Two-thirds of the way there

We're almost all home. Today Lisa and I brought Lila and Ava home. Olivia had an alarm episode overnight during her feeding so they want to keep her for observations for 48 hours. They think it is most likely her uncoordination with eating and breathing, but it ould also be an infection. Fortunately, so far she has shown no other signs that it would be an infection.

I am now on shift 1 as Lila and Ava are just falling asleep after their 8 and 9 o'clock feedings. Lila is a bit of a "noodge". We finally found a way she is comfy that is not on me. I am going to feed her at 12, then get Lisa up for Ava at 1. Lisa is goingto do Ava at 1 then Lila at 4, then get me for Ava at 5. At least that is how we have it planned.

We are trying to get ourselves into a schedule. We'll keep everyone up to date as to how well we do.

Lila is ready

We called this morning and were told that Lila had no issues and was allowed to go home if we wanted to. Olivia and Ava had some alarms during their feedings overnight, so they did not want them to go just yet. They gave us the option to leave Lila for the night with her sisters, but we have to pick her up tomorrow. Hopefully, we will be able to get all of them out tomorrow. If not, at least Lila will be home.

They all ate well for us this afternoon so we are hoping they will keep it up overnight. We will be going back tonight for a little while. If all goes well, all will be coming home soon.

All sorts of news

First off, the girls are now all over five pounds. Lila is 5# 0.3 oz., Ava is 5# 5 oz. and Olivia is 5# 8 oz. Then, they all passed their car seat tests. They had no alarms while they sat in their seats for an hour.

The big news is that they are all on 8 POs per day and, if they are successful today, may be discharged on Sunday. That's right, all three at once! We are not getting our hopes too high (it may be Monday), but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, by the beginning of next week, the Zink Clan will be home.

They're in a dead heat

Today all three girls are on 6 POs per day. Lisa gave all three a bottle n the afternoon and they ate real well. Ava and Lila ate well at 5, but Olivia was pretty tired, so she left a small amount in the bottle.

We are getting ready because it seems like they are going to be arriving home soon. We are going to take a car seat to the hospital so that they can be given a car seat test (to make sure that they can handle sitting in a car seat). We have to watch a couple of videos and they have to get their hospital photos taken. Once they reach 8 POs and are doing OK with that, they should be heading home.

The nursery is finally ready (except for matresses which are coming on Thursday). All three cribs are up as are the curtains and the changing table. The playpen was set up tonight and tomorrow I am going to put the car seats in the car. Things are starting to move quickly and we can't wait.

Olivia is leading the pack

Olivia has been bumped up to 6 POs per day. We were able to give her two yesterday. She is doing great and usually finishes pretty quickly. Lila and Ava are still at 4, but they are doing well with the feedings. We just need to adjust what we do to what they are doing. Ava likes to take a short break during her feeding, then she'll finish the whole thing. Lila likes to let some of it run down the side of her mouth, but she does manage to get mist of it into her stomach.

So far, it looks like Olivia may be the first to come home. If she does, she'll have the crib to herself for a while. One crib is fully assembled (twice...Lisa asked if it would fit through the door when I assembled it in the TV room and I said yes. It didn't) and their room is coming together.

I also added three new pictures to their website.

Visitors over the weekend:
Grandmom Errickson
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Pop and Cammi
Aunt Jen and Unlce Mike

The eating is going well

Olivia is now officially over 5 pounds! She is up to 4 POs per day and is finishing her bottles in less than ten minutes (most of the time). Lila and Ava are also at 4 POs each. Ava should be 5 pounds within a few days, but the good thing is that they are all gaining weight at about the same rate. That is one of the goals for them to come home.

They are still going strong and should be coming home within a week or two.

A very good night

Lisa and I went to see the girls at 8:00 tonight and the girls did real well. Lila breastfed and transferred 10g, Ava breastfed and transferred 14g and Olivia took her whole bottle. During her feeding, I stopped to burp her. I gave her one pat on the back and she immediately put both arms out, turned bright red and started crying. As soon as I stopped, she stopped. But she did get a good burp out at one point.

Lila is now at four POs and if she can take two more bottles tonight, she will go up to six POs. If Ava can finish her feedings tonight, she will be up to four POs. Olivia had a successful breastfeed and finished her bottle, so she probably will be at three POs tomorrow.

Their new weights as of last night are:
Lila, 4# 2.9 oz.
Olivia, 4#, 12 oz.
Ava, 4#, 8 oz.

Feeders and growers

That pretty much sums the girls up at this point. Lila has joined the others and is officially over 4 pounds. She apparently is also the best eater because she is now up to 4 POs per day, Ava is at 3 and Olivia is at 2. Olivia, though, breastfed last night and transferred 16 grams. She did the best of any of them so far. Ava got most of her bottle down last night, but then just quit on me. Overall, they are still doing well and keep on eating!

My batteries died in my camera, so I don't have any new pics just yet. Maybe tomorrow or Friday.

Visitors over the last few days:
Grandmom Errickson
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Aunt Suzanne

The girls have moved again

In case you didn't notice, I changed the format of the blog last night. I thought I would make it a little more girly for them. I also added the first birthday ticker to the top of the page.

Because of some other babies being discharged, the girls moved into the transition room closest to the door. They have a nice little spot against a wall and will be there for the remainder of their stay.

Ava and Lila both had a successful breastfeeding (they both transferred a little) and Olivia almost finished a whole bottle. Olivia is eating more than the other two, so her bottle was more full than Lila's or Ava's. She drank 25 out of 38 cc, which is still realy good. She just reached a point where she closed her eyes and was not budging.

They continue to do well and are looking good.

Sunday's visitors:
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink

Starting on bottles

Today the girls started on a two P.O. day. That is that two of their feedings have to be Per Oral which is either breasfeeding or bottle feeding. So, Lisa attempted to breastfeed Olivia this afternoon. She latched on and managed to get some milk down, but she did not trransfer it to her stomach. I fed Ava with a bottle. She took about fifteen minutes to finish her whole feeding and gave me very little fussing. Later in the day, Lisa gave Lila a bottle, but she was a little more fussy and the nurse Sue had to give us some pointers on what to do. She did end up taking the whole feeding, so all three had succesful feedings during the day. each one will be fed PO tonight and if they succeed, tomorrow will be 3 PO.

Lila gave Lisa, Aunt Jen and I a nice big surprise this afternoon. Lisa took off her diaper and started to wipe her butt. Lisa said she thought that Lila was about to go. And boy did she. It shot out of her like a small garden hose. We managed to get the new diaper over her before it got everywhere. we were not completely successful. She got a few drops on the floor, some on Mom's gown, a bunch on her blanket and even went through the blanket to the sheet below. Sue had to change their bedding sheet and their blankets. It was quite an experience.

All in all it was a good day.

Today's visitors:
Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim
Aunt Jen
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson.

Ava is catching up

Ava finally decided today to be like her sisters and try to breast feed. She did a great job and managed to stay awake for at least five minutes! She ended up gaining about 2 grams, but it's a start. Ava also had fun with mom while Lisa changed her diaper. The dirty one came off, the clean went under her and she pooped. Then did it again on the next clean one. And then the next one. Finally, on number 4 she managed to stay clean.

The doctors came in this morning and gave them a good clean bill of health. So they are just on cruise control as they keep feeding and growing.

Today's visitors were:
Grandmom Errickson
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Aunt Suzanne
Aunt Sue

Quick update

Lisa and I visited the girls this afternoon and we got some better pictures of them in their new crib. I put more on their site, but here is a good one...

I held Olivia while Lisa held Ava. It is much easier for us to do their care (temperatures, diapers) in their crib than in their Isolettes. We are getting better at it day by day.

They're Movin' On Up

Aanother big day arrived this afternoon. the girls graduated out of their Isolettes and are now sharing a triple crib. They are doing very well. Apparently Olivia fussed a bit when she was put in between her sisters, but she was sound asleep when we saw her. They looked pretty good together and gave us a little taste of things to come.

The girls are progressing

Today was attempt number 2 for the girls to start trying to breastfeed. The NICU said if Lisa wants to breastfeed at all, they would rather have the babies start with that and then move to bottles afterward. Lila today was able to transfer milk which is a big step. Olivia was able to latch on, but she did not transfer. They consider both of these to be successful, therefore tomorrow, each girl will attempt to latch on twice. Ava, the princess, wants no parts of it as of just yet. She just doesn't open her mouth and when she does, she spits out.

We also got to hold all three tonight again. We got another family picture...


Today was a light day for visitors as just Grandmom Errickson came by. Yesterday, Uncle Dave Cristoforo visited for a bit.

Family Night at the NICU

First off, Lisa is doing well and was able to sit with the girls before I came over today. She has been on antibiotics and they seem to be working well. She has some pain, but not n early what it was.

Later, after that big win by the Eagles tonight, Lisa and I decided todeliver some milk and say goodnight. We then spent 2 hours with the girls! We took the girls temps and helped to get them weighed and washed. After their baths (just a wet towel), Lisa held Ava while she ate and I held Olivia while she ate. After the nurse did Ava's care, she asked if I wanted her as well. So for a while I held both Olivia and Ava.

When we finally decided to leave for the night, the nurse Natalie (who was ther the night they were born) let me hold all three and took our first family picture.

Lisa is going to be coming home again tomorrow. She's again not happy about leaving them, but is looking forward to being home and feeling well.

Visitors today:
Grandmom Zink
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Aunt Paula

Mom is getting better

After a day at home, Lisa had to be re-admitted into the hospital because of an infection. The problem was that her hemoglobin levels in her blood was only 5.8 where normal is 12. She needed to receive two units of blood and has now raised her level to 7.2 and she has not had a fever all day. Hopefully tomorrow she can go and see the girls. She looks 100 times better and is now just tired.

The girls were moved to one of the transition rooms today. They are one step closer to the door than before. They are doing great with no major changes. All three are at or above their birth weights. Because of this, they are able to regulate their temps better and they might be able to come out of their Isolettes within the next few days,

Before I left for the night I dropped off some milk and clothes for the girls. Lila was in the process of being changed and bathed. So, while I was there the nurse took her out of her Isolette so I could get a good picture of her in her new clothes.

Lisa also wants to let everyone who reads this to forward the site to whomever we may have missed.




Visitors today:
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Aunt Jen and Uncle Mike

Olivia is on room air

That is the biggest news today. Olivia is no longer on her nasal cannula and is breathing room air like her sisters. She now has her feeding tube in her nose which is more confortable for her. All three girls have had their formula changed to one with a few more calories. This way they can increase their calorie intake without having to increase the volume of food.

I held Lila for about an hour today and Lisa held Ava. Olivia was not allowed out to play because of just coming off her nasal cannula. Tomorrow we should be able to hold her.

Tomorrow dad is back to work, which isn't too bad since Monday is a federal holiday.

Lisa is having just a slow recovery, but she is progressing little by little. She will be fine soon enough.

Visitors today:
Grandmom Errickson
Aunt Jen

Mom is home

The big news of the day is that Lisa is now home. We are adjusting well to being here without them. It will take some time, but we are going to set up a schedule of when we will visit and what not.

As for the girls, Lila and Olivia have been having normal preemie symptoms where they forget to breathe every now and then. So, in order to stop this they have begun giving them caffeine. This stimulates their brain stems to get them to continue to breathe.

Ava is also coming off her IV like her sisters and is just on formula.

All three are now dressed and are starting the process of regulating their own temperatures. When they can hold 27 degrees C for 24 hours, they no longer need to be in the Isolette and we can put them in an open crib.

They also are ready to be moved to the transition unit within the NICU. They were supposed to move over there tonight, but there was no room at the inn. They will spend the majority of their time in this room, but we are at least able to give them some of their own clothes and we will be able to handle them a bit more (once they're out of their Isolettes).

I added three pcitures (one of each girl) to the photobucket site.

Visitors today:
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Aunt Tia, Aunt Jackie, Michael and Dominic (well, the boys saw Aunt Lisa, but not their cousins)

Quick Update

Both Lila and Olivia had their IVs removed and are on just formula feeding and no IV fluids. Because of Ava's poop problem, she is still on fluids.

Lisa was able to do "kangaroo care" wwith Lila. They let Lisa hold Lila in just her diaper. Lisa puts her against the skin of her chest and the babies apparently love it. Lila slept soundly.

While Lisa did that, I held Ava while she ate. Tomorrow we plan on at least one of us holding Olivia. Already trying to not be unfair!

Everyone is still doing well and Lisa is being discharged tomorrow.


Another day with lots of visitors...
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Aunt Suzy and Uncle Billy
Aunt Sue and Uncle Reggie
Aunt Virginia and Uncle Carmen
Pop Littleford

Olivia is finally allowed out

During the night they took Olivia off of the CPAP and just put her on a high flow nasal cannula. This is a positive step. The next stage is a low flow version and then she is on to just room air like her sisters. The other good news is that because she was doing better, Lisa was able to hold her while she fed.

Other big news today: Ava Pooped! She was a bit backed up but was able to work things out today.

Lila has had very little changes and has been best off of the three so far. I guess since she was the one who broke her water, she knew she was ready for the outside and just took off.

Their food intake has increased regularly throughout each day. They go up 2cc. every 6 hours.

Mom is doing much better and was able to walk down to the NICU three times throughout the day. Her spirits are up especially with Olivia's improvements.

Tonight is also the girls first Eagles game! E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES! They'll learn soon enough!

As for news of this blog, I learned how to add links to the sidebar on the right side of the page. The first link is to the girls' pictures on photobucket and the second is to the triplet connection website.

Lots of visitors today:
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Aunt Virginia
Aunt Paula and Uncle Ray
Aunt Kathy
Aunt Jen
Aunt Val and Uncle Tom

Day 2

I added pictures to our photobucket website and re-organized them into "pregnancy" and "in The Hospital" albums. You can see the hospital photos at
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n264/em2bs/In%20The%20Hospital/

Yesterday Lisa was able to hold Ava while she was being fed and today we both had a chance to hold Lila. We came back in the afternoon to try to hold Olivia, but she was having a bit more trouble with her lungs. She started receiving 28% oxygen (which is not alot, according to the doctors) and they have increased the pressure supplied by the C-PAP. The nurse practitioner told us that Olivia is exactly what they would expect for a 32 week gestational baby. It is just that Ava and Lila are ahead of the curve. So we are pleased to know that Olivia is not doing any worse than the doctors expected.

At her 8:00 feeding, the nurse said she was responding well to the increase in pressure and she seemed to be more comfortable.

Lisa is feeling much better today and she even was able to get a shower. She's hoping to be able to walk around tomorrow instead of needing the wheelchair.

Visitors Today:
Grandmom Zink
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Uncle Mike and Aunt Jen

The Birth Day

At 12:02 AM they started the c-section. Then at:

12:17 Lila Rose was born at 3# 2.9 oz., 15 1/4"


12:18 Olivia Laurencelle was born at 4#, 16"


12:21 Ava Catherine was born at 3# 8 oz., 15 1/2"


It was quite a hectic night. Lisa was finally settled in bed around 4 and I got home around 4:30.

All three girls were on C-PAP which opens their lungs up to help with their breathing when they were born. By the end of day 1, Ava and Lila were breathing just room air and were doing fine. Olivia still needs the C-PAP for a while because it helped to make her more comfortable. They don't want the babies to use too much energy breathing because that can cause weight loss when we are trying to fatten them up.


The crowd waiting for the big news:
Grandmom and Grandpop Zink
Grandmom and Grandpop Errickson
Aunt Kathy
Aunt Val
Aunt Jen and Uncle Mike

Visitors later that day:
Aunt Sue Zink
Uncle Bob and Aunt Diane

September 29th

Friday started as a normal day, but didn't quite end that way. We went and picked up the cribs from Lisa's aunt's furniture store. We then went out for a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit with the Zinks and McKeaneys. It was so rousing that "baby A" at the time wanted out and Lisa's water broker.

We go to the hospital and Ro (the midwife) met us there and told us that there was no time to wait and they were on their way. As the night wore on, they decided at around 11:35 PM to wait until midnight to avoid having triplets with two birth days. So we waited.