Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News

Here's Bob posing with all 3 boys right before Ryan was discharged to come home. Any more group shots will have to happen at home from this point forward.

Our first days at home with Ryan were pretty eventful. On Friday, we had a homecoming party followed by a fireworks show in the backyard, then on Saturday, we had another festive family evening followed by fireworks. Ryan seemed to be more interested in his bottle than the booming sounds coming from across the street as our neighbors launched a few fireworks from their backyards. It was great having all the company, but I did wish that we had a couple more kids sharing the evening here with us.


Here is Aunt Faith getting a lesson in diaper changes. She was so excited to get to hold one of her nephews, but she still refuses to change a diaper.


The animals were totally disinterested in Ryan. After months of worrying how they would all react, the actual encounter between baby and pet was pretty uneventful.


Ryan's first bath at home.

Those left behind...

James is doing well. After a rough night where he lost weight and was threatened by the doctor with a return trip to the isolette, James got on the ball and began keeping his temperature up, eating all of his bottles, and finally has made it to four pounds! He is 17 3/4 inches long now - amazing how fast you can grow without your brothers sitting on top of you.





Michael is great except for his refusal to eat for himself. Today, he ate his entire bottle for Grandma Newhouse, so that gives his parents a little bit of hope for the future. We need him to start eating all of his bottles, then he can come home. He's also grown, but his brother Ryan has surpassed him as far as weight goes - Michael is 5 lbs 14 oz and Ryan is 6 lbs. Both of the boys are 19 inches long.




Michael has taken to pulling his hat down over his eyes in an homage to Hip Hop/Gangsta style and/or Mush Mouth from Fat Albert.

Since Ryan was allowed to come home, we had to schedule a pediatrician appointment. Yesterday, I had a follow up appointment with Dr. Clark and was cleared to drive. Driving home from the hospital yesterday was FANTASTIC. I hadn't driven a car in over 3 months, so this morning, Ryan and I headed out for the pedi appointment all by ourselves. It was pretty strange driving my child around - at first I was very careful, but by the end of the ride, I realized that the poor child had been subject to my driving since November and he's still alive, so no need to stay in the right hand lane and abide by all the posted speed limits.

First Baby Home and a Disaster of a Changing

So, Ryan came home yesterday after only 9 days in the NICU. We can't wait to get his brothers home (they may still be a few weeks) but I have to say, I'm glad they weren't here last night.

I had the first late night changing/feeding which was scheduled for 12 am. Instead of going to bed I made the decision to just stay up and play some PS3, something I hadn't done in about 3 months. Well, I was having some internet issues so it took just about until the changing until I got that fixed.

All that meant is I tried to play a game while doing the feeding. I now know that won't work.

I started by changing his diaper and all was well, just a small poop. As I'm doing the wiping out comes a little more poop, I say, that's funny, I unlodged something. Then all of a sudden the friggin motherload starts coming out. Along with farts and everything. I realized I had the dirty diaper almost removed when this started.

Uh oh.

Now the clean diaper isn't clean anymore because it was in position to get snapped on. That's ok but I had him stood up for the wiping and now poop is going everywhere.

Well, there goes that outfit.

He had poop up by his neck. How the hell did that happen?

I finally get him all washed up now it's time to put him in a new outfit.

In the NICU, they require outfits with snaps so they can run the monitor cords out of them. We don't require that here, so all the outfits are over the head ones and I'm here to tell you Ryan and I didn't do so well with that last night.

He wasn't happy with me at all.

Which woke my mom up and I tried to play like everything was ok but I had a disaster on my hands. She went back to bed and I finally got him clothed and tried to feed him.

By this time he was pooped and had no interest in anything but sleep. I had to keep him up though because there was no way he was going to fail his first late night feed at home under my watch.

What was supposed to take 30 minutes ended up taking an hour but finally about 1 I got him back to sleep and I crawled into bed.

Needless to say when the 3 am feeding arrived and Angela volunteered for it, I didn't fight that too much.



Before we took Ryan home we were able to get a family photo. Angela has James, I have Michael and Uncle Joseph has Ryan. Grandma and Grandpa Newhouse are there along with Grandma Ptomey.

On the way home with Ryan

Sent via blackberry




****************************************************************************

Ryan is Coming Home in About 2 Hours

We are about to start the discharge paperwork on Ryan. At 2 we will do another round of feeds on all 3 boys than at 3;30 we will be heading home.

It will be tough leaving James and Michael behind but they will be home soon.

Ryan will be greeted tonight and tomorrow by both our families in what is now a homecoming/4th of July weekend spectacular.

I'm sure we'll have more to report later.
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Group Shot

Yesterday the boys hit the one week old mark. In my opinion, the bigger milestone was we were finally able to get a picture of all 3 of them together. I can't tell you how excited we were that Angela was able to get the boys off their monitors long enough to pose for this picture.

Bath Time, Boob Juice, and Beautiful Boys

The boys are doing better every single day. They are growing and getting more mature, and hopefully they will be able to come home soon. Today marks their one week birthday. I'm going to try and get a group shot of the little men today. All the monitors and cords make it almost impossible to get a group shot, but we are all hopeful. I'm starting to get the hang of this breast feeding stuff, although I'm still not making enough to feed one of the boys much less all three. I guess it'll get easier as time goes on. Ryan has actually had a snack or two courtesy of me - he's definitely a boob man. Yesterday, Bob and I got to give the boys their first baths. They all loved getting their hair washed, and surprisingly, Ryan was the only real screamer. Apparently that laid back exterior does not extend to bathing.

Here's James enjoying getting his hair washed. He is currently off of heat in the isolette which means that he is finally wearing clothes. He's so tiny compared to his brothers, but so feisty. He is very opinionated about which position he wants to be in. If he decides he'd like to lay on his side, he'll squirm around until he makes it there. He cracks both of us up with his squirming.





Michael got a bath by Grandma Newhouse (she was much faster than Bob or I - I didn't scrub hard enough at first and Ryan was a bit dramatic). He is finally starting to get the hang of eating off a bottle. I guess he just needed a little time to decide that he wants to eat for himself. He has the cutest dimples that I didn't notice until Bob pointed them out to me. Yesterday, he was so curious. Usually he just gets his diaper changed, makes a few grunts to say hello, and heads back to sleep, but he actually was wide awake for almost half an hour yesterday night.





Ryan is doing well, and he is still our best hope for getting one of the babies home. It looks like he's going to be slower than we expected. He's doing well with his feedings, but he's having trouble with his temperature. The doctor thought on Monday that Ryan might come home Friday, but since he still isn't able to hold his temp, we are not sure when he'll actually make it home much sooner than his brothers. Bob is rooting hard for him to come home soon. We both can't wait for the little men to actually make it through the door of casa Newhouse.

Accidental Videos

My father sometimes has issues with his camera. He doesn't realize he has it set on video. So, he thinks he takes a photo but he actually starts the video. It isn't until he thinks he takes another picture that the video stops.

These are all from the boys 2nd day on earth, Thursday, June 25th.



This one is James in his isollette, some floor, than Michael after the CPAP had been removed.



Here are 2 videos of me feeding Ryan with a little bit of the floor in the middle.





Here I am posing with Ryan. Waiting for my Dad to take the picture, then waiting some more and a little more. Neither of us realized he was taking video the whole time.

Some Videos from the Day the Boys Were Born

Here are some videos from the day the boys were born, Wednesday June 24th. Yes, it took this long to get the videos transferred to the computer. There has been a lot going on.



Here I am fresh out of the operating room and NICU to explain to our families that everything is great. This is the first they are hearing about the boys being here and how everyone is doing.



A few minutes later I was able to bring the grandparents into the NICU. This is about 45 minutes after the boys were born. So here is where we meet Ryan Campbell Newhouse, the last one born. At this point Angela was still in recovery.



Here is Michael Christopher Newhouse, our middle child. An hour or so after this they had to put him on a CPAP machine to assist him breathing.



Here is our oldest boy, James Allen Newhouse. A few hours after this they put him in an isollette.



Here is an accidental video - we didn't mean to take this one but it gives you a brief look at Angela seeing Michael for the first time in the NICU. About 15 minutes after the videos above.

I'm Home!

Today was quite a day. Last night, Bob and I split our touch times with the boys. Since each boy gets half an hour of touch time, it takes about an hour and a half to rotate through all of the boys. We realized yesterday that it is just too hard to keep up such a schedule, and so we decided that we would split the time between us. I skipped the 5 pm time in order to pump it up (which is getting better - still no flow, but I'm hopeful), and Bob skipped the 8 pm. He was so exhausted, and when I walked into the room, this is what he was doing.



Poor man is so tired from all of the tours he's been giving - lots of people want to see the kids, and Bob is our most mobile tour guide. I'm having a little trouble walking. My feet are incredibly swollen and my tummy is very sore from the incision. Either way, neither of us want to miss time with the boys nor do we want to deny anyone an opportunity to admire our children. We did the 11 pm shift together and decided to skip the 2 am in favor of sleep. We were up for the 5 am and then slept through the 8 am feed. We got to spend lots of quality time with the boys.

James has had some trouble with jaundice, so he is under the spotlight to increase his biliruben (not sure of the spelling) count. He is so feisty. He hates the little goggles that are taped to his head. He is always trying to take them off. It's kind of cute. He loves his pacifier, and if he loses it, he screams like he might be dying. I love to watch him throw his arms around and try and turn over on his own. He is much too active to be blind all day long. He likes to look around and the goggles interfere with his nosiness. He is still in the isolette, and I'm the only one who has gotten to hold him. I'm hoping that tomorrow Bob can hold him for a few minutes. Maybe we can get a family shot of that.



Michael is doing well. He is not very interested in eating on his own yet. We worked with him today, and he kept giving me this look like "lady, what are you doing, I'm trying to look around here." He is still on the room air flow with the canula, but they have decreased the volume which means that he is doing better getting air into his lungs on his own. He has moved from the warmer into an open crib like Ryan, but tonight, they had to move both of them under the warmer because they are having trouble holding their body temperature.



Ryan is finally pooping. Last night, the nurses and doctors were worried that he had not pooped yet, and they ordered an x-ray for the morning. When we went to the 5 am feeding, I got to change his first poopy diaper. It was kinda gross, but we were so happy. I made a deal with him at 11 pm that I'd poop if he would. We were both successful. Pretty impressive mother/son bonding. Since he open the gate, Ryan has been a poop machine. He is also in the open crib and taking all of his feedings by mouth rather than by tube. As of this moment, he is our best candidate for coming home first. He does need to figure out how to maintain his temperature, but I'm sure he'll figure it out soon. He is very, very nosey. He loves to look around and follow the voices of the people in the NICU. He and Bob have been having lots of bonding time since we have gotten to feed and hold him the most.



When we showed up for the 11 am feeding, the boys were not in their usual spot. Bob very quickly came out front to find out what was going on. As soon as I heard him tell his mom not to let me go in there, I started to freak out and ball. I think my face was the reddest it has ever been, and I wailed "what's wrong with my babies!" It was a comedy of errors, since they moved the kids without telling us, there was a new weekend nursing crew who did not know us, and the guy at the front desk did not ask who we were. I think Jim was about to take someone limb from limb, but very quickly we found out that the boys had been put in a "private" room in the back because they are not in need of the primo machines and such. It was really nice that we were able to all be close to all of the boys for the entire visit. We finally got a picture of all of the kids "together."



The hardest part of today was leaving the hospital. We could have spent another night at Baylor, but after 10 Saturdays in Grapevine, I was ready for a little piece of heaven in Haslet. Leaving the boys behind was pretty traumatic, and I can't even type about it without some tears, so we'll leave it at that. Tomorrow, we'll be back and I know that the kids are in great hands.

We had a little celebration tonight at home with steaks and family. It is so wonderful to be home. To pee in my own toilet, to sit in my spot on the couch, to wander around and touch all of my things. I can't wait to get the boys home, but I am glad to have a couple of days to recover first. This c-section thing kind of takes it out of you. I'll be happy to get back to Baylor tomorrow and see the kids.

An Open Letter to the Boys

My Promises to You - James, Michael and Ryan

I Promise to love you everyday, even if I have issues expressing it.

To do everything possible to give you a happy childhood and set you up to be great men.

To raise you in a house whose most prominent feature is a smile.

To introduce you to great music and even some that isn’t.

To encourage you and help you accomplish anything you want to accomplish.

To shun you the second you express anything but love for the Rangers, Cowboys, Mavericks and/or Mr. Springsteen. (Length of said shunning to be determined at a later date)

To push you to think for yourself, to have opinions and to not be afraid to let those around you know what they are.

To show you how to be sensitive to others.

To not teach you colors.

To teach you left and right.

To let your mother handle the book learnin’ and I’ll handle the fun stuff.

To pounce on you like a lion on a sheep the second you disrespect your mother.

To make sure you absorb the humor and sounding board that is Grandpa Newhouse, the big heart and goofiness of both your Grandmothers and the ability to solve all issues mechanical or otherwise that is Grandpa Ptomey.

To give you every opportunity to experience the greatness of all 4 of your uncles and try to shield you from the looniness of all 4 of your aunts while making sure you appreciate how special each of them are.

My hopes for all three of you.

I Hope your sins are not my sins but your own.

I know when enough is enough.

Being with family and friends is as important to you as it is to your mother.

You have your mother’s smile and ability to hold the past dear while welcoming everyone and everybody into the fold.

You and your brothers are as close to each other as adults as your mom and aunts and uncles are.

You and your brothers are individuals as well as one.

You love what you love and want to share it with everyone.

That when all is said and done, none of us have any regrets

It is easier for ya’ll to push away from the table than it is for me and your mother.

That when I beat you at video games you lose with style so that when you beat your uncles you enjoy watching them cry like babies.

You can’t tune your mother out as well as I seem to be able to.

I can’t tune you out as well as I seem to be able to with your mother.

To shield you from the worlds issues while still making you aware that they are there so you can avoid them later on your own.

You make friends who stick with you like mine have.

You are able to find someone as special to you as your mom is to me.

Pictures of Life in the NICU

So, as I type, the boys are just shy of 48 hours old. Things are going great so far. It looks like Angela will be able to come home over the weekend. She's having some issues with swelling and dizziness but she's getting better.



This is James. He's the smallest of our trio and has been put in an isolette. He's having some issues with jaundice, so they have him under a lamp. Check out the cool shades! He's not ready to nipple feed yet, so he is still relying on the feeding tube. His blood sugars have been a bit low but it seems they are getting that under control, the doctors have upped the calories in his feeding. Who knew there was such a thing as a Newhouse with too little body fat?




Here is the first almost group photo we've been able to get. Michael is up front and Angela is holding James.



Here is Michael. Today we were able to put him in clothes for the first time. They are starting to ween him off the heat lamp, so if he can hold his temperature he will be able to move to an open crib. He still needs a little help breathing even though he is on room air. He appears almost ready to nipple feed, I tried for about 30 minutes today. He did all the motions but didn't get any food. Hopefully that will happen soon.



Mom holding Michael for the first time.



Grandpa Newhouse holding Ryan. Ryan was able to put clothes on yesterday and this morning when we went in to see him, he was in an open crib! We have been feeding him out of a bottle and he's doing great. The only thing he hasn't done yet is poop. If we can get him to do that today, things will be great. He'll be home soon. If not, they will x-ray him in the morning and see if he's having issues. That will be followed by an enima. So come on little Ryan, get those bowels moving!



Yesterday the hospital Chaplain came in and had a naming ceremony for the boys. Pictured above is the Chaplain, Grandma Ptomey, Cousin Amy, Grandpa Newhouse, Grandma Newhouse, Angela, Me and Ryan!



Here I am feeding Ryan for the first time.


That brown blanket looking thing near Ryan is something that both he and Angela have laid with. It helps him sleep and helps her produce milk.



Here I am changing Ryan (I think, it may be James before they put him in the chamber).

I Should Be Sleeping

Yesterday was such a wonderful day in my life. I can't even begin to express how much my world has changed in just a few short hours. Bob was so great in getting things posted to the blog so that all of you who have come to enjoy our journey to parenthood would be up to date, and so that I could see the whole event from his point of view. I guess it's time to chime in with my own version of things (since sleep continues to elude me).

When 3:30 arrived (which by the way, how perfect, 3:30 - gotta love my 3s), they got Bob and I on the road to the OR. The antepartum nurses told me I could walk to the OR, but Dr. Clark insisted on a wheelchair ride. As Bob and I left, it was crazy the number of flashbulbs that went off. I felt like we were famous (at least among our family). We arrived at the OR, and they left Bob in the recovery room to put on his Daddy Suit (which by the way made him look like a spaceman). Later, Bob told me that he was so nervous that he tried to put his leg in the arm of the suit. It was good to know that I was not the only one with nerves. It made me a little scared to leave Bob behind and enter the OR on my own. I sat on the side of the table, and then they had me turn around so that my legs were on the table and put my elbows on my knees. I have to wonder if they were smoking crack when they made that suggestion. I don't think the giant belly could have been disguised so much by my hospital gown that anyone would think I could perform that magic trick. The doctor (I know his name starts with a T and is really strange to spell, but that's about it) swabbed my back and stuck me in spine. Apparently, it took a while for me to get as numb as necessary because I'm so tall. The doc was constantly mentioning my height (as if I'm a giant - kinda strange since I don't think of myself as much taller than average), and then he pulled out these arm things that he spread my arms over and then put a warm towel on. I must admit that all I could think of were lethal injection scenes from movies like Dead Man Walking. Anyway, he kept poking me with this sharp little thing and asking me what I felt. Eventually, I was numb enough for them to put the catheter in. Bob is deathly afraid of said catheter, and as such, I was somewhat panicked by the whole idea. Thankfully, due to the lack of feeling in my lower half, it wasn't so bad. After the catheter, they sent in the troops. Dr. Clark and Dr. Moser plus a whole host of nurses from the NICU and Tammy - my nurse. It was so wonderful to see her amongst the crowd of faces, and she kept bossing Bob around since I was unable to do it. :) Along with the troops, came Bob. I don't think I've every been happier to see him (and I've been pretty excited to see him in the past). He looked so cute in his outfit, and they sent him to sit by my head. I was so relieved that he was there in his up-river position (no down-river viewing allowed). Once Bob made an appearance, things got hopping.

The sheet they drape over the table was so high the only person I could see was Bob. Dr. T was behind me, and everyone else was behind the curtain. The action started and at a little after 4 pm, they held up Baby A - James - to the curtain and Dr. T told Bob to stand up and take pictures (luckily, Bob stood his ground and did NOT take any pictures of my guts although he did stand up and I saw him bouncing around while he said "don't lock your knees" a couple of times - good advice from Gabes). James was so tiny, wrinkled, and grey and he started screaming so that his mouth was bright red amidst the grey it was shocking. Before I had time to process that first look, he was gone and Michael was in his place looking very much the same. I think that some of the blood from the surgery dripped on to the sheet at that point and started running toward my head. I didn't even flinch as they then lifted up Baby C. By this point, my brain kicked into gear and I said "Hello Ryan!" before he disappeared behind the curtain. I have to say - the first look was pretty scary. All that grey and red and screaming (all of our boys came into the world at full volume). It sounded like a herd of sheep bleating behind that curtain. After they were all out, Bob went around the room taking lots of pictures.

As my guts were returned to the place they belonged and things got sewn up, (which by the way, the part they put on your tummy to stretch it was apparently big, and Dr. M - a woman - commented something about never seeing one this big, and my husband took the opportunity to make a joke about his male appendage - even childbirth can't keep Bob from a good joke) the different nurses and doctors brought the babies around for me to see. Bob tried to get pictures of me and the boys, but it was so fast and furious, that I think he got a lot of partial heads. It seemed like just a couple of minutes then everyone strolled out with my children, and I told Bob to follow the boys while they finished me up. It was quite a time for reflection as I laid there and listened to bad music from my college days (you gotta keep yourself connected the writing's on the wall and if your mind's neglected, stumble you might fall...). I thought about Bob and the boys and how I couldn't feel my legs and wondered if Dr. Clark was sewing a straight line across my belly - please don't let it be crooked (I still haven't had the chance to study it in the mirror).

When they were all done, Dr. Clark asked if I had any questions. I asked about A & B being identical, and he said that he couldn't be sure but that he thinks they are. He said that the pathologist would know for sure, and we could find out the results when those tests came back. I'm still not 100% sure since James & Michael are such different sizes that it's hard to decide if they look alike or not (I think they all look very similar - like a combo platter of Bob and Angela). Once that was handled, Dr. T, John (one of my old nurses), and Jen (I think that's her name - my L & D nurse) transfered me from the table to my comfy old bed from antepartum then wheeled me into recovery.

The recovery room was set up so that I could see the clock very well, and I started the countdown for an hour so that I would know when I could see my babies. 4:43 meant that around 5:45, I could see my kids. It was a long hour. I had lots of good conversations with Jen and Tammy. We all gushed about how cute the boys were, and Jen was on her first day back from 2 months of maternity leave, so she showed us a picture of her son. Very cute. I was bleeding a lot, and kept freaking out as I tried to move my legs and couldn't. It's really strange to feel like your legs are miles apart and then to know that they are touching from hoo-ha to heels. Bob showed up in the middle some time and told me that the boys were all doing well, and that none of them needed breathing equipment (yet). He told me he'd seen our family and that he could start bringing them to meet the boys (he said that it was a little unfair that they got to meet the kids before I really got a chance to see them, but it ended up working out just fine). With the blessing of the pope, oops, I mean my blessing, he took the grands in to meet the kids while I continued to try and wiggle my toes. Luckily, I could move my knees, so things were getting better.

Once recovery time petered out, Tammy and Jen began to prep me for the move. Unfortunately, I was too woozy to sit up in the bed, but they did get me up far enough to see the babies without getting sick. They brought me in the bed to the NICU. I'm pretty sure I cried as I got to see the boys and spend a little time with each one. I saw Ryan first and got to hold his little hand. Then I saw James, and the NICU nurse let me hold him & wrapped us both in my blanket for warmth. Then I saw Michael (who I've since come to figure out is our own version of Johnny Drama from Entourage). They were just so small and cute. So tiny yet so perfect. It was GREAT. I couldn't have had a better introduction to my kids.

They rolled me out and the family was all there, and the party atmosphere was catching despite being tired beyond belief. Once I was back in good old room 213, people started to head out for dinner. Jim and Kathy went with Melanie to Hooters (where they picked up dinner for Bob) while Stephen headed out to a pick up game of some sort. My parents took Faith and Joseph out to dinner so that he could get back on the road to Oklahoma. That left Bob and I a few minutes to catch our breath and to revel in the fact that we are now parents. I was pretty settled in to the bed and was excessively swollen, but oh so happy. At 8 pm, Bob went down to the NICU to participate in touch time and get some pics of the boys with Lain while Riley and I watched Sponge Bob. Sue and John Paul showed up during this, and I sent them down to the NICU so that they could maybe touch the babies. Not too long after that, Jim & Kathy returned and so did Mom. We all were so happy and talked a mile a minute about the boys.

About this time, the morphine itch kicked in. It is pretty intense and I couldn't tell if it was leftover colystatsis or not. I called out for pain and itch relief, and Bob came back in with Sue & John Paul. It was really nice to visit and the pain/itch killers did the trick. Bob went to the 11 pm touch times, and I think that the parents went with him. I am sure that Faith kept me company. Bob told me to get some sleep, but the nurse told me she'd be right back with some meds. Faith started counting sheep outloud and I had to make her stop before I passed out. After the touch time, I think or maybe it was before, I got hooked up with the pump for the first time. I got a pretty decent amount of nothing for a first try, but I have been trying to pump since and haven't been as successful as of late.

At 2 am, Bob and I did a round in the NICU for touch time. I got to feed Ryan and see James get a bath. Michael was quite vocal about getting his temp checked, but he was having a hard time breathing so they put him on CPAP machine. We stayed the full hour and a half, before returning to the room. It was a complete relief to me as I was jonesing to see my sons. After we came back from the NICU, I passed out, and Bob sat in the chair next to me doing something on the internet and uploading pictures. I was down for the count and didn't make it up and out for the next two feedings.

As I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty emotional. Mom came quickly and helped me get back on the pump (which is starting to hurt a little more than I'd like). Bob did not leave until very late - after the 5 am feeding, and he was visibly exhausted, so he went home to rest. I visited the NICU with mom at 11, and things went well. Bob was back at the hospital for the 2 pm feed.

I would finish this story, but I can hardly keep my eyes open and the computer is about to run out of battery, so I guess more to come later. Good night (for a few hours).

Here is another Triplet Podcast for you

You can listen to it here. If you like it and want to listen to more go here and follow the iTunes links.

Holy Crap! We Have Triplets!

So, today was the day. Who knew I'd be able to do a virtual play by play from the blackberry as we went. Lord knows my typing and photo skills left a lot to be desired but here we are almost 10 hours later and I'll take a shot at posting some of the photos not taken with the blackberry. Who knows, I may even be able to type better on a real keyboard.



Here Angela and I are prepped and ready to meet the babies. At that moment the Docs have already started the procedure, thank heavens for pain medication and that curtain.



That's Baby C or as we now call him Ryan Campbell. He was 5 lbs, 5 oz.



This is the gentleman we called Baby B, my mom called him the Moose. Michael Christopher weighed in at 5 lbs 10 oz.



Here is Angela getting to meet Baby A, James Allen. Angela got the raw end of this deal in more ways than one. After the procedure, the babies got whisked away and she had to stay in the OR for a bit. I left to make sure the boys were ok. After several trips between the babies, our families and Angela, it was cleared for me to bring the grandparents in. Meanwhile Angela was still in recovery waiting to touch her babies for the first time. About 2 hours after they were born, they brought Angela into the NICU in her hospital bed and wheeled her around to see all 3 boys. James was the only one she was able to hold at this time.



I wish I could tell you who is in these two pictures but they kept telling me to go around the OR and take pictures in such a frantic pace I had/have no idea who I was taking pictures of. Hopefully in a couple days I'll be able to ID everyone.



It took me quite awhile to figure out how the NICU worked this evening by no fault of the NICU. I must have had 5 different people explain to me how it works but I think exhaustion/exhileration/confusion/any other ion you can think of made it impossible to understand it. But by the 11 PM "touch time" I think I understood it completely. Angela's mom and I were alone and we got to spend a good amount of time with each boy as we got to talk to the nurses and get an up to date evaluation on each boy.

Michael has had to work the hardest since the get go, everything has been hard for him so they have put him on the CPAP to assist with breathing and a feeding tube. He is basically wearing a soft helmet looking device but it appears things will be ok.

James was a victim of low blood sugar so between the 11 pm and 2 am "touch times" they placed him in an isolette. They think he may be in there for a week or so. The nurses say both these things are to be expected with babies born at 34 weeks.



Angela was unable to get the sleep I wanted her to get and felt good enough to come with me for the 2 AM touch times. She got to hold and feed Baby Ryan which is what you see above. It was just what the doctor ordered because we have only been back from that feeding for about 10 minutes and she is snoring up a storm right now.

Ryan is doing such a good job that they are trying him without the warmer right now. He has no feeding tube or assistance with breathing. If he keeps his body temperature the nurse says he may be in an open crib when I return for the 5 AM "touch time". She cautioned us that setbacks are pretty common and to be expected but said if he keeps like he is going, he may come home with Angela on Saturday. Oh my how nice would that be?



The NICU nurse was kind enough to take this photo of Angela, Ryan and I. We can't wait to be able to hold James and Michael long enough for a similar photo and then a group shot.

It's hard to put into words what today was like but I'll tell you what, the nurses here at Baylor Grapevine have been incredible. There simply is nothing I can say or do to repay how great they have been. They have been watching out for Angela and the boys since we got here and today it just ramped up even more.

I also can't thank enough all of you who sent us messages throughout the day encouraging us and sending prayers our way. I didn't expect to be able to post to this site as much as I was able to but it was pretty cool to be standing in the NICU by myself, 5 minutes after the boys were born flabbergasted, send a quick photo to the site and within seconds get several responses saying how great everyone looked.

Truly awesome.

Mom and michael

He is on a feeding tube but doing well
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Mom and james

He is doing great. A little slow eating

May need a feeding tube
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Mom and ryan

Breathing and eating well
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Everbody is great

No breathing tubes, tests going now.

Angela is great
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Ryan Campbell

411. 5 lbs 5 oz
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Michael christopher

409. 5 lbs 10 oz
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

James allen

408. 3llbs 10 oz
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Holy cow

Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

Its about go time

Time for a quick prayer and then we are off.

Just met the anisthieoligist.

They are about ready for us.

More when we are done
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

The gowns are being handed out

The IVs are being revved up, instructions have been giving. The doc is en route from Las Colinas.

Angela and I just cried in front of a roomful of our family. Not really sure why.

Kinda crazy.

Apparently we may go a few minutes early.
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

3:30 is the time

So far so good. They are prepping Angela and are going to take her for the C Section at 3:30.

Its kinda funny everyone here is getting pretty excited while Angela and I both appear ready for naps.

More updates as we go.
Sent via blackberry

The information in this email is confidential and may be legally privileged.
Access to this email by anyone other than the addressee is unauthorized.

****************************************************************************

What's In a Name?

Today has been a roller coaster of days. Our morning started with Bob and I enduring a very intense doctor's appointment. Complete silence is never good. After about 5 minutes of searching and making me flip over on my side, we found out that the boys were not practicing their breathing. We were sent back to the room to monitor immediately. Bob and I thought for sure that the C-section was coming.

The results from the monitoring came back that everybody was fine, and Bob left for work when my mom arrived. Around 3 this afternoon our nurse came in to start the IV and to tell us that it was probably going to be tonight. Bob and I sent out the smoke signals, and everybody headed to the hospital to arrive just in time to hear the doctor cancel the C-Section for tonight.

According to Dr. Clark, we will deliver tomorrow afternoon sometime. He better be telling the truth, or I'm waddling myself over to his office to take care of business. Since everyone was here, Bob and I decided to reward them with the name revelation.

So, here it is:

Baby A - James Allen named after both our dads.
Baby B - Michael Christopher named after Joseph and Stephen.
Baby C - Ryan Campbell named after Zach and my Grandpa.

We decided to go with middle names so that we wouldn't be saying Big Zach and Little Zach.

Now we are patiently waiting for tomorrow, and I have to say the thing that sucks the most is the fact that I have this IV piercing my hand. Tomorrow is the big day, and I think Bob and I are felling all those things new parents feel - excited, happy, scared shitless.

Not today afterall

Apparently there is a baby boom here at baylor, so they are telling us that the c section is tomorrow at 3.



Hurry up and wait I guess.



****************************************************************************

It's On For 6 PM Tonight

I made it to the hospital just in time for us to tell us that it's scheduled for 6 pm. Angela had lunch at noon and they need 6 hours.

So, the moment is about here.

Wow.

More updates to come.

Just got the call from angela

Apparently we are a go, I'm heading to the hospital now.



Would you believe I am stopped at a friggin train?



Hope the doc waits a bit.



Ill update when I can.

Sent via blackberry

Seven to Ten then the Life Sentence Begins!

First of all, Happy Father's Day to my husband who will have three children to buy him ugly ties and useless golf tools over the course of the next several years!

On Wednesday, we will arrive at our goal date of June 24. It's hard to believe that it's almost here. I am so ready to have these babies, and I think the doctors and my body are starting to agree with me. According to Dr. Clark, he and the multiples doctor, Dr. Graham are going to talk and make a plan for us to deliver in the next seven to ten days (counting from last Friday). My insulin needs have gone way down - when I was first diagnosed, I was taking 355 total units plus sliding scale (which means around 400 units - enough to kill a horse from what I understand), and now I am taking 160 units - which is more than a 50% decrease. Dr. G told us that this steep of a drop can indicate that my placentas are breaking down and that it could be time for the boys to come greet the world. What they will be watching in the next few visits to the multiples scan is the amount of fluid in each boy's sac. Any significant decrease, and it will be time for delivery. Bob has Tuesday in the "office pool," and I've chosen Friday. (Those are our scan days). Either way, Dr. C said we would not go past 35 weeks, so the end is in sight.

Today, the boys are hanging out all in the middle of my tummy together. It's sort of like they are all getting in line to take their turn to pass through the golden gate into the realm of the real world. There are many, many things that I will NOT miss about being pregnant - ankles swollen to the size of my thighs, serious pain in my pelvic area, the inability to sit up or get out of the bed in 10 minutes or less, the fact that I've turned into teen wolf as far as hair growth goes, etc., but I think that there are some things that I will miss. I think I'll miss feeling my babies move around and the fact that I may have to leave them behind here at Baylor for a couple of days seems like I'm anticipating having my arm amputated. These boys have been with me every step of this process, and I don't know if I want to be away from them until they go to college. :) I will miss listening to their hearts race and holding the monitors in place so that they get good readings. I will miss forcing Bob to feel their little body parts poking out around my tummy - he thinks it's bizarre, but I just think it's cool. Things are starting to change in my body - lots more swelling, my beard seems to be thinning (thank goodness), and , and I guess it's God's way of getting both mommies and babies ready for the big transition to diaper changes and breast feeding.

An Open Letter To God

Dear Heavenly Father/Creator of Heaven and Earth/Lord Almighty/Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ

(I admit, I'm kinda new to this paying attention in church thing and you have a lot of titles, I'm not sure which one you prefer)

Hello God, it's me Bob.

I'm the one who for years has been saying everyone needs something to believe in and I currently choose Bruce Springsteen. I really appreciate you not holding that against me.

Things have been really good for me lately and I know you are the one who deserves the thanks. In the past few years I've met the love of my life and we have been able to enjoy 4 great years together so far with the promise of many more to come.

We have been blessed with 3 triplet sons who we just can't wait to meet.

I read a quote yesterday that said "If you don't believe God has a sense of humor, tell him your plans".

I've always thought 2 children would make the perfect family. 4 just seems like a good number for a family. Party of 4 just kinda rolls off the tongue. It has taken me quite awhile to wrap my head around the whole family of 5 thing but I've also been told that You only gives us what we can handle.

Again, I'm pretty sure that shows the entire sense of humor thing because I'm not sure I can handle me, much less Angela and the boys.

We have been told from the second we found out that we were having triplets that this was going to be a hard road with many obstacles to overcome. We were told that we'd be lucky to get to 32 weeks of the pregnancy.

Well, all thanks be to you not only have we gotten to 32 weeks we are now at 33 weeks and it appears will hit even 34. We have had very few scares so far and most would say this has been a pretty easy triplet pregnancy.

I can't thank and praise you enough for the friends and family we've been blessed with. Their calls and visits have made what has now been an eight week hospital stay bearable.

When Angela was admitted to the hospital way back on April 24th the thought of going 8 weeks seemed impossible. No way either of us could make it that long. Thanks for giving Angela the strength to not only survive it but to do it with a smile and laugh that is frankly awe inspiring.

Thank you for our church family at Shepherd of Life. Walking back into that church several years ago was one of the best things I've ever done. The support of the people there is a constant sign of your love and grace and reminder that you are watching out for all of us.

The doctors tell us that the boys are doing great and that we've reached the point of the pregnancy where we are just waiting for an excuse to bring them into the world. There doesn't appear to be any complications and they feel the babies are ready to lead healthy lives with minimal assistance from the NICU.

I believe that you have also blessed us with a great set of doctors and the nurses have been unbelievable. We know that they will help us on this last portion of our journey under your ever watchful eye.

So, God, not to be greedy but I have a request: You think it's possible for Angela and I to meet our boys in the next few days?

I'm a guy who has a tough time with mano y mano attention and this ordeal has created a whole bunch of face to face contact. I'm ready for our church to be able to pray for other people in need. Their prayers (and everyones for that matter) have worked but I feel it's time for them to point their prayers elsewhere.

I believe our 15 minutes in other peoples prayers is over.

Not to worry God because I know when they are born we will need additional prayers so we aren't going anywhere but I'd like to get the process of re-directed prayers kick started.

I also realize that I owe you one.

I'm cool with that. Shoot, I owe you a whole lotta ones.

I'm cool with that as well.

Lord I thank you again for everything you have provided for us and that you continue to give Angela the strength to survive these last few days of pregnancy. I pray that you watch over our 3 boys as they enter our world and trust that you will be as proud of them as I know Angela and I will be.

Basically what I'm trying to say is we are ready when you are.

Did I mention that the hospital food while not that bad is the same every day of the week? Or that you have given us a great TV and a couch in front of it that are really needing attention these days?

So, whenever it is you feel the boys want to meet us, we are ready. Not sure if I made that point or not, I'm rambling and I just want to make sure I don't forget that.

Thanks again.

Amen

(Come on admit it Lord, you are waiting for the 3 Newhouse boys to say amen in their itty bitty baby voices as well.)

33 Weeks Today!

Who would have thought that when we started this triplet journey we'd make it to thirty-three weeks? Not me. Well, at first I thought we'd make it to 36, but that was before spending time trapped in this huge body and in the hospital. It seems like we just keep getting worked up to deliver any minute and then nothing. The boys are more than happy to hang out here in my abdomen and cook. It's really the best thing for them, but we were so sure that they'd be here by now. I am longing to meet them and see their little faces. I can't wait to hold them in my arms and to see who has Bob's nose and my eyes, etc. I'm sure that all moms start to feel this way close to the end.

Despite all of this work up to the big event, I'm starting to think that these kids may actually wait until the 4th of July to show up (which is what I originally thought around week 16 - what a cool birthday that would be). From what the doctors say, you'd think that the birth will be any minute, but I think they are just a bunch of men who have perfected the art of stringing uncomfortable women along. I really think that the three men who rule my gestational world are feeding me a bunch of lines to keep me in line. :) Last week at our multiples appointment, the doctor told us we'd do an amnio at 34 weeks (next Wednesday), and if the lungs were developed, we'd deliver then. That gave Bob and I a great goal - it was our original goal, but Dr. Clark said that as soon as anything with me changed for the worse then we'd go in for delivery. This week at our multiples appointment, we were told that we need another 2 weeks of growth info before they would do an amnio - that pushes us to week 35. Of course, we still have the promise that if anything changes we'll deliver, but it seems like we're following the doctors' trail of bread crumbs right into week 36.

Baylor Beauty Salon

Perhaps the most exciting thing that has happened in this room in quite some time is the fact that my dear friend Penny came and gave me a haircut. I've been needing a new do for quite some time, and it was so wonderful of her to give me the full beauty treatment right here at the hotel. Now that I am sporting shorter hair, I think it will be much easier to deal with. There's just something about laying around in bed and long hair that don't really mix. Not only did Penny trim my locks, she also gave me the full beauty treatment and even put on makeup for me. Bob, as is usual when I get all dolled up, commented that I looked very "That Girl."



Not only did Sunday bring Penny and her scissors, but also Sue & John Paul, Joseph, and our parents. We had lots of good company, and I think everyone was here when Dr. Payne showed up to do the measurements of the boys. Baby A is head down and so close to the promised land (i.e. the exit) that the doc had to do a vaginal measurement of his head. He is still our smallest baby, and I've got a couple of theories why. He currently weighs about 3 lbs 10 oz. I think perhaps he and Baby B might share a placenta and Mr. B gets a bigger portion. If this is true, then they would be identical (except for size). From what I have read this is a common occurrence with identical babies, one gets more of the nutrients and such while the other gets the leftovers. Another explanation for his smaller size is that he is on the bottom and is constantly getting squished by his brothers. Baby B is still our biggest little man. He is 5 (yes 5) lbs and 3 oz. He is currently earning his nickname as the moose. Baby C is not far behind at 4 lbs 15 oz (which is almost 5 lbs). Of course their larger sizes are attributed to the gestational diabetes, but even so, Bob and I are pretty pleased with their weights and are hoping that all of their organs are properly developed. For a bit, we were pretty worried about Baby A. He is a little small, but we figure if anything was wrong with him, we would have delivered already.

Yesterday was a pretty rough day. I have what I refer to as a "hitch in my butt" or I've pulled my sigh-at-tick (I can't spell, so this is as close as I get) nerve in my right butt cheek. It was really acting up, and when I went to bed, I took a couple of tylenol. The tylenol did NOT work, so the night nurses called a doctor to get a pain pill - vicodin. It was nice because after taking it, I could actually move without having to hold back tears of pain. In addition to my achey breaky butt, I wasn't very hungry as my tummy has run out of room for food and babies. Anyway, after a day of not feeling like eating and the doctor who was on call for Dr. Clark realizing that I lost 5 lbs last week, I was given the joyous boost to drink down for extra protein. Let's just say that no one will ever "boost" those drinks on purpose. After talking to the dietician and Dr. Clark today, it seems as though the weight loss is no big deal as long as the boys are gaining weight, which they all. I say, gentlemen start your engines and suck up some of those wonderful nutrients stored in the fat around my hips and thighs. I'm willing and able to give you all I've got, but I wont take it back. (With my luck, I'm sure they'd start by deflating my boobs). I am a little hungrier and less likely to be so stringent with my eating. I am running out of decent food to order here, and anyway, it just seems like it's more difficult to eat the same things day after day with not much variety. The dietician said that we can have any outside meat I want brought in by my dearly beloved. She even approved hot wings (the breaded kind - I was SHOCKED and pretty excited). Bob is willing to use any excuse to go in and check out the hot Hooters girls in Grapevine.

Today, I monitored, ate lunch, and took a wheelchair ride with my two moms. It was a lot of fun, and i was able to pick up some cards for an upcoming occasion that I need a card for. After we returned from our outing (which included a stay at the car to check out some things), the moms went to Target and Walmart while I took a spin in the whirlpool. It had been a while since the whirlpool and I had a nice afternoon together, and I was a little concerned about being able to make it in and out of the tub. Surprisingly, I did fine. For such a huge woman with such a lack of balance, I am amazed at the things I am able to still do at this size. The whirl was very relaxing, and I returned to the room about the same time as our mothers returned from shopping. I can't wait to actually get to go to Target with them. I'm pretty sure the numbers at Target have been down this quarter as I have not had an opportunity to do my part (of course, I think Wendy's might have to declare bankruptcy soon unless I return to my previous consumption of the #6 combo).

Tomorrow is another scan. It's a cervix/8 of 8 scan. Dr. Clark says he's just waiting for any excuse to deliver us, so hopefully the boys will cooperate and give us a reason. There is no way I want to keep on carrying these kids inside me. I do love them, but I'm ready to hold them in my arms and not in my abdomen. According to another doc we saw this weekend, the last set of triplets she delivered were 33 weeks and were released from the NICU within a week. That sounds so wonderful to Bob and I. I would absolutely LOVE to be out of here completely in a week and a half. If only this uterus would cooperate. Tragically that dumb pump seems to be taking care of all my contractions and the rest of my body is holding up wonderfully. I guess my height has a lot to do with the fact that we've made it this far. I guess I can suffer a couple more weeks, but those kids are going to hear about it every single day of their little lives. Or for at least as long as I remember how long this stay has been. By the way, tonight's small cheat included a skim milk coupled with three squares of a Hershey bar. Tasty, I say. Almost like chocolate milk, and luckily by the time I snagged it out of the fridge, Bob was already asleep on his tiny bed of torture.