APRIL 2 UPDATE

The miracle babies aka Warrior Princesses came home Wednesday evening. Their surgery site has healed well for the feeding tube right to their stomach. It is quite a procedure from preparing the formula to burping the babies via the tube, to putting the formula into the bags and turning the machine one and hooking up the babies. It takes about thirty minutes then for them to be fed via the pumps. Then mommy has to clean the bags and tubing which is quite time consuming. She has been having Jack help her hold the button to run the clean water through the bags and tubing. He thinks that is great fun. Mommy does McKayla and Madilynn's feedings and daddy does Mackenzie's feedings. McKayla also came home on a 24 hour monitor that will alarm if she stops breathing. She has a little purse that goes everywhere she does. Her monitor can be off for just one hour a day.

Mommy videoed Jack's reaction when he got back home from OK and saw the babes for the first time all together since before Christmas. His shock was so funny as he looked at first one then the next and the next. Then he said about the nearest baby, "this one is cute". Of course, then he wanted to hold her.

Mackenzie has improved greatly with her bottle feeds. She sucks so much better and takes her pacifier very well too. She is still the teeny tiny one. Madilynn and McKayla only take a pacifier attached to an electric toothbrush a few times a day. McKayla does much better then Madilynn.

The babes' reflux has caused some major projectile vomit that is rather scary at times. Mommy quickly grabs the blue sucker and clears their mouth and nose from the formula. The twins are on a new medicine for their reflux. Hopefully it will start working soon and alleviate these episodes.

They have quite a few appointments back in the city, an hour and a half drive away. They are looking into some options that will get them closer to a hospital. The babes will be going to various doctors such as GI, dermatologist, opthamologist, pediatrician, etc. for approximately the first two years.

Although Daddy did not want to own a van, the Odyssey seems to be just what they needed. They all fit well and Mommy is able to get to the babes easily in the Dadmobile!!

At the most recent weigh in, McKayla weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces. Madilynn weighed 10 pounds, 11 ounces Mackenzie weighed nine pounds. They are growing well.

Jack is a big help! Mommy and Daddy have a good system gong with caring for the babies. They help each other well and work very diligently to care for them. I am proud of them and how well they have adapted. It is a lot and sometimes it is quite overwhelming. Please continue to pray for all as they adapt to a whole new way of life! Thank you for all your prayers on behalf of our miracle babies, their parents and big brother!! You are very much appreciated.

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.

FEBRUARY 27 UPDATE

Mommy got to see and hold the twins today. She took her milk to the hospital as they are getting her milk through their feeding tubes. Their beds have been lowered flat. McKayla is still on one liter of oxygen. Madilynn weighs eight pounds, ten ounces and McKayla weighs eight pounds, three ounces. They are our chunky little monkeys. The medicine for their reflux seems to be working. They are having fewer problems. They have several more days on it to determine if it in fact working. They are still learning to suck their pacifier in preparation to take bottles. Please pray their reflux is improving and that they will take to sucking so they can get on bottles. Also pray for Christine and Michael. Things are getting a bit overwhelming. Michael needs to find a new vehicle that will fit four car seats. Please pray for wisdom and God's leading to just the right vehicle. They have many appointments and scheduling and it is quite crazy. Please pray for peace and strength day by day as life is going to continue to get crazier and crazier!! Thank you for all your prayers. We appreciate each and every one of you that take the time to remember our angel babies!! God's richest blessings on you all.

FEBRUARY 26 UPDATE

Mackenzie is doing well. Every bottle feeding she does better and better. Mommy is a pro when it comes to her care, making her special formula, getting her to suck on the bottle, the exercises she does with her, and just loving on her! Jack is completely enamored with her. He always wants to get a picture with her.

Madilynn and McKayla are on their third medicine trying to get their reflux under control. They are doing better each day but still not quite to where we would like them to be. Please continue to pray the reflux will calm down for them. Christine is feeling much better and relaxed by being able to be home after only coming home once a week for three months. She rearranged the living room today, if you remember, she was in the hospital when Michael moved them to their new home. 

Thank you for your continued prayers! We appreciate you!