Baby B: Addison

Addison in the NICU at 2 weeks.

So I guess it is strange to start with baby B but I just feel that way today. I don't think any mom loves any child more than their others, or at least I do not. Addison and I have a different bound however being the only 2 females in a house of men.

Addison in child number 3 for me. Hunter is her oldest brother and ever since she was in my womb he has said she is his baby. I am not sure why but I absolutely encouraged that. What better than an older brother to look out for his younger sister. I guess dating will always be impossible for her with 3 brother to scare away prospects....YES!!

Addi's first kiss

The hardest part

 Addison is the middle triplet being born a minute after Luke and a minute before Cole. She was 4 lbs. 8 oz. and arrived at 32 weeks with her siblings. Luke and her were born weighing the same weight. In the NICU she was the strongest. She need a oxygen, heart monitor and a feeding tube like you see in the picture for 3 weeks. She was the first to be held, about 24 hours after birth. When the trio was in the highest level of care, about 2 weeks, only 2 people were permitted back to see them at a time. For the first week we were only allow to touch them when they were being feed and changed threw the wholes in their isolet.  We had friends and family come. During the month in the NICU only a few people got to see them in person and even less got the chance to hold them. The only picture we got were mostly threw the windows. My friend Jane was kind enough to quickly take as many picture as we could that first day threw their isolets. Even though I already had a baby and felt very comfortable doing all the feeding, nursing and changing. Having 3 newborns hooked up to all kinds of machines, not being able to hold them or touch them. Praying that each day they would be stronger and closer to be able to come home, these days were filled with terror, tears and sleepless night. Premies don't know they need to eat, they are not ready to breath on their own, their organs are not ready for the outside world. At any moment thing could and did change. Which is why sometime it is easy to get mad at people that could never possibly understand. Looking back over these picture and where she is today I thank god. Anyone that has spent time in the NICU know that preemies have a lifetime of possible issues. Luckly Addison has only had had a few developmental delays, one being her gross motor and being the last one to walk, at 18 months. At 3 she is my most talkative and has good fine motor movement. At the moment she seems to be the only one that was possibly effected by the oxygen in the isolet, which might have been the reason why her eyes are weaker and the only one in glasses.

Her little womb, the isolet

Feeding time in the NICU

If you know what it is like to see one baby with tubes and wires, then triplet it, you would know how emotional that first year was for us. Addison had the smoothest ride threw the NICU. I don't like thinking back to this time in the NICU. I don't talk about it much. Looking at the pictures takes at air out of me. I am so blessed to have such healthy children and I work so hard with them in our daily life to overcome their early entry into this world.

First clothing 3 weeks into the NICU

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• Nicknames: Addi, AJ, princess
• Favorite Color: PINK, purple is a close second
• She knew the name of every disney princess before she count or say ABC
• Even preemie clothing looked like a huge sack after 3 weeks in this world. She was the first to nurse and I was able to at least sustain her for 8 months. Which I am extremely proud of.
• All the triplets have done time with the infants and toddler programs for developmental delays, Addi is the only one to graduate.
• Addi is all girl
• She was the last to walk and the first to talk
• Addison was the one that took the longest to sleep threw the night. By the end of 2 years the sleep deprivation was making me crazy.
• She potty trained herself before 2, being wet was not in her cards
• AJ is the only one in glasses since 2 yo. I was surprised when the first nap she knew to take them off and she placed them down on her side table.

Ledder photo shot, always my favori

• Everything is about Disney princesses. Right now she loves Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
• She has taken Ballet, tap and soccer.
• Last to get hair. Started off with cute little curls.
• If I was into pageants, she would be a star. She will sit forever and let me do anything to her hair. Has even slept with foam rollers in a few time by age 3.
• She was the first to want and then demand to dress herself.
• Being a girl you would think maybe she would be the cleanest and most helpful with the cleaning but no she is a slob and hard to motivate to clean up. Her room always looks like a storm blew threw it and dress up cloths are always scattered every where.
• For a while there the kids would storm Keith when he came home each emptying something from his pockets, Addi always went for the wallet.

To be continued when daddies good memory gets home!!

1 year old

First tutu!

First birthday cake

Our favorite rockers

2nd Easter, at 3 the dress still fits

This day we tried on every hat she was given, and looked so cute!

2nd 4th of July at my parents neighborhood parade. Family tradition
 since we moved to Potomac back when I was a young teen.

Developmental Intervention

When we returned home from the hospital one month after their birth we began Early Intervention in Washington County.Since three babies are squeezed into a space meant for one, then add the complications of being a preemie the triplets had different developmental delays.

• Addison worked mostly on gross and fine motor.
• At 7 months we were working on Rolling back to belly, reaching for toys, propped sitting

By 10 months we had moved to Frederick County where infants and toddlers picked us up and a team of experts came to the rescue. Physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, special instruction teacher, behavioral therapist, vision services and speech therapist. These people have been our saviors and we consider them part of our family. Some of her first goals:

• Holding rattle and transitioning it from hand to hand.
• Vocalizing spontaneously and responding, turning towards voices
• They commented on her being an observer, somewhat serious, but had good eye contact at this point
• She still needed propping to sit up, however her fine motor was beginning to develop. She was the last to do all gross motor activities and I think she was the last walker because she wasn't going to try until she knew she would be able to do it without falling.
• Addison will get stronger to explore her environment and find her favorite toys
• At 15 months Addison is enjoying fine motor activities, pretend play is emerging and she loves books
• She is Babbling spontaneously (and has NEVER stopped talking since) while have a conversation with you and is VERY vocal, these are the words of our specialized teacher not me, so if you read this when you are older Addi, its not just me that thinks you are a talkaholic. xoxo
• Socially interactive; very attached to mother- separation anxiety
• Attempts to put legs in clothing (dressing yourself before walking); independently finger feeding
• On the merge of of walking, can make 5-6 steps holding onto furniture.

  

  Second Halloween

• 18 months and up coming soon
  

third Halloween with I and T at Summers Farm.
 Enjoyed  a great trip with our dear Friend
Josephine and her wonderful Children.

Old Check stats:

• 11-18-09, 9 Month Checkup Weight: 16 lbs. 13 oz. (8%) Height 28" (70%) Concerned about constipation at this time and still at 3 yo we are fighting to find the right balance to keep AJ regular ;/ 
• During these first few year we spent a LOT of time at the pediatricians office with constipation, tons of ear infections, every cold on overdrive due to their weaker preemie immune system times it by 4 kids and 2 adults passing it back and forth. The first two and a half years were the hardest and felt like home was a jail holding us hostage with illnesses.
• 2-23-10, 12 Month Checkup Weight 19 lbs. 13 oz. (20%) Height 29 3/4" (75%) After this appointment we started seeing the GI specialist regularly
• 5-27-10, 14-15 Month Checkup Weight 24 lbs. 15 oz. (30%) Height 32 1/4" (95%)
• 3-1-11, 2 Year Checkup Weight 26 lbs. 13 oz. (12%) Height 36 1/4" (off the chart)



First Princess Dress up, Tiana

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Easter 2012 with Tarah, Trevor, their beautiful family and friends for their last Easter egg hunt in MD, before moving.

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Spring 2012 CMAA Soccer

Addison Patiently Watching Hunter's Practice

On March 29, 2012 the Page Family, packed up its cart with 3 toddler chairs, 2 adult chairs, a bag with snacks and drink, toys, and blankets. At 5pm we headed out the door and down 2 blocks to the neighborhood park where Hunter would be starting his first soccer practice with CMAA.

The last game in the Tournament, playing a team that is moving up next year. 

The season flew by very quickly and I think all the kids had a wonderful time. Since Hunter was new to CMAA he was placed on a new team with children much younger than himself. This will be the only season he will play with them but I think it was a great place to start. His coach is the head of the program and very knowledgeable. As I have said in an earlier post, U6 does not keep score and the games are more about preforming the skills that they learned during their practices. Most of the kids love the pull back, which is when they place their foot on top of the ball and roll the ball out behind them.

Hunter's break a way

High fives at the end of the game, Good Sportsmanship!

I was fortune enough to be able to help the assistant coach in the kids last practice of the spring season when the coach was unable to make it to the practice and emailed about getting help. When Keith got there and I was able to get onto the field it was so much fun. We practiced a bunch of drills and had a scrimmage. I taught 3 kids, one being the assistant coach's daughter and he took the other 4, including Hunter. During the scrimmage we worked on all their moves and of course the beloved pull back. Teaching and encouraging the children was so much fun that I talked to the head coach at the end of the season about coming to coaching classes so that I could help or lead the U4 fall group or assist with U7 if the times work out with our schedule. From childhood, I have loved sports and during middle school and part of high school I played on 2 teams each season, one for the county and a select team. I can only hope to pass on my passion for sport to my children and their teammates.

At the end of the tournament they had drills and fun footwork activities

Practicing shooting goals from a variety of distances

one kick to get threw 3 obstacles.

 On May 19 we had the U6 Soccer-fest. The under 6 year old version of a soccer tournament. Hunter's team, the Tigers played 2 games and then had a drill session. Both teams they played were older and on their last season in U6. So not a very balanced game. However when Hunter was in they seemed to get on a roll and at least not have goal after goal scored on them. This was only the second game that Hunter did not score in but he had a very nice assist. I don't think it was his intention, I am pretty sure if he would have finished up his break a way he would have score himself but the other team got a foot on it at the last second knocking it right in front of the goal to his teammate that was shadowing him and she scored. I am so proud of them both. That particular little girl was with me for the shadowing drill just 2 days before...lol.

Page Family provided snack and drinks for soccer-fest. Hot day with tons of popcilles

 After the game they went onto the drills portion of soccer-fest. Seems like this would have been a great part of practice but I guess they do it at the end of the season as a way to make this day particularly special. They had all different activities here focusing on ball control and foot work.

Each family is responsible for bring snack at the end of each game. Of course we were scheduled of the weekend were they had 3 different points were the kids would need drinks and snack. However if you know me then you know I love to feed people. So at the end of the first game I gave out Popsicle to the team and their siblings and gram crackers. Then at the end of the second game I gave out drinks and fruit snacks. Lastly, we provided more popsicle and drinks, plus the Athletic Association provided cupcakes. For a hot day and only my second time personally being the snack provider ever in my life, I got a tons of thumbs up from everyone.

We warped up the day with patches and tropes. What a fun season!

Patches at the end of each game

Season Ending trope.

2012 Spring U6 CMAA Soccer League!

Living with Psoriatic arthritis & Degenerative Disc Disease

 About 2 years ago I started losing skin on the palms of my hands. Having young child with compromised immune systems, I contributed it to the extreme use of harsh cleaning supplies...aka bleach. On top of that I had been having severe joint pain, mainly my right hip, knee, toes and sharp pains along my back. Again I thought after being on bed rest for months and then caring for 3 newborns and a 2yo that were growing in needs, my body was just having a hard time keeping up and I was just deconditioned. Well the joint pain kept getting worse and my primary said if I lost weight and kept mobile it would get better. So I did (currently 70lbs.) and nothing changed other than my dress size. During this time I continued to loss most of my skin on my hands, feet and red painful patches of skin started showing up all over my body. I started going to doctor after doctor, specialist after specialist. Finally after MRIs and an amazing dermatologist a couple of hours from home I got my answer. Psoriasis arthritis and of course its one of the more rare and severe cases.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis that often occurs with psoriasis of the skin.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Psoriasis is a common, chronic skin condition that causes red patches on the body. About 1 in 20 people with psoriasis will develop arthritis with the skin condition. In most cases, psoriasis comes before the arthritis.
The cause of psoriatic arthritis is not known, but genes may play a role. In general, people who have psoriasis have a higher rate of arthritis than the general population.

Symptoms

The arthritis may be mild and involve only a few joints, particularly those at the end of the fingers or toes. In some people the disease may be severe and affect many joints, including the spine. When the spine is affected, the symptoms are stiffness, burning, and pain, most often in the lower spine and sacrum.
People who also have arthritis usually have the skin and nail changes of psoriasis. Often, the skin gets worse at the same time as the arthritis.

Signs and tests

During a physical exam, the health care provider will look for:

• Joint swelling
• Skin patches (psoriasis) and pitting in the nails
• Tenderness

Joint x-rays may be done.

Treatment

Your doctor may prescribe nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to reduce pain and inflammation of the joints.
More severe arthritis needs to be treated with more powerful drugs called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), such as:

• Leflunomide
• Methotrexate
• Sulfasalazine

New medications that block an inflammatory protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are becoming the treatment of choice for psoriatic arthritis. These include:

• Adalimumab (Humira)
• Etanercept (Enbrel)
• Golimumab (Simponi)
• Infliximab (Remicade)

Occasionally, very painful joints may be injected with steroid medications.
In rare cases, patients need surgery to repair or replace damaged joints.
Your doctor may suggest a healthy mix of rest and exercise. Physical therapy may help increase the movement of specific joints. You may also use heat and cold therapy.

Expectations (prognosis)

The disease is often mild and affects only a few joints. A few people will have severe psoriatic arthritis in their hands, feet, and spine that causes deformities.
In people with severe arthritis, treatment can still relieve pain and prevent joint destruction, especially if it is started early.

Complications

Repeated episodes may occur.

From Pubmed Health 

As Time went on----->

Right when symptoms started I had a series of x-rays and MRIs done. They showed some small changes, but nothing to right home about. At the end of last year we changed insurances and I found the best local doctors that I could. Since everything I had tried thus far was not helping to make improvements even with a dangerous inject-able medication called, Humira which typically can control the autoimmune response up to 90%. So we started again with x-rays and MRIs. Within 2 years, they came back with significant deterioration of joints. Adding to the mix, degenerative disc disease. This caused nerves to be pinched, and explained the numbness and pain.

So in January, I went running up the stairs one day during nap to check on the kiddos. Unfortunately, with my numbness I don't always move the way I think I am. I have gotten so used to it. Well right at the top of the stairs I missed one and fell face first into the top step. I hit my head so hard I knocked myself out and tumbled to the bottom. That is were I had my first seizure. I spent a week in the hospital and had to have support for 2 more weeks at home. Thank you to all the amazing friends and family that came and kept me off my feet. Help to care for my children, cleaned my home and drove me all over kingdom come. I will never forget how much you all have done for me. I hope I can give back to you what you have done for me and my family. God love you all!!! This is when I found my spine specialist who has been working with me to find non surgical methods to keep me going. From Feb to April we preformed a series of steroid injections right into the spaces between my vertebra. Amazing, the pain was getting better, my skin was FINALLY clearing up. I would still have flairs but it was much better.

A month after my final injection a flair began. It has never stopped. I have lost a chuck of skin on both my hands and a bit on my feet. The pain is back and worse than ever. Like a knife in two places on my back. Numbness and burning down my arms and in my fingers, plus my right hip and knee. Yesterday I went back to talk with the spine specialist about my last MRI and again BAD news. 

Now we have to do a nerve conduction test and burn the nerves completely. Hopefully they do not regenerate. I am very worried about this test. It will be painful and the healing time is 2-3 weeks for each nerve burn and there will be multiple. 

So off to call all my tight friends to get help to babysit and drive me for these appointments. I wish I knew how to do more of these amazing women in my life. I really owe my mobility to them. xoxoxox

Even tho this sucks, I know I have to keep getting up and being the best mother, wife and friend I can possibly be. I know many people wonder why I still run and put my body threw this. Well one day my mobility will be very limited and I want my children to know I still fought as hard as I could till the end.

Triple Trouble, Ultra sound to now

I was laying on the floor in crippling pain. Hunter who was about 1 and a half playing beside me. I already knew that I was pregnant, so I call my OB/GYN to let them know what was going on. They said, it was probably a miscarriage and I could lay on the couch and wait to start bleeding or go to the hospital to get drugs to help with the pain during this time. I was devastated and called a girlfriend. I told her I was just going to stay home and wait for the inevitable. Keith was working an hour away and I didn't think I could drive feel the way I did with Hunter. J. said no way, I will be right over and I will call a few people on the way to help until Keith can make it and because I can't stay. She picked me and Hunter up. By the time we got to the hospital our girlfriend L was there waiting for me to support me threw this. J took Hunter to another girlfriend, A. Q. to hang out until we were done at the hospital.

Understandably I was upset and asked L if she would come with me to ultrasound to confirm the miscarriage. L and I watched the screen as the technician performed the test, "congratulations, its twins!" L, "No I see 4 sacks, I see 4." Tech, "wait a minute I will move it around a bit and get a better look. No, TRIPLETS!" "Alright I am done take it out before we find a forth," I said. Happy not to be miscarrying, terrified I am going to have to tell Keith who still hadn't made it back from work yet. Oh my gosh, triplets, this was not what I was expecting. How are we going to do this, my thoughts were racing, my heart was pounding. We just get back to the waiting room and Keith comes into the ER. L say, "give him the ultrasound." "What am I looking at, are you miscarrying?," asks Keith. "No not miscarrying," I say. L, "count the dots." "1..2..3, what does that mean," asks Keith? "Triplets," L tells him. The last thing I remember from that day, "just one more," Keith reply's.

7 or 8 week gestation. Thinking it was a Miscarriage to Triplets

So I start going threw pictures and its all a world wild. I tried to find pictures of the triplets from ultrasound to now. As I finished going threw all my online libraries of picture one thing I have noticed was I was not always been good about taking pictures. I missed documenting so many things that I would have loved to have had picture of because I am caring for and running after 4 children all at once, most of the time on my own. I would have loved to take pictures but I was counting 1..2..3..4, good they are all here. Now that they are getting older and better listeners I hope to be able to get more photos and I REALLY want a nice camera.

First Week home

Since the trio was born at 32 weeks, they spent a month in the NICU. IVs, Feeding tubes, C-paps, heart monitors, and billy lights. They came at 36 weeks gestation and only about 4lbs each. Both Luke and Cole were still on portable heart monitors for a few months after bring them home. We also had to wake and feed them around the clock for almost 8 months every two and a half hours to feed them. Being preemies, they were unaware of their needs till about then. Since children are not allowed in the NICU this was the first time Hunter was able to touch them and spend some one on one time with them.

 Our dear friend A.L. came out that first month at home and took MANY amazing photos for us. I just love them all. Each child had their own spread, tons of group photos and a number of photos with us the boys.

Looking back at these photos brought back so many memories. Since then I have built friendships with two other families with infant and year old triplets. It is amazing to watch it from the outside and know what is ahead. Higher older multiples is just such a different experience than any other. We HOM moms know how happy and sad we can be, many little arms to wrap around you in loving embrace and, never to have enough hands to sooth.