(Our NICU home. The nurses have decorated the windows of P & P’s apartment with milestone pictures!)
5 weeks down, several more to go! When the babies first arrived in the NICU, doctors reminded us that it will be a roller coaster. Some days will be great, others will test our faith. They also said that we need to look at the big picture. As we stare at them every day through the incubator, we don’t notice much growth. But if step back and look at the big picture, we can see many changes over the last several weeks. Lots of you have mentioned how big they are getting. Well, looks can be deceiving! They are definitely growing. Mr. Skry and I notice their heads getting bigger and their hands and feet are larger. But, pictures make them look much bigger. Parker is still only 1 lb 9 oz. Because of his surgery and some complications, he hasn’t been on feedings. Peyton, on the other hand, looks like a giant! She’s hovering around 2 lbs, which seems SO big until we see the other babies in the NICU.
(Peyton sporting some new headband accessories)
Since they can’t wear clothes at the moment, Grandma Skrysak (aka my mom) made them some custom accessories. You really can’t find headbands to fit their tiny heads, so she went to town sewing. Some of the flowers look as big as Peyton’s head! And as for the cute chunky rolls on her– she was swollen from fluids, so she’ll shrink back down in the next day or so.
(Parker gearing up for college football–Go Ducks!)
And since Peyton had headbands, my mom couldn’t leave out Parker. She made him an Oregon Ducks “sweatband”. We’re a month away from football season and I have a feeling that Parker is the smallest Oregon Ducks fan out there (and probably one of the cutest)! If you have ever seen me on tv, I have a huge Oregon “O” on my desk. I graduated from University of Oregon and I’m a diehard Ducks fan. So of course, our kids will be too! Now if I could just find a preemie cheerleader outfit for Peyton…
(Two of my best friends meeting P & P)
This past week has been a good one for both the babies and my family. Two of my oldest and best friends from my childhood took time out of their busy lives and made the trek out to Springfield from San Diego. Caroline and Marcy wanted to show their support for Ryan and I, plus get to meet P & P. I knew it would be an emotional weekend. I haven’t been out much and haven’t talked to many friends since I delivered, it’s just my way of healing and grieving. But there is something about your oldest friends. I didn’t have to entertain them, or even say a word. I could just sit on my couch and cry and they were there to remind me that I’ll get through this difficult time. We shared many laughs reminiscing over the decades we’ve known each other and we also shed some tears as I shared my memories of Abby and her little mementos from the hospital. This past weekend was just what the doctor ordered. While they forced me to take naps and rest, the two of them were busy grocery shopping and cooking. They even gave me the courage to venture out. We made it to my favorite breakfast diner, Charlie Parkers, which was a huge hurdle for me since the entire staff knows Mr. Skry and I. We knew I’d cry, but it was fun to show all of them pictures of our babies.
We also tackled this massive pile of boxes. While my coworkers dropped by the hospital when I couldn’t make it to my first baby shower, I missed out on two other virtual and long distance showers that were planned for the triplets. Ever since I started having complications back in May, we put the nursery on hold. I had decided to stop shopping for the trio until July, but we never made it to that date. I knew opening presents would be heartbreaking. Most everything we registered for were in three’s. So, my girlfriends helped me through the presents. Surprisingly, it turned into a fun activity. Of course there were some tears, but opening all of the gifts made me feel like I’m a parent. You see, Ryan and I have talked about how it hasn’t sunk in for us that were are mom and dad. We can barely hold and touch our children. My sleepless night are because I’m waking up to pump, not cradle my babies. Some days are so tough to see other NICU parents feeding and playing with their babies. But opening presents gave me hope. We haven’t thought about the nursery since I gave birth and this put it back into my mind. We’re still cautiously optimistic, but we’re hopeful that P & P will continue to make it past every hurdle and we can start thinking about bringing them home later this year.
(Adorable handmade hats for the babies, thanks to viewer Katie)
One more thing before I sign off. I’ve mentioned it several times–The support we’ve received from people across the country has been amazing. I’ve received cards from viewers and messages from people I haven’t talked to in decades. It makes me realize how many good people are in this world. I wanted to share a package that was sent from a viewer. Katie knit these adorable hats from Parker and Peyton. They fit perfectly!
(Parker getting a yawn in while sporting his Oregon Ducks knit hat)
The cuteness is unbearable! She noticed that I was an Oregon Ducks fan and even made a green and yellow football hat for Parker. I don’t think he wants to ever take it off!!…or maybe that’s just mom talking. A lot of you have wondered when I’ll be back to work. I honestly thought that I would be ready to go back by now, but it’s a complicated answer. I’m sure my bosses would love to know! Just know that I need time and I will be back…that’s a promise! I’ll tackle that question next week in my blog, but now it’s time to head back to the hospital and stare at my beautiful little miracles.
This story was first published on my blog Skry’s the Limit at www.wandtv.com on July 30, 2013.