Two-Thirds of the Bunch Babies come home!

Ok, so it finally happened...a week ago! Oops! Can you tell I've been busy?? Failure to blog! I respectfully admit I should be cited by the blog police for letting so much time go by without an update! Honestly, this date sort of snuck up on us and all of a sudden we had two babies at home! It went something like this....

Monday morning, April 13th, I went to the hospital like usual for the babies' 8:00, 8:30 and 9:00 feedings. Right around this time is when the doctors and nurse practitioners, etc. do their rounds. When they do this, they sit in the pod area where our babies are "stationed" and they discuss each babies' progress, weaknesses, plans of action, etc. So on this day, I'm listening in to hear about "The Bunches of Bunches" and suddenly one of the doctors turns to me and says, "You want to take Hunter home today?" Umm...YES!! That was quickly followed up with, "Do you want to take Ethan with her?" Again, Umm, YES! (And yes, I immediately teared up because I knew full good and well that I was not going to be able to take Colton home yet and that absolutely broke my heart.

You just can't imagine that feeling of knowing you have to leave your baby in a hospital while you take his brother and sister home to start making memories...talk about lump in the throat. But of course, it was a happy day and I had to try not to get caught up in my sadness and guilt about Colton so that we could celebrate Ethan and Hunter's homecoming.

I immediately call Brian at work and say, "We're bringing two babies home today! Can you leave work now?" And he does....we fill out all our paperwork we need to, get all our instructions from the nurse (Erika) about what to do when we get home, and make all the arrangements we need to at the hospital. Then Brian and I leave to go home, do some last minute straightening up, finishing putting batteries in swings and timers, etc. and then call the rest of the family so that they too can be a part of this big event!

Anyone who's ever had a baby knows that in order to leave the hospital, all babies must first pass their car seat test. Basically they put the baby in their carseat (not in the car), see if they fit, and then leave them in for at LEAST the amount of time it takes to get home. They monitor heartrates, etc. If they pass, then they may go home....Well, I'd like to share these pictures of our tiny little girl trying to pass her car seat test. (Which we had to re-do to make sure she actually passed.)

She is absolutely a little doll. Her car seat practically swallows her whole. All you see is buckle, with little arms and legs and a head sticking out! The good news is, after some "strategery", they both passed and were cleared to go home!

At a whopping 3 weeks old, and with Hunter weighing a mere 3 lbs. 8 oz. and Ethan weighing 4 lbs. 13 oz...our babies were coming home!

Could she be any smaller? Any cuter?

"Look at me! I'm a big girl now!"

Ethan in his carseat...practicing for his test!

Homecoming Day....Monday, April 13th, 2009

Ethan saying goodbye and see ya soon to his brother, Colton! (Yes, I'm crying again)

Here's dad packing up his baby girl into her carseat

"Where we goin daddy?"

Ethan is just along for the ride! He's completely chill!

Saying goodbye to some of our loving nurses...

Thank you for loving our babies, Erika!!

Thank you Jean! **Lori, Nadine, Carrie, Dawn, Laurel....we'll be back to get pictures of you! We cannot thank you enough for the love and dedication you gave our babies when we could not be there. We are eternally grateful. I know there are many more nurses we had in our 4 weeks and we appreciate each and every one of you for the job you do.

Almost ready...

Hunter and Ethan...going home!

Thank you to all the nurses and doctors at UMC NICU...you are all amazing and while it will be nice to have our babies home, we will actually miss you. You gave our babies the best start at life...we cannot thank you enough for that.

I can't say that I know what Brian is thinking, but I'm pretty sure I was thinking, "Oh my God, they are trusting us to take these babies home??"

One last trek for Ethan and Hunter down the 8th floor hallway!

Getting ready for our first elevator ride!

Getting on our first elevator!

This is Mommy waiting in the lobby for dad to pull the car around...apparently tiny babies in multiple packaging draws QUITE a crowd...

Please look at all these people...simply mesmerized with the fact that they are triplets!

And out the door, to the car!

There's "dad", "grampa daniels", "aunt mary" and "gramma daniels" taking the pictures!

**Please note the Blue Baby Bus in the back of my Durango, ready at a moment's notice!

In our first car!

You had to know I was going to sit in the back with them!

Finally, we're HOME! Piper is sniffing Hunter to see what this is all about!

Just chilling on the couch!

Early in the evening, dad holds one baby...

Later on he holds two babies!

So Congratulations and Welcome Home Hunter and Ethan...Colton, we're gonna bring you home soon, buddy!