And yet more ...

Thursday, March 20, 2008 12:07 PM, CDT

Tuesday, Chad and I took the car seats to the hospital for the triplets to "practice!" Each baby in the NICU has to pass the car seat challenge before being discharged. They have to sit in the seat for the amount of time it will take to get them home. They have to do this without any heart rate drops. Brooke has completed hers and passed!!!

Wednesday, I spent the afternoon with the kids. I fed them each and saw Brooke while she was sitting in her car seat. I'm putting a picture of that on the website - she looks soooo small in it! When I got home, we put the third and final crib in place and did some cleaning up around the nursery. Things are started to come together - all we need now is for them to come home!!!

Sunday, March 23, 2008 3:17 AM, CDT

Thursday, Chad and I went up to the hospital to give baths and the feed the triplets.

Friday, we went looking for a mini-van. I think we found what we are looking for as far as options go, now we just need to get it!!! (And, pay for it!!!) :) It took a lot longer than we hoped so our time at the hospital was cut short. We came home and hopped into bed for the last night of uninterrupted sleep for a long time to come.

Zach came home with us on Saturday evening!!!

After 6 weeks of growing and learning to live in the outside world, the doctors said he was ready to leave the hospital. It was a great feeling to be bringing him home.

We still have a lot going on between having him home now and running back and forth from the hospital, but we are thrilled to pieces to finally have a baby in the house with us. (Shadow isn't too sure about it yet - poor dog doesn't realize his world just turned upside down!)

Starting today/tonight, we are under a no visitor policy until the pediatrician lifts the ban. She spoke with me while we were being discharged and said it is still flu season and we have to be extremely careful with their immune systems. She said this would also help with us regulating our schedules around the house and being that I am up writing this at 3:30 a.m. ---I can see what she means!!! We are going to need a nap time throughout the days too!!! :)

Again, we want to thank everyone for your well wishes, thoughts, and prayers. Without that, this road would have seemed so much longer for us.

What a great way to celebrate Easter this year! We hope everyone has a great day!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 10:43 AM, CDT

Things are going very well at home right now. Zach has been wonderful. We went to the pediatrician yesterday and he has gained 2 ounces in the days since he was released from the hospital. He now weighs 5 lbs 11.5 ounces. He is alert and smiles more and more frequently.

Chad and I went up to see Luke and Brooke on Sunday. We got to feed them and take a picture of them with Easter bibs on.

Monday, Kathy and Chad went up to see them. They are feeding Brooke on an ad lib schedule which means - every 3.5-4 hours when she shows she is hungary. After talking to the nurse practioner, it seems as if Brooke will be the next one home! :) We need to keep giving Luke pep talks to make him want to join us at home too!!!

Luke weighs 5 lbs 9 ounces and Brooke weighs 5 lbs 5 ounces. Their blood work done routinely on Mondays has all been normal. We are thankful for that and for the progress they've all made in the past 6 weeks!!!

Saturday, March 29, 2008 9:39 AM, CDT

Things are moving right along for us. The triplets are 7 weeks old and doing great! Zach has been eating and sleeping his way through the days and nights - probably spoiling us!

Tuesday evening, I went to the hospital to see Luke and Brooke. The night didn't go very well and left me frustrated. The nurse told me to be patient, but that is easier said than done. Luke didn't want to take his bottle for me and Brooke had a heart rate drop while I was there. Both things preventing them from coming home. I was so discouraged knowing Zach was home doing well while Luke and Brooke were still in the hospital. The nurse told me not to compare them, they are individuals and I do realize that, I just want them home with us!

Wednesday, Chad and Dennis went to visit. Chad fed Luke and Dennis got to hold Brooke for awhile since she wasn't due to eat while they were there.

Thursday, we got our mini-van :) and I broke it in by driving to my doctors appointment where he released me!!! While I was there, I spent the afternoon/evening with Brooke and Luke. I fed both of them and talked them into coming home with me!! I talked to the nurse before I was leaving and was told Brooke would probably come home this weekend (with or without the heart monitor - we are not sure).

Last night, we again went up to see them. We gave Luke a bath and a bottle and he did very well. He is getting stronger and building up his endurance!! He weighs 5 lbs 14 ounces and probably outweighs his brother at home!!!

We didn't hold Brooke since we again came at a time that she wasn't going to be fed. But...that is okay, because we are bringing her home today!!! The discharge papers have not been completed as of this writing, but she hasn't had any more episodes and is ready to see her new home! :)

Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:44 PM, CDT

We got the phone call yesterday around 1 p.m. Brooke's discharge papers were in order and we could bring her home with us. We made our way to the hospital around 4. We were there to feed Luke and give him yet another pep talk. We packed all of Brooke's things up and were on our way home by 7.

We had a good 1st night with Zach and Brooke at home. We fed them around 10 and tucked them in bed. At 1:30, I fed Brooke, at 2 it was Zach's turn. We were all back in bed by 3. Chad got up and did the feedings at 5:30 and 6! Hopefully when we throw another one into the mix, it will still work this well for us!

Grandma and Grandpa Salger went to the hospital today to visit Luke. They were able to feed him and play with him for awhile. He must have liked it, he took the majority of his bottle! He is getting better each day and we are thinking at this rate, he might be home by the end of the week! (Which would be wonderful. I had a very hard time leaving him behind yesterday when we brought Brooke home. Knowing that two were there together didn't bother me, but one by himself was tough!)

The home health nurse was here today. She weighed both Zach and Brooke. Brooke is 5 lbs 10 ounces and Mr. Zach has hit the 6 lbs mark!!! She said they are doing really well.

As far as feeding goes, Luke is taking 55 mL (close to 2 ounces). Brooke is taking 60mL or two ounces and Zach is taking 75 mL or two and one half ounces! We've come a long long way from just 10 mL through the tube in their noses when they were first born!!!

So many changes to see and be awed by!!!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 11:41 AM, CDT

Yea!!! We got to the hospital yesterday and Luke's feeding tube was gone!!! That means we are one step closer to getting him home with us. We gave him a bath and fed him before tucking him in and heading home. He was in a very good mood. He also hit the 6 pound mark and it feels like it! :)

At home, things are still moving along. We are managing on a "doable" schedule and it is working so far. Hopefully that is still the case when we throw Luke into the mix. Shadow goes along with the flow as well, giving them a sniff over once in awhile and then ignoring them! We are also very glad that his barking doesn't bother them while they are sleeping!

Sunday, April 6, 2008 4:07 PM, CDT

After 45 days of baking the triplets in the hospital and 57 days of growing and learning to live in the outside world...our family is finally complete!!! Luke joined us at home today!

That is almost 4 months of a vehicle traveling to St. John's! And, what a relief it was today to hear the words - we're sending Luke home!

Backtracking to the rest of last week...

Wednesday, I went to So. county mall to pick up my wedding ring and when I got back to our van, I realized someone had backed into it. So, I spent 45 min-1 hour of my time in the parking lot waiting for the police to show up and write up a report. By the time I got to the hospital, Luke had already eaten and I had to wait until 7:30 to feed him again. He did okay with a new nipple and took the bottle fairly fast.

Thursday, Kathy went up by herself to see Luke. She fed him and held him for awhile and then headed home. She said he did very well for her also. Back at home, things were fine until Brooke decided she wasn't happy and fussed all evening long. She wore herself out though - she slept so good that night.

On Friday, I loaded Zach and Brooke up for a dr appointment. I picked Grandma up at work and she helped us in and out of the office and with the feedings which took place in the van! They are both doing good and gaining weight on target.

That afternoon, I went up to St. John's to see Luke. I fed him and talked him into please coming home with us sometime very soon. The drive was really getting to me, with having Zach and Brooke at home.

Finally, today I called to the hospital and was told that they probably were not going to send him home today but that we could come up to have their pictures taken. So...Grandma Bren and Grandpa Wes helped load Zach and Brooke up once again and we make our trek back to the hospital.

When we got there, I started getting Luke ready for the pictures and the nurse practitioner Helen said after doing rounds on Luke today, they decided he was ready and we could take him home with us. :)

I gave her a huge hug and thanked her for making my day. Grandma and I even got teary thinking that this was finally coming to a close! We took the pictures (1 hour) and came home. When we got home, I handed the pumpkin seat to Chad to carry in (it was Luke). I carried Brooke in and Grandpa waited and carried Zach in so that Chad didn't see him. We wanted to surprise him with our final addition. Chad unwrapped Luke and didn't say anything. Grandpa rounded the corner with Zach and it took a few seconds for it to click, but it finally hit Chad that all three were home and that he had carried Luke into the house himself! :)

They are all three sleeping right now. We need to get Luke on our schedule with Brooke and Zach's feeding times, but right now we are just so happy to have them home with us!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:14 AM, CDT

We've all been together for over two weeks now and things are still going smoothly. We are trying our hardest to keep to the schedule and it seems to be working so far. We start each feeding with Brooke, then Zach, and finally Luke. (In order of the most impatient!) They each get 1/2 hour to eat and then a diaper change and on to the next one. It takes one and one-half hours to feed, then we have a break and start again in about two hours! The days have become a blur between all the feedings, laundry, and trying to accopmlish other household duties!!!

My due date was April 20/21 - so they should technically have made their debut by now. Thank goodness they came before their scheduled time, both boys are over 7 pounds and Brooke is closing in on them! That would have been a whole lotta baby!!!

Although they are two months old, we have to adjust their development for prematurity. Right now, they should be doing everything a newborn-one month old would be doing and I think they are! They are so much more alert, their cries are becoming stronger (not sure if that is good or not!), they are taking between 3-4 ounces every feeding, and they are more active with their kicking and playing!

It has been so much fun having them home! (Not having to drive to the hospital all the time has been great too). Even hearing them cry is a joy (most of the time!!!) because we know this long journey has finally ended in happiness. I don't think a day has gone by when I've not cried at some point - overwhelmed by emotions of love and thanksgiving that God has given us these three miracles. After never thinking this would happen for us, He has truly blessed us.