Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!  We want to thank you (again) for following along with us; for all your prayers, phone calls, emails and support.  We appreciate each one of you very much!

We hope that you enjoy a safe, peaceful and blessed day, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Let that never be lost among all the gift giving, receiving, turkeys and naps!

We dressed up our kids tonight so that we could share some pictures for Christmas - Teddy, Joshua and Emma received their first Christmas gifts from Mommy and Daddy tonight!  Thanks to BB and JB for the outfits!  We do not intend to dress our kids alike, but we'll make an exception now and then!

Oh, and before I post the pictures, Mommy told the kids that Santa doesn't come until all the little boys and girls were asleep.  So, like good, obedient children, they promptly went to sleep, and didn't even wake up to have their pictures taken.  Oh well.  I suppose their bottles didn't help either.

A Few More

More Pictures!

I'm hoping the comments are working again - I've been switching this blog around too many times trying to figure out what's wrong - hopefully it's all fixed up again.

Everything continues to go well - not much has changed since yesterday, except they are eating more today (I guess I should get used to the pattern....)

They're working hard to bottle/breast feed - we can tell that it's pretty exhausting for them, but they're working at it.  I figure they'll do pretty well with a week of practice!

Anyway, on to some new pictures - thanks Adam for taking some really nice quality photos!

(From left to right: Joshua, Teddy & Emma)

Yeah, it's going to be a little crowded, kids.  Get used to it!
(Teddy, Emma, Joshua)

No Creative Titles Tonight...

This has been an exciting weekend for our family! Our kids no longer need Level 3 care at Mac, so they were transferred to Level 2 at St. Joe's. St. Joe's is a much different hospital and the whole NICU functions differently. I suppose that is to be expected - different hospital, different level of care, etc., but it still threw us off a little.

It does put a little pressure on us to be a little more "hand's on", which is really good for me - I learn best when I'm put in situations where I have to do it on my own. 3 days in, I'm feeling very comfortable - I've got pretty good bundling, bathing, burping and diapering skills. I anticipate it getting a little more challenging as they grow - at least in some respects - but I'm getting a good handle on things, and Kristin has been very encouraging!

Yesterday, both sets of Grandparents got to finally meet and snuggle the new additions! Everyone was very excited, and it was an emotional time for all of us, I think. Pictures to come! Hopefully some of the Great-Grandparents will be able to visit soon!

Teddy, Joshua and Emma continue to do very well - they had the heat turned off in their isolette's today, and are holding their body temperatures well. If they can maintain good body heat for another day or two, they'll be transferred into little cots - another step closer to coming home!

Another big milestone was the introduction of bottle and breast feeding today! For most parents this happens almost immediately, but because our little one's are so little, we weren't sure they would be able to master the suck/swallow/breathe technique. Our nurses told us that premature babies don't usually get that skill until 34/35 weeks (gestational age). Our trips hit 34 weeks today, and the charge nurse was immediately encouraging us to give it a shot - and wouldn't you know it - our babies went right for it! All 3 took pretty well - we'll see how they manage over the next few days - sometimes there is a little regression because it takes a lot of effort for a 4lb baby to drink all that fluid so many times a day - but so far they're doing wonderfully!

There are only a few more hurdles before we'll be able to bring our family home, and we're sooooo excited! They're still so little - each have gained about 4oz or so above their birth weight (babies tend to lose some weight after birth, and then begin to gain again) - but they are steadily climbing. How blessed we are; God is SO GOOD!

I'll try to update again tomorrow with some new pictures! We're busy getting the nursery ready, so it's back to work!

Thanks for checking in (by the way, is the comment function working again?)

Update!

Hi Everyone,

I was just informed that the comment function was not working! SO SORRY!

... I was wondering where all my comments were ...

Anyway, I've changed the background again - can't find a Christmas template that I can be sure the comments will work on, so I'll use this as a default, for now.

As a quick update - our kids are doing sooooo well! So well, in fact, that they have been moved from Level 3 at Mac, to Level 2 at St. Joe's. We much prefer the surrounding of Mac (and the staff!), but it's nice to know that we don't need that intensive care at this point.

At St. Joe's, we'll have a little more freedom, and we're one step closer to our babies coming home! That'll still be a few weeks, to be sure, but it's encouraging!

More cute pictures to come - it's late, so I'll be brief... (story of my life these days...)

Picture Post!

Here are some pictures for our little babies! As a quick update - Teddy and Emma are doing very well - better than expected. They are increasing how much they eat, are stable without breathing machines and generally pretty peaceful. Joshua still needs a little help breathing - not much - but enough to keep him hooked up... and I don't think he likes it! He barely went over the threshold for jaundice, so he also needed some photo-therapy, which meant he couldn't be bundled up - he had to be exposed to the lights. Overall, he's doing pretty well for 32 weeks, and is making progress.

Kristin is doing well - still very sore - but is moving around. We expect her to come home tomorrow (Monday - wait, it IS Monday, I believe... so ... today).

Here's some pictures - more updates to come!

The first two are Emma...


This is Joshua, "bean". Kristin calls him her Pilot because of his headgear! So, Pilot Bean, I guess... Hopefully he won't need it much longer!



And here's our Teddybear...


...he sleeps like his Daddy...

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Thanks everyone for the comments, phone calls, visits, flowers, prayers and well-wishes! We are soooo thrilled! I'm testing out a new background for the blog, and it works well on one computer, and not well at all on another... how does it look?

I'll keep toying with it when I have a second....

It's a little after 1am Sunday morning - more pictures will be posted ASAP. I had to go through them tonight to properly label them (if I don't, I'll forget which baby is in the picture!) They are already becoming a little more distinct, but at delivery, it was hard to tell! Good thing they had different wool hats!

Kristin is doing very well - still very sore - but she has been slowly walking... starting to feel a little better. I'm sure she will feel better every day.

She has been able to hold all of the babies, much to her delight! I have held Teddy and Emma, but Joshua was a little too tired to be passed on after Mommy, so back to the toaster he went... our little Bean, he's needing some photo-therapy at the moment (for jaundice...). Joshua is still on CPAP (breathing machine), so keep praying! Teddy and Emma have done very well and have not needed CPAP or photo-therapy. All of them are increasing their food intake, which is very positive.

Thanks again for your comments and especially your prayers. God is good, and we are so blessed! Our hearts could not be fuller!

We hope that Kristin will be home mid-week, so keep her in your prayers as well, for a speedy recovery.

Pictures tomorrow - I promise!

Happy Birthday, Babies!

Kristin and I are sooooo thrilled to announce the safe arrival of our children!

We are completely overwhelmed with joy - God has been so good to us!

Without further ado...

Edward (Teddy) John arrived first at 9:37am, weighing 4lbs, 0.5oz.
He was quickly followed by Joshua Paul at 9:38am, weighing 3lbs, 6oz.
Last, but not least, my little princess, Emma Caroline at 9:39am, weighing 3lbs, 12oz.

This post will be brief - I'm home just long enough to put up our announcement with some pictures, and have a quick bite to eat before getting back to Kristin (who is napping at the moment) and our kids in the NICU.

All the babies were able to breathe on their own, and each let out some small cries (of joy!), which absolutely overwhelmed us! We fell in love with these babies the instant we saw them! They have since been put on machines that help their breathing - it takes a lot of energy for these little ones to breathe, and the machines will help ease that strain. They're also hooked up to IV's and other monitors - they're about 8 weeks early, so they need a little extra help, but they are in good shape!

Mommy is doing well - she's very tired and anxious to get to the nursery to visit with her little ones. I hope to get her over there tonight, if she's feeling well enough to make the short trip.

Before I post some pictures, please continue to pray for our little babies, and that the new Mom will recover quickly and without complications.

We praise God for a safe operation and for the blessings that He's given us! God answers prayer, people!

More updates soon, keep checking in!

Welcome Teddy!

Welcome Joshua!

Welcome Emma!

The Time Has Come

In less than 24 hours, Kristin and I will welcome 3 new humans into the world. How's that for a sobering thought?

My thoughts about tomorrow - how everything will happen - how our lives will change forever - how we will be responsible for 3 new children - come in waves. There have been a few times where a wave of emotion will wash over me - not at controlled, predictable times, but out of the blue - while driving, while listening to music, while working.

Two and a half years. For two and a half years Kristin and I prayed that God would see us fit to parent a child. For two and a half years, we dreamed that we would be able to hold a newborn baby; that we would be able to have the joy of wet kisses, warm snuggles and little laughs. We dreamed of reading bedtime stories, bandaging scrapes and bruises and watching a little tummy go up and down while sleeping snugly in a crib.

Almost 3 years later, God has heard our prayers, and has answered. Tomorrow we will get to meet God's answer to our prayers, and not just one child; He's deemed us fit to parent 3, all at the same time. What an amazing God we serve! What an honor, a joy and a privilege we have been given.

Today my heart is full. I'm sure tomorrow's feelings will exceed today's, but today my heart is full of joy and thanksgiving. We are so blessed.

Over the last few months, you have joined us on our journey to parenthood, tomorrow the journey of parenthood begins. We can't tell you how much we appreciate your prayers and support - it has meant so much to us - and it would have been a very different journey without you. Thanks.

Kristin and I hope you'll continue to journey with us! We will appreciate your prayers tomorrow morning at 8am. Please pray that these new lives arrive safely, that God will grant our team of doctors wisdom and steady hands. Pray that God will soothe our nerves, and watch over Kristin as she endures this operation. Please pray that God will continue to hold Kristin's heart in His hand, and that He will see our family through this operation and recovery safely.

I will post again as soon as I can! Please be patient as we try to update everyone as quickly as we can! If possible, I'll update the blog from my phone at the hospital, pictures will follow as soon as I can get them uploaded to the computer at home. Stay Tuned!

The Rumors are True!

Our babies are coming on Thursday!!! That's right, THIS Thursday! Yeah... pretty crazy!

This post is going to be pretty short, because it's almost 1am, and I'm tired from getting slaughtered in hockey tonight (I have a sweet bruise on the back of my leg from a slap shot, and a bruised elbow from... well... hockey).

The "man's version" (as Kristin calls it), is that everything is alright, but the babies are getting bigger, and Kristin is running out of room. They're growing a little slower than they should, but the doc is happy with how much they weigh, and 2 of them were seen "practice breathing" on Thursday, which is a good sign!

So, at 8am on Thursday, they'll make their entrance into this world, a little earlier than planned, but Mom and Dad are sooooo excited!!!! As are the Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, and...

Try to keep this post brief Paul, seriously, everyone's sleeping but you....

Please be in prayer for us, especially on Thursday that everything goes well with the C-Section, Kristin's heart, and that the babies all enter our world healthy and happy (well, I'm sure they'll cry, but it'll be an "awesome! I'm out of the womb and into the real world!" kind of cry... probably followed by a "whoa, it's cold out here" wail... )

I have a lot of things to write about this coming week, and will try to put something together over the next few days, in between hospital visits, work and pets...

AND - By the end of next week, you'll be able to see the VERY FIRST PICTURES of our BABIES! How exciting!!! This has been quite a journey to parenthood - now the real journey begins!

Just A Quick Picture Post

This picture is courtesy of Sarah! Thanks for snapping a good one!

More updates to come soon - ultrasound is happening this afternoon...

Kristin is growing rapidly! We've been measuring, and her belly grew 1 inch in 3 days! Yikes!

Stay Tuned...