1.30.12 Weekly Update

It's so hard to believe that an entire week has gone by. I swear that the NICU must be some sort of time warp because the minutes and hours seem to fly by when we're there. Ryan and I spend most of our days just holding the boys and it never seems like enough time. Here's a quick update from where I left off earlier in the week...

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 - The boys continued to do great. John's bilirubin levels rose a little, so he received some photo therapy for jaundice. Andrew's levels were a bit elevated but not enough to require treatment.

John with his tanning goggles

I was also discharged from the hospital and headed home that afternoon. It was incredibly tough to leave the boys and go home as just the two of us. You always picture leaving the hospital in a wheelchair with your baby snugly resting in arms while your husband loads up the car with balloons, flowers, and toys. Instead I walked to the car empty handed, knowing that one baby would never come to our house and two others would hopefully come home in a few months. The gifts and toys that many of you generously gave were all left behind in the NICU to decorate the boys' room. It was definitely not what I expected or imagined, but I know that it's how it was meant to be. It reminds me that these experiences and "things" are just that...things. God's promises in the Bible tell us that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." and I'm reminded that He is enough for me. This world isn't perfect, it's far from it - there are going to be sad days, and bad things are going to happen to "good people", but knowing that at the end of it, I have a Savior who willingly died for me puts things back in the proper perspective.

Andrew



John

 

Goodbye hospital room!

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 -  In addition to their IVs, the boys started on a small amount of formula on Tuesday. The amount is increased by 3 mLs every 12 hours. so today they're up to 24 and 25 mL per feeding (30 mL = 1 ounce).  Since Andrew is bigger, he needs more calories than John so he receives more throughout the day.  John had some more photo therapy this morning but his bilirubin levels had dropped back down to normal, so he was taken off in the afternoon. Overall they"re both doing great!


Kangaroo care with Andrew



Kangaroo care with John

John

 

Andrew

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 - The boys moved into new "houses" after we left today. They have different isolettes which means they're one step closer to open-air cribs. They still have to master the art of maintaining body temperature, so for now the isolettes are still temperature controlled.
 

Dad & Andrew

 

Andrew all warm & cozy



Mom & John



John"s Zoolander face

The night nurse also decided to do a little photo shoot so they boys wouldn't get lonely...


SUNDAY, JANUARY 29 - Hooray for no IVs! John & Andrew no longer need their IVs for extra fluids, so they're now only taking formula.  Plus, Mom finally got to change diapers today. I think the process will be a lot easier when we don't have to worry about cords and wires or sticking our arms through cut-outs in the isolette.

MONDAY, JANUARY 30 - Today there's not much to report  - but no news is good news! The boys are doing well with their feedings and just need time to gain weight and keep developing. They both continue to have occasional bradys, so the doctors are keeping an eye on it but are not ready to treat them.

The First Few Days

Every time I look at these sweet baby boys, I'm amazed that they're actually ours. I feel so blessed that we get to take them home someday and just shower them with love. They're so little & helpless, and all I want to do is take care of them and never leave their sides. We've spent a lot of time in the past few days down in the NICU and are able to say that both boys are doing very, very well. We know that there are bound to be some set-backs along the way and that not everyday will be easy, but we are so thankful that for now they appear to be doing excellent. 

Ryan and John

Alison and Andrew

As mentioned in the previous post, John started out on a CPAP to assist with his breathing, and Andrew has been breathing the same air as the rest of us the entire time. On Tuesday 1/24, we were surprised to see that John's CPAP had been removed! As of today, they're both doing just fine without any breathing support, and the neonatologist (a.k.a. NICU doctor) said that the steroid injections I received probably played a big part in that. It's so great to finally be able to see John's entire face and we'll definitely get more snuggle time now.

Both boys are also doing very well with feedings. They started out on only IV fluids as expected, and on Monday had some additional lipids and electrolytes added to their IVs. Then beginning yesterday, they also started to receive some formula through their feeding tubes which are the little orange tubes that go through their nose or mouth directly into their stomachs. They're each being fed approximately 7mL of formula eight times a day and are adjusting to it very well so far. As their digestive systems develop, we will gradually increase the amount of formula and decrease the amount of IV fluids. It will probably be a full three weeks before we even try to bottle feed them as the suck-swallow-breathe process usually develops at week 34.

Andrew in his bed

John's bed

The nurses are also watching for signs of jaundice which is very common with preemies, and while their levels are slightly elevated, they're not near the level that would require any treatment. If it does develop over the next few weeks, they'll receive some light therapy and get to experience what I like to call the "baby tanning beds". Other than that, they both appear very healthy. Praise the Lord for that! Ryan has gotten to change diapers on both of them which is not an easy task when you've got your hands through two round holes in the incubator and you're trying to avoid all sorts of wires and cords. During their changes, John managed to pee all over Ryan and himself and Andrew pooped right on his blanket - so I guess Ryan has officially be initiated into the "Dad's Club". I have yet to change a diaper on either of them, so I'm sure my turn is coming.  We've gotten to do kangaroo care with both John and Andrew, which is when you place them on your chest for skin-to-skin contact.  Since they already know our voices and scents, this is great quality time for them and us.

Family Kangaroo Care

The NICU staff has been outstanding so far and we feel like the boys are in great hands when we have to leave them. I think I'll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow but am not exactly sure when. I seem to be healing from the c-section very well and have been walking around since Monday. I have my moments when it doesn't feel so great, but overall it's been an easy, speedy recovery. Although my belly is still very swollen, it's strange for me to feel so "small" after having those three babies to carry!

John with his CPAP

Andrew

Overall, it's been an incredible week and a half, and we are so thankful for ALL that we've been through and learned. We've been challenged and pushed in ways that we never expected, but because of it, have also come to know more about God's character, His love, and the strength & comfort that only He can provide. We appreciate all the support, well-wishes, and kind words that we've received from all of you - we're so happy to share our joy with you! Hopefully it won't be too long before you all get to meet these little guys in person!

Delivery Day - 1.22.12 - Part 2

...continued from Part 1

The next half hour was a whirlwind of prepping me for surgery, getting Ryan dressed in his scrubs, making quick phone calls to parents, meeting the anesthesiologist, and packing up 6-days worth of our stuff from the room since we wouldn't be returning to that floor.

They wheeled me into Operating Room #20 around 10:15, got the spinal done, brought in Ryan, and started the surgery. It went very fast and the babies were born very quickly after surgery started - John came first at 10:45 and Andrew was next at 10:46. We had decided several days earlier that we did not want to see Nathan's body, so he was taken out of the OR at 10:47. It was a decision that no parent should ever have to make, but we are confident that we chose what was best for our family. We are at peace knowing that his soul is in heaven worshipping the Lord, not with his earthly body. We want to remember Nathan as the lively little kicker that he was, and we have several beautiful ultrasound pictures and his footprints which we will always cherish. For us, that is enough.

The OR was packed with people - each baby had a neonatologist, 2 NICU nurses, and a respiratory specialist, plus 2 doctors doing the surgery, Ryan, me, Nurse Nancy, the anesthesiologist, and a handful of other nurses.  Hearing the babies cry for the first time may have been one of the sweetest sounds we've ever heard, and we managed to even get it on video.



Once the boys were assessed by the NICU teams, they brought each one around the curtain for us to see, and then they were wheeled out to go to the NICU. They wrapped up the surgery and sent Ryan and I to the recovery room where I slowly regained feeling in my lower half and got to suck on the most amazing ice chips in the world. After 12 hours of no eating or drinking, I felt so thirsty that all I wanted was an ice cold Gatorade. I must have told everyone because I now have three bottles in my room (thanks guys!).

Our first view of John Stephen

Nurse Lindsey shows us our first view of Andrew James

Off they go to the NICU!

From the recovery room, the nurses rolled my entire bed through hallways and elevators and into the NICU to see the babies up close.   They wheeled the bed in between their two isolettes and I didn't know who to look at - I didn't want to take my eyes off either one for a second!  Ryan and I both got to hold Andrew, who amazingly didn't need any respiratory support at all.  John was already hooked up to a CPAP so we didn't get the chance to hold him (CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure.  It's a machine that delivers pressurized air to the baby’s lungs through small tubes in the baby's nose. CPAP helps a baby breathe, but it does not breathe for him.)

Andrew in the NICU

John in the NICU

Holding Andrew for the first time

Ryan and Andrew

Little "Old Man" John

Of course we didn't spend nearly as much time with them as we would have liked, but were thankful for every second.  They then moved me to our new room on the Mother/Baby floor and eventually later that night we were able to shut our eyes and get about an hour of sleep, knowing that in the morning we would get to see our precious little boys again!!!

Delivery Day - 1.22.12 - Part 1

I don't know how, but the last 48 hours have seemed like the quickest and yet the longest hours of my life! Maybe that's how Jack Bauer felt. Anyway, let me go back to Sunday and try to catch you up...

Sunday, January 22, 2012 started like normal with a 6 a.m. blood draw for lab work. I had a strange stomach cramp shortly after, but I mentioned it to the nurses and it didn't seem like we should be concerned. The MFM doctor came in around 8:30 to review my test results, and the blood work looked great - the liver enzymes were still dropping, platelets were good, and everything else looked stable. He said that the signs of preeclampsia were not progressing, so we might still reach 34 weeks (Sunday marked 31 weeks). I was starting to get used to the idea of three more weeks in the hospital, but apparently God had other plans for us and the boys! 

Just as I started to eat my lunch, the stomach cramps hit me again. I should have savored those few bites of my Subway sandwich because it was the last food (or drink) I would have for a while. It felt like the type of stomach pain that makes you wince and hold your breath for a few seconds until it passes. I guess those "stomach cramps" were contractions - the painful kind. I thought I had become very familiar with how contractions felt, but these were definitely different. We turned on the Patriots & Ravens football game in hopes that I could just relax but it didn't make any difference. Maybe it was the nurse-in-training who drove us crazy & kept us up the night before, or maybe it was Steven Tyler's singing of the National Anthem - whatever it was, I was contracting every 3-5 minutes and was in stages of early labor. Dr. Fesenmyer from my regular OB group came in to check on me and I was 2-3 cm dilated around 4:00ish. Since these contractions were causing my cervix to change, we needed to get them stopped ASAP or plan for the c-section.

We tried my regular medication and it didn't make a difference, so after checking things out around 6:00, they decided to move forward with magnesium sulfate. In the past, magnesium sulfate was used to control preterm labor, but it's pretty nasty medicine so it's no longer used for that purpose. They found that it's actually beneficial for the babies to prevent cerebral palsy, so they wanted me to take it for the boys' benefit and hope that it may also slow contractions as a side effect.   The flu-like side effects that they warned me about didn't sound any worse than the contractions, so I said bring it on! I'm so thankful that through this all, we had our favorite nurse, Nancy, to help guide me through it.  She got the magnesium sulfate all set up with my IV, got the catheter in (which we would need with the c-section anyway), and then we just waited to see if there was any slowing of those pesky contractions because we needed to stop my body from going into full labor.   Fortunately I didn't really feel any of the nasty side effects that everyone warned me about.  Unfortunately, it also didn't slow my contractions.  After two hours of monitoring and another check-up from Dr. Fesenmyer, they decided it was "go time"...

31 Weeks!

The Amazing Nurse Nancy (left)

They're HERE!

It is with supreme joy that we would like to introduce...

John Stephen Harris
1/22/2012
10:45 pm
3 lbs. 11 oz.
16.5 inches
"Baby C"

Andrew James Harris
1/22/2012
10:46 pm
4 lbs. 7 oz.
18 inches
"Baby A"

Mom, Dad, and babies are all doing extremely well. We'll post more details on their progress and our last 24 hours later!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above" James 1:17a

30 Weeks 5 Days - January 20, 2012

As I lay here in the hospital and look out the window at the falling snow, the outside world just looks peaceful. For those of you fighting traffic at rush hour on Friday, I'm sure it's a very different picture. But from where I lay, today looked like the inside of a snow globe filled with a flurry of weightless powder. When I think about each tiny little snowflake, I can't help but think of baby Nathan. Each snowflake is unique - there's not another like it anywhere. Each one has its own incredible, intricate beauty - which reminds me that there is a Creator who designed it all. And of course, each snowflake is only here for a short time - just like our little guy. Each day has gotten a little easier, but it will continue to just take time and we're okay with that.

Overall, today has been a really good day. The results from my blood tests this morning showed that things seem to have stabilized for now. After an increase in liver enzymes on Wednesday, they were worried about seeing a severe increase. None of the doctors can tell us why, but the enzyme levels actually decreased which was amazing. I'm right on the lower threshold of mild preeclampsia, but for now there's nothing to do except keep a watchful eye for signs. Right now, everything looks pretty good so they'll continue to monitor the blood tests every 24 hours instead of every 12. That's a big relief for me because it means I'm actually allowed to eat and drink most of the day. With preeclampsia, it can either drastically change very quickly or it will just be a slow and steady progression - either way the end result and "cure" is delivery. I'm not planning on going home before these boys arrive, so we're in this till the end! I feel much safer here knowing that I've got constant care and attention, so it's worth any of the minor annoyances of hospital life. I did get to shower again today which makes me feel much more sane...plus I'm sure the nurses appreciate it.

We had another nice surprise today - I got to take a field trip from my hospital room to Maternal Fetal Medicine for an ultrasound. The doctor didn't mention this today, so we weren't expecting this at all until the wheelchair arrived to take me. They did BPPs on babies A & C and both scored a perfect 8/8. They looked bigger to me, but we didn't get any type of growth scan. It was also good to see the caring, friendly faces of the MFM staff who have helped us throughout this entire pregnancy. We got a couple photos of the two boys which I posted below. So for now, we're just thankful for another day. Everyone keeps stressing to us that each additional day has a huge impact on the babies, so we'll take every little victory that we can.

...and speaking of victories, I think a good way to end the night is to curl up on the couch (or hospital bed) and watch a little hockey. Let's go Blackhawks!

30 weeks 3 days - January 18, 2012

Many of you have asked how things are going and I know you're anxiously awaiting some news. So far, the other two boys are doing well. Ryan and I are in the hospital and are listening now to the "galloping" of two little heartbeats on the monitor. They are both stable and appear at this point to be healthy with no signs of distress. The doctor's orginal plans are to keep A & C growing as long as possible, however long that may be - hours, days, or more.

On Monday and Tuesday I got my last round of steroid injections to assist with their lung development, which is a definite bonus for the boys. My contractions flared up dramatically on Monday due to the stress of the day, but have calmed down significantly since then. They are monitoring my contractions and the two heartbeats 24 hours a day, so the doctors and nurses are keeping a close watch on things.

Since yesterday, there is some concern about some of my blood test results that many indicate beginning stages of preeclampsia. I'm not showing any of the more common signs like protein in urine, swelling, or headaches/vision changes, but have had ongoing issues with borderline/high blood pressure and now liver enzymes are showing up in the blood work. If the signs indicate that I do develop preeclamsia, they will immediately begin to prep me for the c-section and will deliver ASAP. At their gestational age, the boys would be safer in the NICU and it would be much safer for me, as untreated preeclampsia or full-blown eclampsia can bring on seizures which would not be good for any of us.

They will repeat the blood tests every 12 hours until it's "go time", and my next test is tonight. That means there's a real possibility that we could delivery these babies soon. Then again, I could go several more days, possibly weeks. They try to always do c-sections when the patient has an empty stomach, so since the possibiity of surgery exists, I'm not allowed to eat or drink until we get those blood results back. I ate a big breakfast to hold me over, but it sounds as if this will be our 12-hour lifestyle from now until the babies arrive. It's VERY unlikely that I will leave the hospital before the babies are born, so we're trying to adjust to this new course of events.

We're dealing with a massive range of emotions and feelings - from sadness and sorrow, to happiness and anticipation, to anxiousness about the unknown. A dear friend and mentor stopped by this morning and pointed us to Matthew 8, specifically verses 23-27, when Jesus calms a great storm. That's a little what we've felt like these past few days - a boat out at sea that is being rocked and thrown in many directions. The verses remind us that Jesus is in "our boat" with us, and that we can trust Him to protect us. We don't need to be anxious, we just need to turn to Him and trust Him.

So for now, we just continue to wait, rest, and take things hour by hour. Through it all, we've been so thankful to all of you for your kind words of encouragment and your prayers. Please continue to pray for the health of babies A, C, and myself, as well as the strength to endure these next few hours, days, and weeks - no matter what may come. Please also pray for wisdom in decision making for the doctors and for us, as we sort through what steps are best for our family.

Thank you again for making us feel so loved. We'll keep you posted when we can, but it may be a while...

God has given us a precious gift - Nathan Anthony Harris

I've put off writing this post for as long as I could because I just don't have the words to accurately express all the feelings and emotions we've experienced in the last 48 hours. For those of you who have not yet heard, on Monday, January 16th, we lost our precious "Baby B" who we have grown to love and know as Nathan Anthony Harris. The name "Nathan" means "God has given" and the Old Testament tells us about the prophet Nathan. We chose the name "Anthony" in honor of my grandfather on my mom's side, who we affectionately remember as Grandpa Tony.

Nathan's life truly is a blessing that God has given us, and for that we will be forever grateful. We will always cherish every moment that I carried him, but know that this is all a part of God's good plan. Many posts ago, I mentioned Psalm 139:16 which says "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" This is just as true now as it was then - God knew of every single day that Nathan would live - just as He does for you and me. While we are mourning the death of a son, we are so joyful and thankful that this life on earth is not all there is - that there is a hope and a promise of an eternal life through Jesus Christ.

We are comforted knowing that little Nathan is now in heaven and gets to experience the full glory of God and worship his Creator. Through our sadness, we are also thankful for this truth. For thirty weeks and one day, we were able to enjoy his kicks, punches, and somersaults and know that his short life will always be a part of our hearts and our family.

Friday the 13th - 29 weeks 5 days

Friggatriskaidekaphobia - the fear of Friday the 13th. Wow, try saying that three times. Many people would be nervous about seeing the doctor on Friday the 13th, but this day has actually always been one of my favorites since 13 was my volleyball number in high school. Anyway, I'm happy to report that today's appointment with MFM went really well - praise the Lord for healthy babies! Plus I finally got that trip to Starbucks that I've been craving, so that was an added bonus.

There's not a lot of news to share which is a good thing. They did a full growth scan on the boys and they all continue to grow and are looking healthy. The doctor reminded us that because there are three babies, the ultrasound measurements are not totally accurate. They have a hard time getting the proper angles they need since the babies are so squished together. Baby B continues to lay face down, so he's especially hard to measure and photograph, but I'll get pictures up as soon as I can.

All three heartbeats were between 145-155 which is right in the normal range. Baby A, our big boy, weighed in at a whopping 3 lbs. 6 oz. Baby B is our little guy at just 2 lbs. 10 oz. but I have a feeling he will be our fighter. They say that many times the smallest baby tends to gain the most weight in the hospital and occasionally comes home first because they have had to fight harder than the others for survival. We'll see! Rounding out the group was Baby C who was right in the middle with 3 lbs. 2 oz. On average, they should be between 2.5 and 3 pounds at this age, so nobody is too far off. I'll go back in a week for BPP's and a cervical length check but for now they say just keep doing what I'm doing. Thirty weeks, here I come!

One more down, three to seven to go!

Woooohoo, 29 weeks completed! Today I am officially a full 29 weeks, and hopefully I've still got a while to go. This bed rest thing seems to be working out well, and I feel pretty good on most days. The babies should start to gain about 7 oz. each per week or double their weight every four weeks, so hopefully our little guys will pork up from here on out. I know that means my comfort level will be decreasing, so on those tough days I'm reminded of the poster I used to have in my room growing up...

Here are a couple pics from today.  I wish we had a beach ball around the house to compare to.  We'll see if I can find something for next time.  Happy 29 weeks everyone!

You Are What You Eat!

I was just thinking more about today's appointment when I realized that maybe these little dumplings of ours did so well today because last night they were fed roast pork and dumplings for dinner!  I decided to pass on the sauerkraut, so the only other thing that was missing was an icy cold beer. 


Dinner in Prague, CZ - September 2010

Someday these boys are going to have appetites like their father - then we're really in trouble.  These little guys will make their Czech & Slovak families proud!

MFM appt. update - 28 weeks 4 days - Jan. 5, 2012

Today's appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine went very well, and I'm already home & back in the recliner - praise God! They took Biophysical Profiles (BPP) on all three boys and they all scored a perfect 8/8 which is fantastic. To my untrained eyes, these ultrasounds are getting tougher and tougher to see because there are body parts everywhere. The babies definitely look like they're bigger, but we won't know measurements and weights until next week. I will try to scan some recent pictures but may not get to it for a while.

The blood flow through Baby B's cord looked the same today as it did last week, which was encouraging. The doctors mentioned that it's very unlikely that the flow will improve, so no change was great to see. We'll know more about his progress after next week's growth scan, but for now we feel pretty content with how he's doing. His movement and "practice breathing" all looked normal. If you imagine the blood flow through the umbilical cord like a garden hose, you prefer a steady, uninterrupted stream. His cord is still receiving plenty of blood at this point, but it's as if someone is turning the nozzle off & on so the flow is not constant.

Lastly, they checked my cervical length again and I was hoping is didn't shorten much from last week's 1.9 cm. Well today it looked great and was measuring between 2.5 and 2.7cm! Even with pressure on my belly, there was no shortening or opening which was a huge relief. It looks like the bed rest has been helping. It's so funny to see the changes in measurement from week to week - nothing seems to go as expected! Dr. Pielat thinks I should still aim for 34+ weeks (which is longer than the 32 I was hoping for), but of course it all depends on the future status of Baby B and the changes to my cervix.

I did ask him about another round of steroid injections, and it sounds like I won't receive another dose unless something happens to indicate that delivery is coming soon. The shots have an effectiveness of approximately two weeks, so if I had received another round today it's effects would wear off before week 31. If I can carry these babies longer than that, they would want the shots as close to delivery as possible. If I end up back in the hospital with strong contractions, they may give me another does, but for now there's no need.

Overall, we felt very encouraged by today's appointment. I haven't forgotten that we still need to take this one day at a time, and things can change very quickly. However, for now it seems like these boys will have a few more weeks to grow before joining us here in the outside world!

What to Expect When You're Expecting Preemies

While we really have no idea what to expect once our boys arrive, we've been trying to do some research. We're so grateful to all of you for your willingness to help out and wanted to pass along some of the info we've discovered. Some of this you may have heard before while other info is new. And while I don't share this info to scare or worry you, I just wanted to share a realistic view of what we may be in for. Throughout this pregnancy we have known that we have great doctors and that these boys are in the hands of the Great Physician. We're hoping that they're born late enough to be considered "feeders & growers" and that we won't have to face many of the complications that are common with preemies. Regardless of the outcome, we know that God's plan is good.

- All babies born before 37 weeks are considered premature; born at 32 weeks = early preterm; born at 28 weeks = very early preterm

- Average weight of triplets at birth is 3 lbs. 12 oz.

- Most triplets usually leave the NICU around their original due date (Mar.25th)

- 80% of all preemies will develop jaundice

- About 1/3 of the baby's brain volume grows in the last 8 weeks of gestation, so depending on when they are born, our babies may not just be "small" but they'll be neurologically immature. Typically they will catch up to full-term babies by the time the turn 2 years old, but when they are first born they will have a lot of hurdles to overcome. Because their brains are not fully developed, they need time to learn the most basic tasks - things like learning how to suck, remembering to breathe, and maintaining their body temperature.

- I have already had one round of steroid injections to help with their lung development but early preemies often have underdeveloped lungs which may not inflate on their own or they may have issues with apnea where they pause in between breaths. It's not uncommon for preemies to be on ventilators or a CPAP to make sure they're getting the necessary oxygen.

- Early preterm babies often start out with an IV for nutrients. Eventually they will be fed through a feeding tube before moving on to a bottle. Sometimes this process takes weeks. They also often have gastrointestinal issues and it takes a while to for them to put on weight and baby fat (which will help with their temperature). We should expect them to sleep a LOT in the beginning and may have to wake them up to eat or may find them dosing off during a feeding.

- Following the C-section, I'm hoping to at least see all of the boys before they are taken away to the NICU. When the surgeons are finished with me, I will head to recovery while Ryan will get to visit them in the NICU. Some parents are not able to touch or hold their preemies for several days.

- Preemies can also have various vision and hearing problems which the hospital will watch for and monitor. They'll do several screenings and tests before anyone is sent home.

- For obvious reasons, they also have a weakened immune system and are very prone to infections, so we need to be super cautious about germs, especially since it's the middle of winter.

What does all of this mean for you?
- We will probably ask that all visitors hold off until the boys are home and healthy.  We obviously won't know their condition until they arrive, but the NICU has strict visiting policies as these little babies are often just fighting for survival. Unfortunately the NICU at CDH does not even have what I would call a "visiting window" for you to come and look through. The NICU is completely "sealed off" to keep things as calm and clean as possible. We will definitely be posting many pictures and videos once the time comes. After we're back home, we'll update you on the status of visitors and the best ways that you can help.

- If you think you may be spending a lot of time around the boys (or ANY young children), please consider getting a flu shot. Not only will it keep you healthy, but will help prevent the spread of those pesky germs that can do so much damage to their little bodies. There has also been an increase in the number of cases of whooping cough in northern IL this year, which can be extremely dangerous for infants. The doctors have already told Ryan and I that we'll be receiving a Tdap vaccine before we go home with the boys and strongly recommended it for other family.

- Please continue to pray that the boys stay put for as long as possible!

- Maybe most importantly, also please pray for their health and life sustainability in addition to wisdom for the doctors & nurses

Again I thank you all for following along with us on this rollercoaster ride! We know we couldn't do this without all of you!!!

28 weeks 2 days - January 3, 2012

Happy New Year to you all! I don't have much news to share but just wanted to send a quick update to let you know that things are going well. I've gotten several messages, texts, and calls from you to see how I'm doing, and I just haven't been able to get back to everyone. I appreciate hearing from you though and am grateful for all the concern and support. I definitely went way over my cell minutes & texts last month, so I guess I should use my free time to look at phone packages.

The days actually go by very quickly. It's already 11:00 and I'm still laying in bed in my pjs and robe. I usually get ready for the day and head downstairs around lunchtime and stay on the couch or recliner until bedtime. I've been getting my fill of morning game shows that take me back to the days of being a kid - the Price is Right, Let's Make a Deal, and Family Feud - while trying to avoid the other junk that they call daytime tv. I've also been hitting up all the online post-holiday clearance sales, so that's been keeping me busy and makes me feel more productive. I've even got several excel sheets created to compare diaper and formula costs at various stores :) Other than that, I'm keeping up on a Bible study and reading a couple baby books. I have a pile of "fun" books to read but I just can't seem to get to them.

I'm heading to Maternal Fetal Medicine on Thursday and am praying for a positive report on Baby B. We're past that crucial 28 week mark, but now have our eyes set on 30 weeks. I imagine that I'll be ready for another steroid shot for lung development, which means they may keep me at the hospital again. I guess we'll wait and see. Other than that I feel the same, pretty good but huuuuge. It definitely takes a while to stand up or roll over while laying down - imagine trying to support a beach-ball-sized, liquid-filled medicine ball each time you turn over! I'm starting to look forward to the idea of moving normally again someday. And by "moving normally" I mean actually being able to bend down to pick up dropped pacifiers & sling overstuffed diaper bags over my shoulders, all while trying to juggle three squirming babies in my arms. I can't wait!!!