored every morning and are doing very well. Dr. Dixon indicated during his last visit with me that we are still targeting the 37 week (April 22nd) mark unless there is maternal or fetal distress prior to that point. So, we actually might make it all the way to 37 weeks, 3 weeks from today! However, I am still taking it one week at a time. Now that we have made it to 34 weeks, our next goal is 35 weeks.

I hope everyone has a great April Fool's Day!!!

Take care,

Kellie

33 Weeks & 3 Days

Home again, home again, jiggity jig! Oh wait..... I am not home, I am at my new home away from home. Yes that is correct, I am back in the hospital!

This morning I had my appointments and things started off as well as could be expected. There was no protein detected in my urine screen but my blood pressure was up again to 138/100. I met with Dr. Dixon and he attributed the higher blood pressure during visits to the additional strain that is associated with me getting myself to the appointment. He was ok with me continuing on home bed rest with visits to his office twice a week. He concluded my visit with a follow-up appointment on Tuesday. However, he wanted to speak to the Maternal-Fetal Specialist, Dr. Willis, once the boys were evaluated. I then headed upstairs for my next visit.

This visit was the growth check that we had been waiting for since a couple weeks ago when we were told their growth had slowed. The ultrasound revealed all three boys are still breathing well. Baby A's position still prevented him from having his weight determined so his weight remains a mystery. I can't wait to meet Baby A because we know so little about him compared to his brothers. Baby B weighed in at 4.5 lbs and Baby C weighed in at 4 lbs. The doctor stated this was about the 18th percentile which is great interval growth since their last check. I was relieved to hear their weights because they are finally hitting a weight in which they would do well outside of me.

Dr. Willis proceeded to take my blood pressure since I was admitted the week prior for high blood pressure. My pressure at this check was 158/100. He was not pleased. He then proceeded to call Dr. Dixon to discuss next steps. Both agreed that there is not a need to deliver at this point; however, he felt I needed to be admitted to the hospital until I deliver (ugh!). While this was his recommendation, he left the final decision up to Dr. Dixon since he is my primary so there was still hope.

I was sent back downstairs to meet with Dr. Dixon. He was still considering at home bed rest until he read Dr. Willis' report which put the recommendation for hospitalization in black and white. Once he saw this documentation, he was left with no options but to admit. And... here I am back at the great Tallahassee Memorial Hospital! I should mention that my first blood pressure reading once settled into bed was 134/91. It was already starting to come down once I was in a resting state.

There is one more symptom of the mild preeclampsia that I am starting to notice and that is the swelling. I am starting to swell more each day. This is evidenced by the amount of water weight I have gained in the past 2 weeks. At the 31 week mark, I had gained 30 pounds with the pregnancy. This was low for triplets. Well….. in the past 2 weeks, I have gained 24 lbs! Oh my is right! I am quickly catching up to where I should be but this is all due to the fluid retention. The good thing is that I should loose this pretty quick after delivery.

They are very nice here and treat me very well. Everyone is so interested in the fact that I am having triplets! As such, the staff from housekeeping to nutrition to the nurses seems to take a little extra care with "us." While I don't want to stay here very long, everyday in the hospital helps the boys prepare that much more for their eventual arrival. My target now is 34 weeks and after that we can focus on 35 weeks.

I will post again if our situation changes!

Take care,

Kellie

32 Weeks & 6 Days

I AM GOING HOME!!!!

Dr. Dixon, who is my primary OB, was back on duty today and he reviewed all my tests through the weekend and he is comfortable discharging me on home bed rest! He did tell me that everything looked good while I was in the hospital so if things change when I am home, I will be back in the hospital.

My next follow-up appointments with Dr. Dixon and the Maternal-Fetal Specialists will be on Friday. I want to thank everyone that showed their support while I was here at the hospital.

Take care,

Kellie

32 Weeks & 5 Days

Happy Easter everyone!! When I think back to last Easter, I remember that I spent this morning in Jacksonville for my first appointment to evaluate my progress on egg development. I remember thinking this was cute that I was making eggs on Easter. This year, I find myself in the hospital with three of these eggs getting very close to entering the world as little men! What a journey this has been and will be.

Yes, I am still in the hospital. It appears I will remain on hospitalized bed rest until the babies are born. My blood pressure has come down considerably and is now within the normal ranges. The outcome of my lab work has been normal and the protein levels in my urine have reduced to trace amounts. After my 24 urine was collected, there was one problem. My "output" was extremely low. This is a symptom of preeclampsia and can indicate that my kidneys are struggling and I am not able to filter out my fluid "input." In a 24 period, I had only produced 750 cc of "output."

We were tasked with strictly tracking my input and output. I track the input and the nurse has to measure the output. This started at 4pm yesterday and I was told that if my output dropped below 500 cc in 24 hours, this would result in immediate delivery of the babies. Well, that sounded like a challenge!! BRING IT ON!!! Since that time, I have produced 2,500 cc of output and I still have 4hr & 45 min in the 24 hour timeframe. See, all I needed was a challenge! So, it appears I get to keep the babies until at least tomorrow.

This morning, I was visited by the Maternal-Fetal Specialist to complete another bio-physical profile. All babies are doing well and he checked the growth on Baby B to determine that he is probably between 4 & 5 pounds at this point. The weights at this point are not 100% and should be considered estimates but in his opinion all babies are looking great. The steroid shot also enhances the lung development of the babies about 2 weeks. It takes 48 hours for full effect. As of tomorrow, the almost 33 week lungs of the babies should be functioning at about the 35 week level. Based on all of this, he said it is possible that a delivery this week may not result in an extended nursery stay. I was VERY happy to hear this but will not count my chickens before they hatch! I am scheduled to have a tour of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) today so I will be prepared if they are in there upon delivery.

The decisions regarding when the babies will arrive is a day to day decision at this point. It is really based on how my body can handle the preeclampsia. As soon as they see anything with me that causes too much concern, they will deliver the babies. Delivery is the only cure for preeclampsia. I am feeling well and I do not have any discomfort from this condition. Everyone here keeps telling me how impressive it is to make it all the way to 32 weeks before exhibiting complications. Usually with triplets, this happens much sooner. While this should bring me comfort, I will finally feel comfortable once I have delivered three healthy babies which may be some time this week or next week.

Again, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter!

Take care,

Kellie

32 Weeks

Reaching the 32nd week is a great milestone with triplets. It is the average mark for when triplets are delivered. This week started with a follow-up visit with Dr. Dixon. At this appointment, I received the results of the 24 urine test that we did over the weekend. My protein levels were within normal limits. At my appointment on Monday, there were also only trace amounts of protein in my urine. My blood pressure remained elevated (124/100) and I was allowed to go back home still on bed rest.

My next appointment was the weekly bio-physical profiles for the babies. This appointment was today and the babies are doing well, no concerns noted. However, due to mama's hypertension, they checked my blood pressure. Alas, my blood pressure was elevated. The doctor checked it twice and the first result was 148/108. The second result was 146/89. At that point, the decision was made to admit me to the hospital for observation.

So far, they have checked my blood pressure twice and my second check was 131/79. Hopefully this is a good sign and they will release me before the end of the weekend to cook these babies a little longer at home. I was given a steroid shot today and will get another one tomorrow to help the babies lung development in case they are arrive sooner than expected.

The hospital has internet access so I am hooked up to communicate to the outside world!

I hope everyone has a Happy Easter and I hope the Easter Bunny knows how to find me here!

Take care,

Kellie

31 Weeks

Good news.... we have made it to the 31 week mark!!! Here is an updated photo of my growth. For all of those interested, as of 31 weeks, I have gained 30 pounds.

We had our follow visits with the doctors today. The first visit started with the Maternal-Fetal Specialists to evaluate the eskimos. During the visit, they completed a bio-physical profile through an ultrasound. The test consisted of monitoring all three boys to observe their behavior, their breathing and the flow in and out of the umbilical cords. All boys look healthy and no concerns were noted during this appointment. They did not determine their weight during this visit. I will return next week for another bio-physical profile and the week following (3/28), they will check growth and let us if the boys are still growing.

After this visit, we proceeded downstairs to Dr. Dixon's (OB/GYN) office. We needed this follow up because during my visit last week, my blood pressure was elevated and there was trace proteins in my urine. In my update last week, I indicated my blood pressure was 112/96. I need to correct this as she told me today that last week it was actually 112/90. Today, they checked my urine and blood pressure again. At this point, there was more protein in my urine and my blood pressure was still elevated 121/93. When we saw Dr. Dixon, he indicated that it appears I am probably starting to show signs of mild preeclampsia (additional info at http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/preeclampsia-eclampsia). He sent me to triage at labor and delivery for some additional tests. During these tests, they monitored my blood pressure for about 3 hours, took another urine sample and took a blood sample to evaluate my liver. The tests revealed my liver is fine but I do have protein in my urine and my blood pressure remained elevated for the entire time I was there. The nurse told me that with great reluctance, Dr. Dixon approved my discharge but ordered "strict bed rest." This means I am only able to get up to use the bathroom and to get something to eat. He also ordered for me to collect my urine for the next 24 hours and return the jug to the hospital tomorrow. I have a follow-up in his office on Monday at lunch time to evaluate the results.

He was not 100% but indicated the mild preeclampsia is possibly the cause of the slow down in the growth of the babies. So, I am now laying down and Mike is doing a wonderful job taking care of all of us. I should also mention the support I am receiving from my current babies. Chewie, as seen below, apparently believes he can help me by trying to hatch the babies:

Many have asked if Chewie is ready for the new babies.... I am not so convinced that he will be ready for what is too come.... however, who is???

Well, this is our 31 week update and I will keep everyone up dated as we will be having more frequent visits from now until we have babies!!!

Take care,

Kellie

30 Weeks

Good news, we have made it to 30 weeks and in only a couple days we will reach the 31 week mark! Dr. Dixon started my visit yesterday by saying that my name is starting to make it's way through the "circles" with a triplet pregnancy making it to 30 weeks without 1 visit to the hospital. However, the information obtained during the visits revealed that this is no longer the "perfect" pregnancy it use to be.

Yesterday, we had two appointments with the Maternal-Fetal Specialists and our OB/GYN. We started with a visit to the Maternal-Fetal Specialist to evaluate their growth. The appointment started as usual, struggles to see Baby A. With the three babies in there, they were unable to fully evaluate Baby A because of his position. They were able to evaluate the size of his head and the flow through the umbilical cord. Both appeared on target and therefore there were no concerns identified with Baby A.

Then, we proceeded to Baby B and Baby C. Both of these boys were able to be evaluated. The appointment proceeded as usual at this point until the doctor told us that the babies weighed 2lb-14oz and 3lb-1oz respectively. While this alone did not cause concern, it was the low growth between their last visit and this visit (4 weeks) that caused the doctor to do some additional testing. Baby B went from the 75th percentile for growth to the 12th percentile and Baby C went from the 43rd percentile to the 15th percentile. The bio-physical profile that he then completed on B and C identified no problems and it appears they are both in good health. However, he wants to keep a closer eye on the babies from this point forward. The boys will now have bio-physical profiles on a weekly basis and they are going to evaluate growth in another three weeks.

In trying to determine a reason for the low growth, they were unable to pinpoint the exact reason but provided some possible reasons. One possibility is that the placentas are starting to struggle in supporting the babies. For this I was encouraged to spend as much time horizontal as possible. He did not prescribe bed rest but he indicated the placentas are at top performance when I am laying on my side. To help out, I am going to start working from home to spend the days in bed. A placenta starting to fail is apparently something that can be common among multiple pregnancies. If this is the reason, they will need to decide at some point if the babies are better off in the nursery than in me.

Other things that could help at this point are making sure my water and protein intake are high. As many know, I have been struggling to eat but I plan to increase my efforts to force it down from this point forward. The last thing that may be a sign of problems is that my blood pressure was 112/96. The top number is fine but the bottom number is elevated. The doctors want to keep an eye on this as well so I will be reporting weekly for blood pressure checks.

My next appointments are next Friday. I will provide an update following the visits. Also, we did not get any pictures from these visits. It really was difficult to see what they were looking at because the baby parts are all over the place.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Take care,

Kellie

28 Weeks

As of this morning, we have made it to 28 weeks!! We are very excited about our progress to date. I had an appointment with Dr. Dixon (OBGYN) yesterday and his assessment was that we are doing "amazingly well." My blood levels are fine, my glucose test results are fine, my blood pressure is fine, I have no signs of pre-term labor and in 28 weeks I have only gained 20 lbs. It does not appear that I will be placed on bed rest any time soon. The weight gain is very low for a triplet pregnancy however as you will see later in this post, the boys do not appear to be impacted. As my visit yesterday, Dr. Dixon told me that he was so surprised we have made it all the way to 28 weeks without one hospital visit (knock on wood). Because things are going so well, he decided to go ahead and schedule the delivery, via c-section, for the boys. The target date is 37 weeks and their birthday is currently set for Tuesday, April 22nd at 7:30am!! I am soooo excited to finally have an actual target. 37 weeks is considered full term. So, this will be their birthday unless they decide otherwise between now and then. 9 weeks and counting.....

On February 8th, we also had a visit with the Maternal-Fetal Specialists to check on the babies' growth. As I have been having trouble eating, I was a little worried about how they were growing and was anxious to have this visit. At this point, we were at 26 weeks and the average size of singletons at this point is 1lb and 12 oz. As such, I was expecting the boys were going to weigh in at about 1lb and 6oz. However, the Darnell boys are ready to exceed all expectations! The three of the boys weighed in at 2lbs-8oz (Baby A), 2lbs-5oz (Baby B) and 2lbs-4oz (Baby C). The doctors and I were shocked! Not only are these boys growing well for triplets, they are currently between the 60th and 80th percentile for growth for singletons. Watch out world, here come the Darnell boys!!

The ultrasound experience is not as fun as it use to be. With the weight of these boys increasing every day, it is getting harder and harder to lie on my back for the ultrasound without getting nauseas. So, I spend the hour flipping from side to side trying to get comfortable while still giving the nurse the opportunity to view the babies. As things are getting more crowded in the inn, pictures are not as good as they were during earlier ultrasounds. We were unable to get a photo of Baby A but here are the photos we were able to get.

Baby B

Baby C

With the boys doing well and my physical health also well, let's touch on my mental health at this point. I am excited about these wonderful additions to our family. However, I am very tired at this point. I am still having trouble sleeping and eating is a real challenge. I have not had a good night sleep since around Thanksgiving and my stomach is clearly loosing the real estate battle in my body and the second I eat anything, I am uncomfortably full. At this point, I have to force myself to eat just to get the nutrients in my body. This is not a concern to the professionals as the boys appear to be getting everything they need to be healthy. I guess there is a reason I have been carrying these "reserves" for so many years. Overall, I am becoming more and more uncomfortable every day. When I went to my appointment yesterday, Dr. Dixon joked about my uterus size being approximately 45 weeks pregnant and I only have to get to 60 week before we are ready. However, I state again.... 9 weeks and counting!

I guess this brings everyone up to speed on the status of Team Darnell! I hope everyone is doing well.

Take care,

Kellie

Our Baby Shower

On February 2nd, Team Darnell took a trip to Cocoa Beach for a Baby Shower hosted by Debbie Dorfman and Tracy Little. We spent the afternoon visiting with family and friends, playing games, eating and opening the very generous gifts for the triplets. It was so much fun to see everyone that I had not seen in many months. On the drive there, Mike and I were both talking about how we miss living in Central Florida and visiting with everyone and experiencing the out pouring of support made us miss it even more.

As previously mentioned, the doctor's told us to be prepared for bed rest to begin as early as 26 weeks. As such, we were grateful for the shower to be scheduled ahead of this date. Regardless of impending bed rest, I was glad the shower was held at this point as my expanding belly is making it very uncomfortable for me to travel.

Debbie and Tracy did a wonderful job planning and hosting the shower. Mike and I can not thank them enough for everything they have done to help us prepare for the arrival of these babies. From the nursery to the shower, you both have played a very special role in the lives of these babies and they are not even here yet.

The generosity of everyone that attended and even those that could not attend was astounding. We arrived in our expedition without a second thought about whether we would have enough room to get everything home. Well, we grew concerned as we saw everyone arriving with their gifts. The gifts ranged from bouncers to a swing, playpen to an excersaucer, beautiful clothes to diapers, teddy bears to books, diaper champ to baby monitors, baby bath to changing pad and then there were the monetary gifts.

The Team Darnell theme was utilized at the shower and gifts were given to support the teams that Team Darnell currently supports, the Florida State University Seminoles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers! Check out the cake.....

The boys will have pacifiers, socks and a Seminole Book that will teach them to appreciate the tradition and splendor of the FSU Seminoles...........

Now that they had their Saturday pacifiers, whatever will they wear on Sunday while cheering for their favorite NFL team? Grandma Sally and the Spinales took care of this by providing 3 matching Buccaneer outfits, a Buccaneer receiving blanket, a Buccaneer helmet and if all of this does not ensure these boys are Bucs fans, they will be put to sleep each evening beneath a Buccaneer mobile!
We also received diapers that will help us prepare for the babies. However, not all of the diapers were diapers that can be worn by the babies. At least I don't think these diapers are intended to be worn by the babies. I know I am a new mom of triplets but I know we can not keep up this type of luxury diapers provided by the Yeildings and Hicks......

As if the truck was not full enough, we stopped by Baby's R Us on our way out of Orlando. We took this opportunity to quickly spend our "diaper money" and other monetary gifts. We purchased crib mattresses and the crib sets among other things. As we were rolling out of town, there was not a spare space in the expedition. There was not even enough room for me to recline on the ride home. This made for a very pleasant trip (sarcasm) but when I would turn around and see everything, it made the suffering worth it.

Once we arrived home, Mike and I spent the entire Super Bowl, organizing clothes and putting together all of the new baby items. The house is very close for us to add the babies. I continue to be touched by the generosity of everyone as I walk around the house. I will always remember each of you as the babies swing, bounce, sleep, eat and all other activities with the gifts that were provided.

I again express my appreciation to Debbie and Tracy for everything they have done for us. The baby shower was everything I could have hoped for and more.

It should not be too much longer before the babies are here to appreciate everything! We are striving to make it to at least 36 weeks which is April 15th. It's getting rough on Mama but I just keep thinking of the song in the card that Debbie gave us.... "I will survive!"

Take care,

Kellie