Holding All Three

It's still hard to believe sometimes that I have three babies.  This was the first time I held all three at the same time. Well, since they were born I guess.  It's pretty difficult to do especially at this age.  I still can't figure out how they all fit inside me.  It's a miracle.



Mommy holding all three babies: Chase, Ryan, Tyler.

Our First Doctor's Visit with All Three

Our first visit to the pediatrician's office with all three babies was an experience.  Derek and I had already made 4 previous trips to the doctor taking Ryan and Chase individually, but for their two week appointment everyone was home from the hospital and going to the doctor together.  We had taken everyone out the day before so we had a little practice loading three babies in car seats and into the car.  However, this time it was to a public place.  The realization that we now had triplet newborns came when we got there.  We loaded two babies and a large diaper bag into the double stroller.  I pushed the large stroller into the office while Derek carried the other baby in his carseat.  A funny feeling came over me as we walked towards the entrance.  The gasps we heard as we entered the waiting room made Derek and I smile with pride.  The looks on the faces of the parents with one newborn baby were priceless.  It was like they were imagining their previous night times 3 babies. 

The visit went very smoothly.  Our office does not usually see more than one child per visit, but they graciously made the exception for us.  We were asked to arrive a 8:15 am and the doctor came in early just for us.  We arrived on time and unloaded the babies from the car with ease.  In the office, the nurses and doctor were very helpful.  There was an assembly line process for dressing and undressing them during their visit.  We were in and out in 45 minutes! 

Stats:
Chase:5 lbs. 13 oz 20.3 inches
Ryan: 4 lbs. 15 oz 18.5 inches
Tyler: 5 lbs. 5 oz   19.5 inches



At the doctor's office with all three!

Portraits with Maria Moore Photography

Our first outing with all three boys was to Maria Moore's house for newborn portraits. I met Maria at a Biblestudy for newcomers to the Huntsville area.  She is wonderful friend and photographer.  She did an amazing job working with all three babies.  She showed a tremedous amount of patience as she waited for each baby to be asleep and then gently posed them. What a wonderful experience!  I absolutely love the pictures she took and I can't wait to hang them up in our house.  Thank you Maria, for the adorable pictures!

Check out the link below to see my cutie pies' pictures:

Maria Moore Photography

Hospital and Home Coming Picture Sideshow

This slideshow covers the time frame of the triplets' births to their home comings.  We were blessed with three healthy boys. None of which stayed in the NICU very long.  Ryan was never admitted to the NICU.  Chase spent a total of 7 days and Tyler spent a total of 10 days in the NICU.  We are so glad that they are all home with us now.

Feeding Frenzy

A few of you have asked me how we are going to feed three babies.  Hopefully this post and video will answer your questions.  We have only done this for a week or so and is subject to change, but here is what we do for now.  Our triplets eat every four hours.  This is the schedule that the NICU set for Chase and Tyler.   We decided to follow the same schedule with Ryan so all three boys would be on the same one for simplicity.  They only eat 6 times a day because they are late preterm babies.  They are very sleepy.  Most of the time we have to wake them up at feeding time.  Sometimes it is all we can do to keep them awake long enough to eat.  Other times they are wide awake and love to look at you while you talk to them. I'm sure it won't be long before they are eating more frequently and sleeping less, but for now we will enjoy it while it as long as we can.

Feeding Schedule
4:00 am
8:00 am
12:00 pm
4:00 pm
8:00 pm
12:00 am

At the beginning of each feeding time, we change their diaper and check their temperature occasionally to make sure they are staying warm.  Then we begin feeding.  In the NICU this is referred to as  "care time".  I'm sure our feeding method and schedule will change as the babies grow and get older, but for now it takes 2-3 people at every feeding.

Bringing home one baby at a time made for a very smooth transition growing to a family of six.  We simply just added the number of people to feed babies each time.  We also divide up the feedings so everyone gets a break.  The night before Tyler came home I was able to pump and feed 2 babies in an hour and  fifteen minutes.  It was nice to know that I could handle it.  Along with feeding babies, a momm’s gotta do what a momm’s gotta do to produce the baby’s milk. I am up all throughout the night, but it's worth it.  We are still having to supplement with formula, but I hope that will change eventually.

Enjoy the video!  We filmed this the first night we had all three babies at home.
It shows a glimpse into the controlled chaos in our home and should make for a good laugh.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0edZZh2-qV8&feature=share

Chase and Tyler Come Home To Complete Our Family

We were very excited to bring Ryan home from the hospital when Jennifer was discharged on Thursday, July 19, but we just couldn't get too excited knowing that two of our babies were still at the hospital in the NICU.  Chase got to come home on Monday, July 23 and Tyler came home to complete our family on Thursday, July 26.  Although we wanted to bring all of our babies home at the same time, it was nice being able to transition into our growing family one member at a time with a couple of days in between to adjust.  We made this video to commemorate the home coming for Chase and Tyler since the first video we made only covered the time period through Jennifer and Ryan's discharge from the hospital.  We have enjoyed watching Ben react to Chase and Tyler's arrival and meeting his brothers for the first time since he was not allowed to visit them in the NICU.  We hope you enjoy this video:

Here is a link to the prequel to this video in case you missed it in the previous post.
(WARNING: this video contains baby gunk and scenes from our babies delivery):

Stay tuned to our blog for future videos.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email us and we will try to answer on future posts.

At The Hospital

This past week was one of the greatest weeks of our lives.  We brought three beautiful, baby boys into the world.  Time seemed to be slowed down.  The days seemed like weeks and the minutes seemed like hours and yet the entire week is some what of a blur. This post covers the events that happened while I was in the hospital recovering and a slide show of pictures.

Tuesday, July 17
It was so amazing to have Ryan in our room with us.  He was never admitted to the NICU.  We still can't believe the smallest of the three was the strongest.  One nurse said she had worked at this hospital for 22 years and had never seen a triplet come to the well baby nursery.  He was nick named "super baby".  The first night we both held and cuddled Ryan and sent him to the nursery because we were exhausted.

The next morning they brought Ryan back to us and I gave him a bottle.  It was so nice to have Ryan with us.  It gave me the 'normal' baby experience I had with Ben.  However, I constantly felt pulled between being in the NICU to visit Chase and Tyler and taking care of Ryan  That first morning I couldn't get up to the NICU fast enough to spend time with the other two as well.  Chase had been given an IV the night before because of an elavated resporatory rate.  That morning, he was already showing progress and I was able to give him a botttle.  We were told it would take 2-3 days to ween him off the IV as his bottle feedings increased.  Tyler was doing great.  I was able to hold him during my visit.  His nurse had fed him while I fed Chase.  We spent the day going back and forth between being in the room with Ryan and visiting Chase and Tyler in the NICU.  Our family was also there to be with us and visit the babies.

Ben was able to meet Ryan for the first time that morning.  He was a little unsure at first, but it wasn't long before he was sitting beside me in the bed and asking to hold him.  My heart melted as he leaned down and kissed him on the forehead all on his own.  Ben had gone to the store with Aunt Jordan and picked out a present for each brother.  He gave Ryan a stuffed giraffe toy.  The triplets also got their big brother a gift.  Ben loves his Turtle night light that shines stars on his ceiling.

That night my mom stayed with me in the hospital so Derek could go home and get some rest.  My mom and I however got very little rest.  The nurses were also in and out of my room constantly. The nurse took Ryan around midnight to complete his car seat test. The car seat test is simply puting the baby in the car seat for an hour and a half and watching them to make sure they don't stop breathing during that time. I think he had to pass this test since he was a late preterm baby. He passed.  I was also very irritated because I still had my IV from surgery.  This made everything more difficult from going to the NICU to simply taking care of  Ryan and myself.  The doctor had not made it to my room that day and the nurses would not remove it without a doctor's consent.  Needless to say I was miserable.  I threatened to take the IV out myself. 

Wednesday, July 18
I received a phone call from the NICU that morning to let me know Chase pulled his IV out and they didn't replace it because he no longer needed it.   I still had my IV in, too.   I should have had the same courage as my day old son.  Luckily the doctor came in shortly after and the nurse was given permission to remove my IV.

That morning Chase and Tyler were moved from the ICU side of the NICU to the progressive side.  They were both doing great and no longer needed critical care.  They continued to breath room air, hold their temperature, and eat from a bottle.  Their beds were right next to each other on the progressive side.  This was very nice because we were able to visit both babies at once.  When they were on the ICU side we had to divide our time between the two while we visited.  It was so neat to see them next to each other.  Since their birth the three had been spread out in three different places.  We were so happy to see them progressing so quickly.  We were hopeful they would be coming home quickly.

Thursday, July 19
Thursday morning around 2:00am, Derek and I were awakened by one of the neonatologist from the NICU.  He personally came to our room to tell us that Tyler had had a few scary apnea episodes during the night.  They decided to move him backt to the ICU side and give him an IV so that he would not have to take a bottle and could rest a while.  The apnea episodes were caused by an immature suck, swallow, breathe reflex and taking a bottle could cause more episodes. 

Derek and I went to NICU at soon as we could that morning to check on Tyler and Chase.  It was very hard to see Tyler back on the ICU side with an IV after seeing him do so well and on the progressive side.  A NICU nurse had warned me while I was pregnant that the NICU is a roller coaster ride.  Your baby might take two steps forward, but then one step back because they get tired.  I had to keep reminding myself this.

Thursday afternoon Ryan and I were discharged from the hospital.  It was great to know that we were going home, but it was bitter sweet.  It was also hard to leave two of our babies at the hospital.  We were very concerned about Tyler as he continued to have apnea episodes while taking a pacifier throughout the day.  When we got home all four grandparents and aunt Jordan were there to welcome us home.  We were so glad to have all the extra help as we transitioned to being home.

That evening, Derek went back to NICU with his parents and Jordan.  I was exhausted and stayed home to help with Ryan and Ben. I was able to put Ben to bed something I had not been able to do for a while.  It was so nice to be able to hold him on my lap, read him a book, and rock him. 

Derek bought an angel care monitor on the way home from the hospital for Ryan.  We were concenred that Ryan could start having apnea episodes just as Tyler had.  It definitely helped us sleep better that first night at home.  That is when we weren't up feeding the baby.  Derek and I worked out a system the night before in the hospital to maximize the sleep that we did get.  He feed and cared for Ryan and I pumped.  This worked great for us, but we knew we would be adding more babies to the routine in the near future.

Friday, July 20
We were back at the NICU by 8:00am to see Chase and Tyler.  Today, Chase's weight was down to 5 lbs 4 oz.  The doctors and nurses were concerned that he didn't want to eat well.  They said he needed to eat 40ml (a little over an ounce) every 4 hours.  If he didn't do this at each feeding, the nurse would have to insert a feeding tube to finish the feeding. I did not want to hear this and I was nervous at every feeding time, especially if I was the one feeding him.  I didn't want it to be my fault that he had to get a feeding tube.  Feeding a preemie baby is very difficult because they are so sleepy.  It's hard work to keep them awake and eating, especially if they have a set amount they are supposed to eat. 
That afternoon, Derek and I take Ryan to doc out of concern from Tyler's apnea episodes.  Ryan had not had any apnea episodes that we know of we were just very frightened he might since Tyler didn't start until thursday morning.  We saw the doctor who cared for Ryan in the hospital.  She understood our concerns and wrote Ryan a prescription for a home apnea monitor.  The apnea monitor measured his breathing and heart rate.  The monitor gave us great peace of mind.  Ryan still weighed 4 lbs 7 oz.  The same as his hospital discharge weight.  His bilirubin level was up to a 14, but the doctor said it was an okay level for his age.  However, she still wanted us to come in tomorrow to have it checked again. 

We returned to the NICU at 8:00pm for care time.  Chase was doing great with his feeding and had not required a feeding tube to be inserted.  Tyler had begun crying at care times because he was hungry.  He was started on bottles again with small amounts.  His first feeding were 10 ml (1/3 ounce).  His feeding tube was removed.  He had not had any apnea episodes since early this morning with passy or bottle. His bottle amount would be increased to 15 ml at the 12:00am feeeding and his IV fluids would be turned down.  I was able to feed him during this card ime.  I was so nerous to give him a bottle.  I didn't want him to have a apnea episode while I was feeding him. 

Chase and Tyler also had their bilirubin levels checked today.  Chase was a 10 and Tyler was a 14 just the same as Ryan.  The difference was Tyler was put on a phototherapy light blanket.  He would be on the lights except for care times until his levels were checked again on Sunday.

Saturday, July 21
We returned back to the pediatrician's office with Ryan to have his bilirubin checked.  Today it was a 15.  He was prescribed a phototherapy light bed to use at home.  He also had to be on the lights except for care times.  Today Ryan weight 4 lbs 6 oz.

Chase was doing great with his feedings.  He even ate 60ml (2 oz) at the 8:00am feeding.  We were hoping to see a change in his weight so he could come home, but he still weighed 5 lbs 4 oz.

Tyler was still struggling with occasional apnea episodes.  He had one a midnight when they increased his feeding to 15 ml (1/2 oz).  This was discouraging because we knew Tyler would have to go 5 days straight without an apnea episode before he would be discharged. Fortunately, he did not have any the rest of the day or ever again.   Today Tyler weighted 4 lbs. 13 oz.

Sunday, July 22
Today has been a great day filled with good news.  Chase is eating better and gaining weight.  He now weighs 5 lbs 4.8 oz.  He will being discharged from the NICU and coming home tomorrow afternoon!  Ryan had his bilirubin level checked this morning. It was down to 11 and he no longer needs phototherapy.  He also gained weight and now weighs 4 lbs 7.5 oz.  Tyler is also making big improvements.  His IV was removed this morning.   His bilirubin level today was a 8 and he no longer needs phototherapy.  He has also gained weight today and now weighs 4 lbs 13.4 oz.  Today he is working on holding his temp in the open crib.  He will be moved back to the progressive side with Chase this evening.  They will be beside each other again. 

The Day We Have All Been Waiting For...

Monday morning I woke up very tired.  We were 34 weeks and six days pregnant.  One day short of 35 weeks, our scheduled delivery date.  I didn't want to do anything but lay still and sleep although I knew I needed to prepare for the big day tomorrow.  I listened to my body and just rested. Around 11:30, I started to have cramps.  I ate lunch and drank a lot of water hoping to make them stop. It didn't help. They continued to get stronger. I began calling the doctor’s office around 1:00 pm to talk to my doctor's nurse.  As soon as I gave the receptionist the message, she came back and said, “Dr. Wheeler is standing right here beside me. He said to go to labor and delivery at the hospital. He will meet you there. He's on call today." Next I had to call Derek who had a day full of appointments. He answered his phone as he was still having a conversation with a colleague and said, "Just a minute. This is Jennifer. Let me make sure everything is alright. I replied, "No, everything is not alright. I'm cramping and our doctor said to come to labor and delivery right now." Derek immediately told work “peace out” and came home as quick as he could. He loaded the car with the bags we had already packed in preparation for this event. We arrived at the hospital around 2:00 pm which was exactly 24 hours before we were scheduled to come to the hospital the next day.

After I arrived at the hospital, I was placed in a triage room around 2:30. The nurse checked me and I was 5 cm dilated. She began hooking up the heart rate monitors for all the babies and my contractions. I was having contractions every two minutes at this point, not painful, but regular. Before my doctor had called her back, she began prepping me for surgery. She also asked two other nurses to come assist her to get things in order as quickly as possible. It all was happening so fast. Derek and I remained calm, but excited. We knew this was coming. It was just a day early. We both agreed this way was better. We were not looking forward to playing the waiting game the next date. By this point, we had both called our parents to let them know. My parents were already in Chattanooga visiting my brothers before coming to Huntsville. Everyone immediately made plans head to Huntsville. By 4:00 pm, they were wheeling me into the operating room. At 4:58pm Chase Jeffery Daniel was born at 5 lbs 12 oz and 18.75 inches long. At 4:59pm, Ryan Garrett Daniel was born weighing 5 lbs and 17 inches long. At 5:00 pm, Tyler Lee was born weighing 5 lbs 7 oz and 18 inches long. Ryan had a true knot in his cord. This could have been very bad news. However it was not tight and thankfully they said all of their cords were very thick and healthy. All in all they estimated that I lost at least 30 lbs in surgery. I could feel the relief after each after each baby was born.

The sound of three babies crying in the operating room brought me overwhelming joy. After each baby was cleaned up, measured and swaddled, the nurses brought them to me one by one. It was so amazing to see each of these precious little babies I had carried for the last 8 months. Derek followed our new babies to the NICU. All the babies would stay in the NICU for the next 4 hours for an observation period. After receiving an initial report on each of the babies, Derek came to check on me and give me an update.  I was so relieved to hear that all three looked great and were breathing room air. The nurse wheeled me from the recovery room to the NICU in my hospital bed. I visited each baby's bed and was given time to see them, talk to them, and touch them. It's hard to describe the feeling of knowing you now have three new babies. In an instant our family went from three to six.  After the observation period was over, Ryan was sent to the well baby nursery and was never admitted to the NICU.  Both Chase and Tyler’s respiratory rates were a little high and they were admitted.  We enjoyed having Ryan in our room while I was recovering in the hospital.

Below is a video of most of the events that happened on this crazy and exhilarating day.  You can see the excitement of this tremendous blessing in this video.  WARNING:  This video does contain “baby gunk” and shows the beautiful birth of our triplets.  If you do not want to see this, please just start the video at the 2:20 minute mark of the video.

34 Weeks: A Re-cap of Our Pregnancy Journey

I cannot believe this pregnancy is almost over.  It has been a long journey and yet it went by so quickly. Over the last 8 months,  I have had 35 doctor's appointments and ultrasounds, 5 non-stress tests and 12 weeks of bed rest.  My belly grew faster than I ever imagined.  I suffered through exhaustion, morning sickness, and heartburn for months.  I have felt a roll coaster of emotions from excited, nervous, overwhelmed, scared to extreme joy.  It has not been easy, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  It will all be worth it when we meet our babies. This wonderful blessing that we have been given brings me to tears every time I try to comprehend it.  I can't believe God chose us to raise these three little boys, but I am so thankful He did. In just a few short days, we will be welcoming Chase, Ryan,and Tyler into the world.  I cannot wait to start this new journey with my family.  

How far along: 34 Weeks

Weight gain/loss: 4 lbs gained. Net weight gained: 50 lbs

Maternity clothes: At this point it is hard to find maternity shirts that cover my huge belly.  I tend to wear a lot of dresses.

Sleep: It depends on the night. Lately, I have had a hard time shutting off my brain.

Best moment this week: Scheduling the c-section

Miss Anything?  Being able to move with ease.
Movement: Yes, they are beginning to get very crowded. I frequently feel body parts pushing on my stomach as they move and roll over.
Food cravings: pizza, spaghetti, and waffles with peanut butter and syrup
Anything making you queasy or sick: I have heartburn so bad sometimes it makes me sick.
Have you started to show yet? Ha Ha!
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Tuesday, July 17!!!!!

34 Weeks Doctor's Appointment Part 2: The Final Appointment

My appointment went very well today. No changes in dilation!  However, my belly has grown significantly since Tuesday.  I hope this means the babies are putting on a few more ounces before delivery.  Since everything looked great, the doctor said there was no reason to return for a visit before our c-section on Tuesday! 

Derek has recently voiced his concerns about going with the babies from the operating room to the NICU once they are born.  In order to help calm his nerves, I called the NICU charge nurse on Wednesday to see if they would give him a quick tour and answer any questions he had while I was having my non-stress test.  I was able to visit the NICU back in March with another new triplet mom from my church.  The visit really helped calmed my nerves about the NICU.  I hoped a visit would help Derek just the same.  The charge nurse was very helpful and excited to hear our triplets would be born at 35 weeks.  The visit was helpful for Derek.  Now he has a better idea of what to expect on Tuesday.

34 Weeks Doctor's Appointment

Wow! 34 weeks and we made it!  It seems like just the other day we were told we were having triplets.  I have been anxiously waiting to make it to this point. Now that it's here I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.  Before we left for the appointment today, I made sure my bag was packed, the camera bag was in car, and I spent a few minutes loving on Ben and telling him bye just in case the doctor decided to send me to the hospital.  I wanted to be prepared so I could be at ease if something did happen.  Derek and I set out to the doctor's not knowing our future.

All that worry and precaution for nothing.  The appointment went great.  We watched each baby practice breathing during the ultrasound.  It was amazing and reassuring!  The tech said that was a good sign that the babies are not stressed.  We also saw a glimpse of hair on Baby C! 

My doctor and nurses were so excited that we made it to 34 weeks.  Little has changed since Friday.  I dilated a little more to about 3.5cm.  A total relief for all of us that it wasn't more than that.  My doctor then announced it was time to get a C-section scheduled on the books!  He said he conferred with the other doctors in the practice and they agreed 35 weeks was the safest and best time to take the babies.  I have said all along I wanted to make it to 36 weeks, but I was not upset when he said  we needed to schedule at 35 weeks.  These last few weeks I have constantly worried that I would go into labor or my water would break.  I do not want to be that situation with this pregnancy and therefore don't want to push it to 36 weeks since I am already beginning to dilate.  I totally trust my doctor to do what is in the best interest for the babies and me.   I am much more at ease knowing we have a date set.  We are looking forward to meeting Chase, Ryan, and Tyler on July 17!

33 weeks Doctor's appointment Part 2

Ever since finding out I was 3 cm dilated, we are always on guard knowing the babies could come at any time.  We know each passing day that I am pregnant is a blessing.  We were not looking forward to today's appointment knowing that today would be yet another non-stress test (3rd one in a week) and knowing the reality that they may not let me go home.  The appointment went well with no changes from Tuesday.  The NST was a lot less stressful today. I did not have any contractions. Yay! Baby C was the difficult baby today and did not want to stay on the monitor.  After being on the monitors close to an hour, they sent me home.  We left the hospital feeling like we had escaped yet again.  We are praying we make it to Tuesday when I'll be 34 weeks...

Independence Day!

Today was an enjoyable and relaxing day.  My oldest brother and his family came to visit and spend the day with us.  Derek, Jason, and my oldest nephew enjoyed a round of golf.  My sister, sister-in-law, and I stayed at the house to visit while Ben and my youngest nephew enjoyed playing outside in the water to stay cool.  We grilled out for dinner and had apple pie for dessert.  Then it was time to bring out the sparklers!  It was a great all-American day with family.






33 Weeks Doctor's Appointment Part 1

33 weeks! With each passing week we get closer and closer to meeting our three little babies. Each day I think about how today could be the day the triplets come.  Today's appointment was the same routine as usual. First, I go to ultrasound to check the babies heart rates, then to the nurses for vitals, and last I see the doctor. My cervix has dilated from 1 cm on Friday to 3 cm today. My doctor decided that I should have the non-stress test twice a week because of the change in my cervix. The nurse scheduled my NST for that afternoon, so I went home, ate lunch, and rested until I had to go to the hospital. Derek and I didn't think I would be coming home. I even made sure my hospital bag was packed and ready just in case they decided to admit me.

This NST took much longer than the one on Friday. The babies were on the monitors for an hour while the nurses waited for Baby B to have a reactive spike in heart rate. The nurse secured the belts that hold the monitors on very tight to keep all the babies on the monitors. It can be very difficult to find each baby's heart beat on the monitor and keep them on. To make matters worse Babies B & C were each up under my ribs.  Those things alone made me very uncomfortable along with laying on my back. Then I started contracting, which made us all nervous. The babies were also uncomfortable and were moving around like crazy. Babies B & C tried to move up further under my ribs increasing my discomfort. After an hour of being on the monitors and contracting, each of the babies had had their reactive spike in heart rate so they were able to take the babies' monitors off. What a relief!   I was so glad to have those tight belts off. My discomfort went away instantly.  However, they were very concerned about the 2 minutes apart contractions I was having.  My doctor wanted the nurse to keep the contraction monitor on me as well as give me a shot of smooth muscle relaxer to help stop them and watch me for 20 minutes.  As I expected, it was the tightness of the belts and the pressure from laying on my back that caused the contractions. Finally, at 5:00 they let me go home. Derek and I were so relieved and got out of there as fast as we could.