Ready, Get Set, Go!

We are sprinting towards the finish line.  

With a little over three months left (hopefully), we are cramming in all we can while Kelly is still feeling well and mobile.  Yes, it sounds like awhile, but with the chances of premature labor and whatnot being increased from 20 weeks on, we don't feel like we'll be footloose and fancy free for too much longer. 

The babies are fine as of last week, with all three heartbeats around 140bpm, which is perfectly normal.  Kelly is doing really well and being active most of the day.  

Kelly's been taking care of getting our baby inventory checked off.  Garage sales, friends, family, we're getting the things we think we'll need to help raise the little people.  

And for those of you who are wondering what Kelly looks like now at nearly 5 months...

And for those pregnancy nerds out there, no we don't have a measurement! 

We joke that her belly looks like mine in college after relying on light beer as one of my primary food groups. 

Some pics of the basement: 

This is the wall we framed for the new W/D.  Plumbing: courtesy of our friend Joe Rowley; crooked pipe, courtesy Mike. 

This is the hole we chiseled through our foundation for the dryer vent.

This is nearly finished wall, with paneling, sticky tiles, laundry sink and trim.  

And one of our primary forms of entertainment the past couple of weeks is our alley.  We live in an older part of town that has an alley in the middle of the block where everyone's garage is and they pick up the trash, etc. 

When we have stuff we don't want, we either bring it to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or put it out by the alley.  The alley is WAY more fun.  

When we started cleaning out the basement, first went the old cabinets and countertop, and a Hello Kitty ironing board.  They were gone before evening.  A guy riding his bike stopped by and rang our front door bell. 

 "You guys want those cabinets!?!"  And he actually had an old-school tape walkman strapped to his arm.  He said he'd be back in the morning, but he must have caught the alley fever.  We saw him with a handcart five minutes later taking the countertop, then he came back with another dude in a pickup and got the rest...he was giving us the thumbs up as he went away with his "new bathroom cabinets"...we recommended he let them air out since they were a bit moldy.  

Next up: our old leaky washer.  Our friend Joe and I hauled it out in the morning, then not 20 minutes later we heard a commotion from the garage.  Washer gone.  One guy, a pickup and his brand new washer.  Sweet. 

Last: our relatively new gas dryer that came with the house.  Nothing fancy, dried kinda slow.  It's the alley for you, old friend.  The dryer didn't go as fast as the other stuff, but this past weekend, a guy in a Jeep Cherokee pulled up.  My sign on the dryer read:  Free! Gas Dryer, It Works!  First thing he shouts over to me: "Hey, does this thing work good?" Good thing I wasted my sharpie and construction paper so he can ask if it works.  Satisfied with my thumbs up, he deadlifts the appliance on the roof rack of the Cherokee and takes off.  Another satisfied customer.  

Yeah, we're easily entertained, but we can't think about pregnancy all the time! 

PS for those who voted in the poll, we're finding out July 8.  Good luck! 

Too Much Water

Top: Oakville, IA post office after a levee broke on the Iowa River, inundating the entire town and surrounding area. 

Middle: Area around Oakville.  Normally farm fields, several feet of water make it look like a lake, where the Iowa and Mississippi Rivers have joined to create the debacle.  Several levee workers commented about farms incurring over 7 feet of water upon inspection.  

Bottom: Downtown Cedar Rapids, IA where the Cedar River overflowed its concrete embankments and engulfed over 1300 square blocks. 

More pictures: www.thehawkeye.com; Oakville pics; Schworris Blog; Iowa City Press Citizen; 

Just a glimpse into what the scenery of east central and southeast Iowa looks like at the moment and in recent days.  

Many of you probably saw the devastation in Cedar Rapids, where 24,000 people were evacuated and the entire downtown was flooded in at least seven feet of water; or in Iowa City where many University buildings were severely damaged with several feet of water.  

But further south, entire communities in Iowa and Illinois were flooded and evacuated. Granted, these are small communities with only several hundred people, but these people are friends, family and co-workers.  Lives have been changed forever, and some have been lost forever.  

When levees broke on these communities, minutes were literally all people had to get out or get swallowed by the water; that included the people on the levees working to save them. 

I worked to sandbag a levee on Monday, next to a guy from Oakville (top picture) who had lost his house and wanted to help someone else not lose theirs.  

Today I worked next to Amish Mennonites from 70 miles away and a guy from West Bend, Iowa, over 150 miles away who came to help. 

I never really understood the devastation of a flood until it happened to me as an adult, in the community I live in.  Never again will I see pictures or read a story about a flood without really feeling something for the people going through it.  It's absolutely terrible, and a clear reminder about the tenuous existence we share with Mother Nature.

Kelly and I are not affected directly by the flood, but certainly knew people who are, like Kelly's cousin Katie.  Our prayers will remain with those people for a long time.  

________________________________________________________

On to baby news.  Kelly is feeling fine, watching her belly grow larger by the day and wondering what the last few weeks of pregnancy will be like.  

Kelly had a checkup last week (no ultrasound) and all is well.  They measured three strong heartbeats and Kelly's vital signs were normal.  

I've been working on the basement with friend Joe and making good progress.  Pictures to come! 

Our next full checkup (with ultrasound) is July 8, where we will find out the sexes of the babies...see poll on the top right of the page, and let us know what you think they will be.  If there are pools going on, we want a piece of the action! 

The Golden Weeks

Ever feel like you just had everything going for you in life, like the "Golden Girls"? 

We are ridin' high, smelling the roses and loving life.  Feeling like there is no problem we can't solve! 

As you might have guessed, Kelly is feeling better.  School is out, food looks good and Target no longer smells bad.  

We have two heads now planning out the later days of pregnancy, baby showers and the nursery.  And what to do when we get them home.  Thankfully, Kelly has a head for babies like some people have a head for numbers.  Asking me what a baby needs is like asking...well you don't want to know. Thank God for Kelly. 

It has been a quick transition from morning sickness, to be sure.  Actually I don't know where the time has gone.  When times are good, you can't remember what it feels like when they weren't. 

In any case, we need to make hay while the sun shines.  We've got some planning to complete and things to accomplish, like getting the nursery ready, new W/D installed and to complete our little basement bathroom.  Safe to say we're nesting? 

Lately Kelly and I have really been counting our blessings because I think deep down we really know that we are extremely blessed on all sides of the triplet issue.  That we have three to begin with, that we haven't had any complications and that we have a stable, safe home to raise them in once they're born.  

We're also thankful for all of the support from friends and family.  It's amazing all of the support we've received.  Thank you - the weight on our shoulders is lighter with all of you! 

 

Belly Time

We have officially arrived at belly time.  

             Note: Not Kelly

Last Saturday Kelly popped.  At the risk of sounding crude (sorry, Mom) it was like a real-time science experiment that really worked.  

All of Kelly's clothes were fitting just fine, thank you very much, up until that 13 1/2 week mark when things changed.  As I previously said '2/19 changed everything', 5/24 changed Kelly's wardrobe.  We are in: The Maternity Zone.  

Truth be told, the maternity  pants look really comfortable.  

Sometimes I eat a little too much for supper, or have one too many beers and feel full.  What are the options for a modern man to regain comfort in the face of fullness?  1) Just suffer; 2) Unbutton your pants; 3) Change into something with an elastic band, like pajama pants. 

Option 1) is only really for polite company that you just can't be embarrassed in front of; option 2) is reserved for Thanksgiving or football games only. And that leaves us with option 3). Hope Kelly likes men's large maternity pants, 'cause I'm gettin' some!

The end of May brought many subtle, but welcome changes to our

pregnant lifestyle.  Kelly can now ride in the front seat of the van without the heaves; meat is back on the menu and morning sickness is now in the rearview mirror.  

The end of May has also brought the realization that our home isn't ready for babies yet.  Not that it takes much, I mean the baby won't know the difference between 'lion's mane' and 'sailor blue' on the walls, but we will certainly notice if all of our old crap is getting in the way of taking care of the kids efficiently.  

Cleaning closets, moving furniture and starting a Goodwill pile were all on the list this weekend.  We accomplished much and laid some new plans: new washer and dryer and a toilet in the basement.  This weekend we did at least 10 loads of wash and realized that we will need a more efficient way of doing laundry at 912 White St.  Here come the front load, super size W/D. 

We also realized the practicality of having a toilet in the basement to accompany the existing shower and sink and the newly finished living area.  There will be many guests, family and possibly a nanny utilizing the basement, and it just makes sense to group sink, shower and toilet together.  

Memorial Day weekend Kelly brought her three mentor kids from school to the Snake Alley Criterium and we had a blast.  If you have never seen these bicycle races, you should.  It is amazing what these men and women can do on a bicycle!