9/21/09 - Update

We received a call at 11 pm last night that poor little Allie had to go back on the ventilator. We just want to cry. This is the 4th time that little girl has been intubated. We just wish she were strong enough to stay off. We were so excited that this was the longest she has lasted without the vent. They removed it at 11 am on Friday. Her airways are too inflamed which is causing her to work very hard to breath and causing the squeaky noise. Please pray for her airways specifically to heal very quickly. Putting the tube back in last night does not help the airway situation but it does give her a little break from working so hard.

Norah and Olivia were doing well yesterday. I enjoyed about 5 hrs. with my girls yesterday excluding Allie because we were letting her rest all day hoping that would keep her calm enough to stay off the vent. Norah and Olivia are now big enough to dress so we are taking some preemie jammies up to them tonight. Exciting! They also weighed the same yesterday at 3 lbs. 6 oz. Oh...what an experience. I don't think Nick and I will ever forget these days.

9/18/09 - A BIG DAY FOR ALLIE!

Hello ~ Today they are going to try (for a 3rd time) to get Allie off the ventilator. I got to hold her for the first time last night and we had a little pep talk. I know she can do it. So please pray that if and when they remove it she can handle the changes and STAY off. The last two times it's been taken out she has done great for a few hours but then struggled enough that they had to put it back (which is very hard on her). (Mommy holding Allie for the 1st time!)

Olivia has been moved back to the triplet room (Norah's room). So they are together again! Olivia's settings on the nasal cannula have been lowered and she is doing fantastic. (No bradys, no drop in oxygen, etc.) It's like once she got over her infection she decided to challenge Norah to prove she can be stronger. They have even dressed her in a little hospital shirt and talked about moving her from the isolette to a crib!

Norah hit 3 lbs a few nights ago (she was the last one to hit that mark) and is now at 3 lbs 3 oz. Olivia was 3 lbs. 6 oz. last night and Allie was 3 lbs 2 oz. Allie has almost gained a who pound since birth. She started at 2 lbs. 5 oz. (our smallest).

All girls got held yesterday! First time for that. Norah and Olivia are almost on 1 oz. of milk per feeding! I know it doesn't seem like much but considering what they started on...this is huge. These two are so alert when they are awake. Both will try to focus on your face and actually respond to our voices. This melts my heart. We are thankful for the wonderful progress this week! We are praying for Allie to be strong enough to stay off the ventilator so that she can eventually be back with her sisters in the triplet room. We continue to pray for each of them and their development. They are growing stronger everyday.

Thank you for your faithful prayers for our girls!

9/16/09 update on girls...

All girls are at or over 3 lbs. as of today and all are on mommy's milk!!! Grow, grow, grow!

All girls have been on "room air" most of this week (meaning they need no additional oxygen). Today two of them were on very minimal oxygen but doing so well.

Olivia - what can I say about this girl? She started feeling better and has taken off! On Sunday they started her steroid with hopes of removing her vent this week. They removed the vent on Monday and she did fantastic without it. So Monday she was on the SiPAP. By our visit Tuesday evening she was already on the high flow nasal cannula...the same thing that Norah has been on. She's around 3 lbs. 11 oz. They actually had her dressed in a little hospital shirt last night and were discussing that she might be moved to a crib (out of her isolette) later this week. And gave her a big girl pacifier. HOLY COW...this little girl is growing up! So proud of you Olivia!!!

Allie - is still on the vent. They are getting a little dark blood out of her tummy and believe she might have a stress ulcer from the vent, meds, etc. so they started her on Zantac today. Hopefully that will make her feel better. Otherwise, she is staying right at 3 lbs. She's comfortable and enjoying mommy's milk.

Norah - when she wakes up she is a very alert little girl. She tries so hard to focus on whoever is talking to her. WE LOVE IT. She officially hit 3 lbs last night...yea!!! She was the final one to hit that mark. They are starting to think she might have a little reflux which might be the reason for her bradys (but she's still doing really well on the nasal cannula). They may be putting her on some meds for this...but not sure of that yet.

We have so much to be thankful for! Thank you for your prayers! We love you all.

Daddy holds Olivia for the 1st time!

Last night, Sept 14th, Nick got to hold his Miss Olivia for the very first time. She's not little compared to her sisters. On the 14th she was weighing a whopping 3 lbs. 13 oz. but she's also retaining a lot of fluid. She was removed from the ventilator earlier that day and was a ROCK STAR on her SiPAP machine. (This is what is strapped around her nose. She's breathing on her own. It just gives her a puff of air if she forgets to breath on her own.)

I think she was very happy to have that vent out. This little one is a fighter and has come a LONG way since her terrible infection that made her so sick. You all have said very special prayers for this little girl. It's amazing to see how far she has come! God is so good.

Daddy loves you sweet girl!

Sweet Norah!

So here is Norah's big debut! Last night while visiting she was WIDE AWAKE and so alert. We got some really great time with her as she tried to focus on our faces. In these pictures she weighs 2 lbs. 14 oz. She was 2 lbs. 9 oz. at birth. She's only on the nasal cannula (tube in her nose). At the moment, she has made the biggest improvements since birth.

Sweet girl at 3 weeks

Norah's 1st set of footprints

Ryan starts preschool!

On September 4th Ryan started his first day of preschool at Noblesville United Methodist Church. He just goes one day a week but is LOVING it.

Ryan's open house to find his classroom and meet his teacher

Meeting Mrs. D

1st Day of Preschool picture
We love you Ryan and can't believe how grown up you are!
Love,
Mom, Dad, Norah, Allie & Olivia

Happy 3 weeks baby girls!!!

Well, the girls are now 3 weeks old as of yesterday! (Also 31 weeks gestation!) Nurses say around 33 weeks they start watching for signs from the baby that she is ready to really feed so we are anxious for that time to come. We've had several positive days and of course a few curve balls thrown in here and there.

We arrived at the hospital yesterday morning to find out that feisty little Allie decided she didn't want her ventilator in anymore. She pulled it out! So the doctor decided it was time (again) to see if she could do it on her own. She looked so comfortable while we were there. Unfortunately by late yesterday afternoon we received a call from the hospital (which are never good calls) that they had to put her back on the vent. This is the 2nd time in a week that it was removed and put back in. Today they suctioned 4 ml of blood from her tummy which is probably from some bleeding (she swallowed) when the tube was put back in yesterday but they are watching her closely to make sure the bleeding isn't coming from anywhere else or being caused by anything else. Pray that isn't the case.

We are praising God that the 2nd dose of medicine on Olivia made her PDA smaller! So they are saying it went from "moderate" to "small". Allie's is also small and didn't require any treatment. So, for now, they are thrilled with how she responded to the medicine and are going to see if it will close on its own. (For now, NO SURGERY!!!) She also finished her antibiotic (for the staph infection) yesterday. They have started her back on breast milk and caffeine. If I haven't mentioned the caffeine before...each girl gets a dose every morning. It stimulates a part of their brain that helps remind them to breath. They will get this until closer to coming home. (Why did I avoid Starbucks while I was pregnant? ha ha) They also started Olivia on a steroid yesterday in hopes of pulling her vent later this week. Nick was visiting over lunch today and the nurse said they were pulling the vent TODAY! Nick went to give Olivia a pep talk about it being her "big day" when she decided to drop her heart rate significantly. SO...now they are waiting again and not pulling the vent today. SEE WHAT WE MEAN? THINGS CHANGE MOMENT BY MOMENT. It's exhausting.

Norah is doing fantastic on her nasal cannula. Her nurse put her feeding tube in her nose yesterday so you can almost see her whole beautiful little face. Other than some bradys...she is really doing well. Not gaining as much weight as her sisters but she's really strong and doing well. (If you recall they tested her for an infection early last week but that did come back negative...thank goodness.)

Their weights are all between 2 lbs 14 oz and 3 lbs 9 oz.

Other prayer requests: My uncle did have surgery on Thurs. and his upper left lobe of his lung was removed. Please continue to pray for him, his wife and two daughters. This is a stressful time for all of them and our family. He has a long recovery ahead. Also pray for my Grandma Jean and Grandpa Jack. Grandma is still hospitalized down here and we aren't sure what the hold up is in getting her moved closer to home and settled in the nursing home. Grandpa needs her closer. I started on antibiotics yesterday for the beginning of mastitis, which is super painful. Finally, Ryan has a little bug. He threw up early Sat. morning and then again today. I hope he gets over this quickly (if it is the flu). I certainly don't want to take any "bugs" up to the hospital around the girls. They are too weak to handle outside germs and infections.

We appreciate all of your continued prayers! ~ Stacie