3 New Arrivals!

I just have to pinch my self when I am sitting holding all three of them! That's right... the triplets are here!

All three born on Monday 2/9/09

• Alex Jesse White born at 12:45am and weighing 4# 8 oz

• Zachary Ryan White born at 12:46am and weighing 3# 11oz

• Riley Cade White born at 12:48am and weighing 3# 13oz

Here is the blow by blow account of how they got here:

Sunday, the 8th of February was a lazy day for me. Rex and the kids went to church while I slept (good thing I had with what was coming next). Rex and the kids came home from church and Rex put them down for naps while he read one of his required reading books for class. I got up to go to the bathroom and my hips were killing me, as I climbed back into bed I got a contraction. No big deal, I have had lots of those. Well, I fell back asleep with no more contractions. Later that night Rex called to the kids to get up to the table for dinner which woke me up. My hips were hurting again... guess I was just sleeping through the pain. So I got up to go to the bathroom again, which walking helped with the pain this time. I didn't want to eat in bed, so I walked to the table and sat down. While Rex was dishing every one up and trying to organize the kids I had a contraction. After prayer and five bites into my meal I had another contraction (more like a braxton hicks). A few bites later I had another real contraction. (well, the doctor said that if I were ever to have 4 or more contractions in an hour that I need to rush to the Salem Hospital Family Birth Center. I left my dinner knowing I already had 3 contractions close together and needed to lay down. As I was walking to my bed I got contraction #4, and OH did it hurt!!! I was holding on to the walls in the hall way to brace my self as I walked. Rex ran to my side and helped me get in bed. Usually when I lay down the contractions ease up or go away. Not this time!

As I was laying there I had another 3 contractions, mixed braxton hicks with some very painful ones too. Rex asked me what we should do. I reminded him of what the doctor said, but I didn't know if it was necessary to go in. Rex asked again, "Aleece what do you want to do?" I said, "If it weren't for putting every one out (meaning his family) I would say I need to go in, and..." Rex cut me off and said, "Okay we are going in." He called his parents and asked them to meet us at the hospital to pick up Seth and Madison. I was worried that we would get there and it would have been false labor and every one would have wasted their time.

We drove FAST to the hospital (laws were probably broken). Total, I had 12 contractions from dinner time to the time we got to the hospital and they didn't stop once we got there. The nurse checked me and I was still only dilated 2 centimeters. I thought, great... everyone has jumped for nothing! So they did some test and sent it to the lab which would take 45 minutes to get back. They said the test would help determine how soon I would be having the babies. Well, they wanted to get me and the babies on the monitors while we were waiting. So they did non stress testing. From there every one could see on the monitors that I really was having contractions, but they couldn't get the babies to hold still (what's new, huh?). So they took me out for a BPP (ultrasound) where they checked on the babies. All three were doing great so we were rolled back to the room to put me back on the monitors (Mind you... contractions happening all through this!). The nurse had checked me again some where in that time and said I was still at a 2. After some time of waiting the feeling seemed to be that we would be going home, but we were just waiting for that stinken test result. The on call doctor, Dr. Frank, came in to meet with us and the nurse asked him to check me before discharging me. (It had only been about 15 minutes since the last time I was checked.) He did, and the next words out of his mouth threw me into a whirl wind, "We're having a birthday tonight! You are dilated to 3 1/2 centimeters." Then every one started rushing around and I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I kept telling my self, "wait until doctor Bowen gets here... he will give you other options!" Doctor Bowen was called right away and got there with in 10 minutes. He checked me and I was to 4 centimeters now! He said it was all progressing too fast to stop, and they wouldn't be able to buy enough time to give the babies the two shots of steroids (that takes 24 hours). As soon as all the nurses and doctors left the room I broke down into tears. This wasn't good enough for me. I wanted to make it at least one more week to 34 weeks. Rex held me and tried to comfort me. I reluctantly accepted my fate, but not with out help... I asked Rexy to give me a blessing. Rex's dad and mom had taken the kids home and then returned when Rex called them to say it was going to happen tonight- leaving Lacey home with Seth and Madison (Thank you, Lacey). When doctor Bowen came back I asked him to stand in on my blessing with Rexy and Rex Sr. He did. Rex Jr (my hubby) gave the blessing. It was beautiful! I was told that the babies would be fine and so would I. We then hurried like crazy to get ready for surgery (C-Section). You know the expression?... "Hurry, hurry, hurry.... and wait." Yeah, we had to wait for the O. R. to be cleaned since there were two other C-Sections that had just gotten done. Anyway... we got into the hospital at about 9:30pm on Sunday and had them starting with Alex at 12:45 am on Monday.

C-Section Recovery:

TOUGH STUFF!!! I hate it! I am used to being able to be good old Aleece with in a few days after a vaginal birth, but this C-Section recovery has been kicking my butt! Today is the first that I have been able to cough or sneeze with out feeling like my whole gut is going to rip open. On the positive side, I am loosing significant inches daily, and I have already dropped 25+ pounds. I gained 43 pounds in the pregnancy... so I am relieved that in just one week I have dropped more than half of that! Once the swelling in my feet and hands goes down I will loose even more weight. Lots of people have told me that they can't believe I had triplets one week ago. That makes me feel awesome and gives me motivation to keep loosing inches. (Extra skin I am afraid will never be resolved, but who knows!)

The triplets had their one week birthday on Monday the 16th. All three babies have lost weight, which is normal, but scary for their mommy and daddy. At one week old here are their weights:

Alex: 4 # 4.4 oz (original weight 4# 8 oz)

Zach: 3# 4.7 oz ( " " 3# 11 oz)

Riley: 3# 7.7 oz ( " " 3# 13 oz)

All three of the triplets are off CPAP (breathing assistance) and all three are off the billyrubin lights as of yesterday when Riley came off. They are all three off of IV's and can now wear clothing. I am boarding in a room at the hospital for free while the triplets are in the NICU. (They will probably be there for 3-4 total weeks.) I got my milk in with in 2 days after having the triplets. They are solely on my breast milk which has been fortified with some additional vitamins. It's amazing but I am able to pump 12 oz of milk every 3 hours. The nurses are freezing my milk now. They have over 30 - 4 oz bottles already frozen and I am consistently adding to it. Right now my life consists of visits to the NICU every 3 hours for their feedings. I then do Kangaroo Care (skin to skin contact) with each of the babies. They say it is so important for preemies to have this contact with their parents. Rex has Kangaroo Cared for each of the boys... I think they love being with their dad, but he has got to get rid of the chest hair! lol Poor little Riley holds his hand between is face and his daddies chest, I assume because it tickles his face. They already have soooo much personality showing through. Alex might be Mr. Tough Guy with a soft inner core. Zachary might be Mr. Methodical and very serious (his forehead is always wrinkled like he is thinking really hard). Riley might be our little class clown. He giggles and smiles sooo much! They are all so precious. We love them so much!

Seth and Madison have gotten to come into the NICU to see the babies. They came tonight with grandma and grandpa and Seth and grandma and grandpa got to hold Zachary one at a time. Madison isn't interested in holding them, yet... thank goodness. We have a ways to go in teaching her to be soft. Regardless of how soft she is or isn't, she obviously loves her brothers. I was telling Rex that one of these days I would like to take Seth and Madison out for a few hours with mom, one at a time. I am feeling well enough now that I could handle that I think. I would just have to do it between feedings of the triplets, and I would have to have the car. We are trying to work out the details of this. Maybe tomorrow I will spend time with Seth. Grandma Sharon says he has been home sick.

I will post again in a week telling you all the babies 2 week birthday stats and any other progress we have made in getting them home soon. We plan to have the babies blessed on March 29th in our ward building (45th Street) at 11 am. All are welcome. Thank you every one for your help through this! We love you all!
Love the White's