As I lay on my back, watching the monitor, a gestational sac came into view…then another. “There are TWO?” I gasped.

The ultrasound tech was quick to correct me. “No. There’s another one over there. Three. Congratulations, it’s triplets!” She ran off to get her boss to confirm the findings, while I may have blacked out for a moment.

When I was a little girl, I’d always dreamed of having a large family. I’d have six kids and a cat, I imagined, and live in the country near a stream. This image was firmly planted in my mind, and I’d never quite given it up, even after years of struggling with the painful loss of miscarriage.

It was in May that my husband and I found out I was pregnant again. For us, pregnancy news always brings great joy, but also deep anxiety. After all, suffering through nine early losses does not leave a person unscathed. For us, those first nine weeks of pregnancy are filled with trepidation.

For the initial ultrasound, I had decided to go alone. It was so early in the pregnancy, I figured we likely wouldn’t see anything quite yet. Clearly, I was wrong. When the tech and her boss filed back into the room, I forced myself back into the reality of the moment, excited but still stunned, and anxious to reach my husband. After dressing in a haze, I dialed my husband’s number. No answer. Triplets isn’t the kind of news to leave in a voicemail or write in a text. So, after I tried calling repeatedly, I ultimately decided to drive the 40 minutes to his job, armed with ultrasound images, to tell him in person.

I arrived in a whirlwind, rushing in and thrusting the pictures into his hands.

Naturally, he had no idea what he was looking at.

So I slowly, carefully counted out the babies for him. “Honey, there’s a baby…and there’s another one….and there’s a third baby!”

He zoned out. For a minute, there was a complete disconnect with reality. You can’t really blame him, but it was still hilarious.

Next, I drove home to tell our other children. The house filled with hoots and hollers, clapping and yelling. So much immediate joy for these new babies.

The following week, with my husband beside me this time, we saw three beautiful heartbeats on the monitor screen. We’ve nicknamed babies A, B, and C after fruits, temporarily: Apple, Berry, and Cutie.

It’s been amazing to watch them grow week by week, waving and kicking. I have blossomed rapidly, as well, measuring a full 12 weeks ahead of a normal schedule–which is expected for a triplet pregnancy, according to my OB and MFM (maternal fetal medicine specialist).

The whole family is working on getting informed and being prepared. As you can imagine, this is a new world for us. I didn’t realize how little I knew about multiple gestation (the technical term, which was also new!). Try out Dr. Barbara Luke’s brief quiz on multiples and see how well you do. It’s eye-opening. Her book When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads has been a wealth of information for us.

My dreams really have come true, but in an even better, bigger way than I’d imagined. Instead of the six kids I’d hoped for, we’ll have a total of seven living children. We do live in the country, with a creek in our own backyard. With careful planning and divine provision, I’ve been able to stay home and homeschool our kids.

I don’t expect everything to be sunshine and roses; I’m acutely aware that this will prove more challenging in upcoming months. There will be hard days. But I also believe we can get through them one at a time. There will be great struggle, but there will be great joy, as well.

We would appreciate any tips or advice for multiples. And, of course, we’d love for you to join us in prayer for these babies, who are already so loved.