Projectile Poop'ing

The days are getting longer for Geeta at the hospital as she is starting a more rigorous feeding schedule. Soon, she will be spending 14 hours a day at the hospital with set times for feeding, diaper changes, skin to skin time, and pumping - it will definitely be a challenge for her to keep up but for those of you that know Geeta well you know how organized and timely she is....and of course you know she is doing it with enthusiasm and a big smile on her face. She was definately meant to be a mum of triplets - no doubt about it and I don't how she does it.

Daddy has been getting a bit of break lately trying to finish off a few other tasks before work starts up again. Work starts on Monday for me and I'm not looking forward to all the long hours starting up again! The last two weeks have been a great opportunity for me to spend time with the kids and to get a little time to recuperate - I didn't realize how burnt out I was. Unfortunately, with work starting up and with additional baby duties on the horizon my frequency in posting blogs will diminish to perhaps once weekly but I will do my best to document their progress.

What's new with the kids?

Well, some friends of ours (who recently had twins) told us that we would learn all about 'projectile poop'ing' in good time. We didn't really understand what that was until the last couple of days!...in essence it's pretty nasty stuff that comes out at the wrong time during a diaper change in a projectile fashion ;) The funny part is that it always seems to happen to Geeta when she is changing diapers..she always tends to get pee'd or poo'd on - LOL! Daddy is running a clean record so far (maybe because I change them less often :) ).

In other news, Kailen passed his hearing test today - woohoo!

Some recent videos and pics:

Ariya

Jaiden

Some of Kailen

Some Videos of Jaiden and Kailen - I didn't get a chance to take any of Ariya yesterday (yes - I'm feeling guilty for not being fair)

Happy two week birthday!

It's hard to believe how fast the last two weeks have passed! We've seen a lot of progress over the last 14 days and are so blessed to have three healthy babies that continue to grow by the day. All three babies are doing well. We were a bit concerned with Ariya over the last few days, so Geeta has been doing more skin to skin and breastfeeding with her. That seemed to work wonders for Jaiden and we are starting to see the same results with our little girl - she gained about 70g overnight which is a really good weight gain. It's amazing what more one on one time with mommy can do for a child; truly nature working its magic!

All three babies have now surpassed their birth weight with Kailen measuring about 4.5 lbs, Ariya and Jaiden at about 4 lbs. Below are some recent pics from a couple days ago - perhaps you can notice some of the weight gain on their faces?

Geeta spent all day at the hospital today while I worked to finish off our taxes. I know that once work starts up again and once the kids come home it will be very difficult to get stuff like taxes done.

Kailen sleeping on his belly

Jaiden sleeping on his belly

Ariya sleeping with her hand on her face just like she used to do during the ultrasounds

Kailen getting some one on one with mommy

Two brothers side by side (from last week)

Ariya dancing in her sleep (from a couple of days ago)

Day 12...

Today was a short visit to the hospital - Geeta and I visited the little ones for a short while in the morning and then we decided to take a little bit of a break to catch up on a few things. Mommy caught up on some well-deserved sleep and got a few errands out of the way, while daddy got in a little exercise after a really long time (i went skating and slapped a few pucks for the first time this year!! ...I felt inspired by Team Canada's Double Gold in Men's/Women's Hockey!!). We also worked on registering the little ones' birth certificates, SIN cards, applying for child tax benefits, researching their RESPs, and getting a head start on our 2009 taxes...yes -all the fun stuff you get to do when you have kids. The nice part of the day was that we went to see Avatar in IMAX 3D - was amazing! Now Geeta knows why I want to be a 'blue man'. We are both really missing our little guys and gal and will be back first thing tomorrow morning to see them.

Some great news from today's visit to the hospital - Kailen is out of his isolate and into a cot (i.e. he is out of his box or cage as we like to call it, and into a miniature crib). Way to go Kailen! Now we are waiting for Jaiden and Ariya to follow suit.

Picture Below: Kailen in his cot dressed very warmly to help him get used to the 'colder' room temperature (relative to his isolate)

Day 11...

I thought I'd write this one from the hospital - Geeta and I have been here since the morning and 3pm is usually a good break time between their feeding and change schedules. We definitely have a good grasp on their schedules now and I think we have a decent feel of what life will be like when we get home. In essence everything needs to work like clockworks and any deviation to the schedule can throw a real curve ball into a pleasant day in parenthood.

As much as it has been tough to wait for our little ones to come home, it has also allowed us both to spend some quality time with them. I'm lucky enough to have another week off and I'm really looking forward to spending as much time as I can with them.

After 11 days in the NICU, things have become more and more familiar to us. We are at a point where we understand the babies' schedule and don't have to ask the nurses whether it's okay to hold and cuddle our kids. We have also gotten used to the sights and sounds of all the other little ones: behind Jaiden is a little baby that reminds of 'cookie monster' and on the other far side of the room is the 'pavorotti' baby; a baby that sounds like he is singing the opera on a mic when he cries. Our little ones don't cry a lot yet, but sure like to sleep a lot.

In terms of how everyone is doing - mommy continues to heal up but is still in a bit of pain. Jaiden is on a growth spurt while Kailen has been growing slow and steadily. We've been a bit more concerned about Ariya lately; her weight gain has been slower and she continues to have the occasional 'spell'. The doctor has put her on some caffeine to help counter the 'spells' and we are hopeful they will subside, nevertheless mommy and daddy are a bit worried. Apparently, the brain development in weeks 35 and 36 are helpful in regulating the body's operations and hopefully a little time and development will solve the issue.

Kailen

Jaiden

Ariya
Thia Ji (Uncle in hindi) --> Uncle Sumit (Sacha's Brother)

Day 8: Reunited and it Feels so Good!

Yesterday was a fantastic day - our little babies were reunited for a few minutes after spending the last seven days apart in their isolates. It was so cute to see them together and it was such a cool moment for mommy and daddy. The little ones seemed pretty comfortable together, which probably makes a lot of sense since they spent the last seven months squished together in mom's tummy. We can't wait to bring them home!!

The babies are doing well - Jaiden (our little feisty guy) is the first to surpass his birth weight. The other two are very close to doing the same. Ok - We're off to see them...

Kailen (left), Jaiden (centre), Ariya (right)

Happy One Week Birthday!

Jaiden, Ariya, and Kailen are one week old today - amazing how quickly time is passing and I'm so happy to have these two weeks off to spend some quality time with the little ones before work starts up again ;(

Everyone is doing great - the kids are gaining weight and are keeping healthy. We were a bit concerned a couple of days back when both Ariya and Kailen had a 'spell' overnight. A 'spell' occurs when the heart rate drops really low and they stop breathing momentarily; apparently this happens with premature kids occasionally and is nothing to be concerned with as long as it doesn't happen repeatedly. Needless to say, it is scary for us as parents and it's a friendly reminder of how fragile they are. Today, we attended a lunch time course on some tips for getting through those first few months at home. One of the most important things for us to do will be to limit our visitors at home for the first few months to prevent any unnecessary infections. The kids are at a high risk of developing lung-related infections due to their prematurity and we'll have to be very careful.

Today, the kids all received their RSV vaccine - watching our little babies get their first big needle wasn't fun but is necessary. Kailen really shrieked when they stuck the needle in, while Jaiden cried for just a split second. The nurses rewarded the babies with a bit of sugar, which they loved! On a side note, both Mommy and Daddy are getting pretty good at the diaper changes - although we haven't really had any nasty's yet! Daddy will be sure to take cover when that happens :)

Geeta, Nani (Grandma in Hindi - Geeta's mom), and I spend the day today at the hospital cuddling them. We had to really rush this morning to make the morning feed. Geeta had been pumping and storing milk for their feeds to meet their feeding schedule. One of the nurses in the NICU calls Geeta, 'Betsy', as in 'Betsy the milk giving cow' - LOL! (sorry Geeta) I was telling Geeta that it would be funny if she showed up with a bell around her neck.

Jaiden wearing his little hat that's way too big!

Kailen doing what he loves best!
Another one of Kailen
Nanni feeding Ariya Bella

Ariya

Daddy cuddling Jaiden

Baby Baby Baby - Light My Way

A reflection on Geeta pregnancy and the first week in the lives of Kailen, Ariya, and Jaiden.

Enjoy...