Update: Thursday, March 18
We just had our first outing with all 3 Babies. Getting them to the Dr. was a pretty tricky undertaking, but my experience as a musician has me well prepared for such complicated traveling.

Here's my thoughts on why triplets are easier to travel with than muscians: Click Here.

Anyway...Good news from the Dr.--All the babies are in good health and are gaining weight rapidly.
Current Stats:

Carter: 6 lbs, 3 oz, 19 inches long
Sara: 5 lbs 14 oz, 17. 8 inches.
Zane:5 lbs 3 oz, 17.5 inches

We got the OK to start weening Carter from his O2 and have received a pulse oximeter to monitor his progress. However, so far the monitor seems to show that he's not ready. We're not convinced the monitor is working at this point.

I'm still working on new movies...probably will have some online this weekend.

Sunday, March 15
I seem to remember something we used to do at night. Oh yes--sleep. Someday we shall sleep again, but until that day, we will feed and diaper and rock and burp and feed and diaper and rock, etc.

Everybody is fine. Except me and I'm tired. Jill's pretty tired also.

Wednesday, March 10
Everybody's home and all is cool in the Raines Home!

Carter's "minor" case of Chronic Lung Disease will require him to be on oxygen for a month and will require us to have no visitors for several more. So, those of you who are dying to see the babies, (and who wouldn't be) please be patient. We're dying to show them off but have to wait till Carter's lungs can handle all your cooties.

Until then, please come back here for all the latest info.

We've had three days with all three babies and everything is going pretty well. If I could have one wish for the rest of the year it would be to not have to spend any more nights in the hospital. Yes, well, who would.

We've got everybody on a 4 hour schedule so Jill and I are getting almost enough sleep. We're really lucky to have plenty of help from my Mom, Phyllis Raines, and Jill's Mom and Dad, Fred and Camille Bush.

Latest Stats:

Carter: 17 3/4 inches, 5 lbs 4.5 oz
Sara: 17.5 inches, 4 lbs 15.5 oz
Zane: 17.25 inches, 4 lbs 3.2 oz.

BTW, the server that the pregancy story and the guestbook live on will be down until Thursday and we should have some really good new pictures by then.

Friday, March 6
Carter and Zane are getting sprung! WooHoo!

Sunday, we'll be going to the hospital to learn how to tend to the O2, monitors, and other accouterments that Carter will require--which is a decidedly good news/bad news situation. Monday we should be home with all 3!

Latest Stats:

Carter: 17 3/4 inches, 5 lbs 3 oz
Sara: 17.5 inches, 4 lbs 9 oz
Zane: 17.25 inches, 3 lbs 15.5 oz.

Even though that's still tiny compared to singletons, they've already grown tons.

Next week should be quite an adventure. I'll probably make a little movie about it.

But how are Jill and I? We're fine.

Here's some news that I'm sure all the women readers are wondering....Jill is down to within mere pounds of her pre-pregnancy weight. So, go ahead and turn green!

Stay tuned.

Wednesday, March 3
Carter has had a minor setback and is back on some oxygen. This isn't a serious or unexpected turn. He's still going to come home in a day or two--only possibly on O2.

Zane is growing like a weed and will probably come home at the same time or very close to Carter.

Sara's been home 5 days now and we're just about used to each other. Perhaps its because we're psyched for two more, but one doesn't seem like such a big deal.

Carter is completely off oxygen and is taking a bottle for all his feedings. He should be home soon.

Zane is doing very well and eating like a little piglet. He's up to about 3 lbs 10 oz. Not much farther to go

My goal is to get be efficient enough to get all three fed and diapered in under an hour.

Its' doable.Update: Friday, Feb 27:
Sara's home. She seems to like it so far. We spent our first long night as parents last night. I'll have to confess to having a medium scale panic attack at about 6:00 AM this morning as I reflected on how much work the previous night had been and wondered how the hell we were going to deal with two more. I felt better after my fourth cup of coffee.

I'm already perfecting my one handed bottle feeding technique with Sara so I'm sure by the time we get all 3 home I'll be able to squeeze at least 30 minutes of sleep out of each night.

Zane and Carter are finally bottle feeding.

Thursday, Feb 25,
Sara's gettin' sprung! We'll be "rooming in" at the hospital tonight in preperation for bringing Sara home!

Zane is going to start bottle feeding tonight

• He'll be weened off all O2 except during feeding
• He'll be moved to an open crib--skipping the Isolette
• He'll start bottle feeding

Sara has passed the 4lb mark and has moved to an open crib. She should be comming home Friday or Saturday.

Zane is just feeding and growing. He's also starting to look like his name sake, my Dad.

Should have some new pictures in a day or so.

Zane is off phototherapy but Sara may need some.

Carter is still improving. Although he's still on a ventilator, he has been reacting well to the reductions in oxygen and pressure. He should be coming off of it completely in the next 24 to 36 hours.

That's the news. Stay tuned. We might have some new pictures later today.

Sara and Zane have both been gaining weight.

Zane is receiving phototherapy because he's a little jaundiced--no big deal. He's back up to his birth weight and growing about 30 grams per day.

Sara is taking every other feeding by bottle--this is about a week ahead of schedule.

Right now, Sara should be comming home in 10 days to 2 weeks sooner if she gains weight faster.

Zane is 3 to 4 weeks.

For Carter its too soon to tell. He has to get off the venilator first. He hasn't lost any weight so he could catch up fast once he's off the machine. He'll probably come home a week or so after Sara.