DECEMBER 31 UPDATE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2017 (7 weeks)
34 WEEKS

The Miracle Babies are progressing well.  Fortunately Mckayla did not end up having to have her breathing tube reinserted.  She was given a blood transfusion after all the tests they did to determine why she was having so many bradys  (to stop breathing which then causes the heart rate to go under 80 beats per minute and continue to lower until breathing restarts). It is thought she had a reaction to the eye drops that were given to her for her eye test.   Her blood gases were low and her skin color not quite as pink as her sisters, so they gave her another blood transfusion.  She has endured several of these since her birth.  Her pneumonia collapsed a lung and she now has scar tissue in her lungs which is making it more difficult to get her breathing smoothly.   Mckayla now weighs three pounds, four ounces. She will probably be the last to go home as she struggles the most with all the milestones she needs to reach.

Madilynn is now on CPAP which is a wonderful progression towards breathing on her own.  She was very wide eyed and alert yesterday.  Her little eyes were bright and looking all over.  She and Mackenzie got to wear clothes today since they are both on CPAP.   Madilynn steadily improved every day this week.  Madilynn now weighs three pounds, fourteen ounces.

Mackenzie is being weaned off her CPAP in progression to breathe entirely on her own.  She is the calmest baby of the trio.  It is amazing to already be able to see their individual personalities emerging at such a young age.  Mackenzie rarely has alarms now.  She may be the first to be able to go home in six more weeks or so.    Mackenzie now weighs three pounds, seven ounces. 

Mommy has been able to hold Madilynn and Mackenzie together several times since their isolottes are close to each other and can accommodate all the wires the babies are attached to.  Michael held Madilynn and Mackenzie together for the first time yesterday.  

Mommy has been told that it is quite likely that the babies will not all come home together.  It will depend on when each of them  meet the necessary requirements.  Their due date of February 9 is six weeks away.  They have been in the hospital seven weeks.  We have less time to their due date than they have been in the hospital!!!

Please continue to pray that the babies' lungs will continue to mature and they will all be able to breathe on their own soon.  Pray that the twins' bradys will decrease in number.  Pray that the babies' will learn not to gag but to suck so they will be able to take a bottle once they are each breathing on their own.

Thank you for your prayers and have a wonderful and blessed New Year! 

    

DECEMBER 27 UPDATE

Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.  His faithful love endures forever.  

Psalm 136:4

 DECEMBER 27, 2017 (six weeks, three days)

33 WEEKS

The verses that I have posted on each update were the verses we read when we prayed for Baby A to survive and thrive.  This is the last one in the group.  God graciously gave us Baby A.  We do not know what is ahead for the triplets health wise.  Being born so very early comes with its own set of potential health complications, but we are so grateful that God has blessed us with three miracle babies.  Miracles in conception, miracles in development,  and miracles in keeping Baby A alive and Baby B not being comprised, miracles that they passed the five point test repeatedly in the womb with flying colors and miracles  that each one was able to breathe at birth. They are so very tiny and just an amazing miracle to watch and see how perfectly formed these babies were at just 27 weeks from conception. 

  

McKayla had a rough night and morning.  She had 28 bradys just this morning.  The doctor thinks she is having a reaction to the eye drops they used in testing her eyes yesterday since all her blood work came back fine.  They may need to reintubate her with a breathing tube.  She is growing and staying up with her sisters.    Her alarms still go off often.  The scariest one is for when she stops breathing.  Michael was able to hold her for about a half hour yesterday but then she had an episode of not breathing and her heart rate went down to 9.  Unfortunately, they had to put her back in her isolette to stabilize her.  On Christmas Eve she was three pounds one ounce.  Christmas Eve was milestone day as all babies have reached three pounds!!

Madilynn had her breathing tube removed.  She is on the cannula, being weaned to be ready for the CPAP.  She too has alarms go off frequently.  The breathing issue is the most often sounded alarm.  Breathing is centered in the brain and they just are not at the development age yet where breathing occurs naturally.  She is the feistiest one of the three and moves and stretches a lot. Mommy held her and Mackenzie together and the girls held hands!   She weighed three pounds, seven ounces on Christmas Eve.

Mackenzie is doing  well on CPAP.  They are slowly weaning her off that little by little.  She will be transitioned to a crib soon if all continues well.  Her alarms still go off frequently.  Her mommy got  to hold her Christmas Eve but it takes about half hour to get her from the isolette to her mommy, adjusting wires and getting her comfortable on mommy.  Finally she was able rest comfortably on mommy.  Mommy gave her pacifier to her and dripped breast milk in her mouth with a syringe while she sucked to equate sucking with nursing.  Mackenzie put her thumb in her pacifier and it looked like she was sucking her thumb.  Her sucking reflex is amazing and we could hear her sucking and watch her pacifier moving with the suction.  She is the most laid back of the three babies.  She has her daddy's personality!   Her weight on Christmas Eve was three pounds, one ounce also.  She is the most mature with development. 

We thank you for your prayers and wish a Blessed and Bountiful New Year! 

DECEMBER 22 UPDATE

Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise, his faith grew stronger and in this he brought glory to God.  Romans 4:20

When we were told that Baby A (McKayla) would not survive without a miracle and doctors had very little hope for her survival and the subsequent negative impact it would have on Baby B (Madilynn) we prayed for a miracle and asked that it would be for the Glory of God.  It is only through God's amazing gracious mercy that we have three beautiful little girls who are doing well despite daily setbacks. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017 ( 5 weeks, 5 days)
33 WEEKS

Mckayla is doing well. She is breathing with the nose prongs in her nose now instead of with a breathing tube.  She is a feisty little girl and moves around and lifts her little hiney up.  She opens her eyes more often.  She seems to know when her twin is in distress because her heart rate increases and makes her alarm go off too, but once her twin is calmed down she also calms down.  Mommy got to hold her and Madilynn at the same time. It was the first time Christine was able to hold more than one baby at a time.  Mckayla weighs two pounds, twelve ounces.

Madilynn had her breathing tube removed this week.   She also has the oxygen assisted prongs in the nose.  She has an issue with her throat which the doctors think may be irritation and rawness from the breathing tube.  They are waiting to see if it clears up on its own before taking an x-ray to see what it going on.  Suctioning is not helping the rattle when she breathes.  She is also an active little girl. She weighs three pounds, two ounces.

After holding Mackenzie and Madilynn for about twenty minutes, Madilynn's alarm went off and she had six bradys in a row.  Her eyes closed, she turned white.  The nurse vigorously rubbed her and pulled the feeding tube out to get her to breathe again.  As you can imagine it was a very distressing time for Mommy and baby.  Finally her color returned and her feeding tube was replaced.  When Madilynn was in distress, Mckayla's heart rate increased to 210.  The nurses think it is the twin syndrome when one twin knows what is going on with the other twin.    After all was resolved with the babies, Mommy was able to hold them for an hour and a half.

Mackenzie is on the CPAP which means she is breathing on her own and only has pressure  to keep her lungs from collapsing since they are so immature.  She is as low as she can go on that.  If she continues to do well with the CPAP they will wean her off that and she will be breathing entirely on her own.  At 34 weeks they will transition Mackenzie to a crib if all continues well with her.  She only had one vomit in a 24 hour time frame so that is also a great improvement.  Mackenzie weighs  two pounds, fourteen ounces. 

MIRACLE BABIES CHRISTMAS PICTURES

Jackson and his three sisters :)

 

         Three precious little miracles from heaven!

 








THE MIRACLE BABIES ONE MONTH PICTURES



Mckayla Grace, two pounds,  eight ounces, 13.6 inches



Madilynn Elizabeth, two pounds eleven ounces, 14.7 inches



Mackenzie Karen, two pounds, three ounces, 14.2 inches

DECEMBER 17 UPDATE

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.  James 1:12

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 (5 weeks old)
32 WEEKS

I apologize for having such a long delay in updating.  Life has been a bit crazy.  The miracle babies are doing wondrously well.  They have each had two blood transfusions now. 

Mckayla is doing quite well. Today she weighed two pounds, eight ounces.    She is no longer intubated and is actually learning to use a pacifier.  This will help her learn to suck.  She is breathing on her own and she is opening her eyes more often. They keep increasing her dosage  of mother's milk every twelve hours.  Her pneumonia is clear. 

Madilynn is still having help with her breathing and is not yet able to use the pacifier.  Today she weighed three pounds.   A milestone to have made it to three pounds.  She has passed up her sisters.   She has had a few strawberry birthmarks pop out on her back.  So they will be able to identify which twin is which!  She too opens her eyes more often.   She was on an IV since she had a respiratory infection and was taking antibiotics.  Now she will be getting her mother's milk that will also be increased every twelve hours. 

MACKENZIE KAREN

Mackenzie has FINALLY gained weight!!  Today she weighed two pounds, nine ounces.  Truly an answer to prayer.  They did keep her on her mother's milk.  They are supplementing her with a high  caloric IV.  The doctors were hoping Mackenzie would be able to build her blood back up on her own, but she wasn't quite able to, so she had a transfusion on Thursday. She  too is no longer intubated and is also using a pacifier.  She has had a good sucking reflex for a few weeks already. 

 I had not seen one of the babies stop breathing until Thursday.  They get so sound asleep that they forget to breathe.  The alarm sounded and the nurse rushed in.  She only got one glove on and picked up Mackenzie and moved her arms and legs and rubbed her and set her up and down.  Her heart rate dropped right off and it was quite a frightening half a minute or so.  Mackenzie then settled back into her breathing again and the nurse apologized for not putting her other glove on, but we sure understood time is of the essence! 

Friday was the last day that they let visitors in under the age of 18.  Flu season has officially started.  The NICU also has the rule that if you have been ill you are not to enter the NICU for seven days.  Michael has a sore throat, sneezing, runny nose so he will not be able to see the babies for several days.  Jackson can no longer go in and see his sisters.  He probably will not see them again until they come home sometime in February. 

Thank you for your continued prayers for our miracle babies.  It is hard to believe that they are already five weeks old, yet still should be in the womb another several weeks.  Your prayers are much appreciated! 

DECEMBER 12 UPDATE

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 UPDATE (4 weeks, two days old)
31 WEEKS

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.  Remember the great reward it brings you.  Patient endurance is what you need now...  Hebrews 10:35-36

Today is the miracle babies' one month birthday!

Mckayla weighs 2 pounds, 5 ounces.  She is responding well to the antibiotics to clear her pneumonia. 

Madilynn weighs 2 pounds, 10 ounces.  She is on on antibiotics for her respiratory infection.  She has not had much of a change. 

Mackenzie weighs 2 pounds, 3 ounces.  She had 50 *bradys through the night and may need to be **intubated again. Unfortunately she is still vomiting.  This week's doctor does not want to take her off her mother's milk.  They are going to remove the tube going all the way to her intestine and just let it go to her stomach and cut back on the amount of mother's milk.

Christine got to hold all three girls!! 

*bradycardia-a pause in breathing that causes a drop in oxygen levels
**intubated-place the breathing tube back in to give her oxygen

Thank you for your faithful intercession on the miracle babies' behalf.   We appreciate you all very much!

DECEMBER 11 UPDATE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11 (4 weeks, one day old)
31 WEEKS

Now to him that is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.  Eph3:20

The ups and downs of  premature babies can change hour to hour.    Things can seem fine and then at a moment's notice change with our miracle babies. 

Mckayla is now fighting pneumonia in one lung.  She is on two different antibiotics.  When I was there Saturday her alarms were going off because her oxygen levels kept dropping. She is on IV plus mother's milk. Their weights fluctuate so much from day to day, I will try to just update you weekly on their weight.  Pray that the pneumonia will clear with no further complications. 

Madilynn is fighting a respiratory issue and is also on antibiotics.  She is on an IV plus mother's milk.  She had a heating pad on where they had removed her IV Saturday because the area was swollen.  She was sleeping peacefully on Saturday.  Pray that her respiratory issues will not turn into pneumonia.

Mackenzie is still having digestive issues and the doctors have decided she is allergic to mother's milk and are going to put her on formula.  She is still throwing up and actually threw up while I was there.  She is not gaining weight well at all.  They did decide to hold off on the transfusion since her body is making its own red blood cells.  Pray that her digestive issues will be resolved and she will start gaining weight. 

These little babies who should still be safe and sound in their mother's womb have to deal with so many issues on a daily basis.  It makes the minor things we deal with seem of little or no consequence in the big picture!

The flu season is about here and that means that Jackson and I will not be allowed to visit the miracle babies.  Once flu season is officially here the NICU is shut down to visitors, especially children.

Please keep our miracle babies in your prayers.  They will be in the NICU until at least the middle of February.  Their due date was February 9 and the doctors said it is usually a week after their due date that the babies are allowed to go home provided all is well with their health. 


Thank you!

DECEMBER 9 UPDATE QUICK UPDATE

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 (3 weeks, 5 days)
31 WEEKS

Madilynn:   I texted a prayer request yesterday afternoon about Madilynn's infection worsening and the doctor wanting to do a spinal tap to check for meningitis.  She did end up having the spinal tap.  It was clear.  They put her on antibiotics and she is doing better.  The infection is caused by all the tubing they have.

 Mckayla:  She is also suffering now from bacterial infection.  They also put her on antibiotics.  Her oxygen levels kept increasing too much yesterday which was indicative of an infection.

Mackenzie:  Her feeding tube is in place and working well.  She has lots of oral secretions from multiple tubes.  That is very frustrating for the babies and they have to wait until the nurse suctions them out. 

We are so thankful that Madilynn did not have meningitis.  We wish she would not have had to endure the spinal tap.  Thank you for those who prayed for her yesterday when I sent out my emergency prayer request.

 

DECEMBER 7 UPDATE

You can pray for anything and if you have faith you will receive it.  Matthew 21:21

 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7 (3 weeks, 4 days old)

30 WEEKS

MCKAYLA BABY A  is doing well.  She is gaining weight and was up to 2 pounds 7 oz this week. Daddy  got to hold her yesterday. She does forget to breathe especially at night and alarms go off and the nurse needs to help her breathe again.  When they have rough nights then mommy and daddy can't hold them the next day.

MADILYNN BABY B is having some issues.  She had to have that blood transfusion after all.  They test them too frequently for their blood to build  back up.  She also has an infection so they started her on antibiotics.  Her tummy is very distended and they do not know why.  They took an x-ray today to see if they could determine what is going on with that. She also weighed 2 pounds 7 oz. Mommy got to hold her yesterday.

MACKENZIE BABY C was able to be held by her daddy for the first time.  He held her for an hour and a half.  She loves to grab onto her wires and pull them out.  She had an x-ray done today also to see if they replaced her feeding tube correctly. They have put her tube all the way to the intestine instead of just the stomach.  She has been vomiting some.   She is not doing well gaining weight.  She is only at her birth weight of two pounds.    

I held Jack up to see Mckayla and he said in the sweetest sing song voice "I love you".
 

Pray that the babies will have better nights with fewer alarms going off.  Pray that Madilynn's infection will heal quickly and her tummy distention issue will be resolved.  Pray that Mackenzie will be able to keep her milk down and digest it and start gaining weight.

Thank you!

DECEMBER 4 UPDATE

Anything is possible if a person believes.  Mark 9:23

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4 (three weeks and one day old)
30 WEEKS

Mckayla still has her IV in but is increasing her milk intake every twelve hours.  Because her kidneys are immature, carbon dioxide is building up in her body.  This could be causing her breathing issues.  She soon may be able to regulate her body temperature.

Madilynn no longer needs her temperature monitored.  She can regulate her own now.  She is still on the breathing tube and also liquid protein.  The doctors decided not to do a blood transfusion since she is just one percent under where a transfusion is needed.  She may soon have her breathing tube removed.

Mackenzie is having issues with her esophagus.  It appears to be swollen.  They will watch it closely and if necessary will call in an ENT specialist in case there is a developmental issue or something else.  They had difficulty intubating her last night and discovered this problem.  She was not intubated.

All three miracle babies had a rough night and once again Mommy could not hold them today.  She was only able to change their diapers at care time. 

Please pray that Mckayla's kidneys will be able to keep the carbon dioxide from building up in her body and that she will be able to regulate her body temperature soon.  Pray that Madilynn will have her breathing tube removed soon and gain weight.  Pray that the issue with Mackenzie's esophagus will heal soon and not be a serious issue. 

Pray that all three will stabilize very soon and be able to held by mommy and daddy.

Mommy had fun time playing with Jackson outside Sunday morning.  Jack was so glad to spend time with Mommy.  He misses her very much. 



 

COMMENT...COUNT....CONTACT

I have had a few questions about being able to comment, to be notified when I post, and how many have looked at the blog.  To answer all these questions, I added a few gadgets to the right. 

The comment section has been enabled, so you may comment now and please do!  It was so encouraging to all of those many friends I started out texting updates to when you replied. I was wondering why I was not getting any comments when I had so many views and realized I had not added the comment box.  It is there now!!

The counting number is up for those interested in that.  And for those who may be interested, we have readers from Mozambique, Peru, South Korea, Italy, and Australia.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the updates, comment and PRAY.  We are so blessed to have so many praying for our miracle babies around the world.  They are doing marvelously well  and we know it is because we have so many interceding often for their health and well being. 
 

DECEMBER 3 UPDATE

For with God nothing will be impossible.  Luke 1:3

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 (three weeks old)

30 WEEKS

I am back here after being home for a week.  I was able to go with Michael and Christine to see the miracle babies today. 

Mckayla weighed 2 lbs, 1.9 oz  She is still on IV for fluids but is also getting her mothers milk via her feeding tube.  Today she got 8 ml per feeding.    Her nurse made a keepsake bag of the things she has outgrown already that the nurses use to care for her.  She is still on the breathing tube. Her alarms went off a few times while I was there.

Madilynn weighed 2 lbs, 5.5 oz.  She is also on IV for fluids plus 8 ml of her mother's milk at each feeding.   She slept peacefully the entire time I was there. 

Mackenzie has gained weight!!  She weighed 2 lbs, 4 oz.   She is on 14 ml of mother's milk every feeding.  She had her eyes open while I was there.  When we talked to her, her heart rate increased to 185.    She pulled her breathing tube out so they decided to see if she was ready to be on her own with breathing.  Unfortunately she had to be intubated this evening. 

When the babies forget to breathe, the nurses have to intervene by touching them, moving them, or even sitting them up to get them to breathe.  Mackenzie did that this evening and did not breathe and the nurse said she was turning blue, which is why the put they breathing tube back in. 

Christine was able to change all their diapers during care time.  Care time is when they take care of their needs and feed them.  Christine tries to be present at these during the day so she can do whatever she is allowed to do for each baby. Christine has started calling her miracle angel babies the warrior princesses since they are so strong and fighting so bravely through all the obstacle they face!

DECEMBER 1 UPDATE

Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him, "I am willing", he said.  "Be healed"  Mark 1:41

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 (two weeks and five days old)
(30 WEEKS)

Today was a milestone day!  Mckayla the tiniest baby reached two pounds.  All babies are at two pounds.

Mckayla's medicine for her heart seems to have worked. The could not hear the murmur and the sonogram showed the PDA was small enough to close on its own.  She will resume feedings tonight or tomorrow.  Her vent settings went down which is a good thing and means she can be weaned off her breathing tube.

Madilynn's murmur has softened; it is not as harsh sounding.  The PDA is closing with the help of the medicine after two doses.  They will check it again and see if she needs the third dose.  She will also resume feedings.  Her vent settings also went down so she too can be weaned off the breathing tube.

Mackenzie has not gained weight in a week.  She weighs two pounds which was her birth weight.  They have put her on liquid protein to try to get her to gain some weight.  Her vent setting have not decreased so she still needs her breathing tube.

Pray that the PDA's will continue to close. Pray that Mckayla and Madilynn will be weaned off the breathing tube soon.  Pray that Mackenzie will gain weight and that her vent setting will decrease so she can be weaned off the breathing tube.

Thank you!