2 week 3 day update

Here is Grant now without his oxygen tube!!

He looks so much more comfortable. He is now getting 7ml of breastmilk every 3 hours! Oh, and that is an IV in his head. That is about the only place they could find to put it the other day. He likes to pull the IV's out if they are anywhere else.


We got a phone call bright and early this morning from the NICU doctor about Ethan. Overnight they discovered that the IV going into his arm and to his chest started leaking fluid into his chest cavity and he was having a really hard time breathing. They had to take out the "central line" as the call it, and put him back on the ventilator because he had some fluid seap into his lungs. Poor baby can't get a break!!

I'm sure he's thinking "why can't I just have all these tubes and wires off me????" They don't anticipate him having to be on the vent longer than over the weekend, but we'll just have to wait and see. I think he just doesn't like the weekends! :)


Alex has been pretty good lately. He hasn't had a bowel movement in a while, so we are hoping he goes soon!

"Check it out Mommy. What is this thing on my arm? It is really annoying me!" His IV had to be taped and padded down because he pulls them out A LOT!

We didn't make it to their care time tonight because we went out to dinner with James' parents before they go home, and for James' birthday. I'll update more tomorrow after I get weights and measurements!! Tata for now.
Love,
Jessica

Good Progress Today

So, I'll start with some pictures. Yesterday, Great Grandpa Dickey got to go and visit the boys for a while. He was absolutely thrilled. This was also their 2 week birthday! I introduced him to Alex first.

We then went to meet Ethan. I had to rotate Ethan so Grandpa could see his face so I just got him up and let Grandpa hold him for a few minutes. It's hard to hold in the isolette, but we didn't really have time to get him out, and it wasn't his care time.

We then went to Grant. Grandpa got to help do his care time. As he was changing Grant's diaper, he peed all over. We went through an extra diaper and had to change some of his bedding! It was quite funny to watch, but Grandpa said he had been through 5 children of his own so it wasn't his first time being peed on! I laughed.

As for the boys today, we had an eventful day.

Alex's feeding has been increased. He went from 2ml of breastmilk to 4ml today. He was also cut down on his oxygen that he was needing. Yeah Alex!!! As of last night, he weighed 2lbs 12oz.

Grant was taken off the oxygen all together today!!! He is now just breathing room air. That is exciting! His feeding has not been increased yet, but they might increase it tomorrow. Last night he weighed 3lbs 10oz.

Ethan started "eating" again today. He gets 1ml per feeding. They are going to keep a close eye on this and see if his bowels react the same as last time or if they actually start working correctly with the breastmilk. I hope and pray that he stays well and can actually "eat" now. Over the past couple of days he has been retaining fluid for some reason. He gained quite a bit of "water weight" over the 2 days and looked pretty puffy this morning. They gave him some medicine to help him yesterday and today and he is peeing a lot more now. That is helping him lose the puffiness.

As for me, I had my 2 week post-partum doctors appointment on Wednesday and everything is healing well. They said the incesion looks pretty good for having triplets!! I guess, if a big ol' scar can look pretty good.

James (of course we can't forget Daddy) is doing well. He is working and maintaining our household and helping with the boys. I don't know how he does it without totally wearing out. (Actually, I know it's partly cause his mom is here, but I'll talk about that in a second.) He gets up and goes to see the boys before he goes to work. He works, then possibly goes back to the hospital, or comes home and gets me to go back to the hospital. He is hardly at home lately. But he is wonderful!!!

James' mom, Peggy, has been a WONDERFUL help around here!! She came in before the boys were born and has been here ever since. I am sure she has run herself ragged. She has been going to see the boys twice a day also. She goes to the care times that James and/or I cannot make. She has also been doing our laundry, cooking dinner, and cleaning the house. She has been such a good person to have around. I don't know how James and I will do it when she leaves, but we'll make it. James' parents both will be back in October anyway to help us with boys.

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I'll try to get more pictures tomorrow (especially since you can see Grant without the oxygen tube). Ta ta for now.

Love,
Jessica

Kangaroo Time

About a week ago Ethan's belly started swelling. He had been fed a couple of times of 1ml of breastmilk, and got an infection in his bowels. They stopped moving and he got a build up of gas. The poor baby was in so much pain and he look very uncomfortable. They started him on antibiotics and took x-rays to see his bowels. They were incredibly swollen and filled with gas.

He did not seem to be getting better, and then I asked the nurse on Saturday if I would be able to hold him and do a kangaroo time with him. I believed that it would help him more than anything else. Look how tiny he is!

Boy was my thinking good. He had a bowel movement Saturday night, Sunday night, and a nice big one for me today! That means his bowels are moving again. I never thought I would be so excited about poop! I am sure he feels much better today.



James finally got to hold one of the boys too. He did a kangaroo time with Alex. James loved it and Alex was the most comfortable he has ever looked laying on his daddy's chest.

Here is Alex with his huge eyes. He is so curious about everything and loves to look at things.

I didn't get a picture of Grant So, we have now done kangaroo time with each of the boys. James gets to finally do one with Grant tonight. I have done time twice with each of the boys. I really believe it is helping them. It helps me to feel more like their mother too. So far it has been hard for me to feel like their mother since we can only touch them a couple of times a day and I am not providing for them entirely.

I know they are where they need to be, and I am not complaining, but I do with that they were healthy and able to be home. It will come soon though, I know. We just need to keep praying that they all stay healthy and grow. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. We appreciate everything.
Love-
Jessica
PS - My boss asked me to write a devotional about this past couple of weeks and it was posted today. You can read it at http://www.abcrm.org/devotional.htm.

One Week Old pictures

Grant William - 3lbs 6oz




Alexander Timothy - 2lbs 10oz



Ethan Mark- 1lb 9oz



Mommy's first time holding Grant-kangaroo time (skin to skin contact)He did very very well with this time. I was so happy to get to hold one of my boys outside the isolette.




Please continue prayers for the boys to gain strength and weight. We especially need prayers for Ethan right now. He has a build up of gas in his bowels and they aren't working to get it out. He has an infection in the bowels and that is why they have stopoed. He is on antibiotics to try and get the infection to go away. We just need him to get healthy now so he can start eating again to gain weight. Thank you for all your support.

Love,
Jessica

Pictures of the boys with their new teddy bears

Alex today with a bear from Grandma Rigsby

Grant with his bear from Grandma Rigsby

Ethan with his bear from Grandma Rigsby

Alex

Grant(he got off the vent today!!)

It's hard to get pictures of Ethan because he is in the isolette. It is hard form him to keep his temperature up so we can't open the isolette a lot.

I didn't get any weights today, but I will try and get their stats tomorrow. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers! We appreciate everything.
Love,
Jessica

Another Check on the Bizarre Calendar of this Pregnancy

Now that I've peaked your curiousity...

The boys are five days old now and doing better than ever. Ethan, our smallest, is showing the other guys up telling them it's time to step up to the plate. He already has his breathing tube out and received his first milk today. Alex and Grant are progressing quickly. They should be off the breathing tubes in the next couple of days.

Jess and I have recently been discussing all the bizarre things that have happened during this pregnancy. Today we add another bizarre item to the calendar. Cynthia was in the NICU with the boys this afternoon doing care time. She looked at Grant and then at Alex and commented to the nurse "for identical twins these guys sure don't look alike." The response she received almost floored her, "what do you mean, they aren't twins." WHAT???????

You heard it!!! Grant and Alex are NOT identical twins!!! Before I completely blow your mind, we still have identical twins.

During delivery Dr. P sent off the placentas to the lab for testing to confirm his diagnosis and ensure there aren't any other things that didn't show up initially. In doing all of their testing the lab determined that it is Ethan and Alex that are the identical twins not Grant and Alex. Boy does that explain a lot of questions we've had from the beginning!!! We're not quite sure how this happened, maybe Dr. P can explain.

All of that behind us, it doesn't matter which ones are identical twins. What matters is that everyone is healthy and doing well.

More pictures tomorrow. Have a good night.

60 Hours Old

So we're 60 hours old already. It's hard to believe it's been that long. I still vividly remember sitting there with Jess in the operating room and our little boys being passed from the surgeon to the NICU nurses. I'm sure I'll remember the details of that day for the rest of my life.

There really hasn't been much change among the boys. They continue to just charge along full steam ahead. I'm not sure if it's true or not but they look like they are growing by leaps and bounds.

Alex is doing well. He's still under the phototherapy light. He still has his breathing tube in but it hopefully it will come out in a couple of days. The nurses have been weaning him off it all day. He's lost a small amount of weight which against your best judgement is actually a good thing. That means he's losing the fluid weight that causes him to swell. This picture was taken by Grandpa Rigsby showing his hand in comparison to Alex's body.



Grant continues to do really well. He's also under the phototherapy light and has his breathing tube but has been cut back on both strength and oxygen. He too should be off in a couple of days. I got to do his care time again tonight. I had just put a clean diaper on him when he peed all over it and had to get another one. When we were getting ready to leave he decided to open his eyes and just stare at us. In this picture Grandpa Rigsby is holding Grant's foot and remember Grant is the largest of the 3 boys.



Ethan is out feisty little trooper. I know he'll be the last one to come home but the way he's been developing we joke that he'll be the first one home. He's also on the breathing tube (and phototherapy light) but could possibly be off it and on a cpap plus oxygen in a few days. The hard part is that the cpap is too big for his nose. Jess took this video this morning. Ethan has eye masks on to protect them from the phototherapy light. He's also still under the humidity tent to help him maintain his body temperature.

So what's care time and a cpap? Care time is when we get to do some of their care. We take their temperature, swab their eyes and mouth with a saline wipe and change their diaper. The nurse also checks their vitals and weighs them. The best way I can explain a cpap is an oxygen mask with two small tubes that go in their nose. It keeps the lungs from deflating too much when they exhail.

How's mom doing? Jess is recovering well. She's walking around the hospital using her wheelchair as a support and a place to sit if needed. Her incision is getting sore so she's working to keep it stretched out. If everything progresses like it has been she will be discharged Sunday. She can't wait to get home. It's been a long 4 1/2 weeks in the hospital.

How am I doing? I'm doing well. Tired of course but on cloud nine. I returned to work today. I'm trying to hang onto some of my time for when the boys get to come home.

Lastly we want to thank everyone for the cards, visits, gifts, etc.

Jess's boss brough me a pack of cigars, chocolate cigars that is. I haven't tried one yet but I hear things from Sees Candy are the best.



Pastor Anne stopped by today and brough the boys the coolest card I've ever seen. It's called a swinging card. It stands up and Noah's Ark swings in the middle. The details of all the animals is just amazing. This one is definitely going in the scrapbook.



Grandpa Fischer sent flowers to Jess and a small arrangement for each one of the boys.



Well good night for now. Hope you enjoy the updates and pics.

Pictures from Day #2

Baby Ethan during "care time" (I'll explain that later)

Ethan after care time.

Alex all snuggled and cuddled.

Grant getting ready for care time.

Profile view of Grant

Daddy ready to do care time on Grant

Daddy cleaning out Grant's mouth.

Daddy's namesake little boy, Grant William.

A little explaining should do here. The diaper on the left is a normal Pamper's Swaddlers premie small diaper. Basicly, the smallest you can buy in stores. With both Alex and Grant, who are wearing these diapers, they have to fold them down and roll them a bit so they aren't too big. The diaper on the right is the diaper that Ethan wears right now. They are Pampers "Wee Wetters" and you can't buy them in stores. Hospitals keep hese around for little guys like Ethan. These too have to be folded over to fit correctly. Check out the dry erase marker in the middle of them. :) That gives you an estimate size. So does the large paperclip.

Official Stats

I won't be the parent that posts a thousand pictures of their kids and it all seems like the same picture just a different angle. We've received several comments from people who didn't think the boys are that small. The finger you see is Jess' pinkie compared to Ethan's arm. He's tiny yet absolutely adorable. I had the opportunity to speak to his night nurse about his health. He's doing extremely well and is being feisty. She suspects he will spend about 8 weeks in the NICU but of course that's all up to him. He will be allowed to go home when he maintains about 5lbs and can control his body temperature.

So I kind of feel like a bad dad. Up until just recently I didn't even know the official stats of our boys. Secondly, there was so much going on I got a few of the important details mixed up. Now that I know what the stats are I thought I'd share them with everyone.

We Have Baby Boys!!!!

Yes, that's right! We welcomed 3 baby boys into the world this morning. This was known and in the making since earlier this week we just didn't want to say much in case it didn't happen. After this morning's ultrasound Dr. P decided that they boys needed to be delivered today. At about 10:30 am our 3 little munchkins were delivered via c-section. As of 3:30 as I'm writting this all are doing well and so is Jess. Dr. P was very happy with the way the c-section went and the NICU nurses are happy with how strong the boys are doing. Jess is up in her room recovering and we're hoping to take her down to the NICU for the first time in about 1/2 an hour. Below are some pics of the boys and Jess. Thank you for your prayers leading up to this time and we continue to ask for them as the boys "chunk up" as my sister said and get to come home before too long.

So the part you've all been waiting for...pictures!!!

Off we go!!




Baby Alex (A) was born first at 2lbs 5ozs.


Baby Grant (B) was next at 3lbs 2ozs.



And last but not least, baby Ethan (C) was born at 1lb 6ozs. Ethan is under a humidity tent to help stabalize his body temp that's why this pic is fuzzy.