Girls weekend

Instead of the annual (11 year now!) girls trip to the beach this year they decided to make the trip to NJ since Beth and I are both here now. The girls spent some of their weekend lounging on the couch with me, making me dinner, bringing me awesome cupcakes, and sweet baby gifts!

It gave me something to look forward to and it was so good to do our normal activities....reading celebrity gossip, watching reality tv, and also sharing baby tips with me!

Thanks for making the trip to Sparta ladies!

28 weeks!

We have made it to a major milestone... 28 weeks! Seven months pregnant! The percentage of having healthy babies just went sky high today! There could always be issues, but in most instances triplets born after 28 weeks face long NICU stays but are developed enough to enter the world.

So as of today if we go into labor the doctors will try to stop it so they can keep growing, but if they are born we have moved past "worst case" situations!

Last night Brian commented that we are 6-7 weeks from having the babies.... I laughed and said actually we are anywhere from one hour from this moment to 6-7 weeks!!!

Thanks for all the prayers, love and support that helped get us here. Please keep them coming, the longer the babies are cooking the easier their entrance to the world will be!

The Groves - almost a family of 5

We have been in our new home for a couple of weeks now and Brian has worked tirelessly to have it completely moved in as quickly as he can. As soon as he got caught up all of the baby goods arrived! Now we just have to find places for all of that!

It's really telling that Brian can barely reach around me I guess?!!

Family week

These are my worker bee's for the week...thank goodness they love me and my babies! We are about to send Big Amy off but luckily my mom is staying longer. It was so great to have family in our new home and spend a week with them... as usual saying good-bye was hard but I know once these sweet babies are born they won't be able to stay away!

Thanks to both of you for the many hours of work you did this week!!

Brian's first baby project

Brian is starting to cross the line into fatherhood! This is his first ever baby project - putting together a bouncy seat! We all just sat back & watched him in action. Since then he has put together more bouncy seats, two pack & plays, a co-sleeper and several other baby items.

As I laid on the couch and laughed I realized it will be him laughing the first time I try to do these things!!

27 weeks and feeling great!

27 weeks! Even though I love everyday of my life and I don't want this to end it still makes me so happy when we hit another week marker. One week longer for our babies to grow! I still feel pretty good and I am able to get around well. I honestly don't feel that big. My doctor is still happy with everything my body is doing (except that silly cervix of course) but I have only gained 2lbs in the last two weeks so he sent me home with instructions to GAIN WEIGHT! We are trying to figure out a new plan for eating since there is no room in my stomach! I am going to try grazing all day long and stopping about 7:30 in the evening so I can sleep at night with no heartburn, indigestion, or the most troublesome issue - severe reflux!

Baby clothes explosion

Did Babies R Us explode in my living room??? This is about day three of trying to organize baby clothes by size and gender. It was hilarious to watch them try to keep up with all of their piles, match socks, and remember what their plan was for organization!

We now have a nursery stocked with washed & folded premie, newborn & 0-3 month clothes. We also have tons of storage bins in the basement with clothes broken into 3 month intervals up to 4T! Now we just have to figure out a way to trick Neva into believing hand me downs are way better than the new clothes the boys will be getting!

A delivery from the south

Big Amy & Mom drove up last Sunday with a UHaul truck full of baby goods! This is all of our shower gifts, all of our donated goods, and tons of other items that have been waiting in Durham for months. After a hard weeks work we are much closing to having a baby ready house! Talk about reality setting in even more! We have a room with all of the baby gear for downstairs and it looks like we are prepping for a small army!

It was a long drive for them, a lot of work this week, and all 5 Groves really appreciate all they have done. It was also wonderful to have nightly meals prepared and to have the company during the day.

I have said it before and will say it again.... we are SO BLESSED to have such amazing support!!!

Baby monitoring - triplet style

For the mom's out there do you remember the days of monitoring your babies heartbeat? Well this is how we do it triplet style. Three heartbeat monitors and a contraction monitor. It involves several steps...finding each baby, ensuring that we are actually listening to three different heartbeats, then finding babies again because they have moved, then finding babies again because they have moved....repeat about 7 times. All this time I am trying to lay as still as I can to help with the process! The last trip to the hospital it took about 2.5 hours each day of monitoring to get a consist 30 minute strip for the doctor to review! It least it passes the time!

If some of you have heard me comment on how low Neva is this is proof. Do you see that heartbeat monitor down there so low??? I think she is trying to escape!

My nurses

We had another stay in the hospital this past weekend and were so fortunate that my best friends were in town to assist. While Brian worked so hard in our new home Dawn and Rebecca kept me company day/night playing friend, nurse, entertainer, information relayer....and everything else you can imagine! All 5 of the Groves' are so blessed to have an amazing support system in place!!

P.S. As we were watching Remember Me one night we even took time to educate my nurses on Robert Pattinson and all of the wonderful things he brings to your life. I am sure we converted quiet a few people that evening!!

Another reality check

As of last Thursday we are mini-van owners. I can't believe I just wrote that sentence! We knew we had to get a vehicle since Brian would loose his company car but we were not planning on this! I am still in denial! I know that all of you moms tell me I will love it, and I am sure that I will, but it's another step towards the reality of our future! (Yes, even at 26 weeks I don't think either of us have fully accepted what is happening!) I often envision the very first time I look back in the mirror and it's full of babies. Then I quickly block that thought out because I get so scared!!! :)

25 weeks - 2 days

Don't be scared...it's just my massive stomach!! I am starting to wonder if aliens have taken over my body! This is a good view of my baby belly (it seems like there should be a new term for it by now) in all of it's glory! My belly button has popped out and I am seeing tons of baby movements by just looking down. For the most part I am still able to move around easily and get comfortable. I still love it and think it's so beautiful!

Closing day

Finally... the day has arrived that we get to move from our apartment into our new home and really start our life in NJ. I couldn't go to closing & Brian had just returned with the keys to our new home! He spent the next week working nonstop to unpack, organize, grocery shop, etc preparing for our arrival!

Remember when my clothes fit?

24 weeks!! Whoo hoo! Right now I am balancing a fine act of loving this pregnancy and not wanting it to end vs. just wanting to snap my fingers and it be a few months from now so I know these babies are not at risk anymore. I am still feeling great, loving my growing belly, and showing it off every chance I get! Strangers are getting their share of peeks at it now because most of my shirts no long cover it! (See first picture above!) This is 24 weeks & 4 days, measuring 43 inches around and weighing in at 158lbs!

23 weeks

Enjoying freedom from the hospital and a beautiful night on the deck of the apartment. Life is good these days as the weather is warming up and I am feeling so good! Some of the best days yet of this pregnancy.

First hospital visit

The last morning of my first hospital visit with this pregnancy - do you think it will be my last?? I am one happy girl for lots of reasons....I am about to go home, my babies are healthy & happy, AND I am finally able to eat for the first time in over 24 hours!! (BTW in my excitement over that waffle I mistook the coffee for syrup ... waffles soaked in coffee are not very good!)

Nana visits NJ

My mom came up to stay with me for a week while Brian traveled to Las Vegas for his last trip of the year. We were able to take her out to our new house in Sparta and show her the town. The weather was amazing and we enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal lakefront!

Cupcakes for everyone!

In the last few months I have decided to really start enjoying this new found eating freedom and enjoy things I haven't had in years. Cupcakes are my latest love. Yellow cupcakes with any form of icing except chocolate. We hit the jackpot in Montclair one afternoon when we found Cupcakes Galore. 30$ and eight cupcakes later... the babies and I were very happy!

Family love

Thanks to my wonderful sisters, mom, and nieces for the weekend of baby festivities! I think it was the best baby shower ever but I am biased! They have been so supportive, encouraging, and positive since long before we even knew of our little miracles. I am so blessed to have this amazing support system!

Remember this position?

Yes... most of the day or evening you can still find me in the same spot! On a couch, on my left side resting! However as you can see my belly is much bigger now! We were 21 weeks in this picture and measuring a massive 42 inches around!! A few days later I went to the doctor and he confirmed my stomach is measuring a 40 week pregnancy!

Star of the show

While I was in NC I was able to attend Ella's dance recital...for the first time in 4 years! She was absolutely beautiful, full of confidence, smiling and the star of the show! She even had her own little solo at the beginning!!

Showered with love

We had two baby showers in NC this weekend the blessings and love continued to flow. Everyone was so generous and full of love that I could barely contain myself at times. Thank you again to everyone who came out and showed your support! Our babies will be well loved and taken care of with all of the gifts given! It was one of the most exciting weekends of my life!!

Baby checkup in NC

As soon as I landed in NC my sweet girls needed to perform their own checkup on their cousins! After some interesting ideas on what to do with my stomach and the babies everyone got a clean bill of health!

Kate and Ella are going to be the best cousins and mothers helpers a person could hope for!

Saying goodbye to Cleveland

We spent Memorial Day in Cleveland packing up some personal items in the house and saying goodbye to great friends. It was so great to be back "home" with everyone and in the house we love. I enjoyed a long afternoon visit with Meaghan, we spent lots of time with Chrissy & Jeremy, and our wonderful neighbors Shannon & Greg hosted us for a cookout. It was a bittersweet time for sure.

Marvelous multiples

Saturday we attended our Marvelous Multiples birthing class! Since our hospital has such a high number of multiple births they have a class just for us! It was a good overview of everything to expect from our health now, c-sections, and what to expect when the babies are born.

The second part of the day was spent going thru things like first baths, cord care, diapering, dressing, first feedings...etc. Each couple had their own amount of babies to deal with it and there were several times Brian & I just "forgot" about our little third peanut! Another insight to just how many babies we are going to be dealing with!

19 weeks

19 weeks! These babies are starting to make their presence felt! It's almost impossible to bend over, when I am laying a certain way they don't like they tell me fast (especially our little girl who is down low), and I am having to get creative when it comes to getting off the couch!

I started feeling my first ever baby kicks this past week! It feels like little bumps up against my stomach and it is so amazing. They are quickly getting stronger though, last night Brian was able to feel one too!

BBQ Fritos

Back in April when I went to the beach with my family Big Amy came in with a bag of BBQ fritos. Even though I haven't seen those chips in years as soon as she brought them in I knew I had to have them. I waited until I was alone, opened the bag and ate a few, then placed it back in the cabinet appearing to be unopened. When I was "busted" I just told her "the babies needed them".

Since then I have been on the search for my own bag of BBQ Fritos and either they aren't sold in NJ or the universe is playing tricks on me. I have been to Targets, grocery stores, gas stations.... and no luck.

Last Saturday I got TWO bags in the mail along with a couple of other baby goodies from Big Amy & family. The cruel joke continues...I got them just as my heartburn is ramping up!!!

First shopping trip!

After almost 4.5 months of being sensible and not buying anything (except diapers!) for our babies we gave in! We just had to celebrate and splurge on our little peanuts now that we know what's in there! We picked out a couple of outfits for each baby in different sizes and had so much fun being able to enjoy our babies!!

18 weeks and 39 inches

18 weeks! These pictures were taken after a long but amazing day of finding out we were having two boys & one girl!! Tons of happy tears, phone calls, and to celebrate we did something we haven't done in years...had hibachi dinner! Maybe that's why my stomach is looking extra large!!

More wonderful blessings

There is a great site for parents of triplets that I have been using as a resource in lots of ways, but mainly to get my head around the challenges three babies bring. One source of stress was a triplet stroller. There are a small number of options for infants and each one has a big downside. After lots of experienced mothers providing input I had decided to go with the "triple decker" stroller that holds infant car seats but I wasn't too excited about the cost especially since I wasn't in love with the stroller.

A few days later I was emailed by a NJ mom who wanted to GIVE me her stroller! Her girls had just outgrown the car seats and she wanted to pay all of her blessings forward. I couldn't believe it!

This past weekend we spent a few hours with the family and it was so great. She shared so many great tips, really lifted me up and gave me confidence, and gave us a lot of nice baby items. We also got to see first hand what a few hours with triplet 18 month old girls is like!! I will just say that the parents were very busy the whole time!

Here I am with our stroller. The infant car seats pop onto the bars that go across it. I was giddy with excitement over it!!! I kept telling Brian that I felt like it was Christmas morning!

Baby prep work

Being homeless at this moment leaves me with a lot of "to-do" lists on my hands so I am trying to ease the planner in me by preparing in other ways.

I have started stocking up on diapers & after a bit of research discovered Costco is the best place to get them. Their price equals 16 cents a diaper...the next closest price is Babies R Us and they are 22 cents a diaper. Doesn't sound like a lot but when you multiply that by the average number of diapers triplets go through in a month...its a huge savings!! So now we will start weekly trips to Costco for cheap diapers!

Brookdale dog park

Since she was my first baby I am trying to pamper sweet Kirbs as long as I can. Every weekend we take her to the local dog park for some fun...which consists of her sniffing other dogs, peeing on everything, and then laying under whatever bench I am sitting on. She would probably rather be asleep on our bed!!

17 weeks

17 weeks and 38 inches. Slow and steady progress which is a good sign. This belly is really taking off now, I feel like I grow everyday! It's really telling when I suddenly can't fit into a shirt I just wore the week before!

Where you can find me around 9pm...

This is where you find me most nights just before bed...laying on the couch, pillow between my knees, ice cream nearby. Even though I am not a big ice cream fan, I do enjoy a Wendy's frosty and take advantage of any outing to pick one up! Like the doctor said...the babies need fat!

An afternoon with friends

Wednesday was the highlight of my week! I got two spend the afternoon with two good friends! I drove down to Hoboken for a long walk & dog park time with Beth and her golden retriever, Duncan - also known as Big D because he can take you out! It was nice to sit on the Hudson & take in NYC views with my college roommate! Then I drove down the street a few blocks and met Chrissy for sushi/fish dinner. We became good friends in Cleveland and haven't seen each other since we came to NJ. Chrissy & Jeremy are also in the process of moving away from Cleveland however they are heading south to Atlanta. Hopefully her travels to NYC will continue so we can get together more in the years to come!

Our first attempt to register

Everyone knows that just walking in Babies R Us is enough to make you want to pull your hair out right?! Try standing infront of everything from passies to crib sheets & trying to figure out how many three babies will need! 6? That won't work because that only gives us one spare for each baby. 9? That seems more appropriate & surely they all won't pee on their sheets the same night right? I thought I was so prepared with my research and my lists but I quickly saw that all of that doesn't really matter. Especially considering I lost my list about 5 minutes into the process! It was such a fun and eye opening night to just how much these babies are going to bring into our lives!

Room for babies?

Is there room for three more babies in our house?? We already have two of the worlds most spoiled living with us! Just a typical morning or evening around the apartment!

What's important....

Just about the time the news of triplets started sinking in Brian was promoted & we knew that we were moving. Even with help from the company moving is never easy, getting a house ready for the market, inspections, appraisals and then trying to find a new place to live.... life can get stressful. In an attempt to keep me grounded & remind me of what I need to focus on Brian has placed these signs around me so that I see them daily, hourly, and remember that moving isn't what's important in our lives right now! I have bigger things to focus my attention on!

15 weeks, 4 days, 37 inches around!

Here are the 4 of us on Saturday night after dinner. We had a great day home shopping, mini van shopping, taking Kirbs to the dog park and getting smoothies afterwards. I even made dinner that night! The "feel good" days are never taken for granted anymore!

Last shot

Last night I took my final progesterone shot! For 14 weeks I have been injecting myself with one last hormone required to help these babies survive and we are finally done! No more shots (at least for awhile!) and no more fertility drugs!

Moving day

Getting ready for the long drive to NJ to start the new chapter in our life. We will be going back and forth for the next few months but we decided it's important for me to get settled with a doctor now.

Just what every pregnant woman wants right? To leave her 3000 square foot home and move into a one bedroom apartment!

Beach trip

The babies made their second trip to the beach last week! Even though it was too cold to swim we loved every minute in the sun and with my family.

I also loved showing my baby belly! I don't care what anyone says I am not hiding it until I have too! I worked too hard for it and I love it too much to cover it!

Out of the closet

After hitting the 12 week mark this week (Tuesday) we are officially out of the closet with our pregnancy AND our triplet news!! We have been showered with love, supportive words, and so many baby gifts already. Especially our little beans aunt's...they are already spoiling the babies.! Thanks to everyone for making our dream come true even more special.