28 Weeks and 2 Days Gestation

Today the triplets are 28 weeks and 2 days gestation, or 22 days old. In general, they had a busy Monday, quiet and stable Tuesday, and busy Wednesday.

Liam:
Our oldest little triplet is still the heaviest of the three. Both Liam and Malachi are over 2 lbs and continuing to gain weight. Taylor is not yet 2 lbs and needs to gain another 60 grams to get there. Sunday night and Monday, Liam had a rougher go. His oxygen saturation levels (how well his oxygen is being taken into his blood) kept swinging up and down. As he is just recovering from his infections, the nurses believed that a lot of it had to with Liam feeling unwell. Liam started to do better over the last few days and looks like he is feeling better as well. Liam's feeds are back up to 12 mm which is a full feed for him! He still has a PICC line because he is still on antibiotics for his infections.
On Tuesday, Liam had a head ultrasound which showed that the bleeding has not gotten worse. We are thankful for this! Next week he will have another head ultrasound to monitor it.
The healthcare professionals can also hear the PDA in Liam's heart and an echocardiogram done Tuesday shows he will need a third dosage to treat it.
On Wednesday morning, the plan was to extubate our little boy but the plan changed when Liam showed that he could not handle it yet. The respiratory therapists will wait 48 hours and reassess. This is somewhat disappointing as Liam was doing so well on the CPAP before.
On Wednesday afternoon, Liam needed a blood transfusion as his hemoglobin levels were dropping and he looks quite pale.

Taylor:
Our little girl has had a few ups and downs the last few days. Because she looked pale and lethargic, the doctors had done blood tests for an infection over the weekend and started antibiotics. However, the results did not show an infection. It's possible the antibiotics caught the infection early or Taylor was sick from something else. On Monday, the doctors did a blood transfusion to raise her hemoglobin and Taylor looked more pink and is was more active. She remains on CPAP but has been having a lot of bradys where her heart rate drops and her oxygen saturation levels also drop. Some bradys she can come out of herself, but others require the nurse to stimulate her so she will recover. The healthcare team has been changing her settings on her CPAP machine and changing Taylor's position and trying different things to prevent the bradys.
On Wednesday morning, the healthcare team determined that Taylor was again looking sick. As of Wednesday afternoon, the concerns include: 1) a possible infection for which they have taken blood tests and sent them off, 2) kidney problems because she is not urinating enough and for which they have done an ultrasound and await results, and 3) possible PDA issues again for which she received an echo in the early afternoon. None of these issues are certain but are being monitored to try figure it out. Taylor received another blood transfusion Wednesday afternoon to raise her hemoglobin again. She is also now on general antibiotics to start treating the possible infection. Thankfully, Taylor is finally back to full feeds which means all the triplets are getting the amount of breast milk that matches their sizes. This is great considering all the benefits that come from getting their mom's milk.

Malachi:
Our youngest triplet had concerns of possible pneumonia but it was determined that it was a bladder infection instead. It is likely that the infection was making him feel unwell overall and therefore impacting his breathing and lungs as well. He is on specific antibiotics (just like his siblings) to treat the infection. A lumbar puncture was also done on Tuesday afternoon to check if there was an infection in his cerebral spinal fluid. We don't have results for that yet.
Malachi also received an echo Wednesday as his PDA is audible like his siblings. Again we will receive results likely tomorrow.
In terms of his lungs, Malachi is still intubated like Liam and on higher settings and oxygen than his brother. Hopefully treating the infection and possibly the PDA can help this little guy improve and get onto CPAP so that his lungs can  improve.

We again want to express that we are so thankful for the encouraging emails, texts, cards, messages, etc. Thank you for your prayers! We are starting to get to know more parents and nurses in the NICU and at Ronald McDonald and some of the stories are encouraging, while others really scare us. Yet we are also able to see differences because while many parents put their trust and hope in their doctors, nurses, and healthcare teams, we take comfort in knowing the Greater Power. Our God is in control, also over the healthcare professionals.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness..." Lamentations 3:22-23.

November 25-27

As parents, we have really been noticing specific preferences and differences between each of our precious triplets. We love to marvel at their little personalities and differences.
For example, Malachi loves to stretch out his tiny body no matter how his nurse positions him. When we walk up to his little bed, we often first see a little arm or foot waving in the air. Malachi doesn't like being laid on his left side.
Another example is how Taylor will use up lots of energy when a nurse is handling her (changing her diaper, putting in an IV, weighing her, etc.). She will cry her tiny cry with all her might, wave her arms, and kick her legs so that by the time the nurse is done she is very tired and sleeps soundly.
Liam has also shown a mind of his own. He loves to have his hands up around his face. Even if the nurse tucks his arms in by his side, he always manages to squirm them out and up by his face.
All three love to suck on soothers. All three love to lay on their tummies all wrapped up. They are little people who have been created by the awesome Creator!

Liam Josiah:
Liam's infection seems to be much better. The second blood culture came back negative which most likely means the antibiotics are working. His skin color is improved and he has more energy. The doctors decided to leave Liam intubated over the weekend and reassess Monday for when he might go back on CPAP. He has been doing quite well intubated in the meantime. He is also tolerating more and more breast milk, as he had not been getting any while he was feeling sicker. He is almost up to full feeds again. A lot of our babies' tests (head ultrasounds and echocardiograms) have been postponed to next week so we don't have any updates in that department. Liam is also growing and is over 2 lbs!

Liam intubated and trying hard to focus on Mommy's face

Taylor Joy:

Taylor has been also looking better than the past few days although she is still fairly pale. Her blood culture came back negative but the doctors are quite sure she had or still has some sickness or infection. She is being kept on a general antibiotic and monitored. In the meantime she has also restarted a small amount of breast milk but has been throwing up a fair amount. She continues to get supplements and antibiotics through an IV, but they have not put a PICC (permanent IV) back in yet, as they hope she will be back to full feeds soon. Taylor has lost weight the last few days as well which is not very alarming considering she is not feeling well. Thankfully, Taylor has remained on CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) and is breathing room air oxygen (21%, which is what you and I are breathing), However, we have been learning a lot about the different types of CPAP and the different settings that can be applied. The number of puffs of air given as a reminder to breathe, the pressures applied to keep the lungs open, the percentage of oxygen given... there are many different settings and our baby girl has a long way to go before breathing on her own. Because the triplets are so little, they would not be able to grow or develop if they were even able to breathe on their own since all their energy would go into breathing.

Taylor with her CPAP sleeping in her favourite position

Malachi John:

On Friday at midnight we received a phone call (which we were more or less expecting) that Malachi was again being intubated because his lungs were again starting to collapse. Malachi's breathing support is quite higher than it has been this past week. In particular, his CO2 levels in the blood have been higher than they should be. The doctors are continuing to monitor and change settings on the ventilator to find out what is best for our little boy. We are very thankful, however, that Malachi continues to be on full feeds of 11.5 mm of breast milk with the added supplements that used to be given through the IV. This is obviously important for him to grow and get stronger! On this Sunday morning we learned that Malachi's lungs had collapsed partially again overnight. When we came to his bed this afternoon, we were excited to learn that Malachi was being transferred into the same pod (area) as Taylor and Malachi. This will make visiting easier as we divide our time between our three little ones. Shortly after being moved, the new healthcare team assessed Malachi and strongly suspect that he has pneumonia. This would explain his collapsing lungs and how he has been needing higher breathing support. The initial tests seem to really point towards pneumonia but the official blood culture results will take up to 48 hours. The doctor working today decided to start treating Malachi with specific antibiotics as if he has pneumonia, since all signs seem to be pointing to it. As parents we are of course very disappointed and worried to hear of yet another sickness for our triplets. The nurses have assured us that pneumonia is a fairly common risk when babies need to be intubated in the NICU, yet it is serious that our little baby is sick.

Malachi intubated again and wiggling onto his back from his side

Isaiah 40:11 has been sent to us by a number of people: "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." We take comfort knowing that our Shepherd tenderly loves our precious triplets who are His covenant children.

Days 15 and 16

It seems we've had more downs than ups these past few days on the NICU rollercoaster.

Liam:
The doctors have been treating Liam's blood infection with specific antibiotics targeted at the infection, which they now strongly believe is from the sore on his belly he has had since Day 1. Liam seems less lethargic but we are now waiting for a second blood culture test to determine if the antibiotics are working. On Thursday morning, he was taken off the CPAP and intubated again as it seemed too much for his little body. He is doing very well being intubated and hopefully this is short term. On Wednesday, Liam also received a lumbar puncture to determine if the infection had spread into his cerebral spinal fluid (which is around the spinal cord and brain). The results came back late this Thursday afternoon and they were positive. The infection team believes that Liam had or still has meningitis which is an infection on the brains membrane. The healthcare professionals explained to us that what this means for Liam's long-term outcomes and development will be seen in the future and cannot be determined anytime soon. We are trying hard not to worry about this because we know it's in our Father's hands. In the meantime we are waiting for our sick little guy to overcome the infection and get stronger.
We are thankful to report that Liam's PDA causing a heart murmur is no longer heard by the nurses. We pray that the PDA will remain closed permanently and avoid the heart surgery. Liam also had a head ultrasound Thursday morning and we await the results on the bleeding in his brain.

Taylor:
Taylor was having a pretty good week aside from some bradys and swinging in her oxygen requirements and heart rate. On Wednesday she started spitting up more than normal and slowly over Wednesday night the nurses started thinking something was up with our baby girl. Seeing her on Thursday morning, we can tell she is not herself as she is lethargic and paler than normal. Currently, we are waiting for test results to determine if Taylor now has an infection. Doctors believe it's very likely and have already started her on antibiotics. Before the red flags started going up, the healthcare team decided to pull out her PICC line and feed her IV nutrients through her oral feeds. This is now unfortunate as Taylor's feeds have been suspended and she has needed another IV put in to give her nutrients. A new PICC line may need to be put in. Again, we commend our sick baby into our Father's hands. Taylor's heart murmur has gotten worse the last few days and an echiocardiogram will be repeated to determine if she should go back on a second dose of medication to treat the PDA.

Malachi:
This little cutie doesn't seem to have an infection but he had a busy Thursday as well since doctors decided to extubate him and try him on CPAP. As of Thursday evening he is doing extremely well. He may have his PICC line taken out Thursday night or Friday morning. He is our only baby on full feeds now (11.5 milliliters), since the infections set back the other two. Malachi's heat murmer is still audible but the doctors feel it is not strong enough to be of concern. They will wait to see if it will resolve on its own.
Malachi has had a better few days than his siblings, yet we continue to fervently pray for him too as we know that the situation can change quickly.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

2 Weeks Old

They say that every day in the NICU is a rollercoaster and we certainly can understand that saying... multiplied by three! The past few days seemed to have had a lot of dips and loops for our little babes.

Liam:
Our little guy has had a tough few days. On Sunday night, Liam's heart rate was high and he was not acting like himself. Blood work was done and by Monday it was confirmed that our baby has a blood infection. This could be from any of the needles, IVs, PICC lines, or the open sores he got from the sanitizing products that his skin reacted to. The healthcare team is monitoring Liam closely. He is being treated with antibiotics and some Tylenol to help him settle. Liam also has had a lumbar puncture (needle which goes into his spine and extracts some cerebral spinal fluid) to see if the infection has spread to his brain. We are waiting for the results and praying this is not the case. In the meantime, he seems to have more energy on Tuesday.

All three babies have come off the humidity in their incubators since they are now 14 days. Their skin is much better looking- not as red and see through. All the babies are also getting a millimeter more of breast milk each day and are almost at full feeds. To give an idea of what a full feed is: Malachi is 885 grams (900 grams = 2 lbs) and so 11 milliliters is a full feed for him. This evening he is at 10 milliliters. Once a baby is at a full feed, they will try fortify the breast milk with the nutrients that are currently going into their bodies through the PICC line (permanent IV). If the baby tolerates everything orally, they can take the PICCs out. Hopefully all three triplets can have this in the next few days.

Taylor:
Our baby girl has had better days than her brothers recently. However, she has still been swinging up and down in her oxygen requirements. The nurses and respiratory therapists have been playing with her CPAP settings and even had her on an oscillator for a while. As of Tuesday evening she is on fairly good oxygen levels. Another issue Taylor is facing is mucous and secretions in her nose and mouth (Liam and Malachi have also been having this to a lesser degree). This really impacts her ability to breathe properly and so she needs to be suctioned often.

Malachi:
On Sunday night, our Malachi was having some intensified breathing difficulties. The healthcare team finally determined his breathing machine was faulty and replaced it with a whole new unit. In the meantime, for whatever reason, his right lung partially collapsed. By late Monday morning, his lung was resolved but both lungs had a lot of fluid in them that needed to be emptied. The turn of events was especially disappointing because Monday was the day that the doctors planned to extubate Malachi and try him on the less invasive CPAP machine. Everyone is anxious to get him off the breathing tube because it is harmful and hard to get off the longer it is in. The doctors are now assessing him daily to determine when they will try extubate.

We are told and are also experiencing that every day and even every hour can fluctuate. Infections unfortunately happen to almost every baby in the NICU. Babies improve and regress and improve again and regress again all the time. It's nerve-racking to walk into the NICU each time, wondering what news we'll hear this time and how each baby will be.
We cannot express enough how thankful we are for the support we receive and for all the prayers to God for our precious miracles. Please continue to pray for these little babies. We remember our wedding text from Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths."

12 Days Old

We have learned so much these past 12 days. We have learned many new medical terms, how to read the many numbers and graphs on the monitor screens, the different types of care our babies need, etc. While it often feels overwhelming, we are thankful that the doctors and nurses take the time to answer all our questions and update us often on our babies. Each baby usually has a one-on-one nurse for a 12 hour shift. Sometimes when the babies have been stable in the last few days the nurse will have 2 babies at a time per shift. We are allowed to visit anytime and call at any time for updates. The NICU calls us if there are serious issues. We also meet with our babies' neonatologists and a social worker once a week to go over everything thoroughly. On Thursday we had one of these meetings.

Liam Josiah:
We were fairly optimistic going into the meeting about our oldest triplet. However, the doctors talked about some issues in a greater depth than our nurses and discussed 2 fairly big challenges Liam is facing. First, his PDA (valve in his heart which channels blood to the placenta) was opened too far again. The first round of medication for the PDA had worked initially but then reopened. The doctor discussed how this also causes Liam's lungs to get very wet and therefore makes breathing very difficult. This explained the higher breathing support and dips in oxygen we had been seeing for Liam. The doctors will try 2 more rounds of medication before performing heart surgery on our little boy. While the second round of medication given on Friday has improved Liam's breathing so far, it's too early to tell if it will be a long term fix. By next week Monday (not tomorrow) we will likely know if surgery is necessary. The second big challenge for Liam is that the bleeding in his brain has worsened. Initially it had been in the fluid filled ventricles, but it has progressed outside the ventricles which is called a flare effect. It's too early to know if it will worsen or even if it will have implications for Liam. However, bleeding in the brain scares us and it's hard not to worry about this issue.
In the past few days, we have been able to hold Liam every day (twice on Saturday!) and he does very well. Because of the PDA medication, his feeds are behind his siblings at 5mm and he has also been on phototherapy often because of the medication side effects. On Saturday evening, Liam was nearly at his birth weight of 900 grams.

Taylor Joy:
Our baby girl has been doing quite well in comparison to her brothers. The bleeding in her brain is the same as the last time and doctors are optimistic about this, since most bleeds happen in the first 3 days of life. Her PDA has nearly closed from the medication and the doctors feel it should close all the way in the near future without medication. Taylor has been doing well on the CPAP but does have dips and swings in her oxygen and heart rates. Sometimes she stops breathing while sleeping (especially after she tires herself out with all her moving around during handling) and needs stimulation to revive. All the babies remain on caffeine through IVs since preemies often have this issue. Taylor has passed her birth weight and is very close to her brothers' weights! We have also been able to hold Taylor every day these past few days. On Friday she enjoyed a snuggle with Jodi at the same time as her brother Liam. On Saturday morning Taylor's other eye opened. Now we are just waiting for Malachi to open his little eyes.

Malachi John:  

Our youngest triplet's biggest challenge remains his lungs. At the family meeting, Malachi's neonatologist expressed that he was unhappy with how Malachi's lungs were not progressing. He is on a fairly high level of support and remains intubated through his nose and down to his lungs. Babies should not be intubated for long because of the damage it does to their lungs. The longer a baby is intubated, the longer the baby will continue to be dependant on it. The neonatologist asked us as parents to make a decision whether or not to start Malachi on steroids to help the development. After talking through the benefits and risks with him, we decided to go forward with the steroids. It will be a 10 day course with the goal to heal and develop his lungs and get him stable enough for CPAP. Malachi was 5 grams below his birth weight on Saturday evening! He has been tolerating his mom's breast milk better than his siblings without reflux and is at 7 milliliters a feed every 2 hours.  On Saturday evening Jodi was finally able to hold Malachi for the first time! He seemed to love it, even though the process of getting him out and in is even longer than that of his siblings.

As parents we have been grappling with many questions. What can we do for our babies? How can we best support them? What does it mean to be "good parents" in this situation? How do we divide our time and energy? What will the coming days and weeks look like? How can we protect such vulnerable human beings? As we work through all these questions, emotions, and challenges, we remember Romans 8:28 which says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Thanks again to everyone for all the many texts, emails, messages, and comments. We don't always respond but we do read them and feel uplifted by all your prayers to our Heavenly Father who is working for our good and for His glory. 

The Triplets are 8 Days Old

Its so hard for us to believe that a week ago this whirlwind started! It feels like yesterday we were feeling terrified in the operating room...

On Tuesday, Liam had a fairly good day. Since he has been on his CPAP machine, he has been having periods where his heart slows down significantly. He often needs stimulation to get his heart rate up again. His oxygen levels are also a bit higher but have remained stable. Liam has been spitting up and "pushing up" his food through the feeding tube lately. Jodi was able to hold Liam for the first time Tuesday afternoon and he responded extremely well. Nathan was able to hold our firstborn on Wednesday and the same results occurred. The nurses were very impressed with how Liam's oxygen levels improved during the snuggles, he settled down (he often is waving a little arm or a little leg in the air), and the fact that he had zero bradys while being held! Unfortunately he went back to bradys after the skin to skin care but his oxygen remained a bit better.
God's design for human life amazes us. For example, how a parent snuggling his/her baby has great health benefits for the baby. Another example is how a mother's breast milk has incredible benefits for the baby including protecting against infections and sicknesses. We often find ourselves marvelling at the triplets' tiny fingers, ears, noses, toes... and thinking, "What an amazing Creator!"

All three babies had echocardiograms on Tuesday and it was determined that Liam and Taylor both have murmers persisting and thus need another round of medication. However, the official results on Wednesday demonstrated that all three babies are improved and therefore they will wait in giving more medication.

Taylor had her PICC line (permanent IV that goes all the way up to the top of the heart) put in Tuesday. The burn mark on her other arm where the other PICC line was had some pus which is always a cause for concern since infection is very dangerous for such little babies. However, the tests have come back negative for infection and she will likely come off antibiotics soon. Doctors had been hoping Taylor could come off her breathing tube and onto the less invasive CPAP soon and on Wednesday afternoon they went ahead with the procedure. As of Wednesday evening, Taylor is doing extremely well. Her oxygen levels remain very stable and at the same level she was on with the breathing tube. This is incredible, especially compared to her brother Liam who is on much higher oxygen support and continues to swing up and down in his breathing support needs. Taylor can partly open one eye so hopefully she can open both soon! Liam can open both his eyes but Malachi's remain fused.

Malachi has been much stabler these past few days and we are so thankful for this. His chest tube was removed on Tuesday after x-rays showed the air between his lungs and chest were gone for a long enough period. Malachi is still on an oscillator (which shakes his lungs gently to help him breathe) and is still intubated. However, his oxygen levels have been much better (though still quite high) and he is able to get more rest. When the nurses try to wean his oxygen levels down, he reacts very poorly.The doctors do not think he will be coming off of the breathing tube and oscillator anytime soon. Malachi has also been successfully weaned off the pain medications from the chest tube.

Both Nathan and Jodi have had opportunities to help change diapers, take temperatures, hold feeding tubes, and hold our babies' hands (although touching their skin requires a lot of care since their skin is so sensitive and thin). These opportunities make us so thankful that we can interact with our babies and relieve some of the helpless feelings we are experiencing. We are very thankful for the healthcare professionals who have been very kind and compassionate towards us and especially towards our babies. It's crazy how much we need to trust them with our little ones, yet we know that ultimately they are in our Father's care! Our pastor sent us this text the other day: "Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10). We admit that its difficult to be at peace and still, yet we know and trust that He is in control.

Days 5 and 6

On Sunday morning, Jodi was discharged from the hospital and Nathan and Jodi were able to move into the Ronald McDonald House. We are extremely thankful for this opportunity which makes commuting and meals so much easier. At the same time, it was immensely difficult to leave our precious little babies at the hospital and it made for another emotionally draining day.

All three triplets have had ups and downs the past few days.

Liam:
On Sunday, the healthcare team in the NICU decided to try put Liam back on to the CPAP machine since he was breathing so well with his intubation. This means Liam has to do more work breathing on his own. It has been much harder for our little guy to breathe and there have been a number of adjustments and changes to try help him out. However, as of Monday evening, he is still on the CPAP being monitored closely. The breathing tube that was pulled out (which the other two triplets still have) goes down the throat, between the vocal chords, and to the top of the lungs, the babies are unable to make noise. On Sunday evening we first heard Liam's tiny voice when he started to cry (which made us cry too). Like his siblings, Liam has gone up to 2 milliliters of breast milk every 2 hours through his feeding tube. Liam has also gone off and on phototherapy for jaundice these past few days. Because he has been struggling with his new CPAP machine, we have still been unable to hold our baby boy.

Taylor:
Nathan was able to hold Taylor for the first time on Sunday afternoon which was an incredible moment. Both Nathan and Jodi have been able to help with Taylor's (tiny!) diaper changes as well. Taylor has been having breathing issues where she gets too tired and forgets to breathe. For this reason, doctors have decided not to "upgrade" to the CPAP machine yet and she remains intubated like Malachi. On Monday afternoon, the nurses felt confident that Jodi could hold Taylor again. However, she had a fairly serious episode during the skin to skin where she stopped breathing and needed a team of healthcare professionals to intervene. Needless to say it was a very intense time. It was determined that some secretions in her lungs had caused a blockage when she was moved from a horizontal to more vertical position. Thankfully she was stabilized and is again doing well. Like her brother Liam, Taylor has needed a blood transfusion for low hemoglobin levels. Another obstacle Taylor faced this Sunday was another skin reaction causing a burn mark on her arm where the PICC line was inserted. The PICC line was removed and antibiotics started in case of infection. A temporary IV is now in her hand and another in the top of her head. All the poke marks, IVs, burn marks, and lines on her tiny body are so sad to see. Happily, Taylor has started to gain a few grams (as you probably know, babies always lose weight after birth).

Malachi:
While our youngest triplet has been mostly stable these past days, he has had some difficulties persist. The chest tube to empty the air between his lungs and ribs remains in although it has been clamped closed. This will be monitored with more x-rays in the next day to try remove as soon as possible. He still requires a lot more oxygen and breathing support than his siblings. On Monday afternoon, a PICC line was finally put in to replace the temporary IVs. It hadn't been done yet because Malachi had not been stable enough for the doctors to feel comfortable to do this. All three triplets have had three doses of medication to treat the PDA which causes a heart murmur. The nurses on Monday afternoon heard murmers still in Liam and Taylor (which could still resolve) but not in Malachi (although it could still be there).

We continue to covet your prayers especially as we start to come to terms with the long-term plans and implications. At this point, the doctors have told us that we can expect our babies to be in the hospital until at least their original due date which is February 20th, 2017. We praise the LORD that He continues to preserve life and allows our babies to be doing relatively well for their gestational age, which is 26  weeks. May He answer our fervent prayers! Thanks also to everyone for their support and prayers.

The Triplets are Born

This blog is intended to keep our family, friends, and church family updated on our little triplets, as it is very difficult to keep everyone update regularly. As you can imagine, many changes and updates happen daily and even hourly with each baby, so will try to stay as concise in our updates.

On November 9, 2016 our triplets were born at 25 weeks and 2 days. We were aware of the higher risks of preterm labour with triplets throughout the pregnancy. Jodi was also put on hospital bedrest on October 31 due to a shortened cervix. However, their arrival was still very much a surprise but our Heavenly Father in His perfect wisdom determined it was time. At 8:00 am, Jodi started feeling some pains. By 10:00 am it was determined that she was in labour and Nathan arrived at the hospital quickly from work. At 11:00 am the doctors decided it was time to do a c-secttion.

At 12:56 pm, Liam Josiah was born weighing 1 lb 15 oz. At 12:57 pm Taylor Joy was born weighing 1 lb 10 oz. At 12:59 pm, Malachi John was born weighing 1 lb 14 oz.

Each baby was immediately whisked away by a team of doctors and health care professionals. They were all intubated and put on breathing support, and put on special IVs through their umbilical cords. Many monitors and probes were attached to their tiny bodies to monitor different things like heart rates, temperatures, oxygen levels, etc. They were then taken to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) once they were stable. Thank the LORD that each of them were able to be stabilized by the late afternoon, though many challenges are faced by these little ones each day.

We will try to give a summary of each baby from their birth on Wednesday afternoon until the time of writing on Saturday evening.

Liam:
Our biggest baby boy has the easiest time breathing out of the triplets, yet still requires much support for his underdeveloped lungs. The doctors tried to take out his breathing tube and put him on a different support called CPAP, but Liam needed to be intubated again when his little body couldn't handle the lesser support. He has been given two doses of surfactant, which help his lungs to breathe. His skin reacted to some sanitization around his umbilical cord shortly after birth, and as a result he still has a fairly large burn but that is starting to heal nicely. On Thursday, a head ultrasound of the brain showed a small amount of bleeding in the brain which the doctors will continue to monitor. However, they are fairly optimistic it can resolve on its own. On Friday, the IV in his umbilical cord was replaced with a more permanent IV called a PICC line. On Saturday, Liam was given medication for his heart for something called a PDA which results in a heart murmer. Liam has also been treated with phototherapy for jaundice, which is very common for babies. The doctors have started Liam on 1 milliliter of breast milk - through a feeding tube, yet he does not always take well to it with his tiny stomach which was not developed for food yet.

Taylor:
Our baby girl is the smallest of the triplets yet has proven to be quite feisty. Her journey has been quite similar to Liam's journey including  two doses of surfactant, a small burn on her skin as well, a small amount of bleeding in her brain, a new PICC line to replace the umbilical IVs, medication for a PDA as well, and treatment for jaundice. On Wednesday, the doctors had to take out one of the umbilical IVs when her foot started to turn colour due to lack of oxygen. The extra handling that all of this took made for a rough first night for our baby but she pulled through. Taylor has also been having drops in her heart rate for which the doctors and nurses have been changing her breathing support settings to try resolve the issue. On Saturday afternoon, Taylor was stable enough that Jodi was able to hold our baby for the first time and she responded well with improved oxygen levels. Taylor has also been started on 1 millileter of breast milk every few hours.

Malachi:
Our smaller baby boy has had a difficult time with his tiny lungs. The doctors have often had to turn up his oxygen support levels moreso than the other two babies which have made for some rough patches. On Thursday, it was determined that Malachi had air between his lungs and rib cage. The doctors put in a tiny needle in the side of his chest cavity to drain the air. The air remained a problem on Friday as well. It is the hope that the hole or multiple holes in his lung can heal quickly and the chest tube removed, as it is invasive and painful. On Friday, Malachi's left lung partially collapsed. Thankfully, the lung has been improving as of Saturday night, although it is still not up to full inflation. Malachi is not yet ready for a PICC line although it is the hope in the future. Malachi also needs to be treated for PDA yet as of Saturday evening, the doctors weren't confident he was stable enough for the medication. We are also thankful that Malachi has not shown any bleeding in the brain, though doctors will continue to monitor this as well.

Through all these ups and downs, we trust in our Heavenly Father to watch over and be with our tiny little blessings. As parents, we feel so helpless yet we know that our God is in control of these precious lives. We are so thankful for the many prayers that have gone up and continue to go up for our babies. We covet your prayers! Many people have sent us Psalm 139 as encouragement: "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them" (verses 13-16).

Many of you have been asking about visiting. As of yet, we have not been having many visitors due to the overwhelming emotions and exhaustion we have been facing and business of meetings with various medical professionals. As things settle down we are happy to have visitors for Nathan and Jodi. However, we will not be allowing everyone into the NICU to visit our babies. There are many sick little babies in the NICU and there are many rules to control for germs. Our babies too are very fragile and cannot be exposed to many different people. We hope you can understand.