Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Hello, once again my apologies for the delay in getting updates done on the blog. Its hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone, I had 10 days off from work. Not a whole lot to show for it really but it was a much needed break from the day to day work grind.

Well, we made it down to the Rancho Not So Grande the day after Thanksgiving. The babies really were a dream in the car on the way down and back up, but it was pretty taxing on them getting used to the new sites, smells, surroundings and the altitude of the ranch. It sits on a hill at about 1,800 feet above sea level and we live at about 500 feet above sea level in Dallas. It took the babies a day to get settled and used to what was going on but after that initial first day it was pretty smooth sailing.

The dedication/Christening program at The First Methodist Church of Mason went really well. It was a beautiful service and the babies behaved themselves for the most part. Claire stretched out the wind pipes a little bit during the dedication, but overall they did very well. Paul and Judy had a wonderful reception back at the ranch after the service, it was really nice. Certainly a day to remember.

We are getting ready for Christmas around here, we are staying in Lantana this year and the family is coming to us. Our Christmas shopping is done, the house is decorated and we are ready for a special first Christmas with the babies and our family!

The babies are doing great, all are eating some rice cereal each day along with the formula. We go back to the Dr. in January and will then talk about eating real food sorta, I guess! Do you believe that?! No way. Matt is just over 17lbs., Drew is around 16 lbs and Claire is a little over 14lbs. The picture at the top of the blog is our Christmas picture, they are all starting to look so different and believe me, all three of them act completely different from each other. They all have their own personality, quirks, laughs and mannerisms, just really crazy to watch them each day grow and become their own person.

I am taking some time off again around Christmas to be with our family. I am finishing up this blog entry from my laptop so that I can get a post in this evening! I will be sure to get some pictures in the next post.

From our family to yours, we wish you the Happiest of Holidays and a very, very Merry Christmas!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Matt, Claire and Drew

5 months today!

Hello, we all hope that this email finds everyone safe, happy, healthy and well! The Messerle family is doing great!

The babies are doing really well. They all went last week for their RSV shots, no problems with that really, we are fortunate that our insurance carrier is covering the cost. January and February are another story when our deductible ($6k) resets to $0! At $1000.00 per shot, per baby, it is NOT a cheap date. We'll figure it out...

The boys are all trying to inhale some rice cereal about once a day. Quite honestly I think more gets pushed out than goes down but it is fun to make a mess with them! Here is Drew giving the whole cereal program a shot!

Claire is doing good too, she is really starting to eat well out of her bottle and those cheeks are getting super chubby! She sleeps a ton and when she is rested she is just a total and complete doll, but when she is tired and cranky, LOOK OUT! She has a set of lungs on her that will wake the neighbors. She is wearing the same size diapers as the boys right now #2, the boys will go into 3's pretty soon though. Here is Claire when she is in a great mood, is she not a doll or WHAT?

We are off to Mason next week after Thanksgiving to spend some time with Katie's parents and my family as well. The babies are going to be Christened the Sunday after Thanksgiving at Mason Methodist Church. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in Mason when we are down there. It has been since March that we have been down to the ranch, Katie was not up to any long rides when she was pregnant after spring break, so that was the last time we have been down to the Hill Country. Katie and I both need a break away from the house and a change of scenery, she really has been pinned down to this place for months now and I am not sure how she isn't completely climbing the walls yet. We are spending Christmas at the ranch as well with Katie's parents and family and my dad will be coming up on Christmas day to spend the day with us. Are the boys ready for the ranch and the hunting program or what?!

The babies teased us a little bit last weekend by sleeping about 7 hours and sleeping in till about 4:30am for a couple of mornings, but we are back to getting up at 2:30am now for feeding. Hopefully they will come around and get the sleeping through the night deal under their belt. We are not pushing them and just letting it come when it comes. All three babies are now on the Similac Alimentum formula for the reflux and the spitting up. It really seems to be working GREAT! The heaving because of the reflux is more of an exception rather than the rule. Claire has taken to it well too and it has helped her as well. The stuff isn't cheap at $28 a can per day, and we go through a can a day. But I have been able to get some sweet deals on Ebay and getting the formula for as little as $12.50 a can! That helps SO much!

Matt is still on the breathing treatments twice a day with the Pulmicort to help clear up his lungs. He doesn't seem to mind it too much. He is such a happy little boy! Here he is during "tummy time"!

We are moving the crib that we have set up in our bedroom upstairs into their nursery this weekend. I had the nursery painted several weeks ago, it looks nice. The boys are getting to the point where they need their own crib. Currently they share a crib and Claire sleeps in a swing. I suspect within a couple of weeks they may be upstairs sleeping in their own cribs. That will REALLY be crazy! We are so used to them all being downstairs and close to us.

Shannel our nanny is doing wonderful, the kiddo's love her and I really think she is Claire's BFF (Best Friend's Forever!)! We are so lucky and blessed to have her in our home helping us with the stuff around the house, complete God-send.

Well, that is a little update on what is going on over here, same old deal for right now. Please pray for our safe and uneventful, quiet and peaceful 4 hour drive to Mason next week! LOL We are doing great and just so blessed by everything the Lord has given us. Indeed amazing! We hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Stay tuned for updated pictures from our Thanksgiving and trip to Mason after the holiday! Be well!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt

17 Weeker's!

Hello! Just a quick update before feeding time! The babies turned 17 weeks today and they are doing great. We had their 4 month check up with the doctor on Monday and they are doing very, very well and rapidly catching up to where they should be size wise for their gestational age. Matt is 14lbs 14 oz, Drew 14 lbs 5oz and Claire was 11lbs 12oz. They are all right at 22-23 inches long now too! We put Claire on the same formula now as the boys since she was having what seemed to be an upset tummy sometimes, hopefully it will work like it did for the boys. Matt is going to continue his breathing treatments, his lungs are still sounding a little congested from the reflux. Drew is doing fine although his little head is getting a bit flat and not as round as it should be. He is going to be a pretty good candidate for one of those helmets to get it back in the proper shape.

The babies seem to be starting to sleep a little longer at night now too! We put them down to bed at 10pm, they had been waking up around 2am hungry, but several nights this week it has been 3:30am-3:45am when they have been getting fussy. Maybe by Christmas we'll be sleeping through the night!? Please LORD! :)

Katie is doing a wonderful job around the house and taking care of the babies, she is such a "mother" and is really doing great taking care of the babies! Shannel, our nanny is just a complete doll and God send really, she is awesome with the babies, especially a screaming Claire at times. How she gets her calmed down and sleeping is really beyond me!

We go for the RSV shots next Friday the 13th for all of the babies to help keep them from getting the nasty cold, sickness and RSV.

We are really looking forward to getting down to the Branch ranch and to Mason for their Christening the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That is going to be our first major road trip, keep your fingers crossed for us! In the spirit of the ranch, Katie got them all suited up in their cammo gear, they may be a little young for the hunting action, but they are going to LOVE the ranch and being out there with Papa and Mimi! Here is Matt on the left and Drew on the right!

We had a real nice Halloween too! Katie's mom, Caroline came in for the weekend and we had a real nice visit. We are looking forward to seeing her and Tom again in a couple of weeks in Mason. Katie and Caroline got the costumes for the babies and since we have three, they went as not just a pumpkin, but a whole pumpkin patch!! Here are our little pumpkins! Matt,Claire and Drew.

There seems to be so much going on and the time is really flying by. Another week gone already! I promise to write again maybe over the weekend and talk about Claire sucking her thumb now and Matt taking his first big boy bites of rice cereal! Our entire family hopes that this note finds everyone happy, healthy and blessed! Have a wonderful fall weekend!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt

Wow, it has been several weeks since I have posted, my apologies. The time seems to be flying by and I am not sure where it went!

Everyone here is doing very, very well. The babies are doing great, eating like crazy and sleeping like logs! It is amazing how much the babies sleep and rest in order to grow. They really get pooped out pretty quick. The new formula is still working well with the boys. I am buying lots of the stuff off of ebay and saving significant money per can, that is helping preserve our baby fund a little bit. Claire is doing great, she is really starting to pack it on and grow! She does have a fussy time at night between 5pm and about 10pm, it really is rough. This week we have gotten her into a little routine and she seems to be adapting to it real well. I have to give the credit to Shannel and Katie for dealing with the constant screaming. Honestly, I cannot handle it for too long! This picture is my absolute favorite of all of them so far, I just love it! Claire, Matt and Drew

The babies are 15 weeks old day from their birth and 8 weeks old from their due date. We go to the pediatrician next week for their 4 month check up, 4 MONTHS! HOLY! In some ways the time has flown and in others its lagged a little bit, sorta weird! We are anxious to see how much they weigh and how much they have grown in the past two months. Since my last update we have started "propping bottles". We have cut so much time out of the feeding it is amazing, what used to take us 2 hours to feed all three we can get it knocked out in 20-30 minutes, max! It has really allowed Katie and I much more free time and time to get things done, like writing the blog that really we didn't have time for before. We basically put each baby in a Boppy or a little bean bag sorta thing, they are somewhat sitting up, we put a bottle in their mouth and then prop the bottles with wadded up receiving blankets. They do pretty good most of the time, we usually have to hand feed the last bit for Claire and Drew. Matt...well, let's put it this way, you DO NOT get in the way of that baby and his bottle! Here is a picture of all three during feeding time! (remember to click on the picture to make it bigger!)

Part two of my little journal this post is about the wonderful doctor that helped us conceive our babies. In May of 2008, Katie miscarried, the whole pregnancy just wasn't right and God chose at that point not to make us parents. We laid low for a couple of months allowing Katie's body to recover and get everything straight, but even after giving it some time we seemed to be having an issue with making another pregnancy happen. Katie was diagnosed with PCOS, which is a condition that makes the timing of ovulation very unpredictable and difficult to pin down. Katie made an appointment to see Dr. Kaufmann at the Ft. Worth Fertility Clinic. Right off the bat, I liked this guy, he was cool, laid back and positive. I was joking with him about these crazy off the wall "get pregnant" brochures he had around, etc. He made it sound like our deal to him was like Michael Jordan taking one to the basket and slam dunking it. We were excited. He recommended we do one round of Clomid which essentially allows you to know when there are eggs on the ovary and then with a shot of medicine release the eggs off the ovary then its your turn to take care of business. Well, we did one round of Clomid and on a Monday Katie goes back to the Dr. to see if there are eggs on the ovaries and sure enough there are and these eggs by all looks of it are ready release ASAP! I happen to be in St. Louis on a business trip till Wednesday, DOH! Needless to say that particular Wednesday was the exact day of conception!

A couple of weeks go by, Katie does two pregnancy tests and at 5:30am in the morning, she comes running into the bedroom, "Honey, I'm pregnant!" How about THAT for a wake up call! Geez. We then go back to the Dr. just for confirmation, blood test, yep we were pregnant. The next appointment we do an ultrasound to check things out and to see how the eggs are doing the sac's. So, we are in the examination room with the Dr., the nurse, Katie and myself. I am a bit nervous, but she is pregnant, things seem good so far so I am cool with it. Which at that point the Dr. says, "Well, it looks like you guys hit the jackpot!" And I say, "Ummm, what does that mean?" "I see three eggs, it looks like you are having triplets!" At that point, I immediately said, "Doc if you are jacking with me, I am going to kick your &^%!" He looked at me and he had a couple tears in his eyes and said, "Todd, I am not kidding man...." Then I almost collapsed...I knew he wasn't ribbing me like he had been in other appointments.

I honestly believe that God put this doctor in our lives to bring our babies into the world. The chances of triplets from one Clomid dose is so small, he doesn't even bring it up in his consultation. Twins, yes, triplets, no way, he had only seen 2 sets of triplets in his 20+ years of fertility. Dr. Kaufmann put us both at ease, he was so confident and so sure that we would conceive it was almost like he was speaking on behalf of God saying "Relax, this time it will happen for you, be positive, be patient, it is my will for you to have children." Really, looking back at that time he was there to bless us with these babies. Completely amazing.

I recently sent Dr. Kaufmann a baby annoucement, I wanted him to see a picture of the babies and to let him know that everything went great and that the babies were fine. He immediately wrote me back the SAME DAY to say that he will "never forget that day" and that he was so happy that everything worked out well. I know this was a long story, but it is important to share, maybe for people that read this that don't even know us. When we were trying to get pregnant for the second time, I told Katie, "Dear, God will bless us with a pregnancy when he is ready for us to be parents." I believed that in my heart then and I believe it now.

OK, how about we wrap it up with a couple of cute pictures! The first one is of Claire chilling in the boppy with HER bodyguard, FRANK! Frank loves that little girl and watches over her like a HAWK, no kidding. The second picture is of of the boys a little pooped out from "tummy time" crashed out on the floor. It is amazing how these babies have to be touching each other when they are laying on the floor, really cool! Enjoy!

Our entire family hopes that this post finds everyone safe, happy, healthy and well! Thank you for the continued thoughts and prayers. Stay tuned for Halloween pics in the next post! God Bless!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Drew, Matt and Claire

Getting better!

Hello! In my last post, we had gone to Dr. Russo and he wanted to move the boys to a different formula and off the NeoSure. Well, Katie found the Similac Alimentum formula which is a Hypo-Allergenic formula and it is doing the trick! They are not lactose intolerant but have some sort of goofy allergy to that other formula. The reflux is reduced greatly and the discomfort has subsided for sure. It is not 100% gone, but there is SIGNIFICANT improvement. Dr. Russo RULZ!! Claire is still on the NeoSure which has more calories than normal formula and we think she will be on it a while so that she can catch up with her weight and size.

All three are just growing like a weed! The boys especially are really getting to the point where they can hold their heads up pretty good. There is a little "bobble head" action going on but the tummy time is paying off! They are 12 weeks or 3 months old this week, holy smacks, time flies! Katie brought them all up to my office last week to show them off to the folks at work. The babies are AWESOME on field trips, they love em. We took a field trip 2 weekends ago to Grapefest in Grapevine, Texas, close to our house. Pretty typical festival deal and they did great, it got a little hot so we cut it a tad short. This picture is of my dad with Claire, my cousin's wife Linda with Matt and I am holding Drew. We had quite the crowd coming to the table and looking at the babies and asking questions, a part of it that we are going to have to get used to...

After the "fest" we went for a cruise over to Ft. Worth to see the newest addition to the Lichtie/Branch family, Reagan Lichtie, Katie's sister's new baby girl. We got all the cousins together for a group shot, one of MANY I am sure that will take place over the years! From the left, Matt, Clarita, Drew and Reagan. Drew made quite the pillow for Reagan! Fun times!

As I mentioned in my last post, there are SO many things that Katie and I are and have been thankful for through our time together over the past three plus years and now raising these three little munchkins. I couldn’t help but to look back at the happenings and wonder “why?”, “how come?” and the simple “your kidding me?”. Going all the way back when I moved from Tulsa to the Dallas area in 2006, I didn’t know Katie and was really just flying solo and by the seat of my pants in many different ways. When it came to purchasing a home, I really wanted a used home with a pool, those that know me, know that I normally get what I want, maybe not when I want it, but I usually get it. This is the rare occasion that I actually didn’t and it turns out there is a good reason why!

I settled on buying a new home, with a small backyard with no shot of having a pool. I bought the home when it was a slab and did everything myself from the bottom up, from design, some custom features, etc. Its 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home and just shy of 3,800 sq ft. I constantly got the question, “your a single guy with a 3,800 sq ft. house? What are you doing in that place?”. At the time I honestly looked at the house as an investment, its in a nice area, at the time the real estate market was solid and thought that if I ever had to I could turn the place for a profit.

Looking back now, there is a reason that I built this house and a reason that I settled for a place WAY too big for a single dude in a great community with a great school system. The reason is that I would soon meet the love of my life, she would bring her two dogs (they are really my dogs now!) and her cat here and really make the house a home. Not only would the home include Katie and the pets but now three beautiful babies that are healthy, happy and just perfect!

Can you imagine what it could have been like or currently be like if we were in a small 3 bedroom place with a pool that I could have bought, with the addition of Katie, 3 babies, 2 dogs and a cat? Sheer madness! Trust me, insanity. I am convinced that there is a reason and purpose that I bought this house and have now made it into a home for our family. As I continue to write about this stuff, it is really clear to see that God works in mysterious and incredible ways really when you have NO idea it is happening or why! He put us in a home where we are comfortable, have plenty of room and a place where I know he wants Katie and I to teach, mentor and love our children for many years to come. I am so thankful that he is watching over me and our family, there is a peace knowing that you are where God wants you to be and your doing what he wants you to do in your life! Does it REALLY get any better than that, absolutely not.

This is really the “tip of the iceberg”, I have so many more notes in my journal about times that God has touched our lives and taken us down a path that really is amazing. Almost surreal to be a part of, that is partly why I am concerned that I don’t miss or gloss over a important time, event or blessing that has touched our lives. I can’t wait to share them all with everyone that reads the blog! We are so blessed and thankful everything that God has given us in our lives.

In closing I hope that God touches your lives like he has touched ours in so many ways. I hope that this post finds everyone happy, healthy and ready for a beautiful fall season! Go Red Raiders and Go Bears!! Till next time! Peace.

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Matt and Drew

Hopefully making some progress!

The family took a big field trip today! Before I get to the doctor's appointment with Dr. Russo for Matt's tummy, we were able to take the babies over to see Dr. Zaretsky and his wonderful staff! Dr. Z is in the same complex as Dr. Russo, so we gave them a "head's up" that we were going to be over there. What a thrill! Dr. Z, Leah and Sharon took such wonderful care of Katie and the babies during the pregnancy, it was just awesome to actually let them hold the babies that they took such great care of before they were even born. We had a GREAT time and I think Dr. Z and the crew really enjoyed meeting the babies too! Below is Leah on the left holding Drew, Dr. Z holding Claire and Sharon holding Matt.

After our visit with Dr. Z, we over and met Dr. Russo and to check out Matt's tummy. The good news is that there are really no red flags or major issues that he is concerned about. His exam went great, everything felt and looked good. He did a pretty exhaustive exam on Matt and in the end and the first step we are taking is to change Matt's formula. He is concerned that he may be milk intolerant or have an allergy to something in the Neosure formula that the babies are currently on. This is the first step and we are going to give it two weeks and see if there is some progress. If the new formula doesn't help, we may move to some reflux medicine. Unfortunately, many of the infant reflux medicines in studies have proven to be somewhat ineffective and cause more side effects than they do good. Getting all cranked up on meds that may or may not work and cause side effects is the last resort.

Both Katie and I really liked Dr. Russo and his approach on the treatment. He is very soft spoken and very conservative, you can tell he is very intelligent and that today wasn't his first rodeo. We are giving this new formula to Matt and Drew both at this point to see if it makes a difference, we are going to continue to pray that these two little guys grow out of this deal soon. Good news, no surgery or anything wild like that! Whoo Hoo!

Claire is doing great, Claire is being Claire the little cutie pa-toot-ee that she is! Does it really get any better than to grab your daughter in the morning, bring her into bed and cuddle for a few minutes before you start your day? I don't think so!

As I mentioned in my last post, I am going to start touching over a series of posts about our journey that reaches back probably before I even met Katie actually. I have been taking notes in my journal to make sure that I don't miss anything, I hope I don't.

The basis around my posts and my series of information about our journey really is wrapped around the wonderful blessings that Katie and I have experienced in the last 10 months. I am really doing this for a couple of reasons. The first being, for the babies, I intend this to be a little narrative piece that the kids can look back on in the years to come and see just what wonderful little miracles they are and how the Lord has blessed their lives and ours. Secondly, I am documenting this for Katie and I. I want to be able to go back and remember and keep top of mind just how blessed we are to have these three lives enter our world. Lastly, for our friends and family, there are events, people and things that have happened to us that many people do not know, and I think it is important to share them. By being able to share our story, hopefully our friends and family will be able to see and understand what an incredible role that God has played in our family.

I am really looking forward to writing this in the blog, for those that follow, I hope you find it interesting and compelling. I'll do my best not to get sappy and still "land the plane" and get to the point! I'll start my first post next time, wish me luck!

Our family continues to thrive, the babies continue to grow and it is the support and assistance from our friends and family that keep Katie and I somewhat sane! My dad has been a GREAT help over the last month, he's an amazing guy, I love him so much. We had a great visit with Katie's mom Caroline last weekend, we were so excited for her to meet her grand babies! Channel our nanny started on Monday and that is going GREAT as well, she jumps right in and helps with whatever we need. The babies are going to be baptized in Mason at Paul and Judy's church, Mason Methodist Church the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I am so excited to get them to the ranch and to get them into church (I know they are 10 weeks old!)! That is going to be a hoot! Cheryl, our volunteer from church is just a wonderful help as well, so wonderful to have her in our home.

I'll leave you with a little peak of "tummy time"! The babies are getting so strong and doing great holding their head up, etc. Now, Frank is a little protector and babysitter and he does NOT let Claire out of his site, period. When she is on the floor he is right there making sure she is OK and cheering her on! This picture is great! Drew on the left in the yellow, Matt in the middle and Claire on the right and Frankers watching over HIS baby!!

Thank you for the notes, emails and cards, praying for Matt. We appreciate and feel each one of them! We all hope that this post finds everyone safe, healthy and happy for each day! Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Drew, Matt and Claire

They are growing!

A pretty eventful week around the house. This week Katie and I were flying solo with out any help staying with us. All in all it went pretty well, we made it through it! We are certainly ready for my dad to come back on Tuesday though, we ALL miss him!

On Thursday we went back to the Pedi for our 2 month check up. The babies are growing and putting on weight! They all grew over an inch and Matt is weighing 9lbs, 7 oz, Drew is 9 lbs, 5 oz and Claire is 7 lbs, 5 oz. They are putting on that baby fat and are looking so cute and chubby! The Dr. was real happy with their progress and our next appt. isn't for another 2 months. Drew and Claire are doing great, Matt is our little hurting boy...

Matt's tummy continues to give him issues. Do to the reflux you can tell in his cries and him grunts that he is a bit hoarse. That is some of that acid going down the wrong pipe into his air way and getting on his vocal chords, etc. Not good, that can lead to asthma, etc. when he is older. So Matt gets to use an nebulizer and have steroid treatments twice a day for two months, hopefully this will clear up his throat a bit. Friday morning Matt vomited so hard and violently that when he was sitting in his bouncy seat the vomit hit his feet and the floor. It freaked me out since it happened when I was feeding Claire. We got a hold of the Dr. and to make a long story short, he had an Upper GI done yesterday afternoon to check out his stomach and intestines. Good news is that everything looked fine and normal, no surgery, bad news is that passing 5oz of barrium is just very painful for him and he is miserable at times.

We were referred to a very good infant GI doctor at Children's Plano and we have an appt. with him on Sept. 17th. Chances are that he will get Matt on Reglan to help control the spasms that he is having with his stomach. The 17th seems far away but we were told that sometimes the wait to see this guy can be 6 months! In the meantime we just try to make him as comfortable as possible and try to keep the formula down.

Dr. Naylor also told us we could take off his heart monitor during the day and only have it on him at night! Whoo Hoo! That thing is needed I know, but really a major pain in the rump to lug around with him. Hopefully he'll be off it soon completely! Little dude has enough going on with him.

On the homefront, we found a part time nanny to help Katie during the day, her name is Channel Wilson, she is a junior business major at the University of North Texas, about 20 minutes from our house. She is going to be here from about 2pm-6pm everyday to help Katie with the babies and to help with the chores around the house. 4 hours of help doing things is going to be a HUGE help for us. She starts on Sept. 14th, we are excited!

Here are a few pictures of the babies from today in their Texas Tech gear all ready for Red Raider football! Our great friends from Lubbock the Massengales sent us these awesome outfits!

Here is Claire resting up for the big game!

Drew is getting ready for the game too! Nothing like a good paci after some chips and salsa! (J/K!)

Matt is a big boy too and he loves when the Red Raiders score touchdowns!!

But on the other hand, Matt does NOT like when the other team scores touchdowns! Would you look at that face! He gets that forehead so scrunched up and tight it is hysterical!

We are looking forward to having my dad in town this week, he is huge help when he is here and we enjoy his company. He is really able to help us with the feedings and having another set of arms and eyes on these babies. So far the diaper supply is holding up pretty well, I would guess that we go through 25 diapers a day on average. When you can get them for about $.20 a piece $5.00 a day isn't too bad. What amazes me is how much the stinking formula is! Holy cow. The babies are still on this preemie formula from Similac and it has to be the most expensive thing out there. We go through 18 bottles a day now which eats up about a can of formula a day and the cans are $15.50 a piece at Wal-Mart. I seriously can't believe how much that powder formula is! What a rip...

Besides the lack of any sort of consistent rest, we are doing pretty well. Katie and I have a routine down and it seems like we pick up where the other one left off pretty well. Its been nice having a 4 day weekend, it seems like I have bonded with the babies a little bit more. Little Clarita (What they call her down in S. Tejas!) sure loves to take naps on her daddy's chest! Good stuff!

Please pray for little Matt and hope that his tummy starts feeling better soon. He needs all the prayers he can get. We appreciate everyone thinking and praying for us, as I have said before we feel them everyday. The Messerle family hopes that everyone had a WONDERFUL Labor Day weekend with friends and family! Till next time!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Matt, Drew and Claire

Good news!

Hello! We hope this email finds everyone well!

I am happy to report that Matt's visit to the doctor yesterday and his sonogram was a success! His stomach was looking good and there was no evidence of pyloric stenosis at all. Praise God! We think this is just going to have to be something that he grows out of, it doesn't make it any easier but we are sure glad that he does not have to go under the knife! We've got him on formula and rice cereal to thicken up his feed, hoping that the thicker feeding will stay down better.

Drew and Claire, well, they are Drew and Claire! They are both a hoot too and little Claire is quite the Diva! She certainly knows what she wants and when she wants it. We are trying to get them all on a four hour feed schedule today, wish us luck, we're going to need it! :) They all go back to the Dr. on Friday for a growth check. I seriously cannot wait to see how much they weigh and how much they have gained in two weeks! Those two boys are a good workout on the biceps, trust me!!!

MORE GREAT NEWS!

Our pictures from the photography session are done and look fantastic! Here is how to view them all!

1. Go to www.melissazihlman.com

2. Go to mzkids

3. On the lower left, click "clients"

4. The password is "messerle" NO capital letters

The slideshow will then start! Enjoy and let us know what you think!

OK gotta run and help out the gang here! Please continue the thoughts and prayers for the babies and especially Matty-Poo, he is a real trooper! Peace, love and happiness always!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Matt and Drew

Today would be the day!

Well, today was Katie's original due date, August 25th, before we knew we were having triplets! I told this to Drew this evening and he just looked at me like I was nuts! Tomorrow they will be 7 weeks old, where does the time go?

Claire went in this morning to have her eyes examined by an infant eye doctor. Due to her low birth weight, they wanted to make sure that the blood vessels in her eyes had developed and that they were growing. She got a complete clean bill of health, her eyes look great! She is really eating great right now too, she will slow up on a bottle or two then empty the next one. You can really tell she is growing. I have this weird feeling that she is also ready for football season. I went into the nursery the other night/morning and this is how I found Claire sleeping! Out like a light, just like this... TOUCHDOWN RED RAIDERS!!

Our bigger issue this week is with Matthew. He is VERY uncomfortable and he is spitting up BIGTIME, on every feed. We took him to the doctor and also to get a sonogram on his stomach this week. They found that his stomach isn't emptying as fast as it should and that his Pyloric valve or muscle that goes from the bottom of his stomach to his small intestine is causing spazam's and not letting his food through. The concern is like any other muscle the more it works the bigger it gets and this muscle can get bigger and just shut off the opening out of his stomach. That would be bad. He is still making dirty diapers, that is good, he is not dehydrated and they say that he will grow out of this condition over time. I sure hope it happens soon because to see him in that pain and rearing back and arching his back is just really horrible to watch. He is such a cutie and such a good boy. We go back on Friday for a follow up sonogram to see if it is getting better or worse. If it gets worse and closes up, that means surgery...

Drew is doing just great! He is a little angel and you can tell he is growing and he is beginning to put things together a bit. He is watching and listening to me when I jabber at him, etc. All of the babies are still in the nursery together and in the same crib, here is a sneak peak at the boys all ready to count sheep!

So far our diaper stash is holding up nicely but we are going through formula like nobody's business! We're making up the bottles in bulk and mixing the formula in a huge Pampered Chef pitcher type deal, 24 bottles at a time. One feed uses up on whole can of this formula! Ummm, how long does this formula program last!? LOL Katie and I are doing well, my dad was here all last week and he is here all this week. It is really a treat for me to spend so much time with him, its been years since we have spent this much time together, good stuff. He is heading back home on Friday and coming back after Labor Day, his help is truly amazing! We're looking forward to a visit from Paul and Judy next week and spending Labor Day weekend with Katie's mom Caroline! Its really great that the grandparents can see and spend time with their grandchildren, I love it.

Please think and pray for Matt as he struggles through this pain and issue in his tummy. I have all the faith in the world that he is going to be just fine but seeing his hurting that bad, is really a bummer. Our family is doing great, we appreciate everyone thinking about us! We all hope this email finds everyone happy, healthy and full of all that is good! Till next time!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Matt and Drew

So far, so good!

We've made it a full week with the gang all here and so far I think we are holding up pretty well. A large part of that due to Paul, Judy and my dad spending significant time here helping Katie and I keep our sanity!

The babies are doing great. Matt's reflux is really the worst thing going on right now. He is just miserable for about 2 hours after feeds and spits up a ton. He is on Prevacide for the reflux by in my opinion, its effectiveness is minimal. I feel bad for him with the reflux and being attached to that monitor, its a real drag for him.

Drew and Claire are doing well. Both are eating well and really growing! It is just amazing to see these babies grow and change really before your eyes, blows me away. Its mind boggling to think that the babies are going to be 39 weeks, 6 weeks adjusted tomorrow! Are you kidding me, a month and a half old already? Where has the time gone? I know, I know, it is going to fly by too! Unreal.

Katie and I of course with the help of our folks are hanging in there, we both are in "survival mode" right now! Katie has a wonderful attitude and she is doing so great, how lucky am I to have such a wonderful and caring woman for our children! Man, I am blessed!

The babies go back to the pediatrician on Friday morning for another check up, I can't wait to see how much weight they have gained in a week! LOL Next week they all are going to an infant Opthamalagist (sp?) to have their eyes checked. From what we understand with babies born as young as ours it is pretty much standard to have their eyes checked for development, structure, etc. so off to Plano they go next week. That is going to be REAL interesting, I can't imagine they are going to like that too much!!

We are both just THRILLED with the sneak peak from our pictures from last weekend and CANNOT wait to see the whole photo shoot when Melissa gets done with it! I thought the pictures turned out just awesome!

OK, well time to roust Matt get him changed, fed and back down till we wash, rinse and repeat again in another 3 hours! Hope this email finds everyone healthy, happy and grateful for each day! Continued thank you for the thoughts and prayers for our family, we are blessed beyond belief... Perhaps in my next post I will expound on that a little bit more, I have really been giving that a ton of thought lately.

Till next time!

Todd, Katie, Drew, Claire, Matt

Photoshoot Sneak Peek!!

Yesterday was a bit of a mad house around here, more than usual actually!! We had a photographer come over to the house and photograph the babies and some of mommy and daddy too, her name is Melissa Zihlman. This woman seriously has the patience of a SAINT! I really have NO idea how she does it or stays so calm, I was coming out of my skin just watching her try calm these babies.

We took some shots in our bedroom with Katie and I holding the babies, I hope they turned out good! The babies were au natural and daddy being the BIG MAN, decided to hold two, which ended up backfiring because Claire decided to PEE on daddy, not once, but TWICE for Pete's sakes! We even got some shots with our other kiddo's Lille and Frank (our dogs!) Katie looked wonderful, I really hope that the pictures with her and the babies turned out well...

Big things in store with these pictures but check out her blog site for a sneak peek from the shoot yesterday. I think you'll see what I mean about patience when you see the first picture!

Check out her blog! http://melissazihlman.com/Blog/

P.S. How about the one in the hats!? WoO HOo! Get your guns up!

Happy Sunday, Y'all!

Todd, Katie, Matt, Drew and Claire

Well the gang is all here!!

Wow. Where has this week gone! I'll try to get up to date here. Monday we brought Matt home and Tuesday Little Miss Claire took the trip home to Lantana! All the babies are home!

Claire is doing MUCH better on the bottle, she is breathing better and really taking in a ton of formula. She is growing great! She is such a little pumpkin, so small and petite, she loves sleeping in the crib with her brothers. She does have one heck of a set of lungs on her too, when she cries, YOU KNOW IT! Here is a picture of her in her going home outfit on Tuesday!

We have been blessed with having Paul and Judy Branch, Katie's folks here since Saturday and today my dad came into town when Paul and Judy left and he is going to spend a while with us to help with feeds at night and help a bit during the day. We really can't thank them enough for all the help, understanding and assistance that they offered to us. There is no way to repay them...

To say that Katie and I are exhausted is seriously and understatement. We both have no idea where the time and the days go, it is a 100% full time job keeping up with them! Katie is doing great considering all that has been thrown at her, we're all just pitching in and working together to make it happen.

We took all three babies to the doctor this afternoon to get their routine check up as well as the Hepititis B shots. They did great! In the blue corner Matt is weighing in at a robust 6lbs 10 oz.! In the green corner Drew is weighing in at a respectable 6lbs, 6 oz and in the pink corner Claire is weighing in at a wonderful 5lbs, 9 oz.! They all got the big SMILEY face on their chart, hearts, lungs, digestive, etc. looked just perfect! Here is a picture as the crew was ready to head in for the big appointment! (remember to click to make bigger!)

I promised some random pictures this update, so here we go!

Is Drew just a DOLL laying and sleeping on his daddy's chest??!! I just eat that kid up...

OK, Claire was NOT happy at this point with here first bath at home! She was letting it RIP!

This was the first night with all of them home and snug as a bug in their crib! Claire was wide awake, she was still getting used to being home. (Claire, Drew, Matt - Left to Right)

Typical "baby set-up" at the house, taken Monday when Matt came home. Drew on the left and Matt on the right. Those Pack and Play's and the bouncy seats are a life saver!

On Saturday we are having a professional photographer at the house that is going to shoot a bunch of photo's, should last a couple of hours and be very interesting! I'll post after that deal takes place!

Despite the work and lack of sleep, we're having fun and just blessed to have all of our babies home safe and sound. We are so blessed and honored to have people helping, thinking and praying for our family. Off to help Dad and Katie get the kids fed and down till the next feeding! Hope all is well!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Drew, Matt and Claire

Matt has entered the building!

Well, 2 down, 1 to go! Matt made his grand entrance this afternoon into Lantana this afternoon! There was fan faire and a parade, basically consisted of Judy, Lillie and Frank but a parade none the less!

He is really doing great! He is home on a monitor that keeps track of his breathing and his heartbeats. Its a bit of a drag to haul it around but it isn't too bad. Matt and Drew will be sleeping again together in the crib tonight! Matt has been "Brady-Free" for two days now so maybe he is growing out of that stage. Here is the big boy or Baby B home at last! I think he is at about 5.5 lbs now.

Claire will be coming home tomorrow afternoon. She looks great and is really eating better. We are looking forward to having her home and the whole family together at home! I THINK we are ready, we'll soon see!

Our living room and home has quickly turned into a full blown nursery! Katie just said this place is Disney World for babies! And she is 100% right! Here is a picture that I took this afternoon shortly after we got Matt home, Drew and Matt were just zonked out in their bouncy seats that have been moved into the pack and play. (Remember that you can click on the pictures to make them bigger!)

I will get more pictures up tomorrow evening of the whole crew when we make it to the house! It is now time to try to catch a few winks before the next feeding frenzy begins! Till tomorrow!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt

The best laid plans...

Well, some times the best laid plans don't pan out. Katie, the doctor and I made the decision yesterday to extend Claire and Matt's stay in the hospital. We all were not comfortable with their current progress and were concerned that they might be coming home too soon.

Matt continues to have these Brady's episodes and he failed the car seat test this week meaning that he had a Brady when they put him in the car seat. We do have him on a portable monitor, which we got yesterday, in case he did come home. He eats like a maniac and doing well otherwise but he still has not out grown these Brady's.

Claire has been Brady-free, we think, for the past several days, which is great. She passed her car seat test this week. But she is having an awful time getting down the process of eating and breathing at the same time. She will suck on that bottle and just stop breathing, concentrating only on eating and not on breathing. Her lips and her face just turn blue, no exaggeration. When I saw this first hand yesterday, I was like, "ummm, no way".

Having three premature infants at home is going to be tough enough, but to add on the fact that two are still having health issues; its just too much. We are evaluating their progress on a daily basis now to see how things look.

Drew is doing great. He is growing, grunting, moaning and groaning his little head off! We gave him a bath last week, here is a quick picture from our bath experience!

Katie and I are hanging in there, there is a ton of juggling going on right now in the household, we'll have our own set of juggling issues when they are all home but having them split up and making sure we are doing what we need to for all of them right now is tough. We'll make it!

I'll continue to update the blog as I have more information regarding Matt and Claire making their appearance in Lantana! Hope everyone is doing well! Till next time!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Drew, Matt and Claire!

Moving right along!

Hello! Been a week or so since I have updated the blog. Katie and I are still getting used to having a baby around the house and the schedule that it takes to make it all happen! Wow...

Drew is doing real well on his transition home I think. He is pretty much used to the place now. He is struggling with a bit of reflux which isn't fun, trust me. He is on a half a Prevacid each day to try to keep that under control and we moved him off the powder formula and to the premade liquid stuff. I think it has helped a little bit. He weighs 5lbs 4oz now, quite the growing boy! I honestly can't count the number of times I have kissed his chubby little cheeks!

We got word this evening that Claire will be coming home on Friday and Matt will be coming home on Saturday! Claire is doing well, gaining weight and sleeping awesome, no Brady's in over three days! She is a tough one to feed though, she is still struggling with breathing and eating at the same time and so she is a SLOW eater and it takes a ton of patience with her. If she eats too fast, she'll just stop breathing. She weighs 4lbs 9oz, now.

Matt is growing like a weed too! He is over 5lbs as well and eats like a horse. He is still having the Brady's episodes so he is coming home on a monitor. :( That is going to be interesting. We'll see how that works out.

We are excited to have the whole family home with us at last! I can't wait to be able to hold both of them like we are holding and loving on Drew. Besides being pretty tired and exhausted, Katie and I are doing good so far. We are thinking about some changes we are going to need to make around the house to make everything happen like we need it to. If other people can do it, we certainly can! Right!!??

I am going to make my post short and sweet tonight, so I can get a little rest before I have to feed Drew. Thank you to everyone that has been thinking and praying for us as well as to the folks that have been sending cards, etc. We appreciate everything so much. We are so grateful and blessed to have three beautiful babies coming home, our prayers have come true with everyone's help! We hope that this note finds everyone safe, happy and healthly! Till next time!

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt!

P.S. I continue to draw the "short straw" on the diaper changing, EVERY TIME this child has pooped its been Daddy's turn to change him! What the heck!? Oh well.... :)

Andrew has entered the building!!

Hello friends and family!  Yesterday was a big day in the Messerle household, Andrew was cut loose from the hospital and we brought him home last night!  Katie and I had to attend a NICU discharge class which included infant CPR, child choking training and just some general tips on bringing these little tykes home.  After we did that, he grabbed some food, they completed the paperwork, he jumped in the backseat and we were off to Lantana!

He is doing GREAT!  We have him on his schedule, he is eating like a champ and sleeping just great.  He rarely cries or causes a stir, just hangs out and relaxes!  Katie and I took turns last night on the feedings and we are quickly learning what is going work in the house and what isn't.  Having him come home solo is a great training exercise for us!  Drew has his first appointment with the Pediatrician on Friday morning for a check up.  Here he is in his "take home" outfit!

Claire and Matt continue to do well in the NICU as well.  Matt has really been good on the "Brady's" episodes the past couple of days, they have taken him off the caffeine now and he is just on Prevacid for reflux.  Claire has had a couple "Brady's", which stinks because she was doing so well, but she is putting on weight and really growing like a weed.  I can really see the progress in her growth over the past 5 days or so, her cheeks are really filling out and she is getting some of that cute baby fat.  They think she will be in the crib with Matt either tomorrow or Friday at the latest.   Great news!

The doctor's are prepping us for their discharge in 7-10 days if everything continues to progress as it currently is, they think both Matt and Claire will be released together.  Then the madness begins!!  Woo hoo!  We both know that it will not be easy but we'll make it, if others can do it, so can we.  We have tons of great friends and family that will help and we will certainly lean on them to assist us when they can!  Here is a quick shot of Matt that I got the other day.  Pictures of Claire are somewhat difficult since she is still in the isolette, once she gets into the bed with Matt, I'll be able to fill up my hard drive with pictures of her, she is so cute... :)

I am heading down to San Antonio on Sunday morning for Mercedes' memorial service.  Heather, Katie's sister is coming up from Ft. Worth to stay with her Sunday night while I am gone.  Thank you for the thoughts and prayers regarding Mercedes, she was a great friend to Katie and I and we are going to miss her a lot.

Katie and I are also up and running on Skype, so if anyone is on Skype and wants to chat via video, let us know.  Time permitting, we'd love to chat!

Thank you for the thoughts, prayers and words of encouragement, we appreciate each one of them!  Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Matt and Drew!

As one life fades, three others begin to shine...

Unfortunately yesterday the terrible disease of cancer took the life of my father's wife Mercedes.  Her last moments were peaceful, on her terms and with my dad at her side.  She now has the ultimate pleasure to be with Jesus and God in Heaven, for that, we are all grateful!  As she told my dad after the babies were born, "one life fades and three other beautiful lives begin to shine and the cycle continues."  God is indeed great!

I am very, very happy to report that the babies and Katie continue to be doing wonderful!  So wonderful actually that if everything continues to go as planned, Drew will be coming home on Tuesday!!  HOLY SMOKES!  He is putting on weight, having no Brady's episodes and just eating like a madman.  All this qualifies him for a one way ticket to Lantana!  Katie and I are very excited.  Here is a great picture of the Drew-miester!  I think he is happy, I told him today he was close to getting sprung!!  :)

Matt continues to have the Brady's episodes, he had 7 yesterday alone.  They are beginning to think that some of it may be caused by reflux because there is a pattern of having them shortly after his feedings.  There is a possibility that he might go on some reflux medicine tomorrow to see if that helps some.  They are also going to bring back his bottle feedings a bit, thinking that he was doing too much in a day eating out of the bottle, etc. and that was really tuckering him out.  He would really struggle to get down the whole bottle at a feeding, he would just konk out and fall asleep when he was eating.  Other than that his is doing great, no other issues.  Here is a close up of his little face!  I just LOVE kissing his cheeks!

Claire is doing much better too, the caffeine has helped her Brady's, she is now having very few of them.  Today she took her whole bottle in one 30 minute timeframe which is the goal.  She is gaining weight she is now 3lbs, 4 oz and gaining everyday.  When she is awake and up she is so active and so aware of everything going on around her.  She still has a ways to go but she is doing very well too.  We are so proud of her and love her so much!  Here she is today with her brother Drew!  

We also have a little "bonus picture" on this update!  Are you ready for this?  We were lucky to get a quick picture of Matt, Claire and Drew all laying next to each other all swaddled up laying in the crib!  I just love it!  They just look so cute and peaceful sleeping and hanging out with each other.

We are so blessed.  Everyone is doing so good and we're bringing a baby home next week! 

Please keep my father, Dale in your prayers as he deals with the loss of Mercedes.  We continue to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers for our family.  We hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Drew, Matt and Claire 

Two's Company!

Yesterday Katie and I were greeted with a great surprise when we went to the NICU.  Matt was first moved out of his isolette and into a crib!  Not long after that Tara got approval for Drew to move into the crib and now we have "cribmates"!!  They are both just snug as a bug in that crib, so far they are behaving themselves and not pulling or poking each other.  They are both so cute laying and sleeping side by side.  Matt now weighs 4 lbs and Drew weighs 3 lbs 14 oz.

They are both right next door to Claire's isolette.  It is nice to have them so close to each other, Drew was on the other side of the aisle when they were in their isolettes, now they are all within a few feet of each other.  This next picture gives you an idea on the size of their crib and the set up at their station.  They have everything they need right there.

Claire is doing just great too, she is putting on weight and is now over 3 lbs.  They continue to do bottle trials to see how well she does taking feedings from the bottle, she's getting real close.  She is just so sleepy and a tired little girl growing.  She has such a "little girl" personality and demeanor, it is just precious.  

 

We are still dealing with some Brady's episode's, especially out of Matt.  He still seems to have several a day even with the caffeine treatments.  Drew doesn't have them really at all and I think Claire had one yesterday.  They are all doing very well keeping their own temperature and not letting it get too low or too high.  We're both just thrilled with their progress so far!

Adrien, Katie's best friend from Chicago is coming in tomorrow for a couple of days so we are excited about seeing her, it has been a while and thrilled to have her meet our new additions!  It is going to be great to have her stay with us.

I also updated our YouTube video site with a video of Matt and Drew in their crib and another video of Claire!  www.youtube.com, search for Messerletrips and you will see our videos!

Thank you for the continued thoughts, prayers and offers of assistance.  Katie and I are doing great right now but once the babies come home I am sure that we will be calling on our wonderful friends and family for help!  Have a wonderful and blessed rest of the week!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Matt and Drew

Time flies when your growing babies!

Wow, almost two weeks old!  We might have to have another birthday party this Thursday!  The babies are doing great.  I think I am going to do this update talking about each baby individually now that they all have different things going on.

Let's start with Claire!  She is growing and putting on weight!  She was born at 2lbs 14oz and she now weighs 3lbs 1 oz, she has gained all her weight back and then some.  Good girl!  She is struggling eating out of the bottle, she is still so small, she doesn't quite have the suckling program down too well yet.  They tried again today to get her to eat out of the bottle and she took very little so they are going to continue to feed her through the tube for now till she gets a little stronger.  

Claire and Matt are also struggling a bit with what they call "Brady's" which is simply where their little brain forgets to tell their lungs to breathe and pump air.  When they don't breathe their heartrate drops and it is generally not a good thing, although very common in preemie babies.  The treatment for this is a dose of caffeine actually that they give once a day that helps stimulate the brain to continue to tell the lungs to GO!  They ween them off the caffeine slowly and there are no long term side effects.  Here is the Wikipedia definition...

Infantile bradycardia

For infants, bradycardia is defined as a heart rate of less than 100 beats per minute. (Normal is around 120-160 beats per minute.) Premature babies are more likely than full-term babies to have apnea and bradycardia spells; their cause is not clearly understood. Some researchers think the spells are related to centers inside the brain that regulate breathing and that may not be fully developed. Touching the baby gently or rocking the incubator slightly will almost always get the baby to start breathing again, which increases the heart rate. Medications (theophylline or caffeine) can be used to treat these spells in babies if necessary. NICU standard practice is to electronically monitor the heart and lungs for this reason.

Here is a cute little picture of Claire from our visit today.

Drew is doing great, he has very FEW "Brady's" and is NOT on the caffeine.  He is taking three bottle feedings a day and they continue to increase the intake to all three babies it seems like everyday.  Drew is a little zombie, man that kid can saw some logs!  He is so laid back and chilled out, its often hard sometimes to keep him awake to eat out of the bottle!  He is so cute and makes the craziest facial expressions!  Here is a typical Drew picture, out like a light with the little wrinkles on his forehead.

Matt is just a cutie patootie!  He has got this cute little round face and he is getting to be a big boy.  He is now on bottle feedings every other time he feeds and they are loading them all up calories bigtime to fatten them up!  Both Matt and Drew have gained weight too.  He LOVES hanging with his daddy and sleeping on his chest.  He really does NOT like the flash on the camera but I do my best to shield it away from his face.  Is he just begging to have those cheeks kissed or what!?

Katie is doing very well recovering from the C-Section, she is driving and getting around like a champ.  She still has to take it easy and not get too tired out but all in all she is doing fantastic!  We are both making a trip a day up to see the kiddo's so we can hold them when we are there.  The nurses in the NICU are awesome about making sure that they know when we are coming so that they can save their outside feeding times for when we are there.  Everyone has gotten just phenomenal care at Lewisville Medical Center, we have been so blessed to have the BEST doc's and nurses, there is no way to repay these people for the care that they give you and your children.  Seriously.

We continue to thank God for the beautiful blessings in our life and also pray for the other small babies that are in the NICU struggling.  This whole experience start to finish has been such a miracle and testimony of God's love for us, wow.  Katie, the babies and I, hope that this message finds everyone healthy, happy and well!

Love, 

Todd, Katie, Matt, Drew and Claire