Tyler Jeffrey

I thought I would post a few pictures of Tyler today. He was the one who looked most like a fragile preemie, and I wanted to show everyone how much he's changed in a few short days! His tiny little cheeks are filling in, and his color is great! He has already surpassed his birthweight, after dropping below 2 pounds after birth. I think he heard about his reputation and decided he didn't want to be the wild man any more! He has calmed down so much and has become our little entertainer! He is very active and gives us the cutest facial expressions - sometimes we swear he understands what we're saying to him, because he seems to smile at just the right time! He is definitely the most aware of the three. As soon as he hears our voices he opens his eyes. If we are both holding the girls, we can look over and see his tiny feet running in the air! It won't be long until he catches up to his sisters!

More Photos!!!!

Here are some updated photos of our cuties! The last 2 are of Ellison - she was being very photogenic yesterday! It's obvious which one is Tyler - he looks like a little man! Absolutlely NO fat on his little body and the wrinkles on his forehead are hilarious! Hopefully he'll start putting on weight and catch up to his sisters soon!

We were able to hold both girls on Monday afternoon - needless to say, we made complete idiots of ourselves! I was sobbing out loud and was shaking poor little Haley the entire time! Jeff wasn't much better! When we went back on Monday night, the night nurses let us sneak and hold Tyler, too! Precious moments - can't wait to go back for more!

Pictures!!!

Tyler Jeffrey






Daddy calls these Tyler's Blue Blockers - cool shades that help shield his eyes from the jaundice lights.









He started eating yesterday and seems to be doing very well! We swear he is growing before our eyes!



Tyler has earned himself a reputation already with the nurses - he's a little spitfire and will definitely let them know if he's not happy!

Ellison Dale


She loves it when Jeff pulls her legs up nice and tight and puts his hand over her head. It immediately calms her down. Daddy just held her like that through the entire heart scan and she never move a muscle.








She started medicine yesterday to close a tiny hole in her heart, and she has a little bit of a swollen belly. Hopefully the medications will kick in today and she will be able to start eating and growing!








































Haley Rae

Haley has taken this NICU time in stride. Nothing seems to faze her and she has definitely been an overachiever! She is now completely off of all oxygen and has eaten several ounces of fortified formula for preemies!

She loves to sleep with one hand over her head while holding daddy's finger. It's amazing to watch the connection we have developed with them after 3 short days!

SO VERY BLESSED

Most of you have already heard the news...our little trio arrived on Thursday afternoon!

Haley Rae - 3 lbs 10 oz ; 16.5 in 2:19pm
Ellison Dale - 3 lbs 1 oz ; 15.5 in 2:21pm
Tyler Jeffrey - 2 lbs 1 oz ; 14 in 2:22pm

They are all in the NICU right now, and will most likely be there for the next several weeks. They were all off their ventilators within 24 hours, and they are doing very well so far. While the NICU does have posted visitation hours, we have been advised to keep our visits restricted to just Jeff and I while they closely monitor their health status. We do know at this point that Ellison and Tyler both have a leaky heart valve that will require medication and monitoring, and the doctors do not want to add any stress or overstimulation they may already be experiencing.

We hope everyone can be patient with us! We will post pictures as soon as we can since it may be awhile before we can introduce them to the rest of the world!

I will also update their birth story as soon as I can sit up long enough to put it together! Let me tell ya - I completely underestimated the pain associated with a c-section. Wow. If your mamma had you via c-section, you really need to call her. You owe her BIG TIME!!!!!!!

The View From The Top

I have read numerous articles about multiple pregnancies and the physical toll it takes on a woman's body, and yet until recently, I didn't really get it. I've been so blessed to have felt pretty good thus far. However, the journey is getting tougher, and I'm getting tired. One triplet mom commented that it was much easier to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy than the heartache of having sick children in the NICU. I have no doubt that is true. But at 4:00 this morning, I would have prefered to not be pregnant. Just being honest. When I get like this, there is a moment in my past that I draw on that keeps me going - let me explain.

When I first moved to SC after graduation, my dad and I would get up early on Saturday mornings and go hiking in the mountains. We always had such a great time, and I always looked forward to it! One Saturday we were feeling especially ambitious and decided to try a hike that was much more difficult than we had done in the past. Long story short, I was tired. As we neared the peak, I just knew I wasn't going to make it, and I fell behind. I swear my lungs were going to explode and there was NO WAY my legs were going to make it another step. That's when I heard him say, "Wow - hurry and get up here, the view from the top is amazing". I told him I couldn't make it. Big mistake. Now this could have been one of those heroic moments where a father reaches down and lifts up his daughter and carries her to the top, but not in this fairy tale darlin'. He just looked at me and said, "you have GOT to be kidding me! Get your rear end (PG edited) up here right now"!! Somehow I mustered up the energy for the last 5 steps - did I mention I was only 5 steps from the top? He was SO right. The view WAS amazing. Unforgettable, actually.

By the time we got home, I was feeling good and had put my little "wimp out" moment behind me. But not my dad. As soon as we walked in the door he did a play-by-play for anyone that would listen! That moment became a family joke for many years, and I was the butt of it! It was inconceivable to him that someone could actually quit five steps from the pinnacle. I WAS TIRED, DARN IT!!!!!

So today, I am tired. But each day brings me one step closer to the top. Thanks to that moment on the mountain with my dad, I KNOW I can do this. And when I do, the view from the top will be amazing. Unforgettable, actually.

Queer Eye?

I need to choose my words VERY carefully considering I rely on my dear husband for every meal (and I eat a lot)!!! You see, since I began bedrest, Jeff has become completely domesticated. While that could be beneficial in the long run, I'm starting to worry about his manhood. He used to like Nascar.

I must say, it has to take a very confident man to ooh and aah over tiny little jammies while surrounded by women. At least he has a beer can sitting next to him - it does help his case.

Jeff also had his first trip to the fabric store 2 weeks ago with mom. When he told the girl cutting the fabric that it was for our nursery and we were having triplets, a huge crowd of women surrounded him and started firing questions at him! He swears there were only 3 cars in the parking lot when they got there! A week later, he went back to the fabric store - alone - and of course was recognized as soon as he walked in! All the ladies that work there know him by name. Scary.

If anyone has tickets to a tractor pull, please let me know. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Our Little Fighter

Well, it appears Tyler has some thoughts of his own about hospital bedrest (maybe he remembers how bad the food was when we were there last month). He still has good amniotic fluid around him which is a great indication that he's doing well. His bloodflow still isn't perfect, but he seems to be holding steady and growing! One thing they look for is wether or not the babies are "practicing" breathing - he definitely was! You can see all of their little rib cages expanding and contracting as they breath in the amniotic fluid - amazing. They still didn't take weight measurements - Jeff and I were disappointed to say the least - but they will do that for sure when we go back next week. That's right folks - they let me come home for one more week!!!! Yay!

That being said - here's an actual belly picture taken on New Years Eve. I figured if I was going to bear all, then he had to be subjected to a little public humiliation, too! That's only fair, right?! Jeff made the comment that in the last week I've moved from being VERY pregnant, to HUGE. He's lucky to be alive.

So that's it for now! Thanks for all your prayers - they're working! Keep 'em coming!

29 weeks and counting...

"Pack Your Bags"

Yep, those were the last words our doctor said to us as we left his office yesterday. YUCK.

They did some doppler studies of the babies' cords and placentas and found that little Tyler is still lagging behind his sisters. They didn't do any measurements for weight, so we're not really sure about his actual growth. We go back on Monday for more testing and ultrasounds, then they will admit me to the hospital for daily monitoring.

It sounds like they expect us to go another 2 weeks before we have to deliver. That would put us at 30 weeks, which isn't all that bad. They will spend significant time in the NICU (6+ weeks), but should do well long term. It's all very complicated, but we're navigating it as best we can. Here's how the doctor explained the situation: because of all the "stress" Tyler is currently under, his body is maturing quickly - he likened it to training for a marathon - he's working really hard right now. On the 0ther hand, the girls are just hanging out, relaxing on the couch, eating whenever they want. If we deliver early, Tyler should do well - he's prepared. The girls, however, are going to be yanked off their comfy couch without warning, and they will be the ones to have a harder time. The decision of when to deliver is not an easy one as you can imagine. There may come a time when Tyler becomes too stressed and his life is in danger - they will obviously deliver if this happens. Also, my blood pressure has been slowly creeping up due to Tyler's placenta, and it could spike at any time which would endanger all 4 of us and require an emergency cesarean. Whew - did you get all that?! Our brains are spinning from information overload!

So, now we start packing our bags! I wonder if they'll say anything if I bring Hartee with me!? I'll post more after our appointment next Monday - we're praying for a good report for all three babies!