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!
Showing posts with label Caleb. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Caleb. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
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
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
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
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
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
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Now it is time to eat!!!
Today was a relatively quiet day for the Kaldahl Triplets. Caleb, Gideon, and Ezra experienced their first day since birth without any dramatic changes...good or bad. That doesn't mean anything really good or anything really bad. I think that as the days go on...we will see a more steady progression of progress...i.e. no dramatic improvements...just slowly improving so we can bring them home!
Since the boys have all been taken off of oxygen and IVs...their biggest challenge is going to be eating. They have to be able to take all of their weight appropriate formula by mouth at each feeding and in less than thirty minutes in order to be released from the NICU. So far...they each take about 15ml by mouth about one or two feedings per day. They'll have to be able to do about 60-80ml during all 8 feedings throughout the day. They'll also have to keep it down. Right now, they all spit up a bit due to reflux and that will be something to continue to watch. Once they do get the right amount of food several days in a row we will be looking to take them home!! During a later post...I'll go over the "going home" criteria in more depth.
Besides the reflux the boys are doing well. Slowly we are starting to see bits and pieces of their individual personalities. Of course a lot of things are just typical newborn behaviors...but they express them in different ways. So far, Caleb seems like the "relaxed" one. As long as we aren't changing him or the nurses are prodding him he is a cool customer. He also tends to look most like Jeff. Gideon and Ezra are a bit more expressive as feeding time comes near. In one of the pictures below you can see Ezra reaching out and touching his brother Gideon. They are also more expressive with their eyes and it seemed like Gideon was trying to smile a bit a bit while "playing" with Jeff today. If nothing else...they are all trying to focus a bit more at who is talking to them and from where they are hearing voices. It is fun and we really look forward to when they recognize their individual names.
Autumn's mom comes in tomorrow. She will undoubtedly be a great help, and it will mean Jeff goes back to school on Tuesday. Arrghhh...no looking forward to it...but that is just the way it goes.
We do have a couple of prayer requests though. First, Autumn is starting to experience an increased amount of pain that had previously gone away. It makes it hard for her to go visit the boys when she feels that way, and as you can imagine...that makes her pretty bummed!! More importantly...with the boys progressing as well as they are...we need their mommy in tip top shape when the DO come home. So please pray she would feel better and that she would regain her energy over the next couple of weeks.
Next, with Jeff going back to classes...please pray he makes a good transition. He is a bit behind on some assignments and now has they greatest distraction in the world. Just pray he gets the assignments that need to be done complete but that he is able prioritize his time well enough to be able to take care of the boys and Autumn. I'm sure it is everything every new Dad goes through...but that only lessens the nervousness just a little!
You can make out the letters on their wraps. The nurses label with with their respective birth letters in case someone "new" has to come in and do something in a hurry. The nurses know they by their names!!
Since the boys have all been taken off of oxygen and IVs...their biggest challenge is going to be eating. They have to be able to take all of their weight appropriate formula by mouth at each feeding and in less than thirty minutes in order to be released from the NICU. So far...they each take about 15ml by mouth about one or two feedings per day. They'll have to be able to do about 60-80ml during all 8 feedings throughout the day. They'll also have to keep it down. Right now, they all spit up a bit due to reflux and that will be something to continue to watch. Once they do get the right amount of food several days in a row we will be looking to take them home!! During a later post...I'll go over the "going home" criteria in more depth.
Besides the reflux the boys are doing well. Slowly we are starting to see bits and pieces of their individual personalities. Of course a lot of things are just typical newborn behaviors...but they express them in different ways. So far, Caleb seems like the "relaxed" one. As long as we aren't changing him or the nurses are prodding him he is a cool customer. He also tends to look most like Jeff. Gideon and Ezra are a bit more expressive as feeding time comes near. In one of the pictures below you can see Ezra reaching out and touching his brother Gideon. They are also more expressive with their eyes and it seemed like Gideon was trying to smile a bit a bit while "playing" with Jeff today. If nothing else...they are all trying to focus a bit more at who is talking to them and from where they are hearing voices. It is fun and we really look forward to when they recognize their individual names.
Autumn's mom comes in tomorrow. She will undoubtedly be a great help, and it will mean Jeff goes back to school on Tuesday. Arrghhh...no looking forward to it...but that is just the way it goes.
We do have a couple of prayer requests though. First, Autumn is starting to experience an increased amount of pain that had previously gone away. It makes it hard for her to go visit the boys when she feels that way, and as you can imagine...that makes her pretty bummed!! More importantly...with the boys progressing as well as they are...we need their mommy in tip top shape when the DO come home. So please pray she would feel better and that she would regain her energy over the next couple of weeks.
Next, with Jeff going back to classes...please pray he makes a good transition. He is a bit behind on some assignments and now has they greatest distraction in the world. Just pray he gets the assignments that need to be done complete but that he is able prioritize his time well enough to be able to take care of the boys and Autumn. I'm sure it is everything every new Dad goes through...but that only lessens the nervousness just a little!
Gideon flashing his "eyes" (and also sucking on his swaddle wrap!)
You have to tilt your head to see...but Caleb had a nice "Reverse 'C'" as he was sleeping today. That is the perfect shape for a follow through on a good golf swing...here's hoping!! :-)
Ezra reaching out and touching Gideon...just to say Hi...or maybe just make sure he was there!! After we picked Gideon up for his care time...Ezra started fussing a bit!
Thanks for all your prayers!! We hope you having a great year!!
God Bless!!
J & A
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Reunited at last!! Plus...life in the NICU
Greetings from Bethesda, MD!!
This morning was an exciting day for our little guys!! For the first time since they were born, they were reunited and in close proximity to each other. Because they are all doing so well (off IV, no supplemental oxygen, ect) they are all sleeping in the same crib. It is quite a sight to see and you can tell they notice each other. Right before we left for the night, Caleb was curled up right next to Gideon. If nothing else...this makes us feel good that they have each other again.
Quite honestly...that's it. We visited them three times today: morning, afternoon, and tonight. It is likely we will maintain that schedule as long as they are there. When we go to the hospital we go through several steps. First, we sign in and get buzzed into the NICU. No one except parents are allowed in...unless the parents also escort another individual. BUT...that person must have had the H1N1 vaccine more than ten days ago. Once we are buzzed in, we wash up for three minutes. This is the full "surgeon" type scrub you see on TV. They even have little timers that are activated by the water running to make sure you track how long you've been scrubbing. I'll tell ya...when you are excited about seeing your little one...it takes discipline and the knowledge you are washing for their safety to get the full three minutes in!!
Once washed up we head to the pod. The nurses are really, really good about updating us before we even ask. In their first week we got updates like oxygen levels, temperatures, medicine, feedings and things like that. For now, the biggest update is on how much they are eating and in what quantities (bottle vs feeding tube). Occasionally we'll get other news like this evening: "Gideon threw up most of his previous feed." Poor guy.
Once updated, we usually jump right into helping with care. Care times are every three hours and each boy is spread 1/2 hour apart. Because preemies are more sensitive to stimuli, the nurses try to group all the stuff that needs to be done into their care time. For us...this consists of taking their temperature, changing their diapers, changing shirts when needed, and helping the nurses do their checks. The nurses listen to their hearts, lungs, and intestines, measure their stomach girth, take blood pressure, and in the evening, weigh them. Occasionally they also have their feeding tube changed..which is tough to watch because they really, really hate it!!
The last part of care time is feeding. Depending on if the boys are giving cues, how much they fed with a bottle previously, and how much "energy" they are displaying, the nurse decides whether to try with a bottle. If so, we try to feed them for a few minutes until they've had enough. Then they are given the rest through their feeding tube. Either way....this is the best part of care time because this is when we get to hold them and when they are usually most alert.
By the time their feeding is done, they are usually back asleep. We either keeping holding them for awhile or put them back in the crib to start work in the next one.
So that's about it. Here are some more pictures from the day....
We hope you have a great day!!
God Bless!
J & A
This morning was an exciting day for our little guys!! For the first time since they were born, they were reunited and in close proximity to each other. Because they are all doing so well (off IV, no supplemental oxygen, ect) they are all sleeping in the same crib. It is quite a sight to see and you can tell they notice each other. Right before we left for the night, Caleb was curled up right next to Gideon. If nothing else...this makes us feel good that they have each other again.
From Left to Right: Ezra, Gideon, and Caleb
Quite honestly...that's it. We visited them three times today: morning, afternoon, and tonight. It is likely we will maintain that schedule as long as they are there. When we go to the hospital we go through several steps. First, we sign in and get buzzed into the NICU. No one except parents are allowed in...unless the parents also escort another individual. BUT...that person must have had the H1N1 vaccine more than ten days ago. Once we are buzzed in, we wash up for three minutes. This is the full "surgeon" type scrub you see on TV. They even have little timers that are activated by the water running to make sure you track how long you've been scrubbing. I'll tell ya...when you are excited about seeing your little one...it takes discipline and the knowledge you are washing for their safety to get the full three minutes in!!
Once washed up we head to the pod. The nurses are really, really good about updating us before we even ask. In their first week we got updates like oxygen levels, temperatures, medicine, feedings and things like that. For now, the biggest update is on how much they are eating and in what quantities (bottle vs feeding tube). Occasionally we'll get other news like this evening: "Gideon threw up most of his previous feed." Poor guy.
Once updated, we usually jump right into helping with care. Care times are every three hours and each boy is spread 1/2 hour apart. Because preemies are more sensitive to stimuli, the nurses try to group all the stuff that needs to be done into their care time. For us...this consists of taking their temperature, changing their diapers, changing shirts when needed, and helping the nurses do their checks. The nurses listen to their hearts, lungs, and intestines, measure their stomach girth, take blood pressure, and in the evening, weigh them. Occasionally they also have their feeding tube changed..which is tough to watch because they really, really hate it!!
The last part of care time is feeding. Depending on if the boys are giving cues, how much they fed with a bottle previously, and how much "energy" they are displaying, the nurse decides whether to try with a bottle. If so, we try to feed them for a few minutes until they've had enough. Then they are given the rest through their feeding tube. Either way....this is the best part of care time because this is when we get to hold them and when they are usually most alert.
Mommy feeding Gideon
Daddy holding Gideon (left) and Ezra (middle)
By the time their feeding is done, they are usually back asleep. We either keeping holding them for awhile or put them back in the crib to start work in the next one.
So that's about it. Here are some more pictures from the day....
Ezra making a face at the camera
(okay...I know he doesn't know he was doing that...but it's still cute!)
Gideon during a feeding
Caleb trying to eat the gauze!
We hope you have a great day!!
God Bless!
J & A
Friday, January 8, 2010
Gideon's Big Day...and other exciting adventures!!
It is hard to believe these little guys were born a week ago. For all you parents out there who told us time would fly....well....you told us so. I always thought time in the Army moved quickly...this has been lightning fast. It has been an amazing week for Autumn and I, and we feel so blessed to have these little boys in our lives. We are even more thankful because they are doing so well...and today was no exception to previous progress.
Gideon was the big mover today. He is no longer on any respiratory assistance and he is doing great on his own. He also had his IV removed this evening which means no more needles for him!! Even more amazing was his progress with feeding. He took his entire afternoon feeding with the bottle which is more than either of the other two have done. Hopefully this is a sign of great leaps for Gideon as he is catching up to his brothers.
Speaking of those two...since Caleb and Ezra are out of the isolettes (aka incubators) they are able to be co-bedded. This means that they are reunited in the same crib!! They are up to 40cc of formula/breast milk per feeding (Gideon is at 37cc). It was cute watching them when they put Ezra into the crib with Caleb. Obviously they aren't totally aware of what is going on...but it seemed like they were at least aware of each other's presence. The good news is that Gideon will hopefully join them tomorrow and all three of our little muskateers will be reunited!!
All three of them got some good Mommy / Daddy time today. Autumn is getting this changing diapers thing down and we are both getting better at holding little bodies and trying to get them to feed from a bottle. It is so wonderful watching them do the most basic things...I see how parents can be so "overwhelmed" by basic baby tasks. Evening opening their eyes earns our boys praises. In fact...anything that shows they are awake = plenty of cooing and ahhing.
Here are some pictures from today's festivities....and then some 1 week statistics below that...
Gideon was the big mover today. He is no longer on any respiratory assistance and he is doing great on his own. He also had his IV removed this evening which means no more needles for him!! Even more amazing was his progress with feeding. He took his entire afternoon feeding with the bottle which is more than either of the other two have done. Hopefully this is a sign of great leaps for Gideon as he is catching up to his brothers.
Speaking of those two...since Caleb and Ezra are out of the isolettes (aka incubators) they are able to be co-bedded. This means that they are reunited in the same crib!! They are up to 40cc of formula/breast milk per feeding (Gideon is at 37cc). It was cute watching them when they put Ezra into the crib with Caleb. Obviously they aren't totally aware of what is going on...but it seemed like they were at least aware of each other's presence. The good news is that Gideon will hopefully join them tomorrow and all three of our little muskateers will be reunited!!
Here are some pictures from today's festivities....and then some 1 week statistics below that...
Ezra (left) and Caleb (right) getting reaquainted
Gideon without the nasal cannulars
Daddy with Caleb and Mommy with Ezra
Caleb: 4lb 3oz, 40cc per feed
Gideon: 4lb 11oz, 37cc per feed
Ezra: 4lb 4oz, 40cc per feed
**ALL** No IVs, breathing without assistance, out of the isolates and into cribs, and according to all the nurses, very cute!!
Thanks for dropping by!
God Bless...
J & A
Good Bye Incubators!!
As I wrote via Twitter earlier today, all three boys are out of their incubators and in little "cribs." This is because their bodies have learned to regulate their temperatures a bit..and if anything...these little engines run a bit warm...especially after Mommy and Daddy hold them. Which leads me to my second piece of good news...
For the most part, they are adapted well enough to day to day activities that we can hold each of them almost whenever we visit. And boy...let me tell ya...these guys are little time killers. I tend to view myself as someone who always wants to do at least two things at a time. Life is just more efficient that way. Well...when you hold one of these little guys...that is MORE than enough to keep you satisfied. They are each just so cute and so fun to cuddle with...I just don't know where the time goes!! Even better...because they each need to be changed or fed at half hour intervals...their needs dictate where you go and who you feed. Takes away any type of "guilt" having to put down whichever one you are holding to go take care of another!!
Ezra andGideon (oops...) I mean Caleb are pretty much independent of any machines or IVs. That means no needles!!! The only exception might be for special tests that may need to be run as needed. I don't know if they are fully considered "feeders and growers"...but they are awfully close. Pretty much the only thing they aren't doing that a normal full term baby is doing is eating with a bottle each meal and they still occasionally stop breathing or have their heart rates drop.
For the eating, all three of them have little orange tubes that go through their nose or mouth into their little tummies. At least once a day (sometimes more if they are giving indicators wanting to feed) Caleb and Ezra try eating with a bottle and small nipple. As they get better at the suck, swallow, breath thing they will have more and more via bottle and less via the feeding tube. Generally, babies don't "learn" to do all three at once until around the 34-35 week mark. So hopefully...we should see some progress in that regards soon.
In the same way...continual breathing is another issue. Occasionally...as I think I have previously written...they will just forget to breath. It isn't as scary as it sounds because the respiratory indicator and heart rate monitors track accordingly and set off the appropriate warning (we are experts reading these machines now!). Normally, they will self-recover without any assistance. If they don't do so in a few seconds...the nurses give a subtle reminder. I've never been there for a "not-so subtle" reminder...but my impression is that they force the little one to cry...the best sign of breathing!! Caleb is recieving caffeine to help his breathing a bit more. So in that regards...with two doses of caffeine a day...at 6 days old...he will fit right into our Kaldahl Family!! Can you put coffee in a bottle!?! :-) Fortunately, Ezra doesn't need it and seems to be the furthest along...amazing after the rough first day he had!!
Gideon is still on the nasal cannula. This helps his breathing a bit. They have tried weaning him down a bit...but he isn't responding as favorably or as quickly as Ezra did. In the same regards, he is still on an IV and gets a mix of feeding tube and IV fluids to get his nutrients. But...he is able to be held just as much as his brothers and is just as cosey(sp?) in his Mommy or Daddy's arms.
So that's about it from our neck of the woods. We ask that you keep a fourth baby in your prayers over the next few weeks. Our boys got a pod-mate yesterday, and unfortunately he is in much worse condition than our boys. He was born at 25 weeks and is only around 1lb. Obviously, the docs / nurses don't share anything with us....but the nature of the pod and proximity to each space makes privacy impossible. This little guy is really, really small and I'm sure has a rough road ahead of him. It makes for a mix of emotions sometimes. On the one hand...we see how blessed we are to have avoided such a difficult time for our boys. On the other...we are heartbroken to see such a little life struggle so much and can't imagine how hard it must be for his parents. I suspect his mom is having her own medical issues because she has been physically unable to see him yet. I don't know his name...but his first initial is "J." So while you say your prayers tonight...please remember "J" and his family.
Okay....phew....to avoid ending this note on such a downer...I have included some pics.....
For the most part, they are adapted well enough to day to day activities that we can hold each of them almost whenever we visit. And boy...let me tell ya...these guys are little time killers. I tend to view myself as someone who always wants to do at least two things at a time. Life is just more efficient that way. Well...when you hold one of these little guys...that is MORE than enough to keep you satisfied. They are each just so cute and so fun to cuddle with...I just don't know where the time goes!! Even better...because they each need to be changed or fed at half hour intervals...their needs dictate where you go and who you feed. Takes away any type of "guilt" having to put down whichever one you are holding to go take care of another!!
Ezra and
For the eating, all three of them have little orange tubes that go through their nose or mouth into their little tummies. At least once a day (sometimes more if they are giving indicators wanting to feed) Caleb and Ezra try eating with a bottle and small nipple. As they get better at the suck, swallow, breath thing they will have more and more via bottle and less via the feeding tube. Generally, babies don't "learn" to do all three at once until around the 34-35 week mark. So hopefully...we should see some progress in that regards soon.
In the same way...continual breathing is another issue. Occasionally...as I think I have previously written...they will just forget to breath. It isn't as scary as it sounds because the respiratory indicator and heart rate monitors track accordingly and set off the appropriate warning (we are experts reading these machines now!). Normally, they will self-recover without any assistance. If they don't do so in a few seconds...the nurses give a subtle reminder. I've never been there for a "not-so subtle" reminder...but my impression is that they force the little one to cry...the best sign of breathing!! Caleb is recieving caffeine to help his breathing a bit more. So in that regards...with two doses of caffeine a day...at 6 days old...he will fit right into our Kaldahl Family!! Can you put coffee in a bottle!?! :-) Fortunately, Ezra doesn't need it and seems to be the furthest along...amazing after the rough first day he had!!
Gideon is still on the nasal cannula. This helps his breathing a bit. They have tried weaning him down a bit...but he isn't responding as favorably or as quickly as Ezra did. In the same regards, he is still on an IV and gets a mix of feeding tube and IV fluids to get his nutrients. But...he is able to be held just as much as his brothers and is just as cosey(sp?) in his Mommy or Daddy's arms.
So that's about it from our neck of the woods. We ask that you keep a fourth baby in your prayers over the next few weeks. Our boys got a pod-mate yesterday, and unfortunately he is in much worse condition than our boys. He was born at 25 weeks and is only around 1lb. Obviously, the docs / nurses don't share anything with us....but the nature of the pod and proximity to each space makes privacy impossible. This little guy is really, really small and I'm sure has a rough road ahead of him. It makes for a mix of emotions sometimes. On the one hand...we see how blessed we are to have avoided such a difficult time for our boys. On the other...we are heartbroken to see such a little life struggle so much and can't imagine how hard it must be for his parents. I suspect his mom is having her own medical issues because she has been physically unable to see him yet. I don't know his name...but his first initial is "J." So while you say your prayers tonight...please remember "J" and his family.
Okay....phew....to avoid ending this note on such a downer...I have included some pics.....
Caleb: He was sleeping w/ one eye open!!
Gideon: We finally got to see his eyes and hint of a smile!!
Ezra: He likes his new crib and sleeps peacefully
A proud mommy and daddy with their oldest boy, Caleb
Have a great weekend!!
God Bless,
J & A
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
