28 week photos

Looking a little rougher than usual this morning-- this cold is not being nice to me.  But without further ado:

Don't have to squint to see the growth this time.  I can't believe how tiny my 10 week shots look to me now-- and I was "showing" then.  I guess 49 pounds skews your perspective a little.

I'll even give you this bonus scary front shot, complete with Lovenox bruising and new stretch marks (which I can't see in person, but the camera doesn't lie).  Craziness.

28 weeks

Just a placeholder for now!  I'll come back and write an entry soon.

Pancakes

Brewer Diet Protein Pancakes

2 eggs

3/4 c cottage cheese (I use low fat)

3/4 c old fashioned oats

2 T ground flaxseed

1/2 c milk (I use skim)

1/4 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Cook on griddle. Makes 8-9 4-5" pancakes. 

Oat/cottage cheese pancakes are my family's preferred kind under any circumstance, but these are super great for Brewer Diet. Check out how many boxes these pancakes cover: .5 milk, 3 protein, 2 eggs, 2 whole grains.  And actually, I ate them with sliced fresh strawberries, which gave me a Vitamin C serving, and a cup and a half of milk, which gave me a total of 2 milks. Could have added butter or whipped cream to get some fat. Yes, it's an enormous portion, but you can spread across two sittings if you prefer. I ate it all as a late breakfast. 

This recipe is so forgiving. I only measured ingredients this time for the sake of knowing how many boxes I could check off and to record it.  We usually make a huge batch in the food processor, using a full quart carton of egg whites, a whole (large) tub of cottage cheese, and about 3 cups of oats (adjusting as needed to get the right consistency), then we keep some in the fridge or freezer as an easy protein-rich breakfast. Like any pancakes, you can throw a ripe banana into the mix before blending or add fruit or chocolate chips when you cook them.

They are slightly more dense and moist than standard pancakes, but like I said, we love them. And they pack a huge nutritional punch.  High protein, good source of whole grains, low fat. Try 'em. 

27 weeks

27 weeks = Third trimester!  Go us!

That's the best I could do for a self portrait.  My arms aren't long enough.

Weight gain: 47.5 lbs.
Stretch mark count: I think I can feel one.
Belly button status: Half in/half out. Weird.

Babycenter update, for what it's worth:

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (about the size of a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-27-weeks_1116.bc

I'm looking forward to the Houston move for the simple reason of not having to get dressed for work everyday.  One day this week, I had four wardrobe changes, just to find something that fit correctly-- first option was too tight, second was too hot, third was too short, fourth didn't really match, but, eh, it covered all of the important bits and didn't have long sleeves.

I do have a lot to do between now and then, just to get the girls settled into school.  They start on Monday and I disappear the next Sunday, so that's a lot of transition in just a little time.  We can do it, though.  Rick and my mom are both awesome, plus we have several good friends offering help along the way.  Go Team Denson!

Speaking of, I'm off to Meet the Teacher for Mariela, so I think that's it for the update this time.  Shortest version: more of the same.  Babies and I are still doing great and in this for the long haul.

Pics

I didn't have the ultrasound pics with me yesterday, but you weren't missing much. From our not-so-hot sonographer:

Hmm. Anyway. 

I took this in the bathroom at Costco this morning. I just got this XL maternity shirt yesterday (most of my tops are mediums), expecting it to last to the end of the pregnancy. Maybe not. 

Those shorts went into the not-anymore pile as soon as I got home. I'm rapidly losing wardrobe options.  Babies have been super active this morning. Maybe they're planning on adding on an addition or something. They're definitely claiming their space!

26 weeks

I almost typed "28 weeks"-- I guess I'm trying to fast-forward.  No reason to, though.  All is well and just about the same as it's always been.  That's a good thing!

I had an appointment with Dr. Haeri this morning.  Unfortunately, the sonographer this time was not the best.  She was new to the office and just thoroughly confused by the triplets.  She had B labeled as A and A labeled as C, even with me (nicely!) correcting her.  After she had done all of the measurements on "A" (B), she decided to go "check with a colleague" to be sure the labeling was right.  And it was wrong. Oof.  Dr. Haeri came in and stood over her for a while (and he and I had a nice chat while he was in there), but the whole thing was kind-of a mess.  After she was done, Dr. Haeri ended up re-measuring some things that were clearly off.  Just a long and somewhat frustrating experience.

But all's well that ends well.  Since Dr. Haeri did the scan at the end of the appointment, I got to see some things I'd never seen before, like specific structures in the brain that he pointed out.  And the neatest thing was when he put the ultrasound thing very low on my pelvis, where Baby A's head is, Baby A was staring right at us and Dr. Haeri pointed out his tongue moving.  It was so cool!  Then he moved so we got a profile image so I could watch Baby A swallow-- I saw his whole jaw move and then his tongue.  Really the coolest thing.

Anyway, the babies all look good.  A is HEAD DOWN (atta boy!) and B and C are both breech.  Well, actually C was transverse (laying across the top) when we started, but then moved to breech.  That one is always moving on those scans!  I don't usually feel him all that much, except when we go see musicals (saw one this past Saturday)-- then he goes crazy and moves all around.  He likes musicals, because he has good taste.  Like me.

Size-wise, here's what we're looking at:
Baby A - 67th percent - 967 grams - 2 lbs. 2 oz.
Baby B - 31st - 853 grams - 1 lb. 14 oz.
Baby C - 50th - 914 grams - 2 lbs.

Worth mentioning: Baby A was totally crowding out Baby B-- he had her smushed up against the left side of my uterus and his abdomen was pressing on hers so much that there was some guesswork in getting the actual measurements.  But assuming these are dead-on accurate, the sizes are great-- B is 88% of A's size, which is about how she tracked last time.  they're all 2 pounds +/- 2 ounces.  Six pounds of baby in there!

Side note: back off a little, A.  B needs some room to grow.  Her competitive storage container would like to see her at 50%+ like her brothers.

My cervix is still "padlocked" and measuring over 4 cm.  No funneling.  No dilation.  Based on it's stubbornness (in a good way!), Dr. Haeri said he thought I had 3-4 weeks to go at a minimum, so he was completely confident our move to Houston in 2 weeks would allow plenty of time.  That's a good thing.

He said if the babies were born right now, it would need to be a C-section because of their size.  But if they continue to grow as they are now, by 30 weeks, he thought I'd be an ideal candidate for vaginal delivery.  He said there are still lots of factors to consider and Bob (Dr. Carpenter) will know exactly what to look for, but so far, so good.  So that's good news too!  See?  Frustrating appointment to start with, by Dr. Haeri makes it all better. 

Weight gain as of today: 45.7 lbs.  Aaaoooooga!  And people have crossed the line from "interested" to "concerned."  When we went to that show on Saturday, some guy tried to make me take his seat (I was standing) in the hall/waiting area, and then two separate women asked me during intermission if I was ok and if I was going to make it through the show.  Doing fine, people!  2.5 months to go!  Don't try to slow me down now!

I'm also getting all kinds of questions about when I'm going to go on bed rest.  Um, hopefully never?  I mean obviously I will if it's needed, but unless there's a medical indication for it (like preterm labor), there's no reason to think I'll have bed rest. 

I was talking to M today about how I still get nervous before appointments, because I know this is still a high-risk pregnancy.  But we both agree that it's amazing how smoothly it's gone.  So far (knock on wood), we've dodged every bullet.  Just your average singleton pregnancy, in triplicate.  And I've said it before, but I am so, so grateful for every day that keeps going like this.  Don't ever think I take it for granted, because I fully appreciate the blessing we've been given.

Babycenter says:

How your baby's growing:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about 1 2/3 pounds and measures 14 inches (about the size of a scallion) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-26-weeks_1115.bc

But our babies are rockin' this prenatal stage more than the generic babycenter baby.  They're probably in there doing calculus and discussing strategies for world peace.

I think that's it for now ("that's it"-- as if I haven't written a short novel here).  Last appointment with Dr. Haeri is in 2 weeks.  He said it would just be a quick cervical check and peek at the babies.  And then that weekend, I'll be off to my new (temporary) home in Houston.  Until then, I'll just be hanging out, trying to stay cool in this fantastic 106 degree Texas summer.  Good times!

Parlor trick

What I see when I look down:

 

 

What the world sees:

 

That's Mariela's new hiding spot.  I literally cannot see her if she sits at my feet. 

Don't know why she looks so grumpy in this pic-- she wants to do a retake later on, so I may switch out the pictures.  :)