I just wanted to post about me for a minute.  The day of Maggie’s episode, as we call it, I went for a job interview at Northside to work in Labor and Delivery as a nurse.  I was offered the job, and I was supposed to start the next week.  Everything was put on hold indefinitely pending Maggie’s recovery.  Now that Maggie is doing so well, I have started to work.  I am not working a lot.  In fact, after orientation, I only HAVE to work 4 days a month, and I am only working 8 hour shifts!  This is a drastic change from being a nurse midwife where I was working upwards of 90 hours each week. 

I am working for two reasons.  The first reason is the money.  We could survive without the money, but we have hospital bills (shocker right?) and the costs of three babies who go to the doctor quite often.  It is amazing how fast copays add up!  The second reason I am going back to work is because I miss the work and the people.  That’s right!  I have missed working.  I have missed critically thinking, the rush of adreneline with each labor and delivery, and I have desparately missed the people.  I am so happy to be back among friends.  I am happy to help provide just enough money to pay of bills and buy “fun stuff.” 

Raj is a fantastic Daddy.  He is taking care of the trio while I work.  I am working from 3p-11p, so it really works with our schedules.  I am also mostly working weekends because that is easiest for us.  It is so nice to be able to go to work and not worry about him or the kiddos!  In fact, I don’t have too much guilt about going to work because I know the babies are having special Daddy time and being taken care of.

I started on the floor last night.  It was wonderful!  Our first labor patient ended up with a c-section.  We went back into the same OR where I delivered.  It was weird to be back in that room.  It brought back floods of memories for me.  I looked at the three warmers in the room, and if I had not been working, I would have cried thinking about my babies laying there helpless and receiving oxygen.  I think that room will always hold a special place in my heart.  Now when I see I patient laying on the OR table, I know exactly what they are feeling.   

I just wanted to share a little bit about what is going on in my life.  I love my life.  I would not choose to have anyone else’s life.  It is hard, fun, wonderful, and fulfilling.  I couldn’t want anymore.

I love you all.

Ginny

We are all so excited it is college fottball season!!  The babies can’t wait to watch their first Georgia game.  However, this week we will listen to Larry Munson because the game is not televised….how frustrating.

I love you all.

Ginny

Dear Family and Friends,

I have been putting off this post for a while.  I am about to make a HUGE deal about something that deserves that much attention, but I don’t want to be seen as a hypocrite in any way.  Raj and I have to make every effort from September through April to protect the babies from RSV, respiratory syncytial virus.  Because our babies were born two months premature, their lungs did not develop the way a term baby’s lungs would develop.  The best way to explain this is if you think of lungs as being an upside down tree, a full term baby’s lungs would have many branches and be full of leaves.  In a premature baby, the lungs look like a simple tree with only a few branches and even fewer leaves.  If you think about it in these terms, you know the simple tree cannot function as well as the tree with many branches and leaves.

I would like to tell you a little more about RSV…..

RSV is MORE THAN A COLD for infants and children under the age of 2.

RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for infants and young children.

RSV is generally a simple cold for adults, but it kills 2% of children infected by it each RSV season.

RSV CAN be prevented by…

-good hand washing before touching the babies

-getting the Flu shot- we do ask anyone who wants to see the babies to have received the Flu shot this year

-not coming around the babies if you have a cold, think you are getting a cold, or have had a cold in the past 5 days

-avoid being around the babies if you have a fever

-keeping the babies away from sick children

-no one who has smoked should come around the babies without bathing and changing clothes

RSV can be contracted by…

-physical contact (shaking hands, holding a baby)

-air droplets (coughing, sneezing)

RSV can live for a long time on burp clothes, doorknobs, telephones, remote controls, or virtually any other surface.

We are very lucky that our babies qualify for the Synagis vaccine.  This is a monthly injection the babies will receive September through April.  The vaccine costs approximently $2000 per child per shot.  This is the reason we are lucky the babies qualify, and part of the reason we understand the risk of RSV.  We are even luckier that home health is going to come and give the babies their shots so we don’t have to go to the pediatrician for them and expose the babies even more than necessary.  This vaccine does not prevent RSV, it just helps prevent the serious complications that can occur with an RSV infection.  Synagis is only given to children in a high risk population.  This includes premature infants and multiples.  Needless to say, we qualify and are so happy the babies will be getting this vaccine.

Now, on to the other part of this issue.  Raj and I know the babies need to be secluded as much as possible this winter.  However, we will choose to take a few calculated risks this winter.  Unless someone is sick, we will still get together with the family for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We will still go to Breakfast with Santa. I feel we must continue to live, but be VERY, VERY cautious,  So please, do not think I living a double standard here.  There are just certian activities that we feel are important enough not to miss this winter.  It also means there will be tons of events we will choose not to go to trying to protect the babies.  In fact, there will be many more events and activities we DO NOT attend than we do attend.

I hope this helps to educate everyone on RSV and how it will affect our family this RSV season.

I love you all.

Ginny 

Graco Snugride Carseat 7#

Graco Snugride Carseat 7#

Graco Snugride Carseat 7#

Triple Decker Stroller 22#

All of this together equals approximately 78.5 pounds!  I ran 2.5 miles pushing 78.5 pounds today!  I never knew my body could be so sore in so many different places!  I was crazy and ran the most difficult part of the Suwanee Creek Greenway because the parking was easier….I thought.  Now, I know it does not matter how the parking is, I will go and run the FLAT route with the babies!!  Maybe I will have sexy arms to go with a skinny body by next summer!!!

I love you all.

Ginny

Okay, so that may be a little over the top.  However, I will say that we are in a very unique demographic. We are the parents of High Order Multiples.  This does set us apart a little from other parents.  We definitely don’t think we are any better than other parents, just different.  We are part of a group called Atlanta Triplets and More.  It is a wonderful group of familes who have triplets, quads, and more.  They know so much more than me!  I am so glad to have a place where I can ask other MoMs questions…and occasionally answer some questions. 

 This weekend was the annual picnic.  Of course, Raj and I were up all night Friday with the babies.  Needless to say, after the 7am feed, we all went back to sleep.  I did not wake up until I heard Josh not so politely asking to be fed again!  It was 11o’clock and that was the time the picnic started.  Raj and I fed the babies, got dressed, and made it to the picnic right before the group photo!  I had so much fun getting to visit with so many of the other families there!  It was so great to be told that our babies will sleep through the night one day (or night as it may be).  It was also so fun to see triplets who were school-aged.  In fact, we saw some getting ready to go cheer and play their first football game of the season!!  One day that will be Evie, Maggie, and Josh!  Anyways, it was a blast.  I now can put some names with faces, and I love that.  I hope I can get together with some of the moms who have little kiddos.  It is a great network of women!

I love you all.

Ginny

Evie felt like modeling hair bows more than Maggie, but we all had fun in the process.  Thanks again Jennifer from Sweet Daisy Bowtique.  I love dressing my girlie girls up!!  Raj thinks I am a little over the top about it all, but I am having the most fun ever dressing my girls now.  I even try to match Josh when I can.  I did promise Josh he will NEVER have a hair bow put on his head…not even as a joke on Daddy!

My best friend from Vanderbilt came down and saw the babies!  “Aunt Amanda” drove down from Nashville for twenty four hours just to see us.  She is in the middle of Nurse Anesthetist school.  We are so happy she took the time to come see all of us.  It was way too short of a trip, but we know the sacrifice to come was huge.  We all had so much fun.  I think “Aunt Amanda” was amazed that I can still function.  Life with three babies can be a challenge.  She got to have wonderful “talks” with the babies about what are allowed and not allowed to do….all based on our days in grad school!  It was so nice to take a shower with her in our house keeping an eye in the kiddos.  She is certified in P.A.L.S. certified, which stands for Pediatric Advanced Life Support, so I knew the babies were in even better hands than mine!  She and I got to go out for a little while without the kiddos and visit.  It was so wonderful to catch up!

We took the babies to Borders before she left because I had to run to the pharmacy right down the street from there.  It was so funny how many times people asked Amanda about the babies.  She would so kindly answer all of ther questions, and then she would tell them they were mine, not her’s!  It was so nice to have someone else answer all of the questions for a change.  I got a nice little break!!  It was actually a little funny to see how surprised some of the people were that they were mine.  I guess she looks like she should be a mom more than me!!

I really hope we are able to see “Aunt Amanda” again in the next few months, but we are all so proud of what she is doing in school.  She is now doing all of her clinical rotations, so she has a pretty demanding load for the next fourteen months.  We will definitely see her before she finishes school.  We are planning to seel her again by at least April!  We all love her so much and wish we could see her more often, but we are happy when we do get to spend time together!  Thanks so much for coming to see us Aunt Amanda!  We love you tons!

Thanks for coming to see us!  We love you tons!

Ginny, Raj, Evie, Maggie, and Josh

Okay.  Actually, I personally do not need a new name.  My blog needs a new name!  I am about to start working on making my blog “prettier” and “funner” (Yes, I do know that is not a word!)  I want it to have some more “personality”.  However, I am a VERY type A personality, so it is going to take a little bit of work for me.  I need some help help coming up with a new name for the blog.  Please. please give me some ideas!  I really need the help.  I have thought about something like Three Peas In A Pod…Let’s Watch Them Sprout….or something along those lines.  However, I am definitely not real creative, and I want the title to epitomize who I am and who our family is.  Please give me some suggestions.  I know that when Suz did this, she narrowed it down to a few different options and let everyone vote.  I am going to try to do something like that!  Plus, I really am interested in knowing who reads the blog, so this may help me “meet” some of you!  Thanks in advance.

Ginny

I just want to whett your appetite with the pictures of hair bows that are to come!  I absolutely LOVE Jennifer with Sweet Daisy Bowtique.  She has been a dream to work with!  I hope that everyone who wants gorgeous bows for their girls’ hair will get in tough with Jennifer.  You will not be disappointed!  I am going to take pictures of the girls with the different bows, but I just wanted to show off a couple of bows.  It’s too late tonight to take pictures of the girls with the different bows.  Here are a couple of pictures!

I love you all.

Ginny

Dear Evie,

Oh my goodness!  You are growing up way too fast for Mommy.  I think you are going to be tall!  You have such long legs and a long torso.  All of your clothes are going to look great on you!  You weighed 10#8oz the day before your three month birthday.

You are my little instigator!  When you get mad, you let me know.  Then, you wake up your brother and sister.  I try to get you out of the room fast so they can continue sleeping!  You love the exersaucer.  I have a feeling that may be your favorite toy for a good long while.  You do not like laying down on your back when you are awake.  You want to be up and looking around.  I think this is why you love the exersaucer so much.  You also love the television;  I am not sure how much I like that.  I am going to make sure as you grow up you play and use your imagination instead of watching a ton of t.v..  That means I will not be watching it either, and we will be spending tons of fun time together! 

You are consistantly eating 5oz every 4-5 hours.  Sometimes at night you will sleep 6 hours straight!  We now add oatmeal to your cereal to help with your reflux.  You seem to like it a lot.  You have the most sweet smile! 

I love it when you smile at me!  It is the sweetest thing ever.  You are also starting to coo and hold you head up pretty well.  I can tell the next few months are going to be fun!  I love you so much.  I am so glad you are my little girl!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Maggie,

Oh my goodness sweetie.  This has been a long month for us.  Sometimes I will just stand over your crib and watch your breathe,  Breathing is truly a miracle.  I am so glad God did not let me lose you.  I don’t want to ever have to imagine life without you.  I begged God to not let you die as I did chest compressions and breaths on your little body.  He heard my cries and saved your life.  I will never forget hearing the weakest of all cries come out of your mouth.  At that moment, I knew you would live.  It was the best moment ever.  So many people congratulate me for saving your life, but I don’t think of it in those terms.  I did what any Mommy should and would do.  I wasn’t going to lose you if I had anything to do with it. 

You are tough as nails.  You went throught so many tests and procedures in the hospital.  I felt so bad for you.  However, you would just cuddle with me afterwards as if to say you understood why these things had to be done.  You have not liked your NG tube.  You have pulled it out and refluxed it out.  Right now I don’t have it in, but we may be putting it back in tomorrow depending on what the feeding clinic says. 

You can be a little stinker at times.  I went to the gym last week.  You started to get fussy as I left.  You wailed the entire time I was gone.  Then, when I got home, I picked you up and you instantly stopped crying.  That was so not fair to your Daddy.  Daddy is not going to let me go to the gym if you keep doing that!

You also love to smile.  You will just smile and smile if you are being talked to and cuddled.  The day before you were three months you weighed 10#11oz!  You are such a big girl.  I am so glad you are gaining weight and healthy.  I love you so much.  I know you have many special things ahead of you!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Josh,

You are Mommy’s little tank!  That is your new nickname!  You LOVE to eat more than either of your sisters!  We have been told be the doctor to add oatmeal to your formula and feed you less.  We have tried.  We have tried hard, but no matter what we do, you still eat at least 6-7oz.  So, I have given up.  I let you eat whatever you want!  In fact, if I don’t you will cry and cry and cry.  Once you have eaten a quantity you deem sufficient, you are content. 

You also love to sleep.  That is your other favorite activity!  You are not too fond of the exersaucer yet, but you love looking at fans and lights!  You are not a big smiler yer.  You will, but it takes a lot of coaxing.  You are rolling over!  Granted, you are normally mad when you do it, but you do it none the less!  You are just so laid back most of the time.  You are such a fun little boy!  

You are getting hair!  It is brown.  That really suprises me.  I thought you were going to have blonde hair!  I will not forget seeing you for the first time after coming home from the hospital!  You had so much hair!  I was stunned.  Some of Daddy’s genes did sneak in to get your hair growing before you turn one! 

The day before you turned three months, you weighed a whopping 12# on the nose!  I can’t believe it!  You are doing the best a trying to sleep through the night.  I want you to teach your sisters how to do it!  I love you so much.  You are a wonderful little boy!

Love,

Mommy