We are busy. We are blessed. It is no mistake that God designed newborn babies to sleep a great deal... their sleep time allows us plenty of time to creep in, look at them and realise, "my goodness, we actually have THREE babies at home" and to spend time with Sebastian, who has been quite stellar over the past three months. Of Saturday, June 12, the Terrific Trio are two weeks adjusted age, and their weights fit in quite nicely in that category. Their little personalities are beginning to shine. Starting with the heavyweight...let us tell you a little bit about: JASPER – Jasper J has gone back to being our laid-back surfer dude. He sleeps, he eats, and that about sums up his activities. Oh yes, he fills diapers, too. We have tried putting him on the play mat, where he promptly starts crying or falls asleep. Jasper loves warmth, and hates being bathed. He has very guttural, growly wails but generally doesn't cry a lot. Hates having his nappy changed. His favourite thing is his sheepskin blanket, a wonderful gift from our equally as wonderful friends, the Marriotts. Pastor Marriott has been a quiet source of strength throughout this ordeal, and Linda is funny, equally supportive, and sweet. The sheepskins were a great gift and Jasper loves snuggling deep... especially when naked. (The ONLY time he likes being in his birthday suit.) Jasper is the heaviest of the triplets. His hair (or what their is of it) is blonde-ish red.  SELA – Sweet Sela is precious and alert. She tracks our voices around the room. She unfortunately suffers from tummy cramps, which are distressing for her and us. She does enjoy being held and already has shown an alarming propensity for sticking out her lower lip and wailing – but only until she gets picked up. Sela has the longest "wake time" periods and is very fond of lying in her play mat, staring at the baby in the mirror. I think her tongue is a few sizes too large, because the tip is constantly sticking out of her mouth, occasionally dabbing the end of her chin. Her strawberry hemangioma is of great interest to Sebastian and his friends, who call it her owie. One friend, Christopher, asked why she had it, and I told him that God had given her the red spot so that we would be able to tell the babies apart. It actually makes sense! CARYS – The little fighter is actually quite delicate and sweet. Her cries are softer than the others, but her fists clench just as tightly as her siblings’ whenever she cries. She has bulimic tendencies, in that she throws up a lot, which concerns us a little. Her colour is very pale, and she is so tiny compared to Jazzy and Sela. She likes the swing – provided it is not immediately after the meal, in which case she’ll spray paint the inside of the swing’s chair “Formula White” and very occasionally stays awake to lie on the play mat. The Terrific Trio are on a three-hour schedule and that works well. Charles is comfortable feeding two babies at once. I am not. Although the doctors hesitate at the suggestion of taking babies to crowded places, they did give us the thumbs up for taking walks. So, we have twice taken the kiddies along Bowen Road – a paved but beautiful walk halfway up the mountain. It was fun, but probably not too healthy... people kept stopping us to ask if the babies were triplets, how old, genders, even if they could take their pictures with them! We have decided to keep this website going, and hope to give weekly updates. Please check in regularly, see how the babies you prayed for and the parents you laughed and cried with, are learning and loving! Charles has been slowly preparing a major update that dates back weeks, but a heavy work schedule and a nasty flu – that has taken down three of the four adults in our home plus Sebastian but miraculously left the Terrific Trio unscathed – has delayed his updating plans numerous times.

BREAKTHROUGH Birthday Present for the Terrific Trio:
Recent growth surge pushes Carys' lungs to independence. Littlest triplet discards nasal canula to test drive the open road.

While no one was looking, Carys eased down one of her country roads, nosing up to the edge of the open highway. Then doctors removed Carys’ nasal canula. Restrained only by a single connection to monitor her oxygen saturation, Carys pulled onto the open road to test drive her lungs’ independence. Onlookers were astonished as the littlest and youngest of the Terrific Trio shot down the highway unhindered, declaring to the world she plans to close the gap with her siblings. While Carys required air intake support during re-fueling pit stops, her remarkable progress left Sela and Jasper asking, “what was that sound?” Oh that? Yes well, that was the sound of Carys breaking the sound barrier.

So what happened? As we’ve written in earlier posts, the bad news is that premature babies are small. The good news is – premature babies are small. Therefore, a distinct advantage premature babies have is their ability to outgrow many of their ailments, particularly when it comes to lung development. In the last several weeks Carys experienced a noticeable growth surge. Somewhere along the way, Carys’ lungs caught the crest of the wave. 

When Tess arrived at the NICU on Saturday, she noticed an absence of tubes leading into Carys isolette. Naturally, the first reaction was, “Where’s my baby? What happened?” Joy quickly overshadowed concern as little Carys looked up from her isolette to show Tess her youngest daughter’s uncluttered face for the first time. 

NICU doctors also advised us to no longer worry about Carys’ killer fungus. That was one bullet she managed to dodge. “Friends in very high places,” it’s been suggested. No doubt and praise for that, too.

Meanwhile, back at home, Sela and Jasper settle in effortlessly. Doctors officially discharged the two on Wednesday evening and they came home while Charles was on a business trip to Japan. Sebastian welcomed both without hesitation, although his excitement certainly had him hesitate with going to bed that night!

Jasper and Sela made an attempt to turn night into day with some degree of luck. Due to lung pre-maturity the babies are on a restricted diet of 60 ml’s every three hours. Otherwise, excess fluid in their systems could place an unnecessary load on their lungs and heart. Both Sela and Jasper made a point of complaining vigorously

 to local management about formula portions. They love the food – but value for money… the quantities are too small! Doctors have been firm. Sela is already on diuretics to control fluid retention. “They want more do they? Fine, they can each have a 2 ml chaser,” responded the medical team. Household management issued a memo, “Please be advised, we will not be super-sizing our servings of formula.” In protest, Sela and Jasper secretly agreed with each other that the food shortage would only be a problem at night. “Vee have vays of making you sleep,” their parents threatened at which point the nursery rebels found themselves doing unusually stimulating activities between 6 PM and midnight. 

Finally, today marks the Terrific Trio’s three-month birthday. Coincidentally, a story about the triplets can be found in today’s South China Morning Post. 

Last week the SCMP contacted Tess after learning of the triplets’ tale. The reporter, Peter Michael, was particularly interested in the large number of people following the Terrific Trio’s plight despite having never met us in the flesh. Well, regardless of reason, we appreciate everyone’s support and once again thank you for being part of our journey and the global community rooting for the Terrific Trio.

The emotional and physical roller coaster continues to daunt us as we carry on with decompressing events of the last three months. Unfortunately, Tess has been hit with a bad cold. New house rules stipulate minimal handling of the triplets until the cold subsides and she must wear a facemask inside the flat.  Needless to say, Tess is less than thrilled but knows a cold-stricken triplet at this stage would most certainly result in hospitalization. 

We have pictures, we have movies (CLICK HERE), and we have a baby at home – Sela, who came home Saturday on home leave. Sela returned Monday for a check-up after which her home leave was extended until Wednesday when the Terrific Trio have another ROP eye exam. Provided Sela continues to avoid asphyxiating herself on formula as Jasper did ten days ago, she’ll be officially discharged after the Wednesday ROP exam. Sela’s homecoming was quiet and anti-climatic compared to Jasper’s. A number of factors contributed to this: First, Sela came home in the shadow of Jasper still being hospitalised and progressing what appears to be so slowly. To say the least, we are not impressed. Second, while we told Sebastian all about meeting his younger sister, the hospital schedule cut his nap short. Sela was ready to come home mid-morning and we pushed it to mid-afternoon so that Sebastian could nap. His 90-minute nap wasn’t enough for Sebastian who arrived at the NICU in a grumpy little mood. While Sebastian expressed delight with Sela over the course of the weekend, Jasper’s return to the NICU rained on the baby homecoming parade. We suspect Sebastian thinks babies at home are a weekend phenomenon. Third, as we approach three months in the NICU, the whole ordeal continues to tax us mentally and physically. This is not an easy project folks, and we’re just downright drained. Forget about eating healthy, comfort food is at hand… Pringles, M&M’s, cheese and crackers, pizza, a glass of white wine, Myer’s Rum & Coke… it’s all happening. It’s a miracle that we’re not huge. 

In summary, during the course of the past week while Charles was on his first business trip since the triplets’ birth – India of course, not an easy place to get to or travel within – the Terrific Trio made steady progress. Carys lead the pack, driving her % body weight up the most in one week and slicing a noticeable amount off her oxygen dependency. Late in the week Carys graduated to an open isolette – a positive sign Carys is able to maintain her own body temperature. Carys’ body weight makes her look much healthier, but she still has a sickly preemie look, making us worry there may be another more serious health issue lurking in the future. Both of us have noticed Carys’ heart rate sits about 30 – 40% above Jasper and Sela. While we’ve wondered if this could be symptomatic of an unknown issue, the NICU doctors claim the heart rate is still within an acceptable range. Plus, with Carys suffering from Chronic Lung Disease (CLD), her circulatory system is working extra hard to compensate for the CLD issues. 

No doubt, Carys is very alert. When awake Carys takes great interest in her surroundings and as far as eating goes, Carys is by far the best at taking it easy… suck, swallow, breathe… suck, swallow, breathe. Meanwhile, early in the week doctors told Tess that Sela was ready to go home. Out of courtesy to Charles, so he could be here for the homecoming, Tess arranged for Sela to remain in the hospital until Charles’ return from India. Jasper slowly improved but not with the speed with which Tess and Charles hoped. Mid week during a bath with the nurses, Jasper had another “de-saturation incident” requiring medical intervention and plenty of extra oxygen. Fortunately Jasper snapped out of it and did not require resuscitation. Jasper is like a Ferrari, he requires a lot of tinkering. “Then he should wear red,” someone said sarcastically. By the weekend Jasper was off the nasal canula but still struggling during feedings, particularly when harbouring a big burp. You’ll notice Jasper is loading on the weight, too. Quite the chubby little guy… he needs to start crawling to burn off some of that weight. It will be Formula Light for him, soon.

At home, Sela settled into a happy three-hour feeding schedule in step with the NICU schedule. A few visitors popped in to see her, too. On Sunday afternoon we hauled Sela down to our complex’s fantastic playground – the socializing nucleus of our building. There were at least ten other kids playing with their parents casually observing from a distance.

Charles enhanced the sunshine with two bottles of bubbly, and glasses were raised to celebrate Sela’s arrival. It was a windy but warm day and Sela, well protected by blankets and clothing, wriggled her little arms loose to slowly wave her hands in the air for at least twenty minutes. Everyone agreed that the wind rushing through Sela’s tiny fingers must have been one of the first wonders of her new little world. 

And on that comment… please note that Sela is so darn cute it hurts. Weighing in at 5.5 lbs but having been in this world almost three months, Sela (who thus far most resembles Charles’ sister Penny, although Grandad Blake and Mozie claim everything but the nose and mouth is Tess) has adopted many extraordinarily cute baby gestures intensified by the shedding of her previous newborn and preemie look. Sela is an incredibly small but perfect baby. Her nose is a bit “snub” a result of the duoderm attached to her beak for so many weeks. In time it will hopefully resolve itself. Still, complete with ridiculously tender goat sounds, a cry that’s loud enough to wake you but still willowy enough to intoxicate like the Sirens, the sweet twelve-week-old Sela has enthusiasts excited everywhere. And during these moments when we gaze at the Terrific Trio in wonder, we see God’s miracles at work. A good friend of ours said to Charles shortly before the Terrific Trio’s birth, “Charles, I don’t know if you’re a very spiritual person, but if you are then these triplets will draw you so close to God by the very miracles you are going to see.” That friend could not have been more right. 

Sela comes home...

It was anticlimatic given our experience with Jasper, but Sela was packed safely into her capsule as we strolled out of the hospital at 3 pm. Sebastian, who was woken out of his nap to witness the event was less than pleased, but once home showed a lot of interest in his little sister. 

Jasper slept peacefully ("for a change!" the nurse told us) and didn't mind his sister's departure. Meanwhile, Carys, was all wide eyed and wondering what all the commotion was about. 

Was that really a rolled up blanket that we were so carefully walking out of the room with or something more interesting? I think she suspected her sibling was leaving, and the thought seemed to mystify and excite her, as the pictures and video show.

Today Sebastian and I started our Sunday as we do every Sunday - with French toast. We then spent half an hour finishing our Mother's Day cards from ourselves and the Terrific Trio. This involved Dad meticulously writing messages to Tess from each of the triplets and Sebastian meticulously scribbling his stamp of approval atop each message. I dashed up to the NICU at 8:55 AM (they allow visitors at 9 AM) to place a variety of Mother's Day treats in the Terrific Trio's room. Fortunately, I arrived to discover Jasper back with his sisters, but still at an "ICU" level of observation. 

We noticed today that the NICU staff were extra cautious with all three babies, perhaps thinking that if one is at risk they all are at risk. We were happy to see the Terrific Trio, but discouraged to see frustrated Jasper dealing with the repercussions of yesterday's meltdown. 

Jasper's feedings every three hours are up to 45 ML, and previously they were at 60 MLs. Not all of his feedings are permitted by bottle. Some are still administered by feeding tube. Jasper's hates this because (1) he doesn't get the satisfaction of sucking his meals and (2) he's hungry consuming only 45 MLs. 

Furthermore, the nurse would not let Tess feed Jasper until the nurse had kicked off the process and was satisfied Jasper was okay. We appreciate there attentiveness, that and God's hand is probably why all three babies are still alive, but it was still hard to deal with the setback. My instinct tells me Jasper won't be home in a week but I'd love for my instinct to be wrong.

On a very touching note, one of the NICU nurses, Winnie, created a beautiful Mother's Day greeting from the Terrific Trio (pictured here)... once again reminding us that the Terrific Trio receive extraordinary care on both a professional and personal level. Thank you, Winnie, you are a dedicated healthcare professional and wonderful friend. 

And finally, don't forget all of this is happening against a classical music soundtrack, especially Mozart, thus adding to our surreal world in the NICU. 

JASPER CRASHES
Requires emergency resuscitation by NICU team.

Today Tess & Jasper returned to the QMH NICU promptly at 9 AM for Jasper’s check-up and hopeful discharge. With doctors still doing rounds and Jasper due for a 9 AM feeding, Tess went ahead with the feeding. Shortly into the feeding Tess noticed Jasper stopped taking breaths. Not unusual – the Terrific Trio often need encouragement coordinating their breathing and swallowing, what we’ve previously called timing. Usually we permit ten swallows then force them to stop and catch their breath. Removing the bottle from Jasper’s mouth Tess attempted to get Jasper to respond with pats and rubs. No luck. Then the blue/gray/pale look settled in.  Tess became increasingly worried. In the Infant CPR course we were taught to start by inflicting safe pain – pain that won’t physically injure the baby but could cause a pain reflex to jolt the baby awake. Tess scratched under Jasper’s chin with her nails, which are very painful and officially registered as dangerous weapons. No response. 

Jasper turned purple. Tess yelled to a nurse for help. The nurse walked into the room, saw Jasper, immediately grabbed him, and went running into the hallway yelling in Cantonese. What happened next was pure ER drama. 

With Jasper in her arms the nurse kept running across the ward into an ICU room, in fact the same room where the triplets first started. Tess said the entire ward erupted into loud Cantonese cackle and she was asked to leave the NICU to wait in the waiting room outside. 

Afterwards we learned the NICU Team used a portable, manual CPAP resuscitator to bring Jasper back to life. He did not require intubation.  Fortunately, with the extensive daily training and interaction the NICU staff have provided, including the Infant CPR, Tess knew the signs when they started, was able to get help and in the interim start CPR. Tess also remained very brave and calm during the whole ordeal. At the time when Tess called, Sebastian and I were in Mr. Lau's garage having the windshield wipers replaced. I turned to Sebastian and said, "Sebastian, Jasper needs help right now. Can we say a little prayer for him?" Sebastian looked back at me with a slight expression of concern, gently clasped his hands together and waited for me to say a prayer. 

In the follow-up analysis a chest x-ray showed a shadow on the lung. 

Tess said that just as the nurse grabbed Jasper she was unable to detect a pulse. The NICU team disputed whether Jasper’s heart stopped. With babies the lungs/breathing stop, then the heart. With adults the heart stops (i.e. cardiac arrest) then the lungs. When Jasper was finally revived he had a heartbeat and in the heat of the moment no one knows if his heart stopped. 

No doubt, Jasper was without oxygen for a dangerously long time, exactly how long we don’t really know. The doctor explained that within half a minute of Jasper arriving in the ICU room, oxygen enriched air was forcing its way through his lungs. Tess and I were worried about brain damage, but the doctor doubted we had any reason for concern. He explained that oxygen deprivation damage usually reveals itself immediately in some subtle way… “But Jasper is being Jasper,” he explained, “he has been with us now for two and a half months. We all know Jasper and he’s acting just as he normally does. So no cause for concern.” I looked down into the cellophane covered isolette and realized the doctor was right. In the thirty minutes since I’d been standing by Jasper’s side, he’d been quite the trouble maker: pulled off his ECG leads at least 4 – 5 times, tore off the cellophane covering his isolette at least twice, was contorting himself all over the place and screaming at the top of his lungs for his 9 AM bottle. 

At the end of the day I returned to the NICU and held poor little Jasper for about an hour. (By then he’d been placed in an enclosed isolette.) ICU Level of care and observation means halving the amount Jasper is permitted to eat and no bottle feeding – back to the tube for at least a day. The poor little goat was famished and planned on letting everyone in the NICU know this fact. Jasper was relatively calm in my arms (of course I had a soother for him, much to his delight) but back in his isolette Jasper wailed and wailed. The contortions now involved turning himself around on his back, and twice he nearly completed a 180-degree turn inside so that his feet were where his head started. 

So that’s what happened today, and we’re just too exhausted and drained to write much more.

Jasper: dreaming of the open road.

---

they are officially moving out of prematurity. In theory the ROP should slow and resolve. It's possible, however, that the ROP could get worse in both Jasper and Carys, especially considering Carys' still relatively low weight. The ROP test is very intrusive, uncomfortable and upsetting for the babies.

 But his parents were less than thrilled that he'd been hauled over to the side of the road. A reminder at how fine a line the Terrific Trio are walking. In conclusion, the doctors summoned Jasper's parents for his arraignment on Thursday at noon. Come back tomorrow for the next update.

Today Jasper passed (without trying we add) an important test: an audiologist visited to test his hearing. Wonderfully and thankfully, the test could not pick up any problems with his hearing. Truthfully, we were not too surprised to learn this as Jaz will open his eyes when we come into the Terrific Trio's room and start talking to him. But it was still gratifying to hear it from the pros.

We spent a good evening with the babies. Carys has really "latched" (no pun intended) on to oral feeding and although breaks are needed quite regularly, she is coming along very well. In other areas, her oxygen supply level has not changed in weeks, and that is a cause for concern. But Carys is gaining weight and much more alert than she used to be. 

Sela was uncooperative tonight during her evening feed. 

Poor Charles had the toughest time keeping her awake. But she was lovely and smiley when placed back in her isolette, obviously having enjoyed the time in her daddy's arms.

Tomorrow the wee three have another eye exam (they have them every two weeks). The exams are very painful for the babies and involves forcing their eyelids open for quite a period of time. Please join us in praying that they continue to be unaffected by ROP and other eye issues and that Jasper's stage one ROP has either resolved itself or not progressed to Level Two. And finally, today was the Tuesday Weigh-In. You'll notice that Sela dropped in weight - a result of previous water retention that she has now shed.

In a remarkable and daring streak of driving finesse, at 8 AM Monday Hong Kong time, Jasper with ease shifted into high gear, pulled into the passing lane and raced well out in front by discarding the last remaining wire that dangled off him for the past 71 days - the wire that provides the 02 Saturation Reading. Determined to assert his independence in this world, Jasper started lobbying the doctors for a "Get out of NICU Free" card. He sailed through the day incident free, eating and resting reasonably well. While Jasper still needs to be cautious when re-fueling, (the mechanics have to constantly tinker with Jasper's timing) if he can maintain his current pace we should see the Little Stinker home somewhere around the next bend.

Sela was furious. Somewhere amidst the bumper rubbing with Jasper her nasal canula came off and stayed off. With caution (she also has a timing issue, often forgetting to breathe while wolfing down petrol) 

Sela re-fueled generally problem free throughout the day but still has one last wire holding her back. By the end of the day after her 7:30 pm feeding, Sela filled the NICU with huge wails to let everyone know she wanted MORE food NOW. Too bad, Baby Sela, you’re on a schedule. (Said her parents with concealed delight.)

Carys sat content in her isolette, feeding orally a few times throughout the day and the rest of the time relying on her feeding tube. Not really the competitive type, each oral feeding Carys took in stride. Whenever Carys became too tired she'd settle back and say, "Okay, that's enough for now." Carys has excellent coordination and thus far the mechanics have had few issues with her timing - it's more of a stamina and strength issue.

As for Tess and Charles... a trying day as they faced some of the realities that lie on the road ahead. Today they were trained on how to use a Home Oxygen Unit in case it is needed by one or all of the babies. It is almost a certainty that Carys will require one of these contraptions and possibly for up to six to twelve months. Then it was into another room for an Infant CPR and Resuscitation Course with Resussie-Annie (or it might have been Andy, they didn't bother to check.) 

Oh yes, then Charles & Tess met with the Physio Therapist who reported that for 36 Weeks Gestation the babies were "developmentally on track." They discussed the next stages of interaction and what could be done to promote the Terrific Trio's development: 

Baby Massage... total body right down to massaging their teeny weenie fingers. (Charles picked up on this right away as he appealed to Tess, “You know, we both need a lot more development.”) Then there was a reality check with the doctors, who cautioned Tess and Charles that despite their optimism, the Terrific Trio would be home later than expected. This they explained as they started writing Jasper a speeding ticket. But that was right around the time that Jasper opted for the open road and the doctors, shutting off the radar gun, didn't try to hold him back.

We have movies!

JASPER MOVIE (4 MB): Jasper flashes his tongue in disgust while being burped by an NICU nurse. Best viewed with Windows Media Player @ 200% setting.

CARYS MOVIE (4 MB): Carys enjoys some quiet time with Dad after polishing off a bottle. Best viewed with Windows Media Player @ 200% setting.
 

Happy 36 weeks gestation, babies. Today we took Sebastian to a bicycle shop in North Wanchai. We had a carefully planned strategy.  After nonchalantly walking by a bike shop Sebastian started getting excited about the bikes. “Okay Sebastian, you can play on one for five minutes.” we suggested. We found a bicycle his size and popped him on it – much to his delight. The shop owner was impressed at Sebastian’s biking abilities and determination to keep pedaling. We are planning on presenting the bike to Sebastian when the first baby comes home, so wanted to purchase it on the sly. To distract our little man, Tess ran off to McDonalds to buy french fries, then came back to the shop. 

Seb wasn’t thrilled at the suggestion that he dismount the bike, but once he smelled the fries he was very willing. Ah, the power of distraction… or manipulation – whatever your preference! Tess & Sebastian meandered off to a nearby playground with Seb singularly focused on the fries. Charles quietly slipped away to purchase the fire engine red bike. The bike has stabilizers, and we bought a helmet and knee and elbow guards, as well as the essential bike bell. 

Charles placed the bike in the back of the car, covered it with a blanket, and rejoined Tess & Sebastian at the playground. Meanwhile, at the hospital, the NICU staff removed Sela’s feeding tube. Carys is still on a two-hour feeding schedule, but doing very well on it. And as always, Saturday was weigh in day, and for the first time in a long while, we had weight loss. The reasons are: Jasper and Sela are now taking normal newborn formula 

which contains less sugar, and oral feeding naturally burns a great deal of energy (calories). We are just so thankful they have weight to lose. Sela is down to 4lbs 6oz, Jasper is 4lbs 10oz, while Carys put on some ounces, coming in at 3lbs10oz. We fed all of them, and spent some pleasant time with them, photographing and videotaping their cute little sounds and squeaks.

Tess Update: Last night we had to choose a company to provide us a home oxygen system, portable cylinders (for traveling to and fro doctors appointments) canulas, etc. It was a bittersweet experience; exciting to know that the time of their homecoming is drawing near, but sad knowing the Terrific Trio will need this supplementary oxygen. We are also scared…how will we know when they need oxygen? How will we know when they’ve had enough? What if… what if? Again, we go back to “Don’t be afraid, just believe”. 

Sela looks much improved – her face seems slimmer as do her wrists and ankles. Carys is also looking well, and is taking two bottle feeds a day quite successfully although she finds it tiring. But the big news is that JASPER’s FEEDING TUBE HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT - 

AND JASPER MANAGED FOR HALF A DAY WITHOUT HIS NASAL CANULA!  Jasper has officially overtaken Sela in the sweeps for which baby is most likely to come home first! And, his “release” date has been moved up. 

Needless to say, this has thrown us into a state of flurry at home, the crib (yes, they will share for the first few months), the toys, their clothes, their burp cloths have all been carefully washed and if appropriate, folded. WOW! WOW! WOW!

Tess Update: I FED CARYS TODAY!! The difference between holding her in my lap and holding Jasper and Sela is amazing. She is so light and floppy compared to the other two. But she, like them, loves her food – she drank 21 ml!! The nurses were stunned, but had a good laugh at Carys’ burping abilities. Not on a negative note, but on a note nevertheless, we learned today that Sela’s chubbiness isn’t such an entirely positive thing. 

Apparently she is unusually puffy, and the doctors responded diuretics. In the next 24 hours we should see results. But overall, she is doing well and consumes 45ml every two hours.

Sela is still very sweet and smiley. Meanwhile, by wailing extremely loudly every time he is burped, Jasper has declared that he would prefer not to be burped after feeding, thank you very much. 

The preferred alternative is moving him in a slow circular motion. Jasper tends to burp quickly, Sela slowly, and Carys is somewhere between the two including self-burping in the middle of sucking.

Another day in the NICU Tango. Even though Carys has a long road ahead of her, we can feel this portion of our triplet journey coming to an end. Obviously things have improved considerably in the last month, especially for Jasper and Sela. As we previously wrote, when that happened, Tess and I were washed over with pent up exhaustion. We're still pretty tired but we can also feel ourselves emerging from a fog. For example, our video camera broke the day the triplets were born. 

Fade from black to the same scene 66 days earlier and I walked into the NICU taping all the way to the Terrific Trio. Strange and surreal - and more fog cleared. 

You know you've done the NICU Tango when walking through it brings back memories and you're babies have still not left!  Meanwhile, today Jasper lasted half a day without any O2 support.

The Terrific Trio pass nine weeks uneventfully.
Jasper and Sela continue to learn to feed. Carys is not yet bottlefeeding due to her weight but hopefully she will soon.

Tess update: Being a weekend, we try to balance visits to the NICU with quality Sebastian time. Today after the 11 PM Union Church service we had a "picnic" lunch on the terrace. While Sebastian was sleeping I hot-footed it over to the trio's beds, just in time to give Jax his afternoon bottle. Dressed in his velour sleeper, he was a miniature Elvis as he slurped back 35 oz and fell into a deep sleep. I changed him and noticed that he is getting indentations on his thighs! It is interesting where fat stores itself. Their pictures make them look extremely well fed, but they still have no buttocks. It is the oddest thing when changing them, to see this crease, but no rounded bum surrounding it. I also held Carys, which was quite stressful for us both. 

Earlier in the day she had a blood transfusion due to her low hemoglobin count, and the IV was still intact. She was flapping her little arms around and de-saturated quite a few times. The nurse suggested she might just be happier in her quiet isolette and apparently was. It is tough not to take these things personally!

I headed home to the playground, where Sebastian was bombing barefoot around, mastering a tricycle and racing wildly with his friends. 

A fellow Canadian and long time friend of Charles', Jennifer, came round with her kiddies, bearing a Toronto gift pack. Thank you! 

We then had dinner with Sebastian, and afterwards headed back to the NICU for the 6.30pm feed. I was feeding Sela, and wasn't paying attention; her bottle contained 60 ml and she only was required to take 35 ml...yet I was talking with Charles who was  feeding Jax, and before I knew it, Sela had slurped (and burped) her way through the bottle. Jax did remarkably well, considering this was his second bottle feed in four hours! He managed 35 ml. Carys is still too teeny to bottle feed, but we are hoping in one week's time we will be able to feed her.

Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops.
Isaiah 42:11

Happy Two Months to the Wee Three!

We feel joy and loss as we realise the terrific trio are two months old today. The loss is for time with the triplets we can never recapture, including the precious bonding during the first few hours of life. But, the joy begins with the fact that they are alive, and sprouts from there into so many moments we always will remember, beginning with the stripping down of the triplets. 

When Charles first saw the triplets on Feb 23, through the saran wrap he saw two cms of cheek, chins and the bridge of noses. The remainder of face was covered in tape, biliruben glasses, duoderm plasters, tubes, and cloth. The next day, the blankets that had tightly swaddled the babies were removed and their bare little bodies with scrawny limbs that kept slipping out of diapers soaked up the healing rays. 

Not too long after, the goggles came off, and we saw eyes tightly screwed shut. Then the ventilator tubing and its firming tape were removed, and we were seeing more cheek, the top of the nose and quite a bit of mouth. The saran wrap "duvet" was replaced with isolettes. And the eyes were open! And the cries were weak, but audible! And lipids were slowly growing between the skin and bone. The CPAP took up a fair amount of "face space" but left the mouth unobstructed. 

And then we were down to the nasal canula, the feeding tube and the duoderm. And here we are, two months later.
 

Tonight our visit ended on a wonderful note: we enlisted a nurse's assistance, plunked down in chairs and photographed ourselves holding all three babies. All we needed was Sebastian to complete the family photo. Words cannot express our joy, possibly our eyes can. With the knowledge unless there are unforeseen circumstances upcoming, Sela will be coming home in three weeks, we have such hope, fear, gratitude and love in our hearts tonight. Two months ago, we felt those same emotions. 

The parents of Sebastian, Jasper, Carys and Sela do, and will.

Paradigm Shift: From First Class to Coach

Today when Tess arrived at the NICU she discovered our babies had moved. Currently there are a high number of premature babies at risk of being born down in K9. Therefore, the NICU staff had to empty out our room and scrub it clean in preparation for new patients. 

Our new room is very small, with only enough chairs for two once The Terrific Trio park. The monitor screens are a quarter of the size of the previous screens. At the same time, Jasper and Sela, no longer requiring incubators to regulate their temperature, have shifted into open isolettes. Carys is still in her incubator isolette. Tess had told me about the room change mid day and I could sense the apprehension in her voice. I commented to Tess, “This is probably a psychological ploy – give us a room we cannot stand for the babies and we’ll want them to go home faster!” Tess thought it was ironic that just days ago she read A LITTLE PRINCESS to Carys, where the heroine is forced to leave her luxurious rooms for the unkempt attic.

Another event today was the testing for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP). 

This is more common among premature babies. ROP is the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina that generally begins during the first few days of life and may progress rapidly to blindness over a period of weeks. The Terrific Trio have been tested twice before for ROP and passed each time. Today Sela and Carys passed their test but Jasper has a Level 1 ROP. Typically Levels 1 & 2 are observed versus being treated and resolve themselves with few if any long term vision problems. Levels 3 – 5 are more serious. The specific prayer is that Jasper’s L1 ROP disappears and that Sela and Carys have no ROP at their next test in two weeks.

Tess spent most of the day at the NICU. When I arrived for my nightly visit she was holding Sela. I spent 45 minutes holding Carys who was wide awake and very smiley. After putting her to bed I snapped a few pictures and we left their tiny room.

Leaving the NICU I walked past our old room and stopped to look inside. The door was closed and the lights off. I peered through the window and could see the familiar machines of our first month in the NICU back in position, waiting for another tiny baby to aid.

 How strange to no longer be in that room. For eight weeks we found our babies in this room. It was a powerful room, capable of saving precious little lives. This room protected them and had a terrific view of the South China Sea to boot. We were no longer there. 

To see the paradigm that one lives in often requires being pulled out of that paradigm to peer in from the outside. There I stood, staring into the old paradigm of prodigious machinery and sophisticated medical equipment, hardly noticing I was now straddling a new paradigm. In the last two weeks, Sela and Jasper’s rapid progress has been nothing short of miraculous. Changing locations, and the dramatic difference between the two rooms, pulled the rug out from under our feet, too. Changing rooms was also a signal. We’re not out of the woods yet, but at some point in the next six to eight weeks Jasper and Sela will be coming home. Carys will probably trail them by another six to eight weeks. 

As I left the hospital and walked home, (Tess had slipped out a few minutes ahead of me) I couldn’t help but be in wonderment at the miracles and tragedies of life. 

I learned today of a distant friend’s passing – Matthew Raincock, a fellow sailor from Toronto – who was killed last weekend at age 28 by a driver fumbling with their mobile phone. My strongest memories of Matthew were from when he was about ten or eleven years old and BC Yachts Services serviced his father’s boat in Toronto. A grown man and accomplished athlete and sailor on April 17th, Matthew in my minds eye still appears as a sweet eleven year old boy. Learning of Matthew’s passing cast a somber mood on my day and made me even more aware how precious a gift God’s given us in the Terrific Trio. The walk home seemed different, not unlike the room change.

Who knows what trials and tribulations lay ahead of us and our now quite large family. In only eight weeks the Terrific Trio have come so far and touched many people around the world, evidenced by the prayers, messages and e-mails received (for which we are grateful), never mind the over 40,000 hits to this site during that time. Yes, the last eight weeks have been tough, but they’ve also been sprinkled with unexpected moments of delight that tease of the joy yet to come. Meanwhile, our faith keeps  us going, given us peace, and will continue to do so.

Tess here: Re-reading past daily posts, we realise there are many inconsistencies in our tales. For example, yesterday we wrote that Carys wouldn't be wearing clothes for quite some time. Yet Sunday, she was decked out in her pink and white preemie onesie. We write what the nurses and doctors tell us and are thrilled when things happen sooner than they should and apologise for any confusion! We don't blame the doctors, they are naturally (and understandably) cautious, but also, they had NO WAY OF KNOWING GOD WOULD PERFORM SO MANY MIRACLES!

Back to Carys, wow she looked sweet in her little onesie. While a preemie size, it is so large it comes to her calves but is meant to stop at the torso. Carys is beginning to gain weight. Her face still retains that pinched look which indicates how much breathing is a challenge for her but the extra weight does fill out her face and makes her look a bit healthier.

Today I finished reading to Carys "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It is only 230 pages or so.  Over the past two weeks I have read this book to Carys. 

It was slightly surreal...that book reminds me of my own childhood, and here I am reading it to my own daughter... but these past eight weeks have been incredibly surreal so this reading this book fits in nicely.

Saturday was weigh-in day. Jasper and Sela are now 3lbs 14oz. The official "go home" weight is 4lbs, but since they are still de-saturizing, the doctors have said they will not be coming home any time soon. (If things progress at their current rate, Sela might be home in six to eight weeks.) Carys is up to 2lbs 12oz.

I nursed Jasper today and he has proved that he is't a late night man (yet). Jasper was so tired from an earlier bottle feed that although wildly interested, he couldn't stay awake.  At one point he desaturated right there in my arms. (This is when the blood oxygen saturation drops way off - ideal is 97 to 100 - as a result of not breathing properly.) I watched his lips turn blue and the monitor started bleeping. I saw his heart rate was down to 40 and his face white. 

We started talking to him loudly and tapping him. Slowly, slowly his chest started to rise... Only to stop again. His heartrate was down to 39. Wow. It made me think... "what if this happens when he comes home?" and I realised, we just have to trust that God will protect them. There is nothing we can do. Recognising powerlessness is something we have to do in order to achieve peace.

I had a nice session with Sela today. She was wearing another CUTE outfit, and although she was crying at one point, as soon as my singing started she broke out one of her sweet smiles. I am the William Hung of the NICU ward, but she doesn't seem to mind. There is nothing sweeter than unconditional love.

Another milestone this past week was Jasper and Sela graduating from the NICU. Sela did this around Thursday and Jasper on Sunday. They are now officially in an SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) level of care but in the same location. We asked what this meant... First, both babies have been taken off the computers. 

The NICU use a very complex and sophisticated computer program to track preemies with updates taking place at least once per hour. Second, under SCBU care, the tracking shifts to paper with updates only every four hours. You'll notice in Jasper's pictures the last few days he has started losing that unwell preemie look and started looking more like a regular baby, albeit small.

Sela tries to nurse but too tired. Jasper latches on for a good feed. Jasper's temp normal but still receiving antibiotics.
Carys status quo but chronic lung disease showing itself.

All three enjoy their soothers, and when they are sucking away, because the soothers are still so big for them, the soothers push against their
nasal canulas, causing the plastic to push against the top of their nostrils, and then the bridge of their nose begins to move up and down in time to the sucking motion.

Today Carys had a tough time outside her isolette. When she was being held she almost always was desaturizing, or close to it. She sleeps best when on her chest, when there is least pressure on her lungs. She will be able to wear clothes in a few weeks, when doctors no longer need to observe her colour at all times. Because of Jasper's fever yesterday he is on antibiotics and can't wear full length sleepers for a few days. He's wearing kimonos with his nappy and looks quite sweet. Our friends Dale and Stephanie gave us some great doll's clothes that will fit the kiddies just perfectly. 

Sela and Jasper take the bottle for second day running.
Jasper runs a fever. Doctors start antibiotics "as a precaution." Sela nurses for the first time.

Sela and Jasper are bottlefed 3 mls three times during the day. Fall asleep exhausted afterwards. 

Sela knocks over her regular syringe during tube feeding, covers self with breastmilk.

Believe it or not, the babies are seven weeks old today. It seems like just yesterday that we were newbies to the NICU, afraid to ruck up the saran wrap that covered our babies, not wanting to interrupt the nurses, learning that they all had flavobacteria…then again, it also seems like we have been living this double life – parents involved with friends and their two year old, as well as parents who trek up to the hospital three times a day to stare at, pray for, read to, decipher medical terms we don’t understand (not helped that everyone has to wear face masks!)…

We held the babies today, but 15 minutes before we had to leave we returned the babies to the isolettes in order that we could croon and touch Carys. Even though we know it is in her best interest, it is still tough to see her wearing a nappy that comes up to her armpits and looking so tired. 
 

Diapers are weighed before and after use to help monitor the amount each baby passes.

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Possibly most interesting, tonight when Charles was holding Jasper, the nurse gave Jax 20 millimeters of breast milk ORALLY through a syringe. Jasper was looking around smacking his lips and so forlorn after he had finished off the first 10 ml that the nurse weakened and gave him 10 more. Between the two feedings, when the nurse turned away, Jasper’s eyes tracked her as she turned away and he rooted into the air like a bird sniffing for a worm. Tess asked Charles, “What did you learn about Jasper tonight?”  Charles replied, “That he loves to eat!”

Today Carys had a small set back; the drs put her back on the CPAP.  The canula was taking too much of her energy and vigour, so in order not to impede her weight gain, the drs popped her back on the canula. She also needed a blood transfusion to regulate her hemoglobin. The nurses promised that by Monday she would be all pink again. 

The nurses are great for cheering us up and are currently encouraging us to take a holiday before the babies come in. One of them recently said to Tess, “your eyes are telling me you are tired”. Charles held both Jasper and Sela in the evening. 

One unbelievable and undisputable fact to prove the babies are growing: some of their fingernails need cutting. Amazing.
 

Sela and Jasper start wearing preemie clothes.

Tess holds Jasper, Charles holds both Carys and Sela.

All babies gain weight at weigh-in,
Sela now heaviest by a few grams.

CHARLES HELD CARYS! Each time we hold our babies it is a thrill, but now Charles can say he has held all three! We spent an enjoyable 90 minutes holding the babies, Tess hoarding Jax to herself, while Charles spent 45 minutes each with the ladies. Almost as exciting, they started wearing “human” clothes today! Carys can’t just yet because the drs want to be checking her skin tone frequently, but Jasper and Sela were decked out in the best preemie wear has to offer. As you can see, these clothes swim on them, and the nurses gently suggested we procure some doll’s clothes for the babes… 

And, Saturday is weigh in day! “South Beach Sela” made the greatest progress, moving up FOUR OUNCES to tie with her brother at 3lbs 4oz. Jasper put on a respectable three ounces, as did our not so teeny Carys, who now weighs 2lbs 5 oz. 

Carys graduates to nasal canula! 

Charles holds Jasper and Tess holds Sela, for one hour each.

Jasper manages to self-extract his feeding tube... preparing for real feeding!

Report from Tess: To give you an idea of how small our sweet Carys is: she cannot wear her wrist-identification tags properly. The plastic circle kept slipping off because it was so large. So a nurse improvised and made a loop out of the pink id tag strap and stapled it together. Little Carys continues to do well on the CPAP, she is still holding her own on 30. She is also on a two hour feeding schedule, and is getting between 12-15ml per feed. We did not manage to see a doctor today so there is no update on the fungus. We do know that it is still very present in her body.

Tonight just as we were saying our goodbyes to the wee three, Jasper and Sela contorted their features and began to wail. 

Extremely flattered, Charles and I went over to comfort them and remind them we would be back tomorrow. The cries continued and we realized that perhaps our exit was not the cause of the discord...they were hungry! Hooray! We were thrilled at the prospects of our babies developing another natural human instinct!  Even Carys was restless.

Sela's hemoglobin count is within low-normal range, while Jasper's colour is now classified as "PALLOR" with no apparent reason why. 

Sela is de-saturizing without rhyme or reason on occasion, while Jazzy-J seems to be doing well. Both are on the lowest oxygen levels possible, and are managing. 

All three seem to "do poo-poo" (to quote the nurses) at the same time every night. D'you think if we held them over a toilet during the time we know they do their (horribly smelly) business, they would be considered toilet trained???