Prayer Request!

Our hearts are heavy tonight as many of our friends and family are being evacuated from their homes in Minot, ND today. The flooding of the Mighty Mouse River is rising at rates much faster than predicted, despite dike building efforts they are afraid that the levees won't hold through the night. Many homes are already sacrificed. My parents house (the house we were planning on moving into in 3 weeks) and Ben's brother's family home are being evacuated as I type. My heart goes out to them and everyone else who is being affected. I pray for their safety and was happy to just catch my Mom on the phone to hear she was packing up some last minute necessities before leaving her home for the night and probably not being allowed to return for many days. I was very nervous when I read that that the levee may burst tonight and sirens would sound  with reverse-911 procedures in place (her house was initially slated for mandatory evacuation by tomorrow night and I worried that they would try and stay one more night and it be too late- I am glad they changed her mandatory evac to this evening to be safe). Ben's brother and his family are out as well and will be staying safely at his parents house. There are many people praying for everyone in Minot right now and we know that there are many people working very hard to keep all safe.

http://www.minotnd.org/

http://www.kxnet.com/?setCity=min&

4 month WELL child check-up!

Evan enjoying a nice full bath now that he is all healed up! It's glorious to see (and keep) clean water throughout the bath :) He has 2 incisions that are healing nicely (the red spots are from the tape/gauze)

Cute shirts from Auntie Laura that the boys sported to their 4 month pedi appt. It's the 1st time we have had 3 healthy boys at the Dr together since their 1st PT/OT appt in March, it felt great! Look how long and lean Evan looks, I am sure he will chub back out in no time.

Filling up the exam room!

Waiting to see the Dr after our growth measurements were taken:

Evan: 11lb 3oz (down 6oz since he was weighed 5/19) and 23 3/4" long
Payton: 12lb 1oz and 23 1/2" long (I am thinking this might be off, it was a big growth jump)
Riley: 12lb .5oz and 23 1/4" long

All the boys are now on the growth chart for height and weight for their actual age!! That's great news! They all took the shots like champs and just needed a dose of tylenol later in the day. We told Dr. MP that the new reflux meds aren't making much of a difference yet but agreed to wait another week and see what happens before going back to the drawing board. (PLEASE work, PLEASE work!!! Mom and Dad can not take much more fussy/refusing eating, there really is nothing more frustrating, especially when we already feel like we are hanging on by a string with all of the changes going on lately...like preparing to sell our house and move, YIKES!! all while caring for 3 4 almost healthy boys!)

It gets pretty cozy in here....

E has great eye contact!

So does R!

P is still working on it! We have questioned his vision lately or whether he is just still maturing slowly compared to his brothers? I wonder if it has anything to do with him getting shorted from my placenta by only having a 2 vessel cord? Or possibly all the complications he had in the NICU? I hope it's nothing more :(

Now that's a good pediatrician!!!

We are going to miss Dr. McPhee SOOOOOO much! I love this picture.

We don't have plans for the long wknd (like that means anything to us right now, ha!) But I hope we can get out of the house at some point, just need to figure out something to do. We have been packing boxes and trying to figure out all that is left to do in between baby feeds. We are looking forward to a date night (with help from a couple fellow triplet moms!) really soon! We are going to be sure to get out and use it as a time to nap :)

REFLUX!!!!! Boo!!!

On top of nurturing Evan back to good health we have had a rough week full of nasty reflux with the other boys. (not sure if reflux is bothering E too, he has so much going on!) I will list a bunch of updates and attempt to get my scattered thoughts together below- sorry if it's garbled!

Simply Thick: The FDA came over and took samples and a statement from us. They said our neonate Drs alerted the FDA after a 2nd baby developed NEC later in age than normal who was also on Simply Thick. They then alerted a national board of neonatologists and the numbers keep raising of cases just like Evan's over the last 6 months, last I heard it was up to 30 something. We have been consulting with a lawyer and a lawyer friend from back home is helping us make sense of it all as well. I received a letter directly from Simply Thick yesterday recalling their product and asking for it not to be used on preemies (I don't think it should be used on any age infant!!) but an official recall from the FDA has not yet been announced to my knowledge. They are testing it for contaminants or what other property of it could be linked to the cause of NEC. I am sure this is going to be a long battle, but we won't give up!

Reflux: P and R have become terrible eaters over the last couple weeks. They have been refusing their reflux meds and spitting it out everywhere so we finally linked their lack of interest in eating to them not getting enough meds- duh!! Ben and I were about to (ok, we did crack) crack, our ears have been bleeding with all of the screaming and discomfort. We have now switched from prilosec to zantac and I think they are starting to improve- AMEN!!! Reflux is no joke, and when it is x3, it is unbearable. We take all 3 in for their 4 month check-up this Friday, can't wait to see our pedi and see how much they have grown! (we know it may not be the best weight jump since they haven't been eating great, but I think Dr. MP will be surprised to see how they have matured ;0 we are going to mis her!!!! (more on that below) )

Evan: Our new skinny-mini :( I will have to post some pics so you can see the difference. He is not withering away, I am just use to a chunky monkey. After only having pedialyte before and for days after his surgery the little guy got hooked on it. He is refusing formula, especially since he has to be on pregestimil which smells (and tastes) like cat food or litter or something nasty like that. We are mixing it with pedialyte now and trying to ween him down- tough process though. His incisions on his belly are healing nicely and he really enjoyed his first full bath in long time yesterday :) He still needs lots of tylenol and needs to be held and comforted for a majority of the day. Thank goodness uncle D is here and also the ANGEL we have been blessed with 3 days a week from Renaissance Doula, she is such a blessing to us. We will miss her the upcoming days as she attends to personal matter and her family is in our prayers. We love you, D! One of the worst parts of Evan's recovery is the diaper rash; as much as we tried to prevent it- it came! (**E: for Lee's upcoming surgery make sure you use TONS of diaper cream, more than you think is needed. Also, really coat his little man-sac, they didn't tell us that and we didn't think to and now it is raw :( good luck with your takedown surgery, and yay for no more poopy-bags!!! We will be praying for Lee).

The next stage: I don't think I have mentioned on here (only fb) that we are moving back home to Minot in a few weeks. Ben has not found work out here and got a great job offer that is relocating us back. We realized, very quickly, that help from family is invaluable during these early years, especially if Evan continues to have medical issues. We have hung on by a string these last few months and feel at ease with our decision to move for many reasons now, although it was a very hard decision to make. We have loved living in the PNW and may come back one day, I am most sad about leaving a job that I love, working for a company that I believe in, if we make our way back here- I hope they will have me back :) Ben is going to be working for the hospital's IT team and is really excited about this opportunity. I am going to have an initial phone interview this Friday, we will see what is out there for me :) I have been in talks with a nanny prospect back home, small world as I know her family and I am hoping it works out! Brody is really excited to be closer to some of his grand parents, aunts/uncles and cousin Drey! Ben and I are very happy to be closer to some family and can't wait to see some good friends too!

Evan and I waiting for him to be taken back for his takedown surgery- happy day!!

A couple pics of the boys home together before Evan's last surgery. Aren't the blankets the cutest? My sis Becky made these and matching burp clothes for the boys! She did a great job :)

Bye Bye Doernbecher's

What a nice ending to a full day! All three trips zipped up in their woombies sleeping like angels :) We were able to bring Evan home since he was eating and poopin~ but the recovery this time around is hard :( Probably because they let us take him home so soon, but we wouldn't have it any other way. More about that in the next post....I am a bit behind in updates!

Tootie-mc-tooterson!!

Evan knew just how to make Momma happy after her disapointing morning
with the news from the FDA- he lit up my lap with some big toots!! I
had just finished questioning the RN- "what if no one is in the room
when he toots??" She said it was that important that even if we missed
it the first time we would have to have it documented before starting
feeds. Evan is in a great mood today and loved the ounce of pedialite
he got as a reward! He definately wanted more but they are starting
slow. I think he should be getting formula by dinner time if all goes
well, and dare I say maybe even home by Monday??? Go Evan!!

I was also (pleasently) shocked when the surgery resident who has been
assigned to Evan since his takedown surgery (never met her previously)
said that she cuddled with E this morning, whaaaa?? Then she asked if
she could come back and hold him after I left, huhhhhh?? Talk about a
180 from certain other residents I hope to forget very soon. I will
have to specifically mention Dr. S when I submit my feedback- she is
exactly what I have been saying needs to happen, they just need to
listen and communicate better (the holding was just a shocking bonus).
She hasn't always known the answers to what I ask and hasn't agreed
with some of my theories, but she listened, acknowledged that she
heard me and said she would pass on whatever I was asking/saying to
Dr. Z. It's not rocket science and I don't think our expectations of
the surgery team have been unrealistic, and luckily this last stint
here Dr. S proved that it is possible and hopefully if she is
recognized she won't lose it or get other bad habits rubbed off on her!!

Ben is also doing a bit better, hopefully he is on the stomach bug
mend and the rest of us will not be taken out! Uncle D took a cab to
our house when his plane landed last night and so I had his help for
the 2am and 6am feeds while Ben slept- that was great! It use to be so
easy to feed 2 at once but they have gotten squirlly lately and need
your full attention to take down the whole bottle. I hope they pass
this phase soon!

I got an update while typing this and taking a break to feed E again
(yes, he is lovin it!) that they will start formula soon and he may
come home TOMORROW!!! That would be a miracle!!! Dr. S ROCKS! And the
fabulous nurses that have grown to love E too, glad I am having a
happy ending this go-around :)

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Sludge is the culprit!?!

I got a phone call from the FDA today and they will be out on Monday to interview us and take our remaining Simply Thick product as it has been linked to 15 known cases of NEC in preemies, including 2 deaths! I am in shock right now, what if this happened to all 3 of my boys? Evan was started on the product first and took the largest amount since he ate the most.....

http://www.recalllawsuit.com/2011/05/simplythick-and-necrotizing-enterocolitis-nec/

I need to make sure P and R are ok since we just stopped feeding it to them around Easter, so scary!!

I am holding Evan now waiting to talk to a Dr. They pulled his NG tube today but still no toots :(

Poor Daddy

I wonder what else can be thrown our way?? Poor Ben woke up at 3am with the pukes :( Upstairs to the guest bedroom he went and I got a couple more hours of sleep before the boys decided it was time to get up at 5am, sigh. I had a busy morning at home with P, R and Brody, filled with lots of stinky diapers and baths for all. Help arrived at noon and I packed up lunch and some toys so Brody and I could spend the afternoon at the hospital with Evan. We were happy to see that he was off his oxygen and his NG tube was taken off of suction since they haven't been getting any bilious output. This hopefully means that it is all moving in the right direction and maybe we will get a dirty diaper soon! They can hear bowel sounds finally so I am getting excited. Evan is resting in my lap and I am trying to convince B to take a nap on the bed in here too, fingers crossed!

Uncle D comes tonight, maybe just in time for the 2am feed if Ben is still out of commission ;)

PICU

We had quite the scare last night during the transfer from recovery to
his room on the peds floor. Right as we were getting to his room Evan
decided to quit breathing. One o the requirements for being on the
peds floor is that the littles do not need breathing assistance
greater than some oxygen cannula. So, they are not quite use to having
to care for kids that stop breathing or having issues. They all did a
great job though! Rapid Response was called and we had a team of
people in asap. This was more than the "episodes" we were use to
seeing in the NICU and quite frankly scared the heck out of us. I
don't want to ever see that happen again. They called for a consult
from a PICU intensivist who came and agreed that he should be moved to
the PICU for closer monitoring. They say that this can be a common
reaction, especially with preemies, when coming off of the caudal
block and other meds. I guess it happened 3 times before they called
us back to recovery but the nurse thought he was finished since he
went 45 minutes breathing on his own.

Luckily, the rest of the night was pretty uneventful besides seeing
all of our old friends. They are still working on getting E's pain
control just right as they are really trying to not use too much that
will knock him out. So I have been up a lot through the night soothing
the fighter back to dreamland. We might get moved to the transitional
care floor today or back to the peds floor- it just depends what his
pain med levels are.

So, we will continue toanxiously await the sight of a poopy diaper! I
think he might be tooting, which is awesome, because he stinks
sometimes enough for me to check his shorts. The faster this happens
the sooner he can start eating and buy his ticket out of here :)

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Amen!!

Dr. Z just updated us that they were finished and Evan did great! At
about 1 hr and 57 minutes on our timer Ben went to the desk and asked
for an update. They called back and informed us that they were
finished and the doc would be right out. No news though. The next 10
minutes were HORRIBLE as I played through different scenarios in my
head. All I kept thinking was "don't take us in the consult room,
please don't take us in the consult room." I feel like nothing good is
ever discussed in those small rooms. Luckily Dr. Z came out and
immediately said "were done, it went well." But then he brought us in
the consult room!!! Luckily it was just to answer any questions we had
and to tell us a bit of what to expect. They were able to go into the
previous incision and close up the ostomy site as well. He said the
bowel does have scar tissue but it was as expected and was healed.

Now we wait for some toots and hope he stays comfortable until then.

Thanks for the love, God is GOOD!!!

Xo, B

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Tick.Tock.Tick.Tock

We started our timer at 3pm when Evan was finally taken back, he
should be finished by 5pm or we will be updated as to why he isn't. He
was amazing all day- so much strength that lil guy has!! We made sure
he coo'd and smiled at the care team to ensure that they would fall in
love with him instantly and take great care of him (and he did, and so
did they!)

The plan at this point is for us to wait to hear from Dr. Z that all
went well and that Easy E has headed to recovery. They will have us
come back once he starts waking up. He will then get a room back on
the surgery peds ward (he will only have to go back to the PICU if
they are not able to extubate him after surgery, but they aren't
anticipating that outcome since he is so much healthier than he was 7
weeks ago for his last surgery). He won't be able to have any milk
until he starts pooping out his bottom or passing gas. The trips are
root tootin machines so we hope he remembers that and gets those
cheeks back in use quickly! They are withholding milk just in case of
any complications like a leak or obstruction, adding formula to a
problem would only make it worse. Once we know that he is put back
together correctly he can start eating and prove that he is ready to
go home. This could take anywhere from 3-10 days they say, so they are
hoping 5 days will be a fair stay. They have also prepared us for a
mean case of diaper rash since his bum has been so clean for the last
7 weeks, poor bug! We have been trying to off-set this by putting some
poo in his diaper from his bag, fun times.

Keep the prayers coming, we appreciate them all!

Xoxo, B

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He's a trooper!

Evan was able to get some good rest last night and is actually liking
the pedialite that is keeping him hydrated. We are snuggling and
getting smiles during this last hour before we leave for the hospital.
I am starting to get a bit of anxiety but staying strong from all of
our friends and family support! We are praying that this will be a
much more positive experience for all and that Evan remains
comfortable and stays strong!
Xo, B

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Evan's baaaaack

We finally feel like we have Easy E back! He has not needed to be tube
fed for the last 2 days (except over night) and he has regained his
former title of being the best eater! We couldn't be happier about
this :) We gave Evan the honor of pulling his own NG tube out this
morning (he's good at that) and we haven't looked back since! We were
skeptical; not because we didn't think he could take all his calories
by mouth, but because we are going to miss the continuous night drip
feeding! It will probably be a long night tonight as we get back into
the groove of 3 at a time night feeds. We are so excited that Evan has
finally turned the corner and hope this means he will recover even
quicker after his next surgery!

3 sleepy boys....at one time!

The boys are taking a loooong nap this morning! Yes, E is naked. We
were up at 4am (after falling asleep after the 3am feed) changing a
leaky bag. We got one on that lasted a few hours only to have to
change it again :( We will see if this one has "stuck" once E wakes
up. I caught a 20 min nap and Ben is still napping now as I make some
lunch in preparation for Brody, Jax, M, and T to get back from a
morning trip to the zoo! We told Brody that Jax was going to take him
to the zoo today at bedtime last night and when we woke him up this
morning he said he was ready to go! We asked where he was going and he
said "to the zoo with Jax!" That boy has such a good memory :)

bye bye poopy bag!

Evan had his appt. with Dr. Z yesterday and he gave us the green light to schedule the takedown surgery for next week! We are so relieved and quite ecstatic to get rid of the ol' poop-in-a-bag. I will be forever grateful if this 2nd surgery is a success and we can kiss the ostomy bags goodbye forever!! Poor Evan's skin has turned into leather from having to change the bag due to leaks so many times daily. No matter how perfect of a seal we have initially he has a little hernia that bulges and eventually breaks the seal (usually at about 2am) and then you have a screaming baby covered in poo and have to start the 5 (feels like 20) step process to get a new bag on. I believe the other problem that is causing the leaking is that his stoma is almost flush with his skin, so once a little bit of liquid makes its way under the seal the strong acidic poo eats away and finds a path out. We will update again but will be asking for your prayers next Wednesday morning as Evan enters his 2nd (and hopefully final) surgery on his belly. They will be taking his stoma and the mucous fistula which are currently sticking out through his abdomen and connecting them back together and hoping that the next time he eats it will exit his bum! There are some major risks with this surgery but he is going in MUCH healthier than he did the last time so we are hoping the recovery will be much easier on him. He has to be on clear liquids (pedialite) 24 hrs prior, that is going to be tough!!! Especially since he seems to have his appetite back :)

They are anticipating his post-op stay will be about 5 days, but could be as many as 10. We have been having a really sweet Doula (from Renaissance Doula) who was looking for experience with multiples come to our house a few days a week to help out. We are the same age and have a lot in common- so I really enjoy having her around! This has allowed Ben and I to get out of the house together to run a few errands (with Evan in tow, we will let D handle all 3 when E gets off his feeding tube and poops in a diaper).We had our last night Doula help (from ABC Doula) last weekend (and were really spoiled with a warm breakfast and a spotless house! And even tulips and a Mother's Day card, C is the BEST!!! She thinks it was her last night but I am hoping we will see her again too!) Ben's brother, Uncle D, will be out here next Friday for a week so he will be getting a crash course in diaper duty and bottle feedings for sure :) Brody is pretty excited to see him (although he reeeally wants to see Auntie H too!!)

I can't believe how much the boys change with every new day. We are eating up all of the smiles and coo's that come with their more alert hours. Riley is especially strong and isn't much for napping, he is definitely going to keep us on our toes! Payton really likes to nap (just like his daddy did as a baby) and seems to follow a bit behind his brothers with his milestones ( I know, quit comparing!) Evan is right in between- just easy and laid back! I am going to miss his feeding tube when he gets a bit stronger because the continuous drip he receives for 8 hours over night allows him to sleep through the entire night! Feeding 2 babies at 2/3am is SO MUCH easier than feeding 3. Ben and I have joked about putting in the extra NG tubes we have into Payton and Riley- they should automatically do that for multiples, tee hee.

Here are some recent pics. I have about a 1,000 more that I will upload into our Picasa web album. 

E-P-R (notice the blanket behind Evan; we had just finished getting everyone dressed for the day and I wanted to take some pics bu of course when I picked up Evan his bag was leaking for the 100th time!! I didn't care at that point, a wanted a picture! He didn't seem to mind to spend an extra few minutes before getting cleaned up smiling for the camera)

Payton having sweet dreams

Riley, wide awake per usual

Brody taking a picture of me while I was taking his

Dad and Easy E

R-P-E (You can tell who is the one I am trying to get stop crying for the pic (there is always 1!) by the paci in his mouth. Taking pictures of 3 boys is quite the task!)

This is what happens when there are 3 screaming babies and bottles need to be warmed; they get swaddled, paci'd and snuggled! (Note Payton, that kid will sneak a nap in whenever he can!)

Happy Mother's Day!

Sending lots of love to our Moms, Grandmas, Auntie Moms, Friend Moms,
and all MOMS out there! Fabulous work ladies!! I love you lots Mom,
Liz and Chari! Thanks for your continued love and support, always.

I am happy to say that our bags are packed and we are once again
waiting for the papers to be signed, yahoo!! Evan has tolerated all of
his feeds since we restarted them yesterday at 2pm. He even took the
entire bottle by mouth at 5pm- thatta boy! I told him what he needed
to do to get out of here and he obeyed! No vomitting over night or
this morning, this makes all very happy....and a bit confused! We are
hoping it was the change in medicine for his thrush that took him back
but it could also be something that we could continue to experience as
he matures, only time will tell. But time will tell at home and not
here!! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Brooke

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Say it ain't so!

Yep, we're baaaaack. Back at the childrens hospital that is :( We were
woken up by Evan throwing up a large amount this morning at 5am. He
had just finished his 8 hr slow drip feed (he gets 38ml/hr if formula
overnight through his ng tube since he is too tired to wake and eat).
We were hoping that it was a fluke and fed again his normal 100cc at
7am. We waited until 10am (he was very gaggy but did not throw up) and
we pulled back on his ng tube to see if any residual feed was still in
his belly from 7am. I pulled out 55cc and stopped since he had over
half of his feed three hours later, we knew something was up. I did
not force feed him anymore and paged the peds surgery team. After
going through his story of vomitting, decreased output from his ostomy
and increased residual, the peds surg resident directed us to the ER.
So off mom and Evan went, the trip was not scary like the last time I
had to take him in, I even remembered the valet parking!

By the time his intake was done (meaning telling his history to a
nurse, med student, fellow, and attending- all at different times mind
you) they did labs and an abdomen xray too, the surgery team came to
let me know he was going to be admitted back upstairs for at least one
night. The good news is his labs look good and his xray looks similar
to the last time his stomach decided to take a vacation and not empty
much into the intestines- darn lazy thing!! They say there is a few
things that could be going on, maybe the difflucan he started
yesterday for his thrush that wasn't improving is causing these
changes, maybe this is something that will happen intermittently that
will drive us crazy a he tries to outgrow it, maybe he coincidently
developed pyloric stenosis even though it was negative for that
previously. Or maybe ????? who the heck knows! I am happy they don't
think it's an obstruction and praying they are correct!!! So we have
started feeds again and will have to stay at least one night to see if
he tolerates them without vomitting (so much for Mother's Day
breakfast in bed! Ha, I am sure that was going to happen ;) ) If he
tolerates them again we will keep our appt with Dr.Z that is scheduled
for Thurs and discuss options on how to handle this gastric delay
(different feeding tube placement options possibly) and hope that we
can still move forward with his take down surgery in the near future.
There are so many unkowns which is very unsettling and frustrating for
Ben and I as we try to make life plans (like how about going back to
work!!) but most importantly we just want Evan healthy and on the
mend. He has been through so much and hopes he can catch a break soon!

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Random acts of kindness

We have been blessed by so many friends and family members sending us food, gift cards, gifts of money (sometimes many times over- thank you!!!), doula care, etc. I am still not caught up with thank you cards, and to tell you the truth I am getting confused as to if I have sent a card or not at times- so my apologies if I miss or double send for sure!! We were delivered 4 cases of diapers on our doorstep step today, that's 1,000 diapers! (thanks OH!!) And yep, that may get us through a whole month...hopefully! We also got another email for some diapers.com credit (Thanks SB! and A&K!!) thank you thank you thank you ALL!!!! I really needed it today after my mini breakdown I had with a nurse treatment room RN on the phone today (it ended a little something like: "that's ok, just forget it. I will just take my 3 preemie babies one who was just discharged from the hospital to every clinic in town to get the care they need because "you don't know". click.)

Life continues to be an "adventure" :) At times when all 3 babies and a toddler are crying for our attention and we don't have an extra arm to give we question our parenting ability but somehow, someway, we find a way to work it out (HUGE props to you triplet moms with hubby's back at work- seriously, you are my idols). Our days are crazier than ever with all 3 at home and Evan's extra medical cares definitely add another level of complexity, but we wouldn't wish it any other way (ok maybe that we lived in a house that could hold a live-in nanny so the baby to adult ratio was even, but we already won the lottery once with these boys- we can't expect to win it again!) We have not seen any major medical improvements with Evan since we came home, but mentally he is in a much better place. He is cooing and smiling at us in between the doses of meds and difficult bottle/tube feeds. We had an 8:30am peds appt today and I had 3 full outfit changes and 2 total ostomy bag changes (not just emptying the bag, I'm talking 2 bag removals, skin cleaning, skin prepping, bag prepping, adhering and sealing of a bag...twice!!! He's got such a strong tummy and a bit of a hernia that he can break the seal and before you know it there is yellow everywhere!!) on Evan alone before 8am! I need to find the time one of these days to document our day for you- it will make you tired just reading it. When all the boys were healthy we got lax about writing down feeds/diapers but now that numerous meds are involved, different formula, tube feedings, etc, we have to write down everything to even have a chance at reporting the correct information back to the pediatrician or surgeon when they ask about urine/stool/vomit/feeds, yikes!

.....now, it's time for some dinner! (thanks EH!)

There are so many times during the day when I find myself thinking "this would be great to share on the blog" for various reasons to (to keep family up to date, to help out another family, just for fun, to VENT, etc) but so many of those thoughts are lost by the time I sit down at the computer (with a baby strapped to my chest), I guess I better start writing my thoughts down too!

Many people have asked how I am doing with the milk supply....well, they are all officially on formula now. I had to erase the sad face I just typed- I fed 3 boys pure breast milk for their 1st 30 days! and then I supplemented a portion with formula for the next 60! not too shabby! I didn't think the "stress diet" would be so extreme that my milk supply would dry up like the Sahara desert (that's what being a parent advocate will do to a nursing mama) but I also didn't expect to squeeze into my rock and republic jeans this early either, that's right- it was a good feeling this morning. (and I still have them on! I didn't have the urge to switch to yoga pants the minute I got home from appts, ha!)

Fingers crossed!

After the nice "tease" we had of Evan visiting home, we are cautiously optimistic that he will finally be discharged tomorrow!! I especially can't wait as I haven't went to visit him yesterday or today as I am run down with a serious cold :( Not fun. I am starting to feel a bit better this afternoon so hopefully the worst is over, but I am obviously scared that one of the other littles or the hubby is going to come down with the nasty bug!! I will be relieved if I am the only one that takes a hit ;) Back to Evan.... we had a frustrating weekend, feeling like we were once again not being heard and that no proactive progress was being made to get the lil guy home. The weekend events have been added to my "list" so that I can compose my nice "post" letter that hopefully someone will take to heart and possibly improve the experience for a family down the road (who better not be us!!!) Last night was Evan's first night off of the tpn (IV nutrition) and they allowed him to eat what he could of a 100cc bottle and then they would put the remainder in through a NG tube. This way his gut is getting to process all of the nutrition he needs and will tell us if he can handle it. He has done good so far, he did through up one time last night but they don't seem concerned. They want him to stay again tonight and if he continues to do well and can show a weight gain tomorrow morning he will be free to come home!! We know all to well about the "weight gain" game from the NICU so dad will be prepared once again with a lead weight to put in his diaper, haHA! 

Evan is going to come home with the NG tube in place so we will receive a crash course in nursing 101. We will be responsible for making sure the tube is correctly placed in his belly and give him whatever portion of the bottle he does not take. We have already been prepped to take care of ostomey bag and are confident in my skills (Dad hasn't went there yet, and I'm not pushing it since it is not permanent). The plan is for Evan to have an outpatient next week with his surgeon and if all looks good he will schedule his "take down" surgery for the following week to put him all back together! We hope that the hospital recovery time is MUCH shorter for this and are told it will be if the surgery is successful.

one pom

two poms

three poms! (thanks for the cute shirts April!!!) Of course we had to play dress up for the few hours Evan was home ;)

Hospital Break!

Yes, you are counting correctly- that's 3 babes all at home! I wish I
could say it was for good, but Evan is only on loan until 4pm. He has
already had a nice bath and scrub down followed by a 60cc bottle that
he took down with no hesitation! (that's 15cc more than they expect
him to take with the tpn he is getting!) I was also fortunate to have
a visit from Dr. N (one of Evan's pediatricians) who looked in his
mouth for me, confirmed thrush and ordered meds asap. That's what I'm
talkin about!!! Another reason why peds should pair with surgeons
during long hospital stays...better overall care :)

More updates later, we have some sunshine to enjoy!