Clagett Triplets: The Life and Times of Brooke Brynn Lexi

The Triplets Have Arrived!

We just saw the triplets as they were being wheeled out of the OR and down the hall to the elevator to take them down to the 6th floor. They were beautiful! The nurses said everything went well and we will know more in an hour after they are checked out in the NIC Unit. Erin is still in the OR but the nurses said she is fine. We are anxious to see her to confirm that. Tom just appeared still in his scrubs - he is floating! Said Erin is fine and she is on her way to the recovery room. We'll update again soon.

Julie

Today's the Day!

Erin's sac has ruptured and the decision has been made to go ahead with the C-Section now! It will be happening soon. Bill, Mike, Hannah and I are leaving for the hospital now. Will keep you updated. Say lots of prayers.

Julie

May Be Sooner Than Expected!

Erin is leaking what they have determined to be amnionic fluid and she is being moved back upstairs to the 7th floor labor and delivery area so that both she and the babies can be monitored closely. The drs. are going to reevaluate all the tests and then talk about what will be done. The dr. did say that she could possible go several days like this with close monitoring and complete bedrest unless she breaks through into actual labor. So it was a short stay in the room with a comfortable bed and windows! We will update as soon as we know more so keep checking the site and keep Erin and the babies in your prayers.

Julie

33 Weeks Today!

Erin made it through another night and actually slept pretty well, except for the fact that she uses the rest room about 5-6 times a night, the noise that her leg inflators thingys make (reminds me of a gas power washer), and now the sounds and sirens of living in downtown Baltimore.

The service level (which was awesome) we had at labor and delivery on the 7th floor is completely gone now that we have moved downstairs. We are at the end of a long hallway in what is usually an extended stay room. So now it is almost as if we no longer exist.

Anyway not much to report at this point.

Tom 

Friday Evening

It is now 8:30 Friday evening. The new room is on a corner of the front of the hospital with three big windows looking out on the city so we are watching the lights come on outside and watching the Orioles and the Red Sox. Michael  (Erin's brother) is flying down from Boston tomorrow morning to see Erin and to go to the game tomorrow night. Erin just had a shower and was able to get out of the hospital gown for the first time in a week and put on her own clothes. She looks and feels better. Bull and Mama Kate kept Hannah at home today - she will come back tomorrow to see Mommy. She had a great day playing with the neighborhood kids in a sprinkler. She kept her bathing suit on for dinner! People have been asking what Erin needs and I am going to give some suggestions - I found a list of some things you can do for a mom on bedrest on a website called sidelines - a site for pregnant women on bedrest. It is http://www.sidelines.org/articles/some-things-to-do-for-a-mom-on-bedrest/- check it out. Tom is still at work - he didn't leave today until midafternoon. He should be back soon though and I will go back to Frederick. Keep the cards and comments coming - they really help.

Julie

Still Waiting

It's Friday at one and just as Erin was getting ready to be moved downstairs to the 6th floor she mentioned that she has been leaking some fluid. Immediately a midwife came in who in turn called the dr who did an exam and took specimens of the fluid. Thankfully it was just mucus and not amnio fluid. So now they are going to do a sonogram and then Erin will finally be moved to 6th floor south. Erin looks better today and seems to have more energy. They started her back on the pills to stop contractions this morning and so far her blood pressure has remained steady. I am here and Tom was supposed to leave to go to work but it is one in the afternoon and he is still here - difficult to leave.

Hannah is home with Granddad Bull and Mama Kate - Kevin has a day off today. Things are good there. Many thanks to Brian Snyder (their neighbor) for cutting the grass - it looks great and was such a help. Erin would like to have some magazines to read - she doesn't think she could concentrate on a book. So if any of you faithful readers who live near Springridge have some recent magazines you would like to send her just drop them by the house or put them in the mailbox. Erin would really appreciate it.

Keep the encouraging words coming. She enjoys reading them. Visiting hours downstairs are 10am to 8pm. Bring photo id and no children under 12. I think she would enjoy visits. Will update after we move.

Julie

The C-Section is scheduled

The doctors finally scheduled the C-Section. It looks like they will make Erin continue this process until June 16, 2008. That would make a total of 26 straight days in the hospital. However, it still could happen any day. If she goes into active labor they will not stop it. But they will not voluntarily perform the C-section until that date.

It really sounds awful, but the longer the triplets stay in the better chance they have for survival and not having birth defects. It is very hard to see Erin go through this, but I know she loves all the encouragement, support, love, and messages.

At least they moved us to a new room which is twice the size and has a shower (old room was a 5x5). Erin is now on a more lax bed rest. She can now shower, use a regular toilet, and move around a tiny bit.

After her first shower in a week, Erin show signs of renewed energy to continue.

Please keep up the comments we enjoy them.

Tom

One week down!

It has been a week today and the babies are still hanging in there. Erin had her weekly appointment today with the world renown stenographer Suzie at the Center for Advanced Fetal Care (located one floor down). The babies were scanned today and looked great. They look comfortable and not in a major rush to exit (Sorry Erin). Baby A weighed in at 4lbs 4ounces, Baby B 4lbs 3ounces, and Baby C 4lbs 1ounce.

The overall goal is to wait as long as Erin can take it. It is Erin's second day without any drugs to stop contractions and they are still spaced apart about every 5-7 minutes. The good news is that she is only feeling about 3-4 contractions per hour (For all the men out there that still sucks).

Erin is currently resting up.

Stay tuned.

Tom

Sixth night

Somehow we have made it through a whole week tomorrow (Thursday). Our day has been filled with more challenges. The Morning started well. We got lots of rest. The afternoon was filled with more hurdles. Erin started having intense back pain which lead to nausea. After we got the nausea under control, Erin developed a fever. We are still waiting to hear some test results to figure out what is causing the fever. They went ahead and put Erin on an IV antibiotics as a precautionary.

As for me, I am fine. It was just a little bug. I just took some Tylenol (Thanks Seth) and suck it up.

Overall, Erin is just in what I would refer it to as extended labor. Nothing like feeling contractions for a week now.

Thanks for the support and stop feeling sorry for me. I not the one who is pregnant.

Tom

Wednesday Morning

Things remain somewhat unchanged. During the night Erin's blood pressure dropped significantly - 68/29 and so the decision was made to take her off the new medicine. She slept some through the night as did Tom (this is JuJu) and now we are just waiting for nature to take its course. The C section will take place when her cervix changes ( she is still at 3 1/2 centimeters dilated) or when her water breaks. The delivery could be in the next hour or the next week. We are all on pins and needles waiting. Erin is resting more today which is good and her appetite is back somewhat. Tom however began feeling ill yesterday and today seems to have a full course of flu - headache, body aches, etc. He has not left the hospital but I think today he might have to see a doctor. Grandma Kate and Kevin and Hannah and I are going to the hospital this afternoon so hopefully we can talk him into it. Cousin Kevin ( who just finished his freshman year at NC State) has taken over as the nanny with taking care of Jackson thrown in too. Hannah adores him and he is wonderful with her. They are at the park right now playing on the new equipment there so that I can accomplish some things here - laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. Grandma Kate is making Erin some of her famous chicken rice soup which Erin likes so much. Jackson slept with Kevin last night so everyone slept - the night before Jackson kept us all up with his anxiety. I will update after we get to the hospital or if anything happens before that.

Julie