No, nothing is wrong, other than severe sleep deprivation.
Now don't get me wrong, we LOVE the beans, but could they sleep... just a little? Please?
Big sister Emily appears to be developing colic. Several nights of heart-breaking cries from her and some phone calls to the pediatrician's office, internet research (well, I *am* the house geek...) and even some old-school things called "books" were consulted. Pretty much nothing we can do except try to comfort her and ride it out. Poor thing sounds so awful crying, it's just heart-breaking to hear.
Noah seems to be growing like a weed. He looks like he's filling out his skin much better and looking less like a shar-pei dog. And the lungs on that boy! When he wants to eat, he will let you know at top volume.
Sydney's blocked tear duct looks much better now, she isn't waking up with her eyelids all but glued shut, and that's such an improvement for her! She is still sweet and quiet (mostly), and thankfully she usually goes right to sleep giving us time to focus on the other two who like to stay awake and fuss. Sydney got her very first bath tonight, Complete with grandparents, video camera, snapshots, the whole media event. She got through it with no fussing, no crying, just took it all in stride. Thank you Sydney for making that first bath so easy! As soon as Daddy gets your pictures sorted through, he'll add them to what was uploaded tonight.
I'm sorry it took a while to get to this, but with everything going on around here, it gets tough to make time to sit at a computer doing this instead of helping out with the babies. At least this time I didn't fall asleep on it...
-John
Friday, April 27, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Day um... what is it now? (16)
Hey John, what happened to Friday night's post?
Well, you see, when tired Daddy tries to multi-task by posting from bed right before he goes to sleep... Sometimes it just doesn't quite work out and sleep wins.
Friday was a very big day for the beans, too. Their first ride all together in the back of the SUV. Their first pediatrician visit. Their first trip to Babies R Us. They got a lot done Friday.
Dr. Fox is wonderful, I hadn't met her, but Amy met with her before choosing her. She's very nice and has a very good way with the babies. She's very impressed by their progress so far, too.
Emily is weighing in at 5lb 4oz, and has been self-pacing her feeding very well. But Daddy still nervously watches her face while she eats to make sure she doesn't turn any funny colors on him.
Noah is just shy of the 5lb goal (for the nice car seats) at 4lb 14oz. Of course, that was two days ago, he might be over 5lb by now. He is eating very well. Not always sleeping very well, but he does eat.
Sydney is close to her big sister at 5lb 2oz, but she's eating like she wants to top it. The doctor said she can go on the same formula as her siblings, which makes our life easier as we only need mix one pitcher versus two now.
Saturday, the beans made their first tour of the neighborhood. Mommy and Daddy strapped them into the seats and snapped them in place on the strollers (a double and a single) and took them out. The canopies shaded them nicely (we don't need Noah getting any redder than he already is...) and even though Sydney complained VERY loudly at first, by the end of the driveway, she had quieted down and they slept for most of the trip. They attracted some attention, but not too much. I guess we'll have to get used to being something of a spectacle.
Saturday night, Daddy was up until 3-ish trying to calm Noah down. Mommy came down and relieved me and I went up to sleep for a good stretch before coming down and letting her go up to rest. Grandma Ayres was a big help with the Cheesman/Johnson contingent back in Muncie for a couple days. We sort of drifted through Sunday but were paid a nice visit by friends Melissa and her boyfriend Greg. They're moving North soon and wanted to see the babies and visit before they left. Good luck on the new jobs, Mel and Greg! Good luck with all of it! Thanks for the very nice candies, they are popular with the caretakers of the beans.
So here it is, Sunday night, I'm catching up on this while Grandma and Grandpa Cheesman feed the beans upstairs. (Thanks for coming back!) I'll close here because I need to get some sleep before the 5:30/6:00/6:30 AM feedings and then off to work for me.
The beans are very active these days. They stretch and flex their limbs, they're raising their heads more (especially when you're trying to burp them... hold still!) and generally showing a lot of interest in their surroundings. They have each had a turn now on their swing and they seem to like it very well. It kept them quiet enough that we might need another one of those things... Maybe two...
-John
More pics coming tomorrow!
Well, you see, when tired Daddy tries to multi-task by posting from bed right before he goes to sleep... Sometimes it just doesn't quite work out and sleep wins.
Friday was a very big day for the beans, too. Their first ride all together in the back of the SUV. Their first pediatrician visit. Their first trip to Babies R Us. They got a lot done Friday.
Dr. Fox is wonderful, I hadn't met her, but Amy met with her before choosing her. She's very nice and has a very good way with the babies. She's very impressed by their progress so far, too.
Emily is weighing in at 5lb 4oz, and has been self-pacing her feeding very well. But Daddy still nervously watches her face while she eats to make sure she doesn't turn any funny colors on him.
Noah is just shy of the 5lb goal (for the nice car seats) at 4lb 14oz. Of course, that was two days ago, he might be over 5lb by now. He is eating very well. Not always sleeping very well, but he does eat.
Sydney is close to her big sister at 5lb 2oz, but she's eating like she wants to top it. The doctor said she can go on the same formula as her siblings, which makes our life easier as we only need mix one pitcher versus two now.
Saturday, the beans made their first tour of the neighborhood. Mommy and Daddy strapped them into the seats and snapped them in place on the strollers (a double and a single) and took them out. The canopies shaded them nicely (we don't need Noah getting any redder than he already is...) and even though Sydney complained VERY loudly at first, by the end of the driveway, she had quieted down and they slept for most of the trip. They attracted some attention, but not too much. I guess we'll have to get used to being something of a spectacle.
Saturday night, Daddy was up until 3-ish trying to calm Noah down. Mommy came down and relieved me and I went up to sleep for a good stretch before coming down and letting her go up to rest. Grandma Ayres was a big help with the Cheesman/Johnson contingent back in Muncie for a couple days. We sort of drifted through Sunday but were paid a nice visit by friends Melissa and her boyfriend Greg. They're moving North soon and wanted to see the babies and visit before they left. Good luck on the new jobs, Mel and Greg! Good luck with all of it! Thanks for the very nice candies, they are popular with the caretakers of the beans.
So here it is, Sunday night, I'm catching up on this while Grandma and Grandpa Cheesman feed the beans upstairs. (Thanks for coming back!) I'll close here because I need to get some sleep before the 5:30/6:00/6:30 AM feedings and then off to work for me.
The beans are very active these days. They stretch and flex their limbs, they're raising their heads more (especially when you're trying to burp them... hold still!) and generally showing a lot of interest in their surroundings. They have each had a turn now on their swing and they seem to like it very well. It kept them quiet enough that we might need another one of those things... Maybe two...
-John
More pics coming tomorrow!
Friday, April 20, 2007
More pictures!
The slew of pictures we've taken to date have been added to the album. Including shots from the beans first outing today to the doctor's office. Details in tonight's post.
-John
-John
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Day 13: All present and accounted for!
Emily is home! We have the full set!
Except for a short trip to meet with the Southside Parents of Multiples for the first time (but not the last...), we devoted our evening to getting a feel for the feeding rotation with a third player.
I just don't have words to adequately express what I felt to see all three of my children, in our home, no tubes/wires/monitors... Us getting used to them, them getting used to us... Emily and Sydney sharing a nap in a pack-n-play... the first time they were all asleep at the same time, like they are now... It's this kind of emotion that sustains me through the fear and doubt.
Looking forward to the networking that the SSPOM will provide. Already saw a couple friendly faces and Amy and I were recognized from the pictures on this blog. We met some very nice people who were very warm and welcoming (will I always be the only guy there???). Amy and I both have a sister that carried twins, both sets naturally-occurring. My sister strongly suggested we look into an organization like SSPOM, so here we are.
I need sleep now.
-John
Except for a short trip to meet with the Southside Parents of Multiples for the first time (but not the last...), we devoted our evening to getting a feel for the feeding rotation with a third player.
I just don't have words to adequately express what I felt to see all three of my children, in our home, no tubes/wires/monitors... Us getting used to them, them getting used to us... Emily and Sydney sharing a nap in a pack-n-play... the first time they were all asleep at the same time, like they are now... It's this kind of emotion that sustains me through the fear and doubt.
Looking forward to the networking that the SSPOM will provide. Already saw a couple friendly faces and Amy and I were recognized from the pictures on this blog. We met some very nice people who were very warm and welcoming (will I always be the only guy there???). Amy and I both have a sister that carried twins, both sets naturally-occurring. My sister strongly suggested we look into an organization like SSPOM, so here we are.
I need sleep now.
-John
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Day 12: Almost home
Yay Emily! She's doing great and looks like everything is on track for her to finally join her sibs in keeping her parents busy.
We visited her for what we hope is the last time in the NICU tonight. She ate well, got a new outfit and nodded off to sleep.
Since I know the NICU nurses will read this, let me express again what I said early on. Our three children were initially cared for by a wonderful staff of truly professional people who define the term "caregivers". They could not have been more helpful or patient with two new parents who were struggling to figure out how to suddenly care for three tiny little babies. I remember thinking how small and fragile they looked and being more than a little afraid of accidentally doing something wrong or inadvertently hurting them. They got us past the initial fears and worries, told us it'd be OK and helped us do as much as we could to care for them. I know they will miss having the Ayres triplets around to care for, but it looked tonight like they had plenty to keep them busy. I'm glad they had some time with our children, I know Amy and I appreciate everything they did for us and the beans.
When we got home from the NICU we decided to stay up for Noah and Sydney's midnight feeding. Now that they're taken care of, Amy and I are going to sleep and wait impatiently for the time tomorrow when we can bring our first-born home at last.
...now the fun *really* begins...
-John
We visited her for what we hope is the last time in the NICU tonight. She ate well, got a new outfit and nodded off to sleep.
Since I know the NICU nurses will read this, let me express again what I said early on. Our three children were initially cared for by a wonderful staff of truly professional people who define the term "caregivers". They could not have been more helpful or patient with two new parents who were struggling to figure out how to suddenly care for three tiny little babies. I remember thinking how small and fragile they looked and being more than a little afraid of accidentally doing something wrong or inadvertently hurting them. They got us past the initial fears and worries, told us it'd be OK and helped us do as much as we could to care for them. I know they will miss having the Ayres triplets around to care for, but it looked tonight like they had plenty to keep them busy. I'm glad they had some time with our children, I know Amy and I appreciate everything they did for us and the beans.
When we got home from the NICU we decided to stay up for Noah and Sydney's midnight feeding. Now that they're taken care of, Amy and I are going to sleep and wait impatiently for the time tomorrow when we can bring our first-born home at last.
...now the fun *really* begins...
-John
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Day 11: Where did Day 10 go?
It'll come as no surprise to those who already have children, but I can't stop myself from saying "Wow, kids are a lot of work!"
I know... "Duh!"
Two at once may not be fully twice the work, but there's no volume discount. Emily isn't even here yet!
Emily update: She's still in the NICU. She had a "desat" (her oxygen level dropped below the happy number) the other night during a feeding and the neonatologist wanted to keep her a bit longer just to be sure she's stable and to give me and Amy some time to learn how to pace her feeding. We have to stop her from pulling too much on the bottle, lest she "forget to breathe". I tried it for the first time today, and I was surprised at the GRIP she had on that nipple in her mouth! If she has no further incidents, she could be ready to come home on Thursday. Another option is to send her home with a monitor which we'd prefer not to do, especially since it won't be used during feeding, only while she's sleeping. To be a parent is to worry. Triplets, 4 weeks premature and one has potential breathing problems... It's getting to be an awfully big stack. Our firstborn looks good, she's gaining weight, and there's a chance she might crack the 5 lb mark by Thursday! (4lb, 14oz today) It was so hard for Amy and me to leave her there when we had our hearts set on taking her home, but if the experts say they want to keep an eye on her, it's very hard to disagree with them. We've done so well and come so far. Hang in there Emily! We're coming for you!
Noah and Sydney update: They do so much! Wriggle, twist, flail their little arms and legs, shake their heads back and forth, and that's just when we try to feed them! Noah is becoming less terrified of diaper changes, so I hope that means his pain is subsiding some. A good portion of the time I would've used to post last night was probably spent staring down at a child in my arms. Sleeping, feeding or just holding them and looking at the expressions they make up at me. I could do it for hours... Not sure what their weights are, but I can tell you they *are* gaining weight. They are filling out and looking healthier by the day. Noah's very red skin tone is fading down to a more normal shade. Sydney's very narrow face is rounding out and she is resembling her sister more and more. We may yet have trouble telling them apart!
Yesterday Amy's mother and sister came down to stay a few days and help. Added to my mother up from Texas for an extended stay, the workload is at least manageable. This is when the importance of family shows through. Amy and I going through this alone would've been all but impossible! Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that. We have family. We are family. Emily, Noah and Sydney will know how important family has been in getting them into this world and caring for them when they needed it most. Amy and I will make sure they know. We can never thank our family members enough for their help. And the family members too far away to help in person, you are not left out of this. We were supported long before the beans arrived by gestures of support, care packages, caring phone calls and too many other things to count. Amy's family helped us move into this nice new house. We couldn't have done any of this without family.
It's almost time for me to wrap this up. I ran a little long, but I needed to make up for yesterday. I'll work on getting the latest pics posted as soon as I can, we have some shots of Noah and Sydney coming home, adjusting to their new surroundings and a couple from today of Emily in a nice change of clothes after her feeding.
-John
I know... "Duh!"
Two at once may not be fully twice the work, but there's no volume discount. Emily isn't even here yet!
Emily update: She's still in the NICU. She had a "desat" (her oxygen level dropped below the happy number) the other night during a feeding and the neonatologist wanted to keep her a bit longer just to be sure she's stable and to give me and Amy some time to learn how to pace her feeding. We have to stop her from pulling too much on the bottle, lest she "forget to breathe". I tried it for the first time today, and I was surprised at the GRIP she had on that nipple in her mouth! If she has no further incidents, she could be ready to come home on Thursday. Another option is to send her home with a monitor which we'd prefer not to do, especially since it won't be used during feeding, only while she's sleeping. To be a parent is to worry. Triplets, 4 weeks premature and one has potential breathing problems... It's getting to be an awfully big stack. Our firstborn looks good, she's gaining weight, and there's a chance she might crack the 5 lb mark by Thursday! (4lb, 14oz today) It was so hard for Amy and me to leave her there when we had our hearts set on taking her home, but if the experts say they want to keep an eye on her, it's very hard to disagree with them. We've done so well and come so far. Hang in there Emily! We're coming for you!
Noah and Sydney update: They do so much! Wriggle, twist, flail their little arms and legs, shake their heads back and forth, and that's just when we try to feed them! Noah is becoming less terrified of diaper changes, so I hope that means his pain is subsiding some. A good portion of the time I would've used to post last night was probably spent staring down at a child in my arms. Sleeping, feeding or just holding them and looking at the expressions they make up at me. I could do it for hours... Not sure what their weights are, but I can tell you they *are* gaining weight. They are filling out and looking healthier by the day. Noah's very red skin tone is fading down to a more normal shade. Sydney's very narrow face is rounding out and she is resembling her sister more and more. We may yet have trouble telling them apart!
Yesterday Amy's mother and sister came down to stay a few days and help. Added to my mother up from Texas for an extended stay, the workload is at least manageable. This is when the importance of family shows through. Amy and I going through this alone would've been all but impossible! Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that. We have family. We are family. Emily, Noah and Sydney will know how important family has been in getting them into this world and caring for them when they needed it most. Amy and I will make sure they know. We can never thank our family members enough for their help. And the family members too far away to help in person, you are not left out of this. We were supported long before the beans arrived by gestures of support, care packages, caring phone calls and too many other things to count. Amy's family helped us move into this nice new house. We couldn't have done any of this without family.
It's almost time for me to wrap this up. I ran a little long, but I needed to make up for yesterday. I'll work on getting the latest pics posted as soon as I can, we have some shots of Noah and Sydney coming home, adjusting to their new surroundings and a couple from today of Emily in a nice change of clothes after her feeding.
-John
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Day 9: Stress testing
We have survived the first night. Amy and I handled the middle of the night feedings/diaperings, and were thankfully relieved at 7 AM by the grandparents. So very thankful they're here to help us!
Poor Noah is having pain from his procedure yesterday, and he's reminded of it at every diaper change. It is a heart-wrenching sound, his pain cry. I know it too well now. I think it hurts Amy just as much to hear it as it does him feeling it. Hang in there, son. (no pun intended)
Sydney had some pretty bad congestion so Daddy had to come after her with the dreaded bulb. She HATES that thing! She didn't start off feeding very well, either.
Come morning, several clothes-changes for Noah and the blanket from our bed in the laundry from one well-aimed formula launch by Noah, we're OK, I think. They're back up to feeding at good levels, they're sleeping well between feedings, Noah's even a little less uncomfortable at diaper changes.
Amy slept less than I did, so I'm trying to get her to rest some today, but we also want to go visit Emily. As much work as it's going to add having her here, we want her home. Come on Tuesday!
-John
Poor Noah is having pain from his procedure yesterday, and he's reminded of it at every diaper change. It is a heart-wrenching sound, his pain cry. I know it too well now. I think it hurts Amy just as much to hear it as it does him feeling it. Hang in there, son. (no pun intended)
Sydney had some pretty bad congestion so Daddy had to come after her with the dreaded bulb. She HATES that thing! She didn't start off feeding very well, either.
Come morning, several clothes-changes for Noah and the blanket from our bed in the laundry from one well-aimed formula launch by Noah, we're OK, I think. They're back up to feeding at good levels, they're sleeping well between feedings, Noah's even a little less uncomfortable at diaper changes.
Amy slept less than I did, so I'm trying to get her to rest some today, but we also want to go visit Emily. As much work as it's going to add having her here, we want her home. Come on Tuesday!
-John
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