Sunday, March 27, 2011

September 11, 2010...

Our wedding day. I was about 6 months pregnant with triplets and I definately looked like it.

It was a beautiful day. We had an awesome suite at The Signature at MGM, two right next to each other, one for the boys and one for the girls. However, the girls suite was bigger and much much better, top floor, balcony you could walk out on, huge bathroom, small kitchen. It was perfect for all the company we had in our room that day.

Waking up that morning, I was excited but not as much as I thought, I think I was more nervous. I was nervous that no one would be on time for the hair dresser, the make up and most importantly getting dressed and out the door. The hairdresser was on her way and guess what...no one was there but me and my kids. Cisco had gone to pick up the photographer and get Anthony's little tux...I called him freaking out about how my mom hadn't shown up yet and neither had any of my brides maids. It was horrible. I was ready to throw in the towel right at that moment. Right when I got off the phone with him a knock at the door...my mom had shown up. Thank God!

Then everyone else pretty much started streaming through the doors. Lunch was delivered by my wonderful bridesmaids and their husbands, it was such a laid back afternoon in the room. I loved it. No stress, no crying, no worrying. It was great. We all walked down to the salon to get our makeup done and that was great too...except for when we had to practically run back to the room to get dressed so we wouldn't be late for the limo. I was worried about how I looked, I just felt huge. I know I was pregnant with triplets but still, you are supposed to be all skinny and fabulous in your wedding dress.

The only time during the whole day I wanted to cry before my wedding was when we were getting off the freeway which was right next to my venue. Thanks to my bridesmaids talking so much the feeling fleeted right away. Getting out of the car it was non stop. The photographer started snapping right away and the videographer did the same. It was a great experience the whole way around. I think the worst part before the wedding was when I was left all alone in the dressing room. I was left there with my nerves and anxiety...it was horrible!

The wedding coordinator came into the room and told me that it was time. I was the last one to go outside. I stood in the door way and I could see the whole procession take off, one of those people being my husband to be. Someone that I hadn't seen all day and all I saw was the back of his head. I was so scared I would fall, or cry to the point of ruining my make up something.

With my dad on one side and my step-dad on the other side I walked down the aisle toward my fiance. I didn't fall, I nearly cried, but I made it to his side. As I walked up to him my dad had stepped on my very long veil and pulled my head back...it was pretty funny. I stepped forward again and took my fiance's hand. We listened to our pastor as he told us things that were important in being husband and wife, he recited passages to us, he helped us through our vows and he assisted us and Anthony and Olivia in lighting our unity candle bringing us together as one family. As we exchanged our rings and eventually sealing our commitment with a kiss the only tears that were shed from near by were those of our children.

We walked back up the aisle hand in hand, finally husband and wife. When coming to the rest area after the ceremony Anthony was crying so hard it was difficult to understand him, let alone trying to console him. Anthony crying made Olivia cry and then it was just a matter of settling them down so we could do pictures.

After doing all the photos it was time to party hard. That part was going to be a challenge for me, but I was willing to give it a try. I didn't eat dinner since I was so very sick to my stomach, but I was able to drink water and dance until I just couldn't dance any longer. When the cake cutting came up that was hard, I thought I may have needed a moment for that only because I didn't think I would get through it without being sick again. I did, but I didn't even get to taste my own wedding cake...that was such a shame.

Everyone told me to enjoy your day because it goes by so fast and it's true. I didn't think that I would believe it, but it's true. Before I knew it, it was time to get in the limo and head back to the hotel. I was ready too, my back hurt, my feet hurt, I had to use the restroom so bad because all night I refused to go since it was such a hassle with my dress and everything. When we got back to the room I nearly gave Cisco a pair of scissors to take me out of that dress so I could run to the bathroom. After that all I wanted to do was get into the giant jacuzzi tub and soak. When I went to bed that night I was hoping that I would sleep until 3pm...but I couldn't because we were heading out for our very close to home honeymoon that was ordered...

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Now What...

So the news of three was out. Our older kids Anthony and Olivia had mixed reviews. Anthony was kind of happy when he found out about one. But when two came along he threw a bit of a tantrum (he was 11 at the time) and then when three were discovered...good luck. It took a whole lot of convincing that he would still be loved, he would still have one on one time with me and dad and most importantly that he wouldn't be forgotten. After all of this was done and said, then he fell into it a bit better. Olivia on the other hand was excited with each discovered baby, there was no tantrums from our 12 year old. I think she was so excited about our babies coming so that she could help and most importantly probably hold them for hours at a time.

So now what, we knew about the three...we talked to each of the kids, the usual, "you know when the babies come things will be different right?" and then there was the wedding planning that was still getting underway.

Yes, that is right. When finding out about our babies we were in the middle of planning the much awaited function of the century. After 10 years my love had finally asked me to marry him on Thanksgiving 2009. So we were, or I was anyway, busy planning the wedding of my dreams. But now I had to factor in the fact that I was going to be VERY pregnant by the time the wedding came. I had already bought my dress, I had been going to the gym like a mad woman so that when the time for the fitting came along I would be able to size down my dress, bought the shoes (which seemed like a joke after I thought about how big I was going to get), and the plane tickets for the honeymoon were already booked.

Well now, I had to take my dress that I loved with all my heart back to the bridal store and trade in the same one for a bigger size (I called it my Orca dress), find new shoes (I decided on a cute pair of flip flop sandals, since heels would be out of the question), and after speaking to the doctor I knew that going to Florida for the Disneyworld trip of my dreams was going to be a far far away dream that was going to take many more years to achieve.

I had to definately do my prioritizing. Wedding first, babies later. It was all going to be back to back so I was going to be very busy.

Wedding being the priority was a must but very difficult. I was tired all of the time and sick sick sick. I couldn't keep anything down. Crackers...nope. Toast...nope. I could barely hold down water. It was such a struggle to go to work every night. The only good thing was that I sat behind a desk and was practically alone all night. I planned my wedding in between sleeping, eating and throwing up. Sometimes it never seemed as if it would get done, but slowly it did.

We slowly began getting ready for babies too during it all, our den that had pretty much started being a room for the kids as well as us to store things into was going to be the nursery, with some handy help from my dad, brother and husband. The room was an open space upstairs that needed a wall and a door to be enclosed, so there was some work to be done there.

I swore with the stress of it all I thought I would go into labor, but my doctor was just amazed at each appointment of my "Cervex of Steel"...the cervex you never see in multiples practically. I was just so proud I thought I should have the picture framed or something, he bragged to the assistants about it all the time, I thought I should start charging!

So as the summer started to pass and grew bigger with each day my anxiety would begin to mount more and more. I had a bad experience with delivering Anthony and I just knew that delivering these babies wouldn't be much of a cake walk either. I was also worried about the wedding. This was something that I had plastered in my head for years and years and now I had three other people to take into account...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

In The Beginning...

And in the beginning there was one...then two...then three. Natural triplets. How in the hell does that happen and how does it happen when there is no history and no miracle drugs. "One in a million" that's what Cisco says anyway, I think it's smaller, but either way it's a big number.

We had the first doctors appointment on May 5, 2010 and then saw Catherine. After a long long while of trying for a baby we were finally going to have one and we saw the tiny beginnings of our baby. So very tiny and small growing bigger every day. The doctor said everything looked great and he would see us back in two weeks.

Two weeks later he wanted to check in on Catherine to see how she was growing. Well the ultrasound machine that he was using didn't pick up a clear enough image so we needed to use the bigger and better machine in another room. The technician was looking and moving around and tells us, "Well they both have good heartbeats". "What do you mean two?" that was our reaction. She looked at us wondering why we were surprised. I think it occurred to her that we didn't know about the two until just then. She confirmed again, pointed them out and then proceeded to go and get the doctor. Shock and disbelief filled our faces. She gave us a little picture of Catherine and right next to her was Cecilia. The doctor said that I needed to come back in another two weeks so that he could see how the babies were progressing. I called my mom the minute we left the doctors office because I was so excited and I just still couldn't believe that I had two little babies growing inside my belly. She didn't believe me so much that she drove up to our house to look at the pictures.

Well two more weeks went by and so did another doctors appointment. Cisco couldn't go to this one since he had to work, so I went solo. Just a small check up on the little babies to see how they were developing. I laid down on the table and let the tech do her thing. She looked around, baby A was doing well with a nice strong heartbeat. Baby B was growing, she looked a little smaller but she had a good heartbeat and was growing since the last time she checked in on her. Upon looking around my belly more she said she saw another baby. She moved the little wand around and said that she indeed saw another heartbeat. "You are joking" was all I could get out. "You cannot be serious" was the other. It was just too hard to believe. I was trying to get used to the thought of two babies, and now this woman was telling me that I had three hanging out in there. I've never seen someone run out of the room to fetch a doctor so fast. He couldn't believe it either. I had to be seen by a high risk doctor as well as him so that I could be monitored closer. When leaving the room and waiting for the phone number all the nurses were so excited and happy for me. They told the doctor that he wasn't allowed to send me into that room anymore. It seemed that every time he did they found another baby. I told them not to worry because I wasn't going to be going in there any more either! They printed out another picture of all three babies and right above Catherine and Cecilia was little Charlie.

I went to my car, cried in disbelief, cried in misery, cried thinking about how my life was over, cried wondering how I was going to fit into the wedding dress that I just bought with triplets. After crying I took a picture of the ultrasound and sent it to Cisco with the message..."CALL ME NOW!!!" It didn't take long to get a phone call back. "What the hell?" was what I remember him saying. I told him the story in the doctors office and after that there wasn't too much more to be said, we were having three babies and he was at work when he heard so he had sit and think about that all night. That must have been fun....