MARCH 26 UPDATE

The babies' surgery was successful.  They were taken back much later than scheduled and we didn't hear from Michael until about six that evening.  The next day they were off off everything and doing well.  McKayla and Madilynn  are scheduled to come home Wednesday!! Mommy and Daddy are going to be trained on how to do the feeding tubes tomorrow. They also will be rooming in at the NICU and take care of the babes all on their own as a practice run before they are discharged. McKayla needs to pass the car seat test where she sits in it for one and a half hours without an issue. If she does not pass it she will have to use a preemie car seat which is like a bassinet. She will be tested again tomorrow, She will most likely come home with an apnea monitor. Mackenzie is doing well. She is getting her hips checked out tomorrow. A normal precaution for multiples just to make sure there are no problems. They purchased a Honda Odyssey for going from one child to four children. Their quad cab pickup just did not have room for four car seats! The SUV he wanted actually did not work once the car seat was placed. So that was given up for the ease of a van.  Also the cargo space was much better in the van than in the SUV.  
Jack and I will be going back up this weekend. I am looking forward to seeing the twins. I have not seen them since December! Pray for Jackson as he will be adjusting to two more new babies. Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated.

MARCH 19 UPDATE

Mackenzie is doing well. Megan and I went up this weekend and she took her bottles much better than when she first came home. I gave her one and she took it down in only about 15 minutes. She is awake a lot of the time. She is a little slow on weight gain so they are making her formula a bit more high in calories.  She is over eight pounds, while the other two are over nine pounds now. They are allowing visitors in again to the NICU. We have not seen the twins since December, so we were hoping to get to see McKayla and Mackenzie...ooops I mean Madilynnn....already getting them confused...could be because I got two two year olds with me while I am updating this!! :) but it just didn't work out time-wise. It was a very quick trip. The girls are still scheduled for their surgery for the g-tube on Friday......NOPE!!!! mommy just said it is Thursday....don't know why I have it as the 223rd but there you go....it is NOT on Friday but Thursday!!

We really want to get those babies home. They are missing out on being held by mommy and daddy. And of course Jack will be excited to see two more babies.......
Thank you for your continued prayers.

MARCH 12 UPDATE

March 12 update: The babies are progressing along slowly but surely. Mackenzie has enjoyed being home with mommy and daddy and big brother. She doesn't take bottles like a full term newborn; she takes them like a preemie. One has to work with her a little bit, twisting and turning the bottle. She needs the milk cold/cool to be able to sense it. She doesn't have the rooting reflex but she is taking her bottles, albeit slowly, sometimes 30 ml and sometimes 80 ml. Mommy keeps track of her intake to ensure she gets her daily minimum requirement but she is a pokey eater sometimes taking between thirty minutes to an hour to finish her feeding. She still likes to sleep a lot and hardly ever cries. She now weighs eight pounds, one ounce. If she continues to gain weight well, she will not need to be weighed each week at the doctor's office.
McKayla is breathing on her own! They took her off her oxygen last Wednesday and she has been doing great. Her oral stimulation is not coming along as well as we hoped with her reflux issue. They have tried different things with her and her twin such as putting the pacifier on an electric toothbrush and putting it in their mouth to encourage them. Both her and Madilynn will be having surgery next week to insert a gastro-intestinal tube for feedings. Between the reflux and developmental issues, the doctors feel this is the best remedy at this time. They will still be fed at least one bottle a day to encourage the oral stimulation and oral feeding. The tubes will be in for a minimum of nine months. This really is a blessing in disguise as it takes so very long for preemies to ingest a single bottle. McKayla weighs in at eight pounds, thirteen ounces and Madilynn now weighs nine pounds, three ounces. She is our adorable chunky monkey.
Please pray all goes well with the girls' surgery and recovery time will be quick with no complications. Please pray for Michael and Christine as stressors continue to increase with the babies. Michael is still trying to decide which vehicle will be the best purchase for a family with triplets. It is very difficult on Christine not to be able to be at the hospital every day with the twins. She knows they are not getting the needed holding time with her not being there. We ask that you continue to remember them in prayer as life gets a bit more stressfull and their new normal settles into a whole different way of life. Jack has adapted well to Mackenzie but he has yet to truly realize two more babies will be coming home in a few weeks. His little life is set to become a bit more stressful as well.
We thank you so much for continuing to follow the miracle babies on this journey and praying for the many requests over the months. The babies are truly miracles and warrior princesses and have overcome some pretty amazing obstacles, but we know that there are still more to overcome on the journey ahead. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. We appreciate you all!!

MARCH 4 UPDATE

March 4 Update: Mackenzie is doing well taking her bottles. She is a bit pokey but they are getting her necessary milliliters into her. She gained weight so that that is a good thing. She will be weighed again next week. Madilynn and McKayla are doing much better. McKayla is still on her oxygen but it is being gradually reduced. The medicine seems to be working! That is wonderful news. They each took bottles today while Michael went to visit them. He was able to hold them both and have some good visiting time with them. Madilynn has not had an alarm requiring stimulation in some time and McKayla's last one was March 1. They are coming along quite well!! Thank you for your prayers. As always we appreciate you intercession on our miracle babies, warrior princesses, and angel babies behalf. You are such a blessing to our family.