Home Sweet Home

We are finally home.  

After 5 1/2 weeks on bedrest, and 5 weeks in the NICU, Team Norris is back in B-town.  

Kelly jokes that she missed an entire season in the hospital!  It's funny because it's true.  

On November 9, Kelly and I drove back to Burlington from Iowa City in two cars, packed with the miscellany we had accumulated after over 2 months at UIHC, and our three babies.  

It seemed oddly familiar to be home with the trio and we let out a collective sigh of relief to be in our home again.  

The trip wasn't bad - the babies really didn't fuss the entire way.  Once we were home, it was back to the four-hour feeding schedule and we didn't miss a beat.  

Many of you may be wondering how in the h-e-double hockey sticks we take care of three at home.  Kelly and I wonder about how people with four or more babies do it!  

We have a crib downstairs in our living room, with a chest of drawers full of baby accessories - diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, etc.  Upstairs is the formal nursery with another crib and standard shelves and drawers full of other baby things.  In the nursery we also have a mini-fridge for keeping formula cool, and a crock pot that keeps water warm for late-night bottles.  The kitchen is where we prepare bottles for the day, and wash them.  That's pretty much it.  

Feedings are going well, with the 2am shift being the beast.  We do not want to think about how we will feed every four hours with out our super grandmas' help and Kelly's time off to cushion the fatigue.  Hopefully we'll be on a 5 or 6 hour schedule at that point.  

Grandma Norris has helped out immensely the first week, and it's Grandma Kuhlenbeck's turn next week.  As in basketball, a 3 on 2 fast break favors the offense (or a hockey power play for our northern friends, eh) and with a grandma here we've helped the defense.  Kelly and I better figure out some good defensive strategy soon, because after a few weeks, it's back to 3 on 2!  

The babies are doing well.  Max is up to 8lb 10oz, verified at his appointment today.  That's a 3lb 7oz gain in  6 weeks, or 70 percent increase.  To put this into perspective again, that's like me putting on 140lbs in a month and a half.  Crazy!  

August is now a tick over 6lbs, measured on Monday.  That is a 2lb 7oz gain or a 70 percent increase.  Atta boy.  

Olivia is the undisputed weight gain champ by percent.  She's up to 5 1/2lbs, up 2lb 14oz or a 109 percent weight gain.  That's a full doubling of her birth weight and change.  Kelly snagged a couple of diapers that Olivia wore immediately after birth, and they sell doll diapers bigger than these.  Take a Kleenex, fold it in half lengthwise, shorten it by about three inches and you get the idea. 

Check out the three peas in a crib: 

Thanks to everyone for their emails, cards, gifts, phone calls, visits, prayers and everything else during the past 11 weeks.  Kelly and I are truly thankful to have been blessed with three babies and with so many giving friends, family and co-workers.