The Hininger Triplets

Meningitis

2010-08-13T13:23:00.007-05:00

Alex at the rehab hospital after just relearning how to sit up.

You can really see his facial palsy and the result of the injury to his third cranial nerve (which controls his left eyelid)

Alex and I just before his eyelid surgery. The surgery was meant to help him open his eye a little so he would completely lose sight in that eye.

Trying to be a happy boy. This was when we were still at the rehab hospital.

You can see the lovely ng tube in his nose.

Alex and Daddy cuddling at the rehab hospital

Alex at the rehab hospital

Alex and his puppies in the PICU

Alex relearning to pull up during physical therapy

Here is a not so brief overview of how it all went down......

Thursday Alex woke up with a high fever (104) and it would not go down. I took him to the ER where I was told he just had an ear infection and they sent us home with some antibiotics. That night he started throwing up and continued to do so early the next morning. I called the pediatrician and they instructed me to take him to urgent care because they could give him fluids there if he was getting dehydrated. We were told at urgent care that he did not have an ear infection just a stomach bug and he was given anti-nausea medicine and pedialyte and sent home. As the night went on he was really sleepy but who wouldnt be after being so sick for two days. Early Saturday morning he was so lethargic and extremely hard to wake up. I rushed him back to the ER and they did a spinal tap revealing that he in fact had bacterial meningitis. After an ambulance ride to St. Francis Children's Hospital he was intubated and heavily sedated. We went on like this for several days. The next Thursday the doctors decided to turn of the sedation and let Alex wake up. This was suppossed to be our first indication of how much damage had been done by the meningitis and subsiquent inflamation. We were told the sedation would wear off after four hours. When four hours went by and he was still not awake I started to really panick. The doctor told us sometimes it can take up to six hours, so we continued to wait. Six hours, then ten, then twelve hours passed and there had not been much change. I don't think I have ever prayed so hard in my life and we have had a rough and very prayerful year already. Finally over the weekend he started to wake up a little and move his arms and legs. Alex could open his right eye and that pupil was reacting but the left was not. On Tuesday the doctors decided try and extubate him again ( the first time he had so much airway swelling that he could not breathe and when they were re-intubating him he coded). This time things went a little more smoothly and he was successfully extubated. He began to move his arms and legs a little more, but could not longer sit up or even role over. We also noticed that the right side of his mouth was droopy and would not move at all the few times he attempted to smile. He also could not open his left eye. We knew that he could possibly have some nerve damage from the meningitis and it was becoming apparent that he did.

Knowing Alex needed a lot of rehab the doctors discharged us from the PICU and sent us to an inpatient rehab hospital in Bethany. While in Bethany Alex received physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy several times a day. He made an extremely quick recovery when it came to his gross motor skills. After being there one week he could finally sit up again on his own with just a few wobbles and was trying to crawl again. He was however still being tube fed through a nasogastric tube. He was not interested in eating or especially drinking at all. It became apparent that this would be one of our biggest hurdles. He had a facial nerve palsy on the right which left him unable to suck or eat efficiently. I feel like he was so frustrated and it felt so different and hard that he wanted nothing to do with eating and drinking. I don't know exactly what he was feeling but that was my best guess from observing him. He also still could not open his left eye although he sure tried to pry it open by raising his eyebrow as high as he could. It was devastating watching him struggle to relearn simple activities that he had previously mastered and he was constantly agitated which made therapy session seem pointless sometimes. Many of the sessions he just ended up crying in my lap not participating at all.

After two weeks the therapists and doctors decided to discharge Alex so he could finally be home with his brothers. At this point he had not been home in a month and I had barely been home at all either. There were a few days when Justin stayed with him so I could see Connor and Cade, but basically I felt like I had missed out on an entire month of Connor and Cades lives. Thankfully I have AMAZING parents who dropped everything and moved into our house for a month to take care of Connor and Cade.

We were so excited to have our family back together, but it was a little bitter sweet because Alex was still being tube fed and not even close to where he was physically before the meningitis. I should also mention that I was left in charge of Alex's tube feedings which included replacing the feeding tube whenever he or one of his brothers pulled it out. Despite our best taping efforts it did come out often. We would have to hold him down kicking and screaming and thread the tube up his nose and back down into his tummy every time it came out. I can't even begin to explain how terrible it is to repeatedly do something like that to your child, but given the situation we had no choice. Without that tube he would starve and get dehydrated.

We started outpatient speech therapy to try and get Alex eating and drinking so that we could get rid of the ng tube. Slowly but surely he started eating, but it was clear that drinking would be our biggest challenge. He screamed at the site of a cup or bottle. His facial palsy eventually started to improve and he finally started drinking a little from a bottle and occasionally would accept a cup. Even now I have to keep track of how much he drinks to make sure we get enough fluids in him. I basically carry a cup around all day offering it to him.

Alex is still has a long way to go but overall has made a seriously miraculous recovery. Every time we see a new doctor or therapist, they are amazed that he can do the things he is doing. I attribute all of this to the power of prayer. We were blown away by the support and prayers that were given and said for our family. God truly is hearing and answering those prayers. Please continue praying for our sweet boy and we will keep you posted on how he is doing.

Big Week for Big Boys

2010-06-23T09:02:00.006-05:00

Now that the boys are officially one we have been doing some very big boy things. It is funny how they all of a sudden don't seem like babies anymore. I'm always excited to see what they will do next but a little sad because before too long they will be all grown up. They are really loving all the new toys that they received for their birthday. They are now pushing cars around the hall and living room, diving into their ball pit and walking behind or along anything they can.

We have also made some MAJOR changes in boys diet. We got the OK from our pediatrician to switch from formula to whole milk. I can't even tell you what a financial relief that is. I'm not sure if you know, but they practically give milk away at the store! At least that's how it seems after buying specialty preemie formula for so many months. The boys adjusted to the new milk really well and we even dropped a bottle! We are now down to 3 bottles a day so 9 total for me to "make". I love being able to open the fridge and pour the milk in and presto! bottles made! So much easier than mixing formula everyday. It doesn't sound like that big of a deal but when time is so precious it really makes a big difference. We are also working on introducing more table foods to the boys. Our next step is to get off of baby food and on to all big boy foods. I think it will take a few more months to get there but we are definitely headed in the right direction. The boys and I took Justin out to eat at Red Robin for fathers day. Everyone was well behaved and the boys even split a grilled cheese! It is so nice to do normal things like that so we can start to feel somewhat like a normal family.

We also said goodbye to our old car seats and bought new forward facing car seats! It is soooo much easier to get the boys into the car now that they are forward facing and all sitting in the middle seat together. It is funny how such little things make such a BIG difference in our daily life.

Now that we are getting out more we have really realized what a spectacle we are. We can't go anywhere without people staring and whispering or even walking up to us and saying "wow I have never seen triplets before! Can I take a picture to put on my facebook page?" Yes, some weird (and scary looking I should add) guy wanted to put our babies on his facebook page. We just smiled and laughed it off and walked quickly in the other direction. So I guess we are sort of celebrities. Now, where is my stylist and my million dollar pay check? Just kidding! I know we aren't that special, but I do enjoy seeing people smile when we role by. Most often we just get and exaggerated "God bless you" or "you sure have your hands full". I'm sure those people are secreting thinking "thank God that's not me". What they don't know is that we really are the lucky ones. We get three times the laughs, hugs, and baby kisses. I can't imagine our lives any other way!

God is Good!

2010-06-22T20:10:00.007-05:00

What an amazing, terrifying, stressful, funny, beautiful year we have had. I can't believe my tiny babies are now one year olds. I am in awe of what God has done over the last year and a half. He has showed us that we are stronger than we ever thought and that He would see us through any situation. God is GOOD!

Connor, Alex, and Cade have come so far in one year. They truly are our miracle babies. So with that said we decided to have a big first birthday celebration. We cooked out (thanks Dad) and had cake and ice cream at our house with our close friends and family to celebrate the occasion.

Cade

Connor

One cake was not enough for Alex!

Playing in the ball pit. A present from Mommy and Daddy.

First ride in our new wagon. Thanks Nana and Papa!

First time in the real swimming pool.

Pre Party Catch Up!

2010-06-17T14:40:00.012-05:00

I am so behind on blogging!!! We have been so busy the last couple of months. The boys are now pulling up on everything and walking along the furniture and behind push toys. I can't believe how big they are getting. We have been teething a lot around our house lately. Here is the official tooth count: Cade # of teeth 0! I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have said " now he MUST be finally getting a tooth", but to no avail our tooth count still rests at a big fat zero. We may need to look into getting him some dentures soon :). Alex's tooth count is at 3 1/2. He has his two bottom teeth and one and a half top teeth. Connor now has 4 teeth and I can see two more getting ready to come in on top. I'm still amazed that he was the first to get a tooth. That was not what I would have predicted, but lets face it nothing about the last year and a half of our lives have been very predictable!

The boys battled through two nasty viruses in April and May. They all had runny noses and coughs and we ended up with three ear infections (5 infected ears total) that took two rounds of antibiotics to cure. The first virus also really took its toll on Connor. He ended up with bronchitis and we were sent home with a nebulizer to give him breathing treatments at home. About three weeks later the boys caught another virus that was very similar. They had runny noses and were coughing. On the night before labor day Connor really started wheezing so being a Sunday I took him to the pediatric urgent care. They gave him several breathing treatments there and then sent us to St. Francis where he was admitted for three days. Poor little Connor was such a trooper! It is so hard to have a baby that wants to crawl around everywhere hooked up to oxygen and an IV and stuck in a hospital room. I really feel for parents that have children that need extended stays in the hospital. It is such a difficult situation to be in. I barely got to see Alex and Cade for those three days and that was so hard. Luckily my amazing friend Megan and my Mom and Dad came to the rescue and really helped out with the boys! We are truly blessed to have such great friends and family!

The only other new news is that I went back to work one day a week. We found a great babysitter that watches the boys one day a week so that I can work. It has been so nice and is the perfect balance for me. I get one adult day a week and I can keep my ultrasound skills up to par. I do have to admit that the first couple days that I was working I really missed the boys, but I think it has been a really good thing for all of us.

"We rollin"

The view from the boys bedroom gate

Justin holding Connor in the hospital

Connor cruising the hospital halls

Alex. Our future meteorologist?

Alex hated the pool on our first attempt

Connor and Cade had a blast

Ganging up on Daddy

Happy Anniversary!

2010-04-29T18:48:00.006-05:00

I just wanted to say Happy Anniversary to my husband! I could not ask for a better husband or father for my children. You amaze me every day with your selflessness and your genuinely joyful spirit. I thank God everyday for blessing me with such an incredible man. Thank you for everything you do. You truly are the most amazing person I know!

Four years ago today in the Bahamas

Quick Catch-up! Things are Moving Fast!!

2010-04-19T09:27:00.017-05:00

I don't even know where to begin! So much has happened in the last 3-4 weeks. Ok, deep breath...... Here we go!

March 29 Connor started crawling

April 1 Connor gets two bottom teeth

By April 2 Alex was also crawling

On April 3 I went to get my haircut and have lunch with a friend. This was my first real day away from the boys and first haircut since September. It was much needed and greatly appreciated, however Justin boxed the babies up and attempted to sell them to the highest Facebook bidder! Just kidding! Sort of.....

On Easter we took the boys to church for the second time! This was our family Easter pic just before we loaded up in the car.

On April 9 we took our first road trip! We went to Woodward and stayed with Papa and Nana. The boys got to meet their Grandpa Terry, Sammye, Great Grandma Hininger, and many other friends that came over to visit. We had a great time and the trip went so much better than we expected.

3 generations of Hininger men.

Alex and Great Grandma Hininger

Cade and Papa

Nana with Connor and Alex

Alex getting a bath in Nana's kitchen sink.

On April 13 the boys turned 10 months old!

On April 18 after many, many frustrating attempts Cade started crawling!

In the last few weeks the boys are starting to LOVE finger foods, especially Cheerios and Gerber puffs. This is exciting and frustrating because now they are uninterested in eating baby food, but can't eat table food very well. I tried to explain to them that cheese puffs are not a breakfast of champions, but they don't seem to care. Barkley is really enjoying lurking under the table at meal time!

The End!

Whew........ Hope you all made it through that marathon with me! I promise to keep things a little more abbreviated next time.

Come On Spring!

2010-03-21T10:00:00.008-05:00

First Day of Spring

As we get closer to our date of freedom our spring fever has hit an all time high. The 75 degree weather on Friday only made me long for warm weather even more! Only in Oklahoma can you get sunburned from being outside on a Friday and then be in a "state of emergency" snow storm by Saturday. Now I don't really think that the weather situation is actually emergent, but I also don't plan on testing my fate on the roads with three little boys in the back of my car. All we can do is wait a couple more weeks and hope by the time we are released that the weather warms back up. How does that saying go? "If you don't like the weather just wait a minute."

Alex wondering when he can go outside.

These are the sad faces of children who want out of the house...

This is about as sad as his face gets :)

9 Months Old

2010-03-14T16:25:00.009-05:00

The boys are now nine months old! Things have been busy around here lately. We don't have any social engagements to keep up with due to our house arrest, but just keeping up with daily activities can get challenging. The boys are still taking four bottles a day so twelve total. I can't complain about that. It's a vast improvement from the twenty-four bottles we used to make everyday! They are eating solids three times a day and for the most part loving it! They still take two naps a day, but do not nap nearly as well as they used to. They can all sit up by themselves when we put them in a sitting position. Sometimes they seem to love the change of view. They had their first group bath thanks to the handy bath rings we found online. It made me a little nervous, but it actually went pretty well. They are all trying to crawl. Alex and Connor get particularly frustrated becuase they can't quite figure it out. They will get up on hands and knees and rock back and forth then thrust themselves forward and cry because they didn't get where they wanted to go. They are very determined so I know they will figure it out pretty quick. Then we will have a whole new set of problems on our hands!

Connor has been saying "mama" for the last month. I LOVE that he can say "mama"! Just recently instead of crying he just whines "mama, mama, mama, mama". Talk about a guilt trip! He knows how to push my buttons already! Today Cade also started saying "mama". Im not sure if he know what he is saying or is just repeating what he hears Connor saying. Justin thinks its funny. He likes to say "I would help you but he is clearly asking for you".

They love sitting at their table to eat or play. I keep catching them holding hands or laughing at each other. I love watching them interact.

We have taken them out a few times, but only to places we know won't be too busy so we can keep our distance from people. We get a lot of stares, but I just try to act normal and go about what I am doing. Those who know me well know that any sort of excess attention makes me uncomfortable. Lucky for me I married a man who eats it up!

I have the worst case of Spring fever this year. Spring can't get here soon enough. I am so ready to get back to normal life or what our new normal life will be. It has been so hard staying cooped up inside hardly seeing friends or family. However hard it has been I know it was worth following doctors orders and having three healthy babies. We have so many family members and friends that have yet to meet the boys. We are only two weeks away from the end of RSV season and then we are breaking out of this house and hitting the road! Watch out world hear come the Hiningers!!!

First group bath. Connor was a little leary at first!

Cade, Alex, and Barkley

Cade sitting up for the first time!

Connor

Teething biscuits should come with some sort of warning....

When mixed with baby saliva they turn into super glue!

Fun at the table

Connor

Cade

Alex

What We Have Been Up To

2010-02-25T19:22:00.005-06:00

Connor trying to crawl

Tried on our new hooded towels

Connor

Cade

Alex

Cade became the "snuggly boy"

Connor found his toes

Alex had a few rough nights

Lots of wrestling

Cade practicing sitting

Connor

7 Months Old

2010-01-09T14:15:00.007-06:00

The boys are almost seven months old! They just had their six month appointment. It was pushed back a few weeks because of the holidays. They are doing great! Cade weighed 15lbs 11oz and was 25.5 inches long. He made it onto the growth chart for his actual age! He was only in the tenth percentile, but at least he made it on the chart! Connor weighed 14lbs 7oz and was 24.5 inches long. Alex weighed 14lbs 1oz and was 24.5 inches long. This visit to the doctor was quite possibly the longest in history. My mom went with me and we felt like we had been through the ringer by the time we got home. We arrived at the the office around 2:45 and did not make it out of there until around 5:30. The boys had missed a nap and would not settle down enough to eat so they also missed a meal and on top of that they each got 4 shots! It was a long afternoon to say the least. Nana you deserve a metal for going through that with me! I could not have survived the day without you!

We have just started to introduce solids to the boys. So far they have tried rice cereal, oatmeal, and green beans. Alex loves to eat from a spoon, Cade is still not sure what is going on and Connor is starting to getting the hang of it. I can't decide what to give them next. There seem to be so many opinions on what order to introduce certain foods. I am definitely open for suggestions!

The boys have also started to interact more. They love to stare and reach towards each other. Cade has become quite the bully in the last few days. If Connor or Alex are within reach he is either pulling hair or an ear! I have to rescue the poor victim before they start screaming. I can't believe I am already breaking up fights! I know this is only a sign of things to come........

Justin and I feel so blessed to have these three amazing boys in our life. They are truly little miracles and gifts from God. They are all starting to get their own little or should I say big personalities.....

Cade is such a happy smiley boy. I have to say he definitely has the best hand eye coordination of the three....Hence the hair and ear pulling! He loves his play gym with all the hanging toys he can grab and pull on. He just started rolling up from his back to his sides. He can role all the way over but is not a fan of being on his tummy or participating in tummy time for that matter. He is my best sleeper at night. Since the first night he slept through the night I have never had to comfort him or even give him a single pat. He just sleeps soundly from around 7:30 at night until I get him up around 7:00 the next morning. He is fairly laid back. So much so that his Papa has called him "cool breeze".

Connor is our sweet tiny boy. Even though he finally out grew Alex (we still aren't sure how that happened) he will always be my "baby bug". He loves to snuggle and just roles up into a little ball like a rolly polly. He loves to giggle at just about anything. His little laugh melts my heart and I can't think of anything I love to hear more. Just in the last few days Connor has started to prefer to sleep on his side. This is such a relief because he has quite a flat spot from laying flat on the back of his head. He even accidentally rolled onto his stomach and slept that way for part of a nap! He is not the best eater, but I am hopeful with the new food we are introducing he will learn to love eating.
Alex still wants to believe he is an only child. He came home from the hospital first and spent a whole week as an only child and now he can't figure out why we are always holding those other two babies. He is a very vocal boy. I love to listen to his sweet babbling and who could miss his attention seeking screams! I can't wait until these boys are able to really play with each other. Thats when Alex will be glad that he has two brothers around. I have a feeling he will be the social butterfly of the group. He has become such a good eater! He loves his bottles and is really loving eating from a spoon. Today he cried because I couldn't get the food in fast enough!

Christmas!

2010-01-09T13:33:00.004-06:00

We had a wonderful first Christmas with the boys! I can't believe we actually had a white Christmas! I loved the snow! My parents and brother came to our house to help us celebrate. We had a lot of fun and of course loved having a few visitors since we still can't take the boys anywhere. Uncle Blake even volunteered to babysit so Justin and I could go to a movie! This was the first time for us to really go out together since they came home. That was by far the best Christmas present!

Uncle Blake with the boys

Trying out the new table

Cade and Connor

Papa and Cade

Barkley wearing her Christmas scarf

Alex

2009-12-05T09:45:00.002-06:00

Alex at 4 Months

Connor

2009-12-05T09:40:00.002-06:00

Connor at 4 Months

Cade

2009-12-05T09:30:00.004-06:00

Here are some of Cade's 4 month pics! Only two months late......

Update

2009-12-02T14:02:00.008-06:00

Ok, this is my attempt to bring my poor blog back to life. Here is the update on the Hininger household.....

We are still on house arrest with flu and RSV season in full swing. We have had a few outings only to attend doctors appointments of course! The boys are getting so big! Cade weighs about 14lbs 6oz and Connor and Alex both weigh about 13lbs 4oz. We have been battling a few ailments for the past month. So far we have been able to avoid the flu, colds, and RSV. However the boy's acid reflux made a brutal comeback! It all started with Alex screaming when we tried to feed him then lead to him refusing to eat all together. It took us a while to realize that is was the acid reflux again because we were also battling the hemangioma on his leg that is now ulcerated. A week after Alex's hunger strike began Connor and Cade also started crying during feedings and refusing food. This is when we finally figured out that the boys had outgrown their current dose of medicine. So now we are finally getting back on track with eating.

The boys are smiling and laughing all the time. I absolutely love it! It is so funny the things I find myself doing just to get them to smile or the hear them laugh. They are starting to grab things and are really becoming aware of one another. I keep catching Alex looking at Connor and Cade and smiling. It is too cute! The best news of all is that all three are sleeping through the night! We put them to bed around eight-thirty and they don't get up until seven! Every now and then I have to get up to give one of the boys their pacifier, but that is about it.

My family has lovingly given me the nickname "the Nazi". They think that I get a little carried away with keeping everyone on schedule.... In my defense, although they are great help when they are here, they don't know what it is like to take care of three babies all day without any help. Staying on schedule is the only way to keep your sanity. Anyone who feels the need to criticize "the Nazi's" scheduling is more than welcome to get up in the middle of the night with the boys if they get off schedule ;)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for this year! Our Thanksgiving celebration was narrowed down to only a select few (My mom, dad, and brother) in attempt to keep the babies healthy. We were so excited that Blake was able to make it and meet his nephews for the first time! Sadly, in all the hustle and bustle I somehow failed to get the camera out even once! I am really kicking myself for this! I vow to do better in the future. Here are a few pictures from the past couple months!

4 Months Old

2009-10-19T14:30:00.005-05:00

I am a little late in posting as usual, but the boys officially turned four months old last week! They are really growing. They are becoming such smiley little guys. First thing in the morning is my favorite time of day with them. They are so happy and well rested (even if Justin and I are not).

Some of their accomplishments are:

- can all role from tummy to their backs Connor has really become a pro at this. It is hard to keep him on his tummy for very long.

-They are starting to reach for objects

-Take naps twice a day and sleep for almost twelve hours at night (waking to eat twice of course!)

-Graduated from the apnea monitors!!!! We were not sad to see those things go!

4 month weights: Connor 8lbs 14 oz, Cade 9lbs 8oz, and Alex 9lb 10oz

Supermom

2009-10-04T09:55:00.008-05:00

It is funny how excited I can get about the smallest accomplishments when it comes to these boys. Usually everyday I get up and feed the boys and rarely leave their room for the rest of the day. It is constant feeding entertaining one baby while two sleep or vice versa. We constantly have our swings and bouncy seat going. After reading a blog of another triplet mom I decided to read a book that she recommended to get babies on a schedule. The boys are on a strict eating schedule but sleeping is a different story. They all sleep at different times during the day and night. Now if I had just one baby I could be more laid back and maybe just let the baby set the schedule, but with three I never have a moment to myself except for the occasional bathroom break. Even then by the time I made it back in the room someone is always crying. After using some of the methods in the book I had all three boys napping in their beds all at the same time. I walked out of their room and had 2 whole hours to myself! I didn't really even know what to do with myself. Even better than that they all woke up happy and went to bed last night without any problems! I know it sounds silly but I felt like Supermom!

The boys are getting so big. I had to retire their newborn clothes. Now they are officially wearing 0-3month clothes. I can't believe it. I remember when their preemie clothes were huge on them. I am so glad they are growing and getting strong but it makes me sad to think how fast they really do grow up. They are all beginning to smile off and on and have rolled from their tummy to back a couple times. Katie came to take some pictures of the boys last week. Lets just say they were less than cooperative. Poor Katie tried her best but they are at a difficult stage where they are not sleepy newborns and they are not big enough to hold themselves up so we ended up with a jumble of babies. One sleeping one flailing and one crying. I hope we didn't wear her out too much :). Thanks to Katie for being so patient! Here are a few pics we have taken at home in the last couple weeks.

Cade
Cade, Connor, and Alex
Connor
Alex

What a Week!

2009-09-19T18:09:00.004-05:00

I officially survived the week! I still can't believe I have all my boys at home together! We had such a great (and exhausting) week together. On Thursday I made a trip to the pediatrician with Connor and Alex. I was more than a little nervous to take both boys all by myself, but in the end we all survived. Alex weighed in at 7lb 10oz and Connor was 7lb 1oz. I can't believe they are growing so fast! If I had to guess I bet Cade is around 8lb. We will have an official weight when I take Cade to the doctor on Tuesday.

I guess you could say we are settling into our new life at home with the boys. The boys eat every three hours. It takes me about an hour to get everyone fed during the day. At night Justin and I run a fairly decent zone defense. Together we can get them fed and back to bed in about 40 minutes leaving a couple hours to sleep before its time to start all over again. It is exhausting but I am loving every minute of it! We should have some professional pictures taken soon, but until then I will post the few pics we have managed to find time to take.

Our Family is Complete!!!!!!

2009-09-09T20:54:00.002-05:00

No words needed to describe...... enjoy the pics!!!!!!

2 down - 1 to go!

2009-09-05T15:45:00.004-05:00

Well, after much complaining from friends and family for not updating the blog in a while I figured we would let everyone know what's going on in the Hininger household and the St John NICU. Sorry for the delay.......its not like we are busy or anything.

OK, to catch everyone up, here is what has happened in the last few weeks.

On Aug 21st we got to decide wether to take Alex home on caffeine and a monitor or let him stay in the NICU for a little while longer because he didn't pass his sleep study with flying colors. We were really hoping to not have to take the boys home with monitors but Oh well. They have been tangled up in wires since they were born. The first week Alex was home was actually a piece of cake! You folks with one at a time don't know how easy you have it :)

Its very strange to to treat a baby that has been born for 3 months as a newborn since they actually aren't even suppose to be born yet.

We were extremely excited to bring one of the boys home but it was a bitter sweet experience as it would greatly interfere with the amount of time we could spend with Cade and Connor.

One week after Alex had been home, Cade and Connor took and passed the car seat tests. Next was the PCG or sleep study. Both failed :( This means that they were still having bradys and apneas - though typically only with feedings.

The neonatologists decided that we were old hat at this and let us go ahead and take Cade home with caffeine and a monitor.....great more wires to trip on and get tangled. Connor didn't do as well on the test as he was desating often during feeds. This prompted bringing in a speech pathologist to examine his eating patterns and make recommendations on how to get rid of the desats. Then they ordered a barium test to watch his swallowing under X-ray to make sure it was going down the right tube. After that test the recommendation was to thicken the milk with rice cereal so he could control it better with the back of his tounge and keep it from partially choking him. As of Saturday this has really helped and we are extremely excited to learn that he may be able to come home in the next few days.

As for home life, this has been comical to say the least. We are somewhat prisoners in our own house. We were given strict instructions to keep these boys out of public places and REALLY limit visitors for a while. Their release just so happened to coincide with school starting and we all know what germ factories elementary schools are. Also with the HINI flu (thats what Court and I call the H1N1 Virus) and RSV season getting close, we feel the best thing for everyone is to stay put til we can build up some immunities. Every morning Court fixes 16 bottles to make it through the day and we go through about 20 to 24 diapers a day!

Cade and Alex have actually done a lot better when we finally gave in and decided to let them sleep together. They kind of console each other instead of screaming for us to do it for them. Cade is such a sweet boy and has a personality that is polar opposite of Alex. Cade is completely content chilling and staring at things where Alex typically needs constant stimulation or entertainment. As soon as we get Connor home, he'll have more constant entertainment than he knows what do to with.

Very soon our family will be complete. Barkley has tolerated the new additions very well considering. I think when we bring another home though she's gonna decide to pack up and leave. :)

More soon.......if we have a spare minute

Is That The Light?

2009-08-05T08:41:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I caught a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. We are starting to make some major progress! Alex and Cade are now breathing room air with no nasal cannula! Connor still needs a little oxygen, but we are hopeful he will catch up soon. Today Cade took his whole bottle for the first time! So many exciting things all at once. I can't believe how different they are starting to look now that they are gaining weight. Connor currently weighs 4lb 2oz, Alex 4lb 9oz, and our chunky boy Cade weighs 4lb 12oz. You know you have been in the NICU too long when you start to think that a four pound baby looks chunky :). Justin saw a regular size newborn the other day and thought the baby was about 6 months old.

I am posting the latest pictures of our three beautiful boys! In case you have been wondering the circles on the babies cheeks are just stickers that hold the nasal cannula on. Cade and Alex still have them on just in case.

Alex
Daddy and Alex
Cade
Cade
Connor
Connor

Growing

2009-08-02T21:23:00.003-05:00

The boys are really growing! Today Connor weighed 3lb 15.9oz, Alex weighed 4lb 5oz, and Cade weighed 4lb 9oz. They are all still on oxygen but are doing really well. We are starting to attempt bottle feeding at least once a day. So far Cade holds the record. He took 15ml! Everyone should catch on soon. The boys have been holding their own temperatures so hopefully they can move to open cribs soon. We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Alex in his new hat and blanket

Grandpa and Nana visiting

Connor and Daddy

Alex and Cade

One BIG happy family

Bathtime

2009-08-02T20:57:00.007-05:00

As most of you have informed me this post is way past due :). A week ago Justin and I got the give Alex and Cade their first bath. Connor missed out because he still had an IV in his foot and could not get it wet. We also got to help weigh the boys. Here are the pics!

Connor on the scale

Daddy putting Cade on the scale

Alex wanted to role off the scale so he had to lay on his tummy

Cade getting a bath

Cade with his hand IV wrapped up to keep it dry

Alex getting a bath

Alex

So Happy Together

2009-07-18T09:51:00.005-05:00

Me and you and you and me no matter how they toss the dice la la la la so happy together..... Ok, you get the point our boys were reunited finally after 33 days apart! It was such a amazing day to see all three of them side by side. Our nurse moved all of the beds close together so we could hold them all at once. Many of you have asked if Alex went back to picking on Connor like when they were in my belly. Amazingly they picked right back up where they left off. Alex was poking Connor in the eye and making Connor cry. Cade went right back to sleep and stayed asleep most of the time. Having all my boys together was the best feeling!

A couple of other side notes that are very exciting - ALL 3 ARE OVER 3 LBS!!!!! This has been a hump we have been working on with Connor for some time now and he finally made it. Cade is at 3lb10oz, Alex is 3lb2oz, and Connor is 3lbs. Looks like we will start bottle feeding next week. Cade's feedings are increasing to 30ml/3hr and the other two are going up to 28ml/3hr today.

The other big news is that all 3 are on a regular nasal cannula now. We discontinued the high flow this morning and were informed that it's very unlikely to go back. This is a HUGE step in the right direction and we are very excited! Getting closer and closer to going home :)

1 MONTH OLD!!!!!!

2009-07-13T22:28:00.011-05:00

Cade

Connor

Alex

The boys are one month old today! I can't believe it. This may have been the longest month in history.... I am so proud of these little guys. They have been through so much in such a short period of time. I can't believe how strong they are. They are starting to grow so fast. Here are the updated weights: Connor 2lb 14oz, Cade 3lb 7oz, and Alex 3lb 1oz. They are all off IV fluids and may switch from the high flow nasal cannula to a regular nasal cannula in the next couple of days. Feeds have increased dramatically since our last post. Alex is eating 20ml/3hr, Connor 22ml/3hr, and Cade 24ml/3hr! Today they also got to start wearing clothes! Cade is the only one big enough to fit into some of the preemie clothes that we have. The nurses put little t-shirts on Alex and Connor. We have had several great days in a row and I finally feel like we are making some major progress. We can't wait for the day they can come home!

2009-07-10T13:58:00.008-05:00

Sweet little Connor

Alex waving to his fans!

Cade Sleeping

Cade busting out of his micro preemie diaper

Today was a good day!!!

2009-07-09T21:41:00.004-05:00

Hello all,
The last week has been extra busy! Here is a quick update of everything that has been going on. Alex got sick, then Connor got sick, then (you guessed it) Cade got sick. Everyone had a bug that caused some setbacks. Alex had to be reintubated, and so did Connor. Cade toughed it out and never got to that point. Alex had it kinda rough and had to discontinue feedings then Connor had to do the same.

Today, Connor came off the vent (woo hoo)!!!! He was the last one.

All back on room air with a nasal cannula.

Cade has moved up to the big boy diapers (they are still the preemie diapers though). They look really funny to Court and I because we are used to the little micro preemie diapers. He is, as always, the big'un. 3lb 3oz.
Alex is 2lb 15oz -Almost 3 lbs!
Connor was sick the longest so hasn't put on weight as the others so he is around 2lb 7oz today.

Cade and Connor are taking feedings of 12ml/3hr and Alex is at 5ml/3hr.

We got to hold all 3 today!!! That was a refreshing change. Thinking back, I can't remember a day where we got to hold all 3.

I held Alex, who had Lasix last night to get rid of some extra fluid, and of course.......he peed on my chest. Oh well, something about it being my kid makes it not quite as gross.

We have several new pics that I will post soon.

Thanks for the prayers and thanks for reading.

More soon,
Justin

A few new pics of the boys

2009-07-03T23:30:00.006-05:00

Finally.......this is what it is suppose to look like

Big Boy Cade found his fingers!!!! He will figure out that this sucking thing makes his belly full!

Connor was very alert today

Connor wide awake but wore his daddy out.

NICU - Day 20 and Counting

2009-07-03T10:22:00.005-05:00

Alex seems to be fighting his infection. He did have to go on an oscillating ventilator to control his CO2 level but got to go back to a normal vent this morning. Settings are already coming down and will start feedings today. We look to get him off the vent completely in a day or two. No holding Alex until cultures are clean and he is off the vent :(

Connor is catching up rapidly. He has been the smallest since birth and is now up to 2lb 5oz and has his feedings up to 7ml/3hr. I am going to hold him today!

Cade is still the hoss of the group weighing in at a whopping 2lb 13oz! Even though I have caught bass bigger than that he is gonna get bigger than me before we know it :) Court gets the arm work out holding Cade today.

Funny side note: Cade is the biggest by far but is still in the little micro preemie diaper which looks kinda funny. Alex and Connor went to bigger diapers cause they kept peeing out the side.

BOYS.........Go Figure!!!!

The NICU Roller Coaster

2009-07-02T10:22:00.008-05:00

We were told by the NICU doctors that our boys would have many ups and downs throughout their stay. Every time we have several good days in a row I start to think that everything will continue to go smoothly and then I am reminded that this truly is a roller coaster ride and we aren't allowed to get off........ I hate to have to report negative news but unfortunately this is our reality. Alex has been our little show off for the last few weeks and now he has an infection. The doctors told us that at some point we should expect them all to have an infection of some sort. That is just the nature of having premature babies. Alex is back on the ventilator to help him rest and give him some assistance breathing. He also started a course of antibiotics. This should knock out the infection in a few days.

On a lighter note...... Connor and Cade are both doing well and continue to gain weight. Yesterday Cade taught me a lesson about changing little boys diapers. I learned you must be fast and keep everything covered or chances are you will get peed on! Thank you Cade for teaching me this valuable lesson :)

We appreciate all of the prayers. Please continue to pray for the health our little guys!

Post Surgeries - Things have been great!!!!

2009-06-30T17:47:00.004-05:00

Here is Alex taking his pacifier for the first time!

Momma holding Connor
Daddy holding Alex

Mamma holding Cade (for the first time)

Day 13-17 in the NICU have been Great! A little update, Connor was extubated a couple days after surgery. Cade was the last one on the vent and we finally got to take him off Tuesday afternoon and Court got to hold him for the first time today. We worked on weening him off the O2 for a while but he had a pretty major surgery just the other day.......no need to rush these things :) Alex has continued to do very well, getting kangaroo care daily (he's spoiled)! Connor has been on Kangaroo for the past few days now and Court, Connor, and I are loving it. Everyone is tolerating feedings, Alex 6ml/3hr, Cade 5ml/3hr, Connor 5ml/3hr. Oh and by the way, if they are eating they are pooping. Courts got this diaper changing thing down.......tough enough with one kiddo........but as most of you probably guessed.....I have a LOT to learn.

Cade is still our big fish weighing in at an impressive 2lb8oz, Alex is next at 2lb5oz, and then little Connor at 2lb2oz. I think the increased feedings will get everyone equal pretty quick.

I'm starting to realize that they're not quite as breakable as I once thought.

More soon.

Justin

The Good, the Bad, and the Worse!

2009-06-25T22:35:00.005-05:00

After Court and I discussed it, we decided that we would be doing ourselves and our boys a disservice if we didn't document ALL that's been going on ie omitting the tough stuff.

The GOOD:
Alex is daddy's little rockstar!! We get to Kangaroo Care him every day, his feedings are every 3 hrs and he is up to 5ml per feeding. Little Alex is now over his birth weight......yaaaaay!! Court and I are having a little bit of a hard time not feeling guilty spending so much time and effort with Alex...but he has been doing the best and we want to do all the things allowable to help in his development. Anyone with multiples - feel free to comment and let me know if we are crazy for feeling this way.

The BAD:
As mentioned in an earlier post: Cade and Connor just weren't quite breathing well enough on their own so they had to be reintubated. After several days of this and the boys being NPO (no food just fluids) and several issues with O2 sats, an Echo cardiogram was ordered to check their PDA's. The echo showed that, though initially almost closed, both Cade and Connor's had significantly opened and was sharing oxygenated blood with deoxygenated blood - thus keeping the O2 levels low. The only way to correct at this point is through surgery.
PDA ligation is very minimally invasive routine procedure that clips off the vessel that is too immature to close on it's own. Surgery was done in the NICU - quick and at the time thought a success.

The WORSE:
After multiple X-Rays to check location of the clips - it is determined that Connor has a Pneumothorax - which requires the placement of a chest tube. Poor little buddy. The next day a follow up echo is performed to determine the effectiveness of the procedure and to ensure the blood flow of the PDA has ceased. Connor's normal, Cade's NOT NORMAL. Some how there is still a lot of blood flow through the PDA and very little blood flow through the pulmonary artery. When the reading cardiologist sees this he immediately calls the surgeon who then calls Court to tell her that her Baby will be going down to surgery as soon as he can get to the hospital to do a BIG surgery. Nightmares ensue.
Had to bring a team of people to take our little baby away to surgery where he would get an open thoracotomy to revise the initially placed clips and check to see if there is any bleeding. If you are a parent and have or have not experienced anything like this - it is about the worst thing you can imagine doing. After what seemed like one of the longest stretches of time in history, about an hour and a half, the surgeon comes to let us know that everything went great and that the PDA is closed and the pulmonary artery doesn't seem to be injured.

Day #3 since all this mess: Follow up XRAYS show Connor's pneumo is mostly gone and and we can take out his chest tube. Cade's XRAY is clean so his chest tube is removed as well! Also Cade's echo confirmed surgical results, closed PDA, pulmonary artery seems to be unfazed. As of press time - all doing pretty well. Cade has been on morphine most of the day to control any pain so very sleepy, and we think Connor comes off the vent tomorrow and starts feedings on Saturday.

Can't wait to hold them all..........we are very thankful for the prayers!!!

More soon
Justin

Aaha! A way to tell them apart!

2009-06-23T10:18:00.005-05:00

We discovered Alex has a heart shaped hemangioma on the back of his right leg. It is soooo cute! It may disappear with time, but his Grandma plans to use it to tell him apart from Connor.

Kangaroo With Alex

2009-06-22T10:02:00.007-05:00

Yesterday when we got to the hospital we found out that we would be able to "kangaroo" Alex. When you kangaroo you hold the baby against the bare skin of your chest so you are skin to skin. We were so excited! I admit I felt a little guilty since it was Fathers Day and I was the one getting to hold Alex, but Justin was so sweet and reassured me that it was fine. Olivia, our nurse, slid Alex down into the top of my dress and we cuddled for several hours. It was such a great feeling getting to hold him for the first time. I can't wait to get to hold all three!

My First Father's Day!

2009-06-21T21:06:00.005-05:00

Well, for my first father's day, Alex decided to make me a giant black tar filled diaper.....my first to change. I was so proud!!!! Most parents probably dread the dirty diaper (and I will to soon enough) but when these boys are filling theirs that means feedings are going well and we are moving in the right direction.

Pretty mild day (medically speaking). Not too many alarms and what not (If you've ever spent time in an ICU or NICU just multiply that x3 with all the gadgets with bells and whistle that are going off constantly). THIS IS OUR LIFE :)

2 steps forward and 1 step back?

2009-06-19T22:29:00.003-05:00

Hey all,
Well, Cade and Connor decided they would forget to breath a few times today. A few episodes of apnea prompted the docs to reintubate............and we were doing so well!! Looks like they will leave them like that and monitor closely and hopefully go back to high flow nasal canula tomorrow.
My little Rock Star, Alex, is still kickin it on his own.
We are still trying to figure out the feedings (Alex made a huge poop today, Sweet). We have changed up some of the liquid diet to have a little less sugar content so we can get their blood sugar closer to where we want it.

Well, we have been prepped about the roller coaster that is the NICU - ups and downs - and I guess the "honeymoon period" is over. So far everyone is doing well - just wish we could fast forward through all the tuff stuff and bring them home!

Thanks for all the prayers
Justin

Barkley Hininger

2009-06-18T22:35:00.003-05:00

Well we didn't want to leave out our first child, Barkley the Goldendoodle. We love her as much today as the day we brought her home (and she will no doubt have a big presence on the blog)! She is excited to be a big sister!

Alex's little video

2009-06-18T22:30:00.001-05:00

Cade's little video

2009-06-18T22:29:00.007-05:00

Connor's little video

2009-06-18T22:24:00.006-05:00

Sorry three kids at once take a lot of space to show off :)

And a couple more

2009-06-18T22:14:00.003-05:00

Yes that clock is AM - our great nurse Allison standing under clock
our mega suite in the NICU

Takes two photos to get it all in :)

Yaaay going home after 18 days, bittersweet!

pappa holding Cade to get him to stop crying

A few more pics from this week

2009-06-18T22:03:00.003-05:00

Alex sun tanning
Proud parents just after delivery

A few of the army of people in the OR at 3AM

Our 2 excellent drs delivering the boys

Cade meeting mama for the first time

Alex Chase Hininger

2009-06-18T11:18:00.004-05:00

Our Baby C was the first to want out, but the last to be born. Alex was always the wild one in my belly, constatntly kicking and moving around. We knew he would be a handfull. Alex is just not comfortable unless at least one leg is kicked out (Justin sleeps the exact same way). He is also doing great. I got to take his temperature and change his diaper today! I never new you could feel such joy in performing such a small task, but I LOVED every second of it.

Cade Logan Hininger

2009-06-18T11:09:00.007-05:00

Our Baby B was born at approx. 3:31 am and came out crying. It was such an amazing sound to actually hear him! Cade is our "big boy". He definitely has found his voice. Justin and I got our first sense of accomplishment comforting him until he stopped crying. He also was the first one of the boys to move off the ventilator (this pic is from day 1 while still on vent). He made that decision for himself when he pulled the tubes out and decided to breath on his own. We were so proud! He is always looking around and could melt anyone's heart with those eyes.

Connor Luke Hininger

2009-06-18T10:59:00.004-05:00

Our baby A was the first to arrive at approx. 3:30 am on June 13th. Connor entered the world feet first. Justin could not believe it when he first saw those little legs. So far he is doing very well and seems to be the calm one of the three. Everytime I see him he is just resting so peacfully (probably relieved to be out from under his two brothers). Connor is breathing on his own with a high flow nasal canula and is working up to feedings. Connor strongly resembles his identical twin brother, Alex, but Justin and I think they all look just a little different from one another.

Not a boring patient any more!!!!!!

2009-06-15T22:41:00.009-05:00

2:30 am Friday June 12, 2009 - like any other night in the hospital, I get up for the 4th time to go to the bathroom. Nothing new. That is until I am washing my hands and feel like I just urinated again right down my legs. With an obvious sense of urgency I call in the nurse and tell her what happened. She preforms a test on the puddle I left in the bathroom in front of the sink, no shock here - it's amniotic fluid. 27 weeks, 5 days not good. At this rate there is no way I'm making it to my goal of 34 weeks (unrealistic I know, but if you don't set lofty goals, how do you expect to ever achieve greatness).

Next step: Call Justin

After calling his cell, TWICE, and the house he finally answers: "Sniffle, Sniffle, Sob, Sob, You better come up here now" "Be there in 10" click

The nurses now put on the 4 monitors to watch contractions, and all the babies' heart rates, I am used to this as it is done twice daily. I feel like I'm wrapped up like a mummy with straps completely encompassing this giant protrusion where my belly button use to be.

Justin arrives and the the poor Dr on call comes in to preform exam. He explains to us what most likely happened and what is going to happen.

I know he was just staring at the clock waiting for his shift to be over - NO ONE in there wanted to deliver 27 5/7 week trips at 4 in the morning with a skeleton crew.......Especially ME!

Contractions finally subdued and Dr. Lakin comes in to assess the situation. After a consult with our high risk specialist who also came in we all decide - We're not ready for these babies to come.
Bring on the MAG WASH - for those of you who don't know, a mag wash is an IV delivered Solution of Magnesium Sulfate that is given in bolus form - large dose very quickly - then continually pumped in at a slower pace. I believe the sole purpose of this medicine is to make you feel like ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!!! Actually used as last resort to knock out contractions and hold off labor.

On top of feeling, probably the worst I have ever felt, I am now officially in labor. I've been having contractions for weeks and weeks with some slight discomfort and pressure - but no amount of explanation can describe the pain that comes along with this.

New Goal: Hold off for 48 hrs to allow the 2 giant doses of steroids to help these boys' lungs develop. Both Dr. Lakin and Dr. Blake leave their clinic to check on me frequently throughout the day (They are absolutely awesome).

Mid Afternoon and no sign of letting up on contractions - and/or pain.......

Another bolus of the most God awful substance on earth, MgSO4.

OK we are gonna make it through the night......

Well, They're Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-14T18:50:00.005-05:00

The next few posts will be out of chronological order as the last few days have been kinda crazy so I'll start by telling you the pertinate info that everyone asks for.

Birthday/time
Name
weight
length

June 13, 2009 3:30 AM
Connor Luke Hininger (Baby A) (identical twin)
1lbs 15oz
13 inches

June 13, 2009 3:31
Cade Logan Hininger (Baby C)
2lbs 3 oz
14 inches

June 13, 2009 3:32
Alex Chase Hininger (Baby B) (identical twin)
1lbs 15oz
13 inches

Getting a Van Today? I don't think so!

2009-06-12T19:32:00.004-05:00

After weeks of looking for the perfect family truckster, Justin found "the ONE". Although he has found "the ONE" several times, sigh, this one was actually in OKC instead of Kansas City or Dallas. He has been instructed not to get too far from town.

Well, Baby B decided he was ready to get the party started this morning at around 3 AM(more on this later) so needless to say, we still have 3 giant car seats and no vehicle to put them in. Oh well, we have time.....Right?

Cravings

2009-06-06T10:35:00.003-05:00

I'm not really a picky eater. If you have ever spent time around me while eating, you will probably disagree. I like what I like and don't like what I don't. The likes are easy, "plain with nothing on it" is very common vernacular around our house. I was kind of looking forward to cravings. I have heard the stories of people who were relatively plain eaters, that got the urges from their baby's (or babies' in my case) for things like green beans, vegetables, etc.......you know the nutrients to get them big and strong.

My only craving - COKE!!! Not Diet Coke, not Coke Zero, definitely not caffeine free Diet Coke, Just good ole plain Coca Cola Classic. The Red Can from Heaven.

How is this fair? Besides cigarettes and booze, isn't caffeine the next highest on the no-no list. My only craving and it has to stay just out of reach............OK snow cones will do!

Glucose test, What????

2009-06-05T19:12:00.006-05:00

As if eating hospital food 3+ times a day wasn't bad enough, I had to take a test this morning to check my glucose level. This involved skipping breakfast, drinking a nasty sugar solution and having my blood drawn and tested.

Naturally..........I failed miserably.

So now, with a possible diagnosis of gestational diabetes - my menu, which was difficult enough to choose from, was cut in half and most of the things that I actually could tolerate were eliminated from the choices. Excellent (please note the sarcasm)

My one comfort was the fact that I could eat what I wanted....this big room just got a lot smaller :(

Well, I have nothing but time on my hands so I elected to take the 3 hour - worst glucose test. More fasting, worst sugary solution, more blood draws. I PASSED! Totally Worth It. M&M's here I come!

After a few days of feeling like I was gonna starve - Three boys sure do eat a lot -and countless finger pricks, I'm back to my semi tolerable normal menu choices. Justin makes frequent fast food stops for me though.

I can make it

26 Weeks 3 Days

2009-06-03T18:08:00.004-05:00

So I decided (after much prompting from friends) to start a blog. Hopefully I can get the hang of this and keep everyone updated on the status of our rapidly expanding family. So far I have survived six days in the hospital on bed rest! That is quite an accomplishment. I was addmitted last Friday to help prevent preterm labor. I have been having contractions off and on for several weeks now, but they were starting to become a little too frequent. Now I am being monitored around the clock to make sure that the contractions don't get too close together. The doctor has me on a few different medications to help control the contractions. I am currently 26 weeks and 3 days! Although I am so excited to see these three little boys we are trying to keep them in until at least 32 weeks. I will attempt to post some pictures, but bare with me while I get the hang of this blogging thing!