Our doctors appointment went very well! The doctor said that the girls looked great. They are gaining the perfect amount of weight. As of last Thursday Maryn was 4 lbs 14 oz, Brynn was 5 lbs 5 oz and Leah was 4 lbs 12 oz. They gain about 1 oz a day typically, so we should be up over 5 lbs for all of them by now!
They are eating about 60-90 ml's (30 ml = 1 oz.) per feeding, and they still eat every 3 hours. I think in a week or two, it will go up to every 4 hours which will be great!
We have been busy, but other than the minor sleep deprivation we're having a lot of fun! :) Brynn actually rolled over yesterday! All by herself. I had her in her pack and play. She was on her back one minute and on her tummy the next. I couldn't believe it! She's so advanced for her age! :) It is so much fun to watch the girls interact! When you put them next to each other, they immediately squirm together and hold hands. They love to be close. It is the coolest thing to watch! We have a couple of pictures below. We'll try and get some clearer ones to post.
I said I would post a little more on doctors orders too. Thank you for all of the wonderful offers to help. We are so blessed by great friends! Our doctors have told us that we need to be very careful during cold/flu/RSV season to keep the girls healthy. They won't have much time out of the house except for doctors appointments until late April because there is just too much junk going around. Unfortunately, we aren't able to have any kids in our house until spring either. Parents of young children who are coming over to visit will need to change their clothes prior to coming over because RSV can be carried on clothing. For most kids/adults RSV just shows up as a common cold, but for preemies it can be life threatening, so we need to be very cautious. (If you feel like you might have a cold coming on, we will schedule another time for you to visit) Hand washing is another big thing---my hands are raw! We ask that all of our guests wash their hands upon coming into the house and periodically while they are here. Hand washing is the best way to prevent RSV.
Overall, we just ask that all guests are healthy and cautious.
So if you are ok with dealing with us as over protective new parents we would love and welcome help in the following areas.
Meals (lunch or dinner)
Periodic house cleaning (wash kitchen counters, do some baby laundry, empty/load dish washer, dust, etc. (Don't worry we will handle the bathrooms)
Gift Cards - Target, Costco, etc. They will be used for diapers and formula. Since both change periodically (bigger size diapers and different formula varieties) we have been told by other triplet parents that gift cards are the best route. We go through a can of formula every 2 days as breast milk supplement. We also go through about 30+ diapers a day! Pretty amazing, huh?! :)
Holding/Feeding - 2-4 hour windows where you can come and sit with the girls so Ali can rest, check e-mail, chat (adult conversation is great), etc. (This one is where clean hands and clothes are watched most closely)
Prayers - You can do this any time...even with dirty clothes and unwashed hands when you think of our family.
Below are some pictures of the nursery, changing room, holding hands, etc.
Love you all!
Peter, Ali and M. L. B.
