Goodevening and Happy Labor Day Weekend!

We apologize that we have not blogged in a while, we have been real busy with our most recent move. We plan to get back on track with our weekly updates.

We would like to first of all praise the Lord for the generosity of all of our family and friends. I don't have my Bible with me but I do know that the Lord loves all people more than the lillies of the field and the crows of the sky so He tells us not to worry about tommorrow as He will always provide for us in the time of our need. Words are not enough to thank every one out there that has generously given their time, weekends, weekdays, baby gifts, gift cards, labor, moving trucks, washers/dryers, and love to our family. We are so grateful for all of you and it is incredible that our babies' room is full of clothes, swings, bibs, rocking chairs, diapers, and much more. Thank you to all of you for being a blessing to our family and we pray that the Lord be with you. The servitude that we have seen out of all of our family and friends is truly a display of our Savior as He was the perfect servant. We pray that we may be able to serve you as you have served us. Thank you!

Furthermore, I would like to thank Vanessa for everything she does. Since the day we learned that Vanessa was pregnant she has done everything by the book in terms of taking the proper nutrients and vitamins recommended for a triplet pregnancy. I know that is why the doctor is amazed that the pregnancy is being carried so well and she allowed Vanessa to keep working. Speaking of work, as a husband it hurts me to see my wife work as she comes home with swolen feet, legs, carpel tunnel, and much more. She is extremely exhausted and I really don't know how she does it. She has pulled up her boot straps and doing amazing things for our family. Being newly self-employed does not always have immediate results and I just pray that I may be able to provide for our family. I tell Vanessa all the time, but I would like to reiterate how wonderful and beautiful she is and I will never forget what she has done for our family. She is going to be a wonderful mother and a delight to watch in action. The Lord has continued to teach me to trust in Him and he continues to teach me how to have Faith and be dependent on Him. I pray every day to help me live the life of Jesus and through Vanessa and all of our family/friends I have seen the most amazing acts of service and love. I hope to give back and multiply the blessings given to our family to the rest of you and others we don't know.

Next is an update on Mateo, Diego, and David. All of the boys as of last week weighed about 1.07 Lbs! That is larger than most triplet pregnancy averages. They are all very active including David and it is amazing to feel them move around. David, still has minimal liquids in his birth sac but his bladder has emptied but unfortunately there is still no opening for the liquid to get out and stop putting pressure on his chest cavity. We pray every night for all the boys and for David's healing, but we are preparing ourselves in the event David does not make it pass birth. I pray that the Lord if He chooses to take David, that he gives us a few minutes, hours, and hopefully days to spend with him. I give praise for any time we get to spend with David. I know through David the Lord will allow us to continue to spread the Good News of the Lord, although we are very troubled by his condition we praise the Lord for choosing us for this challenge. In the story of Job, the Lord allowed for many bad things to happen to him because he knew that Job would never turn from the Lord or denounce His Name. We pray for the same strenght that Job had, that although we may lose our son that we will never denounce the Name of the Lord. Just like He gave His only Son for our salvation, there is no greater love than the one demostrated through the crucifixion of Jesus. We accept the cup the Lord has given our family.

Finally, we would like to thank the Haskin's family for opening their home up to us. Although, we are excited about our new home we will miss our time with the Haskins. I really enjoyed seeing them in the morning and hearing them come back to school. My wife has turned my nephew into a Nintendo junkie and I turned my brother - in - law into a Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and Laura Ingraham fanatic. We enjoyed daily golf car rides through the hills of Lincoln driving through the "Streets of Dreams" and driving on private golf courses, and not being able to make it up the hill with over 4oo Lbs on an electric golf cart. The golf car rides were very relaxing and we were able to covet people's back yards and homes for a couple of minutes. Speaking of Nintendo, as I am writing this blog my nephew just came upstairs to turn it on and start playing. I have worked out of their home for the past two months on a round desk upstairs and will miss everything except for the lack of cell phone reception. My niece is wonderful and just laugh at how cute and bossy she is. Thank you to Monica for all of the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. We are very grateful to them and all of our family who provides blessings for us.

In closing, we have another appointment on Thursday and we are excited to see the kiddos. It will be here sooner than later as we are two months and counting. Thank you again to everyone and blessings to all of you.

Adrian and Vanessa

Back to School

It has been a long time since our last post, sorry. Anyone who has been near me the past few weeks knows how crazy back to school time is! School started on August 11th and I have been non stop ever since. I survived the first two weeks, barely, and now I am working half days...4 hours per day. This is only the second day, and it is definitely a transition, but I think it will be the best scenario. The kids will get to transition slowly into their new teacher, and I get to still interact with the little ones, but get to put my feet up around 1:00. I think it is the best of both worlds.

Last Friday, my grade level team, threw me a lovely shower. It was at Julie's house, and it was so much fun. The food was great, the game was awesome, and the company was perfect. I feel truly blessed to be a part of such a great staff at Coyote Ridge. I couldn't have asked for a better shower. Thanks to everyone who participated, but a special thanks to Julie, Jen, Denise, Kelsey, Brenna, Mona and Lisa who put the whole party together. When I do go out on bed rest, I am going to really miss you guys!!!

This weekend is our move. We get our keys on Saturday morning, and our crew is ready and waiting. It will be weird not to live with Monica and her family, it seems so natural now! Adrian and I will miss all of them so much...luckily the are just up the hill so we can come visit as often as we want!!

Next appointment is September 4. Looking forward to seeing our boys again soon. Oh, we are starting to feel a lot of movement lately...it is so neat!!

Late Pregnancy Class

Even though I am only 21 (almost 22) weeks along, it was suggested to us by our doctor that we take the late pregnancy class at Morse Hospital where we will deliver. She wanted to ensure that we take the class before I go on bed rest. Last night was our class, and we were surrounded by other pregnant couples, most due in the next 4-6 weeks, all with singleton pregnancies. So, Adrian and I were definitely out of place with our situation, but we still learned a lot.

We learned where and how to check in on our delivery day. We were given a list of things to bring along with us so that we are comfortable, and we were given the visitation 'rules.' Since this class was not for multiple pregnancies, it did not include a detailed tour of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), however, our teacher was extremely sympathetic to our situation and pulled some strings for us. We were able to go and talk to the charge nurse of the NICU after the general tour and have several of our questions answered.

The whole experience was extremely overwhelming and pretty emotional. Our hearts broke over and over as we attempted to wrap our brains around what our experience is going to be like. While talking with the nurse at the NICU, we had the opportunity to see a baby in a warming bed who was 33 weeks gestationally. He was so little and helpless, it brought tears to my eyes. The NICU was buzzing with tons of doctors and nurses, even at 8 pm, so I know our boys will be well taken care of. We will probably be sent home before our boys can come with us, so we plan to spend a lot of time at the NICU with our sons. Unfortunately, we can not stay the night with them after we are discharged.

Nothing can prepare us for the unknown. We know that we must take life one day at a time. It was nice to have some questions answered, but ultimately, we know that the Lord is in control of our lives. It is with trust, faith and prayer that we will get through this time of happiness and pain. The roller coaster of emotions that Adrian and I are experiencing on a daily basis is overwhelming. We are grateful for all of our friends and family who are supporting us through prayer, encouragement and distraction. Thank you to you all!!

Friends, Family and Fun!

On Saturday, Adrian's parents threw us a beautiful baby shower. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and it was great to spend time with old friends and family! Adrian and I feel tremendously blessed to have so many people who already love our kids. It was clear to us what a blessing these babies are going to be for so many people. Every day that passes makes us more anxious to meet our sons, and now we have so many cute things to look at to pass the time. Thank you to everyone for the gifts, we are overwhelmed at the amount of support we are receiving!

This week has been interesting. On Tuesday I was called to jury duty. Luckily, I was dismissed in just enough time to make it to our appointment with Dr. Hendershot. We saw all the babies and heard all the heartbeats. They are growing so fast, which is not hard to believe given the size of my belly! It was a very quick appointment, not much to report. All babies appear to be the same, David is still struggling to move because of the lack of fluid in his sack. Diego still interferes in his brother's frames. While we were looking at David, Diego's hand came into the picture, almost like he was patting his brother's back. How cute! Adrian and I like to think he was encouraging his brother...but I secretly I think he just wanted us to know he was there! Mateo was hanging out, being mellow...same old story. The most important information we got from this appointment is that I do have to go back to work...TOMORROW!!!!

I spent all of yesterday in my classroom preparing for the first day of school, Monday, August 11th (yes, that's right, my birthday!!). The AC was broken, and I think it must have been close to 90 degrees inside the classroom. It was so uncomfortable, but I had no choice. There was so much to do. I will go back today for a few hours and hopefully finish up. Tomorrow will be spent in meetings, so I won't have to much time to get work done. Our next appointment is August 19. Dr. Hendershot will check me out then and decide if I should keep on working.

Adrian and I found a house to rent in the Twelve Bridges neighborhood. We are going to sign our lease today. We should get the keys the last weekend of August. It will be weird not living with my sister and her family. We are so comfortable here! Luckily, they are just around the corner, and one of my other sister's is around the corner the other way!!

Lastly, my niece Andrea got engaged last week to Caleb. We are super excited for them. The wedding is April 4, right around the corner. Andrea is becoming quite the wedding planner, I am so proud of her! I can't wait to be a part of their special day. It also gives me motivation to lose the baby weight fast, I don't have a lot of time before I will have to squeeze into a bridesmaid's dress. Gold's Gym, here I come! Wait...will I have time for that???? I guess we will have to wait and see!

Armando and Sarah's Wedding

Here are just a few pics from the wedding festivities. Some are from the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the San Francisco Tour/Party Bus, and the reception. Enjoy!

As you can see, we all had a blast! After the ceremony at St. Ignatius Church, the wedding party loaded a charter bus and took a tour of San Francisco, stopping at some local watering holes for some food and drinks. After a few hours, we made it to the San Francisco Design Center for the reception. The DJ was great, the food was delicious, and the room looked beautiful! Armando and Sarah did a great job planning and coordinating their wedding! We loved all the personal touches added, like the soccer themed table names and the salsa jars as favors.

Adrian and I are most excited to have been able to stand by Armando and Sarah as they started their life as man and wife. They are an incredible couple, and we feel honored and blessed to have been a part of their special day. We look forward to our boys growing up with their kids and doing the things that cousins do...no pressure, you two!

This weekend, Adrian's parents are throwing us a baby shower at their home in Redwood City. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again and celebrating with them. We are sure that it will be a great time!

Our Boys!

Today we had another appointment and a super long ultrasound. It took over 2 hours for the technician to get a good look at all of our boys, but wow, what a show!! She measured all of their parts: brain, heart, kidneys, limbs, etc. It was neat to see everything, even thouugh 90% of the time we had no idea what we were looking at! She was very informative and helped us to see the organs or whatever else she was looking at. Dr. Hendershot came in at the end and "analyzed" all of the pictures...there were over 140 pictures to look at! Here is what she said:

Baby A...AKA: Mateo (meaning 'Gift of God') is holding his own at the bottom of my uterus. He was very calm, like last time, almost like he was meditating! All of his organs look great, normal size, and he was sure to show us his boy parts! He made his daddy proud!

Baby B...AKA: Diego (meaning 'teacher') continues to be the most active. I think he has a LOT to teach me!! He was sure to invade the frame if either of his brothers were being looked at. He would poke his foot, hand, butt, or any other part into the frame just enough to make the technician readjust what she was looking at. However, when she was looking at him, he was very cooperative, even holding still in certain positions long enough for the technician to take necessary measurments and pictures! It was almost like he knew he was being photographed. He also took every possible opportunity to show of his boy parts...it seems as if he is proud to be a boy!!

Baby C...AKA: David (meaning 'beloved') is growing along with his brothers. His heart and brain appear to be the right size and seem to functioning well. However, he still does not have much fluid in his sack so it is hard to get a good picture of him. His bladder is still oversized and not functioning properly. Dr. Hendershot seems to think that his problem is structural and not chromosomal since all of the other major organs are developing properly. She thinks that his legs are fused together, which is why he can not empty his bladder. In days past, women were burnt at the stake, said to be witches who mated with mermen, when they delivered babies with this abnormality. She wanted to prepare us for how he will look when he comes out, poor little guy! We discussed the possibility of organ donation, a thought that brings tears to my eyes, but also brings me peace if I can help another family save their baby. We have to wait and see if that is a viable option, there are too many factors to consider.

I am tipping the scales, and I officially weigh more than Adrian. My hands are getting numb in the middle of the night, which our doctor attributes to pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome. My heartburn is pretty consistent, I am very thankful for Tums! By the end of the day, my feet ache and they are very swollen. Adrian had been doing a good job at rubbing them for me! I can no longer wear my wedding ring, due to swelling. Other then all of that, I feel great!! I have yet to feel the boys kick me, something I am anxious to feel. The doctor warned me to be careful what I wish for! Adrian is doing great, being attentive to me and working hard at his business. I go back to work August 7th...hahahahaha that should be interesting!!

Bonus prize: I have jury duty August 4th!! I think I should try to get out of that!

Next post I will have pictures and details of Armando and Sarah's beautiful wedding! They did a great job!!! We are jealous that they are in Jamaica right now, soaking up the sun and relaxing. They certainly deserve it after all their hard work planning the wedding. Until next time...

The Wong Olympics!

Last year, our friend Nelson Wong turned 30. To celebrate his birthday, his wife, Lindsay, organized a day of friendly competition near their cabin in Tahoe City, called The Wong Olympics. Last year, after several events, the Red team was victorious. This year, Blue team was out for blood! The competition was fierce and included events such as kayaking, swimming, bike relay, and a scavenger hunt. Red team was ahead most of the time, but in the end blue team won the trophy!! Unfortunately, I was not able to participate this year, but I took lots of pictures and tried to be an unbiased referee. It was hard not to favor the blue team, since I am a former blue team member, but I did my best.

Thanks to Lindsay for organizing another fun weekend! There were some crucial missing players, and some new additions, who kicked butt! We are already looking forward to next year's games! Hopefully we can both play...might be kinda tricky with babies crawling around!!

Tonight we are off to Redwood City to gear up for Armando (Adrian's brother) and Sarah's wedding. We are looking forward to being a part of their special day, and can't wait to see everyone! We will be home Sunday with plenty of pictures and stories.

On a side note, we have been kicking around some names for our sons. Stay tuned for more information :)