Pictures and videos from Thanksgiving weekend

Our system to get the boys to take a nap. Boppys are wonderful inventions. They make the boys feel like they are being held when they sleep, yet they aren't in our arms!
Can you guess the heads? Who is on the left, and who is on the right? **answers at the bottom of the post**

Alex was cuddling with James and he got this great picture.

Of course then Alex needed to be carried around for a while so I put on the pack and carried him. He was so cuddly. They all are.

Ethan and Grant chatting it up.

Grant was playing with Aunt Mimi and showing off. He can now imitate. Watch... He is such a showoff :)




** Grant is on the left and Ethan on the right**

My parents now have 7 grandkids under 18 months...

Congratulations to my sister Elizabeth and my brother-in-law Dan on the birth of their new little boy, Lucas Henry. Born today at 1:02 pm weighing 8lbs 4oz. Congrats to the Nebelsick clan on their new blessing. We Fischer 5 hope to get to meet him soon!! :)

Grant Can Roll Over!!!

Tummy time today for Grant turned to rolling time. He did not want to be on his belly what-so-ever. So, he rolled over! I think tummy time will be no longer for Grant. It will always be rolling over time! :)


We all went to the doctor again today for a weight check. The boys did really well. They all gained.

Alex - 8lbs 9oz
Grant - 9lbs 6oz
Ethan - 6lbs 7oz

Ethan failed to get off the oxygen, but hopefully next week we can get it off of him. We should be able to, but the doctor wanted us to make sure he was ready before we took him off. I think another week will suffice.

In other news, I hope to have news about a new baby in the family soon. My sister is due any day now with their 4th! They don't know what it is, so right now they are calling him/her Baby Suprise Nebelsick. Prayers for my sister that she has a easy delivery when the time comes!

Some of the first at home pictures and a video

Grant and Ethan Ethan on tummy time Grandpa was being silly with Grant. It entertained them both for a while. Jet decided to cuddle up close to Ethan on his boppy. He is getting used to the three screaming boys, but gets stressed when they are on the floor in "his" territory. He doesn't do anything to them, he just paces and pants if they start crying. Grandpa holding Ethan Alex in the swing. He loves the movement. Yesterday my dad and I were watching and playing with the boys, and this is what Alex was doing with his paci. They all make this noise when they don't know whether to suck on the paci, talk and complain, or if they are tired. It is quite the noise.

Quick update

All the boys are home and finally ajusting well. We have actually gotten a bit of sleep. My dad is here helping for a week, so that has been a HUGE blessing. I have actually gotten a couple of "full" nights of sleep. (Full meaning 6 or more hours.) I wish I could sleep like 12 hours straight, but other things prevent me from doing that.

The boys were all weighed this past Monday -
Alex - 8lbs 1oz
Grant - 9lbs 2oz
Ethan - 6lbs 1oz

No more 5lb babies!!! YEAH! Now, hopefully we can keep them up on their feedings and hopefully start increasing their amounts they take per feed. Right now, Alex and Grant are taking about 3-4oz per feed and Ethan will take anywhere between 1 1/2oz-3oz. He is all over the board.

Ethan and I are going out together Friday to go to the eye doctor. He still has not been cleared from being premmie. Hopefully this will be his last appointment with them for a couple of months. We are then going to stop by my office and have him meet a co-worker of mine. I am excited to show him off. It will be fun for just the two of us to go together too. I will have to take the other two sometime too.

Well, I will post another, lengthier, wordier, and picture full post soon. Ta ta for now.

No more NICU!!!!

Yesterday Ethan's doctor asked if I was coming in today. I told her yes. She wanted to make a plan for Ethan's departure from the NICU. She envisioned sometime this weekend, like Saturday or Sunday.

I knew that I needed to go into the NICU early because I had Alex and Grant's first pedi appointment at 1:00. So, I headed off to the NICU. When I stepped into our room, Ethan's nurse looked at me and said "Did they call you?" I said "NOooooo... what's going on?" My head was just spinning as to what happened over night. I was thinking the worst.

"Ethan's going home today!" the nurse said.

Those were the sweetest words I have ever heard! I just about jumped out of my skin. I had to run out of the NICU to the waiting room to call James. I then had to tell them that we had to be out of there no later than noon so I could get home and get the other boys to their appointment. I think it was the quickest discharge that those nurses had ever done.

I was so ready for it. He does have to be on oxygen at home though. He still hasn't quite developed those lungs correctly. So, we have a big oxygen tank sitting in our living room, and two little ones we can tote around with us to church, the doctors office, or anywhere else we want to go.

So, we have all 3 boys home now. I am so happy.

Ethan and I got home and I had to get the other two off to the pedi, so Grandpa Fischer stayed with Ethan while Grandma went with us to the dr. Good thing. They did not like being stripped down to go on the scale. Happily it wasn't for naught. They both gained weight since the hospital!! Alex now weighs 7lbs 14oz and Grant weighs 8lbs 12oz. The doctor said they looked really good and to keep doing what we are doing.

She wants to try and get us back onto breastmilk, since right now they are on just formula. She told us at some point in the next week to try Alex or Grant on breastmilk mixed with rice cereal to make it thicker. Then we'll be able to tell if it is just the thickness of the food, or if there is something in my milk that the boys can't tolerate. Hopefully it is just the thickness. That can be solved. Plus it would save us TONS of money not having to buy formula.

Other than that, we had an overall good transition home. The first night will be interesting with all three, but we'll get there. Please let me know if and when you would like to come help. We need to start setting up a schedule. Either leave a note, or send me an email, or even call. We will need people here throughout the days and nights.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers throughout this last 13+ weeks. We all needed it. We still have some hurdles to cross, but the worst, and the hospital, are over. Praise GOD!!!

Finally!!!!!!

GREAT NEWS!!!

Alex and Grant are coming home on 11-11-09!!!!!! TOMORROW!!!!
They are eating well and growing so there is nothing more for the NICU to do!!

Ethan will be a little farther behind. He has to have surgery tomorrow, but as long as he comes through that well, he should be coming home around the weekend or beginning of next week. Please pray that he goes through the surgery easily and heals quickly.

This past week and a half have been quite the roller-coaster ride. Monday of last week they took the feeding tubes out of all three of the boys. That was quite the emotional thing for me. I was scared they were going to starve but I trusted they would figure it out. It took a while longer than we expected and a couple of formula changes, but they are eating really well now. They finally "got it" this past weekend and really progessed fast.

They are now on Enfamil AR formula with a couple of added calories. Every ounce is 24 calories. It seems to be staying down a lot better. They are not having the projectile spit-ups that are painful for them. It is good. They aren't on any breastmilk, but hopefully we'll figure out how to get them back onto that soon. They will eventually grow out of the reflux, it might just take a while.

We took their carseats in for them to do their carseat test, and they all passed with flying colors! They all look so cute in their seats. My aunt and uncle in NM sent us some blankets embroidered with their names on them. They will be the boys' primary carseat blankets. They are cute!!

Grant


Ethan


Alex


Ethan is our TALKER. He loves to talk. We found out he even talks in his sleep. Oh, life is going to be fun with him. Check this video out of him in his carseat.


Last night, James and I stayed at the hospital with the boys. We did a stay-in with them. We got our own little room and the boys were moved in there with us. We got to take care of them all on our own. I am so tired from that. I tried to let James sleep as much as possible, but I had to get him up a few times. We theoretically could do all of this on our own when the boys get home, but I would prefer to be able to enjoy my boys and not be tired all the time.

So, if you feel the notion, we would love to have you come and help us with them. Just give me a call before you head this ways so we know you are on your way!! I can't wait for everyone to meet my babies! FINALLY!!!

Broncos Boys!!

My cutie-patootie little broncos!!! :) We had some fun today taking pictures with all of them.