Arrived at the NICU today and by Sela's isolette there was what seemed to be a medium sized red hot water bottle. How cute, I thought, they are keeping her cozy. Hardly. Sela's hemoglobin levels had dropped and she needed a transfusion. Blood is so very dark red. We have no more information than that. The doctors do not seem overly concerned, which is a good sign. Much to my delight, Jasper was still sporting his nasal canula!!! 

Jasper graduates to nasal canula!

From Tess: In the excitement of holding Sela, we forgot to mention another Monday incident... Sela sucking her thumb! Her pacifier was being sterilized, and somehow she managed to pop her thumb into her mouth. At the nurses' shriek of horror I none too gently supervised the removal of the thumb only to notice a few minutes later Sela sucking on her ring finger. 

Tuesday was a huge day for the J-Man... Jasper was put on a nasal canula! He is enjoying the extra freedom the canula provides and catching up on sleep, too. Not sure how long he will be able to stay on the canula. 

Unlike the CPAP, which forces air into the nose, the canula only provides a regular flow of oxygen enriched air into the nose. This requires the babies to be motivated to inhale in order to receive. 

Charles and Tess have been praying specifically for Carys' Oxygen levels to be lowered, for days they hovered around 45-50, and then the day after we began praying for the level to drop, it was at 40, and even, 35. For the past two days the level has been between 30-35. What an answer to prayer! 

Like every Tuesday, it was weigh in day! The grams piled on!!! Jasper went from 2lbs15 oz to 3lbs1oz, Sela from 2lbs13oz to 3lbs, and Carys from 2lbs3 to 2lbs5 oz. Amen!!!

Yesterday Jasper had a "diva" moment... one minute he was flailing about in his incubator prior to a nappy change, the next his soother
jettisoned through his incubator porthole, landing on the floor. This was one of those cases where the five second rule didn't apply and the soother was sent for washing. Whatever happened to our laid back surfer dude? 

So far the Boston Red Sox Greater China Under Two Team have expressed the most interest. 

Jasper has been restless and not far off from throwing his CPAP out the porthole, too... we were told today that if all goes well with Jasper on 21 per cent oxygen tonight, then tomorrow he will be put on a nasal canula.

We are happy to report that Carys' O2 reliance dropped down a bit over the weekend and Monday. She just keeps fighting, this little one.
Unfortunately, all three babies were running fevers Monday morning of about 100 F. Sebastian had a nasty cough and fever last week. We wondered if we had passed on that bug to the trips, even though we ourselves had not had it. 

The NICU nurses had told us at the time that
as long as we remained symptom free to continue visiting. At the end of the day the final verdict: temps returned to normal and we wait to see
what tomorrow brings.

Meanwhile, the highlight of the day/week... WE BOTH GOT TO HOLD SELA!! None of the babies are meant to be removed from their isolettes, so how did this miracle happen? It was a reminder that God's miracles aren't always glamorous. Well, to stimulate the intestines each baby receives a
glycerine suppository and tummy massage. Following hers, Sela had a nappy change that came a little too soon. Having just wiped Sela clean, Tess lifted up the babe's legs to slide a fresh nappy underneath... 

just as part two of the bowel movement exploded out of the tiny but powerful bottom.  At that exact moment Sela explosively decorated the inside of her incubator. Tess and the nurse burst out laughing, as they looked at the freshly decorated incubator, and the nurse declared a new incubator was needed. The first incubator was rejected because it had not been pre-warmed. We lurked nearby, and right as Sela was being transferred, we asked if we could hold her for a few minutes, or seconds even. The nurses agreed. Charles held Sela for the first time. The look on his face when he held the tiny bundle was heart-wrenching...thank goodness for auto-focus cameras. Then it was mumma's turn... while Sela was facing upwards when she was handed to Tess, she started rooting and managed to wriggle herself 90 degrees until her nose was touching Tess' shirt! It was an amazing unexpected gift. 

Jasper throws his soother out the incubator porthole.

In addition to the weekly weigh-in, we have a special treat for everyone today... the sounds of our babies crying! (Unfortunately the quality is
not that great, but you'll still get the idea.) We love these sounds, even if it might mean the babies are wound-up and angry, because it shows us they have the energy and lungs to express  themselves. 

Jasper's sound was recorded as a nurse was pealing away one of the sticky monitor pads. Normally, it's best to rip these things off quickly, but with all the wiring, tubing and feeding stuff attached to Jasper the pad had to be removed more carefully then you or I would tear away a band aid. Therefore, Jasper was not a happy camper and he let us know. Sela's recording is a shorter one, taken when something was bothering her. 

CLICK HERE for Jasper's cry.
CLICK HERE for Sela's cry.
CLICK HERE for Carys' cry.

And now for today's weigh-in. All three gained weight with Sela gaining the most. Jasper came in just shy of 3 lbs. Carys reached Jasper's birth weight.

Today's Weights:

Jasper last weigh in was 1,280 grams (2lbs 13oz) now is 1,335 grams (2 lbs 15 oz)
Sela last weigh in was 1,220 grams (2lbs 11oz) now is 1,280 grams (2 lbs 13oz)
Carys last weigh in was 940 grams (2lbs 1oz) now is 1000 grams (2 lbs 3oz)

You may notice the babies have a studious look on their faces in some of our pictures, such as today's picture of Jasper.  We have on occasion 

 caught them studying the professional black and white photos or Lamaze items we have draped around the incubators. Even the nurses have commented on these stunning pictures, which you can see in the background of the web site pictures. They were taken by Alice Bache. If you live in Hong Kong and want to have Alice photograph your family we can put you in contact with her.

Medical update: Sela is doing well, and in about two to three weeks two things will likely happen. First, she will move to the NICU step down unit and second, we'll be able to bring in clothes for her to wear. 

Carys continues to fight. Doctors have not given her a clean bill of health on the aspergillosis front. The fungus is still a threat. Carys has made progress with weaning down her oxygen but still has a long road ahead of her.

Tess and I found ourselves very tired the last few days. While we're still on the edge of the aspergillosis nightmare, overall things have gone fairly smoothly the last week.  Therefore, we figure the fatigue is probably the stress catching up with us.

Tess here... Last night, just as we were dozing off, we realised we had one day left to register the babies with the government. On went the lights and the middle name debate began....and we fell asleep. In the morning we tried again, but couldn't decide on anything as the background noise of Sebastian's sesame street DVD made us focus on names like "elmo". We'll try again tonight.

Today was a tough day in the NICU. 

Sela is doing well. I changed her nappy tonight. Small girl, big mess. She does like having a fresh bottom and was quite content afterwards. Don't be deceived by the much more baby-like pictures of Sela - she is still extraordinarily tiny!

No updates on Carys' fungus. Today Carys' occupational therapist said that while Carys is very willing to suck, since her lungs have little 

breathing capacity, Carys will have a long time before feeding by mouth. This is because Carys will have a difficult time holding her breath. 

Sela back on nasal canula!

Sela is back on the nasal canula and let me tell you... Sela is one happy camper. Tonight she was wide awake, looking around, smiling, wiggling, the works! During this evening's visit Sela filled her nappy to the top, and the nurse allowed Tess to change it unsupervised. (Big deal folks!) Afterwards Dad felt Sela was "not quite positioned properly" and shifted her about in the isolette. Tess watched and commented later, "That probably qualifies as your first hold!" 

On March 21, the day before Maureen left Hong Kong, the Terrific Trio had their first (well, second if you count birth) Arts & Crafts lesson with a foot painting session. Due to the fungus scare, this required three separate non-toxic water based ink pads so that the trips didn't transmit germs via the ink pad. 

We are encouraged by the progress the trips have made the last several days, but terrified that setbacks lurk around the corner. Thank you everyone for your messages of support and prayer. Praise for the trips' progress thus far. And yes, it's true we're exhausted. 

We also want to reiterate how much we enjoy the NICU staff, especially the nurses. Their professionalism and bed side manner is beyond reproach and each day we look forward to seeing who is in the NICU almost as much as we look forward to seeing the Terrific Trio.

Triplets become piglets @ Tuesday weigh-in!

Tess here again - Charles is making dinner. (Sirloin steak & baked potato!)

Madonna has a personal trainer for her kids, ours have an occupational therapist for sucking therapy. Today right towards the end of my time with Carys, a lady came in and opened Jasper's isolette. She remained there while I spent my 30 minutes with Sela. I rotated over to Jasper. She smiled at me and introduced herself as "Jasper's occupational therapist (OT)". 

Twice weekly she comes in, and her main mission right now is to assist Jasper in learning to suck. She had a mini soother. As she stroked  his cheek, she would pop the soother in. 

Sure enough, his little mouth would work away for a few sucks, and then he would spit the soother out.  The OT explained how she is instructing the nursing staff to ensure that Jasper has a soother in his mouth during feeding, so he can associate sucking with a full tummy. Sela has an OT, and as soon as Carys grows a little, she will be assigned an OT, too. It was extremely interesting and I would have stayed longer, but due to the nurses rotational schedule, I had to leave. 

Speaking of weights....Tuesday was weigh in day!!!  I hope the trips are enjoying this...this is the one time in their lives when they are trying to gain weight!!!

Jasper last weigh in was 1,190 grams (2lbs10oz) now is 1,280 grams (2 lbs.13oz)
Sela last weigh in was 1,165 grams (2lbs.9oz) now is 1,220 grams (2 lbs.11oz)
Carys last weigh in was 890 grams (1lbs.15oz) now is 940 grams (2 lbs.1oz)

Poor Sela is restless. Docile until something rankles her, Sela is definitely becoming agitated with the CPAP and its restrictions. 

Although not crying, she was moving around, trying to get comfortable during both my visitations today, and when Charles was with her. Little sweetie.

Here is a wonderful verse passed on to me by my friend Cora: Do not be anxious about anything, but everything, in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7) We're trying and it does. God's peace is the only thing that has kept us sane over the past five weeks.

Sela has a restless day. 

Tess here again - As it is prayers, the Great Physician and the earthly ones who have saved these babies lives, we feel that you, their "e-family" might want to know a bit more about them.

Let's start with their names. 

Jasper - (English) precious rock/treasure holder.

Sela - This Hebrew name has three definitions: Selina was the Goddess of the Moon, Sela is a shortened form of Selina. Sela also means precious rock, and pause and reflect. SEE-la.

Carys - This Welsh name means beloved or graceful. KARE-iss.

The babies have very different personalities, or possibly circumstances are dictating their personalities. 

The nurses often comment on Jasper's smily personality,and we agree. He is a pretty easygoing fellow, happiest when his tummy is full. When he sleeps on his side, he places one hand on either side of his face. When sleeping on his back, his arms tend to be stretched straight over his head, or at his side.

Sela is also a smily baby, but is much more vocal (Irish???) when "things" (sleeping positions, diapers, empty tummy) don't meet her requirements. She has been known to smack at approaching syringes. But her cries and tempers are easily patted away. 

Carys has been so busy fighting fungi that she hasn't had time to let the frivolous side of her personality let loose. But we know it is there...

As far as looks go, Jasper appears to have blonde hair, while both girls have dark hair, Carys having more, Sela's being lighter. All eyes are seemingly changing colour.

A common refrain when we told friends we were having triplets was: "At least one has to look like Tess!", a reference to the fact that Sebastian is a carbon copy of his father, and his Grandfather Caldwell for that matter. It's difficult to tell with all the bandages and tubes, but Jasper definitely and most likely Sela have the Caldwell jaw, face, thin mouth...and hopefully Charles' brains and sweetness as well. 

A comment about the incubator isolettes: as their name suggests, they are curiously isolating. We both feel less connected to the babies now, as it is more difficult to make eye contact and holding their hands is tough depending on the angle. 

Moreover,  we have to move away when the nurses need access to the incubators. We feel like our presence is less important than it was to the babies when they were in "open air beds" covered with Saran Wrap.

After one month of living the NICU life, it seems a fuzzy dream. I have no idea where the days have gone, or why some days I feel a surfeit of emotions: guilt, sorrow, hope...only to feel emotionally bereft the next day. I sometimes feel that one morning I will wake up, and the huge bump on my stomach will be back, and these past five weeks will have been a dream. Other days I feel I will be sitting beside one of three isolettes in the NICU for the rest of my days. God and your prayers have sustained us. I wish there was a more adequate way to thank you all. 

The triplets continue to fight the good fight, leaving me in awe of their desire to experience life on earth, and determined to do more with my own. 

Sela fails to maintain canula, drops back to CPAP. 
Sela, unable to maintain decent saturation levels on Friday night, shifts off the nasal canula back to a Step Down CPAP. Meanwhile, Jasper graduates from regular CPAP to Step Down CPAP.

Tess here to set the record straight: 

For weeks we have received love and support from caring people around the world, many of whom congratulate us on the website. Truth be told, Charles deserves all the credit. I'm far too busy creating a relationship with my Medela Pump N Style Breast Pump. 

The website is terrific and Charles' daily updates are written as he is feeling at the moment. He shows a lot of vulnerability, honesty and intelligence, for making sense of those medical terms!

Now for the Saturday weigh-in: all three babies gained this week. Carys gained 20 grams and is now 1 lb 14 oz, Sela packed on a whopping 55 grams and is 2lbs 9oz, while Jasper gained 40 grams coming in at 2lbs 10oz.

Sela graduates to nasal canula!

Everything is blurring together now as we race down the autobahn. The birth seems like yesterday but was over a month ago. Sometimes the birth seems like a year ago. Thursday evening, after Pastor May Tsui from Union Church visited the babies, Charles crashed the last hour of a Thunderers' meeting where he enjoyed a glass of Port, or two... doubtfully three. 

Situation status quo. Carys shifted to enclosed incubator to be less disturbed. Mozart music discontinued for Carys (except when she is awake) because doctors claim Carys is "fragile." Pastor May Tsui (right) from Union Church visited the Terrific Trio tonight. 

Newsflash: Carys' blood culture returns positive for aspergillosis. Sela and Jasper graduate from ICU isolettes to enclosed incubators. Tess holds Sela for the first time (for 40 minutes.)

All three had brain ultra-sounds to watch for and/or monitor for IVH (Intraventricular Hemorrhage). Sela's (Grade 1 Brain Bleed) and Carys' (Grade 2 Brain Bleed) are the same.

All three are gaining weight and doctors have increased Jasper's food intake quite a bit. The babes are now weighing in at 1.14 kilos
(Jasper), 1.11 kilos (Sela) and 0.87 kilos (Carys).

Our very devoted helpers, Mila and Lita, baked two cheese cakes in honour of the trips one month birthday. 

First, Jasper is IV Free a positive milestone to keep himself infection free. I was there when they pulled it and I thought it had collapsed. I asked the nurse if we had to put in another IV and she said, "no, all done." We thought he had it for another 2 weeks until the last PDA treatment but chock that up to a simple Cantonese-English miscommunication. The lil rascal was not happy with the pain of the pull, and screamed at the top of his lungs... well, let me tell you... HOW I LOVE THAT SOUND after all paranoia of his respiration problems - you hear what I'm sayin'? 

---

Next was Sela, who had a bad bout of the hiccups after I gave her the "peppermint treat." We've discovered that Sela LOVES having her hands held. If you pull away from holding her hand, she sort of reaches out as if trying to find the object that just slipped away. 

Last night as we left I taped some gorgeous, professional B & W photos of Tess and Sebastian to the outside of her isolette right at eye level. All Carys has to do is open her eyes to see the pics. (B&W - theory being - babies recognize those images first.) 

This morning when we went into the NICU the nurses gave us a little update. Carys' O2 dependency was down a bit (yeah) and the nurse said, "Very strange, Carys' eyes are open a lot more now." I didn't think much of this until I SAW HER, as crazy as this sounds, open her eyes and focus on the pictures. Then it clicked. Monday I'll print the same pics for Jasper and Sela. 
The weekend was full of magical moments like these... truly, truly special. 
 

Nurses removed Jasper's IV, painful for him at the time, but he sure was startled to discover he could move his arm and hand so freely! Oh yes, and Jasper has a fungus... nappy rash.

As a precaution, nurses slathered his nether regions with a powerful ointment to banish the rash. Jasper had no objections. 

The doctor showed us lung x-rays taken on March 17 and March 19. We can clearly see “the spot” including its growth in two days. The spot could be another bacterial infection, lung trauma (odd since Carys was extubated therefore lung trauma should have reduced) or the aspergillus fungus. The doctors, while not 100% certain, are quite concerned we are dealing with the fungus. 

I asked if we would ever be certain Carys has aspergillosis. The possible answers included, first, yes via a positive culture but aspergillosis is tricky since it can evade culture tests. A negative test does not rule out aspergillosis. Second, aspirate from the lung that could only be obtained through a lung biopsy, too risky a procedure for Carys right now. Third, a CAT scan of the lungs can sometimes confirm aspergillosis. This would need to be done one to two weeks into the illness. “And to be totally honest,” the doctor said delicately, “most cases of aspergillosis are diagnosed post mortem.” 

The doctor also explained they could manage the drug protocol side effects. Doctors plan to administer the drugs for one to two weeks and then re-assess their diagnosis. 

The possible outcomes:

(1) False alarm and within one to two weeks everything returns to normal. 
(2) Carys has aspergillosis and survives. She’ll be dealing with chronic lung disease, hopefully overcoming it by the time she is a toddler.
(3) Carys loses to aspergillosis, in which case I asked the doctor how quickly death would come. “We will make sure that in the advanced stages Carys is not in any pain and minimal if any discomfort. There is no telling how long Carys would last. With aspergillosis you can see both a rapid and slow decline.” 

“Yes,” the doctor said sensitively, “if Carys succumbs to aspergillosis that is a quite likely end.” 

Otherwise, Carys is doing extremely well. Her CPAP respiration is improving and oxygen dependency slowly declining. Carys continues to accept and absorb food through her feeding tube and her brain hemorrhage is dissolving.

Jasper and Sela continue to progress. Jasper’s PDA relapse is clinically gone. Sela’s is now being treated. They are both eating, gaining weight, becoming less oxygen dependent and are currently infection free. Their next milestones include further weight gain, decreased oxygen and CPAP dependency to the point they could switch to a nasal canula after another four weeks.
 

As we wrote yesterday, Carys may have a fungal infection in her right lung. The doctors are screening for a fungus called “aspergillus.” I tried to research this fungus on the Internet, typing words such as “aspergillus premature babies” with little luck. Finally, I typed “aspergillus mortality” and then I got the big picture. In a nutshell, this is a very common fungus. One that we encounter everyday. It would bother us if we suffered from asthma. If any of us had AIDS, a major organ transplant, some forms of cancers, or had an otherwise compromised immune system 

It’s really hard to say, but studies have mortality rates ranging from 30 – 90%. The doctors have warned us that if Carys has a confirmed case of the aspergillus fungus, and the infection doesn't kill her, the side effects from the drug protocol may well! Doctors will only commence the drugs after gaining extra certainty of what they're treating. Best thing is that the whole thing dissolves away... so to that point...

Tomorrow (Friday in Hong Kong) Carys has another chest x-ray to get an update on "the spot." The specific prayer is that "the spot" disappears, is clearly receding, or reveals itself as something else that is non life threatening (like scarring on the lung that could repair itself over time.) 

One way the doctors have described the long-term prognosis for the triplets is through their potential for growth. Because they are so tiny and premature, if they can avoid major issues and complications, they can often outgrow the minor issues and complications. Therefore, as tiny-scarred lungs grow into big lungs, they grow over and out of the scars. (In very bad cases, that would typically happen by the time they're two, sometimes longer.)

Meanwhile, praise for... stability with Jasper and Sela; Carys' brain hemorrhage seems to be receding; Carys made it to CPAP; Jasper is off all antibiotics and on drugs to fix his PDA and all three of them are eating and gaining weight. And on a lighter note, yesterday while Tess and a NICU nurse changed Jasper’s nappy, the little rascal fountained all over everywhere. Yup, I can hear Grandpa Blake laughing all the way from Yellowknife, “That’s my boy!”
 

Tess' engagement ring, our wedding bands and The Terrific Trio.

Carys graduates to CPAP... may have life threatening fungus infection in her right lung.

Today Carys graduated to CPAP. We envisioned this day would be one of joy and a wonderful birthday present for Tess. Unfortunately, our joy was immediately extinguished when doctors 9reported a spot on Carys’ right lung, discovered after a chest x-ray. 

Doctors suspect the spot is a fungus infection - a result of powerful antibiotics that kill both bad and good bacteria - and unquestionably life threatening. The lab is attempting to culture the fungus, over the next two to five days, to confirm if Carys has this fungus. 

If she does, we’ve been advised Carys will be in big, big trouble. Once again, please pray for Carys. Jasper and Sela status quo.

If you'd like, please post an inspiring birthday wish for Tess on the message board.

Jasper and Sela generally status quo. Carys had a "settled" afternoon (according to the nurses) but otherwise very restless. Tonight she was contorting her head in such a way to pop out the respirator. 

SELA MOVIE (4 MB): Charles gives Sela her peppermint treat. Best viewed with Windows Media Player @ 200% setting.

Tess gives Jasper a tasty dessert!

Sela is on her way back up and Jasper is 30 grams above his birth weight. The nurses also think Jasper’s sleep apnea is a result of him being lazy – so Dad’s thinking, “Lazy = weight gain. I’ll take it.” But Mom is thinking, “Lazy = a messy incubator. Clean it up buddy and start breathing, too.” Either way, we’re happy that Jasper and Sela’s weight seem to be going in the right direction. Sela’s food intake has also been increased slightly. Reportedly, both she and Jasper take 7 mls of Tess’ breast milk eighteen times per day. Fortunately, Tess produces more than required, and we’re able to freeze about 150 mls per day for future use.

Sela on CPAP - normally happier!

Due to the heavy load of antibiotics – the drugs kill bad bacteria along with good bacteria – all three receive a tasty peppermint flavoured oral salve designed to fight any potential fungus problems like Carys’ skin yeast infection. The mustard coloured drug is injected into the end of the sterile syringe package, and a baby pole-vault sized cotton swab used to administer the drug. Charles calls it a “Lolly Pop,” the nurses call it “dessert.” Either way, the Trips like it. Carys takes it slowly, but after recognizing the succulent blend, opens her mouth wide like a little baby bird looking for a fresh worm.

Carys continues to fight!

The last few nights the nurses asked Tess and me if we’d give the trips their dessert. “Of course!” we exclaimed. Tonight, upon arriving at the NICU, the nurses took it one step further and said, “We waited so the two of you could give them their dessert.” Our hearts melted. Tess looked after Sela and Jasper while Charles made sure Carys finished her dessert down to the last drop. As we said “good night” the nurses had just suctioned off Carys’ lungs and she was wide awake. Her tiny little eyes opened and looked longingly around as if trying to say, “I want to go home.” Someday you will, Carys, someday you will.

Meanwhile, Jasper officially has sleep apnea and Sela a Grade 1 brain hemorrhage. I’d write more but I am just too exhausted. 

One of the nurses even confirmed that the babies had a good day. Apparently due to their increased feeding, the doctors will try removing the IV feeding lines tomorrow. We breathed a huge sigh of relief – one less tube could only mean a little more comfort (Jasper may remove all the tubes before they do!) 

Today a strange scare bolted through the NICU as doctors identified a rare type of infection in all three babies. The infection is from the flavivirus family and they have no idea of the source other than the fact all our babies are carriers. Don’t know the flaviviruses?  Think of Yellow Fever, West Nile, Japanese Encephalitis, septicemia and meningitis

When we returned to the NICU for our nightly visit, the doctor informed us of  the spinal tap’s preliminary results – meningitis is unlikely but cannot be ruled out for two more days until the lab attempts to culture a virus. 

On the brighter side, the York Mills Collegiate Institute doctor seemed to think that overall the Terrific Trio were doing fairly well. Generally, we’ve seen an improvement in respiration across the board to the point there were plans to try Sela on a CPAP tomorrow. Hopefully the x-ray won’t de-rail those plans and she’ll be up and dancing with Carys and Jasper in no time. We pray that’s what tomorrow brings.

Where did the e-coli come from? Most likely at birth some form of e-coli was present and made its way onto Sela. Besides, most of us, with well-developed immune systems, are regular carriers of a limited amount of e-coli. The fantasies tamed and shortly thereafter stopped altogether.
What we learned: (1) The NICU staff is incredibly thorough. The fact that a nurse had the presence of mind to send an odd looking piece of dirt to the lab just blew our minds. (2) The communication between K9 and K10 was happening in the background at a very high speed, and it turns out has been all week. (3) Our quest to keep Sebastian away from antibiotics for the first 27 months of his life will not be pursued with the triplets. (4) We need to manage the fantasies inside our head. Here are the more mundane updates:

Last night Jasper was very restless and pulled out his ventilator for the second time. The NICU did not attempt a CPAP but re-ventilated him immediately. They also hand cuffed him, by safety pinning a bandage on his arm to his bed. Dad had to have a little talk with Jasper, “look here little buddy, despite the fact your Grandfather Blake is 

Sela, despite her apparent propensity to scare the living daylights out of her parents, continued to do well today. Carys’ heart rate was about 10% higher than her NICU siblings, but her breathing a little stronger overall. All three need to make progress with feeding.

Tess received a day pass from K9 for the afternoon. Upon arriving home at about noon, she was greeted by an ecstatic Sebastian who expressed more love for his mother than at any other point in his 27-month life. Spontaneous hugs flowed everywhere. For the first time today I was actually able to be present to some of the joy of these three new babies. Most of the week I have lived in a shadow of doom. But while shopping at the local supermarket, the Park ‘N Shop ladies had already heard of the babies’ birth. How that happened I have no idea. Then, as I left K9 tonight I showed the nurses pictures of the babies and Sebastian. 

Sebastian seems to understand the babies have been born – this week he mastered the word “Baby” and “Babies,” which jump out of his mouth regularly and at the oddest times. He looks at the pictures with mixed reactions, willingly hugging the print outs and digital camera to show his love and concern for his siblings. Occasionally he expresses distress at the tubes by saying, “uh oh,” to which we explain the doctors need to look after the babies for a while before they can come home. 

The last two days I’ve noticed him saying, “bow wow” while pointing to the pictures. As amazing as this may seem, I think he is trying to tell us his little brother and two little sisters need a little dog just like the one he has in his bed. And so, tomorrow Sebastian and I shall have our usual Sunday together and we’ll look for just the right bow-wows for his siblings. Meanwhile, Jasper, Sela and Carys have already told Tess and I to be on the lookout for something special for their older brother. You never know what treasures Sundays can find.

“Be not afraid, just believe.” Mark 5:36.

The triplets passed the 72-hour milestone… next milestone: one week. 

Over 300 Moltex preemie diapers arrive from Australia. Thank you Matt & Denby, the doctors were very impressed! Our babies are so small I was convinced the diapers would still have that “Farmer John” look. But after Jasper & Sela modeled for us I was amazed. The diapers actually fit… and they make the babies look ridiculously cute. 

Several hundred newborn diapers arrive from Andrew Work and Paul Munder. Thank you!

We named the two girls today. The first girl, born second at around 2.1 lbs, is Sela. The second girl is Carys and the littlest of the three. For several weeks we’ve pretty much planned to choose Carys as a name, we just didn’t know which one was Carys once she arrived. Well, Tess and I both accidentally called the second girl “Carys” on Day 3 so we agreed that must be her name.

The NICU doctors and team continue to impress and we are grateful of the care they provide our babies. 

Today was an uneventful day, but let’s face it folks, these tiny little beings all have lung problems. Last night Jasper pulled his respirator out. (I am so proud of him!) The doctors put him on a CPAP (a big step for the little guy) but when his oxygen saturation declined after a few hours… back to the ventilator. At our midday chat with the doctors, they said the PDA was mild and at this point, they were not overly concerned. Jasper also had a routine brain ultrasound. There was no sign of brain hemorrhaging. 

Sela is officially in the lead for overall health. She maintains the best O2 saturation at the lowest mix. However, she did have to have her O2 turned up so she is no longer on the “atmospheric mix.” We’ve been warned by those who have fought this battle before us, and everyone says NIC for preemies is up and down like a roller coaster. 

Carys continues to struggle with her lungs. Fortunately she has held her own with numerous ups and downs. There is still blood in her lungs. The doctors “suction off” every once in a while. This improves her O2 saturation and reduces her O2 dependency. Already Carys is showing her personality. In the womb Tess is quite certain she was the most active, and now in the NICU there Carys lies bare naked (she refuses to wear a diaper) with limbs hanging out all over the place. Carys is a feisty one, and it’s a good thing. She’ll need that resolve to get through this battle with her lungs. 

While we were grateful today was uneventful, I’d secretly hoped for more breathing progress with each of them. Maybe that day will be tomorrow. The babies started receiving small amounts of breast milk.

Tess visited the babies twice today and was a super star. At the end of the day as I read each baby a bedtime story, there was Tess at the next little "being" telling him or her more about their life ahead. Tess even sang them songs (Jesus Loves You) and said little prayers on their behalf. Despite the stress of this extremely delicate situation Tess’ mothering shines through.