As of right now, everyone will be coming home tomorrow! Katie and Wylie are doing great. The car seats came in today and Wylie has already passed his stress test; Katie is too small for the seat and we are going to have to buy a temporary preemie seat tomorrow morning; Maggie is iffy and the nurse in charge has to make the call tomorrow. Maggie is also going home on a monitor for her heartbeat. Although the drops are completely normal for preemies and they usually correct themselves immediately, doctors want to be extra careful. She wasn't too interested in her bottles this afternoon but I have gotten her to finish two this evening so far. Earlier I wasn't sure she was ready to leave yet but spending this much time tonight makes me feel much better.
The hospital has allowed me to room in with all three babies tonight and I am completely in charge of their care. It is about 1:15 a.m. right now and of course I can't sleep. All three babies are in bassinets beside me and it feels wonderful. Of course, they are being quiet which will probably change once we get home but tonight they are perfect. Aaron is coming up first thing in the morning to help with the discharge.
Well...next feeding is in thirty minutes. Going to rest and then get ready to do it all over. I guess this is my new life for awhile!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
A time to Grow
What a whirlwind of emotions I have gone through today. Aaron and I have had a wonderful weekend spending time together, enjoying visitors and learning all the ins and outs of taking care of the babies. Time is flying already....
Then, this afternoon, my girlfriend Kim and I walk into the nursery to find a new nurse there with tons of information for us. First, all the babies are now doing bottles only...no more feeding tubes! Next, she tells us that Maggie had an apnea episode early this morning and the night nurse had to stimulate her to get her heartbeat back up. This happened a little in the very beginning but not in a long time. Then she drops the news.....she believes that Wylie and Katie (possibly Maggie on a monitor) will be discharged TUESDAY! The doctor had told us two weeks!
Mentally, I have been preparing myself for two more weeks. I panicked. Am I ready to bring these little tiny babies home and be completely responsible for them? Are they ready to leave the hospital? The car seats haven't come in, we haven't bought a car largest enough yet, I haven't called the pediatrician yet to introduce myself, is the house ready, do I even know what all they need?
I am guessing every new parent has these worries but I am scared to death. I was trying to get ready for one thing and now thrown a curve ball. Aaron has to head back to Brunswick in the morning and I plan on heading into the hospital whenever he gets on the road. I feel bad for whoever the nurse is tomorrow because I am looking for a crash course on bringing home triplets.
I eventually settled down a little bit later and at 5:30 we headed to my mom's cousin Bob's house for dinner. This really took my mind off of things for a bit and the hot meal was wonderful! Thank you Bob and Jennifer...it really was a treat! By the time we got back to Memorial, I tried to jump right in with caring for the babies. Aaron and I fed all three, changed diapers (more than once) and put clean jammies on them.
We ended up staying until 10 or so and as we left, all three were wide awake and interacting with each other and us - which created this incredible feeling of togetherness and a true sense of my family beginning to evolve and grow. I have said so many prayers since learning we were having triplets and God has certainly been with us throughout this experience. I remember at one point when I was probably 10 weeks pregnant and worrying about carrying three babies. All of a sudden, I had this peace come over me and I knew that God was present and that everything was going to be fine. I don't think I really worried after that point that the babies would not arrive happy and healthy. I had that same peaceful feeling happen this evening as He showed us how wonderful these babies are and how exciting it will be to have all of us finally home. I know that it is going to be a tremendous amount of work and that Aaron and I both are going to have to remain patient with each other and others as we learn this new chapter in our lives. I have to believe that we are ready and what isn't ready, we will get ready.
So....we will see what this upcoming week brings. Family and Friends - we might be coming home!
Then, this afternoon, my girlfriend Kim and I walk into the nursery to find a new nurse there with tons of information for us. First, all the babies are now doing bottles only...no more feeding tubes! Next, she tells us that Maggie had an apnea episode early this morning and the night nurse had to stimulate her to get her heartbeat back up. This happened a little in the very beginning but not in a long time. Then she drops the news.....she believes that Wylie and Katie (possibly Maggie on a monitor) will be discharged TUESDAY! The doctor had told us two weeks!
Mentally, I have been preparing myself for two more weeks. I panicked. Am I ready to bring these little tiny babies home and be completely responsible for them? Are they ready to leave the hospital? The car seats haven't come in, we haven't bought a car largest enough yet, I haven't called the pediatrician yet to introduce myself, is the house ready, do I even know what all they need?
I am guessing every new parent has these worries but I am scared to death. I was trying to get ready for one thing and now thrown a curve ball. Aaron has to head back to Brunswick in the morning and I plan on heading into the hospital whenever he gets on the road. I feel bad for whoever the nurse is tomorrow because I am looking for a crash course on bringing home triplets.
I eventually settled down a little bit later and at 5:30 we headed to my mom's cousin Bob's house for dinner. This really took my mind off of things for a bit and the hot meal was wonderful! Thank you Bob and Jennifer...it really was a treat! By the time we got back to Memorial, I tried to jump right in with caring for the babies. Aaron and I fed all three, changed diapers (more than once) and put clean jammies on them.
We ended up staying until 10 or so and as we left, all three were wide awake and interacting with each other and us - which created this incredible feeling of togetherness and a true sense of my family beginning to evolve and grow. I have said so many prayers since learning we were having triplets and God has certainly been with us throughout this experience. I remember at one point when I was probably 10 weeks pregnant and worrying about carrying three babies. All of a sudden, I had this peace come over me and I knew that God was present and that everything was going to be fine. I don't think I really worried after that point that the babies would not arrive happy and healthy. I had that same peaceful feeling happen this evening as He showed us how wonderful these babies are and how exciting it will be to have all of us finally home. I know that it is going to be a tremendous amount of work and that Aaron and I both are going to have to remain patient with each other and others as we learn this new chapter in our lives. I have to believe that we are ready and what isn't ready, we will get ready.
So....we will see what this upcoming week brings. Family and Friends - we might be coming home!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wednesday, October 22.....1 1/2 weeks old
Here are some more pictures of Karen, the babies, and me. As you can see, we are starting be able to hold them two (and sometimes three) at a time. It is certainly a very exciting and surreal experience. They are getting stronger every day and definitely becoming more alert and responsive to their surrounding and parents. They started to bottle feed yesterday. Every day brings us new developments and one step closer to being able take them home.........
A.
Katie and Maggie
Maggie
Wylie and Katie
A.
Katie and Maggie
Maggie
Wylie and Katie
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
New Pictures!
Hi Everyone!
Here are some new pics of the family....
My favorite picture of Wylie so far!!!!
Katie
Maggie
Kangaroo Care with Wylie
The babies continue to do great. All three are now out of their incubator and into open beds. Maggie still struggles a bit with her body temperature and we have to keep her extra bundled to keep in the warmth. Last night I got to give Wylie and Katie a sponge bath and weigh each of them...all three have gained!!!!
Wylie: 4lbs 6oz
Maggie: 3lbs 15oz
Katie: 3lbs 11oz
Aaron headed back to work yesterday which broke my heart. Being at the hospital without him leaves an awful void and was pretty lonely at first. I tried to rotate around the room, holding each as best as I could. One special moment happened when I walked back into the room after lunch and just when I began to sweet talk Katie, all three suddenly woke up and wanted to be held. I would like to think that it was just hearing my voice! It was a moment I would have loved to share with Aaron and really wanted him with me. Although I don't quite have the confidence yet to bring these little babies home yet - I look forward to having all of us together again without interruption.
Unfortunately, our camera stopped working yesterday. Hopefully when Aaron gets back we can get it to work again. I promise to post more pics as soon as I can!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
One Week Already!
The babies are doing fantastic! Last night, they moved Wylie out of the incubator and into an open bed to see if he can maintain his body temperature by himself. I got to kangaroo care (holding him skin to skin) for the first time and it was an incredible experience. Aaron and I left the hospital around 9:00 last night and he was still doing great. Hopefully he won't have to be moved back from his "big boy bed."
Maggie developed an eye infection and has to have drops for the next week. I knew on Friday that she wasn't feeling well but couldn't put my finger on what was the matter. By the end of the day, she was already looking better.
Katie just continues to grow and be such a happy baby. She has the most facial expressions so far and it is not unusual to find her with her eyes wide awake when we walk into the room. She loves to be held and doesn't ever mind having her diaper changed. Nurses say they hardly ever hear her cry.
Aaron and I took the Infant CPR class yesterday (30 compressions/2 breaths). Even though I have taught CPR for the past 5 years, it felt much different learning it for the sake of our children. I certainly paid extra special attention to every detail she provided!
I am kind of writing this in a rush and will put on some pictures later at the hospital. The Internet (and cell phone service) at the beach is not the greatest and mostly just frustrates me. Then, at the hospital, all we want to do is be with the babies. So posts have gotten kind of slow but I promise to try and do better. Hopefully we will all be home in a couple of weeks (I just felt tears well up as I typed that sentence!!!)
Love to you all - Karen
Maggie developed an eye infection and has to have drops for the next week. I knew on Friday that she wasn't feeling well but couldn't put my finger on what was the matter. By the end of the day, she was already looking better.
Katie just continues to grow and be such a happy baby. She has the most facial expressions so far and it is not unusual to find her with her eyes wide awake when we walk into the room. She loves to be held and doesn't ever mind having her diaper changed. Nurses say they hardly ever hear her cry.
Aaron and I took the Infant CPR class yesterday (30 compressions/2 breaths). Even though I have taught CPR for the past 5 years, it felt much different learning it for the sake of our children. I certainly paid extra special attention to every detail she provided!
I am kind of writing this in a rush and will put on some pictures later at the hospital. The Internet (and cell phone service) at the beach is not the greatest and mostly just frustrates me. Then, at the hospital, all we want to do is be with the babies. So posts have gotten kind of slow but I promise to try and do better. Hopefully we will all be home in a couple of weeks (I just felt tears well up as I typed that sentence!!!)
Love to you all - Karen
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Busy Day Learning
It is about 10:15 p.m. and Kathleen and I are waiting for Aaron to get back to Savannah. After waking up to this wonderful sunrise, he left this morning to head back into the office for some catch up and had a Commission Meeting this evening.
He sure hated to leave us! He is one good Daddy and I just continue to fall more in love with him as I watch how much he cares for me and the babies. Another wonderful growth in our family that continues to amaze me.
After lunch, Mom got to hold Katie for the first time (actually, this was the first time she held any of the babies). A bit nervous at first, but I think she did great. Katie sure did enjoy it! Also, we were able to put on the caps that Mom brought and Sharon monogrammed for us. Thank you so much Sharon....I LOVE THEM!!!!
Around 3:30 we headed over to Dr. Bivens office to get my staples removed. Kathleen finally got to see the practice. Also, our nurse was able to reassure Mom that the swelling in my feet was absolutely normal - should last another week or so and then will be back to normal. Got on the scale also...not quite back to pre-pregnancy weight (only down 14 lbs - pretty disappointing!)
We all decided to stay busy so Mom, Kathleen and I attended our first learning session tonight at the hospital. Hosted by March of Dimes, we learned the "Top Ten Important Things to Learn before bringing Baby Home." It was a good class and covered things like the importance of breastfeeding, how they no longer encourage cobedding and explanations on the Back to Sleep Campaign. They also talked about how cigarettes contain over 25,000 chemicals and even having the smell on clothing is dangerous...especially for preemies. The hospital offers these courses weekly and I hope to attend as many as possible. The more we learn - the better.
Here are some current pictures of the trio....
Kathleen holding Wylie
Maggie looking very alert this evening
He sure hated to leave us! He is one good Daddy and I just continue to fall more in love with him as I watch how much he cares for me and the babies. Another wonderful growth in our family that continues to amaze me.
After lunch, Mom got to hold Katie for the first time (actually, this was the first time she held any of the babies). A bit nervous at first, but I think she did great. Katie sure did enjoy it! Also, we were able to put on the caps that Mom brought and Sharon monogrammed for us. Thank you so much Sharon....I LOVE THEM!!!!
Around 3:30 we headed over to Dr. Bivens office to get my staples removed. Kathleen finally got to see the practice. Also, our nurse was able to reassure Mom that the swelling in my feet was absolutely normal - should last another week or so and then will be back to normal. Got on the scale also...not quite back to pre-pregnancy weight (only down 14 lbs - pretty disappointing!)
We all decided to stay busy so Mom, Kathleen and I attended our first learning session tonight at the hospital. Hosted by March of Dimes, we learned the "Top Ten Important Things to Learn before bringing Baby Home." It was a good class and covered things like the importance of breastfeeding, how they no longer encourage cobedding and explanations on the Back to Sleep Campaign. They also talked about how cigarettes contain over 25,000 chemicals and even having the smell on clothing is dangerous...especially for preemies. The hospital offers these courses weekly and I hope to attend as many as possible. The more we learn - the better.
Here are some current pictures of the trio....
Kathleen holding Wylie
Maggie looking very alert this evening
Look who just arrived...and look at the tie!!!! How perfect!!! Aaron said that the Commission announced the birth and everyone stood up to cheer. What a great night.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Life is Good
Aaron and I finally left the hospital last night and checked into the condo. Even though being right down the hall from the nursery was comforting being at the beach has allowed us to really relax and take everything in. Not to say that leaving was easy! I don't know if it was the hormones or the actual situation, but I don't think that I have ever cried so hard. Poor Aaron. It was really rough but he took it slowly with me. He first packed up the car. Then we went and spent ;some time with the babies. Followed by an early dinner at Red Lobster - in which I had to wear slippers because shoes would not even begin to slide on these monsters - Here is a pic just so I'll remember down the road.... they don't even look like my ankles!
Then back to the hospital until I was ready to say goodnight. We arrived at the condo, unpacked and then I think that we both finally got a good night of sleep. When we woke up this morning, we had coffee out on the balcony looking over the ocean. When I think how stressful times could be, I just can't believe that they are so good. We are both really relaxed and being at the beach is the perfect environment to just be a family. Life just doesn't get any better than what we have right now.
Around noon, we headed into town with a stop at Target first...we both desperately need some clothes to wear as neither packed for a permenant stay last week! I also needed something to put on these feet of mine! When we arrived at the hospital, Aaron's mom was pulling into town from Houston. She'll be staying with us for a bit and helping out.
The nurse allowed all three of us to remain in the room with the babies - which was a lot of fun...usually it is only two at a time. We ended up staying until 6:00 when they kicked us out for shift change. Little Katie stayed out of the incubator almost the whole time while maintaining her temperature - which is a great beginning to her coming home.
Katie
She may be the smallest but she certainly holds her own. Mom says that she has always had to fight a stronger fight being that she was on the bottom and I really think this has helped her now that she is here.
Other updates include all three have upped their feedings and are tolerating it beautifully. Wylie is the only one still under the Bili Light...
The nurse (Kim) said that the girls bili levels had decreased from 9 to 5 which is almost unheard of after only a couple of days. Wylie's color is already beginning to look better and I doubt he will be under it much longer. These babies are miracles in so many ways!!!
Wylie
Each also had their IVs removed last night which has made me feel so much better. I know how bad mine hurt and hated to see them stuck in their little arms. Tonight was also the first time that we were able to hold all three at the same time. Sure was a lot of babies!!!
I can't get enough of these little ones and is so much more comfortable than I am to jump in. He got to give Katie a sponge bath last night which was fun to watch. Afterwards, I took advantage of snuggling with her and calming her down. Good cop - Bad cop! All in all, everyone is doing great. I just feel so thankful and blessed...motherhood is so much more than I ever imagined. I just never knew....
Monday, October 13, 2008
Hi Everyone!
Now that I am slowly coming out of my blur of a weekend, it has been so wonderful to read every one's well wishes! What started out as a neat way to pass my time on bed rest, our blog has turned out to be a great tool for me to keep up with everyone and for everyone to see our new family! I have spent the last hour reading everyone's reaction to the babies and it has warmed my heart over and over again. Thank you each for taking the time to let us know how much we are being thought of and how excited everyone is to see the the babies.
Katie, Maggie and Wylie are perfect! Each time I am with them, I just stare and can't believe that they belong to us! Each one is so unique and so beautiful - I couldn't be anymore proud! Katie is the smallest and has the most round petite face. She is also the most feisty and can let out some pitiful little cries. Maggie is a huge baby! Her little body fills up the bed that they sleep in and we usually find her legs sprawled over the sides! And Wylie is ALL BOY! He just looks like a little fellow! I can see him growing up and being such a sweet guy. Just like when I was pregnant with him, he remains very still and quiet. He just likes hanging out or else hiding from the girls!
The birth Saturday morning was quite the unexpected experience. After being admitted on Wednesday, I had a feeling that I wasn't going back home. By Friday, I was contracting the entire day and ended up trying to sleep through it. It wasn't until around 3a.m. that I woke up to these awful abdominal cramps. The doctor was called in, did an exam and told me that Baby A (Katie) was pretty much ready to make her appearance and for me to get ready to have these babies. I was one day shy of 32 weeks which is about average for a triplet pregnancy but I was still more scared than I have ever been. Within half an hour, I was being prepped for the C-Section and the OR room was filling with teams for each baby. By the time they were doing the epidural, one of my waters broke. Just like everyone told me, I was where I was supposed to be and in good hands. I couldn't imagine having to drive from Brunswick with all of this going on. Things really progressed faster than I ever imagined. All in all, there were 19 medical personnel in this small little operating room and the whole thing was over in about an hour.
Maggie ended up being born first, followed by Wylie and Katie being last. Hearing those first cries ring out will be an experience I will always cherish and never forget. I am still getting choked up as I think about it. Towards the end of the surgery (or maybe just the rush of everything happening so fast) I started to feel some pain. They ended up giving me some medicine that made me sleepy and the rest of the morning (and really this whole weekend) becomes a bit hazy.
I am healing well, although, today has been the most difficult. My feet continue to swell beyond recognition and whenever I stand on them they feel like they are going to split! It makes getting around really difficult but is a "catch 22" because I am supposed to be walking around due to the surgery. I do what I can and use the wheelchair as needed. The nurses think that this will last for about two weeks. Each toe looks like a snauseges as Aaron jokes about them and my ankles blend in with the rest of my leg. It is awful!
Around noon, the Chief Resident made her rounds and decided that I should be discharged because I am doing so well but we decided to "room in" just one more night. Basically, if the hospital is not full, they will let parents remain in their room to be near the babies. I am so thankful to still be here and am not quite sure I will even be able to leave tomorrow or the next day or even the next day! The thought of leaving the trio makes me extremely anxious and sad. I have known for a long time that I would be leaving the hospital first but still am not at all prepared. Poor Aaron - the "pull out" chair that he has been sleeping on is awful but he is being a sport. I think we have the smallest room on the entire hall but it is cozy to us - I don't think either one of us mind.
So.....one experience down and a whole new one begins. Again, I want to thank each of you for all the support that we have had. Aaron is doing an amazing job keeping up with photos for everyone to see and we will continue to let you know as things progress. Please keep us in your prayers and hopefully we will all be home soon.
Love to you all! Karen
Katie, Maggie and Wylie are perfect! Each time I am with them, I just stare and can't believe that they belong to us! Each one is so unique and so beautiful - I couldn't be anymore proud! Katie is the smallest and has the most round petite face. She is also the most feisty and can let out some pitiful little cries. Maggie is a huge baby! Her little body fills up the bed that they sleep in and we usually find her legs sprawled over the sides! And Wylie is ALL BOY! He just looks like a little fellow! I can see him growing up and being such a sweet guy. Just like when I was pregnant with him, he remains very still and quiet. He just likes hanging out or else hiding from the girls!
The birth Saturday morning was quite the unexpected experience. After being admitted on Wednesday, I had a feeling that I wasn't going back home. By Friday, I was contracting the entire day and ended up trying to sleep through it. It wasn't until around 3a.m. that I woke up to these awful abdominal cramps. The doctor was called in, did an exam and told me that Baby A (Katie) was pretty much ready to make her appearance and for me to get ready to have these babies. I was one day shy of 32 weeks which is about average for a triplet pregnancy but I was still more scared than I have ever been. Within half an hour, I was being prepped for the C-Section and the OR room was filling with teams for each baby. By the time they were doing the epidural, one of my waters broke. Just like everyone told me, I was where I was supposed to be and in good hands. I couldn't imagine having to drive from Brunswick with all of this going on. Things really progressed faster than I ever imagined. All in all, there were 19 medical personnel in this small little operating room and the whole thing was over in about an hour.
Maggie ended up being born first, followed by Wylie and Katie being last. Hearing those first cries ring out will be an experience I will always cherish and never forget. I am still getting choked up as I think about it. Towards the end of the surgery (or maybe just the rush of everything happening so fast) I started to feel some pain. They ended up giving me some medicine that made me sleepy and the rest of the morning (and really this whole weekend) becomes a bit hazy.
I am healing well, although, today has been the most difficult. My feet continue to swell beyond recognition and whenever I stand on them they feel like they are going to split! It makes getting around really difficult but is a "catch 22" because I am supposed to be walking around due to the surgery. I do what I can and use the wheelchair as needed. The nurses think that this will last for about two weeks. Each toe looks like a snauseges as Aaron jokes about them and my ankles blend in with the rest of my leg. It is awful!
Around noon, the Chief Resident made her rounds and decided that I should be discharged because I am doing so well but we decided to "room in" just one more night. Basically, if the hospital is not full, they will let parents remain in their room to be near the babies. I am so thankful to still be here and am not quite sure I will even be able to leave tomorrow or the next day or even the next day! The thought of leaving the trio makes me extremely anxious and sad. I have known for a long time that I would be leaving the hospital first but still am not at all prepared. Poor Aaron - the "pull out" chair that he has been sleeping on is awful but he is being a sport. I think we have the smallest room on the entire hall but it is cozy to us - I don't think either one of us mind.
So.....one experience down and a whole new one begins. Again, I want to thank each of you for all the support that we have had. Aaron is doing an amazing job keeping up with photos for everyone to see and we will continue to let you know as things progress. Please keep us in your prayers and hopefully we will all be home soon.
Love to you all! Karen
Monday - Day 3
The babies continue to do great. After spending the first two days in separate areas, they have all been moved next to each other and are now sharing the same room. They are now in the intermediate care area where they will most likely stay for the next 2-4 weeks until they are to come home. Karen continues to recouperate and get her energy back. Grandmother Nancy has been a blesing to have here and help. Grandmother Kathleen will be here on Wednesday to meet the little ones. They are ready to meet their Grandmamma. Here are a few new pictures taken today and short video of baby Margaret Elizabeth. We'll try to get video of the others in the next few days.
Aaron.
Margaret Elizabeth
Aaron Wylie
Kathleen Elaine
Short Video of Margaret Elizabeth
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday Morning - Day 2
Sunday Morning, October 12, 2008 - The babies have gotten through their first night and are doing excellent. Karen is also doing very well, and we expect her to be discharged on Monday. We appreciate all of the kind words and support from our friends and family. Thank you. The babies are anxious to meet each and every one of you in the near future. We will continue to add more pictures as often as possible in the upcoming days.
Aaron.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
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