Thankful

We have a lot to be thankful for...

• Thankful that Brennen is on the mend and does not have meningitis, a big relief!

• Thankful for the nurse (Megan) that knows Brennen so well that she realized right away that he was not himself and took action.

• Thankful for all the nurses and doctors that are taking good care of our boys, but especially for the ones that have taken the time to get to know us and, more importantly, take the time to make sure we understand what they are saying.

• Thankful for all the progress the boys are making...trying not to get too anxious for their homecoming, we know they are where they need to be right now.

• Thankful that Addie loves her little brothers and has already latched on to Graham, calling him her "Buddy". 

• Thankful for the thoughtfulness and generosity of so many friendly people here in West Michigan!

• Thankful for the help of friends and family.  Couldn't have made it through these last weeks without three visits from my mom!

• Thankful for the last Klondike bar that was left in the freezer....goodnight! 

Quick Update

Here we go again.  We had a few really good days with the boys and then were treated to a 6:00am wake-up call from the doctor yesterday. Brennen has had a "setback" I use quotation marks because I'm so tired of hearing that used in conjunction with, "this is common for preemies."  I know it's common, I did a lot of reading before the babies were born to prepare myself, but that doesn't make it any easier when it's your child!

With that said, we found out today Brennen has a staph infection.  He is on antibiotics and they are going to draw spinal fluid tonight to test him for meningitis. We are hoping that is not the case, as it's a 21 day treatment if he has it.  It's hard to see our little guy not feeling well.  He had to be intubated yesterday to help him with his breathing and give his body a little break.  When we got there yesterday he opened his eyes briefly and gave this look that seemed to say, "I don't feel good mom and dad."

Thankfully Graham and Liam continue to do well. I don't think I could take it if  all three were giving us cause to worry.  Graham has been off cpap for a few days and just has a nasal cannula to give him a slight flow of air in his nose.  He also has the top of his isolette and is wearing preemie clothes.  Liam is still on cpap and closed in his isolette, but he is increasing his feedings and gaining weight, so hopefully he won't be far behind Graham. Last night Brennen weighed 3lbs. 3oz., Graham weighed 3lbs. 12oz. and Liam weighed 3lbs. 11oz.

We took Addie to visit today, she is infatuated with Graham and likes to spend her time there by his side. Today she drew a special picture for the nurses taking care of the boys.  

 

Brennen is not feeling so hot

Graham is pretty content with his progress

Family time with Graham

Silly face

Holding Graham

That's a cute smile!

Liam, already curious

 

I'm too tired to think of a clever title!

Who knew that not having babies at home could be so exhausting (am I sounding like a broken record?) I must be tired, because I just realized that iTunes went from playing Adele to Aerosmith and I hardly noticed!  The past days have been more of the same, trying to figure out how best to split our time between home and the hospital.  Brandon I were talking last night that even though it will pretty tough having three babies at home at first, it will be worth it to have everyone under the same roof!

Luckily the boys have a had a good few days. After a rough weekend and a round of antibiotics, Brennen is doing much better!  He's begun to put up a fight during his care time, which is a good sign.  I was holding him today and he surprised me by lifting his head off my chest and pushing up with his arms.  Brandon also had a similar experience with him...strong little guys!  Liam did a typical baby move and managed to get his knees underneath him while on his tummy so his little bum was up in the air.  Graham is still content to be wrapped up tight like a burrito.  He is very vocal and lets you know the instant his diaper is dirty or he's hungry. The big news is they are all eating like champs and gaining weight!  Brennen is officially 3lbs., Liam is 3lbs 9oz and Graham is 3lbs. 10oz!  They all seem to like sucking on their pacifiers, which is a good sign for when it's time to teach them how to nurse or take a bottle...can't wait for that!  

We are still dealing with Bradys and Desats (drop in oxygen saturation), but they will hopefully start to become few and far between.  I have to hope that we are over the worst of what can occur and will now have to wait for them to learn to breath better on their own, learn to eat, and gain some more weight.  

Addie has been having a rough time at school lately, so since I'm feeling better I have been spending my mornings at the hospital and my afternoons at home with her.  She has had a great few days and asked to go see the boys today.  We lasted a whole hour in the NICU...impressive for an almost four year old!  She held Liam's hand while I took his temperature and changed his diaper.  The cutest had to be when she started singing "Rock-a-bye Baby" to Graham when he was upset during his care time.  She was singing very softly because she didn't want the nurses to hear her!  When we were leaving she said, "They are more than babies, they're my brothers."  That was enough to melt my heart and pretty much say yes to whatever she asked for the rest of the day...sucker! 

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

I'm not going to lie, today was a rough day in the NICU.  I've been thinking to myself, "how am I so exhausted when the babies are not even home yet?"  I'm sure Brandon can attest to this statement, as he had to go back to work this week and has been visiting the boys in the evening after a long day at work.  We have been lucky enough to have my mom here for the past week helping us out.  She has been super grandma and I don't know what we're going to next week without her!


Last night when Brandon went to check on the boys he noticed that Brennen's face looked swollen.  When I got there today it did not look any better.  Fortunately, the neonatologist was there to check him out, but while he was examining him he had about 4 or 5 Bradys in a matter of minutes and he couldn't resolve them on his own.  I was standing there feeling utterly helpless while the nurse tried to stimulate him to get him breathing again.  I found myself taking deep breaths myself, as if willing him to do that same.  Finally all his stats returned to normal and he calmed down.  I don't know how long this episode took, but it felt like an eternity.  The doctor ran some tests and called me later in the day to inform us that now Brennen has an infection and will start on antibiotics.  I am just hoping and praying that we caught it soon enough because an infection in his tiny body just scares me. The doc was also optimistic that fighting the infection would help decrease his Bradys.


After all that I left feeling rather shaken up and drained, so when the doc called for the second time this afternoon I admit, I panicked. Luckily he only called to give me good news; Liam and Graham's PDAs are gone (woo hoo!), and a precautionary heart Echo on Brennen showed that he does not have any issues with his heart!  Graham still has what is called an ASD (artrial septal defect - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_septal_defect), which we will have to watch over time.  


So that is how we end our week.  Hoping for a nice calm weekend! 

Brennen always seems to have his arms above his head

Graham, happiest all cuddled up

Liam relaxing and giving a little look

 

Steps in the Right Direction

We have had a couple of good days in a row with the boys and feel they are making steps in the right direction.  They are all gaining weight, especially Brennen, our little guy!  He is up to 2lbs. 11oz. from his birth weight of 2lbs. 2oz. Graham now weighs 3lbs. 6oz. and Liam weighs 2lbs. 15oz.  I decided tonight we'll have a party when they all hit 3lbs!  

A few days ago they discovered a heart murmur in Liam and diagnosed him with a PDA in his heart.  I can't remember exactly what it stands for, but basically it's a hole that is open in utero so blood bypasses the lungs.  It is supposed to close at birth, but his didn't.  Graham has had the same thing and responded well to treatment.  They started Liam on medication yesterday and can no longer detect the murmur with the stethoscope.  We will learn tomorrow if it is gone completely. 

Other than that the main thing we are dealing with for all the boys are "Bradys" where they quit breathing.  Most of the time they start again on their own, but some times they require a little stimulation to get going again.  The first time I was there and witnessed one that required stimulation it freaked me out, but the nurse assured me it's just part of what happens for preemies.  Of course we want them to go away, but right now it's just a part of what they are going through.  Until their bradys decrease and they can turn their oxygen down, they will still have the "Cpaps" in their little noses.  

We took Addie for another visit today and tried to snap a few pictures.  She asks to go see them and we haven't quite figured out what she likes more, seeing the boys or getting a snack out of the vending machine in the lounge when she leaves...I'm thinking the snack!

During our visit tonight Graham and Liam were wide awake and looking around.  It's the most we've seen of their pretty eyes!  Brandon and I help with their care time by taking their temperatures, changing diapers and lifting them up to help weigh them.  Graham and Brennen threw big fits tonight during their care times; they especially hate it when the nurses suction their mouths and noses.  Liam was a pretty chilled out little dude tonight, just content to suck on his pacifier!  All in all, it was a good night! 

Kristin and Liam

Addie checking out Graham

Brandon and Graham

Brennen thinking about opening his eyes

Addie looking in on Liam

Addie and Liam

Brennen says "hi mom"

Graham says, "I'm a mummy!"

Liam, wide awake!

Liam says, "I love my paci"

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Sweet little Liam.  He loves to hold our fingers.

Precious tiny feet

Brennen, Graham and Liam are 1 week old today!  It has been a very trying week with a lot of ups and downs (I feel like I've said that a lot), but they are tough little guys!  Here are some of our favorite pictures from the week.  Unfortunately, we still don't have any with Addie.  Her visits are usually pretty quick, which is understandable.  Yesterday the nurse helped her make hand prints with her name of it for each of the boys.  She put them in their isolettes so they can see them...very cute! 

Brandon holding Graham for the first time

So little in his hands

Holding Brennen for the first time, the feeling was indescribable.

Think he enjoyed it too!

Graham without his hat and goggles

 

Now We Wait

Yesterday I was discharged from the hospital.  It was very hard to leave the boys, but I am happy to be home and sleeping in my own bed and spending time with Addie.  I know the boys are in great hands in the NICU, and they were snoozing comfortably when we left yesterday, so that made it easier.  We can also call at any hour for an update to ease our minds. It's hard to keep straight what is going on with each of them, so I have started writing down a brief summary at each visit, so hopefully it will help me remember!  

We got some good news on Liam yesterday.  The did an x-ray and feel his collapsed lung is healing, so they were able to take his chest tube out.  He is also off his billy ruben (sp?) photo-therapy, so he doesn't have to wear the cool goggles any more.  It is so nice to see his sweet little face!  He did have to get a "Pick" line yesterday, a more permanent IV spot, so that was rough on him.  Hopefully he'll have another restful day today (can't wait to get back there)!

Graham and Brennen both had brain ultrasounds to check for hemorrhaging.  Apparently this is a common occurrence in preemies their age, especially when they have been intubated, which all of them have been.  This is done at approximately 5 days old and the good news is they came back clear.  Liam will have his ultrasound today. 

I am sure there will be more ups and downs...even in the last week it seems like we take two steps forward and one step back, but we just have to have faith that everything will continue to go well.  I think it will, we have three little fighters! 

 

The First 48

I think I can speak for Brandon too when I say these last days have been among the hardest of our lives.  There is a feeling of complete helplessness when you see your babies in their incubators in the NICU, but you can't really do anything for them.  So we go, we hold their little hands and feet and let them hear our voices and hope that helps to soothe them.  It just seems like they have already been through more in the first 48 hours of their young lives than most of us will experience in ours. 

There is a silver lining, and that is Brennen, Graham and Liam are still doing well for their age.  It doesn't make it any easier, but we have been told the problems they are experiencing are not uncommon.  

Remarkably, Brennen, our little guy who I was the most worried about during pregnancy, is doing the best!  He always looks so relaxed when we go see him, and with the light they use on him for jaundice and his little eye goggles, he looks like he's just chillin' out at the beach.  He was also the first, and still the only one, to get fed some of my milk, which he is responding well to. I think he is just happy to have room to move and he doesn't have to be on the bottom holding up his brothers any more.

Graham had a scare with a collapsed lung on Sunday afternoon, but was able to bounce back from that fairly quickly.  They are now keeping a close eye on his enlarged heart, but so far the vital signs tell us that it is SLOWLY improving.  Most of the time he is snuggled up asleep and looks pretty content to be there.

Liam is still making us worry a lot.  He too had a collapsed lung and they gave him the same treatment as Graham, but he did not respond as well.  The x-rays show a really small improvement each time, but he still struggles and it's hard to watch his little chest work so hard to breathe.  We found out today that his vitals are indicating improvements and they think his lung will heal itself with some more time, without doing any more invasive procedures. 

I should also mention that they have blond fuzzy hair and blond eye brows...so cute! 

This is all a summary of what the doctors have told us, it's kind of overwhelming to hear all the medical terminology and not know what it means.  But we have been asking a lot of questions and translating it back to our terms to we can understand better.  

Liam likes to kick his leg out

Graham stays pretty snuggled.  That's his hand up by his face

Graham's BIG feet (compared to his bros)

Brennen just likes to relax

Liam's Feet (I think)

A lot of people have also been asking about Addie and how she is handling everything.  Well let me tell you, she is getting spoiled!  She has spent the last couple of days with all of her grandparents, so what's not to love about that?  She has gotten to see the boys a few times...the last was at her request!  She was very brave and touched their hands and tickled their little feet. The smile on her face when they responded to her touch was priceless and something I'll never forget.  She has also enjoyed some quiet time snuggled up in the hospital bed with me (although I might have enjoyed it more...who knows).  I'm sure we'll have our ups and downs, but that is to be expected.  

I will be at the hospital until Thursday, then I will go back home and they will stay.  Then we will just have to be patient until they are ready to join us at home.

Reddick, Party of 6?

I never thought I would hear myself say those words, but here we are, in the course of a few minutes (and many months) our family has doubled in size!

We were told by the high risk doctors late Friday afternoon that they felt the babies needed to be delivered by Sunday, due to the fact that Graham's (Baby B) heart was enlarged and they didn't want it to get any worse.

Saturday day and night had to be among the longest in history, but we finally made it to 7:30 am on Sunday morning, Easter Sunday (a fact that was not lost on us).  This journey has been an incredible miracle right from the beginning, so it only felt natural that they arrive on this day!

So without further ado, we welcomed to the world on April 8, 2012, our three little guys!

Baby A - Brennen Edwin Reddick, 2lbs. 2oz., 14", 8:09a

Baby B - Graham Parker Reddick 3lbs. 3oz, 15", 8:10am

Baby C - Liam Edson Reddick 2lbs. 9oz, 16", 8:10am

Brandon and I with Brennen

Brennen Edwin, 2lbs. 2oz., 14"

The babies were whisked away from the operating room and up to the NICU right away.  Brandon was able to be with them while I stayed in recovery.  We were told by the NICU doc that the first 24-48 hours are crucial for them.  They have all had their struggles in the past 24 hours; all have had collapsed lungs and had to be intubated.  We are told these are common occurrences in preemies of their age, and each time they were given the proper treatment and are doing well. In fact I think Brennen is happy to be out from under his brothers with some room to stretch! Every time we go see him is looks so relaxed and sprawled out!   Liam opens his eyes to look at up at us the most, and Graham has been pretty zonked out, as he has gone through the most since birth and definitely needs the rest! 

We are hoping for another 24 hours of minimal problems, as we are anxious to hold them and cuddle them up and take them home as soon as possible! 

Graham Parker, 3lbs. 3oz., 15"

Liam Edson, 2lbs. 9oz., 16"

 

But I Haven't Finished All of My Projects Yet!

29 weeks 1 day, and this will probably be the last blog entry I write as a mother of one (not counting the mothering I have been doing over the last 29 weeks for the babes)!  I've been checked back into the hospital due to the fact that baby B is having some issues with his little heart.  It is slightly enlarged, which is a symptom of Twin to Twin (or Triplet to Triplet in our case) transfusion syndrome.  The doctors feel he and the rest of the babies will have a better chance of thriving outside the womb, and that B's heart will go back to normal after the stress of being the big guy is gone. 

Ironically enough, I had a dream last night that we delivered 3 healthy boys (they were 4 lbs, while these guys will be between 2 and 3 lbs, but I leave room for interpretation in my crazy dreams)!  My biggest concern in my dream was that they didn't have any clothes!  I have a feeling that we'll have many more serious concerns in the coming weeks, but I am praying we'll make it through all this and, in a year from now, have 3 robust little guys that we can't control!  Also eerie is that my mom told my dad last night, "we better get packed, the babies are going to come soon and we'll need to go to Michigan."  What is it about mother's instinct...weird!

I think this time around both Brandon and I feel a little more prepared and less stressed about the situation.  We have done great by making it to 29 weeks, when just 4 weeks ago they told us we might have to deliver at 25!  My mom asked me just now if I was ready for this.  I can honestly say I have no idea.  I have been thinking A LOT and planning to the best of my ability, but if I spent time worrying about every little detail I would go crazy!  So we'll just continue with the mantra "One Day at a Time".  

I'm thinking my next post will include some pictures of our new little guys....Sunday or Monday according to the doctors, but we shall see!