Babies One Week Birthday!

I came home from another nice chunk of time in the NICU today, and got some cuddle time with my boys tonight!  Yeah!  Things are looking fairly good- here is an update on all our kiddos!

First, Big Sister Jenna:

She is such a great daughter- our little princess!

Visiting with her sister Hannah

Jenna is doing awesome at home and, because I have been so disabled with the tolls of carrying the babies in my body, she is giddy, super happy & attentive, and just plain wonderful now that she has her "old mommy" back.  She is also cracking me up with her comments, like:  "Mom, you can pick things off the floor again" and "Yeah, mom!  You can go down the stairs again!"  I thought balancing the NICU life with attending to her would be tricky, but it is working out very well so far.  She and I have been craving the unhindered together time so much that I have been able to fill up her "love bank" easily by doing the things we always did before!  Lots of love, attention, play, and together time= joy for all!

 Jenna has gone with Andy and I a few times already to the NICU.  She does great there and loves visiting the kids and knows who is where in our room.  The children's hospital has a lot of kids-friendly options in terms of things for us to do with her there, and so she is looking forward to "exploring" the hospital with me in weeks to come.

Coloring pictures for the babies in the NICU room

Jenna is LOVING the active time with mommy again and mommy is LOVING the active time with Jenna, too!

I also have been healing amazingly well from the c-section.  After Jenna's c-section, I was in the most miserable pain for weeks!  But this time?  Barely any pain.  I stopped taking Vicodin during the day and just Motrin is doing the job well.  I think it's a mixture of being so large and helpless before + my 2nd c-section + motivation to "do" lots of things again + prayers!  My milk has also come in and I am pumping all the time! So far I am able to feed all babies.  Granted, they don't need much yet each feeding, but hopefully my supply increases with the demand-- four babies are a lot to feed!  And if I can't, God Bless donor breast milk!!

OK, back to the updates of the babies.

Tyler Allen:
I snuggled with this kiddo today!  Although the smallest, he is doing the best!  He is doing great with no breathing support and an echo on his heart showed no murmurs.  He is a drama-free dude so far, besides some little things here & there.  In the NICU, that is great!

Snuggle time with my little dude Tyler.  He is only about 1#10oz.

Lauren Faith:
Lauren went off the ventilator last night!!!  She is on cpap now and doing well.  An echo showed a large hole in her heart (let me quickly explain: a PDA valve is suppose to shut when babies are born and it does not always shut when premies are born.  This can lead to a murmur, which indicates a small, medium or large "hole".  They often will close up on their own but the large ones they need meds to help close.)  Thus, Lauren is now on meds for the next 3 days to try to close the valve.  She still has a tube in her lung from her pneumpthorax, but it is doing well so they may be able to take it out soon.  This is VERY good, because I have not been able to hold her yet at all due to the trach that was in her throat from the vent and the tube in her lungs!  I NEED to hold my little Lauren!

The picture is grainy b/c we can't use a flash, but Lauren is so beautiful :-)

Hannah Faith:
Hannah is now off cpap also, and is breathing with no support!  Yeah!  She also had an echo that showed a large hole in her heart, so she is also on meds for the next 3 days.  Her veins have collapsed a lot and she has been unable to get a port line (called a picc line) but today the IV she had in has stayed good and has not collapsed.  Praise Jesus!  Personalities are starting to come out, and Hannah is our verbal, spunky drama queen.  She was the most active one in my belly, too.  What fun to get to know my babies individual personalities!

Hannah decided to vacation in Costa Rica today.  Getting a nice tan.  You go, girl!

Tanner Andrew:Tanner is also a cool dude who is very laid back and drama-free.  He also is breathing room air without any supports and is doing great.  Like Hannah and Lauren, Tanner too has a large hole in his heart and so is also on the meds.  The docs say the meds often do close up the holes, but if not, they can try the medicine again or there is a surgery they can do later for it.  Lets pray the meds work for all 3!

My sweet Tanner Man snuggling with me.  I love them all so much!!!

Andy and I are doing amazingly well as we transition to this new phase of life, and we feel SO BLESSED by all your support, encouragements, help, thoughts & prayers.  I still have not gotten through all my emails and messages, but they do not go by unnoticed.  Each and every one means so much to us!  Thank you all for your prayers, chains of prayers, kindness and just hopping along this crazy journey with us!  God is so good.  I often pray that He blesses you "saints" out there tenfold!

And now... one thing I need desperately... sleep!
Good night!

Becky