The boys had a doctor's appointment on Wed. I guess it was their 4 month appointment, but I'm honestly not sure what we call it. But everything went well...even their first vaccinations :-( They screamed like you would expect, but they have calmed down and so far are behaving as normal now that they are home. So far, so good....
Most of all, we were curious about how much they weighed. I think the last time we weighed them all together they were in the 8-9 lb range. Today...they were in the 11-12 lb range which is a gain of almost 20-25% in just over a month!! Pretty exciting. Most importantly, they are all gaining on the preemie percentile chart. If you recall...our first few appointments, they were not even making it onto the chart. Now, their weights are all in the 63-83% range. Those are still on the preemie chart, though, so most people still consider them small.
That's easy for them to say...we saw these guys at birth and they have more than doubled in size...and it is noticeable.
Caleb is our little heifer. He weighed 12lb 4oz...almost a full pound more than his "younger" brothers. But...he is the shortest...at 22.5 in. The funny thing about Caleb is that his head circumference was in the 94th percentile....you'd have to see it to believe it. The interesting thing is that during the pregnancy...all three of them measured larger than normal sized melons. Hopefully that is a good sign of healthy brains!!
Gideon weighed the least...he was 11lb 2oz. But...he was longer than Caleb at 23.1". If you put the two side by side you really get the feeling that Caleb is gonna be a football player or catcher...and Gideon is gonna be the runner. Gideon has long, slender legs. His head was more proportional to his body too. He still has adorably big eyes and we always love his smile!! His reflux is not as bad as it used to be...but he still has moments where he either spits up a lot or is just clearly uncomfortable. He actually had an ultrasound on his tummy a week or so ago...but all was normal so that was good.
Ezra weighed 11lb 5oz and was 23.4" long. He hasn't been eating as well as the other two so I wouldn't be surprised if Gideon overtakes him in weight one of these days. His lack of appetite earned him his own individual trip to the doctor, but they just think it is reflux or colic as well. The frustrating part about his situation is the variety of advice we seem to get from different docs or PAs. Some say, "Give him gripe water" other say "Don't give him grip water." Well heck...we can just go on google to get that kind of advice. Which we did...and since gripe water seems to work...we do it!! :-)
We've taken the opportunity to take the boys out in public more. We take them to church on Sundays which is fun. For some of the hassle of having triplets...watching people get so excited to see your little boys is a definite joy. Plus...the ladies there are so willing to help Autumn that in some ways...doing care time there is easier than at home!! :-)
They also go on daily (sometimes twice daily) walks when the weather is nice...and we even went out for ice cream the other day. Hopefully, if the weather is nice, Autumn and Granddaddy Greg will take the boys to National Harbor tomorrow. But unfortunately, the forecast is not too great so that might be a weekend trip or something.
Anyways, that is about it....God Bless!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
3 Month Pictures...
We don't have them yet. But today was another milestone...the boys had their first professional portraits taken. Autumn got the idea from a friend to have the boys pictures taken at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. So today was the first set and things went surprisingly well!!
First off...the photographers were really nice. I'll hold off going into too much detail until we see the proofs (don't want to jinx the process and editing!). But we were super pleased.
But more importantly...isn't this always the case...the boys did great!! We scheduled it so the photographers would arrive just as we were finishing their 9am feeding since this is when the are in their best moods. We had them in their first of two outfits (3rd set was in just diapers). Once they figured out the lighting we were off. As a whole, we found ways to get them to at least look in the general direction of the cameras (bells) and I think we got some good shots.
As a whole...I think they shots we get will be nice. We took some group photos in their crib, individual shots and group shots on a blanket, group diaper shots, and some fun shots where they each faced in and then out like "spokes" on a wheel. We also tried to get some family shots (with Teddy!).
By the time we were done, the boys were ready to eat again and staring to get fussy. But they were amazingly well behaved and super calm during most of the shoot. It will be so fun to get the proofs back and we'll be sure to post the best ones. What will be more fun is looking back on these and comparing them to the next few months photos and seeing how quickly our little weeds are growing!!
God Bless!!
J
First off...the photographers were really nice. I'll hold off going into too much detail until we see the proofs (don't want to jinx the process and editing!). But we were super pleased.
But more importantly...isn't this always the case...the boys did great!! We scheduled it so the photographers would arrive just as we were finishing their 9am feeding since this is when the are in their best moods. We had them in their first of two outfits (3rd set was in just diapers). Once they figured out the lighting we were off. As a whole, we found ways to get them to at least look in the general direction of the cameras (bells) and I think we got some good shots.
As a whole...I think they shots we get will be nice. We took some group photos in their crib, individual shots and group shots on a blanket, group diaper shots, and some fun shots where they each faced in and then out like "spokes" on a wheel. We also tried to get some family shots (with Teddy!).
By the time we were done, the boys were ready to eat again and staring to get fussy. But they were amazingly well behaved and super calm during most of the shoot. It will be so fun to get the proofs back and we'll be sure to post the best ones. What will be more fun is looking back on these and comparing them to the next few months photos and seeing how quickly our little weeds are growing!!
God Bless!!
J
Thursday, April 1, 2010
3 Months Old and a Trip to the Capital...
Well...it has been forever since I last posted. Things have been very, very busy and seem to get more busy every day. I suspect this will continue until I finish my Thesis. It will be nice to come home at some point and be able to "leave" work at work. I can't complain though. My hours allow me to spend more time than usual at home...and is pretty flexible too. Just gotta write that thesis!!
The boys are three months old today...and oh how they have grown. The last time any of them was weighed was a few weeks ago. Gideon had an unscheduled doctors visit because he wasn't keeping his formula / breast milk down. He was quite a bit smaller than Caleb or Ezra so we were concerned he wasn't getting enough nutrients and calories. But he weight just over 9lbs...and he was the small one.
Caleb feels like a huge monster compared to Ezra and Gideon. It is funny to hold one of them for awhile...then to hold Caleb. You can really notice a difference. His appetite is really paying off. He takes 4oz easily...5 oz occasionally...and for his final meal before bed time he takes about 5.5 oz. He is still the most grumpy when he is hungry...but he seems more controlled than a few weeks ago. His personality is also starting to show through more. When he is happy...he has a really cute smile..sort of mischief looking!!
Gideon is still our happy little cutie pie. You'd never know he was the most uncomfortable of the three. If he isn't having reflux pain or spitting up his formula he is always smiling. He is such a little treasure because his smile is infectious..and when you smile at him...he just smiles back bigger!! The last week or so he is starting to take more milk at feeding times. But he still spits a lot of it back up. It isn't as bad as it used to be but we continue to pray he gets better so we know he is getting the nutrients he needs. He is also so fun to hold because he will curl into you so quickly.
Ezra is still Ezra. He is sort of a cross between Caleb and Gideon. He has a very cute side of him that has us continually discussing his future as a "baby model." He has bright smiles and a big ole mouth without teeth!! Like Caleb...he can have a grumpy side. He seems to take after his big brother in his willingness to show his extreme dissatisfaction when not fed right when he wants. He also has started this thing where he only takes a little bit at night...then screams bloody murder when you try to give him the rest of his bottle. Very strange...but we just take it as his way of saying "No thanks...I'm done." But he is still such a cute little baby...we love him...and his brothers to death!!
RSV season has kept the boys indoors since they were born. We decided it was nice enough to finally take them outside for an adventure. Because of its unique relationship to Washington DC, we decided to have their first outing to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
As a whole, things went pretty good. You might not believe that when I tell you we never made it to the festival itself...but in some ways...getting the boys out and just getting a feel for everything involved was as much of a success as anything.
The biggest hindrance was traffic....go figure. We also had to have Gigi take the Metro into the city and meet us somewhere because with the boys...our SUV only has room for two adults (driver and passenger). We also got stuck in traffic right when the boys feeding time was so we had to adjust a variety of things.
Ultimately, Autumn and her mom met up at the Washington Memorial and began to feed the boys while I spent another 15-20 minutes trying to find a place to park. By the time I got to them, feeding time was almost done...but us adults needed to eat. So...we found a concession stand...got some hot dogs and enjoyed a picnic outdoors. After that...we decided to take what we learned and get out of town while we were ahead. The boys had been really good up to that point...we were all in relatively high spirits...and we knew we had to deal with afternoon traffic.
It was a good little run. We learned a lot and if nothing else...we certainly have the confidence and comfort with the Triple Decker stroller (pictured below) to go out whenever we want to. I think we'll just avoid national events in the city.
Right now...the boys are sleeping, but I am gonna feed them one last time before going to bed. The trip to the city did throw off their feeding times a bit and we want to be sure they get the calories they need.
Thanks for all the well wishes...I'll try to write again more quickly this time!!
God Bless!!
The boys are three months old today...and oh how they have grown. The last time any of them was weighed was a few weeks ago. Gideon had an unscheduled doctors visit because he wasn't keeping his formula / breast milk down. He was quite a bit smaller than Caleb or Ezra so we were concerned he wasn't getting enough nutrients and calories. But he weight just over 9lbs...and he was the small one.
Caleb feels like a huge monster compared to Ezra and Gideon. It is funny to hold one of them for awhile...then to hold Caleb. You can really notice a difference. His appetite is really paying off. He takes 4oz easily...5 oz occasionally...and for his final meal before bed time he takes about 5.5 oz. He is still the most grumpy when he is hungry...but he seems more controlled than a few weeks ago. His personality is also starting to show through more. When he is happy...he has a really cute smile..sort of mischief looking!!
Caleb in his Bumbo
Caleb on the changing table
Gideon is still our happy little cutie pie. You'd never know he was the most uncomfortable of the three. If he isn't having reflux pain or spitting up his formula he is always smiling. He is such a little treasure because his smile is infectious..and when you smile at him...he just smiles back bigger!! The last week or so he is starting to take more milk at feeding times. But he still spits a lot of it back up. It isn't as bad as it used to be but we continue to pray he gets better so we know he is getting the nutrients he needs. He is also so fun to hold because he will curl into you so quickly.
Gideon is always smiling!!
Except when he's sleeping!
Ezra is still Ezra. He is sort of a cross between Caleb and Gideon. He has a very cute side of him that has us continually discussing his future as a "baby model." He has bright smiles and a big ole mouth without teeth!! Like Caleb...he can have a grumpy side. He seems to take after his big brother in his willingness to show his extreme dissatisfaction when not fed right when he wants. He also has started this thing where he only takes a little bit at night...then screams bloody murder when you try to give him the rest of his bottle. Very strange...but we just take it as his way of saying "No thanks...I'm done." But he is still such a cute little baby...we love him...and his brothers to death!!
Ezra just looking around!!
Ezra loves to hold onto you when sleeping!!
RSV season has kept the boys indoors since they were born. We decided it was nice enough to finally take them outside for an adventure. Because of its unique relationship to Washington DC, we decided to have their first outing to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
As a whole, things went pretty good. You might not believe that when I tell you we never made it to the festival itself...but in some ways...getting the boys out and just getting a feel for everything involved was as much of a success as anything.
The biggest hindrance was traffic....go figure. We also had to have Gigi take the Metro into the city and meet us somewhere because with the boys...our SUV only has room for two adults (driver and passenger). We also got stuck in traffic right when the boys feeding time was so we had to adjust a variety of things.
Ultimately, Autumn and her mom met up at the Washington Memorial and began to feed the boys while I spent another 15-20 minutes trying to find a place to park. By the time I got to them, feeding time was almost done...but us adults needed to eat. So...we found a concession stand...got some hot dogs and enjoyed a picnic outdoors. After that...we decided to take what we learned and get out of town while we were ahead. The boys had been really good up to that point...we were all in relatively high spirits...and we knew we had to deal with afternoon traffic.
It was a good little run. We learned a lot and if nothing else...we certainly have the confidence and comfort with the Triple Decker stroller (pictured below) to go out whenever we want to. I think we'll just avoid national events in the city.
Right now...the boys are sleeping, but I am gonna feed them one last time before going to bed. The trip to the city did throw off their feeding times a bit and we want to be sure they get the calories they need.
Thanks for all the well wishes...I'll try to write again more quickly this time!!
God Bless!!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Echocardiogram for 3 please
Hey Ya'll
I thought I would update everyone on the boys. First of all, being a mother to triplets has been a fantastic experience. I have learned to multi-task tasks that I never dreamed of. I can pump/nurse while giving one of the boys a binkie or rocking his bouncer, I can make myself a plate of lunch with a baby in my hand, everything is done in tandem. The most difficult part about taking care of the boys for me is that you simply can't respond to everyones needs immediately. You always feel guilty that one is crying as you feed another, so even when you are taking care of one, you feel you are neglecting another.
Yesterday the boys had their cardio appointments at Bethesda. The boys each have small heart murmurs so they all needed EKG's and possibly echocardiograms. The EKG's were done while I held each of them, they were wailing so we fed them each a bottle. Unfortunately, they all had abnormal EKGs so they each needed to have echocardiograms. When I was pregnant, I had an one of these...and it only took about 20 minutes. With wiggly baby boys they take about 45 minutes each!! So I held each boy while he squirmed and fought and eventually succumbed to sleep while the doc put the little gel probe over their little hearts.
Fortunately, things are pretty normal with the boys. They all have small holes in their hearts but nothing to be overly concerned about yet. Caleb and Gideon's hole are in the upper chamber and Ezra's is in the lower chamber. Ezra's hole requires us to follow up at 1 year, the doc says it is normal and nothing to be alarmed about and hopefully the hole will close up by about 8 years of age. Overall the visit took about 5 hours which was much longer than I thought. Judging by the boys behavior they are pretty tired and so is mommy!
Besides the heart stuff, we also got each of them weighed. I'm to the pont where I don't even remember their exact weights. But Caleb is now the biggest and weighed about 9lb 8oz. Ezra was close to that. Gideon has fallen back a bit and only weighed about 8lb 8oz. Unfortunately, he spits up so much of his "meal' due to reflux I worry he might not be getting as many calories as the other guys. We are gonna talk to the doctor about changing his formula or maybe even trying soy milk based formula.
A
I thought I would update everyone on the boys. First of all, being a mother to triplets has been a fantastic experience. I have learned to multi-task tasks that I never dreamed of. I can pump/nurse while giving one of the boys a binkie or rocking his bouncer, I can make myself a plate of lunch with a baby in my hand, everything is done in tandem. The most difficult part about taking care of the boys for me is that you simply can't respond to everyones needs immediately. You always feel guilty that one is crying as you feed another, so even when you are taking care of one, you feel you are neglecting another.
Yesterday the boys had their cardio appointments at Bethesda. The boys each have small heart murmurs so they all needed EKG's and possibly echocardiograms. The EKG's were done while I held each of them, they were wailing so we fed them each a bottle. Unfortunately, they all had abnormal EKGs so they each needed to have echocardiograms. When I was pregnant, I had an one of these...and it only took about 20 minutes. With wiggly baby boys they take about 45 minutes each!! So I held each boy while he squirmed and fought and eventually succumbed to sleep while the doc put the little gel probe over their little hearts.
Fortunately, things are pretty normal with the boys. They all have small holes in their hearts but nothing to be overly concerned about yet. Caleb and Gideon's hole are in the upper chamber and Ezra's is in the lower chamber. Ezra's hole requires us to follow up at 1 year, the doc says it is normal and nothing to be alarmed about and hopefully the hole will close up by about 8 years of age. Overall the visit took about 5 hours which was much longer than I thought. Judging by the boys behavior they are pretty tired and so is mommy!
Besides the heart stuff, we also got each of them weighed. I'm to the pont where I don't even remember their exact weights. But Caleb is now the biggest and weighed about 9lb 8oz. Ezra was close to that. Gideon has fallen back a bit and only weighed about 8lb 8oz. Unfortunately, he spits up so much of his "meal' due to reflux I worry he might not be getting as many calories as the other guys. We are gonna talk to the doctor about changing his formula or maybe even trying soy milk based formula.
A
Friday, March 5, 2010
We're Still Alive...
Greetings Everyone!
Well...I noticed the other day that I hadn't updated in over a week! It seems like the gaps between posts are growing bigger and bigger. I don't mean to blow off updating things...I really want to record things as they happen. Unfortunately, in a life full of triplet babies with diapers, feedings, bottles, fussiness, and all of the other little baby things...plus homework...and whatever else comes our way and updating the blog falls down on the priority list.
So...with my excuses complete...the boys are doing well. We just said good-bye to Claudia and Lanny and they were a tremendous help the past two weeks. It was really great getting to know them a bit better...and their own grandparents experience helped all of us manage three growing boys whose cries and "demands" also increase with their size.
Now that they are 2 months old...they are starting to show some of their individual personalities. Caleb is setting himself up as the demanding one. He is almost always the first one to wake up hungry and he is more than willing to let us know when he is ready to be fed, held, swaddled, or whatever else technique is needed to settle him down. He has a distinctive "yell" followed by silence for 3-5 seconds. If his "demand" is not met...he yells again and the next wait is a bit shorter. After 3-4 attempts to gain attention...he simply starts crying!! Caleb also seems to want to be held the most. In fact...Lanny seems to be Caleb's best friend because every time I came home Caleb was sleeping on top of Lanny.
Gideon seems to be Caleb's opposite when it comes to fussiness. He is almost always quiet and the only time he really fusses is when he has a bad episode of reflux or is really hungry. This has caused us to move him to "third" in the feeding order because he seems most able to deal with waiting a bit longer if things are going slowly. Besides being the most "calm", Gideon's eyes are the biggest, and when he is awake he just can't help but look around at all there is to see. Sometimes it is hard to get him back to sleep after feeding because he just wants to hang out and see what is going on. That usually merits him some "Daddy" time and we'll just watch TV while Caleb and Ezra are sleeping upstairs.
Ezra is our baby and I think that no matter how hard we try not to, we will treat him like the "youngest." He is adorable and has a quintasential "baby look" about him. I guess you could say he splits the difference between Caleb and Gideon's personalities. He can be quiet and cute...or he can be fussy and demanding. He also struggles with reflux the same way Gideon does. He also has the most frequent "tummy aches" that we give them Gripe Water for. That usually works pretty well.
That's about it for now. Little voices are starting to stir upstairs...
Have a good night!!
J
Well...I noticed the other day that I hadn't updated in over a week! It seems like the gaps between posts are growing bigger and bigger. I don't mean to blow off updating things...I really want to record things as they happen. Unfortunately, in a life full of triplet babies with diapers, feedings, bottles, fussiness, and all of the other little baby things...plus homework...and whatever else comes our way and updating the blog falls down on the priority list.
So...with my excuses complete...the boys are doing well. We just said good-bye to Claudia and Lanny and they were a tremendous help the past two weeks. It was really great getting to know them a bit better...and their own grandparents experience helped all of us manage three growing boys whose cries and "demands" also increase with their size.
Now that they are 2 months old...they are starting to show some of their individual personalities. Caleb is setting himself up as the demanding one. He is almost always the first one to wake up hungry and he is more than willing to let us know when he is ready to be fed, held, swaddled, or whatever else technique is needed to settle him down. He has a distinctive "yell" followed by silence for 3-5 seconds. If his "demand" is not met...he yells again and the next wait is a bit shorter. After 3-4 attempts to gain attention...he simply starts crying!! Caleb also seems to want to be held the most. In fact...Lanny seems to be Caleb's best friend because every time I came home Caleb was sleeping on top of Lanny.
Caleb with his best friend, Lanny
Gideon seems to be Caleb's opposite when it comes to fussiness. He is almost always quiet and the only time he really fusses is when he has a bad episode of reflux or is really hungry. This has caused us to move him to "third" in the feeding order because he seems most able to deal with waiting a bit longer if things are going slowly. Besides being the most "calm", Gideon's eyes are the biggest, and when he is awake he just can't help but look around at all there is to see. Sometimes it is hard to get him back to sleep after feeding because he just wants to hang out and see what is going on. That usually merits him some "Daddy" time and we'll just watch TV while Caleb and Ezra are sleeping upstairs.
Gideon with "Mr. Frog"
Ezra is our baby and I think that no matter how hard we try not to, we will treat him like the "youngest." He is adorable and has a quintasential "baby look" about him. I guess you could say he splits the difference between Caleb and Gideon's personalities. He can be quiet and cute...or he can be fussy and demanding. He also struggles with reflux the same way Gideon does. He also has the most frequent "tummy aches" that we give them Gripe Water for. That usually works pretty well.
Ezra loves his binky!!
That's about it for now. Little voices are starting to stir upstairs...
Have a good night!!
J
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tim the Cat...AKA Timmy Huffman-Kaldahl
If I hear myself say the things I am thinking...I realize how silly it seems to care so much about a pet. Especially considering the fact that I have the three most beautiful little boys sleeping soundly right upstairs who will undoubtedly bring us infinitely more joy than Tim could have. Still...I feel so sad saying good-bye to Tim. We had such a strange relationship...but over time...we became each other's "best bud" when it came to hanging around the house.
I met Tim the first time I went to pick up Autumn for a date. I didn't know it at the time (not the best first date material) but she'd received him as a V-Day gift many years ago. And if you know anything about Autumn's dating habits...you know that she was rarely on time. So Tim and I met as I was waiting for her to get ready. Like anyone else...I couldn't help notice that he didn't have a tail!!
It's a breed thing and we always joked that he was really sensitive about the "tailless" topic. He pretty much hated me at first...and when Autumn and I hung out together he was never around. When we got married...I quickly learned he was a night animal because he would wake me up every night meowing...playing with the blinds...basically going out of his way to keep me awake.
I'm a really light sleeper...so the noises he used to make drove me crazy. I can recall numerous times when I would chase him around the house at 3am trying to get him to shut-up! I would toss rolled up socks at him...even shut him behind other doors just so the noise would stay at the other end of the house!! But...I would always feel guilty and let him out a few minutes later. Needless to say...at first...I didn't like him and he didn't like me.
But as he grew more used to me...and I more familiar with him...we began to get along great. Tim wasn't the kind of cat you could force to love you..he had to choose you.
Over time...Tim realized I wasn't gonna smother him...pick him up...I was just gonna let him come to me. Strangely...that seemed the best way to get his affection and after awhile he would hang out with me for extended periods of time. Not long periods...but long enough to know he'd warmed up to me.
The past year or so...Tim became my real buddy. Autumn is my best friend...but Tim is the "guy" who hangs out with me when I watch TV...or who would jump up onto the bed when I would call...he would harrass me to feed him his wet food...or jump up in front of the computer monitor when I was working..just so I would play with him. More recently...he began crawling onto my lap without any encouragement. He would just sit there and purr. If you knew Tim...you know he just didn't do that.
I'm gonna miss Tim. It is already hard walking around the house expecting him around every corner. But the family life was not for him. The boys freaked him out pretty good (he wouldn't go upstairs where they were for an entire week after they got home!)...and living with 3 toddlers chasing him around was not gonna be good for him either. So I guess...if this had to happen...I'm okay with it happening now. It was hard giving him the attention he grew to need and enjoy.
Tim was a great cat. He wasn't super affectionate like Teddy...and he wouldn't force you to pay attention to him...but he did make you earn his trust. And with that trust...he gave you the love, admiration, and respect that made it all worth it. Good-bye dear friend. We won't ever forget you!!
I met Tim the first time I went to pick up Autumn for a date. I didn't know it at the time (not the best first date material) but she'd received him as a V-Day gift many years ago. And if you know anything about Autumn's dating habits...you know that she was rarely on time. So Tim and I met as I was waiting for her to get ready. Like anyone else...I couldn't help notice that he didn't have a tail!!
It's a breed thing and we always joked that he was really sensitive about the "tailless" topic. He pretty much hated me at first...and when Autumn and I hung out together he was never around. When we got married...I quickly learned he was a night animal because he would wake me up every night meowing...playing with the blinds...basically going out of his way to keep me awake.
I'm a really light sleeper...so the noises he used to make drove me crazy. I can recall numerous times when I would chase him around the house at 3am trying to get him to shut-up! I would toss rolled up socks at him...even shut him behind other doors just so the noise would stay at the other end of the house!! But...I would always feel guilty and let him out a few minutes later. Needless to say...at first...I didn't like him and he didn't like me.
But as he grew more used to me...and I more familiar with him...we began to get along great. Tim wasn't the kind of cat you could force to love you..he had to choose you.
Over time...Tim realized I wasn't gonna smother him...pick him up...I was just gonna let him come to me. Strangely...that seemed the best way to get his affection and after awhile he would hang out with me for extended periods of time. Not long periods...but long enough to know he'd warmed up to me.
The past year or so...Tim became my real buddy. Autumn is my best friend...but Tim is the "guy" who hangs out with me when I watch TV...or who would jump up onto the bed when I would call...he would harrass me to feed him his wet food...or jump up in front of the computer monitor when I was working..just so I would play with him. More recently...he began crawling onto my lap without any encouragement. He would just sit there and purr. If you knew Tim...you know he just didn't do that.
I'm gonna miss Tim. It is already hard walking around the house expecting him around every corner. But the family life was not for him. The boys freaked him out pretty good (he wouldn't go upstairs where they were for an entire week after they got home!)...and living with 3 toddlers chasing him around was not gonna be good for him either. So I guess...if this had to happen...I'm okay with it happening now. It was hard giving him the attention he grew to need and enjoy.
Tim was a great cat. He wasn't super affectionate like Teddy...and he wouldn't force you to pay attention to him...but he did make you earn his trust. And with that trust...he gave you the love, admiration, and respect that made it all worth it. Good-bye dear friend. We won't ever forget you!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Due Date!!
Good Morning...
We never really talked about it or mentioned it unless people asked, but yesterday, February 22nd was the boys official due date. It doesn't have any real signifigant meaning at this point because they will be considered Preemies until at least 18 months. By then they should be "caught up" with most developmental issues...Lord willing.
It has been a crazy few days...
After spending three weeks here, my parents went home to McKinney for a couple of weeks. It was awesome having them here, and they really made things go a lot better. My dad is a machine about day to day things...doing several loads of laundary a day...keeping bottles washed...taking the 8am feeding daily...I'm not sure how he does it. My mom has continued her project helping to get us organized (she's been helping us since her first visit back in August when we realized we needed more oranization to keep ourselves / our house "sane."). In between projects she enjoyed her favorite new past time...no...not Farmville (a close second!)...holding grand kids and helping with care time. Their presence was missed within hours of leaving!!
Taking care of three babies is hard for four people. I don't think any of us felt like we were getting the sleep / rest we wanted...but misery loves company. If nothing else, there is a psychological advantage knowing we had them out numbered and if you really needed a break someone could take over. Additionally...from my perspective...it was a lot easier pulling myself away to do (or try to do) research/writing while they were here because I knew Autumn had help.
Then came Saturday afternoon....
Two people taking care of the boys is not easy...but not terribly difficult. The beauty of that extra person is having someone to respond to the babies not being fed at that moment. Additionally, you can over lap feedings a little bit to get the care time under 2 hours...always the goal. FYI...we never feed all of them at once...and we try to stagger feeding start times at least 15 min apart so when it is just one person doing the feedings they aren't all getting hungry/fussy at the exact same time (that's the goal at least).
I've made a committment to Autumn that Sat AM / early afternoon will be hers. What she does is up to her...but the goal is to give her at least a few hours every week where she can get out of the house and just unwind for awhile. I'd love for it to be more frequent, but for now...this is a good start. Unfortunately, with my parents just having left...and the level of "fussiness" with the boys...she had to settle for a relaxing shower & time upstairs.
Feeding all three boys by yourself is a challenge to say the least. It doesn't mean it can't be done...but as they mature they seem more willing to express dissatisfaction / discomfort. That has its benefits..but when you are trying to feed one baby...the other two screaming every time they drop their binky (life savers) is tough. Plus...we are both still working on holding just two babies at a time...but when feeding that isn't an option. The hardest part about feeding the boys yourself is knowing you can't give each of them the attention they need / deserve. The goal is simply to get each one done as quickly as possible...while maximizing milk/formula consumption and minimizing reflux/spitting up. They each get 30 minutes...nothing more. But like most babies...the best thing is to try and hold them for awhile when they are done. When you are by yourself..that just isn't an option because there are two more hungry mouths to feed...and they make it clear they are only growing more and more hungry.
Fortunately, we do have some solutions we've developed the last couple of days. It isn't that we haven't been doing single feedings...Autumn has been doing them since the boys got home...and the rest of us have had our share. But over this weekend...to even get minimal sleep meant more frequent single care times...and it was like the boys knew they had us!!
The biggest thing we've learned is the benefit of close proximity. Before starting a feeding...if any of them are semi-awake / fussy, we put those babies within an arms reach. This is where the multiple bouncers / Boppy Pillows helps out. When in the nursery, one of them sits on a boppy on a glider and the other one is in a bouncer on the floor. The third gets fed. From there...everyone rotates in/out of their respective spot until fed. On the main level, during the day...I like to line the boys up in the boppies so all three are on the couch. In either case, the ability to still hold one while addressing the "baby crisis" (aka dropping a binky) is a huge help. Nothing frazzles the nerves more than a bunch of screaming infants!!
Anyways...that's about it for now. By the time I am done writing this it will be a mere 45 minutes until the next care time. This is the only thing I've done since the last care time. That is just the way it works...
Have a great day!!
J
We never really talked about it or mentioned it unless people asked, but yesterday, February 22nd was the boys official due date. It doesn't have any real signifigant meaning at this point because they will be considered Preemies until at least 18 months. By then they should be "caught up" with most developmental issues...Lord willing.
It has been a crazy few days...
After spending three weeks here, my parents went home to McKinney for a couple of weeks. It was awesome having them here, and they really made things go a lot better. My dad is a machine about day to day things...doing several loads of laundary a day...keeping bottles washed...taking the 8am feeding daily...I'm not sure how he does it. My mom has continued her project helping to get us organized (she's been helping us since her first visit back in August when we realized we needed more oranization to keep ourselves / our house "sane."). In between projects she enjoyed her favorite new past time...no...not Farmville (a close second!)...holding grand kids and helping with care time. Their presence was missed within hours of leaving!!
Taking care of three babies is hard for four people. I don't think any of us felt like we were getting the sleep / rest we wanted...but misery loves company. If nothing else, there is a psychological advantage knowing we had them out numbered and if you really needed a break someone could take over. Additionally...from my perspective...it was a lot easier pulling myself away to do (or try to do) research/writing while they were here because I knew Autumn had help.
Then came Saturday afternoon....
Two people taking care of the boys is not easy...but not terribly difficult. The beauty of that extra person is having someone to respond to the babies not being fed at that moment. Additionally, you can over lap feedings a little bit to get the care time under 2 hours...always the goal. FYI...we never feed all of them at once...and we try to stagger feeding start times at least 15 min apart so when it is just one person doing the feedings they aren't all getting hungry/fussy at the exact same time (that's the goal at least).
I've made a committment to Autumn that Sat AM / early afternoon will be hers. What she does is up to her...but the goal is to give her at least a few hours every week where she can get out of the house and just unwind for awhile. I'd love for it to be more frequent, but for now...this is a good start. Unfortunately, with my parents just having left...and the level of "fussiness" with the boys...she had to settle for a relaxing shower & time upstairs.
Feeding all three boys by yourself is a challenge to say the least. It doesn't mean it can't be done...but as they mature they seem more willing to express dissatisfaction / discomfort. That has its benefits..but when you are trying to feed one baby...the other two screaming every time they drop their binky (life savers) is tough. Plus...we are both still working on holding just two babies at a time...but when feeding that isn't an option. The hardest part about feeding the boys yourself is knowing you can't give each of them the attention they need / deserve. The goal is simply to get each one done as quickly as possible...while maximizing milk/formula consumption and minimizing reflux/spitting up. They each get 30 minutes...nothing more. But like most babies...the best thing is to try and hold them for awhile when they are done. When you are by yourself..that just isn't an option because there are two more hungry mouths to feed...and they make it clear they are only growing more and more hungry.
Fortunately, we do have some solutions we've developed the last couple of days. It isn't that we haven't been doing single feedings...Autumn has been doing them since the boys got home...and the rest of us have had our share. But over this weekend...to even get minimal sleep meant more frequent single care times...and it was like the boys knew they had us!!
The biggest thing we've learned is the benefit of close proximity. Before starting a feeding...if any of them are semi-awake / fussy, we put those babies within an arms reach. This is where the multiple bouncers / Boppy Pillows helps out. When in the nursery, one of them sits on a boppy on a glider and the other one is in a bouncer on the floor. The third gets fed. From there...everyone rotates in/out of their respective spot until fed. On the main level, during the day...I like to line the boys up in the boppies so all three are on the couch. In either case, the ability to still hold one while addressing the "baby crisis" (aka dropping a binky) is a huge help. Nothing frazzles the nerves more than a bunch of screaming infants!!
Anyways...that's about it for now. By the time I am done writing this it will be a mere 45 minutes until the next care time. This is the only thing I've done since the last care time. That is just the way it works...
Have a great day!!
J
Friday, February 19, 2010
Testimony in Church
Hello Again!
I had the opportunity to share our testimony and about how God blessed us with our amazing family. I was going to just type in my comments off of the notes I used, but it turns out our church posts the sermons online. So if you click HERE you can listen to it.
It is a good sermon, but if you want to just here my piece...it starts about 1/3 of the way through.
Enjoy and thanks for all the prayers!!
J
I had the opportunity to share our testimony and about how God blessed us with our amazing family. I was going to just type in my comments off of the notes I used, but it turns out our church posts the sermons online. So if you click HERE you can listen to it.
It is a good sermon, but if you want to just here my piece...it starts about 1/3 of the way through.
Enjoy and thanks for all the prayers!!
J
Belated Valentine's Day Post....
Greetings.
As a general sign to how busy we are / how "baby" centric we are...I am actually writing about what happened on Sunday. For the first time since...gosh...at least September...Autumn and I went on a "date" by ourselves. It was Valentine's Day and Grandma and Grandpa Kaldahl were more than insistent that we go out by ourselves. We were so grateful and had a wonderful time together!!
It is funny how quickly kids change your mindset about these kinds of things. When we lived in Arizona, one of the things I did every year...usually during the first week of the year...was make reservations for our favorite restaurant there...Rosa's Little Italy. So when it came time to think about where we'd go out on this momentous occasion...it took lots of planning and preparing right!?! Sure ;-)
I asked Autumn where she wanted to go...her answer was "Wherever the wait is the shortest!!" For being the romantic, sentimental one in our family...that was definitely a victory for Practicality!! :-) We had at least planned on using some gift certificates we had...but when the wait at each of the places we wanted to go to was more than an hour long...we went to the last place we'd gone out to eat before she was put on bedrest...Outback Steakhouse!! That isn't a complaint either...we both enjoy going there...I just find it ironic that that is where we ended up.
It was a great choice though. They have "seat yourself" seating at the bar. So after we checked in to start our 35-45 min wait we went to the bar for our first alcoholic beverages in...who knows when!?! Lucky for us...right when we approached the bar a couple was just getting up to leave. We sat down right behind them...total wait time = 2 minutes!!
Then...we ran into our next door neighbor, John who knew it was our first time out. He kindly introduced the manager to us who gave us our appetizer complementary!! It was so nice of both of them!
It was great just getting out together. We sat in the same booth together...were able to cuddle and just be a couple for the first time in forever. But...by the time we were done with dessert we already missed our little boys and worked through the "sleep" / "care" arrangements for the night. I guess you never get "too" far away do ya!?!
As a general sign to how busy we are / how "baby" centric we are...I am actually writing about what happened on Sunday. For the first time since...gosh...at least September...Autumn and I went on a "date" by ourselves. It was Valentine's Day and Grandma and Grandpa Kaldahl were more than insistent that we go out by ourselves. We were so grateful and had a wonderful time together!!
It is funny how quickly kids change your mindset about these kinds of things. When we lived in Arizona, one of the things I did every year...usually during the first week of the year...was make reservations for our favorite restaurant there...Rosa's Little Italy. So when it came time to think about where we'd go out on this momentous occasion...it took lots of planning and preparing right!?! Sure ;-)
I asked Autumn where she wanted to go...her answer was "Wherever the wait is the shortest!!" For being the romantic, sentimental one in our family...that was definitely a victory for Practicality!! :-) We had at least planned on using some gift certificates we had...but when the wait at each of the places we wanted to go to was more than an hour long...we went to the last place we'd gone out to eat before she was put on bedrest...Outback Steakhouse!! That isn't a complaint either...we both enjoy going there...I just find it ironic that that is where we ended up.
It was a great choice though. They have "seat yourself" seating at the bar. So after we checked in to start our 35-45 min wait we went to the bar for our first alcoholic beverages in...who knows when!?! Lucky for us...right when we approached the bar a couple was just getting up to leave. We sat down right behind them...total wait time = 2 minutes!!
Then...we ran into our next door neighbor, John who knew it was our first time out. He kindly introduced the manager to us who gave us our appetizer complementary!! It was so nice of both of them!
It was great just getting out together. We sat in the same booth together...were able to cuddle and just be a couple for the first time in forever. But...by the time we were done with dessert we already missed our little boys and worked through the "sleep" / "care" arrangements for the night. I guess you never get "too" far away do ya!?!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Doctor's Visit....
Good Morning!
Well...after several cancellations due to the snow, we were finally able to get the boys back into the doctor on Saturday. Because of the snow and the fact we were dealing with triplets, Dewitt Army Hospital was willing to let us bring them in for routine care instead of the normal acute type care they only do on Saturdays. We thought that was pretty nice of them.
As a whole, the boys are all doing well. Of course that phrase "As a whole" sort of explains one of the issues you can run into with triplets...that is viewing them as a system of 3 babies instead of treating them each as individuals. I bring it up because the visit with the doctor (nurse practitioner actually) took a bit longer than I think it needed to because we kept switching our discussions around and she kept getting the boys confused. I think it starts when she (and every other person we talk to) asks, "How are THEY doing?" That is a perfectly normal question, but the reality of things is that one being healthy doesn't make the other healthy...and the same thing with being sick. It is just too easy to get into the mindset that if one feels a certain way...or reacts a specific way to formula, breast milk, etc...that they should ALL be doing the same thing. I think we are more aware of that as a false mindset now...but it is still a tough habit to get out of.
Anyways...Caleb weighed 6lb 8oz. He was also 20" long. His reflux is still there...and sometimes I think his is getting worse over time. He wasn't initially prescribed the medicine for his reflux, but we started giving it to him a day or so after Gideon & Ezra because he was starting to show the same symptoms. So the doc prescribed him some of his own now!! He still has a heart murmur so we'll be making appointments for him and the other two to get checked out by the pediatric cardiologist. That means another family trip back to Bethesda!!
Gideon weighed in at 6lb 14oz and is 20 1/4'' long. He is the biggest all around...although Caleb seems to eat the best. His reflux is still an issue. He is the most likely to really spit his stuff up pretty good. Just a note...if you are ever feeding Gideon...don't wear anything you want to keep clean!! :-) The nurse noticed he had a heart murmur too. That was a change from our previous visit when the docs could only hear the murmurs in Caleb and Ezra.
As for Ezra, he weighed 6lb 12oz. He was also 20" long. Like his older brothers, the reflux continues to bother him and he will be getting an evaluation for his heart murmur too.
The nurse and the doctors we'd talked to previously about the heart murmurs said it isn't uncommon for heart murmurs at such a young age and they should grow out of them. They are also all pretty feint so none of them are super concerned. The appointments with the cardiologist are just to rule out any more serious issues.
In other baby news...we've started introducing their "lovies" to them. These are those little blankets with stuffed animal heads that rattle on them. Our friends Mark and Dawn kids loved them when they were little so we've been excited about introducing them. We wanted to wait until now though to keep the variety of stimuli they are exposed to down to a minimum. But seeing as how they are one week from when they were due...we decided to show them their lovies gradually. Right now...they are minimally interested. Their greatest interest is when they are hungry...and like anything else that goes near their mouths...they try to suck on them!! But a few times after feedings...I've seen Caleb and Gideon react to their lovies and follow them around. It will certainly be fun to watch them grow in their reactions and even see them learn to hold them.
That's about it for now. Thanks for the continued prayers.
God Bless,
Jeff
Well...after several cancellations due to the snow, we were finally able to get the boys back into the doctor on Saturday. Because of the snow and the fact we were dealing with triplets, Dewitt Army Hospital was willing to let us bring them in for routine care instead of the normal acute type care they only do on Saturdays. We thought that was pretty nice of them.
As a whole, the boys are all doing well. Of course that phrase "As a whole" sort of explains one of the issues you can run into with triplets...that is viewing them as a system of 3 babies instead of treating them each as individuals. I bring it up because the visit with the doctor (nurse practitioner actually) took a bit longer than I think it needed to because we kept switching our discussions around and she kept getting the boys confused. I think it starts when she (and every other person we talk to) asks, "How are THEY doing?" That is a perfectly normal question, but the reality of things is that one being healthy doesn't make the other healthy...and the same thing with being sick. It is just too easy to get into the mindset that if one feels a certain way...or reacts a specific way to formula, breast milk, etc...that they should ALL be doing the same thing. I think we are more aware of that as a false mindset now...but it is still a tough habit to get out of.
Anyways...Caleb weighed 6lb 8oz. He was also 20" long. His reflux is still there...and sometimes I think his is getting worse over time. He wasn't initially prescribed the medicine for his reflux, but we started giving it to him a day or so after Gideon & Ezra because he was starting to show the same symptoms. So the doc prescribed him some of his own now!! He still has a heart murmur so we'll be making appointments for him and the other two to get checked out by the pediatric cardiologist. That means another family trip back to Bethesda!!
Gideon weighed in at 6lb 14oz and is 20 1/4'' long. He is the biggest all around...although Caleb seems to eat the best. His reflux is still an issue. He is the most likely to really spit his stuff up pretty good. Just a note...if you are ever feeding Gideon...don't wear anything you want to keep clean!! :-) The nurse noticed he had a heart murmur too. That was a change from our previous visit when the docs could only hear the murmurs in Caleb and Ezra.
As for Ezra, he weighed 6lb 12oz. He was also 20" long. Like his older brothers, the reflux continues to bother him and he will be getting an evaluation for his heart murmur too.
The nurse and the doctors we'd talked to previously about the heart murmurs said it isn't uncommon for heart murmurs at such a young age and they should grow out of them. They are also all pretty feint so none of them are super concerned. The appointments with the cardiologist are just to rule out any more serious issues.
In other baby news...we've started introducing their "lovies" to them. These are those little blankets with stuffed animal heads that rattle on them. Our friends Mark and Dawn kids loved them when they were little so we've been excited about introducing them. We wanted to wait until now though to keep the variety of stimuli they are exposed to down to a minimum. But seeing as how they are one week from when they were due...we decided to show them their lovies gradually. Right now...they are minimally interested. Their greatest interest is when they are hungry...and like anything else that goes near their mouths...they try to suck on them!! But a few times after feedings...I've seen Caleb and Gideon react to their lovies and follow them around. It will certainly be fun to watch them grow in their reactions and even see them learn to hold them.
That's about it for now. Thanks for the continued prayers.
God Bless,
Jeff
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Where does the time go!?!
Hello....
I'm not sure how long it has been since I've written. All I can guess is that since my last post...we've had more inches of snow than hours of sleep since the boys have been home.
Okay...so maybe that is a bit dramatic...but we've definitely been dealing with more snow than we were told to expect moving to DC. Not that we are complaining...see the last post about Autumn enjoying the snow.
As for the boys...they don't know the difference. Their change of scenery involves being moved from the nursery down to the main level where we have set up another changing table, pack n plays, a swing, and move their bouncers down during the day. I'd love to tell you cute stories about how they recognize the difference, but honestly...they will sleep just about anywhere.
The key is getting them to sleep. They are definitely trying to stay awake longer each day...and their vocal chords are improving too. This has required a bit more time / patience before, during, and after care times. Because by the time it's okay for them to eat again...at least someone is making it clear he is ready. Ironically...that is often the one who gives up eating the quickest!!
They are all eating between 3-3.5 oz per feeding. They are also growing quickly too. Their preemie clothes fit about as well as they can at this point....and I wouldn't be surprised if they grow out of them within a couple of weeks. Their "newborn" diapers are also fitting well...so the days of folding the top over to help them fit better are done.
Going back to the awake thing...they are also developing some pretty strong necks. The reflux often causes them to arch their backs...and they do this really well. They all like to look around a lot and can sometimes really force you to let them just move their heads the directions they want to.
I guess all of that is a long way of saying they are growing fast!!
We've had to cancel some doctors appointments due to all the snow we've gotten recently. We haven't even been able to reschedule them because the appointment lines have been closed too!! Their reflux is still there...but the medicine seems to have reduced some of their discomfort. Still...Gideon keeps getting "gunk" on his eyes (I suspect it is still just the blocked tear ducts) so there is always something else to watch out for.
As a whole though...we feel very lucky to have them growing so well and turning into regular old "infants" versus preemies. In just a couple weeks they will be at the full 40 weeks and we are super-excited about that!!
Here are some pics I just took this evening as they slept:
Ezra
Caleb...clearly thinking about something important!
Gideon sleeping in the blankie Great Grandma Kaldahl made him!
These final two are of the nursery they are finally in. We kept the third crib in our bedroom for space purposes. First picture is as you walk into the room looking at the left side. Second picture is looking at the right side of the room.
That's about it from here. More shoveling tomorrow. One of these days I plan on writing an update about those of us in the family older than 6 or 7 weeks. Until then....
God Bless!
J
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Meet the family...
Greetings from snowy Alexandria, VA. We've had more snow this week, but now that Autumn can see it from our house...as opposed to her previous snow experience from her hospital room...she says she is starting to enjoy this wintery weather. For those of you who know Autumn, I am sure we can all share in our collective WHAT!?! :-)
I write this watching the boys sleep in their bouncers. We are trying sleeping this way because of the past few days their acid reflux has gotten pretty bad. It is really obvious how uncomfortable they are and it affects two of their three primary functions in life...sleeping and eating. You can guess what the third function is and they continue to do that very well :-) But we are trying to keep them more upright to try and use gravity to their advantage. We'll see how it goes. The pediatrician warned us about this, and we are likely to get them some medicine to at least get rid of the "Acid" part of the reflux. Other than that, only time and growing will help them.
The boys had a great couple of days saying goodbye to Granddaddy Greg and hello to Uncle Ryan, Grandma Ruthie, and Grandpa Steve (my parents). We were so blessed to have Greg here for our first week at home with the boys, and now we are fortunate to have two grandparents here for an extended stay. More importantly, this means the boys have been held by all their grandparents now!!
I write this watching the boys sleep in their bouncers. We are trying sleeping this way because of the past few days their acid reflux has gotten pretty bad. It is really obvious how uncomfortable they are and it affects two of their three primary functions in life...sleeping and eating. You can guess what the third function is and they continue to do that very well :-) But we are trying to keep them more upright to try and use gravity to their advantage. We'll see how it goes. The pediatrician warned us about this, and we are likely to get them some medicine to at least get rid of the "Acid" part of the reflux. Other than that, only time and growing will help them.
The boys had a great couple of days saying goodbye to Granddaddy Greg and hello to Uncle Ryan, Grandma Ruthie, and Grandpa Steve (my parents). We were so blessed to have Greg here for our first week at home with the boys, and now we are fortunate to have two grandparents here for an extended stay. More importantly, this means the boys have been held by all their grandparents now!!
Uncle Ryan holding Caleb
Ryan came over on Sunday night, resuming our weekly get together. He got to hold all three of them in various stages. He even helped feed Gideon and Ezra. He has even stated that he'd be willing to work towards changing diapers... but we won't hold him to that until he asks to :-)
On Tuesday, Granddaddy Greg left, but because my parents arrived on Monday...he was able to "pass the Grandparent torch" to them. Needless to say, Grandma Ruthie and Grandpa Steve were excited to meet the little guys. On Tuesday morning, they jumped right into care time!!
Grandma Ruthie holding Caleb
Grandpa Steve holding Gideon or Ezra (I can't tell!)
It is worth mentioning (after the caption above) that it is pretty easy to tell them apart in person...but quite difficult to tell in pictures. Since I generally don't have the time to download pictures right away...I forget who we took pictures with. So...unless I can figure it out...my identifications are "best guesses". Maybe some day we'll figure it all out...or Autumn will go through and "fix" my identifications!
Speaking of Autumn...she continues to take to this Mommy thing very well. Even when she tries to get her dedicated sleep...she is often up here within an hour or two checking on the boys or just wanting to see them. She is most happy holding her little men and they are definitely most happy in her arms!!
Gideon whispering to Ezra: "We have such a pretty mommy!!"
That's about it. Hopefully they will sleep for another 30 minutes or so. Then it will be time to start our 1200 care time!!
Have a great day!
God Bless!
J
Saturday, January 30, 2010
4 Weeks Old!!
Hey Everyone:
Well...it has been a very busy week with multiple sleep cycles for all of us. Perhaps the only ones who seem to be in any sort of rhythm up to this point are the boys...and that is just fine with us!!
We've been helped this week by Granddaddy Greg (Autumns Dad) who came in from Oklahoma on Tuesday night. He got right into the care/feeding routine and within a day or so was doing some of them all by himself.
Here's a picture of him with one of the guys. I think it is Ezra...but quite honestly...the memory isn't so good good with the amount of sleep we've been getting :-)
Well...it has been a very busy week with multiple sleep cycles for all of us. Perhaps the only ones who seem to be in any sort of rhythm up to this point are the boys...and that is just fine with us!!
We've been helped this week by Granddaddy Greg (Autumns Dad) who came in from Oklahoma on Tuesday night. He got right into the care/feeding routine and within a day or so was doing some of them all by himself.
Here's a picture of him with one of the guys. I think it is Ezra...but quite honestly...the memory isn't so good good with the amount of sleep we've been getting :-)
On Friday the boys turned 4 weeks old. They are officially no longer called "Neonates" which is used to designate babies who are 0 days to 4 weeks old. It just so happens, this also corresponded to their first follow up visit to the Pediatrician. As I mentioned on Facebook yesterday...these are not just appointments with triplets...they are entire Events that you plan out in detail the night before.
Getting ready for our trip meant we had to start adjusting their feeding times so we wouldn't be traveling or sitting in the dr's office on empty tummies, we gave them baths, prepared the diaper bag for any possibility (of which we used many of them), got the car ready, stroller ready (as a back up to carrying the car seats), car seats ready, outfits picked out, timelines coordinated, bottles prepared...I think that paints the picture. I figure that is probably the same thing every family gets ready for when taking their babies out...with three...it's just all those things multiplied.
As a whole, the trip went really well. We fed them early enough so we could feed them, put them in the car seats and be ready to go shortly after. Here's a picture of them all ready to go:
Caleb, Gideon, Ezra
The pedatrician's office was great. We only waited about 5 minutes before heading back for vital signs...and although we had a wait a bit longer in the actual care room...they let us stay there afterwards to feed them before getting back on the road.
The boys are all doing well. Their weights were:
Caleb = 5lb 11oz
Gideon: 5lb 14 oz
Ezra: 5lb 13.5 oz
I haven't compared them to their discharge weights yet, but they were all making plenty of progress each day and the doc was happy.
They each have little things to pray about though. Caleb & Ezra both had minor heart murmurs. They were slight enough that they were willing to let us go Friday evening (we were there from about 1:45p to 5p) and if they notice them again this Friday they will run EKGs. Because the murmurs were so soft and because this is pretty common and usually turns out to be nothing...we aren't too stressed about it. But we do ask for prayer that it would just be one of those "routine" things that takes care of itself.
Gideon continues to have bad reflex. It makes it harder for him to eat and when he is done he is really uncomfortable. We have started to feed him first so when he is done, we put him in his bouncer to keep him upright for another hour or so. It seems to work pretty well and his spit-ups have dropped in frequency and intensity.
Lastly...Teddy continues to amaze us. We had a friend drop by right before we were leaving and Teddy always stayed between John and the boys. This wasn't at the same time...but here is a picture I took of another "Guard Dog" moment.
For those of you who have met Teddy...you'd be amazed how much he has changed in just days. Pretty much the exact opposite of what he was like before the boys came along!
We hope you have a great weekend!
God Bless,
J & A
Monday, January 25, 2010
Home Sweet Home...
Phew!! What a busy couple of days it has been...but what a wonderful couple of days too!!
Yesterday morning we "woke up" from our first night with all three of the boys and we were all still in the hospital. I put "woke up" in quotation marks because we barely slept there. During our 2 and a half days of rooming in, we each estimate we got about 4 total hours of sleep. I know from my perspective...that no more than two of those hours were actually continuous. Needless to say...the idea of bringing these guys home was slightly intimidating!
But as we went through the morning yesterday, we each got more and more excited. I had to run home to pick up the triple decker stroller. We weren't planning to use it, but my back started having spasms (a new thing for me) and I wasn't sure I'd be able to carry two car seats worth of boys. But it also gave me a chance to do one more walk around the house to make sure everything was in place.
Heading back into the hospital to go get Autumn and the boys was the first time in many, many visits to that hospital that I was ever nervous. Probably because for once...I knew the outcome. So I spent the rest of the morning loading things into the car, and Autumn changed and fed them one last time on the hospital's dime! One note about loading up...the NICU is really big into sterilization so anything that was remotely related to the boys was either being thrown away or we got to take home!! We got diapers, small amounts of formula that are perfect for diaper bags, wet wipes, nasal suckers (not sure of the technical term), swaddle blankets...it was a total free for all. And with triplets...we'll take all the freebies we can get!! :-)
Finally, we changed the boys into their "going home" outfits. Forgive me for not taking a picture before we put them into the car seats...but things were a little hectic :-) Then...the nurse came in...helped us load them into their car seats and we had time for our first family photo!!
Yesterday morning we "woke up" from our first night with all three of the boys and we were all still in the hospital. I put "woke up" in quotation marks because we barely slept there. During our 2 and a half days of rooming in, we each estimate we got about 4 total hours of sleep. I know from my perspective...that no more than two of those hours were actually continuous. Needless to say...the idea of bringing these guys home was slightly intimidating!
But as we went through the morning yesterday, we each got more and more excited. I had to run home to pick up the triple decker stroller. We weren't planning to use it, but my back started having spasms (a new thing for me) and I wasn't sure I'd be able to carry two car seats worth of boys. But it also gave me a chance to do one more walk around the house to make sure everything was in place.
Heading back into the hospital to go get Autumn and the boys was the first time in many, many visits to that hospital that I was ever nervous. Probably because for once...I knew the outcome. So I spent the rest of the morning loading things into the car, and Autumn changed and fed them one last time on the hospital's dime! One note about loading up...the NICU is really big into sterilization so anything that was remotely related to the boys was either being thrown away or we got to take home!! We got diapers, small amounts of formula that are perfect for diaper bags, wet wipes, nasal suckers (not sure of the technical term), swaddle blankets...it was a total free for all. And with triplets...we'll take all the freebies we can get!! :-)
Finally, we changed the boys into their "going home" outfits. Forgive me for not taking a picture before we put them into the car seats...but things were a little hectic :-) Then...the nurse came in...helped us load them into their car seats and we had time for our first family photo!!
As you can see...everyone has a blanket corresponding to their respective colors.
You can read a previous post to get them :-)
Once done...we were ready to roll!! We discussed later that we felt glad we were leaving on a Sunday. Otherwise, we would have gotten a lot of the "triplet stares" that so many mothers of multiples (MOMs) have warned us about. But Sundays are quiet at Bethesda and the only people who noted us were the same doormen who used to escort Autumn into the hospital when she was pregnant. They were excited to see that the "Lady having the triplets" was bringing her brood home!!
The drive home was uneventful. You can only drive so carefully on the Capital Beltway because the drivers are so crazy. But the only thing making me nervous was if they'd be able to hold their necks up well enough to breathe. The NICU did the vital signs / car seat test the night before...but like so many new Dads I was just paranoid we'd missed something. At the first stop light I asked Autumn to lean over the seat to make sure they were okay. After that...we were fine and pulled into the driveway around 2pm.
One of the things we'd been most concerned about having a baby (let alone 3) was how Teddy would do. He's our 5lb Toy Poodle who also happens to suffer from seperation anxiety. So bringing home three little babies who would suddenly occupy 90% of our attention was gonna be interesting. I must say...he is the biggest surprise of all. After running up the stair to greet Autumn (he hadn't seen her since the middle of November) he has been amazing about the babies. He doesn't try to jump up when we are holding them...he sits patiently on the floor...doesn't beg. He is like a whole new dog. If anything...I think he gets it and only shows concern when somebody is crying or fussing...he doesn't like that too much. Anyways...we both agree that Teddy has done wonderful with the newest additions to our family.
On a quicker note...Tim the Cat can care less. He avoids our bedroom now because that is where all the fuss is coming from!!
Once home and settled, we left the boys in their car seats so not to disturb them when they were content. We fixed their bottles and got ready to do our first feed/care time at home. Once done...we put them into the crib they'll be sharing for a few months (until they are too big or move so much they disturb each other).
We are really into swaddling because that is what seems to keep them the most content.
The letters have now moved enough to be skewed.
I'll have time to fix it by the time we move them into the nursery!!
Each of them has a clipboard and tracking sheet so we know who got fed what, when, their diaper status, or any other item of note. Trust me...it is needed. By the midnight feeding we could barely remember what we'd just fed them and how much!!
Once they were settled, I got to show Autumn around the house. She'd been downstairs on bedrest for so long...she never saw the nursery or the middle floor with the baby stuff there. I was so glad she liked everything and it seemed like it really eased her transition back into the house and to being a full time mommy.
The rest of the night was a blur. I had a paper to finish writing and night time is a very fussy time in the house (as I write I can hear someone screaming away). But we worked really well together getting bottles ready, changing diapers, feeding, swaddling, etc. And after the 0400 feeding Autumn let me get some sleep downstairs. It's amazing how only a few hours of sleep can feel so good. After she took the 0800 feeding today...she was able to nap until the afternoon and we both feel pretty good about things.
I look forward to sharing the details of how to prepare all the bottles and other things during care time. We've ranged from 1hr care times all the way up to 2 hrs for stuff. It is very dependent on how well the boys are eating, their fussiness, and how awake WE are. But it is all so worth it because these guys are awesome!!
Have a great week!!
God Bless!!
J
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Momma....Mamma I'm coming hhommme!!
As you might guess from the subject, our little boys are coming home...together!! We are so grateful to God for allowing us the chance to simply be parents to these little guys...even if they will keep us awake at night!
So tomorrow, Sunday, we are bringing them home - Lord willing. The only reason that would change is if there are complications tonight. But as a whole, the boys are doing very well...and if I do say so...so are the parents. In particular...Autumn is getting this Mommy thing down. I had to head to the house this AM to start taking our plethora of things home so she had to do her first care time for all three of them. She was done in under an hour!! That means she is getting efficient, and the boys are eating fast. Good trends for all!!
Right now, Caleb and Gideon are undergoing their Car Seat test. They are hooked back up to the monitors and then placed into their car seats for an hour for monitoring. They want to make sure they can still breathe and maintain their vital signs while in the car seat. Just another wonderful, common sense thing the NICU does that just helps us feel better taking the boys home!!
So tonight will be our first night with all of them in our room. If you saw any of my Tweets / Updates on Facebook you noticed I got no sleep. I am a very, very light sleeper (Tim the Cat meowing wakes me up at night). So a little baby...or babies...making their little "gurgle" noises throughout the night is tough. Hopefully being more tired tonight...having better pillows...and my "White Noise" iTouch App will help things a bit. No big deal. If I can't sleep...I'll just work on my paper that is due Monday at 0800!!
So tomorrow, Sunday, we are bringing them home - Lord willing. The only reason that would change is if there are complications tonight. But as a whole, the boys are doing very well...and if I do say so...so are the parents. In particular...Autumn is getting this Mommy thing down. I had to head to the house this AM to start taking our plethora of things home so she had to do her first care time for all three of them. She was done in under an hour!! That means she is getting efficient, and the boys are eating fast. Good trends for all!!
Right now, Caleb and Gideon are undergoing their Car Seat test. They are hooked back up to the monitors and then placed into their car seats for an hour for monitoring. They want to make sure they can still breathe and maintain their vital signs while in the car seat. Just another wonderful, common sense thing the NICU does that just helps us feel better taking the boys home!!
So tonight will be our first night with all of them in our room. If you saw any of my Tweets / Updates on Facebook you noticed I got no sleep. I am a very, very light sleeper (Tim the Cat meowing wakes me up at night). So a little baby...or babies...making their little "gurgle" noises throughout the night is tough. Hopefully being more tired tonight...having better pillows...and my "White Noise" iTouch App will help things a bit. No big deal. If I can't sleep...I'll just work on my paper that is due Monday at 0800!!
Ezra's last night in the NICU
Gideon's last night in the NICU
Ezra and Gideon sleeping together
(Caleb was in Mommy and Daddy's Room)
Caleb and Mommy's first night together "Rooming In"
Caleb with Mommy
So...hopefully tomorrow or Monday I may have a chance to talk about the homecoming!! We are so very excited and look forward to having all of our family under our own roof!!
Thanks for all your prayers!!
God Bless!
J & A
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Getting a bit crazy 'round here...
Greetings to all!
First, sorry it has been a few days since updating. I figure the intervals between posts will continue to grow a bit over the next few weeks. As the subject says...things are about to get crazy...and in some ways already have!!
I'm back in school...which doesn't help...and Autumn's mom went back to Oklahoma. Autumn is still at the Fischer House, although that is about to change.
Starting tonight, Autumn will spend her evenings back in the hospital. Not because anything is wrong with her...but because it is time to start preparing for home!! The way they do that at Bethesda is through a process called "Rooming In." For us...they are modifying it a little bit.
Normally, Rooming In entails the parents spending the night in a room across from the NICU with their "NICU Graduate" (cute title huh!?!). They are responsible for taking care of him/her throughout the night and have the nurses there to check-up on things, answer any concerns, and just do the hospital thing making sure the parents didn't wreck their baby!! THe next morning...that's it and they go home.
With us having triplets...and Autumn still regaining her strength, things are a bit modified. To start, Autumn will stay in the room at the hospital...but tonight she will be by herself (We have people coming to the house early AM tomorrow and also have class). Throughout the night...instead of the boys being with her...she will go into the NICU to do their feedings and care time.
Tomorrow night (Friday), Caleb and I will join her for our first night sleeping with one of the boys. The following night, they will add Gideon, and Sunday night, the whole family will be together! It makes for a long few days at the hospital...especially for Autumn...but it also helps us out. First, I can continue to do those last minute things that were pushed off or we just forgot about. Second, it allows Autumn to ease into the full time care thing. Third...it gives Ezra time to adapt to his new feeding schedule and we don't have to leave him behind. All in all...we are really pleased with the way things are working out.
I've continued to find great Craigslist deals and gotten some new things too. Besides things for the boys...we got some organization stuff to help us keep track of things. We'll be keeping daily logs of their feeding / changing schedules, and each boy's stuff will be color coded according to our scheme: Caleb = Blue; Gideon = Green; Ezra = Yellow/Off White/Brown and other "earthy tones." So they'll each have a clip board with their name / color; a log sheet in their color; and we've even gotten their "lovies" to coordinate with their colors. So...for those who are thinking about things to buy (Grandmas / Grandpas)...please note the colors :-)
It will be interesting to see how our system works. We'll do the log because we want to be sure that even when people who are helping out come in...we can still track how they are doing. With preemies it is good to show the Pediatrician how they are doing so we can adjust their feeding amounts / times / etc. The colors simplifies things, and from talking to other triplet parents...colors are a good start.
Anyways...that's about it for today. Not sure when I'll get back on here. Still have two papers due next week...and some babies coming home!! But we'll update with some new pics when we can!!
Thanks for all your prayers!!
God Bless!
J
First, sorry it has been a few days since updating. I figure the intervals between posts will continue to grow a bit over the next few weeks. As the subject says...things are about to get crazy...and in some ways already have!!
I'm back in school...which doesn't help...and Autumn's mom went back to Oklahoma. Autumn is still at the Fischer House, although that is about to change.
Starting tonight, Autumn will spend her evenings back in the hospital. Not because anything is wrong with her...but because it is time to start preparing for home!! The way they do that at Bethesda is through a process called "Rooming In." For us...they are modifying it a little bit.
Normally, Rooming In entails the parents spending the night in a room across from the NICU with their "NICU Graduate" (cute title huh!?!). They are responsible for taking care of him/her throughout the night and have the nurses there to check-up on things, answer any concerns, and just do the hospital thing making sure the parents didn't wreck their baby!! THe next morning...that's it and they go home.
With us having triplets...and Autumn still regaining her strength, things are a bit modified. To start, Autumn will stay in the room at the hospital...but tonight she will be by herself (We have people coming to the house early AM tomorrow and also have class). Throughout the night...instead of the boys being with her...she will go into the NICU to do their feedings and care time.
Tomorrow night (Friday), Caleb and I will join her for our first night sleeping with one of the boys. The following night, they will add Gideon, and Sunday night, the whole family will be together! It makes for a long few days at the hospital...especially for Autumn...but it also helps us out. First, I can continue to do those last minute things that were pushed off or we just forgot about. Second, it allows Autumn to ease into the full time care thing. Third...it gives Ezra time to adapt to his new feeding schedule and we don't have to leave him behind. All in all...we are really pleased with the way things are working out.
I've continued to find great Craigslist deals and gotten some new things too. Besides things for the boys...we got some organization stuff to help us keep track of things. We'll be keeping daily logs of their feeding / changing schedules, and each boy's stuff will be color coded according to our scheme: Caleb = Blue; Gideon = Green; Ezra = Yellow/Off White/Brown and other "earthy tones." So they'll each have a clip board with their name / color; a log sheet in their color; and we've even gotten their "lovies" to coordinate with their colors. So...for those who are thinking about things to buy (Grandmas / Grandpas)...please note the colors :-)
It will be interesting to see how our system works. We'll do the log because we want to be sure that even when people who are helping out come in...we can still track how they are doing. With preemies it is good to show the Pediatrician how they are doing so we can adjust their feeding amounts / times / etc. The colors simplifies things, and from talking to other triplet parents...colors are a good start.
Anyways...that's about it for today. Not sure when I'll get back on here. Still have two papers due next week...and some babies coming home!! But we'll update with some new pics when we can!!
Thanks for all your prayers!!
God Bless!
J
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Good-bye 4 pounders!!
I guess when babies start off so small, they have little choice but to grow, and grow, and grow. That's what the boys continue to do.
All three of them are over 5lbs and they are all getting better and better at feeding. Caleb and Gideon are now both off the feeding tubes. They've both taken a try at breast feeding and seem to do pretty well with that. Tonight...Gideon took 60ccs in about 10 minutes!! That is lightning fast and he could've had more if we would've given him more. Not to be outdone, Ezra is also getting better at feeding and took his full meal by bottle this evening too!!
Which brings us to discussions about the boys coming home. I think I've mentioned it before, but I will go over again what the boys need to do individually to be released from the NICU/hospital (there is no inbetween nursery they stay at).
1. They must demonstrate the ability to maintain a healthy body temperature in a crib. They can be swaddled or under a blanket or with a little cap...but they can't be in an isolette or anything else that maintains their temperature for them. They all did this in the first week.
2. They must demonstrate weight gain. Check.
3. They must not have any issues of Apnea (stop breathing) or Brady's (drop their heart rate suddenly) for at least 5 days straight. They are still dealing with that a little bit...and sometimes it happens while they are eating. So quite honestly...I'm not sure if we are 100% sure where they are at with that. It isn't a dramatic issue or anything we expect them to get "stuck" on for a long time.
4. They must be able to take all their required nutrition / formula / breast milk by bottle or by breast during all their feeds throughout the day and in each case under 30 minutes. Caleb is pretty much there. He just needs to do it a little longer...Gideon is pretty much the same way. Ezra still needs a little practice.
But as a whole, they are all doing well. The nurse even asked Autumn about our preference for taking them home piecemeal (one / two at a time) or all together. Right now, our preferred course of action is to bring them home together. It keeps them all in the same place (easing logistical issues) and it means we wouldn't have to deal with the emotional side of "leaving anyone behind." That doesn't mean we'll be able to do that...but that is where we stand right now.
In other news we are working on our finishing touches to get the house ready for the babies. I have found some amazing deals on Craigslist for pack-n-plays, snap-n-go stroller, dr brown bottles (we need about 30 to make life easier), and other little things. We've also stocked up on a weeks worth of formula (7 x 12.8oz cans), a week+ worth of diapers (200+), baby wipes (1000+), and hand sanitizer for all over the house!
On the to do list still is getting rid of our dining table to make room for the "boys" area. I can't wait to start adding fun things for them to play with in there. We are also making final adjustments to the car seats in the car...although the Fire Department visit went great.
Autumn is doing better and better every day. She still walks slowly...but it is amazing the improvement she's made in the past week. Gigi went home to Oklahoma this evening, but she really helped out taking care of Autumn, and I know she enjoyed seeing the boys and is probably already trying to figure out when she can come out.
That's about it for now. I'm excited to get this "home" show on the road. There are all these little 'systems' I just want to see if they work and how to make them better. It is gonna be a crazy few weeks for sure. But what stories we'll be able to share!!
Until later...hope y'all are having a great week!!
God Bless!
J
All three of them are over 5lbs and they are all getting better and better at feeding. Caleb and Gideon are now both off the feeding tubes. They've both taken a try at breast feeding and seem to do pretty well with that. Tonight...Gideon took 60ccs in about 10 minutes!! That is lightning fast and he could've had more if we would've given him more. Not to be outdone, Ezra is also getting better at feeding and took his full meal by bottle this evening too!!
Which brings us to discussions about the boys coming home. I think I've mentioned it before, but I will go over again what the boys need to do individually to be released from the NICU/hospital (there is no inbetween nursery they stay at).
1. They must demonstrate the ability to maintain a healthy body temperature in a crib. They can be swaddled or under a blanket or with a little cap...but they can't be in an isolette or anything else that maintains their temperature for them. They all did this in the first week.
2. They must demonstrate weight gain. Check.
3. They must not have any issues of Apnea (stop breathing) or Brady's (drop their heart rate suddenly) for at least 5 days straight. They are still dealing with that a little bit...and sometimes it happens while they are eating. So quite honestly...I'm not sure if we are 100% sure where they are at with that. It isn't a dramatic issue or anything we expect them to get "stuck" on for a long time.
4. They must be able to take all their required nutrition / formula / breast milk by bottle or by breast during all their feeds throughout the day and in each case under 30 minutes. Caleb is pretty much there. He just needs to do it a little longer...Gideon is pretty much the same way. Ezra still needs a little practice.
But as a whole, they are all doing well. The nurse even asked Autumn about our preference for taking them home piecemeal (one / two at a time) or all together. Right now, our preferred course of action is to bring them home together. It keeps them all in the same place (easing logistical issues) and it means we wouldn't have to deal with the emotional side of "leaving anyone behind." That doesn't mean we'll be able to do that...but that is where we stand right now.
In other news we are working on our finishing touches to get the house ready for the babies. I have found some amazing deals on Craigslist for pack-n-plays, snap-n-go stroller, dr brown bottles (we need about 30 to make life easier), and other little things. We've also stocked up on a weeks worth of formula (7 x 12.8oz cans), a week+ worth of diapers (200+), baby wipes (1000+), and hand sanitizer for all over the house!
On the to do list still is getting rid of our dining table to make room for the "boys" area. I can't wait to start adding fun things for them to play with in there. We are also making final adjustments to the car seats in the car...although the Fire Department visit went great.
Autumn is doing better and better every day. She still walks slowly...but it is amazing the improvement she's made in the past week. Gigi went home to Oklahoma this evening, but she really helped out taking care of Autumn, and I know she enjoyed seeing the boys and is probably already trying to figure out when she can come out.
That's about it for now. I'm excited to get this "home" show on the road. There are all these little 'systems' I just want to see if they work and how to make them better. It is gonna be a crazy few weeks for sure. But what stories we'll be able to share!!
Until later...hope y'all are having a great week!!
God Bless!
J
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Two Weeks and Growing....
Good Afternoon:
Sorry it has been a few days since posting. The realities of life and the last minute stuff that needs to get done before the boys come home have occupied most of my time. Thankfully, Autumn's mom is here (aka Gigi) and she is able to be with Autumn at the Fisher House and now she is able to see the boys!!
Yesterday (Friday) was another wonderful day for our little guys. They were officially two weeks old and they got to meet Gigi for the first time. We have a wonderful little video of Gigi meeting the boys and it just warms your heart. She is so happy and in awe at the same time. I'm sure she is just super-proud of her own little girl, Autumn. As I like to tell Autumn...like Rocky told Adrienne..."You done good."
Sorry it has been a few days since posting. The realities of life and the last minute stuff that needs to get done before the boys come home have occupied most of my time. Thankfully, Autumn's mom is here (aka Gigi) and she is able to be with Autumn at the Fisher House and now she is able to see the boys!!
Yesterday (Friday) was another wonderful day for our little guys. They were officially two weeks old and they got to meet Gigi for the first time. We have a wonderful little video of Gigi meeting the boys and it just warms your heart. She is so happy and in awe at the same time. I'm sure she is just super-proud of her own little girl, Autumn. As I like to tell Autumn...like Rocky told Adrienne..."You done good."
Gigi holding Caleb
The boys continue to grow stronger and stronger every day. Caleb pulled out his feeding tube for the umpteenth time...but this time...the nurses didn't put it back. He is taking all of his nutrition / feeding from a bottle. What a milestone for a little life!! Hopefully that will continue so they don't have to put a tube back into his stomach. Not a fun thing for these little guys to go through. Ask Gideon. It seems every day he pulls it out at least once and has to go through the whole drill of puting it through his nose and his little scream makes it clear he is not happy. It doesn't hurt them at all...it is just very uncomfortable...but one of those necessary evils. Hopefully him and Ezra will be able to take all their meals from a bottle soon too so they can get their tubes removed!!
2 Week Weights:
Caleb: 4lb 9oz (+2oz from birth)
Gideon: 4lb 12oz (+2oz from birth)
Ezra: 4lb 11oz (+5oz from birth!!)
The picture below is of Autumn with all the boys!! What an exciting moment for her. Every day she gains a bit more strength with a little less pain. That's good too because if things continue to progress the boys might be spending their 3rd Friday in this world at home with Mommy, Daddy, and their pets, Tim the Cat, and Teddy (the dog/puppy). But it is nice having her feel a bit more "normal' although everything we hear from the docs and other mothers of triplets is that "normal" doesn't come for at least 4-6 months....best case scenerio.
This was my first week back at school. Still catching up on one more assignment and then plan on working ahead this weekend with MLK Day off. Unfortunately, I am realizing / accepting the part about being a Dad that must stink the worse...work means I get less time with the boys. Such is life...and it will just make my time with them more precious when I get it. I was able to do their whole care time last night without any real assistance from the nurse accept for the things I'm not allowed to do (i.e. prepare their formula, replace Gideon's feeding tube, listen to heart, lungs, and tummies). But the hour and a half it took was easily the best part of the day.
Anyways, that's about it for now. I will work to find a way to post some videos over the next few days. It involves using Youtube but I don't want our videos for public consumption. Bear with me...and hopefully I'll have something one of these days.
Enjoy your weekend!!
Love,
J
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A week to go?!?
This will be a quick post...but I wanted to update everyone on the boys progress.
We'd mentioned previously that the boys needed to start feeding with the bottles in order to start thinking about going home. Well...I don't know if it was prayers or what...but when I called the NICU this AM during a class break they told me that all three of them had taken their full feedings from 2am, 5am, and 8am feedings!! Talk about a drastic change!! When Autumn went back this evening they were just doing the feeding tube. They don't want to overwhelm the boys too quickly. But as a whole...it is very exciting to know they have started to figure it out!!
With that said...the crazy part is that for the first time, a doctor has mentioned the boys potentially going home. It is all tentative...but if they continue to advance with their feedings they could be home in about a week!! Wow...that's nuts!!
So...for those who live in the NOVA area...we are gonna start cashing in on the many, many offers for assistance soon. If the best case scenerio works out...we'll need quite a bit of help the last week in January. It just happens to be this gap where neither my parents nor Autumns parents are able to make it out here. It's also my busiest week of the quarter for school...but I am almost caught up from last week and plan to work ahead this weekend with Gigi (Autumn's mom, Glenda) here. But if you think you might want / be able to spare a few hours of the day here...let us know. We'll be sure to put you to use holding / feeding babies and even changing a diaper or two...or three...or six!! :-)
Anyways...that's our exciting news for the day. Hope you are all doing well in your neck of the woods.
God Bless!!
J & A
P.S. Sorry...no new pics tonight. Autumn has the camera with her at Bethesda. I will post some tomorrow night, hopefully, after I get to see the boys!!
We'd mentioned previously that the boys needed to start feeding with the bottles in order to start thinking about going home. Well...I don't know if it was prayers or what...but when I called the NICU this AM during a class break they told me that all three of them had taken their full feedings from 2am, 5am, and 8am feedings!! Talk about a drastic change!! When Autumn went back this evening they were just doing the feeding tube. They don't want to overwhelm the boys too quickly. But as a whole...it is very exciting to know they have started to figure it out!!
With that said...the crazy part is that for the first time, a doctor has mentioned the boys potentially going home. It is all tentative...but if they continue to advance with their feedings they could be home in about a week!! Wow...that's nuts!!
So...for those who live in the NOVA area...we are gonna start cashing in on the many, many offers for assistance soon. If the best case scenerio works out...we'll need quite a bit of help the last week in January. It just happens to be this gap where neither my parents nor Autumns parents are able to make it out here. It's also my busiest week of the quarter for school...but I am almost caught up from last week and plan to work ahead this weekend with Gigi (Autumn's mom, Glenda) here. But if you think you might want / be able to spare a few hours of the day here...let us know. We'll be sure to put you to use holding / feeding babies and even changing a diaper or two...or three...or six!! :-)
Anyways...that's our exciting news for the day. Hope you are all doing well in your neck of the woods.
God Bless!!
J & A
P.S. Sorry...no new pics tonight. Autumn has the camera with her at Bethesda. I will post some tomorrow night, hopefully, after I get to see the boys!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Gigi (aka Grandma Huffman) is here!!
Well...another wonderful day has come and gone. Didn't post last night because I was experiencing technical difficulties with the camera. I am quickly realizing how popular the blog has become...and I know it isn't my writing that draws people here. These guys are C.U.T.E.!! So...without further ado (sp?) here are some of the latest followed by an update on everyone.
Here are the three of them snuggled up together under the blanket.
Here is Gideon. I can't help but think of Darth Vader at the end of Return of the Jedi when I see this picture!!
Here is Ezra sticking his tongue out at Daddy!!
One of my favorites so far. Caleb and Mommy looking at each other!
The boys are still doing well. Ezra and Caleb's reflux has gone away mostly. They still have a little bit...but not as much as Gideon. Poor little Gideon just can't cut a break. His reflux is a bit more serious. Autumn was actually holding him and Ezra this evening, but after just a couple of minutes he spit up on Ezra!! Poor guys!
Autumn is doing well. Each day gets a little better. Of course she doesn't get as much sleep as she did long, long ago..but at least the sleep she does get now is better than when she was pregnant. Her primary functions in life seem to be pumping, sleeping, and visiting the boys. We continue to pray that she'll be ready for the little ones when they come home.
Helping Autumn is her Mom, Glenda. Glenda (who will be known as Gigi to the boys) arrived on Monday and has already helped a lot. She made some meals here at the Fisher House and is able to get Autumn to and from the hospital. On Friday it will be her opportunity to see her Grandsons. She needs to wait ten full days from when she received her H1N1 vaccination before they'll let her into the NICU.
On the homefront, I went back to class today. I still have some homework to catch up on...but at least I'm part-way into thing. I find myself much less interested than I was before the Christmas break...go figure. At least I can call the NICU on my breaks to see how my boys are doing. But I was able to tie up some loose ends at the house today too...which means we have plenty of diapers, wipes, and other bare essentials for whenever it is our boys come home. Also have an appointment with the Fire Department on Saturday to ensure our Car Seats are installed properly!!
We really appreciate all the prayers and support we have continued to recieve. Boxes of things off our registry have arrived and its really moving. FYI...if you did send something I am tracking it. But I am also gonna wrap the stuff up for Autumn so she'll have more things to open up at her baby shower (date TBD...it was previously scheduled for NOV but before we set the solid date / did invites she was put on bedrest). But anyways...I just want her to feel special whenever we do the baby shower and so thank-you in advance...and I promise official thank-you notes will be on the way. I hope that is okay and I appreciate your understanding.
One last note about support...not sure if you've noticed the numbers at the bottom of the page. Those are the number of "hits" on the blog and the number of different visitors (i.e. computers) that have visited. We decided to put that on there because we were hearing about so many people checking this out. We had no idea so many people would be so interested in our boys lives...even if it is just checking out pictures. We hope you do enjoy what you hear / read. If you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. I actually really enjoy writing all this out and if there is something you are curious about I will either respond to the comment in the comment section or perhaps address it in an individual post (like the names).
Thank-you so much for your love and care....we can't wait to show our boys some day how many people were interested in their little lives!!
God Bless!!
J & A
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
