Mastitis, our 1st pediatrician appt & no sleep...

Well, the 1st night w/ all 3 went fairly well. Then everything crashed & burned the next day. I woke up feeling fine although my right boob was hurting. I checked to see if I found any hard spots b/c I had just gotten clogged ducts in the left one last week. I guess I didn't look hard enough OR at that point it didn't matter anyway b/c I was on my way to getting a serious infection.

I went over to another triplet mom's home to see a stroller & was feeling feverish but just pushed it out of my head b/c I knew I couldn't be sick. Well, by the time I got home, I was freezing cold...yeah, in TX at 80 degrees...not possible especially if you are wearing jeans & a sweater. Yes, I was wearing a sweater. I didn't even have the AC on in the car. I was baking! I got inside & took my temp & was not really surprised that I had a fever of 101. I wasn't sure whether that meant I had mastitis or if I had gotten the flu. I remember reading that symptoms were similar to the flu so I decided to call Dr. Adam's nurse. She just so happened to pick up the phone & told me to come in right away. If she had missed my call, I would have ended up going to the ER instead. Thank God for perfect timing!

So off I went to the doc's. Todd was left alone w/ the kids but reinforcements were on the way. Both grandmas were hussling to come over. I was hussling to get to the office before Dr. Adam had to leave. I got there & was seen right away which never happened before. The nurse & Dr. Adam both checked me out & sure enough, I had a raging infection. Dr. Adam massaged the areas where the clogs were located. OUCHIE! I told here I didn't know what was worse, the c-section or what she was doing to me. She did manage to unclog them but my boob was sore for 2 days afterwards. They prescribed me a couple of antibiotics & sent me home. I'm glad I was smart enough to ask if I would get a fever again & they told me to expect one through the 1st 24 hrs until the meds kicked in.

Now, I wish they had told me how bad the fever would get. I got home & could feel the fever rising so I went to bed or at least I tried to. Going to bed in the same room as 3 babies...not very possible. I stayed anyway b/c I just couldn't muster up the strength to go anywhere else. By the time midnight rolled around, my temp had sky rocketed to 103.8. Todd, his mom, & his friend were trying to convince me to call Dr. Adam again or to get in the shower but I ignored them for a good hour b/c I was too tired. By the time I woke up, the fever had not gone away despite me taking 3 Advil. I finally realized it was time for the dreaded COLD shower. So, here I was at 2am in the morning, taking a 45 minute cold shower. It got my temperature down to 102. Finally, the big sweat kicked in at around 3:30am. I was feeling much better & decided to take on the 5am feeding w/ Donna (she stayed the night to help) b/c Todd was exhausted.

Mind you, we had our 1st pediatrician appt that morning (Thursday) at 9:40am. They were trying to convince me not to go but I couldn't miss the 1st appt. I was feeling much better but that didn't last for long. We managed to get to the dr's office on time which was amazing. We also realized on the way there that our little CRV just wasn't going to make the cut. We are now shopping around for a used Honda Odessey or an Expedition, maybe a Tahoe. When we arrived, we put the the kids in the triple decker stroller & were on our way. The 3 ring circus arrived. It didn't take 2 minutes before we were asked if someone could take our picture. Todd told them, "Sure!" Everyone else's eyes were popping out of their heads.

We got in to the pediatrician, Dr. Nguyen, & immediately liked the staff but especially liked her nurses. She is also fantastic! I think we aren't going to have any issues w/ her. She even told us she would fill out the paperwork for us to get the Enfamil cases each month. WOOT! Seeing that my milk supply is really low due to the mastitis, we are using up formula like nobody's business. By the time we were finished there, I could feel the fever returning. BLAH...I was feeling like ass. Plain & simple.

Oh...let me share the measurements of the kids w/ everyone...

Sofi ~ Left the NICU weighing 4.12 & is now weighing 5.4 & is 18 1/4" long.
Gabi ~ Left the NICU weighing 4.10 & is now weighing 5.4 & is 18 1/4" long.
Ian ~ Left the NICU weighing 4.10 & gained 1 oz in 1 day. He is 18 3/4" long.

They are also perfectly healthy. At least we had that going for us. I got home & fell asleep for a while. It helped but the fever wasn't gone for good until later that evening. Donna stayed another night w/ us which gave us an opportunity to sleep some hours. The kids also behaved themselves quite well.

Then, everything went to hell in a handbasket last night/this morning. The kids have been super fussy throughout the whole night which explains why I am writing this entry at 5:30am rather than during the day. Todd is totally exhausted so I sent him upstairs to catch some sleep. Since I was on my own for the 5am feeding & changing of the diapers, I couldn't pump. Here I sit, pumping & typing. What a sight!

I can't say that this has been an easy week. Honestly, it has been pretty rough but I am keeping a positive attitude. Yes, it is hard to stay positive when you have had no sleep but the alternative is not something I want to deal w/...depression or frustration. Our children are beautiful & we love them very much. Right before Todd went upstairs, he told us all he loved us very much. That is what it is all about. Our love for one another. If you are expecting triplets, this is the hardest part of the whole thing or so I have been told. So far, the personal accounts of others are accurate. I know it too will pass & we will wish that they were this small all over again b/c the truth is they are beautiful, cute, & cuddly. I already don't want them to get bigger.

We will prevail! It will get easier & we will make it through this rough spot. Ok, pumping is over & I'm going to get an hour of sleep while I can!