6lbs!!!!

Baby update first, they have been in the NICU and with us for 81 days now. That makes them 38wks gestational age. And 11.5wks actual. They are doing great. Beau rocked his surgery and recovery. He was off the ventilator after 3 days! Way shorter then they thought. Amber has begun trying to feed with a bottle but can't get the hang of it yet. Beau tried on feeding and dropped his heart rate and oxygen so had to stop. Their eyes have not gotten worse but also have not gotten better. Since Beau is on full feeds finally (through the NG tube) he can now get off the stuff that was causing him liver problems. And they both weigh over 6lbs!!!!! I will be bringing toddlers home ;)

Amber and their Occupational Therapist, LeeAnn

Friday, July 10th Regan had a sleep out with her dad in the tent. Not sure how much sleep dad got, but Regan loved it.

Saturday, July 11th Shaela and Bridget went with my parents and their cousins to the Jackson reunion (my maiden name). They had a blast river tubing and came back tired and sunburnt. 

Bridget

Shaela

Thursday, July 16th the neighborhood ladies along with family and friends, threw me an amazing baby shower. It always is wonderful to feel so loved by so many. The babies and I received some amazing gifts. And one nice thing was everyone either brought a box of diapers, wet wipes or a frozen dinner. These dinners sure have came in handy. I loved the invite and appreciated how they included our sweet Ruby.

The invite

Baby Shower

Saturday, July 18th Bridget did her singing competition at the city park. She did an amazing job and I would love to share it all with you. However, it didn't get recorded. I noticed Shane was recording it so I chose not to. Later we found out that he did something wrong and it didn't record. I have asked anyone and everyone that I thought may have recorded it with no positive outcome. She did not place but she did receive an award.

Here is a picture of her receiving an award.

Sunday, July 19th we went and visited the babies as a family (which we usually do every Sunday). I told Regan the night before if she went to sleep quickly she could help me bath Amber. She was SO excited and it was super cute to watch her help.

Regan giving Amber a bath

Beau after his sponge bath

Wednesday, July 22nd Amber started working on bottle feeds. Also on this day in our area of Utah we had a flash flood. It was so heavy that it blew ALL the manhole covers off going up Eagle Ridge Drive.

Picture of a manhole cover blown off and the water gushing out.

Thursday, July 23rd I took the girls to the Pioneer Day's parade. They had a great time and afterwards we picked up Shane and KFC and went and eat dinner in the park. Then came home and the girls and I slept in the tent together. I actually slept really well. 

The Parade

Hanging out in the tent (flash was bright)

Friday, July 24th and Saturday, July 25th, Shane took the girls fishing. They had a blast plus Regan was ecstatic that she and her sisters all got new fishing poles.

Bridget

Regan

Shaela

Monday, July 27th I received a very special gift. I received a car seat for one of the babies. But the special part of it isn't so much the car seat. It was the gift of love and understanding shown to me.  It was given to me by a sweet mom I met from a Utah Triplet Group on Facebook. She also gave birth to triplets (2 girls and a boy) and lost one of her dear babies early on as we did. She had purchased three car seats one for each baby. She held onto the one that never got to be taken out of the box. She wanted to donate it to someone special and I am humbled that she gifted it to us.

Tuesday, July 28th Beau decided to be a typical boy and pee all over my shirt. So I graduated to becoming a surgeon by them lending me a pair of scrubs. I think I like these scrubs. And when I got home Shaela and Regan had set up a surprise Party for me. With all my scrapbooks, journals and photo albums out. Her and Regan even baked a cake. Super sweet and Regan had a blast planning it with her. 

Beau and I cuddling

Wednesday, July 29th I went in for surgery at 5:30am: I ended up getting my right ovary and tube out as well as my left tube. Was able to keep left ovary and hope the biopsy comes back negative so It stays that way.

Shane and I waiting to go back for surgery

We have been busy. Sorry for the Looooong update. You would think time would be slow waiting for our family to all be together but in reality it goes by so fast. At the hospital I feel like I enter a time warp and some how days, hours and weeks have passed. I am so glad I have written down in this blog to print for my journal because I know I would have forgotten so much of this journey we are on. Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of it with all of you.

Beau's Surgery Update

I just noticed this did not post when I had typed it on July 10th, dang cell service in the hospital) 

He finally went back around 2:30pm and got done around 5:00pm. He is sleeping nicely. Surgery took longer then expected because he had more scar tissue then predicted and they needed to cut it out. As well as had to cut more intestine out then they had planned or wanted to. But sounds like he should do well. He should be on the ventilator longer because surgery took longer he said not to be surprised if he is still on it in a week.

A picture of him all ready to go  before Surgery

And After Surgery..

His amazing Nurse, Gwen (Gwen is one of his Primary Nurses) and a nurse student, Cara who helped him as well today. Gwen on left and Cara on the right...

We have found out because Beau has not been on full feeds he now is having some liver issues. It will be something we will have to watch and go to clinics for when he is sent home. Right now they are hoping he will be able to eat soon so it wont get worse. 

Amber is just working on nursing and feeds as well as getting bigger. 

Regan got to have a sleep out in the tent with her dad the other night and loved it!

Independence Day and More...

Every one of my posts start out about how busy I am or how time flys bye. And it sure is all that and more. 

Friday I did my usual all day stay with the babies, then we took our girls to the fireworks at the golf course. It seemed shorter this year for some reason but still a very good show. I loved the heart shaped ones and the girls loved the smiley face ones. Saturday I spent the day with the babies then we took the girls to the car races. It was the Super Modified and Shane was Super excited ;) 

Here is a picture of him running to get the best seat he could find since we were walking to slow for him and he was missing part of the 6 hour races... (Trust me, we were not late)

 From now on races should be without kids ;) Shaela is starting to like them, Bridget likes them depending on how many souvenirs you buy her and Regan I end up fighting her to keep earplugs in the entire time as well as walk the entire grounds to keep her busy so I didn't see as much of the races as I would have liked. We did our usual stop in the pit to talk to the racers and sit in their cars at the end.

Pictures from the races...

Sunday We were going to go to church with the girls at the hospital but found out it started earlier then we believed. We still took the girls to visit and hold the babies and play in the playroom for a bit. Then Shane took them home with him while I stayed. Later that day Grandma and Grandpa Jackson came and visit Beau and Amber. Grandma made them the cutest name banners for them. While grandma was holding Beau he decided to show off what he does best and coded (code blue) meaning he decided to stop breathing and drop his heart rate. I grabbed him off of grandma's lap and tried to stimulate him to breath and he did for a second but then dropped again, while doing this I called the nurse across the way over (our nurse had ran to the bathroom) I hurried and put him in his bed and handed the oxygen mask to the nurse. She called the code blue and in came the team to fill up the room. My poor mom was scared for life and may never hold him again. I tried explaining to her that this is what he does and it had nothing to do with her or how she was holding him. He desat a few more times that night  but nothing to code on. I gave them their baths then went home.

Shane making sure Regan is being a good holder.

Monday they dropped Amber's oxygen to 1liter. Later that night for family night we took the girls hiking and picnic. It was a good time. Shaela and I struggled keeping up. I hope most of it for me was lack of using my muscles since being pregnant and I hope Shaela was just having an off day and that neither of us struggled because of our hearts. 

Took this picture of Beau holding his ear...

Tuesday Amber and Beau both got their immunizations done. They also told me they thought Beau dropping his sats all the time may be more of a nerological problem then a lung problem and that they ordered a head ultrasound for Thursday.

Look who sucks his thumb...

Wednesday Beau had an MRI done on his bowels and intestines to watch dye go through and make sure everything was ready to go for surgery on Friday. From what I was told he did not like having his butt cheeks taped. Beau also went to high flow. Amber went onto low flow cannula.

Amber cuddling with me before nursing...

Thursday Beau had an ultrasound on his head done. It showed that his desats are not caused neurologically and that the brain bleed he had from birth has resolved itself. Amber and I have been working on nursing. She latches on pretty well just doesn't stay on. I bathed both of them here is some cute pictures of them all cleaned up.

Beau... He still gets sponge baths...

Amber gets swaddle baths...

Today is Friday and I am sitting her waiting for Beau to go back for his surgery that was suppose to take place around 9:30am and it is now 1:00pm.

1:00am call

Just as I fell asleep Tuesday night at 1:00am my phone rang. And of course you know it is not good when your phone rings at this time. It was the NICU calling about Beau saying how he has not done well and is having lots of A&B's ('A' stands for Apnea, 'B' stands for Bradycardia), they had to revive him a few times and he was also lethargic with low muscle. They needed permission to do another spinal tap to test for meningitis as well as run blood and urine tests for infections. Of course I said yes. They started him on antibiotics and he seems to be doing better. We have not seen test outcomes yet other then being aware his white blood cell count is higher.

I went in yesterday and spent a long day at the hospital thanks to my mom gifting Shaela and Bridget a lagoon pass each and Sheena taking them with her boys for a day there while my mom tended Regan. Beau had an interesting nurse that kept asking me why we chose to let Ruby go? Why she was so sick? How we knew she wasn't going to make it? How we were sure she was worse off than the other two? And that she had seen plenty of preemies make it with the same issues. She made me second guess what I knew was the right choice and in no way was I able to explain to her the answers we were given without explaining all the spiritual things that had happened up to that point. She even went as far as asking the nurse practitioner in front of me after I had already answered all her questions the best I could, who was also there when the triplets were born what was wrong with Ruby and why she was so sick.

On a good note I get to try non nutritive nursing with Amber today!!! Here are some fun pictures of the littles in clothes since they both graduated to cribs.