By Staff
NEW ARRIVAL Kim Reece holds baby Ethan as her 5-year-old son, Ty, and husband, Trent, look on. Ethan is one of a set of triplets born Friday night. Photo by Paula Merritt / The Meridian Star
By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
April 23, 2002
No fertility drugs were used and no special procedures or rituals were performed the triplets came naturally.
Reece gave birth to two boys and a girl Friday. While she headed home Monday, the triplets born a few weeks premature will remain in neonatal intensive care for a couple of weeks.
Ethan Parker Reece and Tristan Hawk Reece are identical twins born at 6:28 p.m. Friday. Ethan weighed 4 pounds, 5 ounces, while Tristan was 4 pounds, 6 ounces; both were 17 inches long.
A minute later, at 6:29 p.m., Gracie Nicole Reece was born. She weighed 4 pounds, 15 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long.
The proud father, Trent Reece, flew in for the deliveries from Venezuela, where he works on an off-shore oil rig.
Unexpected discovery
Seven weeks into the pregnancy, the Reeces learned they were having twins. Two weeks later, an ultra-sound spotted Gracie.
The Reeces said they have had a lot of support from friends and family who threw numerous baby showers for them. And the grandparents, Vickey and John DeHek of Hattiesburg and Linda and John Reece of Chunky, are thrilled.
Kim, who has twin brothers, said her mother thought it was "quite humorous" that she had triplets.
Kim works as an administrative assistant for the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department. She said she plans to return to work part-time in late June or early July.
She said she had no fear during the deliveries: "It was the most organized thing I've ever seen in my life."
Big brother
The Reeces' 4-year-old son, Ty, got his first glimpse of his brothers and sister when he went with his dad to the hospital Monday afternoon to take his mother home.
After meeting his new sister and brothers, Ty waited for his parents outside of the neonatal unit and practiced being a big brother with an infant doll that belongs to the hospital.
Ty eagerly showed staff members how to change a diaper and strap a baby into a car seat, just like his mother taught him.
Ty showed the doll to one of the nurses who passed by. "This is a fake baby, mine are over there," he said, pointing again to the neonatal unit.
Ty was responsible for his new siblings. His parents said they decided to have another baby because they didn't want Ty to be an only child.
Asked if they were going to try to have another girl for Gracie, Kim's eyes half closed and her jaw dropped open before she said, "No!"
Trent was already shaking his head at that point: "That's it. I've got an appointment already."