29 weeks

Another week! I had growths done in ultrasound today. I only get those done every 3 weeks. So the weights on GRACE are:

Baby A (Gabby): 2 lbs 11 oz
Baby B (Cooper): 3 lbs
Baby C (Riley): 2 lbs 9 oz
Baby D (Addy): 2 lbs 1 oz
Baby E (Emmy): 2 lbs 6 oz

It is physically getting more uncomfortable. I don't know how much more my skin can stretch, but I know it will. My stomach is starting to itch more and it's getting difficult to walk...even just 5-10 feet. Luckily, my room isn't very big and pretty easy to get around. The nurses are great at helping me, but I feel bad for asking and try to do things myself even though I should probably let them do it.

So far all my labs are normal. The babies are looking good. Their body parts are starting to stick out. I can feel Addy's elbow, fist, or knee poking out near my upper right rib.  Gabby likes to kick near my groin. Cooper is kinda sitting on Gabby's head, but I can feel him kicking or punching above my left thigh when I'm sitting up in bed. Riley starts punching or kicking when I lie too far on my left side, because his head/body is on that side. Emmy's body is under my left rib.

I'm trying to still maintain my appetite so they'll gain weight, but it's hard to eat. Especially since I've been eating the cafeteria food for 6 weeks now. I'm surprised I've lasted this long! Luckily, John has brought me Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, InNOut, and snacks from the grocery store. My parents have brought me Indian food and one of the nurse's here has cooked some Indian food for me as well.

I've come up with an incentive for major milestones with my doctors. Next week, one of my dr's wives is going to cook me middle eastern food. Yum! So excited for that! I am still bargaining on 32 and 34 week incentives.

28 weeks

Today is a HUGE milestone! I am starting my 3rd trimester. Not only that, it's a great feeling to know that I have disproved a few doctors who told me early on that I would probably deliver between 24-28 weeks and all the horrors of having babies that early.  I am truly convinced that God led us to the right physician, Dr. Elliott,  to get me through the beginning of our journey and following him to AZ was the best decision we could've made for the health of the babies.

The ultrasound today showed good heart tones and normal fluid levels. All my labs are still looking good. I'm just waiting for my Doppler on Monday to see how Baby D's (Addy) cord flow is doing. As long as I am physically okay, the determining factor of when I deliver will depend on how the babies cord flow is doing.

Normally at 28 weeks, they start the first round of steroid injections to help the babies lungs if they are to deliver early. The cons of that is that it starts making you have contractions and makes your blood sugar sky rocket so that you have to go on an insulin drip. Some people recover from this and some go into preterm labor and end up delivering. All of Dr. E's colleagues have been telling me that I would start steroid shots today. But he decided to hold off because he doesn't know if my cervix could handle the contractions and therefore I'd have to deliver in the next week. And because I'm doing so well overall, he doesn't want to rock the boat if it's stable.  He thinks I might start the steroids at 30 weeks, but isn't for sure cause he wants to buy me as much time as possible in case I go into preterm labor. Works for me! The longer I don't need an IV, the better.

Being in the hospital since July 23 has given me the opportunity to watch the Olympics 24/7. I was told at the beginning of my pregnancy that you could compare this type of pregnancy to running a marathon for 6-7 months.  I will never compete in the Olympics, however I feel like I have my own Olympics going on....physically. I have been inspired by the Olympics and therefore have broken down my last trimester to an Olympic event.

Now that I've reached 28 weeks, I feel like I've qualified for the semi finals. If I make it to 30 weeks, I will get the Bronze. If I make it to 32 weeks, I will get the Silver. If I get to 34 weeks, I will get the Gold. If I get to 34 weeks and 4 days, I will break the Olympic record. If I get to 34 days and 6 days (10/11/12), which is my ultimate goal, I will have set a new World's record.

Thank you for all of your prayers and words of encouragement so far!! It definitely helps me mentally as I know that every week from here on out will get more physically challenging and will push my body harder than I've pushed it before. I just have to focus on the end goal and know that the longer I can keep GRACE in, the healthier they will be!

27 weeks

I reached 27 weeks last Friday, but wanted to wait til today to post because Mondays are when I get my doppler's done which measures the resistance of the babies' cord flow and let's us know if they are all getting adequate nutrition and fluids.

All the babies are doing well so far. Addy's resistance went down from 6.9 to 5.7. They usually want the range to be around 3.  Her fluids looked good. They won't do measurements and weights again for another 2 weeks, so hopefully she'll get in closer range to weight as her siblings by then.

Every Monday and Thursdays they get a BPP, biophysical profile, in which they get scored out of 8. This is done through ultrasound.  They receive 2 points for each category: practice breathing (for 30 secs.), movement, fluids, and heart tones. They all got 8's for the 2nd time in a row!

Thank you for all of your prayers for our family. This is definitely a challenging period of time for all of us, but we know it's just a temporary inconvenience and in the end will be the result of 5 healthy babies!

Prayer for Addison

Addison (Addy) is the smallest baby weighing in at 1lb, 6 oz at the 26 week mark.  Today we did a Doppler Test and the doctor found that her cord blood flow is a little restricted and slower than the others.  That means she is not getting as many nutrients as the others and she is developing a little slower.  We are praying that God will fix her cord blood issues and help navigate her through this dangerous and scary part of her life.  I am comforted tonight by the verses in Psalm 139:11-17 (If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night," even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to You.  For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.  How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!)  Lord, may You help our soul to know very well how wonderful Your works are and how much You care about our little girl.

26 weeks today!!

Meryl will be 26 weeks tomorrow.  She is doing well.  We closed on our new house this week and I have been working hard to move everything over there.  A set of Quints were born to the Jones family from Paupa New Guinea today at 27+ weeks. Congrats.  I imagine it will be tough to keep up with the Joneses, but we will give it a try.

25 weeks