well, congregation, it happened: bruna is in the hospital! it started with the break of dawn. blood! "blood has no part in a pregnacy!", said the doc. which explains the shock that drove us to the hospital. the doc-on-duty has - hesitantly, not to say shy - ordered an immediate admission. now i am dad2be, single dog sitter and straw-widower in one person...

the GOOD news: everything seems OK, as far as heart beats, growth and movements go, but it seems to be thin ice... nothing exact aint known, colloquiallly spoken... in any event, bruna is on TR&R (total rest and relaxation) and i will accept any kind of - according to my very own mom URGENTLY needed - assistance... :)

"the little mick has temporarily lost his honey and the three-headed dragon to the hospital and now urgently needs cooking, cleaning and all sorts of other assistance!"

but seriously: our optimism is still unbroken, together we will make it, NO DOUBT! hospital, shmospital! let us crave the soon-completed future:

THEY WILL HAVE BEEN BORN!

lord, let it be april!

they are there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the first movements... this is one of the moments when dad wants to be mom _SO_ bad! of course, i have no idea what it feels like and the explaination attempts are rather vague, and _OF COURSE_ they move only when my hand is _NOT_ on the belly... but bruna says they move. and not only once, but several times... so, for me it is waiting again... WAITING! great... hmpff!

without the three-headed dragon... relaxing - without chocolat stains in the carpet, no broken toys, noteven the tree toppled...
BUT also without that glow in kids' eyes, that magic that christmas had in our own childhood days...

THAT will be fun next year! just over christmas i have seen pictures of the little son of a relative: aged only 3 short months, that junior is already on his belly and ellbows, happy as can be! if ours can make that, next christmas everything will be different already! and the one after that daddy will get his first self-drawn picture as a gift! :)

last doc's visit was very positive again, too: they all still grow at (exactly) the same rate. a shining idol of sharing everything! and what "parent" can say this of their offspring? :)
oh, yeah, and then - out of the blue - the single one had a VERY exhibitionistic moment and forced an information upon us that we hadn't wanted, at least _I_ hadn't... which is why i'm gonna sit on it until 15 comments demand otherwise! :-P

well, in that spirit, thanx to all readers and a very successful and happy 2011!

no, NOT what you think! it's the kids' size by now!
darn, thinks the observant reader, over 5" in two weeks?! can't be, no? exactly! so far we measured the cranium-coccyx-length, without legs. but the three headed dragon is getting a little large for this now, so from here on out it's gonna be head diameter and torso diameter, and from those the overall length, bumper-to-bumper, so to speak, is calculated. in the pictures you can see how vitally they develop.



they are already sticking their heads together (help!).


and the measurement of details reveals a foot length of over half an inch already!


still rather "littlefoot", let's see where that will go...

by the way, i painfully miss the hoped-for participation in the gender-peek poll, chapter 07. just 5 votes, 5 LOUSY votes... :-/

well, we went to the streets and asked 100 randomly picked people what "neck fold transparency measurement" is, sorted out the 2 accidental gynecologists (for the risk of cheating) and came to the following results: top answer: qualifying test for a modeling carreer. in other words: an utterly unknown term, this neck fold business, there...

no, nonsense, of course. the size of the so-called neck fold is widely linked to the probability of genetic defects of the babies and thus can reduce the necessity of a fruit water analysis. after all, who wants to take responsibility for poking a long needle into a belly filled with 3 joyfully moving future microcitizens and not getting anyone hurt?
the good news is, YES, the results show a very low probability, which means no fruit water puncture, no new holes in the fur, from here on out it's "enjoy pregnancy". well, thinks the engineer, quality gate 1: passed! and continues to be very very happy!

the funny and prominent moments in this context are, i can not refuse to mention with a cunning shine in my eyes, that with the wisdom one picks up in the process of a multiple pregnancy one can amaze even multiple mothers, something i would have compared to - say - a 5-mile-car-ride with no comment about inappropriate speed... :)

well, everyone knows pickup lines, now it is triplets punchlines time! or as the terminator would say: "basic philosophy is among my subroutines!"
(i do say it was mightier with quadruplets, but with triplets the bills pay easier, as i found out last night!)

so, here we go, punchlines, take one:
when we decide to go to the sauna together, the others will have to stay home, because there simply wont be room!

or: if we all dive into the public pool, it'll be empty! (evil tongues underline at this point that this would be especially true if the kiddos end up lookin like me, mick. smilingly, i let them have their infantile joy, them bastards! :))

or, my favourite: say the mayor or president does something we dont like, we just all run for the office, odds are, one of us is gonna make it! :) some wars are won by tactics, others with sheer size of the army...

bottom line: still VERY happy with the numbers!

Waiting. but at least i could update the game, right?


well, since we're not actually having quadruplets (anymore) but triplets, the game should be to find groups of three, right?

ok, here we go. rules should be clear, if not, scroll down. and the examples are: the three little pigs and charlie's angels.

now you. have fun! :)

Well, FINALLY! that stage is cleared: the "risky time" lies behind us five. the kids have fully developed. Everything needed is there, even if we can not see it, yet. :) from here on out they just grow, which shows the first thing they have in common with their dad: he is also growing, especially in the middle. unfortunately he does not have _THAT_ good an excuse as mum does. perhaps life aint as unfair as we claimed a while back...

here is another pic, just to save a thousand words (with triplets one does tend to run out of time and there is no such thing as starting practice too early!):

all 3 are visible in cross section. and here is another one, from an individual baby:

YES! the identicals are still with us! and they move! all three move! quite some agility, in fact! wavin', shakin', kickin'...

the image is a cross section portraying all 3.

a funny thing to see. and an unknown spot touched in our hearts. kids are cool! :)

actually it is very easily said: there are now 3 kids instead of 4.

but it is also a bit difficult.

there are heaps of advantages: less risk - for the kids AND bruna. less effort in caring. more individual affection. less cost. more quality time.

but there are also some disadvantages.

in a nutshell: it is definetly a good thing.

but there is also a little aftertaste.

it just had to be said, and we are glad it is out now. berthold brecht once said: "when a friend leaves, you need to close the door. otherwise it will get cold!"

here's to a warm future.