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.