It's been awhile since I last posted, but things have been a little busy! Since our first perinatologist's appointment, it's been nonstop action. I worked my first stint of three days straight since getting the triplet news, and that actually went pretty well. I have the best coworkers and they really look out for me, making sure that I don't overdo it.

Because I am trying to be able to work as long as possible (if you had my job and loved your coworkers as much as I do, you'd want to too!), I am trying to pace myself during my shifts. I try to be more organized and efficient so that I can find more frequent short "rest periods" during the day. Spreading out some of my charting, spacing out my bed baths, etc. Plus my fellow nurses are constantly checking in to make sure that I'm taking breaks- I keep reminding them that I'm pregnant, not feeble! :)

I did fine during my shifts, but I was pretty darn tired afterwards! Most days that I work, it's pretty much a given that I'm going to crash about 90 minutes after I get home from work. Jason is so good about making dinner on the days that I work. He's also making sure that I put my feet up and rest too after changing out of my uniform. I feel so guilty sometimes that he's having to take on more responsibilities around the house, but he keeps reminding me that this is a team effort. My job is to "brew up some babies", and his job is to do what he can to help me do that. We've always tried to be very egalitarian in our relationship- sharing cooking/cleaning/laundry responsibilities, working together on house projects, planning out big decisions together. I guess it shouldn't be coming as a shock to me that Jason wants to tackle this pregnancy as a team effort as well. But I am pretty cognizant of the fact at few husbands would be as much of a team player as Jason's being.

After my three days as work, I had another routine ultrasound with Dr. Gilbert, our perinatologist. I'm trying to ration out Jason's time away from work, so my dear friend Laura came with me. Everything is checking out just fine so far. One of the big things that they are checking on with these ultrasounds is my cervix. In basic terms, they want it to be long and thick. If it is short and thin, I'm at a greater risk for preterm labor. Hence, the ultrasound cervical checks! If the ultrasounds do start to show that my cervix is thinning, then we'll start discussing the possibility of having a cerclage placed. A cerclage is just when the doctor places some stitches in the actual cervix to keep it closed (and prevent the babies from falling out!).

I don't know if the doctor is used to having other medical professionals as patients. I keep asking for specific numbers (and ranges) for things that he's seeing on the ultrasounds. For example, I had him better define at what cervical length that a cerclage becomes necessary. He seemed a little surprised that I was asking for that kind of detail, but that's just how I operate sometimes. I don't think my patient's doctors would appreciate me telling them that my patient's potassium levels were "just okay" or that they had just vomited up "some" stuff. I'm used to being specific in my line of work, and so I just want the same when I'm the patient. After all, Ive observed that my patients do much worse emotionally/mentally when they feel like things are vaguely told to them. Even if the news that they are getting is bad, the finite is almost always better than the vague... Hence all my drilling down with Dr. Gilbert to get the details. And he must have remembered that I appreciate that because on this last appointment, he put all his stuff down after the ultrasound and asked me what I needed to know. I really feel like my care is in some good hands!

My next ultrasound will be in one week (the day after Father's Day). As long as everything is okay at that appointment, I won't have another one for 2 whole weeks (July 1)!! But the exciting news is that that second ultrasound will be a doozy- the doctor will be doing extensive looks at each of the munchkins' anatomies... Which means that we might be finding out the GENDERS then!!!!! Keep your fingers crossed! Once we know gender, we can start to figure out names and all that other fun stuff. I really don't care either way, boys or girls, but I'm just praying for healthy peanuts. And if that doesn't happen, then I'll be praying for the resources and strength for Jason and I to be able to love and cherish whatever medical needs the babies will have...