We're pregnant.... with TRIPLETS!

We're pregnant.... with TRIPLETS!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

The Prego is Sleeping again

It's Thursday night around 11pm, and Lindz just fell asleep, i figured it was time for another update.  I will begin with a few negatives and lead up to the positives.  All i can say is,... it always gets worse before it gets better.  Before i begin, i want everyone to know that in no way do i believe that my life is horrible, or that we have been handed a horrible hand in life.  Life is tough, and we will get through it.

A few weeks ago i injured my knee if you hadnt heard about it, and i had to have an MRI done.  Luckily there was no major injury, but last week we received a bill for $745 that we owe out of pocket. 

Also last week we finally completed our taxes, and for the first time in 10 years, we owe money to the government.  For a Grand Total of $2800,... how in the hell are we supposed to pay that?

A week prior to those two incidences we received a letter from the government about a business tax that was owed for a business that i "opened" on paper 2 years ago, and never did anything with.  And they wanted to charge me penalties and a guestimate charge for what they believed i did financially for this business the year prior. Luckily after several phone calls, they adjusted it and we only owe $135.

Also in that week Lindz had her teeth checked, basically because she had a tooth that was really hurting.  Well the dentist filled two cavities and found a tooth that  must be extracted. $180 .

If you didnt hear about our kitchen flooding, well it did,... and last week the cabinet guy came out to give us a quote and it totaled $2500 just for the cabinets.   Our insurance check will cover that,.. but it is still some more stress on us having to manage the work.

Lindz then put both the Fit and my motorcycle up on Craigslist to see if we could get rid of them so we could start to get on top of our finances.  Lindz has been really stressing about finances, and loosing her job due to the children popping out.  I know God has a plan and he will provide in some way or another.

On Wednesday the 30th 2011 we went for another doctors appointment with another ultra-sound.  We still have 3 healthy babies that are developing at a normal rate.  Lindz has gained 20 lbs since the beginning of her pregnancy.  When you look at the pics of our children... baby A who is closest to the exit has a really big head,... baby B has a really big belly, and baby C is just right.  On April 7th we have a doctors appointment with the maternal fetal specialist and we might actually get to find out the gender of the children.

And to end on a really exciting note, we sold our Honda Fit today, and we only had to come up with $1000 out of pocket to get rid of the car.  We are really happy with the amount we sold it for,.. and it really will lower at least 1 more monthly note off of us.

Please ask questions, email us at mtcheer@hotmail.com or lindz1@mac.com   thanks for reading

Monday, March 21, 2011

13 weeks!

So, I am 13 weeks today... I most definitely have a "bump" growing at rapid speed!  I can feel my stomach growing and stretching - especially in the evenings - and every morning when I wake up I feel like I have grown.  I haven't weighed myself to know if I have gained any weight, and for the first time in my life I don't care to know what the scale says.  I guess I will find out next Wednesday when I go for my next appointment.  The past couple of days here have been 80+ degrees.. quite warm!  I have come to the conclusion that from here on out I am going to be miserably uncomfortable! 
I haven't been getting as sick recently (knock on wood).. I get sick every couple of days sometimes in the morning and sometimes just before bed.  I got in an "eating routine" while on Spring Break.. which consisted of a bowl of frosted mini wheats when I first woke up, then about an hour and a half later 2 Jimmy Dean little sausage and biscuits with honey and a glass of chocolate milk, then a little while later a strawberry yogurt, then either taquitos or a sandwich, then a couple of hours later, more taquitos or a milk shake, then cheese and crackers and some fruit, then dinner with Ryan which varied.. grilled chicken or fish tacos or spaghetti etc, then a couple hours later a bowl of mac and cheese or ice cream... Today going back to work it was very hard to stay on this eating routine... which makes for a VERY HUNGRY Lindsey!  For a long time, I was on a think crust pizza kick.. that's all I wanted.. Now, I have moved onto a chicken and cheese taquitos kick with salsa!  Just typing it is making me hungry for some.. ugh! I will finish typing this first.. I've also been craving frozen yogurt and anything strawberry.... Strawberry milkshakes, strawberry yogurt, strawberry frosted pop tarts, etc etc etc... I have learned that eating an entire cartoon of strawberries in one sitting is not a good idea..  I had the WORST heartburn and indigestion ever after.. Oh well, you live and you learn...

There has been lots going on recently in the McKinley House (besides the fact we are expecting triplets)!  I finally feel like we are getting somewhere with the pipe burst/flood disaster that happened at the beginning of February.. I have hired the 61 Cabinets to repair the cabinet and do some additional work to make our kitchen more functional...  Ryan decided last night (Sunday) at 7:30 that he was in the mood to start a project... SO he moved all of the living room furniture into the dining room and entry way and tore out the living room carpet (which also was destroyed in the flood) and took up all of the tack strips... Now we just have bare concrete foundation in the living room and all the furniture is still in the dining room and entry way!  Making our house even more of a disaster!  I am leaning more towards finding the tile that is in our kitchen and continuing it into the living room (we have an open floor plan)  throwing an area rug down and calling it a day.  I refuse to put carpet back down with 3 dogs and 3 babies on the way.
The project list is growing by the day and I am trying not to get to stressed out, but for those of you who really know me... that is something I have a VERY hard time doing!  I think once the kitchen and living room get finished I will feel a little better... then there's the upstairs... Ryan moved the guest room furniture into the room that I originally had intended to be the nursery when we bought the house, but since we are having triplets the layout of the room won't work..  I had wanted to paint that room before all the furniture got moved in, but that didn't happen and now the headboard is hung on the wall so I guess that won't be happening now for a long time..
We still have to finish moving the office / sewing room to the former guest room since it will be the nursery.  Ryan built built-in desks, bookcases, and a fold down cutting table in this room, so moving everything isn't going so well.  We need to buy 2 desks and other office and sewing furniture before we can finish this project.. Then we have to paint both rooms (or atleast the nursery).  I also want to paint the upstairs bathroom and downstairs half bath and change the light fixtures in both bathrooms. OH and we have to get the nursery set up and I have to get all of the bedding etc sewn too! 
I want to get all of this done by the end of May, and considering Ryan has to work 7 days a week and I have to work 5 days a week.. and every weekend from here until June I am booked with weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, dinners, etc etc etc I have no clue how this is going to happen! 

I have been telling myself that I will probably be put on bed rest at the beginning of June to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable.. maybe I won't have to go on restricted bed rest then, but at least it won't be such a shock.  We can't wait to find out what we are having! I have been having lots of dreams about what they are.. one in which Ryan was telling me what they were (like he would actually know before me), and one where I was telling him.. I keep waking up though after only hearing or saying what 2 of them are.. A boy, a girl, and another... and boom I wake up!  We are really hoping for 2 girls and a boy or 2 boys a girl! We have 2 girl names and 2 boy names picked out and can't seem to find a 3rd girl or 3rd boy name that we both like.. All of the names have a family name in them.. The boys first and middle name are family names and the girls middle names are family names...
For the girl names we are thinking about Chloe Jean and Sophie Marie.. Jean is my middle name as well as my grandmother's (my mom's mom) middle name and my dad's aunt's name.  Marie is my grandmother's (my dad's mom) middle name.  Ryan LOVES the name Chloe!  He has been saying for a few years now that if he has a girl he wants to name her Chloe!  I love the name too and think Chloe and Sophie sound so cute! 
For the boy names we are thinking Robert Hollis and Clark Alexander.  Robert is Ryan's first name, his dad's first name, his grandfather's first name, etc..... They all go by their middle name or a nick name.. Hollis is Ryan's grandfather's (his mom's dad) first name.  Clark is my brother's name and my grandfather's name (my dad's dad) and Alexander is a Wasson family name (Ryan's dad's mom's side of the family).  We would call Robert Hollis - Hollis and Clark Alexander - Clark.  We have been thinking lots about names recently and it is very important to both of us that their names have meanings and family ties. 
Anyways, I am getting very hungry and tired!  I hope I haven't rambled on too much! 
Thanks for all of the thoughts and prayers!
Love always,
Lindsey

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

I've Messed Up This Time

I hope that i gain just a little compassion from a few of my male followers out there, who have been in my shoes.

To begin i will make this statement:  I know that with children coming into my life that some things will change, especially with triplets.....  With that said, i really screwed up this time.  As you all know, Lindz has been extremely exhausted, and it is really throwing her off her game.  It is throwing me off as well.  Usually Lindz will teach from 8-3pm then go teach dance, or private tumbling lessons, come home and sew 15million t-shirts for her customers, and then wait til i get home to spend some time with me, maybe watch our favorite shows (NCIS, NCIS Los Angelos, Glee, House) together, then go cuddle and go to bed.  This pregnancy is taking every ounce of energy from her.  Around the house we have chosen specific tasks that each of us normally take care of,.. Lindz does laundry so i dont screw her stuff up, and i do the dishes, garbage, and mow the lawn.  Lindz used to have to vacuum and clean, but since the pregnancy started we got a maid for every other week to clean the house. 

I guess my biggest issue is the frustration of having to listen to her complain, and i think logically, and begin to make plans on how to fix things, but then she feels like i am lecturing her.  I truly love her and hate feeling this way.... it is just really tough to not be able to help.  If you know me, i keep going non-stop all the time, and that isnt going to change when we have kids, it cant.  In order to put food on the table i have no other options, unless by some miracle someone drops 1-2million in my lap and says here is the money, start a gym.  ( I am trying to work on getting a loan in my free time,.. just an FYI)  Tonight i came home after coaching and Lindz was still sitting on the couch watching tv,... i really feel as if she has given up on even trying to get anything done. i know that this pregnancy is taking alot out of her, but if she was sooooo tired, why wont she just go to bed, get the good rest she needs, and then move on.  This is really a stark realization of how bad it is going to get when she really cant do anything for us.

I think that the reality set in for her, that having these three little monsters is going to be way more than the full-time plus jobs that she has had historically.  The reality of the kids never seeing me because of work.  The reality that she will feel trapped with the kids all week long until i have some time on saturday /  Sunday where she can have some time for herself.  I also think that she really doesnt want to be a housewife, although i know she wants to raise our children.  The loss of her income is going to be tough for us, but we will make it through. 

I am currently fearful of the sewing jobs she has pending, and that they will stop using her for projects if she cannot finish them in a timely manor.  I would run her sewing company way differently if i were in charge,...lol

I dont want to put more on her than she can handle, but i feel like sometimes she does it to herself.  Or she is taking on tons of things without realizing how crippling this pregnancy is going to be. 

With children, it is my opinion that there still needs to be "adult time" where the parents go out and socialize with other adults.  I feel that the parents cannot become "best friends" with their children,  the relationships cannot and will not work that way.  I also feel that each individual adult needs some alone time every now and then to get away. (i want mine to be motorcycle riding) 

I made lindz cry tonight because she made a comment about us needing to sell the motorcycle.  Im sure all of the women reading this will side against her that we should, but i need that feeling of freedom while riding.  I can say this "All work and NO play makes for an Ugly Ryan"

After saying that, please dont read into it that all i want to do is go ride my motorcycle and never spend anytime with my kids.  I cant wait to play with my kids, but that doesnt mean that daddy doesnt want to go play with his friends anymore.  I know my life will soon revolve around my children, but that doesnt mean that im never allowed to have fun outside of my home, or without my kids.

Once again, Lindz is sleeping and im typing.  Im sure she will come back and spell check or correct my post.  Thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

11 weeks!

So I will be 11 weeks tomorrow!! We went to the doctor this past Thursday!! My appointment was at 3:00... we arrived a little early, and then waited until 4:00 to get called back!!!!  I was about to jump out of my skin I was so excited to see our sweet babies!  We had an ultrasound and all 3 babies look fabulous!! They were all 10 weeks 3 days in development (which is exactly where I was on Thursday!)  Their heartbeats were 161, 165, and 165!  They look like babies now - which is super exciting - AND they were very active!! They were moving around! It was the most awesome thing I have ever experienced!  We are so excited! 
I have gained 3 WHOLE POUNDS!! Dr. McDonald was pleased with this since I have been getting sick at least once every single day!  I am praying that this will stop at 12 weeks like everyone says it does... If so this will be the last week... (I'm not holding my breath!) We go back to the doctor on March 30th, unless I hear that my doctor wants me to see the maternal fetal specialist before then..

Friday afternoon, one of my friends from work went with me to start our registry at Babies R Us!  I had already registered online for the only triplet snap and go stroller and the car seats, but beyond that it was all to overwhelming to do on my own!  So, Leigh went with me and taught me A LOT!  This bottle vs that bottle, pacifiers, mattress pads and covers, diapers, diapers, diapers, and tons of wipes and much much more! OH and TOYS!  I had flash backs of the purpose of each of the toys in early childhood development and my Special Kids and Families days!  By the time we went through the whole baby department, I was exhausted!! You need so much of everything when you are having triplets!  I keep telling myself "God only gives me what I can handle... So I can do this!" 

Life in general has been insanely busy recently, and honestly I have WAY to much on my plate right now... teach all day, teaching after school dance class to my kiddos at MLC on Mondays, teaching dance at the studio on Thursdays, coaching with Ryan on Sundays, remodeling the kitchen, painting, MY SEWING BUSINESS!, the yearbook for MLC, along with keeping up with everything here at the house.. laundry, bills, dishes, dogs, etc etc.. I need to learn how to ask for help and to not take on so much....
Ryan's schedule doesn't look any better than mine and did I mention that he messed up his knee last weekend!  Thank God it's only really bruised!  After 2 doctor appointments, draining fluid off his knees, and an MRI this week, it was determined that he needs to wear a brace and take it easy for 2 weeks!  (Take it easy.. Yeah right!)

My big goal for the month is to get the flooring done down stairs (we decided to do laminate hardwood in the living room and dining room and possibly kitchen too!) I would prefer to do real hardwood, but we would definitely not get our monies worth out of it in this house.. So when we move in 3-5 years (to an area with better schools once all of this school consolidation crap finishes) we will have hardwood floors there.. Anyways the goal.. get the flooring done and the kitchen (take out existing base cabinets, replace them, move the fridge, install more cabinets, a new sink, counter top, and back splash... OH and start painting...
I think this goal is really big to complete in 3 weekends, BUT we don't have a lot of time considering we have to move the office to the current guest room, move the guest room to the current empty room, make the current office the NURSERY! Over the next 3 months I think we will be going through at least 10 gallons of paint.. SO if you like to paint and will work for food.. come on over! 

Okay I think I have rambled on about lots of randomness enough tonight.. it's late.. way past my bedtime!  Good night all!! Thanks for all of the thoughts, prayers, and cards!! We greatly appreciate all of the support!  I don't know what we would do without our family and friends! 
Love always,
Lindsey.. MOMMY TO BE OF TRIPLETS!