Nathan is canulla free!!!!

Yep, you read the title right. Finally, after 5 1/2 months with a cannula Nathan has been taken off the oxygen. For the next 3 weeks we will put the oxygen back on him when he is sleeping on a very, very low flow. The doctor said he doesn't need it at all but they want to make sure he continues to grow sufficiently over the next few weeks before removing it totally. We LOVE being able to see his little face without the cannula on. It has been a long road for Nathan but through it all he has remained the sweetest little boy. Well, we just wanted to share our GREAT news with everyone and to of course show you some pics of Nathan cannula free......

Look at his cute little face....


Hanging with his sister...


Paw-Paw & the whole bunch, do you think he has his hands full or what??


Do u think we are going to have a hard time telling them apart???

Finally another post.....

Being that it has been over a month since the last post I am almost certain everyone thinks that we have abandoned the blog. I really think about updating it all the time but my days are still running together. Let me give you guys an update on the trio: They were 5 months old on the 15th of June and progressing very well. They are closer to their adjusted age developmentally but not totally. Their doct thinks they are right on target for 3m olds. At some point they will check up so we are happy they are doing what they are expected to do at this point. They are definitely more chatty, love to have someone talk to them and are starting to themselves over. We have had a few instances where Nathan has managed to turn himself over but we don't think it was done intentionally. We know it will happen very soon. They have gotten so big since our last post. Grayson has taken over as the biggest baby weighed 12lbs at the last doctor's appt. Emery was 11lbs 10oz and Nathan was 10lbs 11oz. We are always so excited for doctor's appts so they can be weighed. At this point they only go to the doctor's every 4 weeks but I believe after the next appt for their 6 month check-up they will likely not return until the next round of shots are due, unless they are sick. Which as of today everyone has a cold. They are all stuffed up which makes them miserable & me. The last 2 nights have been some of the worst nights since they came home. I am just hoping they will feel better soon.

They have started to sleep better at night. They get put down around 7-8pm and are feed again around 2-3am and then they get up around 7ish. The only problem we have right now is the stirring in between feeds. Some nights it is worse than others. I am just praying the in the next few weeks they will start sleeping better and better at night. I am actually going back to work in 2 weeks. I am excited and nervous at the same time. We do not have everything in line we need to at home to make me comfortable leaving them but I am hoping that will all take care of itself over the next 2 weeks. It will be nice to get out of the house and back into the professional world as it has been almost a full year since I was laid off from my last job. The first month back will be pretty hard just getting used to the "new" way of life.

Just a quick update on Nathan: He is still on oxygen 24/7. At his last doctor's appt the doctor said that he was doing really well and thought that he would be coming off of it soon. We have another appointment next Wednesday so please keep your fingers crossed that it will be determined that he no longer needs the oxygen. It will be a VERY happy day in the King household when we can finally take his cannula off his face.

Well before I run out of time, I think I should post some pics of the kids:

Sacrifices....

I know I have mentioned before all the help we have gotten from our families but I am not sure everyone is fully aware of the sacrifices my mom and Ryan's parents are making in order for this to be easier for us. They have been alternating weeks at our house for months now and I know it has not been easy on them. Ryan and I can not thank them enough for everything they have done and continue to do for us. I can't explain to all of you in words how much they do for us. They recently agreed to stay with the trio by themselves for 5 days/ 4 nights so that Ryan and I could attend a really good friend's wedding in Hilton Head, SC. They really wanted to give us a break and what a break it us. I can tell you that I now know how hard it is for them to walk in after being away for a week and jump back in to taking care of the babies. It has not been an easy few days for me after being away. I am still getting back into the swing of things so I can only imagine what it is like for them every time it is there week at our house. We feel really blessed having a support system. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about how lucky we are that they are so willing to be here with us even when they have tons of other things going on in their own lives. I just wanted to publicly say THANKS to my mom, Patty, and Ryan's Parents, Dick & Charlotte, for ALL they have done for us and the babies. This blog was just to say thanks but I know you would all be upset if I didn't post a few pictures considering it has been 2 weeks since our last post....

Miss Emery:





Mr.Grayson:




Mr.Nathan:





Pics from our trip to Hilton Head, SC:

Slowly but surely.....

The babies are starting to really make eye contact, coo and smile. Emery is leading the pack as she is constantly smiling. Ryan has a hard time putting her down as he is so amazed by her reactions to him. I think Emery already has her daddy wrap around her little finger. We went to the doctor's on Friday and found out how much they weigh: Emery is 9lbs 11oz; Grayson is 9lbs 6oz & Nathan is 8lbs 6oz. They are all gaining weight nicely which is a relief. It is amazing to think where we started. During the appointment we also found out that Nathan has a hernia that will need to be surgically fixed. The surgery will not take place until after he is 3 month adjusted age and preferably once he is no longer relying on oxygen. So it looks like the end of summer or early fall before we start considering when to have the surgery.

The last few days have been much better for us. The kiddos have done a 4 hour stretch at least once a night. The first couple of days it happened I wanted to blog about it but I didn't because I thought I may jinx it :) They also seem to be sleeping better. I say that because typically when we put them down at night, we are in and out of their room until the next feeding tending to someone. The last few nights have been totally different, once we put them down they have been quiet until close to the next feeding time. This really does A LOT for me as it allows me to get a few hours of sleep in a stretch verses falling asleep and then having to get up to calm someone down. There were times, and I am sure there still will be, where I would put them down and then be in their room every 15 minutes. I am really hoping they are starting to go longer at night between feeds. Getting some sleep makes all the difference in the world.

My mom was here with me last week. She is such a trooper as she did all the night feeds with me and helped out all day. The next few days Ryan's parents are back in town. We are so lucky to have so much help from our parents. I don't know what we would do without them. They have done so much for us and there is no way we can express how grateful we are.

We finally took some pictures of the trio and thought we would share several of them:

Everytime I make a post, I have every intention to make another post within a few days but as you can see that doesn't happen. I think that's because all the days run together right now. If I didn't keep a log of everything the babies did, I would have no idea when they last ate, pooped or got their medicine. It's amazing how fast time goes by but at the same time feels like it is standing still. The babies are still not sleeping longer than 3-3.5 hours at night which means we are still walking zombies. I keep hearing that it will get better but I honestly do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think we are just in that horrible stage of 4-8weeks (for us that is adjusted age as they are acutally 14 weeks) where all they do is cry and want to be held which isn't an easy task with three of them.

Ryan went back to work last Monday so that has been a tough transition. Although, having his parents here was definetly a God send. It sure was nice having him home for 4 weeks. I am honestly slightly jealous that he gets to go to work. It is tough being in the same situation day in day out with no reprive. As most of you know, being a stay at home mom is not something I plan on being. I love my babies very much but am looking forward to the day I can go back to work. We believe it will be happening in June so it is not that far off so I am trying to enjoy this time with them. My mom will be watching the trio during the day at our house which is honestly the only reason I am even able to go back to work being that childcare is extremely expensive.

Even though this is a crazy time, thankfully the babies are all doing really well. The last time we went to the doctor's which was 2 weeks ago they weighed the following:
Emery - 8lbs10oz
Grayson - 8lbs3oz
Nathan - 7lbs
If they put on an oz a day which is typical weight gain at this stage then they would all be 15 oz heavier today. We go back to the doctor this Friday so we will see what their actual weights are. I keep hearing that 10lbs is the magic number as to when they will start sleeping longer at night so I am looking forward to them all reaching that weight.






Pic of the whole family (finally):

Fussiness, and gassiness....oh my!!!!

Well, I guess we have moved into the "real" infant stage as they have passed the 40 week gestational mark (their actual due date of March 27th) and man how things have changed. We are no longer dealing with the same babies we brought home just a few short weeks ago. They have moved into the fussy stage which is difficult with one baby let alone three. Our peditrician says it is a good sign as it shows maturity to use it just equals craziness :)

We are aslo to the point where we have to start stating their adjusted age. For those who have had preemies, you are fully aware of this. For those who haven't I will explain. When we state their actual age of 12weeks we now have to also state that they are 12 weeks actual but only 2 weeks adjusted. This lets people know that even though they are 12 weeks old they are more like an actual 2 week old. However, in some ways they are beyond a 2 week old but in others they are right on target. This will be the case throughout their first year or so.

Despite their fussiness and extreme gassiness, they are all doing really well. They are growing and eating more. We don't know their exact weights but will tomorrow as we have a doctor's appt. We are hoping that Emery & Grayson are around the 8.5lb mark and that Nathan is in the 7lb range. We have heard that once they reach the 10lb mark that is the turning point where they will start sleeping longer at night which we are in desperate need of.


Here are some recent pics:

Growing bunch....

Everyday is an adventure at our house. We are trying to figure out a system however, it seems that we just have to go with what works at the time in order to make it through. We have had our first experiences this past weeks of hearing people's comments that in my opinion should be kept to themselves. I know we will be hearing more and more of those comments as we start to venture out with the trio. We will just have to come up witty replies to their stupid questions and comments so we can get a laugh out of it.

Ryan and I are definitely being put to the test but we feel that we are over coming those challenges on most days. There are definitely those days where we wonder "how are we ever going to make it through this", but thankfully those days are rare. We are still receiving help from our families which is much appreciated. As soon as we feel like we can't manage another set of night feedings on our own they come to our rescue.

The trio is doing very well. They are growing everyday which is comforting. I am always concerned that they are not eating enough so having doctor's appt every Friday is reassuring that everything is going well. Last Friday, Emery weighed 7lbs3oz, Grayson weighed 6lbs11oz and our little peanut, Nathan, weighed 5lbs even. They are still eating every 3 hours during the day. At night we feed them on demand, which typically ends up being between 3.5-4hours. We are hoping in the next few weeks they will be consistently sleeping 4-5 hours at a time at night so that we can start to get some sleep. That may be wishful thinking but we'll see....

We have started to introduce the trio to their extended family, our friends. We have had a few sets of people over and will continue to allow people to meet them on a slow and steady basis. We haven't let any little kids in to see them yet because of the germs they could be carrying as we all know little kids seem to carry the most germs :)

Well that is it for now. So here are some updated pics of our crew:

Uncle Adam feeding Emery for the first time:

The boys hanging out with each other on the play mat:

Emery & Grayson chillin after eating:

Here are some pics of our Cadillac stroller....I guess this is the reason for some of the crazy comments:

Sleep Deprived....

Hi all,

We figured it was time to let you all know that we are still surviving this crazy adventure of ours. We are definitely sleep deprived which makes us a little nutty at times. Luckily we have had help from our families because without it I think we may have totally lost our minds by now.

All 3 are home and are all doing well. It is really nice not having to go to the hospital everyday to visit them. We have another doctor's appointment tomorrow so we will know how much they weigh. I really like these appointments as it lets me know that they are moving along like they should.

Nathan came home on Thursday, March 11th just in time for my birthday. I couldn't have been given a better birthday present. He was sent home on oxygen. We are very thankful that he is on a really low flow of oxygen so we are hoping with a little bit of time and growth he will be able to come off of it.

We had a little scare Saturday night, Grayson had a really bad episode (heart rate
dropped and he stopped breathing). He started turning blue and his heart rate would not come up with stimulation so Ryan performed CPR on him. Ryan did a great job in reacting so quickly in such a scary situation. We called 911 and took him to the hops ital where they performed several tests on him to make sure he is healthy. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday evening with a clean bill of health. Thankfully Ryan's parents were here with us so they were able to help take care of Emery & Nathan while we were dealing with Grayson at the hospital.

Well, I need to get ready for the next feed. Considering they happen every three hours it feels like all we do is feed them and change diapers. We go through about 30 diapers a day and 24 bottles.

Here is what everyone is really interested in...pics of our trio:


My dad holding Emery:


Nathan's welcome home from his brother and sister, they could have been a little nicer:


The boys...in a few short weeks we will not be able to tell them apart:


Mom holding all 3.....yes, I am a little tired:


The princess: