4 weeks

We are all getting adjusted to late night wakings. Liam is still in the hospital. It is the funniest thing the girls and Liam, though separated love to party at night. All of them are most active during the late night hours.

Liam is doing great. He is working at getting stronger and learning how to eat. Last night was his best night and each day he is eating more and more by the bottle. I fed him the other night using suggested techniques of holding his chin and cheeks while he eats. It was tricky and he was tired.

We want him home and are looking forward to the day we are all together. It has been really tricky some days getting to the hospital. We are still driving a Camry so we can't all go to the hospital together. I don't have anyone to watch the older boys so I have to wait until Sidney gets home from work. He has been working long hours so there are days I miss going to the hospital to see Liam. Those are the hardest days. It is so unnatural to be separated from a baby. I love that little guy (all of them) and miss him so much!

I took some photos of all the babies together when I was there yesterday. They were so relaxed and loved sleeping together.

I will write more later Brielle is and River are awake.

3 weeks

Brielle and River are home and having fun. Kai and Kian are so in love with their little brother and sisters. The two girls are pretty active at night and waking quite a bit. During the day they are more mellow and sleep a lot longer. It is so nice to have them home and we really hope Liam will be home soon. Liam is working on feeding and getting stronger. We miss him so much. Now that Sidney is back at work we take turns going to spend time with Liam. When I go I take the girls with me.

Visitors

We are so excited to have folks meet our little ones. The next few days are going to be very busy, after that just call or e-mail and let us know if you would like to stop by.

We have been given some pretty strict recommendations by the NICU doctor and nurses. We need to ensure our little ones stay healthy.

The following is not intended to exclude anyone or to hurt feelings. It must be adhered to. We will do whatever we can to keep our little ones safe. I hope you understand and help us.

1. Only folks over age 18 can stop by. Younger ones may inadvertently bring in a virus.

2. If you have or have been near anyone with the following plea

se wait a few weeks to visit: cold sore, fever blister, sore throat, coughing, rash, fever sneezing, or have a cold, flu or bacterial infection. If you feel sick or have been near anyone who is sick please wait a few weeks.

3. If you smoke, you will not be able to hold the babies. Cigarette smoke stays on your hair and clothes and the chemicals could harm the little ones sensitive lungs.

4. If you have had the following vaccines you will have to wait, they contain a live virus that has the possibility of being transmitted: shingles, chicken pox or Mumps Measles and Rubella.

5. You will need to remove your shoes, coat or sweater and wash hands as you come into the house.

6. If the babies are sleeping we need you to wait and pick them up when they are awake.

I know that is a lot to ask. We hope any visitors understand.

Thanks!

Here is how the gals like to travel these days. They are in a Mei Tai baby carrier together. If anyone knows of a crafty sewer please let me know. I want to have a wider Mei Tai made to carry all three.

Brielle and River home waiting on our Liam...

Brielle was the first to come home on September 1st, we were so excite and surprised how quickly she was ready. River came home on the 4th. Liam will soon follow. He is working on growing and eating. We miss him so much.

I am still having breastfeeding issues. Everyday is a new day and I know this hard work will pay off. I know a day soon, I will awake to plenty of milk for my little trio. It is so difficult not being able to provide my little ones with my breastmilk. I am trying to relax and know with time it will happen. The lactation consultants have been phenomenal!

Here is Brielle's first bath at home in their little "tummy tub" and River on the sling. They both loved the water.

Here is my Mom with Brielle. My Mom has been a great help. She is in love with these sweet little ones.

Liam's had his first bath. We just did his first bath today. I asked them to wait until I was able to do it. He has soft curly hair like his sisters. He was so happy to sit in the water without any cords or monitors.

We are so happy to have our 2 gals home and we are eagerly awaiting Liam. Kai and Kian love their little brother and sisters. They have helped so much when they visit the NICU. They both sing to them and hold the babies heads. They even helped change diapers! The nurses were great when the boys visited and did all they could to make it a great experience for all of us.

Life with triplets in the NICU

River in the open crib
Liam in the open crib
Brielle in the open crib
I am holding Brielle and Liam

The babies have been in the NICU for ten days. I must say it is very hard. One of the most difficult things I have ever done. It is so unnatural to have children separated from their parents.

I feel sad when we leave our older boys because I know they miss us so much and I really miss them. I feel so sad when we leave the babies because we miss them so much.

With that being said the babies are beautiful. I am tremendously in love with them. They each are still small and so young, but already developing their own little personalities. Liam is the smallest and still having some respiratory issues. He is doing much better now. He is starting to cry a robust cry and getting stronger every day. The babies were all moved to a large crib yesterday. They are finally together again. They can smell each other and touch each other. They even have clothes on which makes them look less clinical and more like babies ready to come home.

Brielle is the front runner and may be the first to come home. She is still having some oxygen saturation issues but just periodically. Once she learns how to feed from a nipple fully and without issue she will come home! River is right behind her and still having a few cardiac episodes, they too will hopefully fade and once she can feed she will come home. Liam may be a week behind his sisters. His air flow is going down and now only at 1. I have had him to the breast a few times and am waiting for him to feed. The girls can feed, but my supply is so low they tire quickly. I am really looking forward to seeing them.

The babies are so lucky to have some really great nurses and doctors caring for them. The lactation consultants (some are also the babies nurses so they can help while we visit too) are great too and are helping as my supply comes in.

I am determined to exclusively breastfeed these sweet little ones. It is really going poorly though. We have invested a lot of money in donor milk because mine has not come in yet. I sit here pumping and each time eagerly look at the amount and hope for more. I am only getting 5-10ml from one and 25-40ml from the other. It is not enough to feed even one baby. I am not sure what the issue is this time. I breastfed Kai and Kian for over 2.5 years without issue. This time even with pumping every 2 hours during the day and every 3-4 at night. I am still not getting milk in. We will have to start supplementing with some formula today. I cry every time I think of it. I want our little ones to be able to grow on my milk. I will keep going it is so important to me. I was getting only 3-5 hours of sleep a night. The last 3 nights I got 7-10 hours and I am hoping the extra sleep will help.

The pain has been gone for many days and I have been off all pain medicine since. I have been up doing all normal activities and going to see the babies every day. Everyday I heel a bit more and feel better. As a family we are getting back to normal, a new degree of normal. Kai and Kian still need more time with us. We are working at it and hope to find some balance soon.

Birth Story

Brielle in their room after birth

Liam right after birth
Uncle Kevin aka photographer.
River in the OR
Brielle at the breast a few minutes after birth.

We were scheduled for August 19, 2011 at 11am. Sidney and I woke up early and played with the boys and gave them a few gifts from their new baby sisters and brother. Grandma and Uncle Shawn were at the house to keep them company and to have fun.

We got admitted on the same floor as the NICU and the babies were monitored. Our nurse Cindy was amazing. She truly made the experience better. I have a tendency to get very nervous and she helped make the transition to surgery a better one.

Walking down to surgery was a bit scary and I was so excited. I was nervous about the surgery and the health of the babies. I held my belly the entire time, telling our little ones all will be well and we will meet you soon. We were greeted by our fantastic perinatologist. I felt better once I saw her. She is a really smart doctor. I knew she would do everything possible to ensure the babies and I were healthy. Sidney stayed with me while they place the spinal. The anesthesiologist was freindly and funny and helped make it light and ease my nerves.

Once the spinal was placed things went very fast. I wanted to babies to stay attached to their cords until the pulsing of the umbilical cord stopped. My brother Kevin was their ready to take pictures. Baby A Brielle was the first to be born, the doctors placed her on my legs to let the cord pulse then her sister Baby B, River came out they laid next to each other as their cords finished. They were crying and were taken over to the waiting neonatology team. I was able to look over and see them. The two girls had apgars of 9. Our Baby C, Liam was harder to get to. He was laying transverse under my ribs, tucked way up high. My brother said the our doctor had her entire arm inside my abdomen as she worked to get Liam out. It took several minutes. She had to find a leg and pull on it to guide him out. When he came out he started to cry. He was much smaller than his sisters.

All three babies were crying as they were assessed. It was beautiful to hear them.

All the babies measured very close to each other a few weeks ago at our last growth scan. It looks like Liam only gained a few ounces in the last month. He was smaller and having some respiratory issues.

Within a few minutes I had Brielle on my chest and she was latched on trying to nurse, it was fantastic to have her in my arms, next was Liam I was able to hold him with my other arm. I missed River, but she was being assessed. It was a beautiful experience to be able to hold my sweet babies. They were so warm and beautiful.

All three babies were brought to the Nicu, Sidney went up with them and my brother Kevin stayed with me.

I went back to the room and a nurse helped me start pumping so I could start getting milk and colostrum.

I missed the babies so much and worked at getting my legs to move so I could see the babies. Within 3 and 1/2 hours I was in my wheelchair and up with the babies. It was amazing. I was able to put them to the breast and initiate breastfeeding. They were all in their warming beds and I fell in love with them immediately.

Babies

Here are some pics of the babies. I will write more later. The babies are still in the NICU. They are beautiful and doing well. We love them so much.