Flashback Friday~our identical boys

Here is a special Flashback! 

I haven't posted one in awhile...this doesn't mean that we don't have them.  

Everyday I think of just how tiny our three once were.    

Carlos and Marcos are identical twins, they shared a placenta, while Ms. Sofie had her very own and an individual sac.

Sharing a placenta put them at a very high risk for Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.

Very early in the pregnancy, I underwent a procedure called Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) to rule out chromosomal abnormalities.  At the time, ultrasounds showed a concern for Baby B's (Marcos) bladder, it was enlarged.  We were so worried at the time and had no idea that the test will also confirm their sex.

I remember being asked on the phone if I wanted to know their sex and of course I said yes!

...my first thought? What will I do if there is three boys?!

So here they are...

First of many pics together...

The pics were taken by a special someone who wanted to make mama smile once she got home from the NICU.

What do I see in these pictures?
The NG-tube...Carlos's (left) thru his mouth and Marcos's thru his nose.
This allowed them to drink mama's milk every 3 hours.  Carlitos was our sickest of the three and was on TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) the longest.  He took what seemed forever to work his way up to full feeds. He patiently waited to receive breast milk, nurse and drink from a bottle. Perhaps that is why our identical boys have always had a weight difference.

What else do I see? Nothing on their face!! Our wonderful nurses were allowing them a little break from oxygen support.  This photo shoot took about 20 seconds and required a team of four, including RT (respiratory therapist)
And they are wearing clothes! A huge NICU milestone...

The pictures were taken on July 22, 2011.

They came home about a month later.

Happy Friday!
And Happy 10 years to us!
TEN years ago I married the most wonderful man, husband and father.
We just wanted one more...
and God blessed us with three and after getting through a high risk pregnancy, an almost 3 1/2 month NICU stay, sleep deprivation and exhaustion, we are stronger than ever!

August 17, 2011~Flashback Friday

Here is Marcos last year. 

August 17, 2011

The trio is 15 months actual age today.

 He was the first one to be tubeless, no nasal canula, no feeding tube.  I remember I couldn't wait until everything came off.  All of this meant we were getting so close to bringing them home.  And so I took a few pics of what my view was for months. 

Marcos's monitor satting at 96 with no assistance.  A glorious day.

After 24 hours the tape comes off.  And the 5 day countdown was on!

Daddy holding Marcos.

Not sure why I don't have any pics of Carlos on this day.  I will need to look back at my notes to see if he was already co-bedding with brother and sister.  I'm pretty sure he was.

Sofia was also getting close.  It became a race.  Here is a note I found one morning on Sofia's crib.  Nurse Nuna trying it out and challenging my girl. She did it! Her countdown began as well.

The bullet~Flashback Friday

Remember this?

This is how it all began...

Breast milk in a bullet

It's been almost 14 months of pumping.  When they were born, it was every 2 hours during the day, every 3 at night.  During the first 2 weeks, not once did I miss a pumping session.  I was one dedicated mama.  After that, I started sleeping through the alarm but during the day, I was a pumping queen.
  
One of the nice things about the NICU is having a super supportive staff.  Nurses that reminded me it was time, nurses that brought me food and snacks, no way could I have done this without them.  It's getting tougher and tougher with three mobile kiddos.  Yes, they are all over the place.  So this week I made the decision to only pump twice a day.  Lots of mixed emotions, I know its coming to an end soon...Around their birthday in May, I went down to three times a day.  I can no longer keep up with that, big sis and mostly the house and the laundry.  It will be a bitter sweet moment when that pump is put away.  Part of me will be doing cartwheels for sure.  My goal is their due date...August 28, 2012.


The trio is still on breast milk and formula.  I tried to make their foods with whole milk and it resulted in lots of spit up.  We are trying again in August.  Only about six more weeks until the anticipated due date.  I'll have to start thinking of how we will celebrate the big due date (adjusted birthday) and those homecoming dates! 
A little late...but hope you Friday the 13th was great.

Flashback Friday~PDA surgeries

June 24, 2011 was Day 38 in the NICU.

This was the day of the PDA surgery for Carlos and Sofia.

Marcos had to wait another week because he was getting over pneumonia.

About 10 days prior, Carlos was switched to the high frequency ventilator.  He was really sick.  A blood culture was taken to check for infections. Also, his x-rays began to show that his right lung was slightly elevated than his left.  Doctors were never really able to explain why or how this happened. The only explanation we got was that his right diaphragm did not function correctly.  Diaphragm paralysis.  It was something that we had to wait out and see if it resolved itself.  Luckily it did and a major surgery was avoided. Carlitos had the most difficulty getting off the ventilator. He failed extubation several times and was on the vent for about 8 weeks.  

Around the time of the surgery, Carlos was weighing around 910 grams while Sofia, my smallest, was 785 grams.  

The surgeons didn't want to operate when they were smaller.  

They were both receiving hydrocortisone to help treat their premature lungs.

Pictures from the morning of the surgery.  Scary times.  

Carlos getting prepped for surgery.

Praying with Sofia

Carlos

Post-op....Carlos

Sofia

Sofia meets Tita~Flashback Friday

~Flashback Friday~

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are visiting from AZ for the weekend.  

In Tita's honor, here are some pics of Tita holding Sofia for the first time.  

Pictures taken on July 14, 2011

I have recently found the little notebook that I took with me every morning to rounds.  

Things must have been looking up for Sofia because there are very little notes around this time.

On July 17, 2011, Sofia weighed 1310 grams or 2 lbs. 14 oz!!!!

This was huge, not bad for the ex-25 weeker.

She was getting 26 mls of breast milk every 3 hours.

And was on nasal canula, 2 liters, oxygen between 25-35%.....

Oh NICU memories!

Flashback Friday-Marcos

And how do I know its Marcos? Because I loved his tiny hat! One morning I came in and he had it on. One of his primary nurses put it on and he looked adorable. 

The hats are knitted by volunteers and it was the perfect size.

Picture taken 6.2.2011

16 days old

Flashback Friday~Sofia

This is Sofia on May 26, 2011.

She was the first out of the three to be extubated, 9 days after she was born.

 She was my smallest, weighing 1 lb 2.3 oz.
Everyone called her a rock star. 

If my memory is correct...she lasted about 3 days 2 1/2 weeks before the tube had to go back in.  

That was hard, oh those ups and downs of the NICU.

She was intubated for approximately 6 weeks. 

Once she had her PDA surgery, she didn't look back and her breathing progressed quickly.

Flashback Friday~Marcos

Daddy found a bunch of pictures of the trio I had never seen.  They are not the best quality because they were taken with his cel phone.

We still don't know which baby is in the picture for sure, we can only guess.

I think this is Marcos and only because of the isolette next to me and the hat he is wearing.

Oh sweet baby! How far you have come!

Taken May 25, 2011

Day 9



Special Feature

 Soon after starting this blog, I began to "meet" some pretty amazing families.  I feel as if I have formed my own little on line community who provides support, encouragement and inspiration. I love reading their blogs and learning about their journeys. How else would I get through each pumping session?

One of the blogs I follow is Life As We Know it With Two Twinkies and a Tot.

Her family was chosen to be the March of Dimes 2012 Ambassador Family for her county, such a great honor! You can read all about it here.

Every Tuesday this past month (and April), this blog has been featuring families that have been affected by prematurity.  

Last week, our family was featured and you can read about it here.

Flashback Friday~Bath time

Marcos, it's bath time!

 Daddy gave you a bath in the NICU for the first time on July 23, 2011.

Daddy was nervous because you were so little.  Good thing your primary nurse, Nuna, was there to help.

He did a great job!

Now you are much bigger and Mommy tries really hard to give you and your brother and sister a bath at least 3 x a week....

Flashback Friday-High Frequency Oscillation

I remember this as one of many bad days during our NICU stay.

The babies were almost 4 weeks old when both boys were not responding to high settings on a traditional ventilator. They had to be switched to high frequency oscillation vent.   Carlitos was first.  I was warned about how big and loud the equipment was.  

I was explained that he would look like he was vibrating.  I was told he could not be held while he was on it.  You could say that I was somewhat prepared; but, I think the switch was made sometime between my 5am call and my 9:30am arrival.  I walked in and my heart dropped. I saw it as a huge step backwards.  

Nurse Jackie explained it as a good thing, it would give him a break and cause less lung damage.  The high frequency ventilator would do all the work for him.  It can give small tidal volumes and extremely rapid ventilator rates.  

A couple of days later, Marcos made the switch.  He had caught pneumonia and was having lots of desats.  I remember they had mentioned it as a possibility but all of a sudden the switch was made.  I was holding Sofia when Marcos's alarms kept beeping.  When you are doing kangaroo care and it takes 2 or 3 nurses plus RT to hand you your baby, it's not like you can just put her back. So I quietly watched Marco's nurse advocate for him.  I sensed a bit of panic in her voice and even a bit of anger.  She wasn't going to wait any longer.  The doctor was called to get the okay and RT quickly moved.  Since this type of ventilator requires more space, Marcos had to be moved to a different side of the room.  My trio was no longer next to each other.

It happened so fast and with such urgency that Sofia's nurse reminded everyone that I was in the room.  I felt so helpless.  One of the nurses later apologized, not really sure for what.  An apology was not necessary at all.  They knew what was best and I was so thankful they cared for Marcos so well.  I can't really paint the picture of how things work in the NICU, how fast things happen.  But I guess you could say that there are some things the staff prefers a mother does not hear or witness. 

We were lucky.  We were blessed.  

In less than a week, the boys turned around and were back on traditional vents.  

This picture brings up so many feelings.

In our 102 NICU stay, I only saw one more baby on this type of vent.

A sweet baby girl who did not make it.

Kind of a downer post but it helps to deal with all these emotions.

I think I'll go kiss and cuddle my babies.

Flashback Friday

I found this the other day.  

Daddy never told me he filmed this until much later.

This was Day 3.

May 20, 2011.

The first time I saw it, it was hard to watch.

It took months for me not to be scared and relive those first few days of their lives.

Now, each time I see it, I'm completely amazed. 

I can't believe these are my chubby babies sleeping in the next room.

I am so thankful God has blessed us with the medical advances that made our babies thrive.  

World Prematurity Day

Today is World Prematurity Day, a wonderful day to celebrate the trio's half birthday.
Six months ago our lives were turned upside down...At merely 25 weeks gestation, our triplets were born.

Triplet A: Carlos Alberto weighed 1 lb, 4.1 oz

Triplet B:  Marcos Alberto weighed 1lb, 4.8 oz

Triplet C:  Sofia Maria weighed 1 lb, 2.3 oz

I quickly learned that my babies fell into a special category.  They were not just premature but were considered micro preemies; meaning they weighed less than 800 grams and born before 26 weeks gestation.

Today I am so blessed to have 3 healthy miracle babies home.

Will we ever forget?

Prematurity has touched our lives significantly.  I wonder if it will ever be a thing of the past.  I have become a bit obsessed reading information and blogs about premature babies.  As I write this, I struggle with the fact that my kiddos already have a label.  I sometimes think I should remove myself completely from the preemie world.  After all, the more I read and the more knowledge I gain, the more I anxiously await their future.  There has to be a balance. Some stories bring me fear while others give me hope. 

As a mom I will never forget the first time I laid my eyes on them.  Those first few hours of their lives, those first few days, those first few weeks will always be a part of me.  I have never felt so much uncertainty.  Not knowing what each day would bring is the worse feeling.

I will always remember what my babies looked like with tubes and IVs fighting to survive.  I wish beeping sounds would not remind me of their monitors and machines their lives were dependent on. I wish I could forget the days my babies turned "dusky" on me and the ups and downs of the NICU.

It just was not fair for my babies to come into the world so early and to experience such trauma.  I look at them now, and I am blessed.  They are doing so well.  I feel fortunate.  Our NICU experience included a long intubation for all three also knows as Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), or chronic lung disease, 3 PDA ligations, 3 lasic surgeries for ROP and 2 inguinal hernia repairs.  Now I know that all of this is quite common in the micro preemie world.   I also know not everyone is as fortunate as us.  I think of the baby girl in our room who did not make it.  I pray for that family and for everyone affected by premature births. 

The one thing this whole experience has taught me is not to question God's plan.  I pray every day for patience and strength to accept everything and anything He puts in front of us.

Below are some pictures of their first few days...

And here they are today:

Triplet A: Carlos Alberto weighs10 lbs 4 oz

Triplet B:  Marcos Alberto weighs 11 lbs 9 oz

Triplet C:  Sofia Maria weighs 10 lbs

I love you! You just keep on growing!

Our first evaluation

We had a physical therapist come out to evaluate the babies last week.
All three will qualify for the Early Start Infant Program through SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area). Our therapist will be coming to work with them once a week for at least six months.  The babies will definitely benefit from this;  and overall, it's a great thing.

So why was I an emotional mess?  It all came back to me.
They were born 15 weeks early.  I've known that they are going to have developmental delays.  But somehow I was reminded once again of their rough beginning to life.  Not that I will ever forget, but our entire NICU experience flashed in front of me.  They had to grow and develop outside the womb.
The way they looked the first few days.  Their skin was so fragile, we could not touch them without worrying if their skin would rub off or break.

The first month or so was extremely hard.  I never knew what each day would bring.  It was rare that all three of them would have a good day on the same day.  I would walk in and look at all their stats.  Their heart rate, saturation level, ventilator settings and ask for their blood gas numbers.  Their condition was critical.  They were very sick babies.  This was my life for over 3 months.

I look at them now, and they are perfect.  I can't believe how healthy they have been since we have been home.  I was wishing they were the exception.  They are starting to smile, and trying so hard to lift their little heads up. 

The therapist pointed out what milestones needed to be met.  All of their motor skills are a bit delayed.  She said even for their adjusted age (2 months) they were lagging a bit behind, which is to be expected.

I know this is not a bad thing.  I am grateful that they will get the help they need to thrive even more.  But having triplets brings little or no downtime that I sometimes forget how much further they have to go.  It will definitely be  a good thing to have someone else track their development because most of the time I can't remember what happened yesterday.

Five months ago

Five months ago, I was 25 weeks pregnant

Then my water broke

On May 17, 2011, you three came into the world

Scared out of our minds, we prayed and prayed for a miracle...

These are the first pictures that were taken of the trio.  

Unfortunately,we are not sure of who is who.

Triplet A: Carlos Alberto Sanchez, 1 lb 4.1 oz

Triplet B:  Marcos Alberto Sanchez, 1 lb 4.8 oz

Triplet C:  Sofia Maria Sanchez,  1 lb 2.3 oz

Happy Five Months to the three of you! And thank you for being the fighters that you are!