Questions and Comments

First of all, my sis-in-law demanded (yes demanded) that I go and create a baby registry, so that's what I'm doing. My problem is that I literally look at everything and say "I don't need that." We're trying to assemble used gear as much as possible so I don't see the point in asking anyone to go pay money for these things. Things I do see needing are the basics: bottles (I read I'll need about 6 per baby to start), diapers (who knows how many), onezies, clothes, socks, crib sheets etc. Basically, it makes for a boring registry. That said, Im counting on experienced moms to tell me what I need. My first question is what the heck kind of bottles do I get? There are hundreds, and they can't all be the same. Im going to try and breastfeed as much as humanly possible, but lets face it, there's no way I'll be able to keep up with three hungry little mouths. So , Moms, which are best? Playtex drop-ins are up there in popularity, and so are Avents. They both seem to have their pros and cons. The idea of liners vs constantly washing bottles definately gets my attention. I need to go with what's most convenient for me, and what will work best with babies going back and forth from bottle to breast. So? Which is it then?

Secondly, I got all the material for the crib bedding today! Even the shipment from Australia arrived:) Now I just need a coordinating fabric for the dust ruffles- that will all be the same- and Im good to go!This is for the girls' cribs.
The frogs are for the boy. The green frogs actually match the green in the tulips- which was the point- but it looks totally different online. They'll all have matching dust ruffles, and I'll add some red somewhere with the frogs to tie them all together. I think Im leaning towards a green wall. Like my friend Kaipo said, the red accents will pop with the lime green better then if it were the other way around. I saw a photo of a bright green wall with pure white furniture and trim and I just loved the way it looked.
Oh here it is!
I think one green wall will be plenty. now if I can just manage to keep it looking too Christmas-y.

Pregnancy still going well. My biggest complaint lately is rib pain. It feels like someone has a blowtorch under my right ribcage. Can't seem to do anything to alleviate the dull, and sometimes not so dull- ache. No sitting position is comfortable. My best chance is standing or lying flat. Anyway its a minor complaint, considering. Im sure it'll get worse and I keep telling myself that- hoping it wont be as bad as Im expecting.

Ok, Moms, need that advice now:)..

Catching up. Again.

Im sick of Craig saying "So, how's that blog coming?" So I am surrendering to the post. It just gets so overwhelming when there is so much to cover. I'll try to sum up, but don't hold your breath--.. I had to run in the other room and change the channel from American Idol. Its the early audition round, and my ears were starting to bleed.
Quickly- For Thanksgiving we went to Seattle to visit Craig's brother and sister-in-law and we had a great time. We visited the Space Needle, and the famous fish market and it was great to see Kent and Stephanie's new baby girl, Melanie:) (wish I had a picture of her now.) We also had family photos taken.

Here are the nephews! Hi guys!

-The Museum of Flight in Washington.


Top of the Space Needle. Have to do it once, right?


One of our family pics. See the triplets? There's Melanie! I do have a pic of her:)

We came home for a week, and I was miserable with a terrible cold that I couldn't really take anything for. Vicks vapo-rub and Ricolas did SQUAT.

Then we went to Hawaii for what was likely to be the last vacation we take for a very, very...very long time. If you've never been, its truly a faaaaaaaaaaaantastic place. It was actually the first vacation Craig and I have taken alone since our Honeymoon (and we dont even have kids yet;) so it was really nice to be able to take a trip like that again. Thanks Steve and Linda for making that happen:)
We did everything- witnessed the "Big Swell" on the North Shore and the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Classic that only happens about once every five years. We were on the beach at 6:30am with 35,000 other onlookers and Craig took about a million pictures. (why can't I fix the italics??)
These were two from the contest. Kid takes a nice photo, doesn't he:)



We also visited the Polynesian Cultural Center- where we did everything from learning how to weave strips of grass, to attending a Luau, and Craig made fire by rubbing sticks together. My man!


We went snorkling at Hanauma Bay nature preserve and it was beautiful.
Bah! And I thought I was showing then.
Ok, the photo above is obviously better, and also equally as obviously-not taken by me.

The trip was wonderful. We rented a Mustang convertible and spent a lot of time just cruising around from one side of the island to the other. The weather was ideal- low 80's, not a cloudy day or a drop of rain, and there was a perfect, constant breeze. The fresh pineapple is...well, it makes me drool just thinking about it. And I think I had a Hawaiian Shaved Ice every day that we were there. It is one of thee best treat on earth. The passion fruit/lychee/guava combo is my favorite. THAT, I did get a picture of.
mmmmmmmm. I miss you, shaved ice. We will be together again soon.

Also one of my favorite parts of the North Sore are the Shrimp Shacks. They are literally like old, piece of crap- RV's parked on the roadside with picnic tables outside. The shrimp are plentiful and tasty!
We were so happy just to be there, and we still dream of days when we can afford to live there. Don't worry, that will be never.

Ok, moving on...

Pregnancy. I turned 18 weeks on Monday and everything is going beautifully. We had our extremely thorough ultrasound last week and found out that we are having two girls and a boy. We couldn't be happier:) We have had names picked out for a while, but we made a last minute switch when I casually brought up a name to Craig just to see how he would react, and HE LIKED IT. So (drum roll) since I can't see your faces react to the news: Lyla, Scarlet, and Porter. Craig picked Porter and I picked the girls' names with no opposition from Dad. Don't quote me on the spellings yet, though.
So far the trio is as healthy as we can know at this point. We are blessed that they all have separate sacs and their own placentas so we can already rule out many complications that can arise when that isn't the case- like one being significantly larger than the other, for example. They're all about 7 oz at this point and I am barely starting to feel them move. Symptomly speaking (?) it has been smooooth sailing. I can only wonder what lies ahead that it should be so easy up to this point. I am still stuffed up every day, and its the worst at night, but a humidifier has helped a lot. I just get that problem- when you breathe out of your mouth all night and you wake up choking and trying to moisten your mouth to no avail- feeling like your tongue is going to split from the dryness. Also, I broke my perfect record. I threw up. Actually, I do a lot, but its always the first thing in the morning and due to phlegm from the sinus crap- which always triggers the gag reflex. Luckily its only dry heaves and only bothers me when I first wake up. It is weird, though, but I don't care. Beats being nauseous all day for sure.
Its becoming increasingly difficult to bend over, put on shoes, etc. I need to invest in a good pair of slip-ons pretty quick. But getting dressed every morning is fun because I have this great, new accessory! I get so excited every time I look at it because its like the best Christmas present in the world that I get to carry around all day every day- constantly reminding me of the gift we're getting come this spring. AND, it keeps getting bigger! Now, If I can just keep my skin from splitting open. At friends' suggestion I picked up some Bag Balm. It works well, but its pretty stinky.
Now comes the agonizing task of decorating the nursery. Im making all the crib bedding because there's no way in you know where that Im spending more for the bedding that the cribs themselves. I found plenty of fabric that I like, all modern/contemporary themes (no "baby" stuff) but I can't for the life of me settle on a color scheme. Gender neutral is killer. All the furniture will be white, and I want to do bright colors- probably one bright wall- red or apple green or tangerine or something, and then some cool mod prints for the bedding and curtains. I just can't decide on colors, mostly because I would be happy with multiple combinations. And I love Chinese lanterns- I'd like to get one to hang over each crib. Ooh, this is fun:) Anyway, suggestions are welcome. Just don't say anything that has anything to do with characters, or anything that comes with a matching wallpaper border. That's not me.

I continue to wonder what I have done to deserve such blessings, and I still can't imagine all that lies ahead. I hope I am doing my job in expressing gratitude, and I hope I will be worthy to care for the three special little spirits that are waiting for us. More updates to come!

ps- thank you so much to everyone who has offered donations. We're taking almost anything we can get!

Dreams, phlegm, and force feeding

I hear that pregnant women have weird and very vivid dreams. I, however, have always had weird and vivid dreams. Ask Craig, he thinks I have the mind of a crazy person. Being pregnant hasn't really changed my dreaming...style. Last night, for example, I dreamed that Michael J Fox was my boyfriend and we were having lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. I remember carrying my tray through the line, only, I don't remember what we had. The only strange part was that he went through the line ahead of me and didn't pay. Heh. Jerk.
The night before I had a dream that Gwen Stafani and I became good friends. She wanted to do something different with the band, and decided that the "something different" was to make me the other lead singer. Nothing weird about that! Wait- she lived in a crappy apartment complex, so that was a little weird.

Phlegm. I have been having sinus issues, usually in the mornings, which means that I sneeze a lot, have a runny nose and, consequently, have a constant presence of phlegm in my throat. Its impossible to ignore and the second I think about it, I gag. Its most annoying. I does help if I chew minty gum, I don't know why, maybe because its a distraction. I hate having an overactive gag reflex in the mornings. And why is it just in the mornings? I swear, its largely psychological.

My appetite is still pathetic, do any of you Moms out there (especially of multiples) suggest a point when I should start drinking protein drinks? I'm almost 10 weeks, think now is unnecessarily too soon? I don't feel the need to pack on the pounds yet, I just want to make sure the little ones are getting what they need. I do eat something for every meal, the portions are just puny and many dinners (and lunches) are tomato soup and crackers. The other night I had a generous handful of green olives and a small bowl of cottage cheese for dinner. Mmmmm, green olives:) Not terrible, I got my protein! The saturday before I had a bowl of cereal at noon and a cup of soup at 8. Could have been why I had a headache that day. Today for lunch I aimed for a baked potato and cup of chili. I only ate the potato. Chili was too oniony for me. The potato was a decent size, so I don't feel bad. You all have to know something, this is such a new feeling for me. For years I longed for my appetite to be taken away- as healthy as it normally is. And now when I'm allowed, and encouraged to eat like a cow, I have to force myself. I have to admit... its lovely.

Stil Pregn

I'm nine weeks today and as of the ultrasound last Monday, we still have three in there. Heh, so much for doctors' predictions. Amazingly enough, I have still managed to avoid "morning" sickness. I feel like I still have to say "but it could hit at any time" because I'm worried that as soon as I cop an attitude or say "Hah! Nausea Shmasea!" -I'll immediately start vomiting. So FOR NOW, Im incredibly grateful. However, I haven't been so lucky to avoid headaches or migraines. And ooooooh, they can be nasty, especially because the only thing I can take is Tylenol. BAH! I'd do just as well with a couple tic tacs. Anyway, its slightly unnerving to think that I could have 6+ more months of migraines ahead of me with no defense in sight. I had one Friday and Saturday and the only thing that made any difference, although barely noticeble, was to take a scarf and tie my heating pad around my head. I alternated the same technique using ice packs as well. All I could say to Craig was "please don't look at me." It was pitiful. And also worthless.

My only other symptoms have been a loss of appetite, and some sinus irritability. And no,
Im not showing yet. I swear when I get up in the morning I have a major bulge, but it goes away as the day goes on. Oh, and I can't sleep for crap. Weird how you can be so tired, but not able to sleep. I'm just one tossing and turning fool every night. Nothing is comfortable. No cravings yet and no sensitivities to smells either. I do have issues brushing my teeth in the morning. For some reason its the only time my gag reflex wants to participate in the fun. It takes a lot of deep breaths to get through a teeth-brushing session. Weird.

Anyway, that's about it for now. I did have to ask my doc if I should be worried that Im not having more intense symptoms, especially with triplets. She said "no way, just be grateful." If I had one, the due date would be June 14th, but with 3 I expect them sometime early to mid May, if all goes well. Here's hoping for a long and healthy pregnancy!

Im pregn....

If you haven't heard by now, Craig and I are expecting! After 3 years, 10 procedures and...well, a few dollars, we are still slightly in shock. I still can't believe the nurse actually said "I have good news for you!" Good news? For me?? You mean it WORKED?? I still have a hard time saying the words "Im preg-" nope, still feels weird. It always seemed like something that happened to everyone else. I wasn't part of the club.

At almost 7 weeks now, its still hard to believe. At this point I feel pretty darn good. I have no nausea, no sore...parts, and other than some weird, dull cramping and feelings like things are definitely stretching in there, I feel normal. Ok, I guess I do get tired more easily lately. Im not under any delusions that these horrid symptoms won't still come in the next week or two, but my Mom never had morning sickness so at least there's a chance it'll skip me.

So..... we had our first ultrasound on Thursday and we were delighted to see a tiny heartbeat fluttering away. With so much that can go wrong, it was such a relief to see something in there! Craig said the baby looked like a little cashew. Ok there were actually two. Fine, three but that's it, I promise. Yes, three little sacs with three little heartbeats. At this point, one is smaller and a few days behind the other two in development, so our doctor thinks it is likely we'll end up with twins. We have another ultrasound in 2 weeks and we should know by then if there are still three or just two. We have to at least prepare for the possibility of triplets. (holy crap)

Since things are a bit up in the air, we debated whether or not to tell everyone the results of the ultrasound right away. We thought about waiting until the next appt when we'll have a better idea. But, since I can never keep my mouth shut, and everyone already knew we were having the U/S, I couldn't look people in the face and say there was only one or even two. I figure if things change, then they change, but I don't see a reason, at least for me, to keep it all to ourselves. I feel better sharing our news and its comforting to know we're not going through this alone. Whatever happens, we know that we are all in God's hands and what is supposed to be for our little family will be.

We are so extremely grateful for the love and support we have received from our friends and family- often it is hard to distinguish between the two. We know that we have been so very blessed with this miracle and we can't wait to welcome a new life- lives- into our family.

I promised my family that I would use my blog to keep everyone updated on the progress of this pregnancy (did I just say pregnancy??) and it sure has the potential to get pretty crazy. So bring it on, I say! We're so ready.

Happy Anniversary!

On Wednesday Craig and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. In one sense, I can't believe its been three years already. Then again, I can't even remember what my life was like before Craig. With all of these trips to and from Santa flippin Clara, it was difficult to plan anything too extensive. I didn't need to go anywhere or do anything. I was perfectly happy just being able to be together.




I still maintain- thee best cake I've ever had.

And of course, I had to throw in a few pics from our Honeymoon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Man, was it beautiful there. I highly recommend it.
"We've only just begun."

Labor Day Weekend

At the last minute, Craig's parents decided that we were going to Mammoth Lakes, CA again this year for Labor Day weekend. Craig's sister, Kelli, and her family came out from Utah to play too! This was our 4th annual Mammoth trip, and we have a great time every year. The weather is beautiful and its such a refreshing break from the raging infernos of Fresno.

We took the shuttle to Devil's Postpile, a super cool rock formation, and hiked from there to Rainbow Falls.
I love to fish. Even if I'm not catching anything, I hate the final reel-in for the day.
This year I made a deal with the fish- I promised them if they would just let me catch them already, AND pose for a nice photo, that I would return them safely back to their habitat. (minus the superficial bloody hole in the lip)
See, now that wasn't so bad? I went fishing by myself one morning while Craig went for a bike ride and let me tell you, trying to hold a fighting, writhing, slippery fish with one hand- not too tight to kill it- and fish a camera out of the tackle box, AND turn it on AND take a picture with the other hand is no easy feat. BUT- I got er done. I think this guy went and warned all of his buddies because he was the only one caught that day.
On Saturday Craig and I played golf with his Dad, and brother-in-law, Ryan. The course was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, and the results were beautiful. I won. Oh glory of glories.

Looking forward to next year!