Day 10 - Date Night at the Hospital

Grandma and Grandpa Stangel came over to watch Austin so we could have a date night.  Our evening consisted of a great meal from Jay's Seafood - salad, crab cakes, shrimp, asparagus and chocolate cake for Courtney.  Courtney had wanted to eat at Jay's for quite a while.....all it took was carrying three babies for 31 weeks to make it happen. 

After dinner we were able to go outside in a wheelchair.  Although it felt a little weird at first to have Courtney push me, it had been a very stressful week at work, and admittedly, felt good to be catered to. 

We ended the night with a foot massage while listening/laughing to a just released CD from a comedian that we attended at end of September 2010.....a simpler time.....a much.....much....simpler time. 

Court's looking forward to several good friends that are slated to visit on Sunday, while Austin and Dad will be going to a First Communion for cousin Ella.

Day 10 - Morning Visit

Austin, Jay (Courtney's brother) and I made a trip to the hospital Saturday morning.  Althought Courtney changed rooms (Room 2116) and now has a new view, the intensity with which Austin stands guard has not subsided.  At one point, he even phoned in some suspicious activity to a contact of his in the security department (as captured below). Courtney and the babies continue to do well as the waiting game marches on. 

                         ^^^Roses from Kelly Sowers

Day 9 - 11 lbs of baby

Court had an ultrasound yesterday and they predicted that the babies are 3lb 10oz, 3lb 11oz, and 3lb 13 oz.
We are just under 50% of the way to the record which was 8lbs each for a set of triplets.   The ultrasound went well and the babies look good.

Austin and I went to the hospital Thursday night to spend some time with mom.   Here are a few action pics: 

***Birthdate Prediction Contest ***

I have enabled comments.  They are located at the bottom of each entry, and shouldn't require any registration.  Please comment to this entry with your guess as to the date the triplets will be born.  I have to discuss with Courtney, but I feel comfortable in saying that we will allow the winner to name the baby girl (first and middle).  So, more than a little bit on the line here.....

I receive reports of where the traffic to this blog is coming from, some in the form of country information.  It appears we have one frequent viewer from India.  If said follower from India would wager a guess as to birthdate, it would be just about the coolest thing ever.  God Bless the Internet.

One Week

It's been one week since Courtney began her stay at MVH.  We have been told that one extra day of baking can save 2+ days of hospital stay on the back end, so we are all very happy that she is still hanging in there.  It was an uneventful day for her and the babies.   Tomorrow is an NST day, so maybe we will have something to report on the baby front. 

Austin spent a few hours tonight with our neighbors, the Schemmels, who were kind enough to feed, bathe and entertain him while dad took care of some things around the house.  Several of the neighbors have had to take care of Austin in the wee hours of the morning when we have made emergency hospital trips and we are most appreciative of all the help.

Prayers for mom/grandma who is having a hearth cath procedure tomorrow.  

Day 6: Closing in on 31 weeks

Austin and I and BW3's made a visit to the hospital tonight. 
Austin starts talking about his mom from the moment he wakes up, and ends his day doing the same until he falls asleep.....I give you that context because as we entered the hospital room tonight he gave mom about a 1 second hello before climbing the chair in the picture below and manning his lookout post.  The Valley ought to put the kid on the security staff payroll.  He is pretty darn serious about securing the west side of the hospital grounds.  After satisfying himself that there were no security breaches, he did settle in to visit with mom and take some pictures.

Everyone is doing well.  Court got some good sleep Monday night and seemed refreshed.  The doctor told us last weekend that she is now measuring as being 44 weeks pregnant.  Babies are close to three pounds each.    I don't think she looks a day over 43 weeks pregnant.........  Judge for yourself. 

FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)- part one, the basics

What is the due date?   July 1 is the 40 week date.  They have never provided a "triplets due date".  On average, triplets are born at 34 weeks, which would be mid-May.  Her doctor said they would not let her go past 36 weeks (beginning of june), but would give her the option to have them at 35 weeks (end of May).  We have always planned on a may arrival.

What are the odds?   This is the first thing (after cost of college in 2029)  i researched after returning to work from the first ultrasound when we found out in mid-December.   The odds of natural triplets are about 1 in 8000 depending on the study. 

Do multiples run in the family?  There have been multiple instances of twins in Courtney's family.  I was not entirely aware of this.  Would have been good information to share.......

Are they identical?  No.  They are all in separate sacs with separate placentas.  I guess the two boys could still be identical, but it would be rare.

Will there be a C section?   Yes.  They could be born naturally, but that would be rare and they would all have to be lined up very specifically, like tiny little Germans. 

How long will the babies be in the hospital?  Undetermined. Depends on when they are born and if there are any issues.   If born this week, we would expect weeks in the hospital....if at 36 weeks, maybe a lot shorter.

Will this be it in terms of children?  Will you have more?   Serious questions only please.  Any future debates of this will end quickly with my trump card....."You know, you could have triplets again"

Day 5: Longing for some Ambien

Court had a sleepless night Sunday so was very tired today.  One of her best friends Carolyn was able to visit along with her newborn, and treated Courtney to lunch.  Another Monday visit was postponed because only about an hour of sleep was had Sunday night.  Courtney has a very bad cold, and with the combination of no sleep, she did not feel well today.  The doctors are going to give her some Ambien which will help her sleep tonight and is safe for the babies.

The babies are doing well and were monitored for some additional time today as part of the ongoing schedule.     Nothing really new to report.......

Austin will be making another trip to the hospital Tuesday night to see his mom.  Like every night, he was able to end Monday with a phone call to mom.  I have a picture of Court on my phone that he likes to kiss as they chat....unfortunately he is an open mouth kisser and my phone is starting to drop calls because of all the action he is giving it.

Day 4 - Easter at MVH

Courtney had an uneventful night and slept well.   We enjoyed Easter breakfast together courtesy of Robert Evans.   She was doing well enough to get up and get her first shower this morning which made her feel better.   If you think there is a lot of water standing after the recent rains, you should have seen that bathroom after the shower.....wow !

Several of her sister-in-laws as well as her brother and dad are scheduled to visit throughout the day to keep her company.

Austin wanted to call his mommy before his nap and he entertained her with tales of butter bread (part of his lunch) and Easter egg hunts.

Long week of work and waiting ahead.....probably just a once an evening update during this week....unless the action picks up :)

Day 3: A Visit with Mommy

I took Austin to the hospital this morning to see Courtney for a couple hours.  He was very happy to see her, if not a little shy because of the new surroundings.  He delivered his Easter card, a chocolate bunny, and some peanut butter eggs to his mommy.   He spent much of his visit standing on a chair looking out the window and acknowledging the "big trucks" driving past.  He also managed to coat 60% of the floor with a layer of Honey Nut Cheerios. 

Courtney is doing well in her new room. The doctors were in this morning and told her the next time contractions start they won't work to stop them.  She is now 30 weeks + and the babies have had two rounds of steriods, so while still early, they are in a position to do well.  We hope they can make it another couple weeks, but we are ready whenever they are. 

Austin and I are heading to Aunt Carrie's for Easter and then he will be staying overnight with Aunt Leslie so I can go see Courtney later tonight and/or early tomorrow morning.

On the move

The docs were in.....Courtney will be transferred momentarily to a non-ICU room.  She will have a lot more freedom there.....no IV, and less interruptions by nurses.   They did seem to think it was likely she would be here for the duration.  It will be hard for her to be away from home and Austin, but it is the best thing for her, especially since the time between hospital stays has been decreasing.   We will make sure she gets plenty of visits from Austin, starting with tomorrow when I bring him to the hospital to celebrate Easter with mom.  We had to laugh when we thought this morning that the best thing for the triplets would be if Easter, Mother's Day and Memorial Day were all celebrated with her in the hospital.  I guess we will see.....

A couple people in the family that are under the weather that we hope feel better so they can enjoy Easter are Austin's Nana Sowers, and his little cousin Drew.  Hopefully they both feel better real soon. 

Good Friday morning update

Last night went fine.  Courtney received another shot of steroids this morning which was important in case she has the babies soon.   The magnesium was turned off this morning so today will involve waiting to see if the contractions restart now that the magnesium is not there to help stop them.   She did not get much sleep with the constant interruptions.   Hopefully if things go well today she can moved out of ICU to a room where there wont be as many interrruptions during the night.   Happy Good Friday !

One tough lady

Downgraded to tropical storm

Things have settled down quite a bit here.  The doctor was in at 3:00 and felt things looked well enough to allow courtney to eat/drink and reduce the monitoring of the babies from continuous to periodic.....and eat she did....after her 19 hour fasting.   Grilled chicken wrap, mashed potatoes, green beans....and she even convinced the food service lady to go rogue and sneak her a second ice cream.  (she actually only ate about 35% of the above, but I don't think the ice cream survived).

So, it doesn't appear for now the babies will be joining us tonight, but no promises, and no good idea when that might be.  To quote her doctor..."might be a couple more weeks, might be tomorrow."

Thanks to Austin's great aunt Maryann for coming over at 330am to watch Austin while we rushed out the door and for grandma/grandpa stangel and the doseck family for giving him shelter for the night and picking him up from daycare. 

We will spend the night nailing down middle names and spelling of first names.....

Best. Big. Brother. Ever.

Strike Three...Yer NOT Out (of the hospital?)

Today began early with another hospital run at 3:30am.  Courtney had the same issue as the last two times with her low lying placenta.   Our previous stays at Miami Valley Hospital were -

March 25 - March 26 one night
April 10 - April 13 three nights

Rumor is that the third such stay for a mother of multiples is usually a permanent one, the Three Strike Rule, so we shall see.  One ultrasound this morning and a lot of monitoring.  Babies appear ok, but mom is very tired and uncomfortable.  Baby C had a brief decelerating heart rate this morning when we first arrived, which was scary, but apparently not abnormal for multiples.  Hasn't seemed to be a problem since. 

Courtney had another round of steroids this morning to help the babies, and she is on Magnesium Sulfate to help slow the contractions down.   The worst part is she has been prevented from eating/drinking because of uncertainty about whether she could go into labor today.  Hopefully things stabilize so she can eat soon.  

It feels like the babies might be here for Easter.........