Dear NICU Mom

*I saw a post similar to this on a blog, and it prompted me to write one as well.


Dear NICU Mom,

I saw the way you looked at me.  I saw the anger and resentment that you had for me when you saw me standing by the NICU welcome desk, smiling and laughing with the doctors and nurses while my three healthy children toddled around.  How dare I bring my three gargantuan children into the NICU, right?  When your baby is less than ten feet away, in an isolette, struggling to just make it through the day.

But NICU mom, I want you to know that wanted to go give you a hug.  I know what it's like to sit next to your child for hours on end, unable to hold them.  Afraid to even touch them because you might cause more distress than good.  I know what it's like to watch the monitor numbers dip far below an acceptable level, and be able to do little more than to will with all your might for them to go back up.  I know.

These children that I brought up to the NICU with me, they once lived here.  The doctors and nurses that we are now catching up with?  They saved my children's lives.  We have a history.  We aren't laughing and smiling to rub salt in your wounds, I promise.  There is joy in this meeting because the doctors and nurses are amazed at how far these three have come.

They are healthy and big now, but they weren't always like this.  Just like your baby, my babies started out sick.  And tiny.  You know how big the babies in the regular nursery look to you?  I felt that, too.  Heck, I thought my own children looked huge when they hit 3 and 4 pounds.

I know that when you look at me, all you see is a family that has everything that you don't right now.  We've got three healthy, happy children that aren't attached to anything.  There aren't any machines breathing for them.  They eat food instead of being provided nutrition from TPN.  We get to take them home at night, instead of leaving the hospital empty handed.  And, in time, you will be in this position, too.

I know it is hard to see right now, but your time in the NICU teaches you so much if you will just let it.

You learn to be appreciative of a crying baby in the middle of the night, because at least you have your baby at home.  A pile of laundry covered in whatever food they were eating isn't that bad, because they are eating.  Like, as in, real food.  You learn that if your tiny baby can overcome huge obstacles, so can you.  If they can be brave and courageous, you can follow their lead.

NICU momma, hang in there.  I know how hard it is to come into this place day after day, wondering when you will get to go home.  But when you finally do, it's wonderful.  And it makes you all the more thankful for everything you have.

A been-there-done-that mom,

Emily

Mother's Day Flashback

Last year.  First Mother's Day with living children.  Still in the NICU, still on tube feeds, Noah still on cpap.  Approximately 15 pounds of baby on my lap.

Grace, Noah and Addison, in that order

 

 This year.  My first Mother's Day at home.  Not in the NICU (obviously), favorite meals are quesadillas and spaghetti, Noah breathing room air.  Approximately 70 pounds (!!) of baby toddler on my lap.  And please note, NOT in an isolation gown.

Grace, Noah and Addison, in that order

 

 

 

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.  Whether your children are in your home or in your heart, it makes no difference.

Happy Saturday everyone!

 

 

We've got some exciting news in the Koober household!  We found out yesterday that Mr. Noah is getting glasses!  We are so excited for them to arrive and for the little goober to finally start seeing things.  When interacting it seems pretty apparent that while he can recognize voices and can see outlines and general shapers, he has trouble seeing details and things that are a ways from him.  This was confirmed yesterday after our visit to his ophthamologist.  I don't know a ton about eyes, but his prescription is -5.50 in one eye and -5.25 in another.  Enough that his doctor didn't hesitate recomending glasses.  We are hopeful that they will arrive quickly and that he will being really seeing the world around him.

 

 

In other news, the Koobers now have a swimming pool ballpit!  Noah was lucky enough to be able to try it out while the girls finished their naps.  He wasn't too sure of it, but eventually decided it isn';t so bad.

 



 



Koober FAQ *Edited*

One thing is for certain, when you have triplets people like to ask questions.  It doesn't matter where we are or whether I know the person or not, it seems we are free game for just about anything.  However, there are some questions that we get asked a lot.  And I got to thinking, maybe you friends who read the blog are wondering the same thing.  Or maybe you aren't.  Either way, here is a list of some of our top FAQ's, along with some of the craziest questions I've ever been asked, and my response.

Are they natural?
When I get this question, I know what the asker is actually asking.  But, if you think about it in the literal sense; if they aren't natural, they are the opposite, right?  Unnatural.  And I can assure you, my children are not unnatural.  Well, Addison might be a bit unnatural in her ability to climb just about anything, but beyond that, they are indeed very natural.  So when I get this question I usually respond with "Well, they certainly aren't synthetic."  I have also occasionally laughed and said "They look pretty natural to me!"

Are you going to have more?

This one I usually respond to with a laugh.  I guess because to me it's a weird question.  You wouldn't ask a mom of three singletons if she were going to have any more, would you?  I mean, I guess I wouldn't.  I digress.  Anyway, are we?  In short, I don't know.  I can't imagine having any more, but maybe that's because my days are currently filled with chasing after the three I have.

How do you do it?

Simple.  You just do.  There is no choice.  Plus, it helps that Brian and I don't know any different.  We've never had just one to take care of, so three seems like no big deal.  That, and caffeine.  Diet Coke.  Mmmmm...

How do you get it all done?
Another simple one.  I don't.  My house isn't always perfect, clothes aren't always folded and put away, supper may not be the most nutritious thing I could offer (but it usually isn't tooo bad!)  I do the best that I can and then call it a day.  My kids are loved, played with, read to, and fed.  Anything else that I get done is just icing on the cake.

Did you breastfeed them all?
My MOM got asked this by a stranger.  Some man that we didn't know asked if they were breastfed.  She just laughed and walked away.

These are yours?  All of them?
Yes, yes they are.

You must be busy/have your hands full.
Again, yes we do.  But don't all parents?  *Edit: I truly, honestly, think that it has to be easier to raise multiples than to have two (or three, or four...) young children of different ages.  Yes, teething has been rough, and when nights are sleepless they are completely sleepless, but at least I don't have a crying baby, a toddler getting into everything, and a three year old that can't understand why I can't drop everything to get them something this! very! instant!  To me, that would be much harder to juggle than my trio.

How did you decide on names?
I wish we have some great story, but we don't.  They are the first two girls names and first boy name that we decided upon.  Addison has my middle name, Noah has Brian's middle name, and Grace has a family middle name.

I can't believe that you take them shopping/camping/to church/etc!
Why wouldn't I?  We take the necessary precautions and sanitize like crazy, but they need to have interaction.  They need to see what life is all about.  Not just sit at home and never leave the house because they are triplets.  If I only had one, I would take them with me everywhere I went.  For me, it isn't different because they are triplets.  They are usually incredibly easy going children, and I credit that to the fact that we have always taken them places with us.

And my favorite...
Did you know you were having three?
Boy, that would be quite the shocker, wouldn't it?  Going into delivery and then finding out it was three?  And yes, we found out at 8 weeks.  It was still quite the shocker, though!

Super duper quick update

No joke..not much time to do an update, but I did want to tell the bloggy world..

Addison took her first steps May 2nd.  I pretended not to notice.  That will buy me more time with her crawling instead of walking, right?

Noah is now a true crawler instead of an army crawler!!  It happened over the weekend and I am so thrilled with his progress!

And not to leave Grace out, she now signs for "milk" when she wants a bottle.  When I realized on Saturday that she was signing for it, and then got her a bottle of milk, she was so dang pleased with herself.  So she then tried it again, I got her another bottle, and she giggled.  What a goober.

That's all I've got time for right now.  Happy Tuesday!

A place for everything....

and everything in its place???

Yeah....something like that.

Trikes and green Grass!

So yesterday I'm walking through the living room to put some things away when I suddenly heard a small voice.

"Mom," Noah said, "we want to go outside and use our tricycles."

"Really buddy?" I said.  "Today?  But there is so much to get done today.."

"Mom?  Trikes.  Now."  There is no negotiating with these guys.  Seriously.  So I loaded them up and off we went, spending about 45 minutes cruising around our neighborhood.  And let me tell you, these guys worked.  hard.  By the time we got back they were seriously wiped.  Check it out...

 

 

And poor Noah, thinking that the brakes provided weren't adequate, resorted to using his feet to slow down.

 

 Dirty, dirty socks.

 

Before we left, I kept reminding them that they have severe seasonal allergies and going for a walk during peak pollen levels might not be the greatest idea.  They didn't listen though, and as a result they were pretty miserable by the time we got back.

Poor Grace and her seasonal albergies

And Noah with his seasonal albergies

And Addison, in a stupor from her seasonal albergies

 

 

Somewhere along the line Noah convinced Grace that she, too, needed to use her feet as a brake.  The result was more dirty socks.

You can see dirty socks in this view.  I'm making her do the laundry tonight.

 

Afterwards they absolutely insisted that I put them on grass; something that they have never done before.  "You guys?  Are you sure?  You've got albergies, remember?"  Nope, they wanted to do it.  Grace immediately discovered that she hates grass.

 

Addison, on the other hand, didn't mind it

 

After about .2 seconds, Grace was sooo done with grass.  Inside we went.

 

 

So thankful to finally have spring weather here!!