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!

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

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.

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

The Fisher House...

We are back at the Fisher House after a morning and afternoon of visiting the boys.  They are all doing well...sleeping together...and just being themselves!!  I'll update on them later, but I thought I would take a moment to share some thoughts about an amazing opportunity given to us through the kindness and generosity of the Fisher House.

The Fisher House is a public/private program that provides no-cost lodging for families visiting / caring for loved ones at Military Hospital facilities.  They are located at all the major military hospitals.  Priority is based upon different things...my understanding is that top priority goes to the families of our wounded warriors from Iraq / Afghanistant...but that is not all they cater to.  Obviously, they care for families with little ones in the hospital and we interact most with two families who have veterans going through cancer treatments.  The bottom line is that this is just an awesome program that is well run and provides a great service to those going through tough times.

We are lucky.  We are here for convenience and for a joyous occasion.  When we got here, we were amazed at how nice the house was.  At Bethesda, there are two houses...and they are building a third.  We are basically in a one bedroom suite with the bedroom (2 full beds), a full bath in the middle, and a lounge room on the other side.  In the common areas, there is a large kitchen, washer and dryer, a dining room, and a TV room with a big screen TV, library of books, Wii, and Xbox 360 (so Gary and Ryan if you visit you can play Halo 3...bring the game!!)  :-)  Additionally, the kitchen is stocked with everything you need...there are two refrigerators to share space with, and each room is assigned a cuboard.  Plus...many, many people have donated other food items so you don't have to worry about every single condiment, spice, or little things.  All in all...they meet their goal of making a home away from home.

Another thing that has made our stay nice here is the kindness of people who have brought meals by the house.  Our first night, the Officer's Wives Club brought by a bunch of different dishes and we've been eating the leftovers since.  Today...another group of families brought by Chilli for lunch.  Every time that happens it is just so nice not having to figure out what to cook or how to handle dinner.  As a whole...all our energy is directed towards visiting the boys and/or getting ready for their move home.

We have met a couple nice families who are going through much tougher times than us.  Two of our veterans are battling cancer.  One man flew from Italy for treatment and has his daughter and son-in-law here with him.  Another is from the Maryland area.  They are all really nice and excited for us as a new family.  In some ways though, I can't help but be aware of the different stages in life we are dealing with.  Our family is working towards beginning three little lives...they are hoping to put off the inevitable end.  We have admired how they have handled everything and wish them and their families all the best.

Finally...I figured I would put a plug in for anyone who would like to either donate $$ to the Fischer House or perhaps, get together with some other families, your church, or your small group and provide a meal or two to your local Fisher House.  For information, you can go to http://www.fisherhouse.org/.  There, you can find the link to donate or find a Fisher House near you.  For those in the Federal Government / Military...they are an option to give via Combined Federal Campaign (CFC).  Please note...we are under no obligation to provide any money or support so please do this on your own accord...not because we need anything.  Experience is just showing us this is a good cause.

Autumn began to tear up a bit when we arrived here.  Not because she missed the boys...although I'm sure she did.  She was simply overwhelmed with how nice this place was and with the knowledge that this is just a gift we are recieving out of some stranger / group of strangers kindness.  We may never know how we touch others lives when we go out of our ways to help them...but from a family who has been on the recieving end for several months...know it is greatly appreciated and helps in so many ways.

God Bless...

J

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...

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 and Gideon (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.....

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

And 44 days later..

Hello Friends and Family...well after a long stay at the hospital, I was discharged today.  However before we get to that, I got to hold my oldest (Caleb) for the very first time today.  I just love it!  And then I was able to hold Ezra (sans the huge amounts of drugs I was on when I first held him).  I am anxious now to hold Gideon.  It is still a strange feeling to have a son that I have not held yet, yet we are assured that their brains are still a bit immature and they are not impacted by the lack of touch that we would think they are.  The good news is, Caleb and Ezra are both off of their IV's!  I can't imagine how those must feel to our babies, and am so glad almost all are relieved from it.  Gideon is on a nasal form of air that is much less intrusive than his previous C-pap.  It is a little hard knowing he is struggling more than the others,  I find overall I must look at the big picture which is they are all doing remarkably well, and we are blessed beyond our wildest imaginiations.

Leaving the hospital was a very odd feeling.  At first I was very emotional, I really don't mind being stuck in the hospital when you are only down the hall from your babies.  And then I thought of all the miracles that have taken place in my room, being able to be in the hospital for 44 days with pre-eclampsia is a miracle as many of you know.  I felt a certain amount of loyalty to that room.  But alas, they don't let you stay there just because you like being there, so we left.  Then, I was outside for the first time and saw that while I was resting, winter really had arrived.  Minutes later we arrive at the Fisher House, it is really a lovely house with nice rooms, much homier than expected.  Then, the Wives of Officers had brought a great dinner with a variety of entrees.  Again, I thought I had lost my appetite due to the surgery, but it simply was a absolute lack of desire for anything from the hospital. All I can say of parenting is I totally get why parents can't get over their kids.  Jeff suggested we just stay in our room and just act like a normal couple for a minute, dinner wasn't even over and we both were like 'Yeah, let's go see the boys'.  There is nothing else in the world we would rather be doing, than spending time with these little lives whom we have known less than a week!

I have not and will never be able to know all the prayers that have gone up for us during this journey.  I just want to shout for joy, and yet I know all of this is the result of God's Grace through the power of so many prayers.  Thank you, dear friends who have been fervent prayer warriors.  I love you all!

Autumn's almost out....

Today was another good day for the boys filled with little bits of progress and a chance to just enjoy being with them whenever we can.

They have all increased the amount of formula / breast milk they take at any care time.  If I recall correctly, Caleb and Ezra are taking 25cc per feeding and Gideon is taking 16cc.  All three of them are still under the florescent light to prevent the jaundice.

The good news for today is that they took Gideon off the C-PAP machine and he is just on the oxygen through the nasal tubes.  That is much less invasive and it allows us to see his face a bit more.  Unfortunately, we can't see it all the time because they each have to wear eye masks to protect their eyes from the lights.  So far...Autumn was able to see Gideon and we've both been able to see Ezra.

Ezra is quite the ham.  He seems to be so aware when we are there taking pictures.  That's why he as the most with open eyes and looking at the camera.  Caleb is the squirmer.  We thought it was Ezra at first, but the last couple of days...when Caleb is frustrated or anxious he just moves around a lot.  He cries a little too...but nothing too much.  Gideon wasn't moving around nearly as much today.  Maybe he is tired...or maybe he was just more comfortable without the C-PAP.  I am looking forward to seeing him. 

Here are a few pics from today:

Caleb about to get fussy w/o his binky

Gideon free from his C-PAP

Ezra watching his Mommy & Daddy

Autumn is doing okay.  She had a little dizzy spell today, but I think that is because she is so focused on the babies she skipped a meal or didn't drink enough or something.  She is feeling much better though, and they are planning on discharging her tomorrow.  The good news is that we will be able to get a room at the Fischer House on base.  That means we'll only be 2-3 minutes from the hospital, and even if I am in class, Autumn can take a shuttle to the hospital.  Her mom is also coming in to town next Monday so that should help a lot.  Between now and then, I will miss class so I can help Autumn adjust to life outside the hospital.

That's about it for now.  Hope things are going well wherever you are.

God Bless!!

J

Where Did the Names Come from?

Greetings:
I've been asked this so many times, and because I think it is a decent story, I thought I would share how we came up with the names for our boys.  Some people are under the impression it is hard to come up with 6 different boy names...but we both found it pretty interesting and not as difficult as you'd think.

To start...and I say this to reflect the generosity and trust of my beautiful wife...she let me pick all the names.  No really...she did!!  It came as a result of a conversation and she basically said, "If I get pregnant this month...I'll let you pick the name." (emphasis on the singular name!).  Oops!!  But true to her word, she not only let me pick our oldest boy's name...but all of them.

We'd discussed names during our previous pregnancy even though it didn't get too far.  So we had some general ideas for our top choices.  With the knowledge of triplets...it just made our discussions more broad and open to different ideas.  Before knowing the sexes of the babies we had some basic guidelines.  For the boys it was simply that we wanted "interesting" (a very subjective word) Bible names that were less common than some of the traditional names.  Over time then, we narrowed our list to two.  I didn't think we'd need more than two boy names.  When we found out we were having three boys...we only needed to come up with one more name because Caleb and Gideon were our top two very early on.  The nice thing about naming Triplets is that you don't have to choose between your favorites.  If you come up with a name you like...there is a good chance you can find a way to fit it in somehow!

So how did we come up with the specific names?

I've liked the name Caleb for a long time.  It is a little more common than Gideon and Ezra...but Autumn liked it enough that we allowed for a bit more commonality.  Another common thread through our boys names is we had to like the Bible story associated with them.  We want to be able to use those stories as illustrations about the kind of relationship and faith in God we want our boys to have.  Caleb trusted God to deliver the land of Canaan to the Israelites..and God rewarded him for his faith.  I also liked the fact I could call Caleb "CK".  I am a Superman fan and if you didn't know...CK is a nickname sometimes given to Clark Kent by his friends.  I was sold.  FYI...Autumn isn't as thrilled about the CK reference but she lets me have my fun!!  :-)  As for his middle name, Matthew...that comes from my side of the family.  My brothers and I all share the middle name Matthew and so do a few of my cousins on that side.  I just felt it was appropriate and fitting to continue that tradition for the Kaldahl family and Matthew sounded good with Caleb.  End of story...that one we had for a llloonngg time.

Gideon was another name we both liked right away.  Gideon was a man who didn't trust in his own abilities but ultimately trusted in God to give him and the Israelites a great victory.  But God made it clear that it was through HIS actions...not Gideon's or the Israelites that made it so.  His middle name, Crosby, comes from the band Crosby, Stills, and Nash.  While we like CS&N, we liked the name more.  If we didn't have the Biblical names as a standard, Crosby would have been one of our first name choices.  Still...we liked the name...we like the band...and we like the genre of Classic Rock...influenced in part by Granddaddy Greg (Autumn's dad).  So it made a nice fit.

Ezra's name was a bit longer in the making.  We probably didn't settle on this until October.  This is in part because we had picked out another name.  The name was nice..but over time, the story in the Bible didn't inspire me as much as Ezra's faithfulness in rebuilding the temple for God.  There is no grand story about how we came up with it.  It started with me laying in bed one night pondering names..and for some reason it just popped into my head.  I didn't think Autumn would like it, but when I mentioned it to her, she said she'd thought about that previously herself.  Up until he was born I was always nervous about it, but thankfully people have been really supportive about it.  Ezra's middle name, Glenn, is in memory of Autumn's dear Grandma Gertie who passed away in October.  I had originally sworn I would not name our kids after anyone because I worry about hurt feelings.  In fact..the first time I'd heard the idea I barely considered it.  But within days of her funeral the name "Ezra Glenn" just rolled in my head over and over again and I just knew it was the right thing to do.  Not only for Autumn and Gertie...but for all of Autumn's family who had reached out so kindly to me and who I knew would be such a great part of our boys' lives.  PLus...not only would Ezra have a Bible story to hear...but we could tell him and the other two about his Great-Grandma Gertie whose prayers played a huge part in them coming to being.

Lastly...when trying to arrange the order for who gets what name...I noticed the initials of the boys matched pretty well.  The middle initial of the younger brother matches the first initial of his older brother (obviously this doesn't apply to Caleb).  It is a pretty small detail, but I remember how cool it was when my younger brothers (who are twins) realized they could split their names in half with each taking half of the other name...and when put together they'd still have their name (GAry & RYan).  It seemed cool to have that kind of link back then...so I figured at least some link between their initials would be neat too....and thus the names and birth order for Caleb, Gideon, and Ezra was set.

3 Days old!!

Hey Everyone:
I hope 2010 is treating you and your families as wonderfully as it has been the first 3 days for our family.  The updates are going to inevitably slow down as I have to start doing homework and other things take over.  But I will do my best to keep everyone up to date on signifigant events.  I'm pretty tired for tonight so this will be relatively short.

Caleb continues to do well.  He is the relaxed one of the three (at least so far).  He is off of any oxygen support and he has started feeding a little bit with a bottle.  I was even able to feed him for the first time tonight!!  Like the other three, he is under the neon light to reduce the jaundice he is starting to have.  But that is expected and nothing alarming.  If anything, they little guy (aka C.K) is too relaxed.  After changing him and settling him down with a binky he stopped breathing for a few seconds.  Nothing out of the ordinary...this is also a common problem with preemies...but something to pray about.  Ezra was doing the same thing today.

Caleb @ 2 Days old

Gideon is continuing to improve.  They are talking about taking him off the C-PAP machine which is a step in the right direction.  He's still the biggest of the three even though his breathing development isn't as far along as the other guys.  But don't let his struggles fool you.  The nurse said he turned himself over today, and while we were there he pushed himself out of the little nest they make for him.  He is pretty strong for a preemie just 2 days old!  We can't wait til he gets to take his C-PAP off to see his little face.

Gideon @ 2 Days

Ezra is continuing to do well.  He is also starting to get some of his food through the bottle, and he has the same breathing success and stops like Caleb.  Ezra is our little model.  He seems to know when Daddy is coming around with the camera because he seems to find the cutest positions to pose in.  He also isn't afraid to let Daddy know when he's upset.  Today, during changing, he decided to show off his little hose and peed all over the incubator!!  It was pretty funny!

Ezra @ 2 Days

Autumn is starting to improve.  She has been able to make it down to the NICU regularly, and she is able to start providing the boys with breast milk.  Apparently, it is specially fortified for preemies and is better than formula.  Pretty amazing, and it just makes her day knowing all she is doing to help the little ones out.

Please continue to pray for all four of them.  In particular, pray for Gideon as he continues to transition to less assistance breathing.  And pray that all of them would avoid infections.  My impression, from talking to the nurses and docs is that infections / viruses / etc are the biggests risks to the boys recovery and development right now.  They are in a great place, but hospitals are also risky places for infections because of the frequency of skin penetrations and other procedures.

Have a good one!!

God Bless!

J

Ezra's Big Day!!

Hey Everyone.  For just being a day and a half old...our baby boys seem to be doing pretty well...but Gideon isn't improving as quickly as we'd like.

For the good news...Ezra and Caleb were both taken off of the C-PAP machine that was assisting their breathing so they are now on oxygen with just the small tube in their noses. This means we could see their adorable little faces and their heads a little bit.  Thankfully, they already have more hair than their daddy!!

Caleb continues to be a strong, stable "big brother."  He barely cries until you distrub him to take his vitals, change his diaper, or turn him over.  I (Jeff) was able to do a lot of that stuff by himself and I am getting better at the diaper thing!! :-)  I was also able to just hang out with him and Caleb held onto my finger for a good ten minutes before it was time to give Ezra his bath.

Caleb (I think he looks like me)

Which leads me to Ezra.  He had the biggest day of all.  Like Caleb, he came off the C-PAP and just has the oxygen tubes in his nose.  I also helped give him a bath which he hated initially...but clearly put him to sleep right away.  Ezra has already indicated his desire for a bit more attention, but the bath knocked him out cold.  But the biggest part of Ezra's day was when Mommy came to visit.  For the first time, Mommy was able to hold one of her little boys, and it was her youngest baby boy who got the honor (More on that below).  Ezra was doing so well breathing and with all his other vital signs the nurse felt 100% comfortable wrapping him up for Autumn and taking him out of the incubator.  He did great and didn't fuss a bit!

Ezra trying to suck his thumb!

Gideon continues to struggle with breathing.  He is just working so hard to keep his oxygen levels up, the doctors increased his respitory assistance about half way through the day.  By this evening, they took some chest X-Rays and are gonna watch him tonight.  After talking to the doctor, we are comfortable with them doing the same procedure with Gideon that worked so well with Ezra.  Unfortunately, Ezra's amazing turn around is not typical results and there are risks involved with sedating Gideon and putting any type of liquid into his lungs...even if it is to help him.  So please keep Gideon in your prayers.  It's tough watching him work so hard just to breath.  I think once he gets past this hurdle he'll be on the road to recovery like his brothers!!

Mommy with Gideon

Mommy with Gideon

Autumn is doing well.  Today was much tougher for her physically...even though emotionally she got a huge boost by being able to go see the boys twice!!  Most importantly, she got to hold little Ezra.  She's a natural mother...and even though she was a bit nervous (and medicated :-)  )...she did great.  Ezra seemed so content in his Mommys arms, and I'm sure he'll be bragging someday about how his mommy held him before all his older brothers!!  Physically...Autumn is still in a lot of pain, and her blood pressure was the highest it has been so far.  It is more under control now...but definitely something to pray about.

Mommy and Ezra

Mommy and her baby boy!!

Daddy and his little man!!

We had some visitors today too!  Autumn's dad...aka Granddaddy Greg...flew in from Oklahoma.  He isn't able to see the boys because only parents are allowed into the NICU...but he'll take any chance he can get to see HIS baby girl!!  We also had our friends Tammy and Donna bring us a wonderful meal to take a break from hospital food!!  It is so nice seeing smiling faces and sharing this wonderful time with friends!

It is a little early to say when Autumn might be headed home.  We are both perfectly content with her here because she is getting great care..and she's so close to the boys.  So we'll see where we go from here.

That's about it for tonight.  I'm sure I forgot something...  But it is really cool seeing them every time.  Pretty hard to describe....and I think I'll just leave it at that for the night!!

Ezra bundled up nice and snug

God Bless!

J

Dad's First Night Update

First of all, before anything else I feel like I should publicly praise God for all of his care and protection for my family. We have been praying for today for almost three years and to be here with three healthy babies after the multitudes of trials, tears, and turbulence is a testament to his never ending faithfulness no matter what we think we see or know along the way. It has been my favorite bible verse for years…and it is at the top of our family blog: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding…” Glory to Him, his Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who works within all of us calling us to his loving embrace.

Likewise, we owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to all of the staff here at National Naval Medical Center. Having our babies born at “The President’s Hospital” is really cool…but most importantly because the nurses, doctors, house keepers, and everyone else involved in our stay here has been so amazing. Over the past six weeks we have made some real friends with those taking care of Autumn, and I am sure we will make even more friends during the time our babies are in the NICU.

Last…and certainly not least…thank-you to all of you who have been following us on Facebook, Twitter, our new blog, emails, phone calls, prayer trees, prayer bulletins, and I’m sure other ways I haven’t even heard of who have been praying for Autumn, the boys, and everything involved in this pregnancy. It has been a roller coaster, but it has been the best ride ever. More excitingly…we get the BIG roller coast next!! So thank-you so much for your prayers, your notes, your dinners, and the multitude of other ways you have all shown us how much our little (albeit bigger) family is loved!!

Okay…now to what you care about…the babies!!

Caleb is doing great. Breathing with forced air into his lungs…but it is at normal room oxygen levels and is just helping his lungs stay slightly inflated while he breathes. He looks great…is sleeping peacefully (when we aren’t poking at him)…and is doing just about as well as I think is possible.

Gideon is doing good. His breathing is still laborious and from a heavily biased and greenhorn father it is sometimes hard to watch his little chest compress and decompress so severly. He also makes these really cute but helpless little grunts that definitely triggers the protective side of a parent. But in spite of that…he IS getting all the oxygen he needs and they didn’t give him the medicine they gave Ezra. He also has the oxygen forced in through his nose…but his is at a saturation level of 23% O2 vs 21% which is normal. Besides that…he is doing well. They anticipate his lungs will simply get stronger through all of this and as long as he continues to maintain the proper O2 levels in his bloodstream they will just continue to monitor him. So just pray his little lungs grow quick!!

Ezra is doing great. He took to the medicine great and his breathing is like his slightly older brother, Caleb’s. He is also on forced air…but like Caleb, it is at normal room O2 saturation levels. Now that his breathing is more controlled he is snug as a bug.

Autumn is sleeping!! She still gets interrupted every two hours by the nurse…but we convinced them to give her Ambient tonight to help her rest. She deserves it!! I…like so many of you…am just so proud of her. For those who’ve talked to her you know how upbeat she has sounded during this whole thing…yet I know how hard / uncomfortable she has been. I am so happy for her that she is at least comfortable in a new way…even if that means she will be miserable with pain in a new way tomorrow. At least it is something different!! She hasn’t seen the babies since the C-section. She’ll be allowed to go tomorrow afternoon once some of the meds wear off. Until then, she is content watching little videos I have taken and looking at new pics I bring in!
Not that people care too much about Dad (scary word)…but I’m doing great. I was able to help change diapers this evening and the nurses are all about teaching me to help take care of them. My first diaper by myself was probably the worst diaper ever…but YOU try changing your first diaper through an incubator and with all those wires!! LOL!! But like most Dads…I’m just happy to be here and thrilled that everyone is healthy!!

Well…that’s it for day one. Below are some pics to give you an idea of their sizes. Thanks again and we’ll update soon!!

God Bless!

J

Caleb holding Daddy's finger

Gideon w/ Daddy

 Ezra w/ Daddy

Hello World!!

I'd like to introduce y'all to Caleb Matthew, Gideon Crosby, and Ezra Glenn Kaldahl.  They were born at 1143, 1144, and 1145 respectively.  Pictures of each of them below (all the pics here), and I've also posted their first pics on Facebook.

Caleb Matthew Kaldahl 4 lb 7 oz

Gideon Crosby Kaldahl 4 lb 9oz

Ezra Glenn Kaldahl 4 lb 6oz

The boys are all doing well considering being born 7 weeks early.  As you can see in the pictures, they are recieving oxygen to help keep their lungs inflated a bit more and ease the strain of breathing.  Ezra needed to have an additional procedure done to help his lungs a bit more.  They anticipate them needing the oxygen for a few days.

The C-Section went well.  Autumn was even able to see Caleb and Gideon before they were taken to the NICU.  That made everything worth it for her.  She'll be able to see them for an extended period of time tomorrow after she is done recieving some meds today for her pre-eclampsia.

Autumn is doing well.  She is resting right now and will probably be in some serious pain for the next few weeks.  We anticipate her staying in the hospital for at least a couple of days.

That's about it for now.  Thanks for all of the prayers.  This has been an amazing way to start of 2010...even if the first words I heard in the New Year were, "I think we'll have to deliver the babies today..."  LOL!!

Today is the day!!

A quiet New Years morning was broken by the amazing, scary, exciting, and unexpected news that Autumn's blood pressure was high enough yesterday and her protein count was high enough that the doctors wanted to deliver today!!

This hit us out of the blue.  Everything was going normally until yesterday afternoon when her blood pressure started to rise. But that had happened previously so we didn't think too much of it.  Then, this morning around 8am the doctor came in and said that she would talk to the head Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor...but she thought they would have to deliver today.  An hour later...it was confirmed.

Since then, things have been a whirlwind.  We called all our parents, our pastor, and been texting from well-wishers who saw my first Tweet / FB updated.  We've also talked to the nurse who will be with us in the OR and the Anesthesiologist.

My mom just arrived.  She is super excited.

I'll be trying to Tweet events over the next few hours...and I'll be sure to post pictures of our little ones as soon as I can.  They say I'll be allowed to snap pics of them in the NICU about an hour after birth.

Our final picture together as just the two of us.

Let the Countdown Begin...

As we near Christmas, we thank our Lord and Savior for his gracious blessings on our family. Friday will be the magical 32 week mark for Autumn's pregnancy, and as many of you know, that is a TOTAL answer to prayer. To be 100% honest...while we pray the boys continue to grow and develop as long as they need...each of us is starting to grown anxious to meet the newest members of our family (of course our reasons are a bit different!! LOL!).

8 weeks ago, Autumn was admitted to the hospital at 23 weeks and several days. She was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, and the doctor was confident enough about her situation to declare we would be lucky if the babies lasted another 4 weeks. At that time, I sent out a long note asking for prayer for Autumn and prayer for the babies. And God came through.

Within days her blood pressure dropped (not supposed to happen with Pre-e) and her protein levels were back to normal. Things were so good they let her go home. Providentially enough, all of this happened right at the beginning of a week and a half research break for school. By the time I had to go back, Autumn's mom was able to fly out to help out for the next few weeks.

Three weeks later, during a regularly scheduled appointment, Autumn was readmitted to the hospital. At 27 weeks we were happy to be much further along, but we desperately wanted the boys to make it another week or so. Again...the prayers continued and friends reached out in so many ways. Even though Autumn's mom had to go home, this all happened right at the beginning of Thanksgiving break and by the time I had to go back to school, my parents were able to come out and help.

Well, it goes without saying that the Lord continued to intervene and allow those babies to "cook" a bit longer. Today, we had a growth scan indicating the babies were all around 4 lbs each. We are so excited and so grateful to get to this point. To be sure, there are definitely challenges ahead. But we rejoice in a God who answers prayer and is happy to answer our prayers.

Please continue to pray for Autumn. She is terribly uncomfortable and is starting to experience regular contractions. Not full ones...but enough to be uncomfortable. Of course, pray for the boys. We feel good about their development, but we also know that even in normal pregnancies things happen. So pray for their continued growth...for their healthy delivery...and a quick stay in the NICU.

We wish all of you the very best this Christmas season...and ask you to remember the reason we celebrate each year. It is sad to see commercialism run amock...or to hear celebrities talk about the "real" reason for the season is to be with families and loved ones. The fact of the matter is that if Jesus Christ didn't humble himself to live a blameless human life...and then offer himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins we've committed...and yet rise victoriously on the third day according to the Gospels...this would all be for naught. But He did. And for that reason...every Christmas is a Merry Christmas!!

God Bless!!
J & A

Review of "Fireproof"

We went to see the movie Fireproof (Trailer here).  Our church and a bunch of friends recommended seeing it and we thought it was a pretty good movie with a great message.
Take it from us...marriage isn't easy.  It takes a lot of work, patience, understanding, and an AWESOME God who shows us what love really looks like.  We highly recommend seeing it if it is playing in a movie theatre near you.
Kirk Cameron stars as the Captain of a Fire House.  His wife works as a Public Relations person for a local hospital.  When the movie starts it is quickly made obvious their marriage is in shambles.  When his wife asks for a divorce, Kirk Cameron talks to his parents who give him a book "The Love Dare" that offers tips to save his marriage.
It is fun to watch him try some of the things and funny/painful to watch his wife respond / not respond.  By the end of the movie we all learn the importance of demonstrating our love as well as having a better understanding of the love our Heavenly Father has for us.  Invite your friends...saved or unsaved.  It's a great message...even if not the highest quality movie you'll see this year!!

Back in the Saddle Again....

Jeff competed in his first multi-sport event Saturday morning, but "competed" is a strong word.  Let's just say he finished and it is a starting point from which to build on.

The Biathlon consisted of a 2 mile run, 12 mile bike ride, and finished with another 2 mile run.  Also doing this with Jeff, was our friend Mark Santoro. 

Jeff didn't capture any of his splits and the official times haven't been released.  But for now...we think he completed the 16 miles in about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  It wasn't too fast...but he is definitely feeling the pain :-)

Our Second Wedding Anniversary!!

Well, anyone who reads this knows we went to Rocky Point, Mexico for our Second wedding anniversary last week.  The trip started off with us heading to Phoenix to see Journey in concert.  It was a great show and Journey played all of their hits.  We had good seats and just like our previous Journey concert, the crowd got really into it.
The funny thing about Journey, was that they have a new lead singer, Arenel Pineda, who sounds just like the original lead singer, Steve Perry (see the comparison of Steve Perry singing "Faithfully" and Arnel Pineda singing "Faithfully").  It just made the concert even better!
On Saturday, we traveled to the Organ Pipe National Monument to spend the night at the campground.  We were trying out our new 8 person tent which gave us plenty of room to place our inflatable mattress (no reason to be uncomfortable!!).  We had an amazing site surrounded by Autumn's three favorite things (in no particular order...Jeff, Saguaro cacti, and Organ Pipe cacti).  We were able to grill some pre-marinated steaks we bought at the commissary and then on Sunday AM we took a bike ride through the park.  After that, we cleaned up and headed to Rocky Point.
We spend Sunday through Thursday at our usual resort, The Sonoran Sea Resort.  The weather was great and we enjoyed our Anniversary at the Lighthouse Restaurant we normally go to.  It always has a great view of the sunset...although we got there a little late this time.
Anyways, that was about it.  We will publish some pictures later...although we only took a few from our dinner.  Take Care!!

Done with Company Command!!

 On 8 Aug, 2008 Jeff completed his time in command of B Co, 305th MI.  While it was a very busy and time consuming job, he enjoyed it very much.  But now that he is done, we took an extended break from work, traveled to Oklahoma for Grandma Gertie's 95th Birthday, and visited all of our parents (in Norman and McKinney).

We are both back to work...Autumn has been working for Hospice for about 5 months and enjoys is very much.  The hours are a lot better than being a guidance counselor and she puts her personal relations skills to good use.  She has been very proactive and initiated group therapy sessions for grieving family members and conducts training for the many vollunteers that help out.  All in all, Autumn enjoys going to work.

Jeff now works in the Brigade Operations section.  He's gone from waking up at 0430 and coming home at 7pm at night...to sleeping in until 6am...having time to work out...or 7am if it is a rest day.  He usually gets home between 5 and 5:30pm so it is a nice change.  Hopefully, this will result in more frequent updates!!

Movie Date Night!!

We went and saw the movie "Made of Honor" this evening...and then we went to a Japanese Restaurant for dinner. The movie was pretty good. It starred Patrick Dempsey (yes Kelly...of 'You Can't Buy Me Love' fame...Autumn loves that movie too!!). So it was a must see and it was worth the $13.25 it cost to get in!

Jeff was the only guy in the theatre...and there were some women in their 40s who were enjoying a night out together. They were laughing pretty hard. As a whole, the movie was pretty funny and had some hilarious moments. The story was kinda cute too...but a bit predictable. Easily a good "Date night" movie at the theatre or to rent on DVD!!

We also went to a place for Sushi. Jeff doesn't eat Sushi...but Autumn does. There are plenty of "non-sushi" items to choose from. This was our first time at this place that opened up recently. A surprisingly good atmosphere for Sierra Vista. If you like sushi / Japanese...it is worth the visit.

Until later.....

Take Care!!

J&A

We never thought we'd do this....

We just got back from our trip to the Grand Canyon and Rocky Point. One of the discussions we had on the trip was the idea of Blogging. "Who sees themselves as so important that they would want to Blog?" I asked. Surely no one is THAT self absorbed!!

Well...I guess we are. But who knows how long this will last? This is our attempt to make up for our lack of communication with friends and family. No promises on frequency, but hopefully we'll be decent about it. I know we enjoy adding our pictures from trips and other events in the family.

Anyways...enjoy. Let us know if you have any questions!!

Love,
J & A