Already 8 Weeks?!

   How can 8 weeks pass so quickly?! In just 8 short weeks our girls have changed so much... I was looking at pictures yesterday of the week they were born and in some ways it's so hard to remember when they were just that little! Of course most everyone else will probably still think our babies are little - but we can't believe how big they've gotten! It is odd when I'm at the pediatrician's office and am asked how old they are... I kind of have to preface my answer with a disclaimer about how they're triplets and were born 9 weeks early!
   This Tuesday (March 1st) they turn 0 in developmental (or adjusted) age! This is the date where we're supposed to calculate from when we think about when they'll start rolling over, sleeping through the night (unfortunately not yet), etc. However, apparently last night while I was nursing Ryann in the other room, Hadley decided to try her hand at rolling over! I've chosen to be a "non-believer" of this action that supposedly happened more than once... Witnesses claim they saw her use her left leg as a momentum booster to roll from her tummy to her back. Granted she was on the couch and on a slight incline down which would definitely aid her in any attempt to roll - however, I'm definitely not wanting to believe she deliberately rolled over (twice). It's scary to think the girls will be on the move - they're hard enough to handle non-mobile, what will happen once they can run away from us! I don't even want to think about it...
   Let's see, other top news from the week - there isn't too much. Brynley is no longer constipated - which makes us very happy, though she's had six dirty diapers in a row - careful what you wish for there parents! The girls have also been introduced to formula. They're getting two bottles of formula today since supply definitely is no longer meeting demand. We knew the day was coming, and luckily the girls don't seem to mind what they eat - as long as they get to eat when they want (which only hurts my feelings a little bit!). Grandpa Pleggenkuhle also got into town on Thursday morning and is amazed by how much they've grown (he hasn't seen them since they were two weeks old!). The girls are taking full advantage of having Gampa Kim here to hold and snuggle them! The girls also got to meet their four-legged sisters... which has been interesting. Bryn's eyes got soooo big the first time she saw Bena - it was pretty cute. However, none of them seem to mind the kisses Bena has bestowed on them from time to time. Tehya seems the most put out by it all - she is definitely NOT a fan of crying. The other day she was coming in from outside when one of the girls started crying and she turned around and went back outside to lay on her bed! Too funny!
   Guess that's about all for now... Brynley and Hadley get to see the eye doctor on Tuesday afternoon - hopefully they'll be cleared and won't have to go back again. Otherwise their two-month check up is on March 9th - we're already anxious to see how much they weigh! For those of you wanting to see more pictures - we posted some new ones on our shutterfly site (http://pleggmiles.shutterfly.com/), and there are a few down below. Spring is right around the corner and we are loving the nicer weather down here! Happy Spring to you all!

 Above & Below: Ryann, Brynley, & Hadley at 7 Weeks

 Above: Grandma & Grandpa Miles and Dad with their Mizzou trio

Below: Gama P with her three little granddaughters who weren't exactly cooperative!

 Above: Hadley - posing even in her sleep

Below: Hadley & Ryann have a conversation

 Above: Ryann talks to her buddy Tehya

Below: Brynley snuggles Bena

 Below: Grandpa Kim plays with Ryann while Bena snuggles them both!

Welcome Home Miles Family!

   The big news of the week: BRYNLEY came home, which means all the girls are home and accounted for! We are so thankful to have all our girls home with us - so many prayers have been answered. Brynley got off her cannula last Sunday and proceeded to impress the nurses and doctors all week - so much so that we had to check she was the same baby! All it took was a couple days of steroids to tone down the inflammation in her nose and she became a bright-eyed chow hound! She's eating wonderfully and stopped having any oxygen desaturation issues - such a blessing.
   So Thursday was the BIG DAY for us... we got the word that morning that it was official, Brynley was being discharged. To explain then next part of our day I have to back up just for a minute... When we took Ryann (and Hadley) home we had the option of getting their pictures taken - as do all newborns in the hospital. We decided to wait since when we took Ryann home both Hadley and Brynley had their cannulas, and when we took Hadley home Bryn still had hers in. Which brings us back to the present... upon hearing word that Bryn was being discharged, we loaded up Ryann and Hadley and headed to the hospital for a photo session! Everything took a bit longer than they'd expected... Brynley's release took a little extra time (paperwork), then we had to wait for the photographer - but boy was it worth it! The girls were angels for the photographer, despite the disruption to their schedule! We will be getting the CD with all their pictures sometime this week and will be posting the pictures thereafter, so check back in! All I can say is that they are super adorable and I'm pretty sure both the grandma's will be purchasing each and every picture!
   Grandma and Grandpa Miles arrived Wednesday evening - Grandpa had a sales convention and Grandma came along to see her grandbabies. It's been nice having the extra help around since bringing Brynley home! Both Travis and I have had some time off feeding babies and changing diapers - can't complain. One thing's for sure - we definitely get our fill of diaper duty! Grandma Miles went with me to the pediatrician's office on Friday for Brynley's check up (Hadley also went along since they wanted to check her weight again) - that was our second trip up there this week. Everyone checked out fine - Bryn weighed in at 5 pounds 6 ounces, Hadley weighed in at 5 pounds 4 ounces, and Ryann (as of Monday) weighed in at 6 pounds 6 ounces! Our next appointment is March 9th and we're staying put until then! However I did learn that I could take the girls for walks (thank goodness) - when they told me that we needed to stay home until RSV season was over I took it a little too literally (coming off bed rest what do you expect?!). The girls took their first walk on Friday - it was so beautiful out and I think they enjoyed it... they slept right through!
   We're adjusting to having all the girls home and will be figuring out a schedule as things settle down. For now the girls eat every three hours - it'll be easier once we can prop the girls up and feed two at once! However right now it's more efficient to have two people up to feed Brynley and Hadley and then whoever feeds Brynley then feeds Ryann (at least that's how it's working for now!) We're already looking forward to when they'll cut back to 6 feedings a day - won't that be awesome... maybe in 6 weeks or so?! The girls' development is measured by their ADJUSTED AGE - which calculates from their due date. Developmentally they are actually negative 1.5 weeks today (adjusted age since their due date isn't until March 1st!) I believe we'll be introducing some formula into their diet this week... mama can't quite keep up with demand anymore! Guess that's it for this week! In case you can't tell, my thoughts are a bit more disorganized than they were a few weeks ago so I apologize if some of this is a bit difficult to understand! Below are some pictures - thanks for checking in and if you're ever in the area feel free to stop by and change a diaper (or three!)

 Above: Hadley entered a staring contest with a monkey

Below: Ryann loved the floor mirror we got her for tummy time

 Above: Grandma dressed Ryann... guess who was playing?

Below: Ryann found her thumb!

 Above: Ryann pretty content

Below: Ryann & Hadley shared some tummy time together... Ryann's in a bigger onesie and it's a little baggy on her - she's not THAT much bigger than her sister!

 Above: Brynley's turn to have a staring contest with the monkey!

Below: Our three little girls finally at home - first time they've all been dressed alike!

 Above: Hadley Marie 7 weeks

Below: Ryann Gale 7 weeks

Above: Brynley Cade 7 weeks

Below: Brynley had fun snuggling Grandpa

 Above: Our first walk

Below: Mom & Dad with our girls

Additional pictures posted at: http://pleggmiles.shutterfly.com/

Six weeks old and two girls home!

    This week brought about another ice storm, another daughter home, and some more memories to stow away for forever... Is it a coincidence that of the two daughters we've brought home - both left the hospital amidst an ice storm? Either way, we've all survived and now we have two of our three girls at home! 

   Ryann was reminded on Thursday that she is not an only child as Travis and I brought Hadley (baby 'C') home from the hospital. We were a bit nervous/anxious about bringing Hadley home since she still has a few eating issues... acid reflux is a big contributor to that! However, since she's been home those issues seem to have dissipated to a large extent. It's been rather interesting having two of our girls home, and I think it's a good thing that they're letting us build up to having all three home! Hadley managed to wake Ryann up the first night home - when she wants to eat, she really wants to eat.... right that minute, not in two minutes, that exact second! In other words, she's a bit more temperamental than Ryann has been thus far. Both her and Ryann are such grunters - at some point we're going to have to tape all the noises they make while sleeping, it's truly amazing.
   Perhaps the funniest story of the week happened during bath time on Thursday evening. Hadley's bath went smoothly - and she put her bottle down in a hurry and was back asleep quickly (lots of stimulation that day just plain tuckered her out!) Then it was time for Ryann's bath... dad got her undressed and ready for the bath while I got the water ready. Well, when dad dipped her toes in she let out a yelp - I had the water a little too warm (not a good day on the mom front). As I went to cool it down, Ryann then proceeded to make a noise that sounded somewhat like an elephant as she pooed all over her daddy! It actually wasn't all that bad, just a little on his shirt and most on the rug/floor of the bathroom... however I found it extremely hilarious! Especially Travis' face - priceless... and he was quick to tell me that though it might have been the first time it happened, it sure won't be the last! I'm sure he's right - but boy was that first time funny! The rest of her bath proceeded without incident... Ryann loves her baths (when the water temperature is right) and gets this awesome look of contentment on her face. What makes her upset is when we dress her and aren't quick enough about it - baths make her super duper hungry apparently!
   The girls are now just waiting for Brynley to join them at home... hopefully soon! She is doing fine, just still needs that little bit of oxygen. She's currently on the "home flow setting" - in case she comes on some oxygen (fingers crossed that we can get her off before she comes home). She's only on a 0.1 liter flow, which isn't very much - especially after it travels down the tube through her nose down into her lungs. We think most of it escapes through her mouth since she tends to have that open all the time! This weekend they're trying to clear up some congestion in her nose thinking that might be attributing to her need for the oxygen... I'm really hoping they're right, but we'll see soon enough! She seems to be enjoying some quiet time at the NICU by herself - finally some alone time with neither of her sisters beating up on her, or stealing her food!
   Hadley goes in for her one month checkup on Monday and we're anxious to check her weight gain. We'll take Ryann with us as well to see how much she's up to... she's such a little chunk compared to her sisters at this point! At last weigh in Ryann weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces (weighed on 2/7), Hadley weighed 4 pounds 14 ounces (weighed on 2/9), and Brynley weighed 4 pounds 14.7 ounces (weighed on 2/11). They're growing so quickly and are actually now TOO BIG for some of their preemie clothes! Ryann is even in newborn diapers now... time is flying by. Some pictures from our week are below and as always, more are posted on our share site: http://pleggmiles.shutterfly.com/

 Above: Ryann ready for the Super Bowl... guess who dressed her?

Below: Guess who won? Trav was pretty excited

 Above: congratulating Ryann on the victor

Below: some tummy time for Ryann

 Above: Ryann enjoying one of her new blankets

Below: Hadley coming home! Pretty comfy in her car seat.

 Above: Some sisterly bonding... so far they haven't been able to have tummy time together - one of them is always napping when the other is awake!

Below: Brynley is 6 weeks! She's too long for most of the preemie clothes, but still skinny!

Above and Below: Gama spending some quality time with Brynley

 Above: Hadley was fascinated by the monkey and elephant on her bouncy chair

Below: Still staring intently

5 Weeks on February 5th

   Another week has passed and some new milestones achieved... Ryann is now at home with us, Hadley and Brynley are nippling all 8 of their feedings (feeding tubes are out!), and Hadley's cannula is out! Neither Brynley or Hadley have had any apnea or brady's since early this week and if things continue to go well Hadley will be breaking out to join Ryann on Monday (the 7th)! They've talked to us about sending Brynley on oxygen - which might happen later on - but for now we'd rather not rush her out of there and would rather she stay in the NICU and hopefully be weaned off it over the next couple weeks. The girls are still only 36.4 weeks - still preemies should they have been born today. Taking that into consideration, they're right where they should be! With Ryann coming home so early we had to explain to a number of people that she's not the typical or normal baby - she really is a rockstar! However, we can't let that go to her head!
   So, I suppose we should document Ryann's first couple nights home since they were somewhat of an adventure! We roomed-in with Ryann on Tuesday night - rooming in basically is like a trial run for parents. Most parents get this when their baby is first born - long gone are the days of the nursery, now most hospitals encourage parents to have their little ones "room in" with them after they're born! Parents with babies that are in the NICU obviously don't have this option, so when a baby is ready to be discharged, parents have the option of rooming-in with their little ones. Travis and I chose to take advantage of that opportunity and thus spent the night in the hospital with Ryann.
   ***I should probably mention that the DFW area was hit with an ice storm on Monday night and while ice is nothing new - below freezing temperatures for four days in a row coupled with the icy conditions makes for a newsworthy story! Things were shut down all week - including most area Starbucks (real news there!)***
   Back to Ryann now... our night with her went really well - though they didn't warn us about her being a night owl! She was awake from about 11:00 until 1:30 am at which point Travis fed her again! She then slept like a log until a little after 5:00! All that awake time tuckered her out! The nurses/doctors went over some things the next morning and she was discharged by 10:00 am the following day. We got her snuggled into her car seat - what a pipsqueak she looks like in there! Our trip home was uneventful - other than it being super bumpy due to the icy road conditions... we've heard about dad's driving super slow on the way home with a new baby in the car - well, we had no choice but to go super slow! We got home and Travis gave Ryann the tour - including a set-down snuggle in her crib. She then ate and snuggled in for a nap. I also went to lay down for a nap a little after noon and that's when the fun began... our power went out. Keep in mind there had been rolling blackouts all morning - which we were hoping this was. Unfortunately - three hours later the power was still out and our house was starting to get a big chilly. Travis got through to the electric company which told him that the estimated time of repair was 3:00 AM! We obviously wouldn't be staying at home that night. Luckily one of my parent's friends lives down here and called us up to offer us a nice warm place to stay. So - Ryann's first night home, was not at home! The funny part of this story however is that shortly after we arrived at "Uncle" Larry's, our neighbor texted us to let us know the power had come back on! Go figure... we didn't trust it to stay on so decided to remain put. Gama Sue also flew in that night, so we all bunked with Larry... The next morning we got up and headed home - sure enough, the power was on and has been since! So, Ryann's first night home was actually her second night out of the NICU!
   Things have settled down since and the sun is out today melting the six inches of snow we got Thursday night (on top of the ice). We're figuring out a routine - but it is likely to change again when Hadley comes home! Probably the most irritating factor we've faced since Ryann's been discharged is trying to figure out our trips to the NICU to see our other two favorite girls! The weather hasn't helped with us trying to get back and forth to the hospital, but things should settle into a pattern this week. Thankfully Gama is here to watch Ryann for us - which allows us some flexibility of going to the hospital! She can also go up to visit and feed her granddaughters... I have a feeling this scheduling nightmare is not going to be getting any easier! Below are a few pictures from our week...
   Of special note, six years ago today we lost a very special person - my brother Cade. We now see him every day in Brynley and Hadley's little grins. He is sadly missed and never forgotten...

   "We don’t think of you as gone away – your journey’s just begun; life holds so many facets – this earth is only one. We think of you as resting from the sorrows and the tears, in a place of warmth and comfort where there are no days and years. We think of you as living in the hearts of those you touched… for nothing loved is ever lost – and you are loved so much..."

 Above: Ryann ready to head home!

Below: Ryann's tummy time

 Above: Ryann's first bath at home - daddy strategically placed the washcloth

Below: Brynley (left) & Hadley (right) - double trouble!

 Above: Mom with Brynley

Below: Hadley in her Valentine's outfit... it might be too small in a couple of weeks!

 Above: Gama with Brynley (notice the grin)

Below: Ryann in her lounger... check out all that pink!

 Below: Hadley with Mom

Bringing Baby ('A') Home...

Ryann is coming home! It's official - Ryann will be coming home tomorrow (Wednesday 2/2)... Tonight we'll be rooming-in with her at the hospital, kind of like a trial run. We're so excited and perhaps a little scared! I wonder how she'll do all by herself, do you think she'll miss her sisters? Or will they miss her? You could say I'm freaking out slightly - though it's a good, positive freaking out at this point... don't worry, we'll let you know how it all goes!
   Brynley and Hadley are both doing well. They're nippling all of their feedings and their feeding tubes are also out (Hadley managed to yank hers out three times on Sunday and again on Monday morning before they took it out for good!) They still need a little oxygen, but otherwise are also doing well. We can't wait to bring them home next!

Happy February!!!