50 Days...

Today is the 50th day the babies have been in the NICU. In 50 days we have learned a lot. We know in advance what times certain parking areas of the parking garage are fuller and when we need to go to another level. We have found a shortcut up the NICU hill through a secret staircase which saves us approximately 1 minute if the elevator is on time. We know the two front desk clerks by name and they know ours. We are friendly with other parents in our bay and know that Little Kellen is now 5.8lbs and baby Bowden will be extabated tomorrow, both parents are very excited. We know the different sounds different alarms make and can usually tell where they are coming from. We know when to run to a bedside and when to wait and see if the alarm stops. We know that when the scary alarm sounds its usually faster for us to run, open a porthole and jostle a baby before the nurses can put their gowns/gloves on and do the same. We can change a diaper through portholes with wires running up a leg and arms flaing in the air. We can take a baby out of an incubator with no assistance and put them back when we are done. We know what each number means on the breathing machines and when something is of concern. We understand the lingo and know what it means when someone says, "Slade has had 6 a's &b's, we upped his caffeine and are checking his hemocrit. His rate has been removed but we are still maintaining a pressure of seven so hopefully he won't get so tired." We have learned that babies are not just cute but are HILARIOUS. They have a million expressions from startled when a door slams and there eyebrows go up to annoyed when another baby cries to a sleepy smile when they realize that they have peed on their dad for the first time. We learned that gaining weight is a wonderful thing (Ella is now 4lbs!)! We learned that it is a scary rollercoaster, but seeing those cute tiny babies is totally worth it. (This sounds like one of those american express commercials....priceless, ha!)

We probably have another 50 days to go, and I can't even begin to imagine what we have left to learn. But with triplets I have a feeling the learning is never going to stop...

On another note, the other day I was pumping in the hospital storage closet on the phone with my sister in law when I notice something strange in one of the storage incubators. I gasped in horror...

I walked over, removed the sheet and was introduced to Sim Baby... the scariest baby in the hospital...