Wednesday, June 22, 2011

2 months old


So we've been home for 2 months now and I'm just now updating the blog.  That's because our lives are CRAZY!  There is hardly time to do anything besides feed babies and change diapers.  These babies are a LOT of work!  When I take one of them out, it seems like a piece of cake now. :-)  We love our children, but we are VERY tired!  The other day Ben said, "Daddy and I are going to play Wii.  We are getting out of babyland and going up to legoland!"  They needed a break.  Ben is actually a very big help and he loves cuddling his siblings.  It's hard to get anywhere but we have managed to make some outings. It's a big process to get them all ready and out the door. Our first big outing was to one of Ben's baseball games.  We are thankful for the warm weather so we can get them out for walks.  We also went to a wedding where Ben was the ring bearer and we were actually on time!  We have them on a pretty good schedule during the day, but we're still working on getting them to sleep through the night.  We're down to one feeding in the middle of the night which makes a big difference.  It's just hard because it seems like there is always at least one that needs attention.  We often have to reheat our lunch 3 or 4 times because as soon as we sit down to eat, something happens and someone needs to be taken care of.   They all had a cold for a week or two but everyone is doing well now.  One health concern is that Seth has a belly button hernia, but the doctor said it isvery common and it should go away on its own.  There is so much more to say, but it's time to feed the babies again!  Hopefully it won't be 2 months before I touch this again. :-)

Show and Tell



Ben wanted me to bring the babies in for his last show and tell of the year and it was a big hit.  He is a very proud big brother and was so excited to show off his little sister and brothers!  He carried each of them around the circle very carefully so everyone could see.  He said that was the best show and tell EVER!

Kate

 Beautiful Kathryn!  She is such a girl!  You can already tell a big difference between her and the boys.  Even her cry is girly.  She's got a really high-pitched scream.  Kate knows what she wants and she'll let us know too! :-)  She has always been the most alert out of the three.  When her eyes are open she is looking all over....very cute!  I actually got a good smile from her last week and it was adorable!  She now weighs 8 lbs. 14 oz.

Tyler


Tyler is our little chunky monkey!  At 2 months he weighs 10 lb. 2 oz.!  Mark said he's going to have to spend some extra time in the Johnny Jump-up to get exercise. :-)  His cheeks are just adorable! When he is hungry there is no making him happy until there is a bottle in his mouth! He seemed to be very sleepy through the first month, but now that he's more alert he is very squirmy....just like he was in the womb!  Baby B - he was always the active one. Tyler really likes his pacifier and he loves to snuggle with Ben.

Seth

2 months old and 9 lb. 6 oz.!  Seth is such a sweet little boy!  He makes the cutest little faces.  When you hold him against your chest he likes to prop himself up and look around like in this picture.  He sounds a little bit like a kitten when he cries.  Seth seems to be the best sleeper at night, and we think he'll be the first to sleep through the night.  Hopefully that will be soon! 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Going Home!!!

Who would have thought that we would all be going home just four days after the triplets were born?  God has certainly been in control of this entire process and blessed us tremendously.  We are very excited to go home even though we are a little tired and know that the work has just begun.  Thankfully we have Kristen's mom waiting for us and many other people that have been a huge help.  The doctors keep asking if we have a good support system at home and that is one thing we do not have to worry about.
Kristen was officially discharged last night, but they allowed us to stay in the room one more night since the babies needed to stay.  They took her staples out this morning and were very pleased with the way the incision looked.  We were thankful to have one more night that the nurses could watch the babies and do a feeding so we could get a good chunk of sleep.  The babies are all doing great!  They were watching Tyler's weight, but that stabilized yesterday.  I think with three small babies there will always be one that has something to keep on eye on.  We would like to keep the blog updated more often but with feedings, diaper changes, naps (theirs and ours) and visitors it has been hard to find time.  Somehow I get the feeling that is going to be the normal routine for us for a while.
So, here we are getting ready to take our little Easter babies home all together....and we never even saw the inside of the NICU!  What a HUGE blessing!  We can't thank you enough for all of the prayers!

Friday, April 22, 2011

One Big Happy Family

Our family has officially doubled in numbers.  I would have said doubled in size but at less than 5 pounds each they have some catching up to do yet.  The babies are all doing great.  They eat a little bit more at each feeding, which is every three hours.  Everyone at the hospital has been great.  They have commented that the babies are doing remarkably well for the circumstances.  We are keeping a close eye on their body temperature and making sure they do not become jaundice.  Right now they are doing a car seat test to make sure the babies can handle the ride home.  The car seat test consists of the babies sitting in their car seats for an hour and a half while their oxygen levels are monitored.

Last night the reality started to hit us a little more.  One of the babies was starting to fuss a little so I gave that one to Kristen to hold and then a second one started to fuss so I picked that one up and then the third one started to fuss and we said "what do we do now".  That is what grandmother's are for!  Kristen is recovering but still very sore.  After watching the surgery I realize why it takes so long to recover after a c-section.  The doctors were really pulling and stretching her.  I have some good pictures of the babies being pulled out but they are not suitable for the blog and those of you with queasy stomachs!

It looks like we will be able to come home on Sunday.  They want to give Kristen and the babies a little extra time to recover.  Still that is such a short hospital stay compared to what we thought may happen.  God has certainly blessed us through the whole process.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Day One

I will try to recount the events of the day. However, fortunately for us they are relatively uneventful.  We started out the day not knowing if it was going to be "the day" or not.  Kristen was brought to Dartmouth by ambulance the day before and we fully expected that when she got here they were going to do the c-section right away but the doctors decided to wait so they could monitor her for awhile.  Her blood pressure had gone back down so they didn't feel they had a compelling reason to take the babies yet.  She was having regular contractions that were fairly painful but was not going into labor.  It was a rough night for her, and she was ready to be done.  Everything was uncomfortable and sometimes painful.  The anesthesiologist came to talk to her about the options and possible side effects for the c-section but she was not up for paying attention to anything he said.

When we woke up Wednesday morning the first positive sign we had was that they assigned three nurses to Kristen for the day.  We were told that usually means they are planning on doing a c-section.  They also told us that the doctors would be meeting at 9:00 to decide what to do.  Once again Kristen was not allowed to eat or drink anything in case they decided to do the c-section.  At about 9:30 the doctor came in and gave us the good news that they decided to go ahead with the c-section.  They decided that some of the tests showed that her health was beginning to decline and at 35 weeks and 6 days it was a good time to do it before things got bad.  They immediately started prepping her for surgery and in less then an hour she was in the operating room.

I was able to be in there with her, and I counted 20 nurses and doctors in the room.  They were ready for anything.  After about 15 to 20 minutes of cutting and separating we heard "I see an arm and a leg"!  At 10:53 they pulled out Kathryn first.  Tyler came out next and then Seth came out at 10:54.  They took each baby over to separate stations and two or three people began checking each of them over.  Kathryn looked great fairly quickly.  It took Tyler a little while to get some good color.  He had some fluid in his lungs so they gave him oxygen.  I was a little worried but the doctors were not that concerned so that was reassuring.

While they were measuring and weighing the babies the surgical team was finishing up with Kristen.  Once that was done they put all three babies in Kristen's lap and wheeled her back to the room.  They all looked beautiful!  After all this time we could not have asked for a better delivery.  God had definitely answered many prayers!

The rest of the day was spent attending to the babies and checking their vital signs.  They were in the room with us and were all doing fine with no assistance.  They were doing much better then Kristen at this point.  She had been through a lot.  It took until about midnight before she started feeling somewhat normal.  She couldn't even keep one sip of water down.

Ben was able to come for a visit, and he was very excited to meet all 3 of his new siblings!  He even got to feed Seth a bottle.  He will be a fantastic big brother!  Ben also helped take care of mommy....getting her cold washcloths for her face, etc.  Oma made it up from PA to meet her 3 new grandchildren!  After spending a few hours with us, she took Ben home for the night.


Tyler spent his first night in the NICU as a precaution.  He was having difficulty keeping his body temperature up so they wanted to keep him warm and make sure he did not have any infections.  After keeping him overnight they decided he was fine and was brought back to the room with us.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I know everyone wants all the details so I will get them out as soon as I can.  For now here are the basics.  Everyone is doing well.  The babies are all healthy and doing great.

Kathryn Ella- 4lbs 10ounces born at 10:53 am
Tyler Mark- 4lbs 14ounces born at 10:54 am
Seth Jonathan- 4lbs 5ounces born at 10:54 am





Update Wednesday April 20th

We completely expected to have three babies by now but so far we are still waiting.  The doctors are meeting at 9:00 this morning to try to come to a decision by 10:00.  So once again Kristen will have to wait before she knows if she will be allowed to eat.  Hopefully they will make the decision quickly!  We are anxious to meet these babies however we trust the doctors and want the best for the babies as well.  Pray for wisdom for the doctors and strength for Kristen whatever is decided.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Just Waiting

Kristen went to the doctor today for a regular appointment.  Everything went fine with the appointment until they checked her blood pressure.  It was a little high so they sent her up to the maternity ward and after consulting with the doctors, they decided to send her to Dartmouth to have a c-section.  Once she got to Dartmouth her blood pressure had dropped so then it was back to a waiting game.  At this moment she is very uncomfortable and having some painful contractions.  It will all be in God's timing.

This is what it looks like to monitor four heartbeats and contractions all at the same time!

Monday, April 18, 2011

35 1/2 Weeks

It's hard to believe we've come this far!  I just said to Mark, "Just think....this time in 2 weeks we'll have 3 babies here with us!"  Life will be different for sure, but we're looking forward to it.  I'm ready to hold these babies OUTSIDE of the womb!  I think this incredible amount of discomfort is God's way of getting you ready for delivery.  Otherwise, I think I'd be freaking out about them coming. However, at this point I say bring on the craziness!  I can't wait to walk normally again!  The swelling in my feet and ankles has gotten much worse.  It had gone down when I was put on bed rest at 31 weeks, but then it came back at 34 weeks.  At least it's warm enough now so I can wear flip flops...not that i go anywhere besides the hospital.  Mark has finished the dresser/changing table and the closet has shelves so now we can get all of the clothes, diapers, sheets, etc.  put in place.  Feeling even more ready!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Big Brother Ben

Ben (6 yrs old now) had been praying just about every day for 2 babies and a dog for about two years!!!! He would even correct me if I just prayed for one.  :-)  This was a good lesson for him to learn about praying without ceasing.  We were thrilled to be able to tell him that he was going to be a big brother!  We gave him this shirt as our way of telling him the news and he wore it proudly.  We were actually considering getting him a puppy for Christmas....until we found out there were THREE!  We told him he was getting an extra baby instead of a dog.  God gave us even more than we asked for!

Ben has been a real trooper during this long stretch of bed rest.
We play lots of games together, and he even made up a couple of games to play where I don't have to get up off of the couch.  In this picture is his new game called "Dinosaur Race".  He drew the game board and everything.  You just roll the dice and move the dinosaurs accordingly...very cute!  His other game is called "Who's Missing".  It's a simple version of Hide and Seek where I don't have to get up.  I just call out and ask him if he's in certain places.  He doesn't answer until I guess correctly.  I think I like it better than the real version. :-)                               

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Getting Close

A date has been set!  I have a c-section scheduled in Keene for Friday April 29th so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  :-)  I asked the doctor if he could just take them out yesterday at my appt. but he didn't think that was the best idea....it was worth a try.  My body is definitely exhausted and I'm feeling ready to be done, but I know that God's timing is perfect.  Everything still looked great at the appointment.  Babies were all active and no changes with me.  By the way, I still weigh less than Mark!  My friend Maureen took me to my appt. because I probably shouldn't be driving myself at this point.  Then we went out to lunch.  So, I kind of cheated on my bed rest for once, but it was so nice to be out...even though I get funny looks everywhere I go. :-)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

34 Weeks

I had a great appointment today!  Here are the estimated weights: 
               Baby A - 4 lb. 10 oz.
               Baby B - 4 lb. 7 oz.
               Baby C - 4 lb. 8 oz.
The boys were very active during the ultrasound but our little girl seemed to be sleepy.  We had to take a break and then come back to her to get some movement in order for her to "pass"...she did!

After the ultrasound we went up to meet with the Doctor.  The first thing he said when he walked in was, "How can you still be pregnant?"  I told him it was because of a lot of people praying!  He read the ultrasound reports and was amazed at how well the babies were doing and how close in size they were.  He said he's happy when twins have a 10% difference in weight and our babies only have about a 5% difference.  He recommended that we schedule a C-section in Keene for when I reach 37 weeks.  He doesn't expect me to make it that far since 15 lbs. of baby is about the maximum the body can handle.  I will still deliver up at Dartmouth if it's earlier than 37 weeks.  So, we know these babies will be here sometime within the next 3 weeks!  It was a beautiful day for me to be able to be outside.  Sun was shining and the snow is almost gone!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Latest Appt. - April 5th

My Doctor appointment today went well!  There weren't really any changes.....except for the fact that I've gained weight. :-)  The babies all passed the biophysical profile again and are doing just fine.  They like to wiggle a lot during the non stress tests.  Mark and a friend got the cribs and changing table put together tonight and they're in the room now so we're feeling even more ready for the babies to arrive! 

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Preparing for 3 Babies

In order to get ready for the triplets we had to renovate one of the bedrooms. The room was completely gutted, the layout changed slightly and then drywalled. There were many people that came over to help. Ben was even put to work!

We decided that Ben would move into that room and the triplets would take over his old room. After new paint and carpet in both rooms they are almost done with a few new features. Both rooms now have a laundry chute and the triplets room also has a diaper chute. We figured that with up to 30 diapers a day the diaper genie wasn't going to cut it. The diaper chute is a 6" PVC pipe that goes from the baby room on the second floor all the way to a garbage can in the basement.

Ben is very happy with his new room. He gets a kick out of the laundry chute and likes the new paint job a decorations. He said that he would let Mark move in if he wanted to!

When are the babies coming?

Everybody wants to know when the babies are coming.  So do we!  Here is what we do know.  The babies should be born sometime in April.  A normal pregnancy is about 40 weeks but the average for triplets is 31 weeks.  The doctors had said that they would be happy if I made it to 31 weeks and thrilled if I made it to 35 weeks.  Right now I am at 33 1/2 weeks- above average!  Until 34 weeks they would attempt to stop the contractions like they did a couple weeks ago.  After 34 weeks, if contractions started they would deliver the babies.  The plan is for the babies to be delivered by C-section.  They will not set a date at this point, but it sounds as though they will not let me go longer than 37 weeks.

I go to the doctor in Keene every Tuesday and Dartmouth every Thursday.  They monitor me and the babies closely.  If they noticed any negative changes in myself or the babies they would deliver them at this point as well.  The plan is for the babies to be delivered in Dartmouth, but if I am having contractions I will go to Keene first and they will take me to Dartmouth by ambulance.  At 37 weeks we could possibly deliver in Keene.

Stay tuned and we will keep you updated.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

33 weeks

On March 31st we reached 33 weeks!  My doctor appt. on this day was very simple.  No ultrasound this time.  Blood pressure looks really good and the heartbeats are all strong.  Two days earlier, on the 29th, I went to the doctor in Keene, and they did an ultrasound to check their biophysical profile.  This is when they look at fluid levels, heart rates, and lungs.  All 3 passed!  We are very thankful that they are all doing so well!  I'm measuring as though I was 46 weeks pregnant with one baby!  At this point we go to the doctors twice a week.  Keene on Tuesdays and Dartmouth on Thursdays.  These are my big outings of this week since I've been put on bed rest.  It's nice to get out and get fresh air!

We are also feeling much more ready at home.  Mark has been working hard and the diaper chute is finished!  Now we need to get the furniture in the babies' room and we'll feel ready....as ready as you can be for 3 babies!