All We Want For Christmas Are Our Six Front Teeth!

I thought the girls were going to get their six front teeth for Christmas but I was wrong. Christmas has come and gone, the triplets are ten months old and no teeth. This is amazing to me since older brother Caden got his first two teeth at four months old.

Our family had such a sweet Christmas. It was so special to spend time with our extended families in Rockwall and with Greg's family in The Woodlands. We enjoyed not having to get on an airplane with a four year old and three babies. The girls loved climbing all over the presents under the tree and loved the wrapping paper and boxes as much as the presents. Caden asked Santa for a "sharp teeth truck" and it was a Chrismas miracle that he got one and we have some very special elves who helped make this happen!!! Santa surprised Caden by leaving a red bike on the roof. It wouldn't fit down the chimney, so he had to leave it on the roof! His face was filled with amazement and truly priceless!!! Along with toys galore and the first of many baby dolls, the girls will enjoy their choo choo wagon and diapers (one of our favorite presents). It was a very Merry Christmas at the Mathews house this year.

Christmas decorations and lights were taken down today and there is always a feeling of a bit of sadness that the magic of Christmas is gone. With the new year fast approaching, it has me asking what's next? Since I love planning parties, I am starting to think about the girls first birthday in February.

Our family has been blessed in 2007 beyond words! Every day has its own challenges. People are always telling us that we've got our hands full. Yes, it is true... and I am so thankful our hands are full rather than empty.

August 2007

We took the girls for their 6 month check-up today, Aug. 16. Here are the results.
Addison weighs 13 lbs. 2 oz. and is in the 5-10% for weight. She is the tallest at 24 1/2 inches and is in the 10-25% for height. The only concern for Addison is that she isn't rolling over yet, so we'll see if she can master this skill in the next couple of weeks. If not, she will have to do some therapy with ECI. Addison is very dramatic and has this wimper cry and really wants to make people feel sorry for her when she is crying. She just started to try and talk and sounds a bit like a roar. Caden thinks it is so funny and wants her to do it over and over and laughs so hard. She is so happy and just started to reach and pick up toys for the first time last week, Aug. 6. The BIG NEWS is on Monday, Aug. 13 our doctor told us she could come off of her apnea monitor! She is our last one to come off the monitor so now we have three wireless babies. It was wonderful taking all three girls in the stroller and we didn't have to worry about the wires getting tangled or alarms going off.
Emery weighs 14 lbs even and she is 24 inches long and in the 5-10% for height. She is rolling over and loves to sleep on her side. She looks so much like Addison that people have a hard time telling them apart. It is fun to have people guess which baby is Addison and which one is Emery. She loves to be held and is so happy. Sometimes she only likes to be held standing up and when you try to sit she starts to cry, so you end up holding Emery until your back hurts and you just want to sit down. Addison does the same thing sometimes, but that doesn't surprise us. Emery was the first one of the girls to reach for a toy and hold it on July 30. Emery came off of her apnea monitor Aug. 1.
Harper started out as the smallest and has caught up and passed her sisters. She weighs 15 lbs. 10 oz. and is in the 50% for weight. She is the same height as Emery at 24 inches long and is in 5-10% for height. Harper is the only one of our girls who will take a pacifier- and she LOVES her paci! We love to see her smiles through the pacifier and when it falls out because she smiles so big. She is rolling over a lot now and loves to watch the fish spin on the aquarium swing above her head. The only concern with Harper is that the doctor told us she has a mild case of torticollis. Our doctor said it is common with multiples and babies in the NICU. She tends to turn her head more to the right and her neck muscles are a little wobbly when she is sitting up. She will be evaluated and begin physical therapy on Tuesday. Our doctor said she will probably only need a couple of sessions and we can work with her at home. Please say a prayer for Harper.
Caden is getting so big we can hardly believe he is going to be four-years-old this fall. He is such a great pretender and loves to go, go, go- just like his Mommy. We were making lunch last week and asked him if he wanted his sandwich cut in triangles or squares. After thinking about half a second, he said "well, probably rectangles." He says funny things to us all the time and has a great sense of humor with telling knock-knock jokes and singing. We are enjoying our summer and looking forward to school starting Sept. 4 and his first season of playing soccer through the YMCA.

July 2007

We can hardly believe it is mid-summer with July 4th right around the corner. We took the boat out Sunday and Caden rode on our new big tube with Mommy, then wanted a turn with Daddy and then wanted another turn with Uncle Steve. We think he would have stayed on it all day if we let him, but we needed to get back home to Aida who helps us watch the girls.
The big 4 month doctor check-up was today. They were given the okay to go on normal baby formula and not the preemie Enfacare since they are growing so well. We had expected to be on that formula for 6 months so this is great news. The doctor also told us we could start rice cereal in the evening two weeks after we give the girls the new formula. Roll out the high chairs! Yikes... that will be messy fun. Dr. Chandler doesn't want us to start stage 1 baby food until after their 6 month visit in August. Here are the official stats:
Addison is the smallest at 11lb. 2 oz and is in 5% for weight, She is 21 3/4 inches tall and in the 3% for height. She has had the most apnea and bradycardia alarms and needs to go until Aug. 18 without any episodes for her to come off her monitor. That seems like forever but hopefully time will fly by quickly.
Emery is 11lb. 12 oz and is in 10-20% for weight, she is the tallest at 22 1/2 inches tall and in the 3-5% for height. She has to go until July 18 without any episodes to come off her monitor.
Harper started out as the smallest and is now the biggest at 13lb. 2 oz. and is in the 25-50% for weight. She is 22 1/4 inches tall and in the 3% for height. She was given the green light and can be taken off her monitor! YEAH- one down two to go... we can hardly believe it.
We are feeling a mixture of emotions because these monitors are such a blessing and curse --- usually a curse as we trip over the cords and the alarms go off and we try not to curse! It seems like we always do this when the girls are crying and we are in a hurry to feed them and the loud alarms are going off--- just a little chaos from time to time.
They also had their shots today so they enjoyed a long nap... when do we get a nap?

Summer is Here- June 2007

Summer is here and Caden is becoming quite the swimmer. We try to let him swim at his Gran and Pop's pool a few times a week and he loves it. Caden started summer preschool at Stonebridge Church and he likes his teacher Miss Heather. They have a big castle in his room and he thinks that is fun.
The girls are still on their apnea monitors. It has been awhile since their last episode, so hopefully their pediatrician will let them get off the monitors soon. We'll know more at their four month appointment at the end of June. Harper is getting so big compared to Addison and Emery. We think Harper looks so different from the other two girls and she is the first to show her independence by rolling over. On May 31, Harper rolled from her tummy to back for the first time. She seems to be the strongest. They are all melting our hearts by smiling more often. They still haven't discovered their hands yet.
We celebrated our 9th anniversary June 6 and got last minute tickets to see our favorite comedian Jerry Seinfeld then went for some dessert with our friends Mike and Bryana at Hard Rock Cafe downtown. It was nice to have an evening out without children. On our anniversary, we bought Greg's dream boat. Greg is calling it our fifth child. We are trying to come up with a name for the boat... "Life after Triplets" or something funny.

Separate Beds

The title above does not refer to Mommy and Daddy even though having three babies in the house is sometimes stressful. Instead, we have moved the girls into their own cribs. We began to notice last week that the baby that was still in the crib when the other two were being fed was pretty content and appeared to be stretching out. So we tried putting each girl in their own crib. The transition was pretty easy.
The girls are almost 14 weeks old and are getting bigger. We are constantly asked how much they weigh now, but we haven't been to the doctor since their 8 week check-up and won't return to the doctor until their 16 week check-up.
Mommy, Daddy, Caden, Addison, Emery and Harper have made several excursions outside the house now. We have eaten with their Gran and Pop at the Carlton Woods country club three times (once for Easter, once for Mother's Day and once for dinner). We also went to our friends' house (the Meredith's) for dinner.
About two or three weeks ago, the girls started making eye contact with us and this week, the girls started to charm Mommy and Daddy with their smiles. It is a lot of fun to hold the girls and see a toothless-smile being shared with us.
Our efforts lately have been to try and get the girls to sleep as long as possible at night. Addison seems to be our best sleeper as she consistently sleeps over 6 1/2 hours each night and has slept over 8 hours a couple of times. Emery is doing great too. She also sleeps over 6 hours most nights and has reached 7 1/2 a couple of times. Harper has been too interested in eating to worry about sleeping a long time. It appears that she has hit a growth spurt as she now looks bigger than the other two (not combined, just bigger than each of her sisters). She routinely sleeps 4 hours at night but sometimes sleeps 5 or 6 hours in the morning. So, maybe her internal clock is a few hours off.
While their sleeping times above might suggest that the nights are uneventful, please remember that there are still three babies and that their schedules have not been synchronized just yet. This means that a baby is still being changed, fed, or burped most hours of the night. Mommy and Daddy are very thankful for our night help that ensures we are still able to sleep in one bed.

Triplets 2 months old

On Tuesday, April 17, the girls had their follow-up appointment to the neonatal optomologist to ensure that their eyes were developing normally. While all three girls passed, the experience was not a pleasant one to witness.
On Thursday, April 19, the girls had their two month old appointment at their pediatrician. We were very interested to learn their weights since Mommy and Daddy were used to receiving daily updates on their weights when the girls were in the NICU. Addison weighted in at 6 lb. 8 oz, Emery at 6 lb. 14 oz and Harper at 6 lb. 10 oz. What a surprse! We were expecting the girls to be right around 6 lbs.
Up through today, the girls had to be fed every three hours. The doctor now cleared the girls to start sleeping as long as possible between feedings at night. This will be an interesting transition as we will have to wake up the other two once the first one awakes.
Reinforcements arrived on Monday, April 16 as Misty's aunt Sandra (Nina) came in to assist us during the week. She came at a great time as she helped with both of the girls' appointments. Caden had a lot of fun with Nina and kept asking about Dude (Misty's Uncle Albin). She knows that she is welcome back anytime.
Also, Misty's Grandma Billie arrived on Wednesday and helped us with the girl's second doctor's appointment. Caden enjoyed playing catch with Great-Grandma and showed off his singing by performing a few of his favorite songs.

Home Sweet Home

The girls came home April 1, so they have been home a little more than a week now and we feel so blessed to be home as a family. The girls are all on apnea monitors, so we are dealing with all the cords and loud alarms. We have to pick them up in one arm and carry their monitor on the other shoulder like a purse, so it can be a little tricky.
Caden keeps saying he is so glad his sisters are home. He is a great big brother and is very gentle with them. His playroom is being taken over with baby swings and bouncy seats, so he probably isn't too happy that he now has to be more careful in the playroom. He is such a good helper and we are very proud of him.
April 3, the girls had their first big outing to the pediatrician's office. Dr. Chandler was very pleased the girls looked so healthy and she is treating them as regular newborns rather than preemies. Addison weighed 4 lbs. 15 oz., Emery was 5 lbs. 5 oz. and Harper was 5 lbs. 2 oz. Mommy packed the diaper bag with six diapers and used all of them at that appointment!
The main question we get asked is if we have family or friends to help us. Greg's parents, Richard and Fran (Gran and Pop) only live about a mile away from our house and help play with Caden and now come over to help with the bottle feedings whenever we need an extra hand. Misty's mom (Grandma) lives in Rockwall outside Dallas, so she came for the babies first week home and played with Caden. We hired two great nurses from the hospital to help us at nights so we can try to keep our sanity during the day and rest at night! The nurse on duty comes around 10:45 pm and stays until 6:45am. Michelle has experience with triplet girls as a night nurse and is a baby/mom nurse at the hospital and also teaches classes. Ryan is our other nurse and he helped take care of our girls in the NICU. So far, it is working out great.
We've had lots of family visit this week. Greg's brother Steve came from Denver for Easter weekend to meet his new nieces and introduce us to his girlfriend Meredith from Kansas City. Greg's other brother Danny, wife Wendi and their three boys Taylor, Bailey and Avery came from Virginia and are here all week. Caden has had so much fun playing with his cousins. It won't be long before there will be three little girls running after all their boy cousins and big brother.

Triplets Fifth Week in NICU (March 24-30)

On Sunday, March 25 Harper finally hit the 4 lb. mark, Addison was 4 lb. 3 oz, and Emery was 4 lb. 9 oz.
This seems to be FINAL EXAM WEEK for the girls. Sunday Mommy and Daddy watched the car seat safety video, Monday the girls had their eye exam which was normal but needs to be re-checked in one week, Tuesday they had their hearing test which they passed and received a certificate. Wednesday they passed the big car seat challenge where the girls had to be in their car seats for one hour without their monitors going off. Friday was training day for the monitors. This week Addison and Emery both had apena or brady episodes, so they will have to come home on monitors. Harper needs to make it to Sunday without any episodes to come home without a monitor. We had been praying that all three girls wouldn't need monitors. The more we have thought about it, we feel like this may be God's way of helping save their lives and He is providing the medical technology that will help them and us one day. It looks like two and possibly all three will need monitors for at least six weeks and this may depend on our pediatrician's decision too.
On Saturday night, Mommy, Daddy, Addison, Emery and Harper will stay in the care-by-parent room. It is a special hotel style room in the NICU for parents to do a trial run to see what it would be like at home. Hopefully we can bring home all of our girls home Sunday!
Addison, Emery and Harper... Welcome to the real world outside the hospital. May God's angels always surround you as you begin your journey. We pray we will have the strength to raise sweet and beautiful girls and not let you date until you are at least 21. Don't worry...big brother Caden will be watching out for you too!

Guestbook - Pregnancy Blog

We had so much fun telling people we were expecting triplets. The majority of people didn't sign our guesbook with comments, but just called or emailed their congratulations to our private email. The following are comments from the guestbook of my pregnancy blog and I wanted to transfer them to this current blog. One day I'll have to add in all the email comments too.

Amy Bewley
Fri, March 23, 2007
Was just checking in on your progress and I see you had the babies:-) Looking forward to seeing pictures of your beautiful girls!

Aisling GambleCalgary, Alberta
Mon, February 26, 2007
Congratulations on the birth of the girls. Just got the news from Carolyn Wesley. She sent pictures too. Gorgeous!!!!

Sandra SmithCLovis, NM
Fri, February 23, 2007
I just heard about the girls being born! Wow...I have tears of joy. God is sooooooo Good. God bless you all. Love, Sandra

Aisling GambleCalgary, Alberta
Thu, February 22, 2007
Hey guys!! Thought I'd check in and say hi. Misty, hope you are feeling well these days and taking it easy. This time 2 years ago, I was at home, doing nothing, just waiting for the big day.

Sharon BaconRockwall, Texas
Fri, February 2, 2007
Misty, Happy 30th Birthday!!! This is going to be a wonderful year for you! I am so proud of you! We love You!!! Love, mom & dad

Amy BewleyNLR, AR
Wed, January 17, 2007
We are so excited for you and I hope you are able to make it to 34 weeks. You all are in our prayers!

Clara Gillett
Tue, January 16, 2007
We are so happy that the girls are doing well. You are ALL on the prayer list for our Wednesday night ladies class. These women know how to pray. Love to all 6 of you, Aunt Clara and Uncle Bill PS Abbie Withouse (can't remember her last name) is expecting a boy(Charlie) in April. I will give her your e-mail. Vickie was really excited about the girls.

Anita JaegerRockwall, TX
Mon, January 15, 2007
They all look beautiful! Best wishes to you all and prayers for a joyful life for all of you together and strength and wisdom to help you through! What a blessing!!

Jennifer EnsorBrentwood, TN
Sun, January 14, 2007
I love the names you guys picked out. They are just beautiful. Can't wait to meet those girls.

Grandma Sharon BaconRockwall, Texas
Fri, January 12, 2007
I think you look just beautiful! Can't wait to hold all three of you!!! Love, Grandma

Aisling GambleCalgary, Alberta
Thu, January 4, 2007
Happy New Year guys...and what a year 2007 is going to be for you. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Steve GambleCalgary, Alberta
Mon, January 1, 2007
Hi guys! Aisling told me about you guys expecting triplets a while back, and we met briefly when you were visiting Jordan Clark. Isn't it fun! Awesome you are having girls......perhaps our boys will meet your girls in the future at Harding? hmmmm, just a thought. Keep up the good work, and feel free to ask any questions you may have directly or via the boys blog site. http://gambletriplets.blogspot.com/

Matthew EnsorBrentwood, TN
Fri, December 29, 2006
Hey Guys...Just thought I'd drop in for an update...Sharon and John showed us some amazing pictures...Talk to you soon hopefully!

Troy & Carrie LakeyKansas City, MO
Tue, December 12, 2006
WOW!! Crazy! That's great news, guys; glad to hear it. Congratulations! We'll definitely be praying for you!

Aisling GambleCalgary, Alberta
Fri, December 1, 2006
So great to see the u/s pics and know that the girls are doing so well. Have a fantastic time at Disney World...it might be the last big trip you take for a while! LOL

Laura LightRolla, MO
Mon, November 20, 2006
Hey Misty and Greg! We're praying for you and those 3 special blessings every single morning. Let me tell you----Girls are Grand!!! (and only thing better than 3 girls is 4!) :-) I can't tell you how excited we all are around this house. We're praying for you too, Greg. And now that we know that they are all girls, we better say a few special prayers for Caden! Won't he be a proud brother! We love you guys! Kenny, Laura, Jenna, Clarissa, Rebecca and Meredith

Aisling GambleCalgary, Alberta
Mon, November 20, 2006
3 girls!! Congrats!! At least Greg already has Caden so he won't be totally outnumbered (I am the only female in our house - even when the dogs are included!! LOL). Think of you guys every day and praying that the pregnancy continues to go well. Have an Happy, Happy, Happy Thanksgiving, as I know you will.

Sharon BaconRockwall, Texas
Mon, November 20, 2006
Life is so full of surprises and that's what makes it fun! Caden is so cute pretending to hold his 3 little sisters and gathering up his little letter toys to give to them!!!

Ron, Wendi, Lainey, & Jackson SissonMemphis , TN
Sat, November 18, 2006
Congrats! How exciting! We are expecting baby #2 (a boy, Jackson), in March but I bet you will deliver before me! We will be praying for all 5 of you!

Jennifer EnsorBrentwood, TN
Fri, November 17, 2006
Wow! Three girls! Congratulations. Just like that you guys already passed Matthew and my two girls. You are going to have so much fun!! Good luck with the name game. Maybe we will see you at Christmas? Jen, Matthew, and Vail

Lorisa LittlejohnDallas, TX
Fri, November 17, 2006
YAYYYYYYYYY! I think God is complimenting you two- I can't think of another couple that would be better parents of three baby girls and a precious little boy. Love you and miss you.............I can't wait to meet them! Praying for you.....(P.S. have you considered Lorisa as one of the six names you'll have to choose? : )

Patrick & Amy BewleyNLR
Thu, November 16, 2006
Wow!! You two beat the odds!! All three girls will melt your heart. May God bless all of you with good health throughout. I am still shocked that there are three little babies in tiny Misty! I would love to see pregnancy pics as you progress:-)

Patrick & Amy BewleyNLR
Thu, November 16, 2006
Wow!! You two beat the odds!! All three girls will melt your heart. May God bless all of you with good health throughout. I am still shocked that there are three little babies in tiny Misty! I would love to see pregnancy pics as you progress:-)

Aunt Marilyn & Uncle Lawrence McshanOrange, TX
Thu, November 16, 2006
Three Girls - all at one time!! Wow!! We pray for your family everyday, but with 3 little sisters we better say some special ones for Caden! I'm sure he will be a wonderful big brother to all of them!!

Sandra SmithClovis, NM
Thu, November 16, 2006
''Girls just want to have fun!!! '' Good thing they have an awesome big brother to keep all the bad boys at bay. I pray for you often and tell everyone else to pray also. I'm so proud that you guys are taking good care of yourselves. Wow...3 girls....Love, Sandra

Patti Ensorabilene, texas
Thu, November 16, 2006
that is wild...congrats....girls are alot of fun...until they become teenagers...haha not really....hope to see you soon. patti

Aisling GambleCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Fri, November 10, 2006
Hey Misty (& Greg). Thanks for the link to your site. It's going to be so great to follow along with you guys, knowing that I went through the same process just 2 years ago. Hopefully you'll be able to find out what the little ones are - it took 3 seperate ultrasounds for them to confirm it was all boys for us. Take care. You know how to reach me by email if you have any questions or just wanna chat. Aisling (Steve, Keegan, Josh & Connolly)

Karen and Robert BaillieSYDNEY AUSTRALIA
Wed, October 25, 2006
Congratulations, what wonderful news. We are thrilled for all of you. We look forward to seeing more baby pics. Love and warm wishes Karen and Robert

Leslie PiggClarksville, tn
Fri, October 20, 2006
What a wonderful doctor's visit and a great report! I bet ''Baby A'' is a girl for sure, if she was hamming it up for the camera! I am so happy that things are progressing so well and we'll be continuing to pray for your health, Misty, and the development of the three babies. Love you guys!

Billie EnsorRuidoso, NM
Thu, October 19, 2006
I love being able to be able to keep up with your progress for such a super exciting event. Thanks for keeping me posted. You are on my mind just about every day. Love you all so much. Josh and Naci were due Oct 17. We are still waiting on that little Jude.

Grandma Sharon Ensor BaconRockwall, Texas
Thu, October 19, 2006
WOW!!! Life just keeps getting better! This is one of the most exciting things that has happened in my lifetime! I am so proud of you for eating good food and getting plenty of rest! I heard Greg and Caden are taking good care of you and have given you a lot of surprises - ssshhh!

Amber KnaussWylie, TX
Sun, October 1, 2006
Wow Guys!!! Congrats!!! We'll plan our 15th reunion soon so yall have time to find a babysitter!!! :) Seriously, three new blessings. Thats awesome. Take care, Amber

Jordan ClarkCalgary, Alberta
Tue, September 26, 2006
That's a funny way to tell me Greg! Wowzers! What wonderful news... one more and your family could field a baseball team - ha! (I don't imagine Misty wanted to hear that). Take care of yourselves and rest lots. Love Jordan, Kari and Peyton

Sandra SmithClovis, NM
Sun, September 24, 2006
I have tears streaming down my face. I am so shocked! What a delight. God couldn't have chosen two more precious people to send these babies to. How can I help? Misty, please rest, rest, rest. Call me to help anytime. Greg, Misty and Caden I promise to pray God's glorious blessings on all of you. Love, The Favorite Aunt, Sandra

Marie ClementNashville, TN
Sat, September 23, 2006
Congratulations you guys! We are excited for you..we will keep you in our prayers! God Bless! Matt and Marie Clement Caleb, Ian and Riley

Amy SchlupCO
Sat, September 23, 2006
WOW, WOW, WOW!!! Congratulations. Your house will be overflowing with joy, love, and excitement. You guys are awesome and I am sure you will be great parents to your new additions. Caden will be a lucky big brother too. God Bless You!

Michelle NoelNorth Little Rock, Arkansas
Wed, September 20, 2006
Congratulations Greg and Misty! We are so happy for you! Wow, what a blessing from God! :) Love, Tommy and Michelle Noel Claire, Emilyn, and Allie

Sara SelbyBartlesville, OK
Wed, September 20, 2006
We are excited for you! Wish we lived closer! We miss you and you will be in our prayers. You have a special family and we're so glad God has blessed you with 3!

Ling NeeleyTomball, TX
Wed, September 20, 2006
How awesome! I'm so happy for y'all. Lifegroup is just going to be one BIG happy family.

Leslie PiggClarksville, TN
Wed, September 20, 2006
You got me last night, sister! I am still completely conusmed with thoughts of your THREE...such surprises and such blessings!! As I've told you, I absolutely hate that I'm not in the Woodlands to be of more ''physical'' assistance but I will certainly be of ''prayerful'' assistance! Love to you guys...Leslie

Laura LightRolla, MO
Wed, September 20, 2006
WOW!!!!! That's incredible!!! We'll be praying for healthy babies and healthy mommy! I guess this means it will be a while before we get to see you.. :-( Love you guys! Laura, Kenny and girls P.S. Lucky girl--you'll catch up to us and only have to suffer through pregnancy twice instead of 4 times! LOL!

Sharon BaconRockwall, Texas
Wed, September 20, 2006
WOW! What a shock! We love you! You family just received three more of God's greatest gifts! Caden is going to have fun with all of his new playmates (brothers/sisters)!!! We are going to have fun too! Greg and Misty you are both so special!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW

Carolyn Wesley
Wed, September 20, 2006
Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! All our love and prayers, Carolyn, Bryan and Alyssa

Micah EnsorLos Angeles, CA
Wed, September 20, 2006
OH SNAP!!!! What are they putting in the water out there? Congratulations!!!

Triplets Fourth Week in NICU (March 17-23)

Mommy and Daddy are bonding with the girls more each day and it is becoming more difficult to leave them at the hospital. They are so sweet and seem to be happy and comfortable. Every day we see new parents with all their balloons and flowers and the mother holding their baby as they leave the hospital to go home. We anticipate the day we can all be home as a family. Mommy is going to the hospital four times a day and Daddy will help feed the girls usually during lunch and in the evenings after work.
Over the weekend, the girls met their Uncle John and Aunt Amy and cousins Scarlett, Mitchell, Nicholas and Savannah. John held Addison for awhile and put his finger out to her tiny foot to measure it from his knuckle to fingertip and couldn't believe how beautiful and little all the girls were. Aunt Amy couldn't hold the girls because she had just had a polio vaccine since she is going to Kenya soon, but Amy and the kids got to see the babies via the window. Caden had so much fun playing with his cousins over the weekend. We thought John and Amy were crazy for having four kids and we always knew we would only have two (maybe three) children. God sure must think it's funny now that we have four kids too! Grandma and Paw Paw (Misty's parents) never imagined they would have eight grandchildren.
This week their feedings were increased to four times a day of breastfeeding or bottle feeding (the other four by tube). They are all gaining weight each day. On Monday Addison tipped the scale to 4lb. even, Emery weighed 4 lb. 6 oz., and Harper was 3 lb. 13 oz. On Wednesday Addison weighed 4 lb. 2 oz. and the other girls both gained in grams. Thursday Addison and Harper stayed the same and Emery went up to 4 lb. 7 oz. The girls were doing so well with breastfeeding/bottle feeding four times a day that the doctor increased it to six feedings on Thursday. Another decision the doctor made was to take Addison and Emery off the caffeine. beginning Friday. Harper never needed any - our spunky littlest girl!
The girls are now one month old~ we can hardly believe they have been in the hospital this long. Time sure does fly by quickly....
Friday morning the girls had ultrasounds on their heads again. We were most worried about Addison since they had found a small bleed in her brain on the previous ultrasound. We have been praying that she would be okay and our prayers were answered! They didn't see any bleeding on any of our girls and they all look great. We are so thankful that they are doing so well and are amazingly healthy for being born so early. The nurses have told us they expect us to bring them home early next week! YIKES....now the real fun can begin!

Triplets Third Week in NICU (March 10-16)

Mommy and Daddy have noticed that we are getting much more comfortable with the girls as we are now picking them up ourselves from their beds and placing them back. The first two weeks, we mostly relied on the nurses to pick the girls up and place them in our waiting arms.
We are now used to seeing the girls wearing clothes rather than only diapers and normally bring clean clothes each day and bring their dirty clothes home to wash. Since the girls are still in an isolette which regulates the air temperature around them, the outfits we have been putting the girls in have been onesies that do not cover the girls' legs.
The nurses told us that most premie babies will only like the pacifiers that the hospitals use. . .ones that cannot be purchased anywhere. This didn't make Mommy and Daddy very happy since (1) we wouldn't be able to by these pacifiers anywhere and (2) because we already purchased personalized MAM pacifiers for each girl with their names. So on Saturday, we found two nano MAM pacifiers for premie babies and took them up to the girls to introduce them beofre they are no longer impressionable. We gave one to Emery who seemed to enjoy the new pacifier. We will try to give Addison or Harper the other on Sunday and go buy a third nano MAM pacifier for the other.
On Saturday, we learned that the girls' have each gained five ounces since their birth as Addison was 3 lbs. 9 oz, Emery was 3 lbs. 14 oz, and Harper was 3lbs. 6 oz.
To date, the girls have been getting feed solely throught their feeding tube. The doctor wanted the girls to try to begin to nurse once a day. This went on for a few days until Wednesday when the girls were moved up to two feedings a day. We were told that the girls would not be able to come home until they eat eight feedings in a twenty-four hour period.
On Monday, the girls were moved from the more critical NICU area to a less critical area. The nurses said that our girls didn't need as much attention as some other patients and needed the extra room for others.
On Tuesday, the girls were moved from their isolette to an open-air crib. As previously stated, the isolette would regulate the air temperature around the girls at a temperature of about 82 degrees. In an open-air crib, the girls will have to regulate their own body temperatures in a room about 72 degrees. This will cause the girls to burn more calories and possibly lose more weight. We started dressing the girls in warmer clothes and began wrapping them up in blankets to help them stay warm. We also moved Harper to the middle of the girls to help her stay warm as she is still the smallest.
On Wednesday, the girls' feedings were increased to two times a day. Since they did so well on this schedule, their feedings were increased to three times a day on Thursday. This meant that the girls were ready for their first bottle feeding. Since Mommy nurses two at a time, Daddy is able to bottle-feed one of the girls at each feeding.
On Thursday night, Addison weighed 3 lb 13 oz, Emery weighed 4 lb 3 oz, and Harper weighed 3 lb 10 oz.

Triplets Second Week in NICU

On Saturday, Mar. 3, Harper's IV needed to be replaced but after four attempts, the nurses could not replace the IV so Harper's feeding was increased to 20 ML to compensate. The nurses were not very concerned as the girls' IV were expected to be removed by Monday anyway. Addison's feeding was at 18 ML and Emery's was at 20 ML.
On Sunday, March 4, it was Addison's turn to give us a scare and she stopped breathing and her nurse had to breath for her using CPR. We are thankful for the NICU nurses and doctors watching over our girls and saving their lives. They moved Addison to her own isolette so they can get to her easier if there is another emergency. She is being given a little caffeine and 2 liters of room air through a cannula in her nose to stimulate her breathing. Emery and Harper are both off their IV, but Addison's is still in her head.
On Tuesday, March 6 they took out the IV in Addison's head, took out the cannula, and decreased the amount of caffeine since she is doing so well. All three girls are just above their birth weight. Addison is 3 lb. 5 oz., Emery is 3 lb. 10 oz. and Harper is 3 lb. 2 oz. When we went to hold them after dinner they were all together in one isolette again and wearing their first clothes!
On Wednesday the doctors gave the okay to try and start nursing once a day although they may not be ready yet. By Friday, March 9 the girls all continued to gain weight with Addison at 3lb. 7 oz., Emery 3 lb. 13 oz. and Harper 3 lb. 4 oz.

The Triplets First Week

The triplets are now one week old. The last week has been very educational as we watch our girls take small incremental steps that get them closer and closer to coming home.
After their birth, each baby was placed in their own bed that had a heat lamp with a wire that was taped on the babies' skin to monitor their temperature. The lamp would adjust its temperature to keep the babies warm so that they were not burning calories to stay warm.
When Caden first saw his sisters, he said he wanted to touch them. We said that would have to wait a little while. Caden then saw Emery and, while almost laughing, said, "I want to tickle her."
The girls were given IV's to provide them with fluids. Initially, the girls were only given saline solution. By Saturday, the saline solution was replaced with a TPN solution (multi-vitamins) and lipids (fats).
While Emery never required any breathing assistance, Addison and Harper were on a small amount of oxygen for about one or two hours after birth (41 percent at 2 liters per minute). The airflow to Addison and Harper continued, but the oxygen percentage was reduced to the amount that we all breathe in a normal environment (21 percent). The airflow kept Addison and Harper's lungs inflated so that they didn't have to work hard to breathe.
On Saturday, the girls' also began to receive their first feedings through a feeding tube. Initially, Addison and Emery were given 4 ML each feeding (every 3 hours) and Harper was given 3 ML each feeding. As the quantity of the feedings increases, the quantity of the IV fluids will be reduced until eventually the girls will no longer require IV's. Mommy and Daddy are looking forward to this accomplishment as the IV's are frequently moved which requires the girls' to be stuck (not a happy event for anybody involved). The IV's have been in various locations including the hand, arm, foot and head (everybody's least favorite).
On Sunday morning, Mommy and Daddy enjoyed holding the girls for the first time. What a feeling! When we hold the girls, we are able to hold them skin-to-skin (called Kangaroo Care). Mommy and Daddy sit in a chair and the nurse places one of the girls on each of our chests. At first, Daddy could feel the heat of Addison's body on his chest but after several minutes noticed that Addison's body temperature was the same as Daddy's. After another 30 minutes, Daddy commented that Addison felt cold on his chest. The nurse informed us that this was Daddy's body cooling off to regulate Addison's temperature. How amazing!
For babies born at a gestational age of 32 weeks or less, an ultrasound is performed on their brains to check on an internal bleeding. While Emery and Harper's results were fine, Addison's results showed that she has a small amount of bleeding on the right side of her brain. We were told that this is common and most often heals itself within 30 days of birth. The nurses did not seem to be too concerned as they are not going to retest until right before Addison is discharged.
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, Addison weighed 2 lb. 15.6 oz, Emery weighed 3 lb 4.6 oz, and Harper weighed 2 lb. 12.3 oz.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, Addison and Harper's feedings increased to 7 ML and Emery's feedings increased to 8 ML. On Friday, Mar. 2, the feedings doubled to 14 ML for Addison and Harper and to 16 ML for Emery.

The Triplets Have Arrived

On Friday, February 23, 2007, the Mathews triplets arrived. We went to Misty's doctor on Thursday and decided to give Misty her steroid shots for the babies' lung develop in case they decided to make an appearance. After the first steroid shot, a second needs to be given within 24 hours. So Misty received her first shot on Thursday morning and received her second on Friday morning.
Since Misty was having a lot of contractions from the time she woke up on Friday morning, her doctor decided to admit her to the hospital to monitor her contractions. Misty was not dialated significantly on Thursday morning, but was 3 cm on Friday morning.
It should be noted that Greg had been to every single doctor's appointment prior to the Friday morning. Caden had a dentist appointment on Friday and since Misty was just going in to get her second steroid shot, we decided that Greg would take Caden and Misty would go alone. Misty believed that she would be going home on Friday and that the contractions could be stopped. Greg called Misty after the dentist appointment and said he would be on his way, but Misty said that Greg should take Caden to lunch with Gran and Pop, can go home to get the camera just in case and then could come to the hospital.
During lunch, Misty called and said that the nurses didn't expect the contractions to stop and that she should expect to meet her girls today. Misty passed this information on to Greg and still believed that the process was still multiple hours away. Greg was again instructed to go home and get the camera. After finding the camera (but not new batteries), Greg started driving to the hospital which is about 15 minutes away from our home.
Misty called about 5-10 minutes later and asked how much longer it would take to arrive and said that she had told the nurses that it would be about 15 minutes. Greg asked why the 15 minutes was important and Misty said that the C-Section would begin when Greg arrived. Yikes! Greg learned that you can drive 70 mph on Woodlands Parkway safely (typically 45 mph).
Upon arrival, the nurses gave Greg some scrubs to dress in and were in the process of moving Misty's bed to the operating room. While Misty was getting her spinal injection, the nurses showed Greg the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) beds that the babies would be placed in upon arrival. Two babies would be placed next to each other, but the third would have to be across the hallway due to the arrangement at the time.
The nurses invited Greg to join Misty in the operating room, where her C-Section was just beginning. Greg sat down by Misty's head and started taking pictures. Since new batteries weren't found, the camera instructed us that no more pictures could be taken (babies are still inside Misty). We had a backup plan for just such a contingency and pulled out our disposable camera. But we wouldn't be able to take any videos. Just then, a nurse came in the operating room and handed Greg a DVD-camcorder. What a coincidence! We noted that it looked just like Gran and Pop's camcorder but we did not know how to use it. We had about 5 seconds to learn and right when it said, "Recording," the first baby was arriving.
Addison Hope Mathews was born at 1:00 PM, weighed 3 lb 4 oz and was 15 3/4 inches long. She was taken to a little bed and showed us that she already knew how to cry. We were impressed with her volume. She had an APGAR score of 6/9.
Very soon after, the second baby was arriving and Misty told Greg to record her arrival. Greg turned to film and didn't see the second baby and noticed that she had already been taken to the bed next to her sister.
Emery Grace Mathews was born at 1:01 PM, weighed 3 lb 9 oz and was also 15 3/4 inches long. From the beginning, Emery seemed very comfortable with the whole environment. She had an APGAR score of 7/9.
Greg didn't want to miss the arrival of the third baby and panned the camera back to Misty just in time to record the arrival of the final triplet.
Harper Faith Mathews was born at 1:01 PM, weighed 3 lb 1 oz and was our tallest at 16 1/2 inches long. She was very skinney just like her big brother Caden. She had an APGAR score of 7/8.
The girls were taken to the NICU and Greg quickly followed. Addison and Emery were next to each other and Harper was in the room across the hallway.
More to come. . .Misty and Greg are going to see the girls again!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

We can hardly believe it is 32 weeks today and we are thrilled! We expect to deliver the babies in the next couple of weeks- any day now but we find out the results of the fetal fibernectin test tomorrow. Addison weighs 3 pounds 13 oz., Emery weighs 3 pounds 12 oz., and Harper weighs 3 pounds 6 oz. Harper was the most active today and we saw her knees moving back and forth. All three of their heads are near eachother in the middle. I got a steroid injection today and will get another one tomorrow that will help develop the babies lungs faster. Our doctor is very positive that we've made it this far without any trips to the hospital or without too many complications. Now we are just waiting for either my water to break or for the terbutaline pump (this needle with a tube that goes in my leg and stops contractions) to stop working. We look forward to some exciting times in the Mathews family!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls

We FINALLY decided on first names for the girls. Baby A is Addison, baby B is Emery and baby C is Harper. We are still working on middle names. The color PINK is slowly entering our home more each day as we attempt to finish the nursery. It is pretty amazing looking at three cribs in one room and trying to imagine what it will be like when we bring them home.
Today we had our 26 week doctor appointment and the girls look beautiful and healthy. We have two good 3D pictures of Addison and Emery, but Harper had her leg in front of her face doing a pike move so she didn't want her picture taken today. All three girls were actually in the pike position at some time during the ultrasound. Addison and Emery are both in the breech position and Harper is in the oblong transverse position. I had a fetal fibronectin test today which will indicate a possible risk of preterm labor within the next two weeks. I'll start home monitoring Monday. The doctor said we need to keep the girls in there at least four more weeks to have healthy babies without too much worry. Our goal right now is to make it 34 weeks, so we will have less time in the NICU. We are so touched by your prayers for our sweet girls and growing family.