INSTANT FAMILY--- Doubling Day, and Catchin Up Over the Last Two Weeks!

December 10, 2013 started out like our "normal" day of laying around "incubating" and feeling EXTRA large.  I had a dr. appointment at 3:30 and he told us to bring our bags again just in case.  For some reason that morning I decided to take some more belly pictures, and man am I glad I did...cause it was the last day for the belly...

Tigh went into work that day, and my dad drove me downtown.  Tigh and I were both prepared to spend a week in the hospital as our scheduled c-section was a week away.  My dad pulled up to the curb to drop me off and when I got out of the car and stood up, something was just different--- the REAL WADDLE started....It was beyond painful to move or walk.  We made it up to the dr. office and after going through the normal steps of our appointment we learned that my blood pressure was elevated, I was having contractions about 3 minutes apart (which was normal for the past week), and I had a horrible PUPPS rash (pregnancy related rash) that was spreading all over my body and could potentially be dangerous to the babies.  The dr. looked at us and said "You're ready.....What do you think about tonight?" I looked over at Tigh with the biggest, happiest, worried, excited, scared to death face and said "YES, let's do this!"  The dr. wanted to make sure things moved quickly because of all the factors that were in play and so he suggested we deliver at the hospital right next to his office to move things along and to make sure that we could actually deliver that night, versus going to the hospital we had originally registered at.  By this time it was 5 o'clock... They told us to head across the street and they would prep me and he would meet us over there.  As Tigh and I walked out of his office I am sure we both looked like deer in the headlights.... we just kept saying to each other, "Are you ready for this? No, are you ready for this?"

We immediately called our family to let them know the girls would be delivered that night, and Tigh and I walked into the hospital.  But within 45 minutes I was prepped and ready to go, and no family had enough time to make it to the hospital.  Tigh and I were actually thankful it played out the way it did because it allowed us some time to just sit quietly in the room for about 10 minutes before going into the OR....Tigh was able to capture a few pictures before the c-section... are you ready for it..... HERE IS THE FINAL BELLY PICTURE IN ALL IT'S GLORY!!!!! (I was ready y'all...That belly was REALLY starting to hurt, and I couldn't wait to see these girls!!!) I look at this picture and still can't believe it, it really does look like a beach ball.

I was wheeled into the delivery room and after some more prep, within 5 minutes the operating room was filled with 13-15 people racing around getting all things in order, and we began.  They explained to me that I would feel a LOT of pressure on my chest and it wouldn't last long.  They were right, there was a TON of pressure and then the sweetest relief, it felt like the weight of the world was being lifted off me and I could BREATHE!!!!!! It happened two more times as they pulled out the other two girls.  They immediately took them to the NICU and Tigh followed along, with them.  As I was getting closed up they brought the girls back in to see me.... I was BEYOND shocked!!!! They were swaddled, and not hooked up to any machines!!!!! I didn't think it was real-- I just kept asking the nurses, are they ok? are they breathing?  I have seen so many pictures of triplets being born and having to be immediately hooked up to oxygen and other machines, I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that these babies were in the room with me, and they were letting me hold them.

SO here you have it--- our first picture with all 3 girls! Welcome to our world....

Adelyn Mae- 4.12lbs. Born at 7:27 pm

Emory Rose- 4.8lbs. Born at 7:29 pm

Maisy Beth- 4.12lbs. Born at 7:30 pm 

As I sit here and write this blog it has been over TWO WEEKS since the girls were born.  We are beyond exhausted balancing being with Gray for half the day, and then beating it downtown to spend as much time with all 3 girls as possible.  Evenings and night time are filled with pumping and trying to catch 3 hours of sleep at a time.  Tigh and I both know this is temporary so we are just trying to push through.  We are in utter shock and amazement that this is our life and that we now have four kids.  I still don't think we both fully believe it. ha!

Over this past week, although my brain doesn't have much time for thinking, or if I do try to think I have a hard time concluding a complete thought-- hahahaha but I am just  BLOWN away with what God has done for our family.  We feel so beyond blessed, and there are just no words that we can formulate to express how full our hearts are and how thankful we are to have these four healthy children.  

These last two weeks feel like an ETERNITY not having the girls home, but it also feels like a complete blur to think that they are already 1/2 a month old!!!! Here are a few pictures to sum up what the last couple of weeks have looked like with them.  

This was BY FAR my most FAVORITE DAY YET with these girls! I got to spend the afternoon holding all 3.  To look down and see them all snuggled up on me and staring up at me was the most surreal moment of my life.  I can't believe God has given us these girls to share and enjoy life with.  

Here is Tigh, changing his first "Daughter Diaper" hahaha Gosh I love that man! He is SUCH an amazing Dad! 

When Gray came up to the hospital he LOVED investigating all the things in the room and pushing buttons.  We may have a little Dr. Holmstrom on our hands. 

Gray's Face says it all in this picture.  This was the day he got to see the girls out of their isolette beds for the first time.  I can't IMAGINE what was going through his mind as I said, "This is your sister, and this is your sister, and this is your sister...." 

Sweetest moment of Gray giving Adelyn her first BIG Brother kiss.  

And finally-- Our first family photo! All 6 of us on Christmas.  It was a hard day for me as I felt like I was getting sick and could only hold them for this quick picture and then needed to leave.  Today I am home resting hoping that this chest cold I have passes quickly so I can hold my baby's soon.  My heart is breaking thinking of them being down there without their mom today, but Tigh is with them and getting some good Daddy Daughter time in.  

Currently they are all in open cribs! They are taking most feeds from a bottle, but occasionally they still need to have some of their feeds administered through their feeding tubes if they are too tired to eat.  Adelyn keeps having some apnea and brady episodes-- it is where she will stop breathing and her heart rate decreases.  We have been told this is totally normal for their gestational age and she will grow out of it as she matures.  We are not sure exactly how long it will be before they are home, but we do know we are getting closer.  One of the nurses last night mentioned possibly a week away???  However, every time Adelyn has a Brady or Apnea it sets her back for 5 days. :(  So they may be coming home at separate times. Hoping and praying my little girl can stop having those soon! We are ready to have them ALL HOME, so the Picadilly Circus can REALLY begin!!! 

Many Blessings and Love to all our family and friends this holiday season-- from a very tired, but overly joyful Holmstrom Clan! 

Impromptu Hot Hospital Date Night

Last night Tigh and I got a date "night" for the first time in months--- an emergency visit to the hospital!!! I woke up yesterday morning at 4am and had contractions every 10 minutes for about 4 hours.  They weren't painful so I just tried to push it out of my head and continued to lay down.  The evening rolled around and they started back up again, but this time they were more intense and felt similar to when I was going into labor with Gray and they were about 5 minutes apart. I called the Dr. and they said go to the hospital to get evaluated immediately.  Tigh loaded up the car and we headed downtown.  By the time we got there my contractions were about 3 minutes apart, and I was glad we made the decision to go! They did some monitoring of the girls heart rates through the contractions (which took FOREVER for them to find their heartbeats because I was starving and so were the girls, so they would NOT stop moving,Baby B was especially difficult-- hopefully that's not any indication of personalities to come:) . They gave me a shot of Terbutaline to relax my uterus, and then they did a Fetal Fibronectrin Test, which help determines if preterm labor may take place in the near future-- great news it came back NEGATIVE!!!!! So thankful for that! The shot eventually helped to calm things down and we were later sent on our way.  

By this time it was 10:45 and we both hadn't eaten dinner and were starving! The only thing open was fast food which I haven't really eaten since college! haha off to Whataburger drive-thru we went with all the drunken college students! 

So there you have it.....our first evening out alone together in quite some time. We enjoyed a peaceful car ride home, and laughing about how this is all just part of the story! 

Hoping and praying we can hold out just 9 MORE DAYS, with no scares and NO HOSPITALS until we are ready to deliver!    

Cause Sometimes You Need Candy Canes and Crying..... And a Response to HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?

Good days, bad days..... a little dose of my reality lately.  Feeling ready to conquer the remainder of this pregnancy to feeling so frustrated in my current state and beyond ready to get the show on the road! 

Yesterday was a GREAT day.... we went to the dr. with our hospital bags in tow, ready for him to say the word that we needed to be admitted.  But thankfully I was sent home for another week! I really am thankful for this, because that just gives these girls more time to develop.  Even though in my head I was prepared for things to start happening, and slightly excited about that possibility.  They are measuring 4.7lbs this week at 32 weeks! The dr. was very pleased, and so were we.  Here is my good day picture yesterday---- yet again in shock that God has seen us through this far!  

Today is a not so great day... just woke up feeling so stagnant, defeated, and super achy.   Gray has also really caught on to the fact that I can't do much for him, or catch him when he is being disobedient so some defiance has set in as well as wanting "Daddy" and my mom "Chachi" instead of me at all times.  It just breaks my heart! I know our relationship will be restored, but I also know that it will come with new challenges as I will also have 3 other little ones needing my attention as well.  So today as a family friend took Gray to play, I have resorted to laying in our bed shedding a few tears and indulging in some candy canes that a friend of mine's little daughter gave to us last night in a care package. Yes crying and eating candy canes you read that correctly.  Don't worry, no one needs to intervene just yet.... I'm a mess today, but thats ok I know some days are just going to be like that.  I'll snap out of it soon!  

On another note at the Dr. yesterday I got the question again of "Are you having twins?" (because of the size of my stomach) I usually respond with "No, triplets." (smile and try to walk away quickly). Yesterday we were sitting in the waiting room across from a woman so I couldn't walk away (DARN!) Her jaw dropped and she looked at me and said what most say...."HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT?"   Tigh was with me and he hasn't experienced this question as much as I have so it was funny to see his response and his willingness to have a conversation with this woman. So I let him take over and answer this one.  However this is about the 4,000X that question has come into play and I need to remind myself that in the beginning of finding out we were having triplets I asked myself that same question over and over.  I have since had time to process it and here is my conclusion to all who are wondering "HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?".......  

We are just going to do it, (just like every other family out there who adds a 2nd or a 3rd or a 4th child, you do it and you make it work.)  We are going to embrace every moment that we can! We are not going to say that this is our last time ever having kids (cause Lord knows how this went down in "our planning" of only having one child, and he decided to give us 3 ....) but we are MOST CERTAINLY NOT PLANNING on having anymore kids! Therefore we will cherish these first few hectic months of what I'm sure will be complete and utter chaos and sleepless nights, knowing that they will flee quickly and we won't experience the infant stage in this way again. We are going to continue to do life and do it with our children in tow. (This may mean people don't want to be around us because we may have 4 screaming kids at once, and we are ok with that.) We will rely on God daily to be our strength and our provider for each of our needs... sometimes the finances behind this whole thing can be beyond scary and we really don't know how it will all add up, but we trust that he will take care of us.   It's not going to be easy or clean or enjoyable at all times, I understand that, but we will take it a day at a time sometimes an hour at a time if we need to, and we will do our very best to cherish every minute along the way, because these are the cards we have been handed and we couldn't feel more blessed to be responsible for these 4 children, and that we get the privilege to share life with each one of them! 

And ok let's be honest, during the kid's moments of intense screaming and crying sessions that I am sure will take place.....we may need some noise canceling headphones, and this momma will need a glass of wine at the end of those kinds of days. :) That is how we are going to do this.....