Blog Absence Apology - October Madness - Two Weeks Old Adjusted - They are all home

I'm really productive at work, I almost missed a meeting I called

Dear family, friends and loyal blog followers. I'm sorry I have not made time to update the blog. As anyone with children knows, it's a fog from the time you used to call "bedtime", I won't say go to sleep, to the time you call "wake-up time", again, I won't say wake up because we already are.

There are a lot of rules you have to follow to avoid Sudden Infant Death Syndrome like the baby's can't sleep with you in bed:

Caring parent stays awake while having child in bed with him

Obviously, there are more expenses with new kids and we want to thank everyone who has been so generous, I'm working on thank you cards but Megan, thanks for coming over Saturday and the hand-me-downs from Ellie, Joy, thanks for sitting with them this morning so I can do the blog and let people know the children are awake, thanks Angie, Craig and Gracie for coming over and helping ... no reason to watch the World Series alone, why not watch them on the big screen in the nursery (that's a little joke, the very nice gift we got is about 12 inches wide) but it's right in front of us and works great. Megan is a bit of an amateur photographer who produces professional quality work so after a Farrell's session I think I'll be working a second job as a parenting magazine model like this guy...

Just one, whatever...

I got some action shots of Mindy who is doing much better with taking care of the kids and with the sleep than I am ...

Mindy talking on her cell phone.

Mindy Impressed the new boss at her new job at the Ankeny Drugstore

Mindy resting one eye at a time so she can watch the kids and sleep at the same time

As a father, I want them to get right into sports so we're trying the soccer shoe on

All work and no...

Teagan is asked about the Terp and Cyclone Football performances

 (not really Teagan, who takes a picture of their kid crying, seriously? Like you want to cherish that memory for when they won't?

 My mom just told me that "this too shall pass" so I assume that means when they're older we'll get a bunch more sleep, like this couple...

Cannonball!

Here are some pictures of the madness. When they all first got home I slept on the floor (on a little mattress) of their room. It is sooo noisy so I turned on the ocean sounds in one crib, rainfall in another and heartbeat in another...

View from my bed ... 3 monitors, 2 oxygen tanks, 2 sleepless parents

It was like a quiet dream before...

Quiet car rides

 Now...It really takes teamwork to take care of these little ones...just like the DMACC XC team I am assistant coach for...they're 14th in the nation, so proud and hope my little girls grow up to be as good as them both as athletes and people...and I also hope they'll take the free ride to the college where I teach...

Teamwork: 14th ranked DMACC Bears

Teamwork: Helping your sister keep her Binkie in place

Feel like it's an Eskimo Baby

Sisters - Together, just not too close together...

Snail Races

Multitasking

I can't find the third one...look between the chairs...

Gee, Who'se gonna get dinner first?

Wait? I have three girls? They looked like boys!

They might look like flowers, but you can't smell them with a picture, somebody needs their diaper changed!

Are you a little young for lipstick?

Cut. Replace the pacifier. Primadonna actresses!

Waaaah! I just realized she's wearing the same dress I am, it's just a different color!

They are part of the Borg and have all been assimilated.

Goes back to pass...

Do I look fat in this chair?

Great Grandparents! But they look so young!

The girls first night all together at home. Just another sleepover. No boys, EVER.

Brielle is a happy girl except for when she spits up... which is a lot.

Ri

Ri our chill baby

Very chill Ri

Teamwork: Sisters Feeding Sisters ... Daddy's Changing a Diaper to the Right...

Teamwork: Postprandial Bliss

Teamwork: Hey Kid, there's no I in team, back in the crib! ... I mean, gosh, wouldn't you like to wait patiently in your crib while your sisters are getting their lunch?

2 days old!

The girls are two days old today based on their due date.  Preemies have two ages until they are caught up developmentally... the day they were born and their corrected age. All of their developmental milestones will be based on their corrected age. At 2 years old they should catch up.

Rianne and Teagan are doing well at home.  Teagan is the fussy one and likes to eat more frequently.  Ri is a pretty calm baby and only cries when she needs to burp or poop.  They are both gaining weight and have their next weight check Monday.

No, these are not Siamese babies, rather, they are two babies that started on opposite ends of the blanket and through trying to push a poop out, ending up butting heads...no pun intended, didn't mean anyone to be the butt of a joke...

It's kind of like getting stuck in the wrong check-out lane, they just don't know how to back up...

Y - MCA

Brielle just found out the feeds will be upped to 170 mL per 12 hours!

Oops, she thought it was Black Thursday where everyone needs to haul butt and go shopping at 4 in the  morning!

I'm not lying, I had a poop this big!

We're practicing backstroke without the pool yet...

She can't crawl but she can whistle...

Brielle is still in the NICU.  We don't have any estimated dates of when she will get to come home yet.  She is eating better now so we are hoping that she can come home soon.

This is the view from Tony's new bed

Exhausted Preemies after "Binkie Wars"

Helping Teagan do the "Bicicyle" to push some gas out. I would point her the other way...

Someone said I look like Rianne, I see no resemblance. 

First doctors appointment and more NICU days for Ri and Bri

Teagan
She had her first trip to the doctor on Tuesday and she was not a big fan.  She did well going to and from but did not like having to be undressed and poked.  They weighed her at 5 pounds 9 ounces which means she is gaining weight at home!  The doctor wants to keep them out of the office as much as possible so he ordered a home health nurse to come weigh the girls every week and make sure they are progressing well.  We are going to try her off oxygen for half a day in 3-4 weeks.  If she does well then we take her into the doctors office for 6-8 hours so she can be continually monitored and the doctor can decide if she is strong enough to be without it. She rips that cannula off all the time anyway, but if the doctor thinks it's important to be on a quarter liter then so be it.

Teagan set for her snowboarding trip in 2025.

Still patiently waiting!

She travels with a sound stage worth of equipment

This thing makes Oxygen and heats up the house!

Teagan raising her hands in the air like she just doesn't care

Rianne
She was diagnosed with reflux and is now on Prilosec and has to be fed a little differently.  She is eating better now but still spells when she eats due to the reflux so they want to keep her for a few more days for observation.  She is 6 pounds 13 ounces now (thanks to the rice cereal added to her milk to help her reflux).

Always posing.

Ri the peaceful sleeper of the group.

Brielle
She is still having issues with spelling when she eats due to reflux and eagerness.  She weighs 6 pounds 6 ounces. She has chunky cheeks now and fat rolls!

She is fitting in newborn clothes now.

Check out her full cheeks.

Having one baby at home and two in the hospital is challenging and we are doing our best to see Ri and Brielle as much as we can.

People keep asking what they can do to help... we will never turn down food.  Teagan isn't very transportable so cooking is a challenge.  We'd also take HEALTHY volunteers to come sit in the nursery a few hours a day.  That way Tony and I could take a nap or get something done around the house.

Our first volunteer shows up a day early 

Teagan and Grandad Guerra - you come over, you get to feed a baby!