31 Weeks and a Story About Sweet Amelia

Here we are at 31 weeks. The babies must be going through another growth spurt, because I'm clearly growing again, too. And the babies are not in the best positions right now. When I stand up the weight shift into my pelvis causes me a fair amount of pain -- and causes me to walk like I just got off a horse for the first couple steps!

Yesterday morning I had to use a little extra lotion to ease the stretching skin across my belly. A few hours later I got off the couch to use the bathroom and groaned a bit when the pelvic pain kicked in.

Amelia was busy playing in the family room and looked up at me and said, "Don't worry, Mommy. We'll fix you up."

Jeff and I both laughed at that, and then laughed harder when she went and got my lotion and proceeded to rub some on my belly once I sat down again. My sweet Amelia. She never misses a trick!

Albert Einstein, Help Me!

I never was very good at physics, and these days being this pregnant is turning nearly every task into a whopper of a physics problem. Here are some of my daily quandaries.

Q: How do you hold a toddler on your lap and read her a book when you've got almost no lap left?

A: The solution involves a lot of pillows and some serious arm stretches. And requires a fairly patient toddler. You can guess which of these is hardest to come by.

Q: How do you pick up what you dropped?

A: Ah, yes. Well for starters, gravity is no longer my friend. Generally I squat, because Lord knows I can't bend over that far -- and at 5' 2" it's not that far, either! However, I have yet to figure out where to stand in relation to the object so it doesn't wind up either hidden under my belly so I can't see it to pick it up anyway, or just far enough away from me that even a serious arm stretch won't put it within reach. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the fact that my brain simply can't comprehend my size.

Q: How do you reach anything in the kitchen cupboards or even the kitchen faucet?

A: If it's higher than the second shelf, I can't. I could only reach higher than that by standing on tiptoe pre-pregnancy, and now I can't get close enough to the cabinet (unless we cut half-moons into our counter tops) for tiptoes to make a difference. Even to reach the lower shelves, I have to stand sideways. Same goes for the kitchen faucet.

Q: (And here's the biggie!) How in the world do you shave your legs?

A: The sheer physics of a large belly that virtually eliminates the possibility of bending combined with short arms and an inability to lift my legs within reach, plus the fact that I'm nearsighted so I pretty much shave by Braille, running my hand over my legs as I go -- it's enough to give Einstein himself a headache!

But, I think I have a solution to this problem, and it's a million dollar idea (patent pending). You saw it here first! Why doesn't Gillette or Schick or some manufacturer make a long-handled women's razor? Handy if you're way pregnant, if you're a Baby Boomer who just can't bend like you used to, if you have arthritis, back problems, long legs and short arms, or are just too lazy to bend way over.

There's money to be made on this idea people!

I'm working on a prototype that involves PVC pipe and duct tape. Not much to look at, but paint that bugger hot pink and people will buy them by the millions.

A Post of a Different Color

Tonight instead of a post about the pregnancy, the babies or Amelia I want to talk about what will now be an historic presidential election.

Yesterday, Barack Obama was nominated as the Democratic candidate for president -- the first black man to be named a presidential candidate by a major political party. Today, Republican John McCain announced that Alaska governor Sarah Palin will be his running mate. As a result, no matter which lever you pull in the November election, you will be part of history. Finally, in 2008, America will put either a minority or a woman in one of the nation's top two offices.

I watched Gov. Palin's speech on television today, and cheered when she gave a nod to Hillary Clinton for putting "18 million cracks in the glass ceiling," and then went on to say, "We can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all!"

Now I would never vote for a candidate based solely on gender or color. But this year, every American has the opportunity to vote in favor of the candidate whose ideology and policies they like best, and either way that vote will be historic.

I had planned to get an absentee ballot since we'll have three newborn babies on our hands by November 4, but now I'm heading to the polls. There's no way I will miss my chance to cast a vote, in person, in such an historic election. I hope you won't either.

Date Night

Jeff and I went out tonight to celebrate getting these little ones all the way to 30 weeks. We figure it's a lot easier to get a sitter now than it will be for Amelia and the triplets. The food was delish and the company was excellent. We breathe a little easier with every day that passes with no complications.

I had to forgo the local multiples group's Mother's Night Out for my date. A good trade-off, though I have enjoyed going to the MNOs and getting to know my fellow multi-moms. I have a feeling I'll really enjoy them after the babies come. Plus, I will then be able to partake of things like the pomegranate martinis that were on tonight's menu!

Now off to bed for good night's sleep, interrupted only by hourly trips to the bathroom.

An Update from the Doctor

Today's big news -- in every sense of the word -- is the results of our ultrasound. The babies weighed in at 3 lbs. 1 oz., 3 lbs. 5 oz., and 3 lbs. 6 oz. That's 9.75 pounds of baby! No wonder they are starting to feel pretty heavy. Those are great weights for 30 weeks, and most importantly, all three babies continue to be very close in size.

When you consider that triplets, on average, are born at 32 weeks, and their average weight is 3 lbs. 11 oz., you can see that our little beans are growing quite well. I actually lost a pound in the last week, but clearly the babies are getting everything they need!

In addition to big, healthy babies, everything looks good with mama, too. Blood pressure's still staying nice and low and no other complications have shown up. So we'll keep moving (however slowly!) toward the 32-week mark where the risk of long-term complications is all but gone.

We are thrilled to be here and to have mom and babies all in great shape. Hopefully things will continue to go smoothly and we'll easily clear 32 weeks, giving the babies more time to grow and get ready to brave the outside world. Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support.

In other news, my last day at work will be Sept. 5, the end of week 31. After that it will be time to just rest and grow babies, which begs the question: What comes after waddle?

30 Weeks and Still Standing -- More or Less

Sunday was 30 weeks for us, and I'm still standing, except for when the sciatica gets me. I'm still working three days in the office and two days from home. My last day in the office before leave will be Sept. 5, and then it's time to rest and grow babies!

I saw the massage therapist this morning, which will help the sciatica a lot by tomorrow, but the massage must have inflamed the area. I've been chugging water all day, but it's no surprise that my body, overworked as it is, is having some trouble flushing out all the toxins that massage therapy releases. Thankfully, my doctor said I could take a little codeine Tylenol, which should at least help me sleep tonight.

I haven't been sleeping all that well lately, which has led to lots of dreams. The other night I woke up convinced I was giving birth to Michael Phelps. One baby was kicking, one was doing flip turns (I swear!), and the third was rubbing against me so it felt like bubbles popping across my belly. Add to that several hours of watching Olympic swimming, and my mind created one weird dream!

Here's the picture from 30 weeks. When I showed up at daycare to pick up Amelia today one of the other moms told me I was looking absolutely beautiful. Nice to hear when you're carrying three babies and measuring more than full term! If you disagree with her, keep it to yourself. :)

The Cavalry Has Departed

The last of our help left this morning. But boy, did they leave things in great shape here! I don't know that we can ever really be ready to bring three babies home, but some cleaning and reorganization sure helps give us the illusion of being ready. And it lowers my stress level considerably, too. It has been frustrating to know there are so many things to be done, and to be limited in my capacity to even help do them.

Check out the A+ projects that got done last week. Sorry there aren't any "before" pictures -- if I were organized enough for that, we wouldn't have needed more than 200+ man hours of help over the last week.

• Big thanks (again) to Brian and Jeanne for cleaning the basement steps that were still suffering the effects of the flood, and for painting a tired, old dresser so it could become this cute dresser for the nursery. Using the wallpaper border on the drawers was my idea. Martha Stewart's got nothing on me!

• Kudos to my brother-in-law, Virgil, for all his hard work in replacing our worn out kitchen sink with this spiffy new stainless steel one. He also fixed the leaky bathroom sinks that we've been ignoring (ok, neglecting) for far too long.
  

• And check out some of the organizing my Mom and sister, Judy, did. Believe me, this is NOT how my kitchen cabinets looked before they arrived. We have entire shelves that are empty now! I always thought I was pretty organized, but I bow to the Queens of Organization. Turn those two loose in WalMart for an hour and suddenly everything has a neat plastic basket or tote to go in.

• This project is my Dad's handiwork. It's not quite complete, yet, but these are two new storage closets, and they are huge! And, as a bonus, I'll have a whole new sewing space. I don't know how much I'll get to use it, but having it in the playroom sure ups the odds. (Don't worry, Jeff walked downstairs to take this picture, not me!)
  

All I can say is thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! It's good to have family and friends who are so willing to help. We appreciate everything you've done for us more than we can ever express.

The Great Stroller Debate of 2008

Well, we have finally settled the Great Stroller Debate of 2008, and we did it for less than the cost of the first vehicle we ever owned. Last night we became the proud owners of a Runabout -- a beast of a stroller -- but then what stroller that seats three isn't something of a beast? The Runabout comes highly recommended by parents of multiples, and we were glad to find a used one for sale.

Here's the triplets' first ride:

We've researched and debated what to buy almost as long as we've known we were expecting triplets. Do we buy a stroller that takes car seats? A quad stroller to also hold Amelia? Two doubles? One that folds? New? Used? It's a relief to finally have this decision done with.

The Runabout does not fold, so we've got a hitch attachment to carry it on the back of the van. I told you it was a beast! But it maneuvers well, is narrow enough to fit through doorways and aisles, and has big wheels to go over virtually any terrain. We also got a well-used (and free!) triple stroller from another family that has been triply blessed. It folds down seats and all, so it will be handy for short trips where we only need to get the babies from the car to the destination.

I'll get my exercise pushing three kids in this stroller, won't I?

Cabinets and Kitchens and Construction, Oh My!

The other day, this conversation took place in my house. I was going to change the names to protect the parties involved, but those of you who are family would know who these people are, and those who aren't family -- well, what difference does it make to you?

Dad: Do you have any black electrical tape?

Virgil: Yep.

Dad: Will this insulate well enough for me to cut a hot wire?

Virgil: Why don't you turn the power off?

Dad: I'm only cutting one wire.

Virgil: Well, don't use those pliers. Those are expensive pliers. Might as well ruin cheap ones.

Dad: Maybe I'll just turn the power off.

Note: The breaker box was about 10 feet from the wire to be cut. Finding the electrical tape required walking upstairs and taking the time to have this conversation.

You'll all be happy to know that ultimately, the power was shut off and the wire was safely cut with no harm to father or pliers.

29-week Doctor's Visit

I saw the doctor again today -- the first of my weekly appointments. All continues to look good. I only gained a pound this week, but I am now measuring 41 weeks. That would be one week overdue with a singleton. I definitely feel like I'm full-term pregnant.

My doctor says he's happy to have a chance to be nitpicky with me at 29 weeks with triplets, and today he was. While I passed the glucose tolerance (diabetes) test, it was borderline, so he wants me to cut back on my sugar. I've eaten enough ice cream to last me a lifetime, so no loss there! And, my hemoglobin was 10.5 and he'd like to to be 11, so he gave me an iron supplement.

My blood pressure is staying nice and low and there are no other signs of complications. The doc expects to see 3.5 lb. babies at next week's ultrasound. We're hoping for that and, of course, to still see three babies that are all the same size.

We can almost see the light at the end of this tunnel now, so keep praying that everyone remains healthy and we grow these babies big and strong before we have to deliver.

Construction Delays

Sorry for the lack of posts. We (and by we, I mean my parents, my sister and her husband and Jeff) have been busy getting things in order for the babies -- and doing a few other projects like building storage in the basement and replacing the kitchen sink.

Things are really starting to look good now, thanks to the helping hands. Clothes are folded and in drawers in the nursery, we've almost figured out how to put the second-hand cribs all back together, and the basement is getting restored to some semblance of order. It's a relief to see everything coming together.

Check out our project crew. Thanks guys!

I didn't get pics of my dad building the storage in the basement since I don't get up and down the stairs very well anymore!

Excuse Me?

Yesterday I went back to the paint store for another gallon of paint for the cribs, changing tables and dresser for the babies' room. This is the same paint store where I had the odd conversation with the two sales guys previously. I was hoping they wouldn't remember me.

They did.

And another odd conversation ensued.

Salesman 1: Now, can you breastfeed three babies?

Me: Well, I think I'm better equipped to do it than you.

Salesman 2: Are they natural? (The babies, not my breastfeeding equipment.)

Me: No, they are made of space-age polymer.

Seriously, did two total strangers, and men at that, just ask me these questions? I told Jeff I'm not going back there until I'm no longer pregnant.

The Cavalry Has Arrived

My mom and dad arrived last evening, and we wasted no time today in starting to get things in order around here. Although I watched my mom go through everything in the kitchen and reorganize so we'll have room for 40 baby bottles, formula and other assorted baby items.

Dad and Jeff started to build the cabinets in the playroom so we can create some storage, a place for my sewing machine (wishful thinking, but a girl can dream), and some cupboards for the toys that are undoubtedly going to take over our world!

Closets are getting cleaned, baby clothes and crib sheets are getting washed and put away, and things are generally starting to come together. It's starting to feel like this place might be ready for babies sometime soon!

Another Uneventful Doctor's Visit (Whew!)

Here we are at 28 weeks 4 days and all is well. I am happy to report that I went to the doctor again today and everything looks good with Mom & the kiddos. No ultrasound today. We just listened to the heartbeats.

The babies' heart rates were 137, 140 and 142. The old wives' tale says that heart rates over 140 are girls and below are boys. These little ones are making sure they remain a surprise until their birthday!

I've gained 36 pounds, though it feels like much, much more. I just can't seem to put the pounds on, no matter how hard I try. But my blood pressure is good and we'll see how the gestational diabetes test comes back. Here's the latest belly shot.

I start weekly visits to the doctor now, and my next ultrasound is at the end of the month. Then we'll have ultrasounds every two weeks. I hope to continue to have nothing but good news to share with you.

Thanks for all of the prayers that are helping me and the babies stay healthy and keep growing.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

I stopped by my doctor's office to pick up my Glucola for tomorrow's glucose tolerance test. I parked in a reserved spot (the nurses told me they don't know who those are reserved for, so they may as well be reserved for a triplet mama!) and went in a different door to the hospital than usual. As a result, I wound up getting off the elevator near the NICU.

I couldn't help but think about our tour of the NICU way back in May, just about three months ago, and how getting to 28 weeks seemed almost impossible at that time. I was just 14 weeks pregnant and trying to absorb all of the information my doctors were presenting to me on everything that could go wrong and how our goal was to get to at least 28 weeks.

There were 28 week twins in the NICU the day we toured, and I remember thinking how impossibly tiny they were and praying that we could manage to somehow get the triplets to even that fragile stage. And now, here we are.

If the triplets were born today, they would still have lots of hurdles to overcome, but their chances would be very good. The goal has now been reset to 32 weeks, and that seems like a long ways off, but we are hoping and praying that things continue to go well and we'll get to that goal, too.

We can't thank all of you enough for your support and your prayers. Despite the days when my fear overtakes me and my faith gets shaky, I truly believe that God has given us these three little babies for a multitude of reasons. One of those is surely so we would come to understand just how blessed we are to have so many caring and faith-filled people in our lives.

For the Sake of Posting

Some days I have all kinds of blog posts crowding my thoughts. Other days, not so much. But I've learned that if I don't post for a few days, the calls and emails start coming in wondering if everything's OK. I always appreciate a call or an email, but I hate to worry all those of you who are busy worrying about us, so I thought I'd better post.

Yesterday started out fine, but by noon I was just plumb tuckered. I was supposed to have dinner with a couple friends I haven't seen in forever, but I had to cancel. The triplets are already in charge here, and they were demanding I rest! And, even with 28 weeks under our belts, there's no sense in taking any risks. Big, healthy babies is the goal.

But, thankfully I slept very well last night and Amelia slept the whole night, too. So by today I was feeling fine. It's amazing what a good night's sleep -- even one interrupted by 11 bathroom breaks -- can do!

I am looking forward to tomorrow, which is massage day. Carrying all this weight straight out front is the best quad workout I've ever had! The massage therapist gives my legs a break by working out all the muscle knots I redevelop weekly carrying my precious cargo around.

I have a doctor's appointment Thursday with one of the partners in the practice since my doc is on vacation. I'll do my gestational diabetes test and then it's weekly appointments after that. I hope to be able to continue my streak of not having much to report.

Celebrating 28 Weeks

Tonight Jeff and I went out for supper to celebrate another big milestone--28 weeks. The babies now have a better than 90% chance of survival, and the risk of long-term complications starts to drop off quickly. We are thrilled to get to this point, especially with Mom still on her feet and doing well.

The next goal is 32 weeks, where the babies' chances of survival are as good as full-term singletons and the risk of long-term complications is virtually gone.

So we are breathing a sigh of relief, and at the same time starting to realize that we will probably be bringing three babies home.

Unlike a single pregnancy, where you just expect to bring a healthy baby home, all throughout this pregnancy we've been repeatedly warned about the possibility of losing one or all of the babies. Now suddenly the conversation has changed, and the reality of having three babies is sinking in.

THREE BABIES! Ohmigosh! What are we going to do with three babies?

Get that nursery ready! Wash all those tiny onesies! Start stocking up on diapers! Sterilize those 40 baby bottles! We're going to be bringing three babies home. :-)

Home Alone

Well, it had to come to this eventually. Today, Amelia and Jeff went to the zoo without me. I wanted to go, of course. But, if I'm honest with myself I have to admit that I really can't do that anymore. Especially with the last growth spurt, I'm only good on my feet for a max of 10 minutes at a time.

Ah, well. Soon enough I'll be spending all my time on my feet chasing little people!

Still, it's tough to be left behind when they are off to have some fun.

While they are gone, I'm going to sort through a couple bins of baby clothes so we can get some things washed and put away in the nursery. The room doesn't look much like a nursery, yet, but it's getting there! Jeff is putting the closet organizer in this evening, and the last of the painting will (hopefully) get done tomorrow. Then we'll be ready to get all those little things organized.

Several people have asked me the theme of the trio's nursery. My response? "Finished!"

Say Cheese!

Finally, here are the ultrasound pics of babies A, B, and C from 26 weeks and 3 days. We're nearly 28 weeks now, but these are probably the last clear pics we'll get of everybody since it's getting crowded in there!

Baby A was 1 lb, 14 oz. Baby B was 1 lb. 14 oz., and Baby C was 1 lb. 15 oz.

Say cheese!

Designated Catcher

Amelia has finally gotten well, but not before throwing up twice last night -- both times on her daddy. Jeff says he doesn't particularly want to be the "designated catcher." Of course, I don't mind. I figure it's Amelia's way of taking care of her very pregnant mommy.

The three-day shuffle to care for a sick child and still get in some work time while operating on very little sleep was a reaffirmation that day care is not an option for triplets unless they are exceedingly healthy. I'm just hoping that daddy will continue to serve as designated catcher for all of his children! (Hey, a girl can hope, can't she?!)

Welcome to the Infirmary

It's a sad commentary on life when the woman who is 27 weeks and 2 days pregnant with triplets and growing at an astronomical rate is the person in the house who feels the best.

Amelia has an infected bump on her bottom and started running a fever last night, so in between refusing to take her medicine (Even for M&M's!) and us getting it in her, she's bouncing back and forth between listless and wired.

Jeff is suffering the effects of not enough sleep due to Amelia's illness, which started Saturday, and too much sun and heat during yesterday's round of golf. Thankfully all he needs is some sleep and lots of fluids. And he doesn't refuse to take his medicine.

So we're taking a family sick day.

I'm hoping to get in three hours of work this afternoon during nap time, and I've been able to do a few things this morning while Amelia watched a video and read her books. So the day isn't a total loss.

Still, I guess the healthy people in our house outnumber the sick people 4 to 2!

Holy Growth Spurt!

I'm living in this body and even I can't believe this.

On Friday night, Jeff said, "I think you've grown."

I've been growing more up than out lately, so my "waist" has been hanging out at 41 inches. But Jeff's got a pretty good eye, so I measured.

I was 42 inches around.

Today, I thought, "Man, I look bigger. Is that possible?"

So I measured.

Yep, that's a 44 on that tape measure. I grew two inches in 72 hours. Beat that!

If you're really quiet, I'm pretty sure you can actually hear me grow.

Order from Chaos

Yesterday we had friends come over to help restore some order to the house. Things have been pretty jumbled ever since our floods, and got more chaotic when we had to get everything out of the basement so we (Jeff, not me!) could tear out the carpet and have the new floor installed.

Now the living room has been rearranged to be our new TV room when the babies come. And our family room will become "baby central" with a couple quick changes. We'll swap the couch for a couple of rocking chairs, a crib and a changing table. I couldn't give the couch up yet -- I'm spending too much time sleeping there!

Brian and Jeannie came early and moved the clutter of baby gifts into the nursery and got the moving started. And Eric, Bill and Paul helped do some heavy lifting later, so we have now reclaimed the dining room, restored order to the living room, and started to get the basement set up again. Whew! It's a relief to me to have things starting to come together. Thanks, guys, for all your help!

Of course the nursery is still in chaos, but I know that won't take long to put in order.

While our moving crew did all the work and I supervised, Amelia and Lilly enjoyed running through the sprinkler and "sharing" as well as two-year-olds can. Thanks to Heather for managing the play date so I could be part of the rearranging.

Lilly and Amelia had a great time. Lilly didn't want to leave, and Amelia didn't want her to go either. Here's their goodbye:

Aren't they too cute!

Many, many thanks to everyone for their help. We couldn't do this without you!

Christy

Bone Tired

It's 5:00 a.m. and I am awake and uncomfortable. I desperately want to be asleep, but I've been trying for hours to find a comfortable position and have decided that "laptop on belly" won't be any worse than anything else I've tried.

Until recently I never truly understood the phrase "bone tired." Oh, I got the meaning of it, of course, but I had never lived it. I never knew what it was to be so tired that I was tired in my very bones.

I do now.

It's not just tired.

It's bigger than sleep deprived.

"Exhausted" doesn't begin to describe it.

It is an exhaustion that is so deep it lives in your very bones. It's a tired so intense that I practically pass out when my head hits the pillow. And when I wake two hours later because I'm uncomfortable or have to use the bathroom, I want to cry because I'm awake and just as tired as before I ever laid down to begin with. It's my body demanding sleep, but not being able to get enough rest.

Thankfully, it does ebb and flow, and every time the tired settles in my bones I send up a prayer that it's because the babies are going through a growth spurt.

We are blessed that this pregnancy is going so smoothly, and I have been able to do as much as I have been all the way to 27 weeks. But, I would be lying if I said it was easy. We have now reached the point where it's just a little harder every day.

For the sake of all those out there who are reading this because they are on their own triplet journey, I am sharing the reality. For those who are praying, I share this because we earnestly need your prayers, and we are grateful for your support every day. And for the triplets, whom I will someday share this story with, I want you to know that while it wasn't easy, it was worth the effort.

And the Winners Are...

All you get are bragging rights, but here are our top picks for name suggestions. Thanks to everyone for playing along!

Most Creative

Aunt Mary for AJ, Josh and Luke said...

• Brace yourselves- AJ, Josh and Luke have come up with a few names for you. They are all sure you are having 3 boys so the boy names they suggest are: Tony Lucas (as in Tony Romo), Vince Joshua (as in Vince Young), Duke Jordan (it's obvious right!)

The last name comes from my nephew A.J., the world's biggest Duke basketball fan and a basketball fan in general. His middle name is Jordan -- for Michael Jordan, of course.

Most on Our Wavelength

Aunt Mary said...
Make sure they are 3 names that flow smoothly together when you are calling (yelling) them out! They will probably think they all have the same long name the first few years of their life.

• Girls: Maria Elise (kinda like Mary Alice huh?), Hannah Jean, Sara Olivia. See how all the girls names would end in "a" like Amelia?
• Boys: I already used all my favorite boy names, but you are welcome to use them again if you wish. William David, Samuel Thomas, Patrick Jeffry (just don't call him Pat... I like Patrick but don't care for it shortened.)

suzy r said...

• This is hard!! girls: Madeline, Meira, Sophia. boys: Thomas, Johan, Benjamin.

Anonymous said...

• How about Olivia or Lydia? I like Curtis for a boy. Still thinking...

Irene said...

• Boys: Gregory, Luke, Samuel
• Girls: Madison, Makenzie, Emma

Emily & Ed said... Ed & I had a hard enough time agreeing on Hannah's name and you want me to suggest 6 names!?! OK here goes:

• Girls - Julianne or Julia (Julie for short), Carolyn, Madelyn
• Boys - Kent, Kyle, Andrew

This took some thinking - too much pressure to come up with middle names - family names are good to use there.

Best Attempt at Using Family Names

Nol said:

• Girls--Alice, Carol and Elaine
• Boys--- Gene, Wayne and Ernie
• 2 boys 1 girl: Gene, Ernie and Alice
• 2 girls 1 boy : Alice, Elaine and Wayne

Uncle Dave said...

• For boys I think Virgil David, Kyle Daniel, Dennis Michael, and Jeffrey Paul; for girls Judith Staci, Sheryl Cathleen, Mary Teresa, and Christina Karen.

Names We Haven't Considered

Anonymous said...

For girls, I love the names ... Pixie Kristin, Alyssa Mae, and Willow Dawn. For boys, I adore the names Taten Elijah, Gryphon Alexander, and Graycen Nicholas.

Sorry Anonymous, but Pixie and Gryphon? Never entered our minds, and probably won't make the final list, but you get points for originality!

Best Naming Convention Suggestion

Forget the expected all names start with the same letter, rhyming names or alphabetical names (we have an A, so a B, C, and D). The best suggestion came from Aunt Sheryl:

• Since Amelia started with "A" ... go with the vowels A,E,I,O.

Shhhh...Listen!

Do you hear that?

It's silence.

It is 7:40 a.m. and everyone in my house is still sleeping. The key person in this equation being Amelia, of course.

OK, I admit that she woke up at 6:30 a.m., but went right back to sleep when Jeff brought her to our bed. It's a tight fit for the six of us, but not a problem if she settles down fast. Heaven knows I need another person kicking me like a hole in the head!

Being in our bed is a special treat for Amelia, but we are not above trying that trick if it gets us an extra hour of sleep on a Saturday morning. Remember, sleeping through the night is still the exception instead of the rule for this child!

My mom has the church ladies praying that Amelia will learn to sleep through the night before the babies arrive. And it seems to be working. Amelia's doing much better lately. She's slept 11 hours straight for 7 out of 10 nights recently. That's way up from her usual pattern. So keep praying ladies!

The other day -- our third full night's sleep in a row -- I told Jeff that if I had to pick between not biting and sleeping all night, Amelia could bite as many people as she wanted! Not a sound judgment call, but I was giddy with sleep.

So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to revel in a little morning silence for a few minutes longer...

Waxing Poetic

Those who know me know that I am a word nerd of the highest order. A couple years ago I got a magnetic poetry kit, which resided on our fridge until Amelia came along and I had to worry about her eating the pieces. So now, I have my magnetic poetry at my office. You can play online if you click the link.

For those of you not familiar with magnetic poetry, you buy a kit which has hundreds of little magnets with words printed on them. The challenge of "writing" with it is that you don't always have the word you would prefer to use, so you have to think of other ways to express your thought.

Every once in a while I play around with it. Most often I fiddle with it when I'm stuck for what to say in my official capacity. It gets the creative juices flowing. Then what I've written becomes part of my daily backdrop and my eyes skim right over it, never taking it in.

Today I stopped and read a couple things I put on my wall, probably months ago. They are both about my children.

The first was for Amelia, my "moon child" born on a Monday night:

Moon child shines eternally,
A little goddess springing from hope.

The second I remember writing early on in this pregnancy, when I had so many fears about carrying these babies and doing everything I could to help them grow so we could meet them some day:

Every day the garden greens,
Sweet blooms that grow.
Who will you be?

Today, my magnetic poetry attempt was about Amelia and the triplets and came out like this:

Children of the universe,
little ones of mystery.
Every day the story unfolds,
and joy is multiplied.
The four will fill our hearts
and bring promise to the
world.

Many days Amelia is as much as mystery as the little ones we have yet to meet. She is growing so fast and is always full of surprises! I'm sure her brothers and/or sisters will be just as surprising and delightful.

You can have your own fun playing online. Feel free to share your creations with all of us!