Bad Father

I'm starting to think I'm a bad father. It's pretty obvious. Right now I'm staring at a computer screen and listening to the boys scream on the baby monitor. What did people do before baby monitors? Did they just put their babies in bed, close the door, and hope for the best? Maybe, back in the day, closing the door was how people coped with the insanity. In these modern times, we pipe their cries to wherever we happen to be. Baby monitors broadcast your babies cries all night long. All the yelling. All the time. Our particular baby monitor has a volume control that runs from one to five. I usually keep it on five. Okay, maybe four. Fine, it's on three most of the time during my shift. If I turn it below three, I believe child protective services will kick down my front door and take them away. I have turned it completely off. I admit it. However, our monitor has five lights on the top of it. I refer to it as the "Scream-O-Meter". When it's completely off, you can still watch the lights for activity. I know this is bad and I'm a horrible father, but I do it anyway. When they are just fussing a bit, only one light lights up. When they really get rowdy and join in a hallelujah chorus of screams then the meter ramps up to five. They can peg the thing on five and leave it there for quite a while. At this moment, they are barely lighting up the first light, and it happens to be Cash. They take turns being the problem child. Tonight just happens to be Cash's night. They rarely all go off at once. In fact, they are very good babies in general. We got really lucky.

Here is reason number two why I'm a bad father. Right before I change a diaper, I secretly wish upon a star, that it's not a dirty diaper. You know, unzip or unsnap the little onesie. Remove one piece of tape. Remove the second piece of tape. Slowly pull the diaper back. Find out what you've won. I secretly hope that I don't get the bad diapers. I don't wish them on anyone else, and I really don't mind that much, but I would just rather they used the toilet.

I also must admit that when one baby won' t finish his bottle, and another is still hungry, I just stick the leftover bottle in the hungry baby's mouth. That has to be bad on some level.

I let them scream. If I know they are fed and clean, I let them scream themselves to sleep. I am trying to get used to the screaming. My first instinct is to knock down the door, pick them up, and make it all better. The fact is, a lot of times, I'm too tired for this. They calm down after a while anyway. Besides, I'm their father so they need to get used to disappointment.

We have settled into a really good routine here at the house. Here is our latest feeding schedule and who actually takes care of these feeds.


7:30 AM - I start this one and then Carrie's Mother Ethel takes over.
10:30 AM - Carrie and Ethel
1:30 PM - Carrie and Ethel
4:30 PM - Carrie and Ethel and I come in at the tail end.
7:30 PM - Carrie and I
10:30 PM - Usually just me, but apparently Carrie is helping tonight.
3:00 AM - Carrie

Repeat

Looking at the schedule, it's obvious that I'm really not hitting the mark and there is no real chance of me wining "Father of the Year". I must say that this schedule is during the week. This past weekend I was pretty heavily involved. I try really hard, but bottle feedings are rough. You have to make sure the baby is awake, breathing, and actually getting formula in its mouth rather than just all over the bib or burp rag. Then after that, you have to burp them or they will just spit up all over the crib or one of their brothers. The other day I was watching the Red Sox, surfing the internet, and trying to burp a baby all at once. The baby's mother was not impressed with my multitasking. I had to give her a serious listening to.

I couldn't drink formula. You shouldn't give your children anything you wouldn't eat or drink, and formula smells bad and tastes worse. I tried it, and it just sucks. This also makes me a bad Dad. I mean formula is just nasty. I tried breast milk too, and that wasn't bad. No, I didn't get it directly from the source, but I tried.

Okay, the final reason that I am a bad father is because I can't tell my boys apart. Cash and Zane look exactly alike to me and I don't know who is who. The only reason that I know it's Cade is because he still has the small spot where the IV infiltrated and left a tiny scar. Other than that I'm lost. If you can't tell your kids apart, you are a bad parent.

So, there you go. I have a long way to go before I even get a passing grade on this whole father thing.

Now for some frequently asked questions:

Q: Are you getting enough rest?

A: That's funny. No.

Q: Do the boys sleep through the night?

A: Yes, they sleep very well through the night. We feel guilty when we have to get them up to feed them at 3:00 am. Doctor's orders. Hopefully we can move to every four hours in a month.

Q: How's Carrie?

A: Tired, but completely in her element. She handles it extremely well. I'm the one that is falling apart and can't tell them apart or remember who is who.

Okay...Photos.



This is my friend Monty Black with the boys and I. Monty and I have been friends for over twenty years. He showed up at the house Sunday morning and was wearing the exact same shirt I had on. I think it's because we share a brain.



This is Cade hanging out with his cool new shirt.




This is Cash. He is with the band apparently.




Here is another one with Cade wearing his Back Porch Mary gear, cause that's how he rolls.




Zane is wearing a cool skull and crossbones shirt. Skulls are a common theme amongst the trips this summer.



Apparently Cade is the STAR of this blog. Here he is smiling a bit. I would like to know why he spent Sunday afternoon screaming while Mom and Dad were trying to take a nap.



I'm pretty sure this is Cash. His mother is currently sleeping and I'm not waking her up to find out. I'm going to have to make them wear name tags. This is just embarrassing.



Finally, this is Tess. I don't have any trouble telling Tess apart from the boys. Tess is the Official Dog of Rolling For Trips and the Krug Family. She is swimming in a pond at the farm, retrieving a stick. She is extremely protective of her brothers. She likes to walk up to each bouncy seat and lick each boys head. Our friend Haley offered to wash her hands the other day before she held the boys and I was like, "You might want to wash the dog slobber off his head before you pick him up too." Dog Slobber. That's just how we roll around here.

I tried to get some video up, but YOU TUBE won't let me upload anything at the moment for some reason. I'll try later.

Carrie and I have the best life.

If we could just get a bit more sleep.

Soon, I'm going to ask her out on a date.

Wish me luck.

The Pace

Greetings from Baby Land. My last blog was some sort of Charles Bukowski stream of consciousness thing that looking back on was pretty fun to write and for the sake of a permanent record, I'm glad it exists. It's definitely in the moment. Today I have a bit more perspective. Maybe. Three infants in the house is a strange thing. It's like we've been invaded by aliens, except that the aliens are our offspring.

I realize that we never really made the announcement that they came home or how that went down exactly. Well, last Thursday night, Carrie and I went to the hospital to spend the night with the boys in a "transition" room. The boys slept in cribs in the room with us. They cried a lot and it was a pretty rough night. They had all just been circumcised, and they weren't really happy about that whole thing. We fed them every three hours as per usual, and then the next day we were allowed to check out and head home. We made the drive with the boys from Temple to Austin, and they really didn't make a sound during their very first car ride. It was also their very first breath of outside air. When we got home, we took them in the house and they met their dog. Their first dog visit went well. Tess feels personally responsible for their well being. They also saw their cats, their room, and their awesome closet.

Although we had planned on them coming home and we had talked about what it would be like when they did, we really had no idea what to expect. Then when they finally were home, and we had them here, we quickly realized one simple fact. Carrie and I came to the conclusion at about the same time. This conclusion was:

"OH MY GOD WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE ARE DOING."

Within an hour of them being home we asked each other questions like:

"Where do we put them? In their bouncy seats?"

"Do I hold him? Why is he yelling?"

"Do you think he wants his pacifier?"

"Is it too hot in here?"

"Is it too cold in here?"

Needless to say, it was a crazy day. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. We did know one thing for certain. We were going to keep them on their NICU schedule. Babies that are this size and premature apparently need to be fed every three hours. Their feeding times are as follows:

7:30 am
10:30 am
1:30 pm
4:30 pm
7:30 pm
10:30 pm
1:30 am
4:30 am

Repeat ad nauseum.

Here is how one typical feeding goes, at let's say 7:30 pm.

7:30 PM - Place first bottle in warm water.

7:31 PM - Change Baby - Cash is batting first right now.

7:35 PM - Start Feeding. Feedings can take a while. Sometimes they are
fast, other times they are painfully slow. Usually it takes around
30 minutes to feed them and make sure they have properly burped.

8:00 PM - Place bottle number two in warmer

8:31 PM - Change Baby 2 - Zane is up second these days

8:35 PM - Start Feeding. Now you have to be aware of baby number one and make sure he hasn't projectile vomited all over the place or just spit up
on himself.

9:00 PM - Change Baby 3 - Cade is last at the moment. He is usually asleep
when feeding time starts. Now you have two other babies to watch for
spit ups and other events.

9:30 PM - Finally all three babies are done. Now you get to log all the activity into the computer. This is to make sure that you know who got what and did what when. Then you clean and refill those bottles and put them in the refrigerator for the next feeding. We have bottles in constant rotation and a jug of formula to fill them up.

10:00 PM - You have 30 minutes to relax before it all starts over. You can kick back and do things like clean up the house, do laundry, eat while standing over the sink, try to remember how to do math, mix up some formula, or just sob uncontrollably.

Right now, this goes on around the clock. Someday we will get to move to every four hours and that will be like a vacation compared to now. The person that is hit the hardest is Carrie. She has an internal Mommy clock that wakes her up all the time. She doesn't get to eat much, and needless to say she doesn't sleep a whole lot. It's so brand new, that I don't think the shock has worn off. First of all, you marry me. That's a big leap of faith. Next, you have three Mini-Mikes to take care of 24 hours a day. Some people would rather face a firing squad.

To top it all off, on Saturday the Air Conditioner here at the Krug Ranch began to falter. Awesome news. It's August in Austin, Texas, and the forecast is for like 102 degrees for the next two months. Fortunately, my buddy Rich Henderson from Tulsa, Oklahoma walked me through exactly what to do to get it going again. Rich is an AC guy and is a great friend. After that, I decided to immediately add insulation to the attic to keep everything and everyone a lot cooler. Thanks to Joe Miller and Carrie's Mother Ethel for helping me on that one.

This whole thing may seem insane, and it is. However, we have so many good things going for us it's amazing. First of all, all the boy are healthy. They all passed their eye and hearing exams. They are all awesome. Second, they were put on a schedule by the NICU Nurses and that continues to be a life saver. Third, we have an unbelievable support system of friends and family who are willing to do anything for us. Finally, Carrie and I have each other. I knew I was quite fond of her, but through this experience I have discovered that I didn't know that it was possible to love another human being as much as I love my wife. Watching her be a Mom is just a really cool thing for me.

All this work may seem like a chore. However, I try to think of it in a different way. There is a limited number of bottles that I will get to feed my boys. There is a limited number of times that I will get to kiss their foreheads and put them in the same crib together. There is a finite amount of times that I will get to feel them squeeze my finger and watch them look around and discover the world they find themselves in. Every single bottle, every single look, and every single everything is a gift that I'm not sure what I did to deserve, but I'm very thankful that I get these moments.

Now for some photos.

Here are the boys with three of their nurses just before they were discharged.



I don't have the words to say how I feel about the NICU Nurses at this point. I'm working on it.

This is one of the boys laying around at home.



This is one of me playing some songs for them. They seem to like it. I look look really bad here, but who cares? Tess Dog is pumped too.



Here is one of Zane, Tess, and I. Zane is on the right.



Finally, we have the best picture ever...



Stay tuned. We will have a new video up soon.

Feedings

Warning: This blog was written under duress. We here at Rolling For Trips are not into complaining, and we have nothing but respect for all parents.


To the best of my recollection, I have never used a curse word here at Rolling For Trips. I made the decision very early on not to use any foul language. I arrived at this decision for several reasons, and the number one reason was this was to be a family oriented affair. After all, we here at the Krug Ranch were starting a family. What better time to change one's ways?

If you know me, you know that I cuss like a sailor. I cuss all the time. I enjoy it. I believe that as an artist, cursing may be my true medium. I can string together cuss words in a fashion that will make a drill sergeant blush. I don't know where I picked this up, but I did, and I like it.

Having said this, I believe that it is a testament to my dedication to Rolling For Trips that I have abstained from using any language that I or hopefully anyone else for that matter, would deem foul.

I have come up with a few choice phrases to describe what the last 48 hours have been like. Maybe it's 72 hours, I'm not sure. The days and nights run together like some cruel joke that you never get to hear the punch line to. Here are a few safe phrases that I have come up with to express myself and how I feel on Sunday Morning at 12:44 A.M.

Son of a Sea Biscuit.

Sweet Mary and Joseph.

Gosh Dang it Dag Nab It.

Oh My Heavens.

Oh My Word.

Heavens to Betsy.

Fiddle Sticks.

Fiddle Dee Dee.

Holy Smokes.

Shucks.

Golly.

Darn.

Dang.

Rama Lama Ding Dong.

Great Odin's Raven.

There is nothing on this earth that can prepare you for triplets in your home. We had triplets in the NICU and I have had plenty to say about the ups and downs of that. Triplets in your house is another thing entirely.

First of all, to everyone out there that has or has had one baby in their house at a time. I have this message for you.

Shut up. Shut up now. You are a tourist. It's Baby Lite. I'm sure one baby comes with challenges. Whatever. I don't want to hear about them.

To those people with Twins. Pretty much shut up there also. If you have a Mom and a Dad, each one can hold and take care of one baby. If you don't have two parents in your house, then I feel sorry for you. Sort of.

Three babies is not baby times three. It's baby cubed or baby times infinity. I'm not sure, but the energy they create seems to feed on itself creating a swirling vortex of baby despair that crushes down upon you.

All this, and we have good babies. They are on a schedule. They get fed every three hours. They get fed at 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30, and then you start over again. AM and PM don't matter. It just goes and goes.

Let me give you a rundown of how the 10:30 PM feeding just went.

My beautiful Wife Carrie has worn herself to a frazzle taking care of, and worrying about these kids. I had to literally make her go to bed at 9:30. This is after she made up all the bottles and set out all the clothes, bibs, blankets, and other things for me to use. She really was trying to make my life easier. I just wanted her to go to sleep. I did the 10:30 feeding last night pretty much without incident.

Anyhow, here is how it went down.

9:30 Carrie goes to Bed. Boys are in living room in their bouncy seats. Whomever invented the bouncy seat deserves a Congressional Medal of Honor. Anyhow, the boys are hanging out and I was playing them some "Dead Flowers" by the Rolling Stones on my acoustic guitar. They were digging it. So, Carrie goes to bed.

9:33 I figure I will stop playing the guitar so Carrie can sleep.

9:35 Cade starts screaming. I put his pacifier in his mouth and he is immediately cool.
Cash is fussing a little, but no big deal. Zane, for some strange reason is asleep and causing no problems at all. This is very unlike him.

9:48 Cade's pacifier keeps falling out of his mouth. He can't hold it in by himself, so I am constantly putting it back in his mouth and trying to calm him. I do this about four hundred times.

10:24 Okay, it's almost feeding time. Since Cash is now wide awake I decide to feed him first. Cade has been pretty quiet for the past ten minutes. I think he is asleep.

At this point I lose total track of time. I know that we are in the 10:30 feeding and I'm in Austin, Texas. Other than that I don't know much of anything. I put Cash's bottle in the warm water to heat it up and head into change his diaper. Because this is me, it's extremely dirty and I almost throw up. At this point Cade starts screaming at the top of his lungs. I finish putting Cash's pajamas on and carry him out to start feeding him. Cade is screaming really loud, so I try the pacifier thing with one hand while I feed Cash with the other. You gotta watch Cash close because he will stop breathing on you during feeds. He is on a heart rate monitor, and that thing is loud if it goes off. I'm feeding Cash, trying to quiet Cade and Cade will not cooperate. Finally, Cash's heart rate monitor starts going off. I let Cade scream while making sure Cash is cool. He is. I give him a break and put him in his bouncy seat. I grab Cade and put him in his crib and shut the door. Maybe he will calm down. I grab the baby monitor so I can hear him. I look down the baby monitor shows me the temperature in the baby room. It's 81. How is this possible? The baby monitor starts sounding some temperature alarm every 30 seconds. I have to keep it on to hear Cade, but the temperature alarm is driving me out of my mind. I continue to try and feed Cash. I eye Zane. He is a total wild card. He could start going crazy at any moment, and he is more fussy than the other two. The temperature in the baby room goes up another degree 82. What's going on? I feed Cash some more and try to burp him. He burps, so I sit him in his bouncy seat again. Something is up with Cade. He is usually cool. I rush in the baby room and think I'll change him and get him ready to feed. Wow. Big surprise. Really dirty diaper. No wonder he was mad. I change him and dress him in his pajamas. I put Cade on his boppy pillow or whatever you call it and I'm feeding him with one hand and giving Cash the rest of the food with the other hand. Cash finishes and I put him over my leg and pat his back trying to get him to burp again. I look at Zane. I'm astounded that he isn't yelling. I put Cash down and try to finish Cade. I pick him up and put him over my left shoulder. I head into the kitchen to warm up Zane's bottle. I drop the bottle in the warm water and head over to grab him. I take Cade and Zane into the baby room. Cade goes into his crib where he is chilling. I change Zane. No dirty diaper. Just wet. Cool. I take off his diaper. He pees high into the air. I throw the new diaper on top of his business and wait it out. I look at the baby monitor. Why is it saying it is so hot in the room? Oh, I get it. I'm an idiot. The baby monitor is right under the Red Sox lamp that I have on. It's literally heating up the baby monitor and making it think the room is hot. I get Zane dressed and put him in his crib for a second. I wrap Cash in his cool swaddling blanket and lay him down. He is so cool and calm that he is asleep in seconds. I do the same to Cade and he calms down. They love these swaddling blanket things. They are called sleep sacks or something. They are awesome and the boys love them. I go and grab Zane's bottle. It has a hole in it and has leaked everywhere. I grab a new bottle and check the fridge for formula, and remember that Carrie used the last of the bottle. I find a new one and crack the seal, refill the bottle, and then start to warm it. Zane is being cool He must sense that his old man is one step away from totally losing it. I feed Zane, burp him, wrap him in his sleep thing, and put him down to sleep. All the babies go to sleep. I grab Carrie's phone out of our bedroom so her alarm can't go off. I want that woman to sleep. I look at the clock 12:21.

It's now 1:25 and I have to go start the 1:30 feeding.

We will have cool videos and pictures later.

I just thought I would share.

I needed to vent.

As soon as I lay them down, I think about how much I love them and I can't imagine our lives without them.

Wish me better luck on this next feeding.

Some People's Kids

As Pinto Bennett once said, "Some people's kids don't know how fast time flies". The boys are 8 weeks old as of yesterday. They said the time would fly by and I have to say that looking back on the whole thing, time has flown by. At other moments it has seemed to crawl very very slow. So slow that if it were a river, you could hardly tell it was still flowing. The slow and the fast working in tandem has helped us arrive at this very point.

The NICU is a strange place. I can be wide awake when we walk in there, and after a few hours I am so drained that I don't think I can even walk to the elevator. Once we get to the ground floor we still have to walk to the car. My whole body and my mind are just exhausted. Other parents that we have talked to have confirmed that they feel the same way. The cause of this is I'm sure a combination of the alarms and buzzers, the flurry of activity, and the constant worry all joining in to create this total feeling of exhaustion. When we left there the other day and I told Carrie that in my entire life as a road musician, I had never felt as completely exhausted as I did at that moment. I know what you are going to say:

"Wait until you get them home!"

True. However, I imagine that the feeling of total exhaustion when they are home will come with a deep sense of fulfillment that is missing in the hospital.

Well, we don't want to get our hopes up too high, but tonight Carrie and I will spend the night at the hospital with one, some, or all of our boys in a room by ourselves. The idea is to have one night up there out of the NICU when we will be solely and completely responsible for their care, and then, and let's not get too excited, we will bring them home.

Knock on wood.

Say a prayer.

Sing a song.

Throw salt over your left shoulder

Pick up a penny that is heads up on the ground and think of us.

Propose a toast to us at happy hour.

Everything at the hospital is being prepared. The car seats are there. The hospital ordered a bunch of extra large razor blades for the circumcisions. They have clothes to come home in. We have a vehicle that can haul them all. The nursery is ready. The dog is excited.

The stage is set.

However, anything can happen. We won't get too excited until they are actually loaded up in the Tahoe.

That's not true.

I'm so excited right now I can't stand it.

My hopes are way up.

Yes, of course we are going to film it and show you.

We can't bring them home without making a totally triumphant video.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

Here is Cade Richard on the day he was born, June 2nd, 2010. He was 3 lbs 5.9 ounces. He was on CPAP and was fed through a PICC line. In the few days after his birth, he dropped to below three pounds, because a lot of the weight was fluid in his lungs. They all dropped down to below three at first.

Here is Cade today. He weighs 6 lbs 3.9 ounces. He is taking 80ml of formula every three hours.



Here is Zane Chad. He weighed 2lbs 15 ounces and of course dropped a bit of that. He had the same stuff going on as Cade did.

Here is Zane yesterday. He is exactly the same weight as his brother Cade. 6 lbs 3.9 ounces. All of the boys are taking about the same amount of formula.

Here we have Cash Dean. He was 3 lbs 4.8 ounces at birth. The night this picture was taken, Cash had a collapsed lung and had to have a respirator put on him.

Here is our little bruiser now. He weighed in last night at a whopping 6 lbs 13.3 ounces.



So there you have it. That's what 8 weeks will do to a baby. They have doubled in size. We are extremely fortunate to have three healthy babies.

Today we hope for the best. As I said before, anything can happen, but we are so close we can feel it. Perhaps this weekend the boys will be home to watch their first Red Sox game with the old man.

Don't worry, I won't give them any beer.

The Big Man

God's Assistant: Hey.....um....hello....are you there?

God: Yes, I'm here. I just got back from Austin.

God's Assistant: You've been spending a lot of time there recently.

God: I know. I love it there. It's been a while since I really got to hang out in Austin. I went to Willie's 4th of July Picnic the other day. That was fun. Hung out on Willie's Bus. Nothings changed there let me tell ya.

God's Assistant: I haven't got to do anything this summer. I'm always in Temple at the hospital with the Triplets and their parents. I would have liked to have seen Willie too.

God: But remember what happened the last time you hung out on Willie's bus? You fell down on the way out.

God's Assistant: I thought I could handle it.

God: Maybe next time. I know you have been busy this summer. I appreciate all of your hard work. After they come back to Austin, you really need to come with me to Santa Rita and try their shrimp tacos. They have great margaritas there too. The other day I went there disguised as a UT Coed.

God's Assistant: I wouldn't know. Are those new sandals?

God: Yep, picked them up on South Congress at some shop. No big deal. Listen, I know you are spending a lot of time at that hospital with those boys, but we're getting ready to send them home. I think after that you and I should head down to South Padre for a while. I really want to get a closer look at the Gulf. Jesus turned water into wine, but I'm going to one up him and turn crude oil into beer. What you think of that?

God's Assistant: Sounds nice. Whenever you decide to send these boys home we can do whatever. I need a break. Those Krug parents are insane. I mean they are tightly wound. I pity anyone who messes with those kids. That woman is extremely protective of her cubs. I thought she was going to hit HIM in the mouth the other day.

God: Oh that's coming. Just wait. I think I may send the loud one home first. That Zane is quite the character. Let 'em have a couple of days with him and then send Cash and Cade home.

God's Assistant: They turned their dining room into some sort of weird triplet jungle play room with three bouncy seats and all types of baby stuff.

God: They are way into it aren't they.

God's Assistant: Oh yes.

God: That's good. What do you think of my new cowboy hat?

God's Assistant: I don't know if it really goes with the sandals.

God: That's how they do it in Texas. You go to these outdoor festivals and everyone is wearing flip flops and cowboy hats.

God's Assistant: That's weird.

God: It is weird. It's not how I intended, but hey who am I to question it?

God's Assistant: You're God, you can make them stop.

God: That would be me messing with free will and we both know I don't do that.

God's Assistant: True. Besides a few select artists, you have let them ruin country music.

God: There is still plenty of good music. By the way is J.C. still working on his pedal steel playing?

God's Assistant: J.C. is quite the pedal steel player. He's got a band with a bunch of guys. Hank Williams and that bunch.

God: Good! Can't wait to hear them.

God's Assistant: So....the boys all weigh around six pounds. Mom and Dad seem to be handling it all pretty good. I think they're ready.

God: Yep, they are ready. The boys will let them know when it's time.

God's Assistant: I know I'm ready.

God: As soon as it's over, your first beer is on me. Where's my IPOD? I'm going to San Antonio.

God's Assistant: You probably left it in the Escalade.

Rolling

Greetings from Austin, Texas. We are the people of the sun. I say we are the people of the sun because sometimes the sun feels so close that you are afraid it is going to burn a hole in the top of your head and scorch your soul. I love Texas. It's my home and the home of my family. My boys were born in Texas, making them True Texans. This is something that Mom and Dad can't lay claim to. However, Texas is hot. The humidity is high and the sweat pours out of your body draining the very life out of you. I may not be from Texas, but I have earned the title of Texan. I'm not complaining mind you, I know that it is hot everywhere this summer. However, it has been pointed out to me that when something happens to me, it is worse then when it happens to other people. At least I think it is, and that's really all that matters.

Enough about the weather. How are them boys? Well the boys are Rocking and they are Rolling. I just spoke to their night NICU nurse, and she told me the following:

Cash: Cash weighs 5 lbs 14.6 ounces. He is taking all his feedings from a bottle, keeping his temperature up nicely, and is in a crib very close to his brothers.

Zane: Zane weighs 5 lbs 5.8 ounces. He just got his feeding tube out this morning and is taking all his feedings from a bottle. He is also doing well with his temperature and his crib is right beside his brother Cade.

Cade: Cade weighs 5 lbs 5.9 ounces. He is taking all his feedings from a bottle and keeping his temperature up nicely.

Now, we did think that Mr. Cash was going to be able to come home this week. However, he has been having one heart rate drop per day, and this means that he has to stay in the hospital. Each baby has to go seven days without a heart rate drop before they get to come home. This is extremely frustrating, because we are RIGHT THERE. We are right on the cusp of bringing them home. In addition to this, they are so alert and awake it's awesome. They look at you and make little noises like they are trying to talk. They grab your nose and your ears and squeeze. Cade even threw his pacifier at me and he used his left hand which made me very excited about his Major League pitching career. There is nothing more dominating in this world then a southpaw who throws heat, and Cade had good velocity with his pacifier. He brought his left arm over the top and rolled his shoulder. He showed really good form and I was particularly impressed with his release. I see good things on the horizon.

Back to the Heart Rate Drops. These are very common for premature babies. They usually grow out of them at 36 to 37 weeks, and the boys were 36 weeks on Tuesday. When I spoke to the nurse this morning, she attributed the heart rate drops to just being little. They are feeding every three hours all by bottle, and this wears a little guy out. This is when the drops usually occur. Cash had one last night and Cade had one yesterday. Zane hasn't had one in a while, so hopefully he is over them. We will wait and see. Yesterday, we spoke with Dr. Cipriani about the heart rate drops. Christy is one of the nurses that has been with them the past several days. She thought that Cash might be having them because of reflux issues. She asked Carrie if she or I had acid reflux problems. I have had them for a long time, so Carrie told the nurse and then the nurse told the Doctor, and this conversation took place:

Dr. Cipriani: It is possible that the pauses (heart rate drops) can be attributed to reflux. I understand that you have had issues with this in the past. Have you been on any medication for this?

Me: Yep. I have been on medication.

Dr. Cipriani: That could be what is causing Cash's trouble.

Me: My acid reflux is worse when I have been drinking whiskey.

Dr. Cipriani: Yes, alcohol does make reflux worse.

Me: True. I find that if I just lay off of the whiskey I'm a lot better.

Dr. Cipriani: I see you have pinpointed the problem.

Me: I sure have. I doubt Cash has been on the whiskey, but you never know. He is a Krug.

Dr. Cipriani: We will wait a few days and see if he gets better before we run any tests.

Me: Sounds good to me. I'll try to keep everyone off the whiskey, myself included.

The doctor smiled at this point, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't know exactly how to take me.

Anyhow, that's the story on the boys. As they say at the hospital, we will let the boys decide when they are ready to come home. They will let us know when they are ready. I do know that Carrie and I are ready. We can taste victory and it has us on edge.

I have been trying to keep myself occupied and keep myself from worrying too much. This is hard to do. Simple distractions are a good thing. One thing that keeps me going are good hamburgers. There is never a time when I won't eat a hamburger. Even if I just had a hamburger, I would STILL like to have a hamburger. Carrie likes hamburgers too, but my passion for hamburgers is unrivaled. We have been trying various hamburgers for the past year, and I would like to share some of my favorites with you.

Mighty Fine Burgers Fries and Shakes:

This is an Austin based company with three locations. Their burgers are awesome made with 100% pure beef from cattle with absolutely no steroids or growth hormones. The menu at this place is simple. Their name includes the whole menu. You can get a hot dog there, but why? Their shakes are hand dipped with blue bell ice cream. The shakes are a high point, and a must if you visit Mighty Fine. Their fries are cut on the premises and are extremely good. This is one of my favorites.

5 Guys Burgers and Fries

This is a national chain that we just tried for the first time the other day. I have to say I really enjoyed it. Once again the menu is simple and the burgers are great. There are a few more options here and I had the cheeseburger and added grilled mushrooms. The fries were great and Carrie pointed out that they get extra credit for having Malt Vinegar to dip your fries in. No milkshakes here, and that could be considered a demerit. However, if you have seen the baby room video, you know that I do not suffer from a milk shake deficiency. I really don't need them, but they are so good. We will definitely be returning to 5 Guys milkshakes or not.

Fuddrucker's

I know, this is a national chain and it can be very inconsistent. However, when you get a good one, a Fuddrucker's burger is a great thing. I like the menu options, and the beef is exceptional at these places. I like how they are made to order and they have sweet potato fries. I'm sure most of you have tried them, but they seem to be making a resurgence and doing well here in Texas. They are generally independently owned and operated. This can explain part of the inconsistency, but when you get a good one, it's really good. Shakes are good here too.

Sam's Burger Joint

This is a place in San Antonio where the band plays. They have incredible hamburgers. This place has the vintage old time hamburger joint feel that I absolutely love. The buns are toasted to perfection and the meat is superb. If you are ever in San Antonio, go here.

Hut's Hamburgers

This is an Austin place on West 6th Street. They have various burgers on the menu and I have enjoyed each time I have been there. Carrie hasn't been there yet, and maybe I can talk her into a trip someday soon.

All these hamburger joints are good ones. I would recommend them to anyone. In the comment section, please tell us about your favorite places to get a burger in your city. People from all over read the blog and we would love to hear from you. Leaving a comment will provide a great public service. This will allow the reader to know where to stop for a great burger if he or she finds themselves in your town.

Now for some photos:

This is Cade. That little wound on his head is where an IV went bad. It's healing up very nicely and should be gone soon. He is starting to act a bit like Zane. Pretty demanding and getting louder by the day. They are all three very noisy babies.



Here is Zane. As of this morning, that feeding tube you see is gone. If it were up to Zane, it would be all about Zane, all the time.



Here is Cash. He is very alert and is always looking around. Yesterday we gave him a bath. When we first put him in the water, he screamed bloody murder for all of one second. Then he smiled.



These last two are from yesterday when I got to hold Cade and Zane at the same time. The boys can't wait to get home and watch their first Red Sox game. Cade told me that the Sox are going to turn their season around and make the play-offs. He is also ready to pitch if needed.

The Baby Room

This is a video that we made that takes you on a quick three minute tour of the baby room. It's only three minutes because the room is pretty small. When you upload a video to You Tube, it picks the still shot that you see below at random. As you can see I have a very idiotic look on my face. Maybe that should tell me something. Anyway, we know that a lot of people are curious as to what it looks like to have three cribs in the same room and how all that is going to work, so here you go. The lighting is bad and we have absolutely no idea how to make videos.



In other news, the boys are doing great and we should have them home before too long if everything goes right. Cash and Cade are both over 5 pounds, and Zane was 4 lbs 14.6 ounces yesterday. We just need them to take all of their feedings by bottle, keep their temperature up on their own, and have no heart rate drops for seven days.