23 Weeks!!

Believe it or not, another week has passed! We are now sitting pretty at 23 weeks. Only one week to go before these girls would have a shot at life if they are born. Pretty crazy. They have REALLY stepped it up in terms of their activity. With three babies in three different places in my uterus, my abdomen often looks like an alien is about to emerge from within. I love feeling them kick. I have found that they are especially fond of ice cream... just like their mom and dad. :)
Nathan and I went to our Expecting Multiples class at Maine Med last night. It was somewhat repetitive of all the information we have already learned, but there was some new stuff as well and we got to see a DVD of a triplet birth. We got a nice tour of the new baby center at the hospital as well. It's a really nice new facility... although I am a little disappointed we won't have a room with a hot tub! I guess those are for those singleton moms who can have their babies in their own rooms. As our instructor said to us last night... "you won't be doin' much hot tubbin' anyway." I guess she has a point. We didn't get a chance to see the NICU, but we can make an appointment to see that at another time.

Work is still going well. The days do seem to be getting a little longer, but I have asked that they not overbook me when at all possible. I have started to have benign contractions (Braxton Hicks) after long days when I don't drink enough water. Because of that, I have gotten much better about forcing myself to sit when I can and drinking more water than anyone should ever have to. I only have three more weeks before I go to 1/2 days. That will be nice.

It has been a hard week, with losing Nugget and all. I am starting to recover, but it was definitely a hard blow to my emotional state. Thank you to all of you who sent notes and flowers. It has really helped to know how fondly everyone thought of him. He will be missed for sure. And on a side note... Merrill (our other orange cat), almost made me go into labor yesterday! I was in bed reading my multiples book like a good pregnant lady and I opened the window behind the headboard to get some fresh air. Well, Nathan had taken out the screens and put in the storm windows and without thinking I just lifted up the storm window. Five minutes later, Merrill is one second purring in my face and the next second he went up and over my shoulder and right out the window!!! I turned around and looked out and no sign of him. There is a little roof line that sticks out a foot or two about 3 feet down and he wasn't there. I ran, like a bad pregnant lady, downstairs totally hysterical and outside to find Merrill sitting in the garden with a look on his face that was suitable for framing. Thank goodness he is totally fine. No broken bones or organs or head trauma. I think his layers of blubber really saved him this time. Anyway, thank goodness he is ok.

So, I think that's it from here. Our next ultrasound is Monday, Columbus Day. I will try to get some good pics of the girls to post. Lots of love to all of you. Below is the babycenter.com update and some new pics of the baby mama.

Love, Nellie

How your baby's growing... Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.