Vereze Triplets!: October 2012

I feel like we are on Lost, but instead of punching numbers into a computer every 108 minutes we are doing our own event and sequence of tasks to avoid destruction. We call what happens every 3 hours an event, which includes feeding, burping, diapering, changing, wrapping, and putting them back to sleep. Since it's more than just a feeding we call it an event. We each have our parts to play and in our sleepless daze have even named some of the positions.

Bottle Maker, wakes up and makes the bottles, caps them, and marks them for the babies. When it comes time to feed, we rotate just like we do with the positions, one person will feed 2 babies, burp 2, and then process one, the other will feed and burp one and process 2. This usually has us finishing in about 20 minutes most events. The bottle maker gets to sleep soundly because the other person that didn't make the bottles are "on call". The "on call" person handles any issues between feedings (lost passy, arms free of wrapping, or just a need to do a quick rock and drop).

This is our grand plan and it works, we have our high maintenance child (Harper) that thinks she needs to eat 30 minutes early, but she has to wait. Everyone eats together if they want it or not so everyone stays on target. Sophia eats like a champ and sucks it down, and Emma thinks that she should get to take an hour to eat.

2 week check up-
Harper 6.65 18in
Sophia 7.3 19in
Emma 6.11 19in

After we had pictures of Danielle, Emma, and I done, I was told to get up and go to the nursery with the babies. I carried Emma from the OR to the nursery, Dr. Lipscomb walking with me telling me that this is how it’s suppose to be (walking the baby to the nursery). I walked into the nursery all eyes on me as I walk with the last of the Vereze triplets and I place her into the warmer. There was so much activity swirling around in that room. I just stood there and watched, not knowing where to look since there was more than just one to pay attention too. Each of the doctors were busy working, nurses were writing down orders and stats, respiratory was standing by each baby, and alarms were flashing and going off. It’s very overwhelming for one baby to go though that, but multiply that by three and it’s almost unbearable, and there is nothing you can do but stand back and trust the team that you have put together. It was scary to even touch them, they are so small and a room full of people are watching you and you don’t want to make a mistake. I took a deep breath and went from baby to baby checking in, getting reports, asking questions, giving them a quick pat on the back, taking a quick picture for the family and moving on to the next one. In the nursery I was told that Harper had a true knot in her cord, Sophia was in distress and her placenta was starting to come apart, and Emma was perfect. I was told by all the doctors that if it wasn't set up for them to be delivered today, they would have came anyways. The babies were all doing so well, Sophia needed some oxygen, all the babies were on monitors and IV fluids, but doing fantastic.

About 30 minutes after they were born and they were doing good, I left to update the family. When I saw them I just broke down, I couldn't hold it in we just had three babies and they were all perfect. After showing off pictures I went back to the nursery and soon after they opened the windows and the viewing area was open for the public. After the doctors were finished working on the babies I was allowed to bring in a grandparent so we brought in my mom and then Danielle’s. I think they fell in love instantly. It’s pretty hard not too since they are so cute. About an hour after birth Dr. Cutler and Dr. Alexander walked in heads held high, and all smiles, Danielle had done a great job during surgery and they were able to save her uterus. After that report it was like there was a collective sigh of relief from the hospital. I was then led out of the nursery to ring the bell three times (TMC has a button you push when a baby is born, it plays music throughout the hospital) we were officially the talk of the hospital. (I really wish I would have gotten a picture of video of Captain Cutler's A Team swagger walking in).

Emma

Harper

Sophia

Your passport to the nursery

I left to check in on Danielle, who was finally awake in recovery and doing well, in high spirits and ready to see the babies. I showed her all the pictures I could and then went back to face time and show them off to their momma. Shortly after we were transported back to her room, our home away from home 318. On the way we went by the nursery viewing area, kicking out, what was the start of the constant crowd of people looking at awe of our babies and what we were able to accomplish. After Danielle was settled back in, the hospital’s PR person came to ask me some questions about the triplets, take some pictures, and see if it was ok if they do a press release and me do an interview with the media. I was really in shock, I didn't think that this would be something they would put on the news. Danielle refused to be on camera, so she left it to me.

It was so strange walking around the hospital and everyone knowing and saying “there is that triplet dad” from the cafeteria, people waiting in the lobby, and other people working at the hospital. It all was surreal and again strange that so many people would care. Around 1am the next day we were able to get Danielle up out of bed and into a wheel chair to see the triplets for the 1st time. You could see the joy and love on Danielle’s face with a slight hint of greed. I say greed because I know she was thinking in her head “OMG these are all MINE!”. If you know Danielle then you know of her great love of all things baby. She was in heaven. Her dream of four daughters at last accomplished.

I know I left some things out, but it was an overwhelming day with so many things going on at once it is hard to remember everything. I know that every doctor I spoke with and nurse had one thing they kept saying to me “this wasn't suppose to happen”. They were in shock and so happy that everything went off without a hitch. They couldn't believe that they were doing so well. It was a miracle!

This never would have happened without the nurses and doctors at Texoma Medical Center. I can’t sing their praises enough. They supported us, encouraged us, pushed us, and cared for us like family. We really felt like these people were invested personally into the care and well being of our children. We couldn't be happier and more impressed with the care we received and so happy with our choice to have our triplets there. Four days later Danielle was discharged, babies had to stay, and it really felt like we were leaving family. All of our doctors, were fantastic and really went along with the hospital and nurses above and beyond, we are forever indebted to this group of people.

More to come from life from the nursery, and homecoming.

http://heralddemocrat.com/sections/news/local/blog-birth-denison-couple-welcomes-three-babies.html