Lila's home!

We arrived home with Lila at just about 1 p.m. today. Since then, she's taken one bottle, slept a decent amount, been sniffed by a Cockapoo, and been stared at and fussed over nonstop. Enjoy it while it lasts, little girl, because it looks like your brothers aren't too far behind. Alex and Brandon both came out of their isolettes last evening, so if all goes well they could easily be home in just a few days. All hands on deck! Here are a few pictures from earlier today.

I look so tiny in this car seat!!

Mom's getting me all tucked in.

Dad and his beard walked me through the front door.

Hi Grandmom Deb, this is the first time you're holding me!

Tell me, Nana Bonnie, who is this giant, fluffy, brown creature?

Homecoming, anticipated

Things are moving fast! The doctor told us today that he expects to release Lila on Saturday. This Saturday! This is sooner than we would have expected, but she's been ahead of the curve all along and, once she got out of her isolette and into an open crib (earlier this week), we knew it was just a matter of time.

So, barring any changes, Lila will be home with us in just 2 days. It looks like it could still be a week to 2 weeks for the boys. This would not be uncommon, as it's widely known that preemie girls do better than preemie boys. Brandon is not quite 4 lbs yet, and Alex is just over 4 lbs. Both are making steady progress but have not yet come out of their isolettes. It's amazing to think that you can bring home a baby that's only about 4 lbs and just 34 weeks (gestational age). Needless to say, I've already outfitted the house with enough hand sanitizer to last us until the kids graduate high school. Did I mention I'm slightly germaphobic? Not like Howard Hughes germaphobic, but I did wash my hands about 15 times before I finally got the turkey in the oven last Thanksgiving.

Actually my paranoia serves a purpose. The doctors explained that preemies are especially susceptible to something called Respitory Syncytial Virus or RSV, which is prevalent during the winter until early spring. So I was online ordering hazmat suits for all visitors... okay, just kidding. Hand washing and Purell will be sufficient.

We're really excited to have her home. It will be hectic with one kid at home and two in the NICU, but we'll manage (with help)!

Glamour Shots

Two nights ago, in the middle of the night, our nurse was struck with a bolt of creativity and took some great pics of the kids together. The best part is, she had to change their feeding tubes any way, so all the pics show their faces -- tube free!!

Also, Lila is now 4 lbs 2 oz, Alex is 3 lbs 15 oz, and Brandon is 3 lbs 12 oz. Huzzah!!

That's Alex on the left.

Brandon and Lila combined to tackle star running back Alex after a 17-yard gain. They all promptly fell asleep.

On the lighter side...

First thing's first, here's a quick baby update. As of last night, Lila is 3 lbs 14 oz, Alex is 3 lbs 13 oz, and Brandon is 3 lbs 9 oz. Way to go, kids!! Abby and I started bottle feeding them 2 days ago, which is a whole new adventure. This puts us in a position to be much more hands-on with them than we've ever been before, which is both exciting and frightening. But, with the nurses' help, we're making progress. They don't yet have the strength and energy to take every feeding through the bottle, but they'll get there.

Beyond that, Abby and I have been keeping track of some of the more humorous quotes and conversations that have occurred since the kids were born (or, in one case, a few minutes before they were born). Here are some of our favorites -- in some cases with accompanying explanations. I have listed them in chronological order, as best I can recall. And, yes, they are all real.

The following took place within the first 60 seconds of Sam walking into the OR...
Nurse: "Okay dad, you sit here."
Sam: "Hey, babe. Wow, there's, like, 42 people in here."
Anasthesiologist: "Well, not quite that many. Have a seat."
Sam: "How ya doin' Ab?"
Abby: "This is surreal."
Sam: "No, it's so real."
Abby: "No, surreal. Like a Dali painting. Like melting clocks surreal."
Sam: "I know. It was a play on words. Like, surreal - so real."
Abby: "Uh huh, okay. Just sit down."

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"Oh, okay. So when can I have sushi?"

Abby's first comment after listening to the lactation consultant's soapbox speech.

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The following took place during Day 2 in the NICU...
Sam: "It's just really weird because, you know, the babies are in their crates all the time."
Grandmom Deb: "Crates? They aren't pets!"
Abby: "Sam, they're called 'isolettes.'"

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"I'm glad you saw that. I didn't want to be the sole keeper of that memory."

Sam, after an early and "challenging" diaper change (which Abby subsequently evaluated).

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"I'm disturbed."

Sam, after a particularly rough day of diaper changes.

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"Wow, I'm a dad. I have the power to determine whether or not someone is sitting in therapy 30 years from now saying, 'Let me tell you about my parents.'"

Sam, walking into the NICU on Day 5.

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Sam's friend Justin was searching for the cosmic meaning behind the fact that U of M (Abby's alma mater) overcame a 20-point deficit to beat IU (Sam's alma mater) in overtime on the night the triplets were born.
Sam: "I think it just goes to show that, in any given situation, while the husband may have taken control, the wife will, ultimately, reassert herself and gain victory."
Justin: "Wow, that's deep. You could also argue that the wife never really lost control, that she in fact only let the husband believe he'd gained an advantage."
Sam: "True. (sigh) True."

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"We need a new car."

Abby, after seeing 3 carseats and a triplet stroller shoved in the back of the Envoy.

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The following took place on Day 13 in the NICU, after the nurse explained that her sister worked for the Secret Service and was on a protection detail for 17 hours on Inauguration Day.

Nurse: "Well, before that, she was undercover at a high school in Cincinnati. She was 24, but looked really young. She mostly concentrated on prescription drugs. She busted, like, 18 kids in one year. It was hard on her. She had to go to all the classes, the dances, do the homework, all of it. The only people that knew were the Superintendent and the Chief of Police. It was a 24/7 job."

Sam: "Oh my gosh. Just like 21 Jump Street!!"

Nurse: [Blank stare.]

Sam: "You're probably too young to remember 21 Jump Street, aren't you?"

Nurse: "Um, yeah. But it was kind of like Never Been Kissed!"

Sam (later that day): "You know you're getting old when you start saying things like, 'You're probably too young to remember...'"

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"Goodnight Alex, we love you. We'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Brandon, we love you. We'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Lila, we love you. We'll see you in the morning."

Both of us, every night before we leave.

Reunion

We had an awesome surprise today! After lunch, Becca The Wonder Nurse suggested that we get all 3 of the kids together for some pictures. Abby had a lot of fun holding them, and the pictures turned out great. Here are a few of the highlights.

Alex is on the left (Abby's right).

Alex is up top.

Again, Alex is on the left.

This time, it's Brandon on the left.

Same as above.

Tuesday's update... and a new video!

Hi everyone, we just got home from our daytime visit. The babies are doing well. They are all going to start receiving vitamin and iron supplements, as anemia is common for preemies. They are liquid and given orally, so IV's are not needed. Also, they're all receiving close to 1 oz per feeding -- and, so far, tolerating it fairly well. Alex has, on occasion, needed some medicinal assistance to get his, um, system moving, but they're going to try letting him handle his own business and see how it goes for a couple of days.

I'm not sure if we mentioned it before, but the babies are wearing clothes now (since they're no longer on IV's). So Daddy has a new stressor in his life, and that stressor's name is "Baby Outfits." Seriously, it's hard enough changing diapers in the isolettes, but bringing all those little snaps into play... it's not easy. But, on the plus side, they do look pretty darn cute! Hopefully at some point soon we can get some better pictures of them all dressed up, but right now they're almost always bundled in or under blankets, etc.

We finished Mr. Alex's video last night. I hope you enjoy it.

Splish splash, we took a bath!

Sorry we have been out of touch for a few days. The Perry Triplets have had many visitors over the past few days. Uncle Brad and Aunt Alyssa came all the way from Florida to see the babies, Aunt Jaime drove down from Chicago, and the babies' Grandfather Larry (who will be known as Zadie, yiddish for Grandpa) came from Detroit. Everyone slept at our house, so it was like a big slumber party. Aunt Jaime got to hold Lila and Brandon. Nurse Cheryl was kind enough to put Brandon on a portable monitor and wheel it next to me (while I was holding Alex). So, basically, the boys were reunited for the first time since birth. I think Alex is probably thinking, "So this is the guy that kicked me in the head for 31 weeks. Thanks, brother."

After seeing the babies side-by-side, it confirms once and for all that they are DEFINITELY NOT identical. It is difficult to see in the pictures, but they look nothing alike. Alex looks like his Daddy and his Daddy's family. Brandon looks like my Dad and his family. Also, Jaime and I decided that Miss Lila Joy looks like my Mom's family. Specifically, she looks like my Grandma Irene, which is amazing because that's who she is named after -- Irene's middle name was Joyce. (Editor's note: I know there must be some Fuson in there somewhere!!)

After all the excitement of visitors, the babies got their first baths on Saturday night. Sam and I got to help. It was more of a sponge bath, because the babies can not have immersion baths yet. Lila seemed to enjoy her bath. Brandon and Alex -- not so much. Actually, Brandon thought being free of his diaper was the perfect time to, um, give Mommy a BIG surprise and then stick his hand and foot in it. Having now had to clean up a very poopy baby, I feel like I have earned my first official parenting badge :-)

Update and new video

TGIF, everyone. Although, to be honest, we've just about lost all sense of day and time. I was sure yesterday was Friday, and it wasn't until this morning that I realized my mistake. At any rate, here's your lunchtime update: babies are doing well, and feeding volumes continue to increase. At this point they're all getting 21 milliliters (or 2/3 of an oz) every three hours. They're all off IV's and PICC lines. Since there are fewer tubes, etc., they can now wear clothes, too! So you can expect that some fun pictures will be forthcoming.

Finally, here's a video of Brandon that we finished editing late last night. Enjoy.

The boys are moving

Good news today: the boys are moving to semi-private rooms, as opposed to being out in the open. I think this will make it easier to visit with them. Lila is keeping her spot, which is just outside those rooms. I think they'll move her in at some point as well. We learned a few new tricks today, such as how to keep the temperature up in the isolettes when we open the little doors/airlocks/whatevers. We also had a whopping 4 chances to change diapers. Also, all their feedings are being increased, so hopefully their weights will really start to increase. A heck of a day.

New triplets moved in to the NICU today. Abby knows their mom. All we can say is, congrats to the now-family-of-5, and we hope your kids have a calm, uneventful stay in the NICU. We're learning that this is the mantra of the hospital. You don't want any drama, just a nice, uneventful stay. That's what we're hoping for A, B & L, and it's what we hope for the new triplets and all the other babies, too.

We have received many wonderful gifts, e-mails, posts, phone calls, telegrams, cards, texts, Facebook statuses (statusi?) and packages in the last few days. Thank you to all of you for your kindness and generosity. What's that? Oh fine, there were no telegrams. That was a lie. Seriously, will someone please send me a telegram? Just once in my life, I'd like to get one. My kingdom for a telegram!

Lastly, here's my first attempt at posting a video. I shot this last night. It's just a little clip of my little LJ. We're going to try and post more video soon (yes, of the boys!) Until next time.

Hopping along

So we've been spending as much time as possible down at the hospital, hanging out with A, B & L or, as I have come to (occasionally) call them: AJ, Brandino and Baby Girl. What can I say? I'm a nickname-oriented person. All are now breathing on their own, which is awesome. Their feedings are being increased so, hopefully, they'll start gaining weight more rapidly.

Yesterday, the doctor explained to us that there are 4 things they have to do to be able to go home:

1. Breathewith no assistance

2. Regulate their own temperature out in the open (in a crib, etc.)

3. Weigh more than 4 lbs

4. Feed 100% from the bottle or, um, naturally

One of the things we've been doing is called kangaroo care, which is essentially skin-to-skin contact with the babies. There is much research to show that kangaroo care helps premature babies maintain their temperature, be calm and less stressed, maintain heart rate and breathing, and more. And it works whether they're being held by mommy or daddy. This is just about the best way we get to interact with them, and we really feel like we're making a positive contribution to their well-being. So, on any given day, you can probably find me hanging out with all the NICU nurses without my shirt on. Those of you who know me best (i.e., have been on vacation with me) will know that this is no great sight!

We have to leave soon to take the evening shift, so I'll leave you with a couple new pics.

Only 6 days old, and Alex already has a better tan than his dad.

After taking her temp and changing her diaper (leading to an incident that we will hereafter refer to only as "The Unpleasantness"), Daddy holds Lila for a few minutes -- traditional style).

How to lose 33 lbs in 5 days

Momma here. I am finally starting to feel like myself again and want to let everyone know that I am doing much better. The past 5 days have been a whirlwind. I never expected the doctor to come in my room on Jan 7 after looking at my labs and tell me we need to deliver...now. If it was not for a late lunch they would have wheeled me right into the OR. But, because my tummy was full the anasthesiologist insisted on waiting 6 hours. So, that gave us a little while to "digest" the news.

I the c-cection went quickly and although I did not get to see the babies right after they were born, I did get to hear each one cry as they came out. Later that night, they wheeled me through NICU to see everyone. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the babies all day Thursday because I had a fever (spiking a 102.6 degree fever post-surgery is a good way to scare your doctors). Thankfully the fever was not related to any infection... just a reaction from surgery. I'm starting to feel more like myself -- I've lost 33 lbs in 5 days! Most of it was water from the pre-eclampsia. And, of course, 10 pounds of babies!

Today we spent a lot of time at the hospital. I've now been able to hold all the babies. Today I held Lila for about 90 minutes! Alex and Brandon both got their PICC lines today. They didn't like it very much but eventually the staff got the lines in. Now they won't have to have new IV sites all the time. That's all for now, we're heading back to the hospital soon. Thank you to everyone for the flowers, warm wishes, prayers, positive thinking, etc.

Me holding Lila today.

Sunday night in the NICU

Here are a few new pictures from our visit this evening. They each gained 10 grams today!

Alex

Brandon

Lila

Abby's homecoming

Abby got to come home today, after nearly 5 weeks in the hospital. The babies are doing well, and all 3 are receiving food above and beyond their IV nutrition. Unfortunately their IV's have been a little troublesome, so they are all probably going to get central lines (also called PICC lines). Those should last the duration of their stays in the NICU and will keep the nurses from continually having to find new IV spots. Poor Alex and Lila have been little pincushions! Abby got to hold Alex yesterday and Brandon today, which she was really happy about. And I got to change my first diaper (Alex's)! It was a little bit of a challenge changing the diaper of a baby in an isolette (click here for an example if you've never seen one), but it all worked out in the end. Abby is happy to be home with Milo the wonder dog. She promises to blog about this whole experience later on when she had a bit more energy. We're leaving soon for our first night-time visit.

The boys are catching up

I'm hoping to get some new pictures up tomorrow -- and maybe even a video at some point -- but in the meantime here's a text-only update for you. Abby had a tough night last night, as she had to contend with a fever and a lot of pain from the surgery. Little by little she's been feeling better, able to sit up more often, choose from a slightly wider range of snacks, etc. And, most importantly, around 1:30 this afternoon she was able to go visit the NICU and see the babies for the first time since they were born. I'll leave it to her to blog about the experience at some future date -- she was clearly pretty thrilled though. We're hoping to go back up for another visit tonight.

Other good news: the boys were both taken off CPAP today, so they're basically breathing on their own (like their sister). The staff will keep a close eye on them, and they can always switch back if they need to. But it's really good that, less than 48 hours from birth, all 3 are breathing so well. You can really see the boys' faces much better now -- and you can see that they both have hair! It's not as dark as Lila's though. Speaking of baby girl, she opened her eyes for a little while earlier, and they sure looked blue to me. I know that can change, but it was just neat to see her eyes open. She also got a little food for the first time today!

The NICU is an interesting place. At some point I'll try to post some pictures so you can all see it. It's huge (biggest in the state) and is actually on 2 floors. It does not have a long glass window where people can go look in on babies easily. The babies are not side by side in a long row of incubators. It's not easiest place to get in and out of -- you just have to know the routine. You have to pass through 2 sets of double doors, have a badge and be waived through by security. Once you're in the room, you have to find your way to the babies you're there to see -- and you have to be accompanied by a parent. There are columns throughout which are painted to look like tree trunks (the ceilings have the branches and leaves). Around each tree trunk you'll find four zones, each of which holds a baby. There are computer screens and other kinds of monitors everywhere. At any given moment, there are enough beeps and alarms (for example, if a baby's pulse drops a bit, etc.) going off that it sounds like the nickel slot room at a riverboat casino. There are also a lot of (wonderful/fantastic) staff running around: neonatologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, etc. who are assigned to different patients. The best analogy I can give you is: think of a really busy office with a lot of computers, phones, staff and hand sanitizer... and now imagine it's in the middle of the Hoosier National Forest. Yeah, that's about right.

The NICU can be a little scary, but it is the best place for our kids and all the other little babies who need extra help. Until next time.

News and more pictures

Well, where to start? The docs continue to have positive things to say about the kids' progress. All are breathing room air. Lila doesn't have any help, and the boys just have something called CPAP, which is simply positive air pressure. They are not intubated. The boys might not even need the CPAP after a couple more days. Provided the results of their blood culture come back negative, all three will likely be off of antibiotics soon as well. Hard to believe it's been less than 24 hours since they were born. We know they still need a lot of time -- possibly from 4 to 6 weeks -- but for right now it seems they're doing as well as can be expected.

Abby has been resting without too much discomfort. She didn't sleep all that well last night (of course, that happens when you're being checked in on so frequently) and has been napping. I hope she'll be able to go up and see the kids soon, but it's really up to her doctor as to when he's comfortable with her being out of bed. She's still on a lot of oral and IV meds. But I try to bring her updates and pictures from my visits upstairs.

Speaking of pictures, here are a few new ones. I have to warn you, the pictures of the boys might be a little scary. All I can say is that, even in real life, it all looks worse than it is. A lot of the wires are just leads to little patches which stick on their skin and monitor breathing, heart rate, etc. The CPAPs are just little tubes at the boys' noses. The nurses and neonatologists up there are awesome -- tireless -- and I know having the kids hooked up to this stuff is for the best.

Brandon napping.

Alex is all bundled up.

Lila seems a little more comfortable than her brothers.

They're big on skin-to-skin contact in the NICU, so Sam bravely stepped up to the plate.

Lila's footprints (note the size of the pencil for reference).

Pictures!!

Here are a few pictures I snapped about 5 minutes after the kids were born. From here they were swept off to the NICU. We did get to see them later on. The docs said they were doing pretty well. The boys needed just a little help breathing (and Brandon needed some medicine), but the doc said the treatments weren't "agressive," more just a boost. They're all hooked up to tiny IV's for antibiotics and fluids, which is basically standard (proactive) procedure. But here they are when they were wild and free! I'll try to post some NICU pics today as well.

Lila Joy

Alexander Jude

Brandon Nathaniel

Babies are here!!

At about a quarter past 9 we welcomed...

Lila Joy @ 3 lbs 6 oz
Alexander Jude @ 3 lbs 7 oz
Brandon Nathaniel @ 3 lbs 3 oz

Abby is doing great. Babies are in the NICU of course but seem to be
doing well. I will post pictures when I can. Thank you all for the
support!!

C Section scheduled for tonight

Well, it seems that Abby's kidneys have gone on strike. She has significantly elevated amounts of protein in her, ummm, fluids. So we're on for tonight around 8 or 9 p.m. They'd do it sooner, but Abby had a late lunch, and the anesthesiologist won't push any drugs until her stomach is clear. We definitely didn't expect to have such short notice, but you play the cards you're dealt. We're optimistic that everything is going to be just fine. I'll do my best to post an update later tonight. Wish us luck.

31 weeks (tomorrow) and weighing in at...

Baby A: 3 pounds, 3 oz

Baby B: 3 pounds, 13 oz

Baby C: 3 pounds, 9 oz

 

There's kind of a wide margin of error on these, so we're inclined to think that Baby A might actually weigh a little more than this. He was the biggest last time they measured.

 

Still, all of them showing well over 3 pounds -- that's a good thing.

 

Later,

Sam

Holidays in the hospital. And the nicest cop in town.

First, a quick baby update: Pre-eclampsia is still creeping up, but Abby is hanging tough. All we can do is take it one day at a time. Hopefully her condition will level off or just increase slowly enough that we can get a few more weeks. The good news is, A) that she'll be 31 weeks this coming Tuesday, and B) that there were no babies in 2008!!

As far as the holidays, I won't try to speak for Abby on this one -- I know she would rather have been home, but we both know the hospital was the best place for her -- but I think we all did what we could to keep her entertained. Many friends and family sent gifts along, and I know she enjoyed opening them. Special shout-outs go to Justin and Jessie for the MillionHeir game (she's really enjoying it), to the Caldwells for bringing the traditional home-made candy (of which she snuck a few pieces before the nurses busted her) and to my cousin Ashley for the in-room mani/pedi.

I spent most of Christmas Eve, and Christmas afternoon and evening at the hospital, relaxing on the new couch that the staff rolled in. I have taken multiple naps in that room, now that it has a couch. (Between that couch and college football on TV, New Year's Day almost felt like normal.) I also managed to be in the right place at the right time over the weekend to actually see an ultrasound. That was the first time I'd seen one in a while. It's not as high-resolution as the one in the regular doctors' office, but it was still neat (and comforting) to see them moving around.

Finally, two wonderful things happened on New Year's Eve. One being the aforementioned "no babies in 2008." The second? Well, it started like this...

I dropped Milo (the Cockapoo) off at my parents' house around 5, so that he could spend the evening there while I was at the hospital. Even though I didn't intend to stay the night, 7 hours is still longer than I want to leave him home alone (I know, I know... I baby him). I left at about 5:15 and headed east on 116th Street toward Rangeline, so that I could pick up Chinese food to take to Abby (hey, it's the holidays, we figured she could break the diabetic diet for one night; plus, all she wanted was chicken and veggies -- not many carbs there). Between Spring Mill and Meridian, I saw flashing lights behind me. I figured the officer just needed to get around me, but as I pulled off to the side, he did too. Uh oh. So he came up to my window and said he'd clocked me at 51 (limit was 35) about half a mile back. I won't transcribe the entire conversation, but basically I said I was sorry and that I didn't have any reason to be going that fast -- I just wasn't paying attention. I didn't argue, because I had no doubt that his reading was correct. In my (extremely weak) defense, a lot of the roads around there are 40 or 45 and even though I saw that the limit was 35, I basically chose to ignore it. For all you kids reading at home, that was the wrong call on my part! Obey the law!!

He took my information, and then he asked me if I'd ever been pulled over before. I told him that I had, but it had been about 10 years. (Actually it had been nearly 13. 1996 was a bad year: 3 tickets, a lot of hassle, a lot of being grounded from the car, a lot of money and, ultimately, a defensive driving class during my freshman year at IU. Good times, right Mom?) He said, "10 years, huh? Let me go check on these, and I think we can get you out of here."

So I'm thinking, "Get me out of here? As opposed to, what, arresting me?" Oh no, this is not good. It's New Year's Eve, I was speeding in Carmel, and I'm driving Abby's company car (sorry, forgot to mention that). This guy's going to throw the book at me. He's got an assistant Hamilton County prosecutor, a US Marshall, a grand jury and Patrick Fitzergald back there with him, and they're going to send me to Gitmo. I'm thinking that even if they give me a phone call, who am I going to call? Do I call Abby, and tell her what happened? Do I call my friend Brian Mosby (attorney at law) and ask for help? Or do I call a marriage counselor, because after Abby finds out I was arrested on the way to bring her and the babies some delicious Chinese food, I'm going to need one?!!

And then I thought to myself, maybe he means he'll get me out of here in the sense that, assuming this doesn't come up as a stolen vehicle, he's just going to write me a ticket and send me on my way. Or maybe he means, if I really have had a clean driving record for that long, and since I seem like a relatively nice, honest fellow, he'll just give me a warning. No way, not possible. Not in Carmel. Not on New Year's Eve, not for going a full 16 miles over the speed limit. Not tonight, baby. Tonight, I'm in big trouble.

In my side mirror, I finally see his door open. He gets to my window and says the 13 words that I won't soon forget. "Here's your information back, sir. I'm just going to give you a warning." He went on to say that I should be more careful, because it's a 2-lane road back there and it's hilly. Roger that. No argument, officer. Thank you, and Happy New Year.

Folks, that is a New Year's miracle.

Oh, and I did get the Chinese food. And Abby wasn't upset about the incident. The babies liked chicken with veggies. And I played it at or below the speed limit for the rest of the night. Happy New Year, everyone. Drive safe.