Putting on the ounces...

First, we want to wish everyone a very belated Thanksgiving. We hope everyone had a great time with family and friends. We are so thankful this year for the 3 little miracles that we have been blessed with this year. It is so amazing how much they have already changed our lives and we wouldn't change it for a second!  We are also very, very thankful for the amazing nurses who have been taking care of our babies not only when we are gone, but the ones that are there to help us and guide us to be the best parents we can be. Our primary nurses are simply the best and we are so thankful for everything they have done for us this far and everything they have taught us along the way.
The boys have graduated to their big boy beds, and are now in the bassinets. They have been doing great at holding their temperature, and Madelynn will not be that far behind them. They are wanting to wait until she gets over the 3 pound mark to take her out of her isolette, but that could be any day now.
All 3 babies have been putting on some major weight gain, which we are so happy for! Mason is now over 5 lbs at 5 lbs 5 ozs. Dylan is over the 4 lb mark at 4lbs. 2 ozs and Madelynn is so close to the 3 lb mark at 2 lbs 12 ozs. Yesterday they all 3 had their first go round at feeding from a bottle, and they all did fantastic! All 3 babies drank 10 milliliters, which the nurses were surprised at, considering it's not very often that all 3 would drink the same amount.
We have been very successful at giving all 3 babies a bath. Granted, it was a little slow going at first, but we are getting faster at it, as well as with the diaper changes :)
The nurses and doctors are telling us that the boys will hopefully be home sometime mid-week next week, and with Madelynn we are still hoping for before Christmas. I think she will be home for sure before then, she is such a little trooper and is proving she can keep up with her brothers.
We were able to get the babies together for their first sibling photo, it made me wonder if they miss each other since they hadn't been together again since the day they were born. Enjoy the picture :)
Love,
S&B+3

Dylan Mason Madelynn

A big step towards coming home!

Yesterday was a great day for the triplets! All 3 babies got their IV's taken out, so the only fluids they are now getting is the breast milk I have been able to pump for them. This is a huge step as it means they are 1 step closer to coming home!!! All 3 are also having calories added into the milk to make sure they are able to start gaining some weight. Mason and Dylan are getting 24 calories per feeding, Madelynn is getting 22 calories per feeding. Each baby is fed on a 3 hour shift, and we are able to take them out of their little isolettes during their feeding times. It works out perfectly that no matter what time we arrive at the hospital to visit, it is usually someones turn to come out so we can start snuggling them right away.
Mason should be able to start being weened off his isolette in the next 3-4 days and start moving to a bassinet, which is another huge step to coming home. He just has to prove he can hold his body temperature steady and not need to be kept warm by the heat of the isolette. Also, with their IV's being out, we are now able to give them actual baths in a tub, so I got to help give Dylan a bath yesterday. It definitely wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but he did pretty good for the most part and only fussed a little.
Many of you have been wondering when the babies can come home, and honestly it is a day to day thing. The babies just need to show they are able to hold their body temperature, have 24 hours of feedings by either breast or bottle without any issues and pass their car seat test (this is when they have to be able to sit in their car seat for over an hour without forgetting to breathe or having any other issues). Mason and Dylan will for sure be the first to come home, with Madelynn having to spend an extra week or 2 to catch up to her brothers, but the nurses don't think she will have any problems. She is proving to show us how strong she really is and each day she does better and better.
Thank you again to everyone for all the rides, meals, and well wishes!
Love,
Shawn, Beth, Mason, Dylan and Madelynn

Mason

Dylan

Madelynn

Bittersweet day...

Well, today is the day that I end my stay here at Abbott. I have officially been here for 4 weeks and 2 days. The whole time I was here the days felt endless, but looking back I am so thankful I was here, as each day I was here made for 3 perfectly healthy little babies. It is definitely going to be hard leaving without them, but I know they are in the very best hands possible, and they are just a short car ride away. I am also free to call anytime throughout the day or night to check on them, but it is still going to be really hard.
The babies all had a great day yesterday. All 3 of them received their feeding tubes so now they are getting milk in their bellies that I have been able to pump for them. Mason is getting the most milk since he is bigger, and they increase the amount they give him every other feeding. Dylan and Maddy are not getting as much, but every feeding they increase the amount just a little bit. Eventually they will be adding a little bit of formula powder to my milk so that they can get a boost in the calories they are getting to help get them bigger so they can come home. All 3 babies have also needed to spend some time 'tanning' themselves under the light to help reduce jaundice. They don't seem to like it as much as they can't look around since their eyes are covered, but it sure makes them excited to see you when we can take them out. Maddy is also back up to her birth weight, of 2 lbs 3oz, which is great. All 3 babies lost about 10% of their weight the first couple of days, so it's good to see them putting the ozs back on again.
We can not thank you all enough for our support throughout this long, but very amazing journey. We are all so blessed to be surrounded by such good family and friends, and are so happy to bring these 3 little miracles into the world surrounded by such love!
Love,
The Olson family

Dylan Patrick

Mason James

Madelynn Grace

They have arrived!

On Saturday November 12th we welcomed 3 very healthy, beautiful babies to our family! Mason James was born first at 8:06 am weighing 4 lbs. 13 oz and 18.9" long. Dylan Patrick came next at 8:07 am weighing 3 lbs. 8oz and 16.93" long. Madelynn Grace came last at 8:08 am weighing 2 lbs 3 oz and 14.37" long. 

Mason did not make much noise when he came out, just a few whimpers, Dylan came out full of screams, and Maddy came out with small whimpers which eventually turned into crying. We were so happy that none of the babies had to go over to Children's hospital, as they are all able to breathe on their own and did not need ventilators. So they are right here at Abbott up in the special care nursery. The boys will probably need to be here for 3-4 weeks and Maddy will probably be here for 5-7 weeks. She is just a little peanut and needs to put on some weight. 

Beth is doing great as well; the surgery wasn't as bad as she had thought and is so happy to have them here. It's still a bit overwhelming to think of what we have been through in the past 4 weeks, but know that we couldn't have done it with all the prayers, thoughts, visits, calls, etc. 

We love you all,

The Olson Family

Shawn, Beth, Mason, Dylan, Madelynn and Kita

Mason James

Dylan Patrick

Madelynn Grace

3 weeks in...

... and what a crazy past 84 hours it has been. First, I want to thank everyone again for all their words of encouragement, support, prayers, thoughts, calls, texts, visits, etc. I have been trying my best to get back to everyone but quite honestly I have been absolutely exhausted with all that has gone on.
Our latest adventure started at 3am on Monday when I woke up to having my water break on one of the babies. It turned out to be our baby boy A, who is down at the very bottom doing such a good job holding his sister and brother in for us. They immediately put me on a magnesium drip to protect the babies brains if delivery was needed, an antibiotic drip to protect me and Baby A from getting any sort of infection from his fluid breaking, lab work to check my blood, and immediate hook up to the monitors to see how the babies were all handling this. I noticed the contractions getting stronger right away, as up to this point I have not been able to feel them. Luckily, with the help of the magnesium drip these slowed down and were a lot less painful.
We had our ultrasound at 2:30 on Monday afternoon to check each of their fluid levels and to see if they had gained any weight. Our little baby A boy has proved to be the trooper through all of this. He is officially at 4 lbs 3 oz, our baby boy C has also been good at putting on the ounces, as he is officially at 3 lbs 13 oz, and our little peanut girl is proving to be just that, a little peanut at just 2 lbs 1 oz. The doctors are not concerned about her weight gain, as she is gaining some weight which is better than nothing, but they are still keeping a very close eye on her. All the fluid for each of the babies came back measuring good, even on baby Boy A. So basically the doctors have said that we could go any day, or we could go in a week or 2 at most.
After that good report I was finally able to eat and drink something, as they needed me to keep an empty stomach incase delivery was on schedule for that day. Thankfully it wasn't because keeping food away from a pregnant and VERY hungry mom carrying triplets was by far the worst thing ever!
Up until this morning they have kept me on the monitors for the babies and magnesium drip 24 hours a day, so there was a lot of relief when they told me I could be taken off everything as the babies were still responding very well to the contractions and BPP tests that they have needed to pass each day. So as of now, today is not they day to deliver, but tomorrow is a whole new day and for now we are just taking it day by day. I am not able to eat or drink anything after midnight incase the next day is the arrival of our 3 little miracles.
Our goal for now is to make it until Friday, with a fun date of 11/11/11, however if I can go further they will let me, as we were informed that every day the babies spend inside me is an additional 2-3 days that the babies don't have to spend in the hospital.
Thank you again to everyone for thinking of us, and we are so gracious to have such caring family and friends following us on this amazing journey. We will keep you all posted if anything changes on the arrival of our family.
Love!
S&B+3