Visits to the NICU
It was almost exactly four 4 days ago that I made my first visit to the NICU to see the Triplets. I had no idea what to expect as the nurse took me up there to see them. I have to admit that it was a little intimidating. On the way up, she filled me in that everything was going very well, which at least helped put my mind at ease. The nurse showed me how to call in and told me about the PIN numbers that had been assigned to each of the Trips in order to request information. I was then led to the nursery that my brave little munchkins were calling home. It was incredible to walk in and see the three warmers, with a sudden realization that all of them contained my precious little miracles. The nursery has room for four infants, and when I first arrived they had the room to themselves. It was basically the Sella Suite. The on-shift nurse for the nursery then gave me a quick orientation outlining all of the health and security details and then explained all of the equipment that they were using to monitor the Trips. The nurse that night did an awesome job explaining the current status of the babies and gave me a tentative plan for the next 24 hours. It was very reassuring to know what they planned to do and why.
Since that night, the NICU has become a second home. When I’m there I feel right at home and when I leave I always find myself wishing to go back. The nursing staff there has been absolutely awesome. They always welcome us to the room with a smile and fill us in with any new updates right away. They even take care to notice little character traits to tell us about. When you can’t spend much time with your babies, it is great to hear things like “We think Keri is going to be the feisty one.” or “Maddy is just so laid back, she never gives us any problems”. It is so wonderful to see that the staff takes a genuine interest in each infant, above and beyond the medical necessity.
After I finish this post, I’ll be heading up to the NICU for the third time today. All three triplets were put on photo therapy this morning to help lower their bilirubin levels. Day 5 is typically when most infants will see peak levels, so it’s not too unexpected. As of 6:00 this evening (my last visit) they were all responding very well to teh treatment and will likely be done tonight or tomorrow morning. We got the chance to hold Maddy and JD before we left on Friday, but during the photo-therapy they have to remain under the lights. I’m anxious to hold Keri, so hopefully the photo-therapy will be done soon. All three also had they IVs removed today, as they are doing very well with their feeding. Overall, they are just cruising along.
Well…..off to the NICU!
March 1st, 2009 at 8:50 am
Hey Mike, I just wanted to tell you how happy I am for both you and Jill. You seem like a very proud and excellent father. It is awesome that you set up this site to give us a glimpse into the happeneings and of course photos of the triplets which are so cute. Just remember if you need ANYTHING at all don’t be afraid to ask. As I told Jill, I will be having children of my own someday and the practice will be fun (don’t worry I won’t break them
March 1st, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Glad to hear all is well in the NICU! I remember that place all to well. Parker went through photo therapy for 7 days or longer, which extended his NICU stay. It’s difficult watching them under the lights wishing you could hold them. We are definitely praying for you guys!!