NICU Week 3

A week of transition in the NICU, as most weeks in the NICU are.

The kids have changed, gaining weight, looking differently, feeding differently. Pooping differently. Our schedule has changed, too, with me going back to work Tuesday-Thursday and Kelly adjusting to less favorable numbers during the day (3 on 1 versus 3 on 2).

Maxwell is now officially a member of the 6lb club. Congrats, big boy. He is always surprising us, becoming more aware everyday and finding his big boy cry. I kangarooed with Max on Monday and he really let loose with some crying that made my ears cry.

Olivia looks less like a premie everyday, gaining weight and growing longer. She has begun smiling when she sleeps, which makes an already peaceful-looking baby even more so. Nurse Lilly even attached a little bow on her head that a little over the top, but really cute.

August is such an aware little boy. He is always looking and making facial expressions that make us really wonder what thoughts are going through his little head. He usually wakes up the earliest and just lies there, looking around until we get to him.

All three of them appear to be recognizing their name on some level, or it might just be our voices...either way, it's cool.

The nurses have started to really talk to us about the discharge process, not because we are that close to discharge, but I think more to give us a reasonable expectation of the discharge process. Another new process was started today when we bottle-fed all three kids. August absolutely inhaled his milk, slowing down only for us to burp him. Max experienced similar success. Olivia was a little unsure but did well anyway.

Picture time:

Small request: Everyone that is planning to visit the babies when they are home in Burlington, please get a flu shot!  It will be no fun for anyone if the kids get sick, and even when they come home their immune systems won't be as strong as a term baby.  We thank you and the kids thank you.  

Be back next week, same triplet time, same triplet place! 

NICU Week 2

The babies turned two weeks old yesterday. It's amazing to think that two weeks and a couple days ago, Kelly was still pregnant, and we were wondering all about the little people inside her.

Now we know a little more about them. As they are growing, they are developing their own unique look. Glimpses of personality show through for each of them.

We were also together for the first time after the delivery on Tuesday, holding all three of the kids between the two of us.  

August is the most awake, trying to take in everything around him. Olivia is the least fussy at this point. Max is the sleepy baby, waking up only for feeding and changing time. We enjoy each one of them.

All three have been gaining weight at a good clip until about Wednesday, when it slowed down. To date, Olivia is 3lb 10oz, August is 4lb 7oz and Max is 5lb 6oz. Olivia has gained the most percentage-wise, at 30%. That's like me putting on over 60 pounds in two weeks.

We have given them baths, done kangaroo care with them (skin to skin contact, under your shirt), Kelly has fed them, and changed a lot of diapers. Get used to it, right?

Each day we're in the NICU for between 5-7 hours trying to get in at least two feedings with them.

Olivia is getting her feedings increased and had her PICC line taken out, so she is receiving all her nutrition from milk now.

Max is still out of the isolette and in a crib, has his feedings increased and is only on a little bit of oxygen.

August had a little feeding setback, and is back on IV fluids, which should be stopped today. He's also on a little bit of oxygen.

Kelly and I are now, thankfully, in Helen Rossi House, a small section of the hospital that parents of sick kids can stay in. It's a great place that is private and close to the kids.

Poop story of the week: August had two 'blowouts' whilst getting his diaper changed, effectively painting the inside of the isolette. Max has also pulled this little trick, but with less explosive results. Darn kids.

Picture time:

NICU Week in Review

"My friends, the fundamentals of the babies are strong.  They are the most productive premie babies in the NICU.  These three babies have the experience, knowledge and wherewithal to make the NICU an exceptional NICU; a NICU without borders, pre-judgment or inequality.  My friends, a vote for these babies is a vote for progress and a vote for a better NICU.  Thank you and God bless."

Sorry, election year politics has invaded my psyche.  If babies ran for baby office in the NICU and I had to be  a surrogate, advisor or manager for the babies' campaign, this would be my abbreviated stump speech.  It would be a landslide. 

The NICU week in review was positive.  The kids have progressed much faster than we had hoped both for breathing and feeding.  From feeding tube to breast, things have been exiting.  To be clear the kids all still have their feeding tube, but they have all tried the breast this week, which usually only kids at least a week their senior are able to attempt.  Cool, huh? 

All three kids have now surpassed their birth weight, with Max clearly in the lead.  What's new, right? Some early observations have Max as being a relaxed, content baby fine with sleeping the day away and only giving Mom and Dad some brief glances and eye contact.  

Olivia is very active, kicking and arm-swinging in her isolette nest.  Changing her diaper is a lesson in leg management.  August is perhaps the most aware of the three, with his eyes locking in on people for minutes at a time and constantly gazing around the room.  Maybe not surprisingly he seems to be the fussiest one, but that isn't saying much.  They are all pretty content premies right now.  

We continue to participate in their care, mostly before feeding time when we take their temps, change the diaper and swab for thrush.  It's very satisfying and perhaps more importantly, a way to feel like care givers in an atmosphere of astute nurses fulfilling their basic needs. 

Picture time: 

Although only a week into things, Kelly and I feel so good about our situation.  We can't imagine our lives without the kids now.  

This is Nuts

But in a good way.  Three kids, three separate medical plans, three nurses and three demands for breast milk.  

Kelly and I have adjusted, mostly, to this routine of visiting, asking questions, bonding and wondering what the next few days will be like for the kids.  

August update: He is nearly back to his birth weight and being fed 11cc's of breast milk every three hours.  He is breathing on his own and overall doing quite well.  

Olivia update: She is off of her billy light, used to treat bilirubin, and breathing on her own.  She's having a little trouble digesting the breast milk, but is typical of her lower weight.  Otherwise, she is great. 

Max update: He is on a little bit of oxygen, 15cc of breast milk every 4 hours and doing fine.  None of our nurses believe he's a premie because he looks so big.  Atta boy. 

Mike and Kelly update: Kelly is recovering quickly from her c-section and starting to pump.  We have an excellent problem of deciding how much time to allocate to which kid.  

Kelly ventured out into the great suburban jungle yesterday, her first foray into the world outside the hospital in 34 days.  We participated in the economy at Target and had some great sushi at our little spot in Iowa City, Sushi Popo.  

Since we're not up to a lot of visitors right now, how about a slideshow? 

Overall, we are doing well.  There is a fine line between being stressed out and feeling satisfied you've done all you can during the day.  We're walking that line, crossing over each way sometimes.  But what else is there to do?  If ever there was motivation to do something, three babies would be it. 

Three on the Third

A - August Everett Norris, 3lb 10oz, 17", 11:38am

B - Olivia Lee Norris, 2lb 9oz, 16", 11:38am

C - Maxwell Hughes Norris, 5lb 1oz, 18", 11:39am

They are here.  Three babies on the third.  Funny how things work out, huh? 

Before we inundate the blog with photos, of which we have plenty of, here is the abridged story. 

Friday morning, we knew nothing more than it would be another day closer to delivery.  We knew it would probably be in a day or two.  However, after a stress test and a cervix check, the doctors told us it was go time.  

In less than 40 minutes, Kelly was wheeled to the OR, had a spinal and was ready.  I was in scrubs and came in to the OR about 5 minutes before the action started.  20 people including us were in the room.  

I sat right behind Kelly by the anesthesiologists.  Only a curtain separated us and the view of our gifted surgeons.  Luckily, I was able to see Dr. Ward pull all three babies out.  August was screaming even before he came out, Olivia was vocal, but not as much, and Max did not even want to come out.  Apparently he turned his back on the doctors and did not want to come out of the penthouse suit he carved out.  

Max was intubated almost immediately so he could breathe easier.  They whisked them away pretty quickly and then we focused the attention on Kelly, and it took nearly an hour to sew her up.  

She had a severe headache from the combination of surgery, anesthesia and medication to increase her blood pressure...and that triggered her trigeminal neuralgia, causing nerve pain in her face and neck.  

Luckily, we got everything under control and recovered in the post-op room.  Everything was surreal...realizing that we had babies, but couldn't take care of them.  Knowing Kelly wasn't pregnant anymore and not seeing the results was unsettling, but we knew that is what had to happen.  

Kelly's mom was the first to see the kids in the NICU, and she brought back pictures.  Trying to describe the emotions of first seeing your kids is a non starter.  Kelly wasn't ready to process the whole thing yet, but the immediate sense of purpose, pride, love and satisfaction I had never felt before.  Kelly got that later in the evening when we saw the kids together for the first time.  

Enough writing, there are more stories for other posts.  How about some pictures. 

 

Kelly and I holding Olivia, the first baby we were able to hold. 

Little August holding my finger. Luckily he didn't pull it. 

Olivia striking a pose.  Or trying to remember what it was like in chateau Kelly.  

Our hands next to Olivia. 

If you couldn't tell already, this is Max.  Although he's the biggest he's had the most trouble breathing, which really isn't that bad.  He'll have the big tube removed today. 

Our hands next to Max. 

Although it looks like the kids have a lot of things connected to them, it's really not that much.  The three sensors Max has above are for measuring his heart rate and respiratory rate. Each baby has these three sensors. 

They also each have a little nose apparatus for providing oxygen, and all three are on small amounts of it.  They also have a sensor on their foot to detect the oxygen levels in their blood, and all three are doing well.  

Each has an IV, dripping nutrients, fluid and some calories.  Only Max still has a breathing tube, which should come out today.  

So that's the story for now.  It's been an extraordinary 26 hours since they were born and it should only get more extraordinary from here. 

Closer to Go Time

Dr. Ward has informed us that we will have delivered babies, most likely, by the close of the weekend.  

Our biophysical profile today went very well with Lil B, scoring 8/8.  But the cord flow is still low, the reason for the early section.  

Kelly and I celebrated the impending end of one part of our lives and the beginning of another with a dinner sourced from the local food coop, with tandori chicken, greek salad, rice and some lambic.  It was one of our best dates. 

We can't wait to meet the rest of our family.  

It's Go Time...Almost

Quick update from the chateau UIHC.  

From our bio-physical profile on Tuesday, the docs found that Lil B's blood flow through her cord was lower than what is desired for a baby her size. What does that mean? 

It means that right now, it's not a big problem until the cord flow drops; and when it starts dropping, it keeps dropping.  When the cord flow stops or is negative, then things need to happen no more than 48 hours after the flow stops.  Less than 24 hours is preferable. 

By 'things need to happen' I mean take the kids by C-section.  

So, Dr. Ward is telling us that within a week we will have the section.  It will be probably no sooner than Friday, no later than Tuesday.  And guess what, Tuesday is my birthday! 

Kelly is doing all right, but is ready to have her non-pregnant body back.  

Things are about to get exiting for all five of us.