The Triplets Make Their Debut!

Our family is finally together. There aren't words to describe how it feels. We've become so use to the idea of having 3 little girls that giving birth to one at a time seems foreign at this point. I can't imagine only having one when you can have THREE to fall in love with and snuggle! The more the merrier. Honestly, it sounds lunatic but that is seriously the feeling that has grown in our hearts this week. There's nothing weird about it to us anymore. It fits...and somehow we have room for all 4 children in our hearts and it grows every.single.day.


The Birth Story

For those of you that have kept up on my posts, you know this last week was really rough on me. Everything just got harder and my body felt like it had enough. Tuesday, April 19th, the day before the girls were at 31 weeks gestation, I got up to work on the computer in the morning and noticed the contractions I'd been having for a couple months were starting to hurt. And starting to be more intense in my back. This went on gradually for a couple hours and of course I looked awful. So laugh now, but I actually decided that just in case this turned into something I needed to hurry and slap on some make up and do my hair for the first time in days. Haha, I know it's terrible. But it was only a 5 minute job & I'm glad I did it!

After feeling VERY confident that these were REAL active labor contractions, I told Erik we needed to go in. We were surprised-we had expected my water to break first but that's just not how it went down.

When I got to the hospital, I was dilated to a 5-6. Dr A said he didn't want to C section yet but that I wouldn't be going back home at this point. He put me on Magnesium to slow the contractions and help with the babies neuro development. Hoping to keep them in there another 10-15 hours. It felt AWFUL...anyone who's ever had mag will tell ya the same I'm sure! Makes ya feel horrible. But it wasn't for long.

Picture time, yep, right in the middle of killer contractions. I'm a trooper like that.

Some of our family had started showing up so I was feeling better about it all happening. After only an hour of the magnesium, my contractions weren't stopping and I was dilated to a 7-8. It was Go Time and I was SCARED! I had wanted to be done so badly but didn't anticipate how scared I would be of the C Section. After a great blessing from my hubby, I was calming down...and who has the BEST husband in the world? I do. He held my hand through everything no matter how bad I freaked out. Dr A is a hoot to be in this fiasco with and he joked through it all which kept me from hopping off the table and running for the street!


The C Section started around 3. When Erik and I heard Hallie cry we both lost it and cried. Watching my husband cry during a child birth has been something I've always looked forward to and seeing that love in him radiating without caring who saw it just melted me & made me so proud to be sharing this with him. Payten cried too...then came Saydee and her little cry. We didn't expect them to be crying with them being so young, but they did and it was perfect because I didn't get to see them until after the C Section...hearing them made up for that.

Hallie Mckay Hunt

3:23 pm

2 lbs 15 oz

15 1/2 inches

Payten Leigh Hunt

3:25 pm

3 lbs 7 oz

16 1/2 inches

Saydee Jaye Hunt

3:28 pm

3 lbs 7 oz

17 inches

The Boy Team



The girls were doing amazing right off the bat. Saydee had to be revived at first but thank heavens for modern technology and talented medical staff! I didn't do too bad after...just itched like a crazy person for hours...ok DAYS afterward.


The girls may be in the NICU for around 6 weeks...but could come home earlier...or later depending on how they do reaching their "goals". The girls were on ventilators the first day and they all ended up a little jaundice for a couple days as well. Here are some of their first pics.

Payten's LEGS are stealing this picture. They really all have VERY long legs, fingers & finger toes (as I like to call them). They got ZERO of this from their short stubby mom. Payten's are the most dramatic though...she has these beautiful long fingers and she uses them so daintily. Never seen anything like it!

Little Payte

Saydee J

Hallie & Mommy for the first time. Soooo teeny little lady!

Family Time w/ Hallie & Payten

Payten w/Daddy for her first time! Isn't he glowing?

Sweet Hallie

Payten

As of now, the girls are all off the ventilators, they had some pressure given to them through the cannullas in their nose but only Saydee has one in now. They are breathing room air! This is the best news to me! Look how gorgeous they are without all the junk on their face! The little tube in their mouths is their feeding tube. Every 4 hours they get fed breastmilk through their tube. But I can tell you they WANT to feed. They make the sucking motions and show all the signs with their tongues and mouths that they want to nurse. Their little bodies just aren't ready yet and that is SO hard to take because I wish I could.

Payten: "Look Mommy, no oxygen!"

We've now started "Skin To Skin". This is my FAVORITE! Basically, it's where mommy gets to hold them up to your naked skin under your shirt or gown and have some snuggle time for at least an hour. There are so many benefits for this...mostly to help promote nursing but also for bonding. They can hear your heartbeat, your voice, feel your breathing and just overall feel close to you again. And if their body temp drops a little, yours will make up for it and warm them back up. I can't get enough of this stuff. Here's some Skin To Skin



Saydee


Payten

I'll be going home on Easter...definitely torn about this. I heard the Easter Bunny is going to be visiting our hospital room so that should be fun!



For now, we are so disgustingly in love with our 3 new Princess additions and with our stud Kayson on top of that, we are VERY lucky and happy parents, full of gratitude this Easter. We had a perfect & healthy pregnancy, ended up with 3 pretty healthy beauties and big brother has been so strong through all of this even though he's not allowed to see his little sisters. We're all going to have to be tough to get through this. Leaving them here is going to break my heart, but being away from Kayson does the same and we need them 100% before they see their new home.



Thank you so much to all our sweet friends, family and the hospital staff for everything provided to our family. We have been blessed to see your faces and receive some of the cutest and most thoughtful gifts. There are too many people to include here so just know that each and every one of you is appreciated and loved! This Easter our hearts are overflowing.



Happy Easter Everyone!



Love,

Erik, Jess, Kayson, Hallie, Payten & Saydee