16 bit love: March 2010

And a boy! And a girl!

This week, I had yet another appointment with the perinatologist. They did an ultrasound to check for Downs and while she was doing it, the sonographer asked if I wanted to know the gender of the babies. Still too early to be 100% sure, she said, but I didn't mind. (Time to start rounding up hand-me downs!)

As I lay there watching the grainy images of my babies morph and slide in an out of view, and listened to her as she told me each one was healthy, it suddenly hit me: these are my babies. I was overcome with gratitude. They're healthy. They're growing. They have two hands and two feet. What have I been so upset about? This is a miracle! Three babies!

I did start to get a little nervous, however, when one and then another baby were declared to be boys. But the third, the one resting right on top, is a girl. Bless her tiny heart.

So now the clothing gathering begins and also the name game. We've already had a vote for Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey from my nephew. I'm leaning more towards . . .

What do you think?

Well here I am at 12 weeks and here's what's going.

I went to the perinatologist for a special ultrasound to find out the "synchronicity" of the triplets. They are fraternal, each in their own placenta. Everything looked good, except that I have some wicked cysts on my ovaries. But the sonographer said that's to be expected and said they'd just monitor them.

Monday, I'd made up my mind to stop letting my pregnancy sickness rule my life. So I made a menu, wrote up a shopping list, and wonder of wonder, did all the grocery shopping! I felt darn good about myself that day, let me tell you. But the next day, Tuesday, I started getting sharp, shooting pains in my abdomen on my right side. When I called the doctor, they said he was out of town and one of the other OBs would have to call me back. I started to panic because I couldn't move around without incredible pain, which meant I couldn't take care of Elizabeth or get myself food, (which is a serious thing these days. No food = vomiting nightmare pain.) I called a few friends but no one answered, and I was about to ask Adam to come home from work, when I heard our neighbor, Tito's, voice outside. I quickly called his cell and asked through tears if he could come over for a few minutes. He and his girlfriend, Valerie, came over and she saved the day. I was so embarrassed to ask her, but she very kindly fixed me something to eat, played with Elizabeth, fed her lunch, and stayed with me until Elizabeth went down for her nap. I don't know what I would have done without her.

I finally had to call the doctor again and this time they told me to just come in. Adam left work early and the three of us headed over. I must have looked a sight as I hobbled into the waiting room, doubled over, in scrubs, a rat's nest of hair and not a bit of makeup. They did an ultrasound first thing and assured us that the babies were fine. Then, after asking a lot of questions, the doctor decided to send me to the hospital to make sure it wasn't appendicitis. Oh, goody! We called around and got a friend to watch Elizabeth, and another to meet us at the hospital to give me a blessing. Thank heavens for the angels of the Bensonhurst Ward! What would we do without them?!

Of course the hospital visit was long and boring and mostly unproductive. Luckily, it wasn't my appendix, but my poor cyst-strapped ovaries causing the pain. The doctor on call, who sounded a lot like Elder Uchtdorf, kept saying, "It's not appendicitis!!" but kept on running tests to make sure. In the end, we all got home not long after 10 PM and luckily didn't have to call in the reserves (ie. my visiting teacher, Satomi) to watch Elizabeth overnight. So all's well that ends well, I suppose. I haven't had pain like that since, except if I get up too fast or twist the wrong way. And then it immediately goes away. So I can't complain. What would we have done if I'd had to have an appendectomy?!?

So that's the latest and the greatest. The pregnancy sickness seemed to fade for a few days but is back with a vengeance. Elizabeth had a fever this week. And so the fun goes on. But I am still trying to do more and start tackling the problems that need solving. I scour Craig's List every day for apartments. I'm dying to know the genders of the babies so I can start collecting second-hand clothing. And I am generally avoiding thinking about parting with Pedro. The happiest note, was finding out this week that my parents are flying me and Elizabeth out to visit next month. I'll get to see my parents' new house, meet my new nephew, catch up with old friends, and eat all the In n Out I can handle. So all I have to say is, I BETTER be feeling well by then!

In non-triplet news, we've been having some amazingly good weather. Yesterday, we went to Prospect Park to just hang out.