Day 6 update - Allie, Norah and Olivia - 8/29/09

Sorry for not updating anyone in the last few days. I was discharged Thurs. night but we are staying here through Sunday except for sleeping at home (which has been good for me).

Olivia - let's start with her by saying she needs lots of special prayers today and in the days to come. We've been told for every step forward it seems you take a step back. We received a call last night (midnight) that she was pale and most likely had an infection. She ran a low temp all day yesterday. This poor girl has had a rough few days. She went back on the ventilator a few days ago b/c she was working too hard to breath. She wasn't digesting her food so they stopped her feedings. Then she had a big poo and they put her back on feedings. Today they have changed her from the ventilator to an ocilator (sp?) and also had to sedate her. I cried when I saw her today. They say her blood gases are slowly looking better. We aren't sure where the infection is but her CBCs are highly suggestive of an infection. (So pray that God makes her body extra strong to get through these next several days and to heal quickly.)

Allie - Miss Content. She's just happy where she is. Both she and Norah are off their biliruben lamps. She is still on that darn ventilator but she is doing most of the work. She hasn't (thankfully) had any set backs. She is being increased from 3 ml of breast milk to 6 ml. She is also back to her birth weight today (although she only lost 2 oz.). We hope that the milk will fatten our littlest peanut up quickly.

Norah - continues to progress wonderfully! She now gets switched over to her belly every few hours (from being on her back). She seems very content on her belly. Her feedings have continued to go well. Today they are bumping her from 3 ml (every 3 hours) to 6 ml. They are switching her every 6 hours from the CYPAP machine to VapoTherm. This is SO encouraging. The VapoTherm is just a very small clear tube that runs under her nose and above her lip so it doesn't cover half her face. I love it! Even better news...when they change her to VapoTherm today at 6pm they are going to let me hold her for the 1st time and do Kangaroo care, which is skin to skin contact (mommy & baby) which is so great for bonding (loved it with Ryan) but also a natural way to regulate babies temperature, relax her, etc. They may have to fight me to get her back! (ha ha)

Anyway, we need lots of prayer please. The support from everyone has been amazing. We are truly touched! We appreciate all of our visitors and those who are offering help with Ryan, meals, etc.

Nick & Stacie

Day 3 update - Allie, Norah and Olivia - 8/26/09

Hello ~ Today has been a busy day with visitors but Nick and I had some precious alone time with the girls this morning. The nurses are so kind to remove the girls goggles when I am up there so I can see their little faces. Today I was so busy talking to the nurse about Norah that I didn't realize she had opened ONE eye while I was talking. So I reached in to hold her feet and talk to her...it was the best moment yet! Then her little pouty lip came out like she wanted to tell me something. It was cute. Norah was also removed from her blood pressure medicine this morning. Allie is still on the ventilator. No real updates on that but I am sure she will be off soon. We went back up this evening and BIG CHANGES...they have now given ALL 3 GIRLS breast milk for the first time through their feeding tubes (in mouth and straight to belly). So girls aren't sucking or swallowing but still are getting the good stuff. (And it will be exciting to start watching them put on weight.) They start out with 3 ml (very small amount) to see how their bellies respond and if they digest it OK. All have done well so far. (I'm so excited about this! I've been pumping as often as I can and getting decent milk for 3 days out.) I got to change Allie and Norah's diapers tonight and take Norah's temperature. Respiratory therapist thinks we may be able to hold Norah in the next few days! Oh...we cannot wait! I will have my staples removed and be discharged tomorrow but Nick and I are going to "room in" until Sunday. The hospital offers this (free of charge) for parents with babies in NICU. Most likely we'll stay in my current room with no nursing services, food service, etc. but just be here to be close to the girls. Especially since we might be able to start holding Norah, we want to be close and spend as much time with them as possible. Nick will return to work next week which will be hard for him (and me) so he needs this extra time to bond with his girls. Just wanted you to have a recent update. We are headed back up there before going to bed. Love, Stacie

Day 2 update - Allie, Norah and Olivia - 8/25/09

I got to visit the girls twice yesterday. They are all doing well in their own rooms. Norah was removed from the ventilator last night and is doing great with just the CPAP. Allie might be the next to come off?! The NICU nurses taking care of our girls are amazing. They provide so much information to us when we visit. We appreciate all they are doing for our little girls. Ryan also got to see/meet "his babies" last night. He wore his "Big Brother" shirt, which was so cute. He told each girl he loved them..."I love you Allie, I love you Norah, I love you Olivia"...it was very sweet. He kept telling Nick to "get closer" b/c he couldn't see his baby very well. Not much else to report at this time. Thankfully, they all seem to be doing well. We'll just keep praying for that and no surprises. Love,The Vetor Family

Day 1 update on Allie, Norah and Olivia - 8/24/09

Nick and I just celebrated their 1 day birthday! Nick being the proud papa that he is can't help himself but go up to NICU frequently to check on his "girls". It's cute. I got to go up last night around 11:30 pm and hope to go back up sometime this afternoon. I am getting in and out of bed a little better today but my focus is getting myself moving around so I can enjoy my visits a little more.

Today the NICU director of nursing came to visit us. Norah is staying in the triplet NICU room but Allie and Olivia are being moved to their own rooms. Right now the least amount of stimulation is best for them so they aren't startled, etc. With each baby having her own team of nurses and all the monitors to care for 3 babies there was too much noise with all 3 in triplet room. This might only last a week but babies can get better rest if they are in their own rooms. Allie, who we suspected was going to be our fighter, may be removed from the ventilator in the next day or so. She had the roughest start but nurse said she is breathing OVER the ventilator on her own. Norah had to receive some blood last night b/c her red blood cell count was a little low. She loves to stretch. Poor girl was stuck between Allie and Olivia for 28 weeks and is enjoying her own space. Olivia was not originally on a ventilator yesterday but is now b/c she had a little apnea last night...totally expected at this point. Please pray that they continue to get stronger everyday. God has had His hand in this whole pregnancy and delivery. He is SO good! Also pray that I continue to feel less pain and recover from my c-section.We'll keep you updated as things change... Much love,Nick and Stacie

Baby Girls Arrived - August 23, 2009

August 23rd was my 28 week celebration...or so it was supposed to be! I woke up early in the morning with cramping. They put me on the contraction monitor and I was for sure having decent and consistent contractions. I had been on hospitalized bed rest for 3 full weeks with NO complications...just here to watch monoamniotic twins closely.

My doctor was called and arrived around noon to do an ultrasound. (Had it not been for the contractions she wouldn't have done an ultrasound on a Sunday during her routine rounds.) As she was scanning the babies she was very quiet and Nick & I knew something was wrong. Baby B was laying directly on top of Baby C. Baby C still had a good heart beat but was not showing any activity at all as far as movement. Our doctor said she was going to give her 10 more mins. and if no movement she would deliver. (We were shocked!)

So, within minutes I was being prepped for a c-section. By 1:12 pm Allie Rae arrived weighing 2 lbs, 5 oz and 14 1/2 inches long. Allie was the one who was struggling on the ultrasound and did have the roughest start at birth. Right behind her at 1:12 pm as well was Allie's identical twin sister, Norah Joann, who weighed 2 lbs, 9 oz and was 13 inches long. Last but not least was Miss Olivia Rose, the fraternal triplet, born at 1:13 pm. She weighed 2 lbs, 11 oz and was 14 inches long.

All babies are in the NICU on ventilators right now. I will continue to post as things change. Please pray that they get healthier and stronger every day. Also that I recover quickly from my c section.

Love,
The Vetor Family

Celebrating 27 weeks!

First of all, thank you to all of my visitors both family and friends. You've helped each day go a little faster for me. Thank you for the little gifts (books, magazines, sweets, lunch, etc.) Sorry for the long delay between posts. I have been hospitalized 2 full weeks now. WOW! Lots has taken place (good and bad)! Let me give you a quick recap on the last two weeks.

Mon 8/3 - admitted and on monitoring all day long...day of adjustment!
Tues 8/4 - monitoring reduced to every 4 hours around the clock for 30 mins at a time.
Fri 8/7 - monitoring reduced to every 4 hours while awake...no night time monitoring!
Sun 8/9 - late at night Baby B had some heart beat decels that were scary...put back on 24/7 monitoring until Mon afternoon. When I was really worried I opened my Bible and happened to read Psalm 91...it was exactly what I needed to hear and I felt peace in that moment.
Mon 8/10 - OB made rounds and said Baby B looked good, variable decels in heart beat are expected at this gestational age. (Gave us some comfort to know that.) Monitoring changed to every 4 hours around the clock but for 1 hour each time. Baby weights done by ultrasound (see below).
Wed 8/12 - Enjoyed attending support group for bed rest moms here at the hospital. Had another triplet mom (w/ 1 yr old boys) visit me. That was special. Then some drama erupted when OB said other docs weren't comfortable caring for my high risk situation. Upsetting evening but my Bunco girls were here to cheer me up!
Thurs 8/13 - Still working with OB and hospital administration to work everything out regarding "on call" docs.
Fri 8/14 - It was determined the best case scenario to our situation was to transfer me from our wonderful OB to our wonderful high risk doc. She will now be my primary caregiver. She changed me to 24/7 monitoring permanently. (VERY HARD ADJUSTMENT)
Sat 8/15 - Enjoyed web cam provided by Maternal Fetal Medicine to talk with Nick, Ryan and other family while out of town celebrating grandparents 80th birthdays.
Sun 8/16 - Again enjoyed web cam so I could watch everyone at Taylor's (my niece) 1st birthday party.
Mon 8/17 - Hit the 27 week mark! Every day they stay inside = 2 less days in NICU so just in the 14 days I've been here has bought them almost a month less time in NICU...so worth every day.

Nick is up here every day over his lunch and he brings Ryan up almost every night. I miss my guys SO much. I get a 15 min. shower every other day and (2) 30 min. wheelchair rides each day. I have ultrasounds from Maternal Fetal Medicine every Monday and Friday.

Mon 8/10 - Baby weights - all almost 2 lbs
Baby A - 2 lbs. 1 oz.
Baby B - 1 lb. 14 oz.
Baby C - 1 lb. 15 oz.

We are all hanging in there. Next Monday is a huge hurdle ~ 28 weeks! (Hope to post some new pictures soon.) THANK YOU for the continued prayers. Don't stop now...we feel your love and prayers and definitely need them to get through this time as a family and to keep these babies safe inside.

Stacie

Well here I am...

Yesterday, August 3rd 2009, I checked into Community North for a permanent stay until it's decided that these babies need to be born. Let's still hope and pray that is after Sept. 21st (even though that means I'm here over 7 weeks).

Monday was very busy in my room. Thankfully Nick took the whole day off to help me get settled and comfort me during a difficult transition. I wasn't expecting 24/7 monitoring. Here's a picture of me hooked up to fetal monitors...one for each baby plus a contraction monitor. It would take the nurses quite awhile to be sure they were picking up 3 different babies and not getting B's heart beat for C...if that makes sense. Thankfully last night they decided to let me off 24/7 monitoring and started doing every 4 hours (around the clock) so I was woke up at 2am and 6am. Still a lot of work but now I can count on some time off monitors to get up and potty on my own! Yeah!!!

I have received two doses of Celestone, a steroid used to help babies lungs start to develop a little sooner. (Glad that is over...those needles were not fun and serum was thick.) I'm also on Heparin twice a day in my belly to reduce the chances of blood clots since I am in bed all day. Today they also gave me some leg cuffs that inflate to force blood flow back towards my heart. I'm allowed (2) 30 min. wheelchair rides each day and a 5 minute shower. HA HA HA!!! (Which I plan to enjoy this evening.)

Ryan visited for the first time last night. We was a little unsure at first but then felt right at home. There's an additional room/area with a curtain that he announced is "only for boys"...grandma wasn't allowed in there. He can even watch his own TV while he's here. We are trying to make this somewhat fun for him. Of course, the opinionated little thing that he is immediately asked, "Mommy were did you get those jammies? Why are you wearing them?", with a look of disapproval. He's very particular about what I wear and how I fix my hair. I thought I had 3 girls coming to tell me how to dress...guess Ryan will do that too. ;)

Visitors are welcomed anytime. Just send me or Nick an email or give us a quick call if you would like to stop by! One of us will have to give you some basic infomation to get you up to my room. I'll keep you updated frequently now that I have so much time on my hands.

Love,
Stacie - 25 weeks with Allie, Norah and Olivia

Saying Good-Bye to home...

Saturday and Sunday, this past weekend, were a little emotional for me (and Nick too) as we realized Monday Aug. 3rd was just around the corner and I would be at the hospital for a prolonged stay. Aside from missing my husband, son and "Tanner" dog (who never left my side while I laid in bed)...it was time to say "good-bye" to other things I would really miss like my own cozy bed, ceiling fan and humidifier that blew cold air on me all night. Also my DVR (which I will seriously miss...how can I go back to watching TV the old way?) and finally my lovely shower chair Nick recently purchased. Gone are the days when I could shower whenever I wanted without a doctor or nurses permission. (Boo hoo!) I will miss you all!!! When I return home, I will be much thinner (hopefully) but have 3 new little people to introduce to you.

Saturday August 1st - Friends Shower

We are SO blessed with the greatest, most supportive friends in the whole world. Our wonderful neighbors hosted a casserole shower just days before I was to be admitted. All I had to do was walk over from my backyard (terrific)! Many friends brought prepared casseroles for later use. That will be a huge help. We also got tons of wonderful gifts, gift cards and so much more. THANK YOU LADIES SO MUCH!!!

Special guests...

Hostess with the mostest (Miss Irma) made a "Diaper Baby"...is it adorable or what?

It's still sitting up in our nursery...I love it!

And they treated me like a queen!
LOVE YOU GIRLS! COME VISIT ME...please.

Sunday July 26th - Family Shower

Thank you so much to Sam, Shelbie, Brooke and Chanelle (our wonderful sisters) for hosting a beautiful shower for us at Nick's parents house. A few days before that I wasn't feeling well and very afraid I wasn't going to make the trip but I'm so thankful I did/I could. It was a great time to see all the wonderful women in our families (and of course some of the men were also there to watch The Brickyard in the basement...great to see them too ) before heading to the hospital. Nick attended this shower (he's never had to attend any showers before) and I think he felt a little out of place but kudos to him for opening all gifts on our behalf so I could lay on the couch and enjoy. Love you babe! We received a ton of diapers (wonderful), many clothing sets and our double snap n go stroller for infants and double Combi stroller for when they are older (we already have singles in these so don't worry...all 3 babies will have a seat!)
Also loved the lady bug themed cupcakes and cake (matches nursery)...so adorable. Thanks Sisters for making this so special for us and these little girls!!!