Registering Extravaganza

Well, most of you probably have already heard from facebook that our last ultrasound showed us that we are for sure having 2 BOYS and a GIRL! We would have enjoyed any mix really- but this was really our top choice (First I wanted 2 girls, but then I thought about having to pay for 2 weddings and changed my mind!) It's been fun to be able to think about color and decor for the babies' room- definitely the neutral colors come in very handy for me!

So after several hours back and forth at Babies R Us and Target, we have pretty much completed our registry. I think most who have gone through this before would agree that working on a baby registry is much more overwhelming than your wedding. But thanks to my wonderful sister-n-law, Andrea, I had a coach and consultant through it all. We tried to stay conservative knowing that the babies will be sharing a lot of things, but things like- car seats, crib sheets, mattress pads, high chairs, and bottles- x3 really adds up.It makes me really glad that we got so many things at garage sales (bouncy seats, exer saucers, pack n play, cribs, changing table) It's pretty crazy how pricey these little peanuts can be!! Oh yea- and I didn't even mention that we'll be going through at least 30 diapers/day for the first several months!!

When I feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff 3 babies need and how to provide for them- I start to think of all the positives- that I've already experienced- even before they're born:

- care and ongoing generosity from others (this is true community and we're so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful people)
-specialized medical attention
- ultrasound every 2 weeks or more- it's amazing seeing our babies so often!
- benefits and support from multiple groups
- for these 7- 7 1/2 months I get to play the "Excuse me, are you carrying 3 babies in your belly?" card for just about anything- but especially with chores around the house.
-it will be the only time in my life that I don't have to worry about how many calories I'm consuming. The multiples books I'm reading says I should be consuming about 3,500 calories/day! If I were actually doing this- I'd be eating all day long- with no time for anything else. About 12 servings of grain and 5 servings of dairy are recommended- I won't complain since I'm a big fan of anything in the bread category and of course ice cream.

The last thing I wanted to say is that our little girl can really hold her own- in the last ultrasound it looked like she had one of her brothers in a headlock position!

2 Boys and a Girl??

Well, the sonographer said she thought it was 80% chance that Baby A is a GIRL! I have my next ultrasound this Friday so I'm hoping will know for sure. I'm super excited about the idea of having a mix. Back at my 17 week appt. we were surprised to be able to find out about our 2 boys (Names to come...) so early. Dan was very pleased, I was excited but a bit nervous about the possibility of having 3 boys. (We're already being outnumbered by our kids, so I don't need to feel more outnumbered with the # of males v. females in the house!)

We really enjoyed our time away to California- it was just so nice to get away. And I think the babies enjoyed it too because they sure grew a lot. All I know is that I seem to be "waddling" more than walking by the end of the week. Here are a few pics (more are on facebook)- this would be at 17-18 weeks.
Not only are they growing, but those little peanuts are moving and shakin'. I remember feeling movements for the first time last Weds. Of course by the time I put my hand to my belly they'd be napping already :)
And since I've had requests for an up-to-date belly shot- here's the most recent at 19 1/2 weeks

So, my pregnancy journal for tomorrow says the "baby (or babies) look more like mini- newborns. Their faces look peaceful with closed eyes, nostrils, and nicely formed mouths And every once in awhile, their thumbs or finger will slip into the mouth and the baby will practice sucking!" (it starts early) I enjoy reading these little details because it reminds of the joy of new life and how God has already begun crafting our little babies (Ps. 139).

On the flip side, trying to plan for having 3 babies all at once brings a lot of concerns for the future, especially in regards to our finances. We know ultimately that God will provide for our every need, but for one who wants to have it all figured out- it's hard to completely trust. I've been thinking and praying through my favorite verse from 3rd grade-
Prov. 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
I need to pray that I would give my anxieties and burdens to God- while still doing my part in the planning and preparations. That's it for now- maybe I'll become a more faithful blogger... eventually.

The past week has been an eventful and exciting one! First, I'm now 4 months (17 weeks to be exact), which means that I could be 1/2 way through my pregnancy if the triplets end up coming at 32 weeks. It's wild how quickly the time has flown by! It's also a bit nerve- racking knowing how much we still have to do. Regardless, I decided to finally take my first prego-belly shot. I can definitely feel the growth in those little ones even in the past week! Before we know it, they'll be making themselves even more known by their little kicks! :)

Dan and I also celebrated our 5 year anniversary on Sat!! We certainly would have never thought we'd have 3 babies on the way within just 5 years. God sure does have a sense of humor :) Even though it was a big milestone in our marriage, we didn't really get to celebrate :( Dan just got home from his 8th gr. missions trip on Sat. night. He was pretty wiped so we decided to just go home- we still carried out our tradition by watching our wedding video (Kyle Going's version!) and browsing through photos. I also made a little booklet for Dan with highlights from each year of our marriage (posted pic below). This was really fun and special for me to make b/c it allowed me to reflect on our adventures- and also see God's sovereignty throughout
different stages. And he surprised me with a necklace with 3 hearts (hmmm..wonder why?)











Sunday we celebrated Dan's first Father's Day. We spent most of the afternoon with my in-laws. It was special to celebrate the future role Dan will have. Then to continue on with the idea of an "instant family" we bought a van!! (the thought of it makes me feel 5 years older!!) But really, we're so thankful for the sweet deal (no car payment!) we got and for Dan's mom for scoping it out for us. I'll post a picture soon, but it's a White 2001 Toyota Sienna with just 62,000 miles.

So, that's a recap of our eventful week. Tomorrow I have appointments with both my doctor and specialist so I'll have more ultrasound pics to post! 3 more weeks (or less) and hopefully we'll get to find out the sexes of our babies. And in case you're wondering- we're hoping for a mix! :)

Happy Father's Day!! (i think this may be more of a nervous excitement but oh well- he'll be an awesome dad)

a few words from Shauna Niequist...

I've been randomly reading short stories from Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist (thanks to my friend Melissa for letting me borrow it!). I would highly recommend this book- the stories are simple but bring a smile to my face as it reminds me to celebrate both the big and little things. I'll probably share random thoughts from this book periodically in my blog- especially since I'm not much of a writer myself...

"It makes sense to me in a new way that God chose to wrap His divinity in baby bones and baby skin. I always thought maybe it was to demonstrate vulnerability, or to identify fully with each phase of humanity, but now I think it was something else. I think it was because babies make us believe in the possibility and power of the future."

"Nothing good comes easily. You have to lose things you though you loved, give up things you thought you needed. You have to get over yourself, beyond our past, out from under the weight of your future. The good stuff never comes when things are easy. It comes when things are all heavily weighted down like moving trucks. It comes just when you think it never will...a blessing that rose up out of a bone-dry, dusty curse."

Now I'm not saying I think having triplets is a curse by any means, even though I may have expressed to God that I felt it was. I'm thankful that everyday, I feel a bit more at peace about our very unique situation. But most of the time, to be honest, I feel the huge burden and uncertainty of caring for 3 babies at once! I've already played all sorts of mind games- wishing I could change what's to come by just having 1 baby like most mothers in the world. But I've learned I have to stop having a pity- party, get over myself (like Shauna says) and trust God with the future. I'm blessed to have enough support around me, some from other moms, who remind me of the JOY that motherhood brings. Does this mean I have triple JOY, or will I be too consumed with coordinating feedings, diaper changes, and naps to even celebrate the moments??? I'm praying now for all these questions, fears, concerns- but I'm confident in this truth- God will not give me more than we can handle and He doesn't expect us to do it on our own! I know I'm entering a season of complete dependency of my Savior- I'm thinking this is a good place to be.

collection of baby items begins...

It may seem too early, but we've gotten some great purchases from garage sales already. Well, mostly my mother-in-law has :) Neighborhood garage sales are great- especially in Wheaton! We already have 1 crib, 2 exer-saucers, 1 pack-n play, at least 2 bouncy seats already, changing table, a triple-stroller (that's right- my in-laws found it for $100- it will be used when they are out of the infant car seats), 2 baby wraps, and other random stuff. You can see a few pictures below. We also were graciously donated about 6 boxes of baby clothes from someone we don't even know! What a great reminder of how God provides even in the small details- and especially when its most overwhelming for us.

Three? Really?

April 19th~ 7 1/2 weeks- I had my first ultrasound today. I had no idea of the shocking news that was to come. I didn't ask Dan to come because we didn't think much of it as it was early on. I knew of the reality of a miscarriage so that's what I was thinking most about, especially as the ultrasound tech was pretty quiet as the pictures first came up. Then very simply, the technician said "It's still hard to know for sure, but it looks like there are 3 heartbeats." I sat up and responded with a very nervous, "What? Are you sure?" Then followed were many tears as my mind was racing- thinking this had to be a dream- this couldn't be happening to me! (I will openly admit that I was not at all excited about the idea of triplets at this point...instead I was scared, nervous, uncertain, of how we would ever be able to care for 3 babies all at once! I waited with my many thoughts as the tech continued to get images, measurements, etc... Finding out that I was pregnant was shocking enough, but TRIPLETS was whole other surreal experience.

As soon as I got in the car, I called Dan- told him to sit, assured him that I didn't have a miscarriage- then proceeded to tell him the craziest news that we had ever experienced. Of course, I was definitely wishing he was there with me. Dan's first question as the same as mine-
"Are you sure?" He was pretty quiet at first as he was taking in the news, but remained pretty calm after that- trying to be supportive for me. I knew it hadn't really hit him like it had for me, but nonetheless, I'm always thankful for the way he can encourage and calm my anxious spirit.

I had already made lunch plans with my friend Kristin- I hadn't had the chance to share the news of my pregnancy with her, so I had lots of news to unload on her. I was still pretty emotional from the news, so it was nice to be in company with such a good friend- and her newborn girl- Sophia.

Another blessing was that my mom was coming to visit on her way back down to Indiana. She got there soon after I got home, so Dan and I were able to share the news with her. She gave me a big hug, then stood still for a bit as she was taking it all in. 3 more instant grandchildren! I was already crying again- like I said I was an emotional basket- case. My mom went ahead and called the rest of the family to share the news x3- on our behalf. This was just the beginning of the variety of responses- "Triplets- really?" "Wow", etc... (Maybe I'll have a blog post with just that).

This was hands- down the most surreal day of my life- up to this point, but looking back I can see how God was displaying His love, care, and providing just what I needed for that day. Examples: already scheduled day off, my mom's visit- on a day when I needed it the most, and the prayer, encouragement, and support I received family and friends. Even at that point, I would have know idea of just the many, numerous ways God would provide for us!

It's a Positive!

Friday, April 2nd- Today was an unforgettable day! For starters it was Good Friday- the day that our Savior died on a cross for you and me- what amazing love! This sacrifice has personally changed my life. But this year on Good Friday, my life instantly changed when I found out I was pregnant!! After a year of trying, Dan and I were not sure of the possibility of having children at all. This broke our hearts. So, it was huge surprise to see a positive on the pregnancy test- We were so thankful for this huge blessing! We were so excited, we could barely wait 1 day to start telling our families. Within just a few days, I bought our first onesie outfit and What to Expect When You're Expecting.