Today was another weight check for the boys. They all had gained between 15 and 17 ounces since our last check-in, which was 12 days ago. The pediatrician had told us last time that they should be gaining around an ounce a day, so being of a 'slightly' competitive spirit, all three boys topped that goal!
Here's where we stand:
Jack
Birth (1/27): 4 - 9
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 2
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 4
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 5
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 10
4th Appt (2/21) 5 - 9
Graham
Birth (1/27): 4 - 7
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 0
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 3
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 3
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 8
4th Appt (2/21) 5 - 7
Anthony
Birth (1/27): 4- 0
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 3
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 4
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 6
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 10
4th Appt (2/21) 5 - 11
We didn't even see the doctor today, since it was just a weight check, but he got the report and was obviously pleased.
The boys have been eating really well. They are up to 75 mL (or 2.5 ounces) per feeding (still eating 7 times per day).
So, you might ask, how much should they be eating at this stage/size anyway. Well, infants should eat about 50-55 calories per pound, per day. At 5.5 pounds, that's about 290 calories per day. Breast-milk and formula both have about 20 calories per ounce. So, they are getting about 50 calories per feeding, times 7 feedings per day = 350 calories per day. I guess that's why they're growing so well...because they're getting more calories than the pediatricians say they need at this weight. But they are all eating well and are getting hungry before the next feeding typically, and also never seem content until after the bottle is finished.
And this concludes today's lesson on feeding babies!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Be My Valentine
It is hard to remember all the details of life this time last year. Jason and I were hoping to expand our family, Chase was really gaining his independence and there were obstacles it seemed that faced us at every turn.
Fast forward one year: We have healthy triplet boys who went "full-term"; an amazing 2 1/2 year old who never ceases to amaze me with his whit, smiles and love; amazing support from family and friends and constant reminders of how lucky we really are.
As I sit here writing this entry, the boys are all sleeping on their boppy's on the couch, Chase is at school, Jason is at work. I am debating whether or not I should nap or just continue to sit and look and my new additions with wonder and awe. I know everyone says the mom should nap while the baby's nap, but sometimes I am just not tired when they are. With 3 infants who use burp cloths like they will wash themselves, it seems like the ToDo list at this house is never-ending. Laundry - at least 1 load daily, Washing bottles - twice a day, changing diapers - literally too often to count, rocking/holding/consoling babies - see changing diapers. The good news is that even with all the 'stuff' to do, I still love my life. The sleep deprivation tends to catch up with me at certain times but overall, things are going very well. I am amazed at how well the boys are doing. They are eating over 2 ounces (65 mLs) per feeding - which is great considering that we started at 15 mLs in the hospital 2 weeks ago. They are sleeping fairly well (depending on who we are talking about and the time of the day). They are tracking and following sounds and lights as well as 'talking' to us. Chase is adjusting better than I could have expected to having the boys around. It has definitely helped to have extra bodies around so that he still gets some one on one time from people when he is home.
I am recovering from the C-section every day. I haven't taken any pain meds for about 5 days now. I am driving and getting up and down from a seated position fairly well. I am ready for the weather to get warm so the boys and I can start taking some walks around the neighborhood. I have set a goal to complete a 5K at the end of March to raise money via my sorority (ZTA). We host a Franklin 5K every Spring to raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation. We are going to participate as a family this year (all the boys, Jason, myself and my mom). We have great UNC outfits for all the boys to wear (thanks Dennis and Missy) and we plan to take our first UNC gear family photo while we are on campus.
Anyway, Chase spent most of yesterday asking everyone to be his 'balentime' so I thought it only right to make sure that Jason and my boys know that I got everything I wanted for Valentine's Day this year - all of us home together, happy and healthy. I only hope that everyone else had a great day too.
Fast forward one year: We have healthy triplet boys who went "full-term"; an amazing 2 1/2 year old who never ceases to amaze me with his whit, smiles and love; amazing support from family and friends and constant reminders of how lucky we really are.
As I sit here writing this entry, the boys are all sleeping on their boppy's on the couch, Chase is at school, Jason is at work. I am debating whether or not I should nap or just continue to sit and look and my new additions with wonder and awe. I know everyone says the mom should nap while the baby's nap, but sometimes I am just not tired when they are. With 3 infants who use burp cloths like they will wash themselves, it seems like the ToDo list at this house is never-ending. Laundry - at least 1 load daily, Washing bottles - twice a day, changing diapers - literally too often to count, rocking/holding/consoling babies - see changing diapers. The good news is that even with all the 'stuff' to do, I still love my life. The sleep deprivation tends to catch up with me at certain times but overall, things are going very well. I am amazed at how well the boys are doing. They are eating over 2 ounces (65 mLs) per feeding - which is great considering that we started at 15 mLs in the hospital 2 weeks ago. They are sleeping fairly well (depending on who we are talking about and the time of the day). They are tracking and following sounds and lights as well as 'talking' to us. Chase is adjusting better than I could have expected to having the boys around. It has definitely helped to have extra bodies around so that he still gets some one on one time from people when he is home.
I am recovering from the C-section every day. I haven't taken any pain meds for about 5 days now. I am driving and getting up and down from a seated position fairly well. I am ready for the weather to get warm so the boys and I can start taking some walks around the neighborhood. I have set a goal to complete a 5K at the end of March to raise money via my sorority (ZTA). We host a Franklin 5K every Spring to raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation. We are going to participate as a family this year (all the boys, Jason, myself and my mom). We have great UNC outfits for all the boys to wear (thanks Dennis and Missy) and we plan to take our first UNC gear family photo while we are on campus.
Anyway, Chase spent most of yesterday asking everyone to be his 'balentime' so I thought it only right to make sure that Jason and my boys know that I got everything I wanted for Valentine's Day this year - all of us home together, happy and healthy. I only hope that everyone else had a great day too.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
General Update
Again, the frequent updates are difficult to do, but honestly, the last week has relatively little to report. Overall, we're all doing well. The boys are all gaining weight which is fantastic. We've had a few appointments at the pediatrician to get the boys checked out. Their weights look like this:
Jack
Birth (1/27): 4 - 9
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 2
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 4
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 5
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 10
Graham
Birth (1/27): 4 - 7
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 0
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 3
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 3
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 8
Anthony
Birth (1/27): 4- 0
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 3
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 4
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 6
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 10
Next weight check will be Monday, 2/21.
We're settling into a daily pattern. Of course, that pattern is getting ready to change for several reasons. First, my Mom (Nana) has literally just pulled out of the driveway headed back to Winston-Salem. As I've said several times, having her around has been a huge help. So, we're down to three adults now...Melissa's Mom (Grandma) is still staying with us. The other change is my work schedule will pick up a little more this week. I've been into the office several half days last week, and done a lot of work from home, but this coming week I'll be going into the office every day this week. I still might work some half days, and then work from home the rest of the day, but it will still be a change. So, we'll see how this week goes. A few other highlights from the week:
-- Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina came into town last night and are still here...will be leaving after while. They took care of the midnight feeding last night, so Melissa and I both went to bed around 10:00 and didn't get up until almost 3:30 am (for the 4 am feeding). Jack had just started to fuss, and Melissa needed to pump, but we both felt pretty refreshed...especially Melissa as I think 5 1/2 hours is the most sleep she's had since the triplets were born (and probably even a few months before they were born due to the frequent pee trips in the middle of the night). We got back to sleep around 5:00 am and slept until about 7:30, so last night was great sleep for Mom & Dad!!
--Chase took a header on the stairs to the slide at school on Monday and has a decent shiner now. He had a huge goose-egg above his right eye for about 24 hours and then as it went down, the surrounding areas turned different shades of yellow, blue, green, and black. Good times!
-- Popi & Meme came to visit last weekend for a few hours.
-- Captain & Rokky have really been helping out a lot too!
--Chase has also been helping a lot.
-- Matt & Jennifer have come by a couple of times, so we got a great picture of the 6 grand-kids. Meredith is certainly going to rule the roost with all these boys! :)
On Saturday (yesterday), Chase went to the Ringling Bros circus with Grandma, Mom-Mom, Pop-Pop, Matt, Jennifer, Bise and Meredith. We don't have any pictures yet, but he was sooooo excited about the entire event. It was a big hit...thank you to Grandma and the rest of the gang for taking Chase on this special trip!!
That's all for now. More later this week!
Jack
Birth (1/27): 4 - 9
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 2
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 4
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 5
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 10
Graham
Birth (1/27): 4 - 7
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 0
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 3
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 3
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 8
Anthony
Birth (1/27): 4- 0
Hospital Discharge (1/31) 4 - 3
1st Appt (2/1) 4 - 4
2nd Appt (2/4) 4 - 6
3rd Appt (2/9) 4 - 10
Next weight check will be Monday, 2/21.
We're settling into a daily pattern. Of course, that pattern is getting ready to change for several reasons. First, my Mom (Nana) has literally just pulled out of the driveway headed back to Winston-Salem. As I've said several times, having her around has been a huge help. So, we're down to three adults now...Melissa's Mom (Grandma) is still staying with us. The other change is my work schedule will pick up a little more this week. I've been into the office several half days last week, and done a lot of work from home, but this coming week I'll be going into the office every day this week. I still might work some half days, and then work from home the rest of the day, but it will still be a change. So, we'll see how this week goes. A few other highlights from the week:
-- Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina came into town last night and are still here...will be leaving after while. They took care of the midnight feeding last night, so Melissa and I both went to bed around 10:00 and didn't get up until almost 3:30 am (for the 4 am feeding). Jack had just started to fuss, and Melissa needed to pump, but we both felt pretty refreshed...especially Melissa as I think 5 1/2 hours is the most sleep she's had since the triplets were born (and probably even a few months before they were born due to the frequent pee trips in the middle of the night). We got back to sleep around 5:00 am and slept until about 7:30, so last night was great sleep for Mom & Dad!!
--Chase took a header on the stairs to the slide at school on Monday and has a decent shiner now. He had a huge goose-egg above his right eye for about 24 hours and then as it went down, the surrounding areas turned different shades of yellow, blue, green, and black. Good times!
-- Popi & Meme came to visit last weekend for a few hours.
-- Captain & Rokky have really been helping out a lot too!
--Chase has also been helping a lot.
-- Matt & Jennifer have come by a couple of times, so we got a great picture of the 6 grand-kids. Meredith is certainly going to rule the roost with all these boys! :)
On Saturday (yesterday), Chase went to the Ringling Bros circus with Grandma, Mom-Mom, Pop-Pop, Matt, Jennifer, Bise and Meredith. We don't have any pictures yet, but he was sooooo excited about the entire event. It was a big hit...thank you to Grandma and the rest of the gang for taking Chase on this special trip!!
That's all for now. More later this week!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Finally another post...
OK, it's been a while since I've posted, but you can probably imagine that things are a little hectic around here. When we do have down time, we are trying to get as much rest as we can. So, I'm finally getting around to another post which may actually take me a few hours to actually complete (with all the interruptions and such).
Anyway, the past few days, in general, have been great. We've gotten into a pattern that is somewhat manageable. Of course, the only way that we're managing at this point is because it's truly a community raising the children. Melissa's Mom (Grandma) and my Mom (Nana) are living with us (thank goodness we got the 3rd floor finished before the triplets got here!). They have been so helpful. Of course they help with baby stuff, but they also do so much around the house for us. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc...all of that stuff just gets done (by them) and Melissa and I don't have to worry about it. It's been so helpful and we're eternally grateful! Melissa's grandparents (Mom-mom and Pop-pop) are in town from Florida. They have been staying at Grandma's house. They've been coming over during the day most days and are really helpful. Both are very good at holding and feeding babies. They both have a knack for putting babies to sleep and just love to sit and hold them. With one, we'd be fighting over who gets to hold the baby...but with 3, everyone can have as many turns as they'd like. And then of course Jennifer, our sister-in-law, has been coming by on a regular basis. All of the extra hands helps a ton. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out once all of "the help" leaves. Maybe we'll bump up their salaries to encourage them to stay a little longer. :)
Breastfeeding: OK, so many of you are wondering how feedings work with 3 babies, so I figured I would explain how this has been working. Because it was a c-section, Melissa's milk took a few days to really come in. During that window, we were feeding them mostly donor breast milk. Yes, they actually have that. They test it and everything to make sure it's healthy, etc, and then freeze it. It's pretty expensive...$4 / ounce and they're eating about 9 ounces a day, each...for you English majors, that's about $100 a day. The good news is that in the hospital it was all covered under insurance (at least I sure hope so), and by the time we came home, Melissa was starting to produce, so we were just supplementing with the donor milk for the first few days home. For logistical purposes, she's been pumping and then we bottle feed the boys. This works well for several reasons. First, two or three people can feed babies simultaneously and the feeding process goes quicker. Secondly, the hospital grade pump "drains" Melissa much faster than the boys would, so she can actually have some semblance of freedom by pumping. Finally, the pumping actually helps her milk come in faster and more completely. It's a supply and demand thing...the more she pumps, the more she'll produce. This is awesome for the budget...see above for the expenses of supplementing with donor milk. We've now gotten permission from the pediatrician to supplement with formula, so that's good for the budget too! :) Our feeding schedule is every 4 hours at night, and every 3 hours during the day. This gets us to 7 feedings per day. Sometimes we have to wake them up, and sometimes one or more are fussy before feeding time, so we try to calm them down and hold out until it's feeding time. With triplets, you just have to get them on a schedule or else you'll never stop feeding one of them.
Tough times vs good times: Leading up to the delivery of the triplets, I talked to a lot of folks about how in the world we'll manage this. I really had no idea what to expect, but I did understand, especially remembering Chase's first year, that the first 6 months or so would be brutal, simply because of the lack of sleep. I really like my sleep, so that's the roughest part with an infant. Until they start sleeping through the night, everything is just a blur. With three, I knew that things would be even crazier and even less sleep than we had had with Chase. In the grand scheme of things, obviously these brutal, sleepless nights are nothing. None-the-less, I'll now attempt to paint a picture of why having triplets can suck.
I believe it is Wednesday night, but I've lost track of the days. We've been getting by on little sleep and tonight is the worst. Nana, Grandma and Melissa handled the 8 pm feeding while I got Chase ready for bed. Because he's had the crud, he's been showering with me at night to clear out some of the congestion. He's snotty and coughing everywhere. He's not quite old enough to remember to cover his mouth every time, so I'm sure all of his germs are flying around and infecting the boys. That's exactly what we need right? He doesn't want to go to bed, so I fight that battle with him for the next hour and finally get him in his crib around 10:00. Of course, in the crib and asleep are two very different things. After going back and forth from my bed to his room, he finally stops coughing and gets to sleep around 10:30 or so. I then settle in to try to get some sleep. Melissa and Leslie are handling the midnight feeding so I'm off duty, but as they get the boys ready, the crying echoes the halls of the second floor and I struggle to truly fall asleep. Shortly after entering my good REM sleep (I think that's what they call it), Melissa comes in from the bonus room to wake me. Jack's been melting down and she's exhausted and can't take it anymore. I take him and start walking around. As with Chase, this seems to be the only thing that can calm him. It takes a while, maybe 20-30 minutes of just walking around the house, up and down the stairs, and finally he seems to have fallen asleep. Before I can even get Jack into the pack-and-play laying down, Graham starts in. I try carrying both of them around for a bit to keep Jack asleep. As soon as I can get them both calmed down, it's now pushing 4:00 am and we need to feed them again. All I want to do is sleep, and I've had a lot more sleep than Melissa, so she must feel even worse. We both are up and start the feeding process. Change diapers, then try to feed them. Of course now, Graham can't even stay awake long enough to eat 40 mL of milk. Un-freakin-believable. I have to take off his hat and un-swaddle him to get him cold enough to wake up. He makes it through half the bottle and then spits up most of what he just ate all over his pajamas. I get the rest of the bottle in him, and go back to the nursery to change his outfit. He's so little, it feels like I might break his little limbs getting him into another onesie. I get him all swaddled up again in another onesie...he seems pretty peaceful now...and before I can get back into the bonus room (where we basically live these days) and hear him crap himself. I'm so exhausted and frustrated and this point, that I consider just leaving him in that diaper, but I decide karma is a bitch and don't tempt fate any worse. We've now fed three babies, changed 5 diapers, changed two outfits, swaddled a baby 7 times, Melissa has pumped again, and the boys all seem to be calmed down enough to try to get them back into the pack-and-play. It is 5:21 am. I still haven't really slept yet...at least not any good sleep. Melissa is even more exhausted than I am. It is only the third night we've been home with the boys. Brutal, just brutal.
Now, I will paint you a picture of why having triplets does NOT suck, and in fact is truly a miracle filled with beauty.
If that's not the most beautiful thing in the world, I don't know what is.
Yes, there are definitely some rough times when kids are in the infant stages. All parents are familiar with those times. And when there are three, it gets even harder. But the other 95% of the time is so special and these little angels are so unbelievably sweet and adorable, it sure gives you perspective on life and makes it very easy to tolerate those few tough times.
Here are some more random pics from the last few days:
Mommy & her boys:
Sleeping babies rock!
Can you say two-on-two with an all-time quarterback?
Rokky is standing guard..."Don't mess with my babies fool"
Graham, Jack and Anthony in their baseball outfits:
Anyway, the past few days, in general, have been great. We've gotten into a pattern that is somewhat manageable. Of course, the only way that we're managing at this point is because it's truly a community raising the children. Melissa's Mom (Grandma) and my Mom (Nana) are living with us (thank goodness we got the 3rd floor finished before the triplets got here!). They have been so helpful. Of course they help with baby stuff, but they also do so much around the house for us. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc...all of that stuff just gets done (by them) and Melissa and I don't have to worry about it. It's been so helpful and we're eternally grateful! Melissa's grandparents (Mom-mom and Pop-pop) are in town from Florida. They have been staying at Grandma's house. They've been coming over during the day most days and are really helpful. Both are very good at holding and feeding babies. They both have a knack for putting babies to sleep and just love to sit and hold them. With one, we'd be fighting over who gets to hold the baby...but with 3, everyone can have as many turns as they'd like. And then of course Jennifer, our sister-in-law, has been coming by on a regular basis. All of the extra hands helps a ton. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out once all of "the help" leaves. Maybe we'll bump up their salaries to encourage them to stay a little longer. :)
Breastfeeding: OK, so many of you are wondering how feedings work with 3 babies, so I figured I would explain how this has been working. Because it was a c-section, Melissa's milk took a few days to really come in. During that window, we were feeding them mostly donor breast milk. Yes, they actually have that. They test it and everything to make sure it's healthy, etc, and then freeze it. It's pretty expensive...$4 / ounce and they're eating about 9 ounces a day, each...for you English majors, that's about $100 a day. The good news is that in the hospital it was all covered under insurance (at least I sure hope so), and by the time we came home, Melissa was starting to produce, so we were just supplementing with the donor milk for the first few days home. For logistical purposes, she's been pumping and then we bottle feed the boys. This works well for several reasons. First, two or three people can feed babies simultaneously and the feeding process goes quicker. Secondly, the hospital grade pump "drains" Melissa much faster than the boys would, so she can actually have some semblance of freedom by pumping. Finally, the pumping actually helps her milk come in faster and more completely. It's a supply and demand thing...the more she pumps, the more she'll produce. This is awesome for the budget...see above for the expenses of supplementing with donor milk. We've now gotten permission from the pediatrician to supplement with formula, so that's good for the budget too! :) Our feeding schedule is every 4 hours at night, and every 3 hours during the day. This gets us to 7 feedings per day. Sometimes we have to wake them up, and sometimes one or more are fussy before feeding time, so we try to calm them down and hold out until it's feeding time. With triplets, you just have to get them on a schedule or else you'll never stop feeding one of them.
Tough times vs good times: Leading up to the delivery of the triplets, I talked to a lot of folks about how in the world we'll manage this. I really had no idea what to expect, but I did understand, especially remembering Chase's first year, that the first 6 months or so would be brutal, simply because of the lack of sleep. I really like my sleep, so that's the roughest part with an infant. Until they start sleeping through the night, everything is just a blur. With three, I knew that things would be even crazier and even less sleep than we had had with Chase. In the grand scheme of things, obviously these brutal, sleepless nights are nothing. None-the-less, I'll now attempt to paint a picture of why having triplets can suck.
I believe it is Wednesday night, but I've lost track of the days. We've been getting by on little sleep and tonight is the worst. Nana, Grandma and Melissa handled the 8 pm feeding while I got Chase ready for bed. Because he's had the crud, he's been showering with me at night to clear out some of the congestion. He's snotty and coughing everywhere. He's not quite old enough to remember to cover his mouth every time, so I'm sure all of his germs are flying around and infecting the boys. That's exactly what we need right? He doesn't want to go to bed, so I fight that battle with him for the next hour and finally get him in his crib around 10:00. Of course, in the crib and asleep are two very different things. After going back and forth from my bed to his room, he finally stops coughing and gets to sleep around 10:30 or so. I then settle in to try to get some sleep. Melissa and Leslie are handling the midnight feeding so I'm off duty, but as they get the boys ready, the crying echoes the halls of the second floor and I struggle to truly fall asleep. Shortly after entering my good REM sleep (I think that's what they call it), Melissa comes in from the bonus room to wake me. Jack's been melting down and she's exhausted and can't take it anymore. I take him and start walking around. As with Chase, this seems to be the only thing that can calm him. It takes a while, maybe 20-30 minutes of just walking around the house, up and down the stairs, and finally he seems to have fallen asleep. Before I can even get Jack into the pack-and-play laying down, Graham starts in. I try carrying both of them around for a bit to keep Jack asleep. As soon as I can get them both calmed down, it's now pushing 4:00 am and we need to feed them again. All I want to do is sleep, and I've had a lot more sleep than Melissa, so she must feel even worse. We both are up and start the feeding process. Change diapers, then try to feed them. Of course now, Graham can't even stay awake long enough to eat 40 mL of milk. Un-freakin-believable. I have to take off his hat and un-swaddle him to get him cold enough to wake up. He makes it through half the bottle and then spits up most of what he just ate all over his pajamas. I get the rest of the bottle in him, and go back to the nursery to change his outfit. He's so little, it feels like I might break his little limbs getting him into another onesie. I get him all swaddled up again in another onesie...he seems pretty peaceful now...and before I can get back into the bonus room (where we basically live these days) and hear him crap himself. I'm so exhausted and frustrated and this point, that I consider just leaving him in that diaper, but I decide karma is a bitch and don't tempt fate any worse. We've now fed three babies, changed 5 diapers, changed two outfits, swaddled a baby 7 times, Melissa has pumped again, and the boys all seem to be calmed down enough to try to get them back into the pack-and-play. It is 5:21 am. I still haven't really slept yet...at least not any good sleep. Melissa is even more exhausted than I am. It is only the third night we've been home with the boys. Brutal, just brutal.
Now, I will paint you a picture of why having triplets does NOT suck, and in fact is truly a miracle filled with beauty.
If that's not the most beautiful thing in the world, I don't know what is.
Yes, there are definitely some rough times when kids are in the infant stages. All parents are familiar with those times. And when there are three, it gets even harder. But the other 95% of the time is so special and these little angels are so unbelievably sweet and adorable, it sure gives you perspective on life and makes it very easy to tolerate those few tough times.
Here are some more random pics from the last few days:
Mommy & her boys:
Sleeping babies rock!
Can you say two-on-two with an all-time quarterback?
Rokky is standing guard..."Don't mess with my babies fool"
Graham, Jack and Anthony in their baseball outfits:
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Message from mom
Well, obviously Jason has been doing all the posts recently since I have been out of it and a little busy. I finally have 3 sleeping babies, 2 extra adults and a 2 1/2 year old taking a bath with Daddy's help so I thought I would try to get a quick post written. Let me first give tons of credit to my mom, Jason's mom, my grandparents from Florida and my Aunt Pat who traveled in from California for allowing Jason and I to survive the first 3 days at home with the babies. Not that it is going to last, but without them here to help feed and change and hold babies, fix meals, do laundry and shuttle Chase back and forth to daycare, we wouldn't have even made it this far. I am recovering better than I expected, but I have to admit I wasn't sure what to expect. I am following doctor's orders and limiting trips up and down the stairs but still trying to move around upstairs a little bit. My wound is healing great and my pain level has been relatively low (even when the meds are starting to wear off). I think the hardest part is sitting around and having people 'work' in my house while I sit and watch - not exactly my style to sit back and do nothing!
So, how are things really going with the boys? Honestly, fairly well overall. We had a rough night last night. We have been lucky up till that point and were getting about 4 hours between feedings at night - unheard of with most newborns! Unfortunately, two of the boys didn't want to sleep so Jason and I played the 'what do you need' guessing game until we got close enough to feeding time. Then we all had a better shift of sleep.
We went to the pediatrician for our first visit yesterday morning. We actually had all 4 boys with us because Chase had been pulling at his ears and has a cough that we wanted checked out. Chase just has a cold - sent him to daycare. All three boys got a clean bill of health. All gained weight, passed all the 'tests' and are scheduled to go back on Friday for weight checks. As long as they continue to gain weight, we will get to extend the time between visits.
We have been taking lots of pictures, just haven't had time to transfer them from the camera to the blog so maybe in the next couple of days we can put this on our To-Do list. Jason is formulating the next entry in his head so be on the look-out.
We keep having people ask how we came up with the names for the boys so I thought I would share with everyone all at once.
With my dad being gone, I had decided that the first boy (Baby A) would have Michael as a middle name - my right as Mom to be picky with this one. I have always loved the name Jackson, wanting to have a "Jack". Then I realized that Jackson Michael Liner would give him same initials as Jason (JML) so anything monogrammed or engraved would have a son to be passed down to. We then both agreed that we wanted to have Baby B use David (Jason's dad) for his middle name. Jason liked the name Graham so we decided on Graham David for Baby B. Then came time for Baby C. Since I didn't get my girl to have named after me, we decided to use Anthony to reflect my middle name (Ann). We both liked the name Samuel so Baby C became Anthony Samuel. So there is the history of the names.
Well, quiet time is over. Chase is out of the bath and off and running. The boys are getting close to needing their next feeding so I need to get out 3 diapers, 3 bottles, 3 burp cloths and probably 3 new outfits for post-feeding spit ups!
I really want to thank everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers and well-wishes. We appreciate all the offers for meals and help. As we continue to figure out our needs, we will be sure to collect on some of the meals and Chase play date offers. I will try to do another mom update before the boys turn 18!
So, how are things really going with the boys? Honestly, fairly well overall. We had a rough night last night. We have been lucky up till that point and were getting about 4 hours between feedings at night - unheard of with most newborns! Unfortunately, two of the boys didn't want to sleep so Jason and I played the 'what do you need' guessing game until we got close enough to feeding time. Then we all had a better shift of sleep.
We went to the pediatrician for our first visit yesterday morning. We actually had all 4 boys with us because Chase had been pulling at his ears and has a cough that we wanted checked out. Chase just has a cold - sent him to daycare. All three boys got a clean bill of health. All gained weight, passed all the 'tests' and are scheduled to go back on Friday for weight checks. As long as they continue to gain weight, we will get to extend the time between visits.
We have been taking lots of pictures, just haven't had time to transfer them from the camera to the blog so maybe in the next couple of days we can put this on our To-Do list. Jason is formulating the next entry in his head so be on the look-out.
We keep having people ask how we came up with the names for the boys so I thought I would share with everyone all at once.
With my dad being gone, I had decided that the first boy (Baby A) would have Michael as a middle name - my right as Mom to be picky with this one. I have always loved the name Jackson, wanting to have a "Jack". Then I realized that Jackson Michael Liner would give him same initials as Jason (JML) so anything monogrammed or engraved would have a son to be passed down to. We then both agreed that we wanted to have Baby B use David (Jason's dad) for his middle name. Jason liked the name Graham so we decided on Graham David for Baby B. Then came time for Baby C. Since I didn't get my girl to have named after me, we decided to use Anthony to reflect my middle name (Ann). We both liked the name Samuel so Baby C became Anthony Samuel. So there is the history of the names.
Well, quiet time is over. Chase is out of the bath and off and running. The boys are getting close to needing their next feeding so I need to get out 3 diapers, 3 bottles, 3 burp cloths and probably 3 new outfits for post-feeding spit ups!
I really want to thank everyone for their continued thoughts and prayers and well-wishes. We appreciate all the offers for meals and help. As we continue to figure out our needs, we will be sure to collect on some of the meals and Chase play date offers. I will try to do another mom update before the boys turn 18!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Just a quick update
Very quick update to let folks know that we're still surviving! :)
Sleep is definitely scarce around here, but we're doing great. We brought the boys home yesterday (Monday) and got home around 1:30 pm. The checkout process takes forever...and the scene in the lobby of the hospital was almost celebrity-like. It really was funny. The lobby was crowded and we came wheeling through. Melissa was sitting in the wheelchair-type cart holding all three boys. There were lots of double-takes and staring and several folks that really just wanted to chat and hear our story. Very comical. It really was special though. I went to get the car and when I got back, there was a decent crowd gathering. After loading a few bags to the car, I brought in all three car seats. I loaded the clown car up with full car seats (mostly blankets and buckles, but also very small babies). Their "discharge weights" were 4 lbs (Graham) and 4 lbs, 3 oz (Anthony and Jack).
We survived last night. Got a little sleep between feedings. The boys are feeding every 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. The are obviously sleeping a lot in between feedings, which is a blessing. Today, we took them to the pediatrician for their first appointment. Visions of the clown car again! They were all given a clean bill of health from Dr. Gessner. They had all gained weight. Graham gained 3 ounces (up to 4-3) and Anthony and Jack had gained 1 ounce each (up to 4-4). They are all eating well and peeing & pooping well.
Anyway, as we develop a better routine and have more time, I'll get better about loading pictures and videos. For now, I need to go watch the Heels...knowing full well I'll be asleep by midway through the first half.
Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes gifts and offers for help. Right now we're doing OK (have lots of family in town) and figuring out what we actually need. In the next few weeks, we'll have a better idea of how folks can help. Dinners, house cleaning, baby feedings, etc, will be more than welcomed!!
Love to all!!
Jason, Melissa, Chase and the Herd
Sleep is definitely scarce around here, but we're doing great. We brought the boys home yesterday (Monday) and got home around 1:30 pm. The checkout process takes forever...and the scene in the lobby of the hospital was almost celebrity-like. It really was funny. The lobby was crowded and we came wheeling through. Melissa was sitting in the wheelchair-type cart holding all three boys. There were lots of double-takes and staring and several folks that really just wanted to chat and hear our story. Very comical. It really was special though. I went to get the car and when I got back, there was a decent crowd gathering. After loading a few bags to the car, I brought in all three car seats. I loaded the clown car up with full car seats (mostly blankets and buckles, but also very small babies). Their "discharge weights" were 4 lbs (Graham) and 4 lbs, 3 oz (Anthony and Jack).
We survived last night. Got a little sleep between feedings. The boys are feeding every 3 hours during the day and every 4 hours at night. The are obviously sleeping a lot in between feedings, which is a blessing. Today, we took them to the pediatrician for their first appointment. Visions of the clown car again! They were all given a clean bill of health from Dr. Gessner. They had all gained weight. Graham gained 3 ounces (up to 4-3) and Anthony and Jack had gained 1 ounce each (up to 4-4). They are all eating well and peeing & pooping well.
Anyway, as we develop a better routine and have more time, I'll get better about loading pictures and videos. For now, I need to go watch the Heels...knowing full well I'll be asleep by midway through the first half.
Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes gifts and offers for help. Right now we're doing OK (have lots of family in town) and figuring out what we actually need. In the next few weeks, we'll have a better idea of how folks can help. Dinners, house cleaning, baby feedings, etc, will be more than welcomed!!
Love to all!!
Jason, Melissa, Chase and the Herd
Monday, January 31, 2011
Chase meets his brothers!!!
(Note: this post has some video links that are actually posted on youtube, so you'll have to click on the links to watch the videos. Make sure you have your sound turned on.)
On Saturday, Chase had a really busy day. First, Nana and Grandma took him to see the Thomas the Train show that came to Raleigh. It started at 11 am and we later found out that he had a blast! After lunch, and a nap, they brought him over to the hospital to see us.
We had put the triplets down in the nursery so that we could spend some time with him first. I met Chase in the hallway and he was really excited to see me. He came running and gave me a big hug. We then went to the room to see Mommy. I cracked the door for him and he saw Mommy sitting in a chair on the other side of the room and started running to her. Before he could even get to her, he spotted a gift bag in the floor next to her chair with Handy Manny on it. Attention span gone..."Can I have that?" Mommy helped him open this gift and it was a Buzz Lightyear rocket ship that Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina had left for him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttw8Ixz_aRo
You shake the rocket ship back and forth and then set it down and it scoots across the room. We had to play with it in the room for a little bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoUhj_r2LAY
Then we went down the hall to the nursery to find his new brothers! We had the nurses set them right next to the window and we took a picture of Chase and taped it to each of the three rolling trays that the boys are in. This would help him identify his brothers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzzmCCZIbk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hQ3SR7BccA
Chase was enthralled, so we then brought his brothers to the room so he could meet them up close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GjznEh4UQA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xLM37ZDS6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnJR_L3wc1M
I'm not sure what kind of commentary to put on those three video clips. Aren't they the cutest thing you've ever seen? After dinner, more playing, and watching some Nickelodeon in Mommy's hospital bed, we finally got Chase into his pajamas to get ready to leave. But before he left, he had to sing a little Twinkle Twinkle to his brothers so that they could go to sleep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLAgZ7GNIPA
As for the daily triplet update, they are doing great and we are going home tomorrow (Monday am). Saturday night, they were circumcised, so they spent most of the night in the nursery (procedures were done around 10 pm and they stayed in the nursery until 6 am, with the exception of coming to the room to feed around 2 am). So, we slept a few hours between feedings and felt relatively rested on Sunday. Sunday was a very routine day (huge knock on wood here to not jinx anything in the future). They really did well for most of the day, with feedings every 3 hours or so, and relative calmness between feedings. The boys were in the room with us all day. Jack & Graham's weights have dropped (very standard for newborns) while Anthony has actually gained weight (he's now the biggest of the three). Their bilirubin counts have stayed down and they are no longer at risk for jaundice.
Tonight we are going to try to get them in the nursery for a few hours between feedings again. They are actually their right now and we're going to try to rest a bit. Tomorrow will big a long day. We're set to get checked out by the pediatrician and Melissa's OB first thing in the morning. By the time all the logistics are taken care of, we expect to get out of here and home by noon or so.
Let the adventures begin right?!?!?
On Saturday, Chase had a really busy day. First, Nana and Grandma took him to see the Thomas the Train show that came to Raleigh. It started at 11 am and we later found out that he had a blast! After lunch, and a nap, they brought him over to the hospital to see us.
We had put the triplets down in the nursery so that we could spend some time with him first. I met Chase in the hallway and he was really excited to see me. He came running and gave me a big hug. We then went to the room to see Mommy. I cracked the door for him and he saw Mommy sitting in a chair on the other side of the room and started running to her. Before he could even get to her, he spotted a gift bag in the floor next to her chair with Handy Manny on it. Attention span gone..."Can I have that?" Mommy helped him open this gift and it was a Buzz Lightyear rocket ship that Uncle Marc and Aunt Sabrina had left for him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttw8Ixz_aRo
You shake the rocket ship back and forth and then set it down and it scoots across the room. We had to play with it in the room for a little bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoUhj_r2LAY
Then we went down the hall to the nursery to find his new brothers! We had the nurses set them right next to the window and we took a picture of Chase and taped it to each of the three rolling trays that the boys are in. This would help him identify his brothers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnzzmCCZIbk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hQ3SR7BccA
Chase was enthralled, so we then brought his brothers to the room so he could meet them up close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GjznEh4UQA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xLM37ZDS6k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnJR_L3wc1M
I'm not sure what kind of commentary to put on those three video clips. Aren't they the cutest thing you've ever seen? After dinner, more playing, and watching some Nickelodeon in Mommy's hospital bed, we finally got Chase into his pajamas to get ready to leave. But before he left, he had to sing a little Twinkle Twinkle to his brothers so that they could go to sleep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLAgZ7GNIPA
As for the daily triplet update, they are doing great and we are going home tomorrow (Monday am). Saturday night, they were circumcised, so they spent most of the night in the nursery (procedures were done around 10 pm and they stayed in the nursery until 6 am, with the exception of coming to the room to feed around 2 am). So, we slept a few hours between feedings and felt relatively rested on Sunday. Sunday was a very routine day (huge knock on wood here to not jinx anything in the future). They really did well for most of the day, with feedings every 3 hours or so, and relative calmness between feedings. The boys were in the room with us all day. Jack & Graham's weights have dropped (very standard for newborns) while Anthony has actually gained weight (he's now the biggest of the three). Their bilirubin counts have stayed down and they are no longer at risk for jaundice.
Tonight we are going to try to get them in the nursery for a few hours between feedings again. They are actually their right now and we're going to try to rest a bit. Tomorrow will big a long day. We're set to get checked out by the pediatrician and Melissa's OB first thing in the morning. By the time all the logistics are taken care of, we expect to get out of here and home by noon or so.
Let the adventures begin right?!?!?
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