Day 26...
Finally some good news... Lilly went to the CPAP at 8:00 in the morning and she is doing great. She is on lower settings and she's handling it very well. Davis is doing well on his ventilator. He too is on low settings. It'll be a couple days before they start to talk about moving him back to a CPAP.
Lilly lost a few ounces yesterday, but that was to be expected. The Lasix they gave her yesterday is a diuretic, and they expected her to lose water weight. She also had a couple days of big weight gain, so losing a little is not a surprise. Her lungs sound really good, so looks like the Lasix worked. She weighs 2 pounds and 6 ounces. Davis lost a few grams and now weighs 2 pounds and 4 ounces.
Both kids also graduated to the next size up in diapers! Doesn't really sound like a big deal, but means our little ones are growing up!
They are keeping their feedings the same.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Day 25 - 12/28/11
Day 25...
Lilly waving to her momma and daddy.
Lilly in her new giraffe outfit and hat.
Davis in his new monkey outfit.
Lilly waving to her momma and daddy.
Lilly in her new giraffe outfit and hat.
Davis in his new monkey outfit.Lilly did not get her CPAP today... they are waiting for her ventilator settings to go lower before they make the move. She got her 2nd and 3rd dose of steroids today, hopefully that'll help. They also think she may have some fluid in her lungs, so they are giving her a dose of Lasix, a diuretic. Depending on how well the Lasix and steroids work, they may try the CPAP tomorrow.
Davis is doing ok back on the ventilator. He is back on the light settings.
Lilly and Davis both gained another ounce today. So, Lilly is now 2 pounds and 10 ounces and Davis is 2 pounds and 6 ounces.
Day 24 - 12/27/11
Day 24...
Today was another good and bad day.
Davis didn't last long on his CPAP, so back to the ventilator... They see some swelling in his voice box from pulling and reinserting the ventilator tube so many times, so they may have to give Davis some steroids in a few days before trying the CPAP again.
Lilly started steroids today in hopes that she will be able to move to a CPAP machine. She will get a total of 6 doses over 3 days. They will see if she is ready to try the CPAP tomorrow morning.
The good news... both kids continue to gain weight and do well with their feedings. Lilly gained 80 grams! She now weighs 2 pounds and 9 ounces. Davis gained 30 grams and he now weighs 2 pounds and 5 ounces.
Both kids are getting the same amounts of food.
Today was another good and bad day.
Davis didn't last long on his CPAP, so back to the ventilator... They see some swelling in his voice box from pulling and reinserting the ventilator tube so many times, so they may have to give Davis some steroids in a few days before trying the CPAP again.
Lilly started steroids today in hopes that she will be able to move to a CPAP machine. She will get a total of 6 doses over 3 days. They will see if she is ready to try the CPAP tomorrow morning.
The good news... both kids continue to gain weight and do well with their feedings. Lilly gained 80 grams! She now weighs 2 pounds and 9 ounces. Davis gained 30 grams and he now weighs 2 pounds and 5 ounces.
Both kids are getting the same amounts of food.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Day 23 - 12/26/11
Day 23...
Lilly and Davis got their full measurements yesterday, but we forgot to ask about them... bad parents.
Lilly measured 14.2 inches long, so grew a little bit from last week. Her head also was larger, now at 25 cm (was 24 cm in previous weeks). She lost 10 grams today, but still weighs in at 2 pounds and 6 ounces.
Davis measured 14 inches long, growing 1/4 inch from last week. His head is also larger, now at 25.5 cm (1.5 cm larger than previous weeks). He gained an ounce today, now weighing 2 pounds and 4 ounces.
The big news... Davis went to a CPAP today (hopefully the 3rd time is a charm). He seems to be doing ok on it... we'll have to see how he handles it over time. They are going to consider putting Lilly on a CPAP tomorrow. First, she gets a chest x-ray tomorrow morning. Depending on the x-ray, she may need steroids first.We are hoping and praying she doesn't need steroids and can go straight to a CPAP... there can be some bad side effects with steroids.
Both kids are eating the same amount of food.
Lilly and Davis got their full measurements yesterday, but we forgot to ask about them... bad parents.
Lilly measured 14.2 inches long, so grew a little bit from last week. Her head also was larger, now at 25 cm (was 24 cm in previous weeks). She lost 10 grams today, but still weighs in at 2 pounds and 6 ounces.
Davis measured 14 inches long, growing 1/4 inch from last week. His head is also larger, now at 25.5 cm (1.5 cm larger than previous weeks). He gained an ounce today, now weighing 2 pounds and 4 ounces.
The big news... Davis went to a CPAP today (hopefully the 3rd time is a charm). He seems to be doing ok on it... we'll have to see how he handles it over time. They are going to consider putting Lilly on a CPAP tomorrow. First, she gets a chest x-ray tomorrow morning. Depending on the x-ray, she may need steroids first.We are hoping and praying she doesn't need steroids and can go straight to a CPAP... there can be some bad side effects with steroids.
Both kids are eating the same amount of food.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Day 22 - 12/25/11
Day 22... Merry Christmas!!!
Davis in his Christmas outfit.
Davis showing daddy how a fishhook works.
Lilly posing for the camera!
Awww, she's embarrassed now...
Lilly holding daddy's hand (well, thumb...). It also looks like Lilly has the bulls thing down (look at her right hand)... daddy's proud, Go Bulls!Mommy, daddy and Auntie Lori went to the hospital to spend Christmas morning with our little ones. We also got to dress them up in their Christmas clothes for their 1st Christmas pictures! Thanks Aunt Lori for getting the special preemie Christmas outfits!
Lilly and Davis are both doing well. Lilly gained 20 grams, but is still at 2 pounds and 6 ounces. Davis gained 10 grams and is still at 2 pounds and 3 ounces.
They didn't make any changes to their feedings or ventilator settings.
They didn't make any changes to their feedings or ventilator settings.
Day 21 - 12/24/11
Day 21...
Lilly and Davis continue to do pretty well! Lilly gained another ounce and is up to 2 punds and 6 ounces, woohoo!!! Davis lost an ounce and is down to 2 pounds and 3 ounces, booooo!
Everything else is pretty much the same.
Lilly and Davis continue to do pretty well! Lilly gained another ounce and is up to 2 punds and 6 ounces, woohoo!!! Davis lost an ounce and is down to 2 pounds and 3 ounces, booooo!
Everything else is pretty much the same.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Day 20 - 12/23/11
Day 20...
Today was a great day for the kiddos! Both gained some weight. Lilly gained 20 grams... she is still at 2 pounds and 5 ounces, but that much closer to going up! Davis gained 80 grams, bringing him to 2 pounds and 4 ounces (he's catching up to his sister)!
Feedings are still the same.
Both had their blood gases tested this morning and everything looked OK. So, they decided to lower both of their ventilator settings. They will test their blood gases again tomorrow morning and if everything still looks good, they will lower even more. Hopefully it won't be long before they are off the ventilators completely!
Lilly may have to get a blood transfusion soon. This is normal with preemies... apparently their little bodies can't make blood yet and those darn nurses keep taking blood from them. They say they use the highest rated blood at the blood bank. Blood is good for 1 month once opened, so she will always get blood from the same bag, as needed... this is done to minimize the risks of using multiple sources. Davis may eventually have to get a transfusion too, but his levels are OK right now.
Aunt Lori came back into town today for the holidays. It's been 18 days since she last saw them in person. She thinks they look a lot bigger and that their hair is getting long (well, at least longer...)!
Today was a great day for the kiddos! Both gained some weight. Lilly gained 20 grams... she is still at 2 pounds and 5 ounces, but that much closer to going up! Davis gained 80 grams, bringing him to 2 pounds and 4 ounces (he's catching up to his sister)!
Feedings are still the same.
Both had their blood gases tested this morning and everything looked OK. So, they decided to lower both of their ventilator settings. They will test their blood gases again tomorrow morning and if everything still looks good, they will lower even more. Hopefully it won't be long before they are off the ventilators completely!
Lilly may have to get a blood transfusion soon. This is normal with preemies... apparently their little bodies can't make blood yet and those darn nurses keep taking blood from them. They say they use the highest rated blood at the blood bank. Blood is good for 1 month once opened, so she will always get blood from the same bag, as needed... this is done to minimize the risks of using multiple sources. Davis may eventually have to get a transfusion too, but his levels are OK right now.
Aunt Lori came back into town today for the holidays. It's been 18 days since she last saw them in person. She thinks they look a lot bigger and that their hair is getting long (well, at least longer...)!
Day 19 - 12/22/11
Day 19...
Both babies are doing well today. They are still getting the same amount of food and both continue to handle their feedings well.
Lilly and Davis both weigh the same as yesterday. Lilly at 2 pounds and 5 ounces and Davis at 2 pounds and 2 ounces.
They went down on Davis's ventilator settings today and are keeping Lilly's the same. The nurse told Mom that they plan on trying CPAPs on both kids within the next week... hopefully they can handle it!
Lilly and Davis got to meet their Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Mike today. They'll be back to see our little ones again on New Year's Eve when they pass back through town.
Both babies are doing well today. They are still getting the same amount of food and both continue to handle their feedings well.
Lilly and Davis both weigh the same as yesterday. Lilly at 2 pounds and 5 ounces and Davis at 2 pounds and 2 ounces.
They went down on Davis's ventilator settings today and are keeping Lilly's the same. The nurse told Mom that they plan on trying CPAPs on both kids within the next week... hopefully they can handle it!
Lilly and Davis got to meet their Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Mike today. They'll be back to see our little ones again on New Year's Eve when they pass back through town.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Day 18 - 12/21/11
Lilly enjoying her pacifier while sugar plums danced in her head!
Davis doing his best Santa impression (a sleepy Santa...).
Day 18...
We played dress up with the kids today. They don't quite fit in their Christmas hats yet, but they'll eventually fill them in (maybe they'll be their Valentine's Day hats!).
Lilly maintained her weight today, staying at 2 pounds and 5 ounces. Davis lost an ounce (down to 2 pounds and 2 ounces), but that's ok because he had two days of huge weight gains.
They upped Davis's food today to 19.5 ml every 3 hours (he's catching up to his big sis!). Lilly is staying constant at 20 ml every 3 hours.
Both kids are also old enough and big enough to start getting an RSV immunization once a month (some kind of respiratory virus...).
Day 17 - 12/20/11
Day 17...
Both kids did great today! Lilly gained another ounce and is up to 2 pounds and 5 ounces! Davis gained 2 more ounces and is at 2 pounds and 3 ounces. The kids are getting big (well, kinda...)!
Davis went down on his ventilator settings today and is handling it well, yay! Lilly is holding constant.
Both kids are eating the same amount of food and are handling their feedings well.
Both kids did great today! Lilly gained another ounce and is up to 2 pounds and 5 ounces! Davis gained 2 more ounces and is at 2 pounds and 3 ounces. The kids are getting big (well, kinda...)!
Davis went down on his ventilator settings today and is handling it well, yay! Lilly is holding constant.
Both kids are eating the same amount of food and are handling their feedings well.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Day 16 - 12/19/11
Grandma and Grandpa looking at the kids.Day 16...
Both kids gained weight today! Nice to see after a couple days of decreasing weight... Lilly is back up to 2 pounds and 4 ounces. Davis packed on 100 grams, bringing him to 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Hopefully they will continue to gain weight tomorrow!
They are both handling their feedings well, so no changes there. They are also holding steady on their ventilator settings. Both kids will get blood gases tested again tomorrow morning to check the levels of CO2. Davis will get another X-ray on his chest so they can take a look at his lungs.
Grandma, Grandpap and Great Grandma are leaving tomorrow, so they all stopped by to visit our little ones and to say good bye.
Both kids gained weight today! Nice to see after a couple days of decreasing weight... Lilly is back up to 2 pounds and 4 ounces. Davis packed on 100 grams, bringing him to 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Hopefully they will continue to gain weight tomorrow!
They are both handling their feedings well, so no changes there. They are also holding steady on their ventilator settings. Both kids will get blood gases tested again tomorrow morning to check the levels of CO2. Davis will get another X-ray on his chest so they can take a look at his lungs.
Grandma, Grandpap and Great Grandma are leaving tomorrow, so they all stopped by to visit our little ones and to say good bye.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Day 15 - 12/18/11
Day 15...
Two weeks ago tonight, our little babies were born. Feels a lot longer than that...
Both kids had a step back today. They check the gas levels in their blood regularly to make sure their little lungs are expelling the CO2 like they should. Both Lilly and Davis have elevated levels of CO2 :( They are going to check them both again in the morning and see how everything looks. If they are still elevated, they will have to increase their ventilator support... definitely not what we want. Hopefully they'll rebound from this and continue decreasing the support required from the ventilator. We need them to go to CPAPs!
Lilly and Davis are both getting the same amount of food as yesterday (20 ml for Lilly and 18 ml for Davis every 3 hours). Davis got his pick line removed this afternoon! Its' great to see some progress for both kids.
On Sundays we get full measurements of the kids. Here are today's stats...
Lilly: She lost 10 grams today, still weighing in a 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Her head is the same size as when she was born. She grew to 14 inches long... 1/2 inch longer than when she was born.
Davis: He lost 60 grams today! He now weighs 1 pound and 14 ounces. His head is the same size as when he was born. He is now 13.75 inches long... 3/4 inch longer than when he was born.
The nurses are not concerned about their weight fluctuations. They say they'll move up and down for the first few weeks before they start to pack on the weight more consistently (we're also adding a Crisco based marshmallow fluff dipping sauce to mom's steady diet of fried chicken... we need more calories in her milk!!!).
Two weeks ago tonight, our little babies were born. Feels a lot longer than that...
Both kids had a step back today. They check the gas levels in their blood regularly to make sure their little lungs are expelling the CO2 like they should. Both Lilly and Davis have elevated levels of CO2 :( They are going to check them both again in the morning and see how everything looks. If they are still elevated, they will have to increase their ventilator support... definitely not what we want. Hopefully they'll rebound from this and continue decreasing the support required from the ventilator. We need them to go to CPAPs!
Lilly and Davis are both getting the same amount of food as yesterday (20 ml for Lilly and 18 ml for Davis every 3 hours). Davis got his pick line removed this afternoon! Its' great to see some progress for both kids.
On Sundays we get full measurements of the kids. Here are today's stats...
Lilly: She lost 10 grams today, still weighing in a 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Her head is the same size as when she was born. She grew to 14 inches long... 1/2 inch longer than when she was born.
Davis: He lost 60 grams today! He now weighs 1 pound and 14 ounces. His head is the same size as when he was born. He is now 13.75 inches long... 3/4 inch longer than when he was born.
The nurses are not concerned about their weight fluctuations. They say they'll move up and down for the first few weeks before they start to pack on the weight more consistently (we're also adding a Crisco based marshmallow fluff dipping sauce to mom's steady diet of fried chicken... we need more calories in her milk!!!).
Day 14 - 12/17/11
Day 14...
Lilly and Davis both lost some weight today... boooooo! Lilly lost 50 grams, bringing her down to 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Davis lost 20 grams. However, he is still at 2 pounds even (20 grams must have been lost in the rounding...).
Lilly got her pick line removed today, woohoo! Davis gets his line removed tomorrow.
Lilly is up to 20 ml of food every 3 hours. Davis gets 18 ml each feeding. They graduated from the gradual step up feeding schedule and now are getting full feeds! Their food amounts will now be based on their weight (160 ml a day for every kg of body weight... in case you just dieing to know the formula).
We didn't hold the babies today :( We got to the hospital late and they looked all warm and cozy sleeping in their beds, so we decided not to disturb them.
Lilly and Davis both lost some weight today... boooooo! Lilly lost 50 grams, bringing her down to 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Davis lost 20 grams. However, he is still at 2 pounds even (20 grams must have been lost in the rounding...).
Lilly got her pick line removed today, woohoo! Davis gets his line removed tomorrow.
Lilly is up to 20 ml of food every 3 hours. Davis gets 18 ml each feeding. They graduated from the gradual step up feeding schedule and now are getting full feeds! Their food amounts will now be based on their weight (160 ml a day for every kg of body weight... in case you just dieing to know the formula).
We didn't hold the babies today :( We got to the hospital late and they looked all warm and cozy sleeping in their beds, so we decided not to disturb them.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Day 13 - 12/16/11
Day 13... Today was a good day and a bad day.
The good... both kids gained an ounce! Lilly is now 2 pounds and 3 ounces. Davis finally hit the 2 pound mark!!! Woohoo, both of our little ones are putting on the pounds (well, ounces...)!
Both stopped getting fluids in their arms and will hopefully have their pick lines removed from their arms tomorrow. It'll be nice having less tubes tangled up in their little incubators.
They continue going up on their food. Today they got 15 ml for 4 feedings, then going up to 16 ml. Both are handling the increase in food very well. No leftovers in their little bellies each time they check!
The bad... Davis made it just over 24 hours on his CPAP machine. But, then he needed to go back to a ventilator. I guess his little body still isn't ready for the CPAP. The nurses don't seem to be concerned, so we are trying to stay positive about it. They say he just needs a little more time to grow and get stronger. Hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm (whenever they decide to try again).
We didn't hold either of our kids today :( They said Davis had a stressful day, so probably wasn't a good idea to take him out of his cage. Mommy said she would feel guilty holding one and not the other, so we decided not to hold either. Snuggle time tomorrow will be extra special!
The good... both kids gained an ounce! Lilly is now 2 pounds and 3 ounces. Davis finally hit the 2 pound mark!!! Woohoo, both of our little ones are putting on the pounds (well, ounces...)!
Both stopped getting fluids in their arms and will hopefully have their pick lines removed from their arms tomorrow. It'll be nice having less tubes tangled up in their little incubators.
They continue going up on their food. Today they got 15 ml for 4 feedings, then going up to 16 ml. Both are handling the increase in food very well. No leftovers in their little bellies each time they check!
The bad... Davis made it just over 24 hours on his CPAP machine. But, then he needed to go back to a ventilator. I guess his little body still isn't ready for the CPAP. The nurses don't seem to be concerned, so we are trying to stay positive about it. They say he just needs a little more time to grow and get stronger. Hopefully the 3rd time will be the charm (whenever they decide to try again).
We didn't hold either of our kids today :( They said Davis had a stressful day, so probably wasn't a good idea to take him out of his cage. Mommy said she would feel guilty holding one and not the other, so we decided not to hold either. Snuggle time tomorrow will be extra special!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Day 12 - 12/15/11
Day 12... Big day for the kids.
Lilly and Davis both gained an ounce. So, 2 pounds and 2 ounces for Lilly, and 1 pound 15 ounces for Davis. We think Davis is going to hit the 2 pound mark by tomorrow.
Both kids are getting 13 mls of food today, and going up to 14 ml at midnight.
Davis got to come off his ventilator today and try the CPAP machine again. Hopefully he handles it better this time. Lilly is still requiring the support of the ventilator... they are thinking another week before we can try the CPAP with her.
Both kids are getting their last bit of fluids through their pick lines today. They plan on stopping the fluids tomorrow, then hopefully removing the lines in a few days.
Daddy kangaroo'd with Lilly today and mommy got to hold Davis. Both kids did well!
Lilly and Davis both gained an ounce. So, 2 pounds and 2 ounces for Lilly, and 1 pound 15 ounces for Davis. We think Davis is going to hit the 2 pound mark by tomorrow.
Both kids are getting 13 mls of food today, and going up to 14 ml at midnight.
Davis got to come off his ventilator today and try the CPAP machine again. Hopefully he handles it better this time. Lilly is still requiring the support of the ventilator... they are thinking another week before we can try the CPAP with her.
Both kids are getting their last bit of fluids through their pick lines today. They plan on stopping the fluids tomorrow, then hopefully removing the lines in a few days.
Daddy kangaroo'd with Lilly today and mommy got to hold Davis. Both kids did well!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Day 11 - 12/14/11
Day 11... babies still in the NICU. Both kids started with 11 mls of food this morning, and where bumped up to 12 mls at 9:00PM.
Lilly Mae weighed in 2 pounds and 1 ounce!!! Woohoo, she's our little piggy! Davis gained an ounce, now weighing 1 pound and 15 ounces! He better start putting on the pounds... don't want his sister imposing her will on him when they are older (like aunt Stephanie did to her brother... she was a beast!)
The doctors plan on stopping IV fluids for both kids tomorrow. If all goes well, they both will get the pick lines (IV lines) out of their arms in a few days! We are making progress!!!
Mommy got to kangaroo with Lilly and Davis, while Gandma and Great Grandma visited with the kiddos. Lilly and Davis both really love the time the get to spend with their momma!
We also brought their little blankets home today for Tank and Harley to check out the new smells. Harley didn't really care, but Tank seems to really like his brother and sister... he even slept with their blankies.
Lilly Mae weighed in 2 pounds and 1 ounce!!! Woohoo, she's our little piggy! Davis gained an ounce, now weighing 1 pound and 15 ounces! He better start putting on the pounds... don't want his sister imposing her will on him when they are older (like aunt Stephanie did to her brother... she was a beast!)
The doctors plan on stopping IV fluids for both kids tomorrow. If all goes well, they both will get the pick lines (IV lines) out of their arms in a few days! We are making progress!!!
Mommy got to kangaroo with Lilly and Davis, while Gandma and Great Grandma visited with the kiddos. Lilly and Davis both really love the time the get to spend with their momma!
We also brought their little blankets home today for Tank and Harley to check out the new smells. Harley didn't really care, but Tank seems to really like his brother and sister... he even slept with their blankies.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Day 10 - 12/13/11
Davis taking a snooze... he had lots of visitors today!
Lilly copying her brother...
The grandparents and great grandma visting our little ones
Today is day 10 in the NICU (feels like day 4,674,369,810...) Lilly and Davis are doing well. Both are still eating 10 ml of food every 3 hours. They did start to fortify the milk today, adding calories and other stuff they need to get big and strong.
Lilly gained 10 grams since yesterday. She is still at 2 pounds... just 10 grams closer to 2 pounds and 1 ounce.
Davis lost a little weight... he's down to 1 pound and 14 ounces. Time to cut fruits and veggies from mom's diet... we're going straight fried chicken. A good dose of saturated fats, calories and all the other sweet goodness in fried foods will hopefully get into mom's milk and help our little guys to bulk up fast!!!
The babies got to meet their grandma, grandpa and great grandma today (mom's mom, mom's dad, and mom's mom's mom). I think we had the most popular babies in the NICU zoo! Lots of people oohing, ahhing and tapping on their little glass cages.
Lilly gained 10 grams since yesterday. She is still at 2 pounds... just 10 grams closer to 2 pounds and 1 ounce.
Davis lost a little weight... he's down to 1 pound and 14 ounces. Time to cut fruits and veggies from mom's diet... we're going straight fried chicken. A good dose of saturated fats, calories and all the other sweet goodness in fried foods will hopefully get into mom's milk and help our little guys to bulk up fast!!!
The babies got to meet their grandma, grandpa and great grandma today (mom's mom, mom's dad, and mom's mom's mom). I think we had the most popular babies in the NICU zoo! Lots of people oohing, ahhing and tapping on their little glass cages.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Day 9 - 12/12/11
Dad teaching Lilly how to say Go Bulls!!!
Lilly and dad's first snuggle time!Today was a great day for the little ones!!! Lilly hit the 2 pound mark during her 8:00PM weigh in! Davis weighed in at 1 pound and 15 ounces! Woohoo, they are getting big!!!
Lilly and Davis both had to get their brains scanned with an ultrasound today to check for brain bleeds, a common procedure for preemies. The results were great, there were no signs of bleeding!
Both kids are getting 10 ml of food every 3 hours now. They should start to gain 1/2 an ounce each day.
Lilly got to snuggle with daddy for the first time today, while Davis got to spend some time with mommy. They both seem to really love spending time with their parents (although Davis did spit up on mommy...).
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Day 8 - 12/11/11
We have made it one week in the NICU. Davis had to go back to the ventilator… he wasn’t quite ready for the CPAP and was doing well on the ventilator before. So, we’ll have to let him grow and get a bit stronger before trying again. Both babies are doing as expected, so we interpret that to mean they are doing well. We did ask a new nurse today: Given everything that has happened this week, would you say our babies are doing well? Her response was “Heck yeah!” That’s what mommy and daddy like to hear! I know we can’t let our guards down, but nice to hear some positive feedback.
Granny had to go back to Tampa today. We are glad she got to meet her grandbabies and we know they are going to miss her looking at them through the glass cage!
Granny had to go back to Tampa today. We are glad she got to meet her grandbabies and we know they are going to miss her looking at them through the glass cage!
Day 7 - 12/10/11
Lilly openning her eyes for the first time!
Lilly and mom 
Davis on his CPAP with dad.Day 7 was another great day. Davis came off his ventilator and went to the CPAP. He is struggling a little with it, but hopefully he does ok. Both babies will also get a drug similar to caffeine to help them breathe more steadily. They would normally give caffeine, but for some reason the hospital has run out… I’ve offered to bring 2 liters of Mountain Dew, but apparently it is a different form of caffeine.
Lilly got to snuggle with mom again today for an hour. Davis got to snuggle with dad, but he didn’t do so well. So, it only lasted for 45 minutes. They said to not take it personal and that it was most likely due to him just getting on the CPAP (I’ll try not to take it personal, but will keep this in my back pocket to hold over him when he's older… Dad, can I borrow the car to go out on a date tonight? My response: Remember that time daddy wanted to hold you and you made your heart rate drop, you stopped breathing a few times and your oxygen saturation went way down… no way you can borrow the car, now go up to your room and think about how you made daddy feel...haha).
Granny visited the hospital with us today. She didn't get to hold the babies during the snuggle time, but she did get to talk to them and take a few pictures.
Granny visited the hospital with us today. She didn't get to hold the babies during the snuggle time, but she did get to talk to them and take a few pictures.
Day 6 - 12/9/11
Lilly snuggling with mommy!
Momma and Davis snuggling!
Davis: "Why do you keep flashing that camera light in my eyes???"
Today was a good day and a bad day. The bad first... They found PDAs in both Lilly and Davis. A PDA is when a small vessel runs between two of the main heart vessels (from my vast medical knowledge and training, it is between one of the blue ones and one of the red ones). This little vessel is there to bypass blood from the lungs while the babies are in the womb (they get oxygen from mom and their little longs are full of fluids in the womb). When a full term baby is born and takes that first deep breath and cries, it signals to the body to close this vessel. It is common in preemies that this vessel is open, so they have to give some medicine to help close it. They are getting a total of 3 doses of ibuprofen spaced 24 hours apart. This should close the vessel and allow them to get better oxygen saturation from their lungs.
On the positive side, both babies got to snuggle with mommy for the first time today. They call this kangaroo care. There are a bunch of studies that show skin to skin contact between baby and parent is great for the baby. They get better sleep and is great for bonding. Babies get 1 hour, separately, to snuggle on your chest. Both Lilly and Davis handled the snuggle time very well! Mom did ok... her butt was sore for sitting in one position for so long.
Also, Granny (daddy's mom...)got to meet her grandbabies today! She said she thinks they're cutie pies!
On the positive side, both babies got to snuggle with mommy for the first time today. They call this kangaroo care. There are a bunch of studies that show skin to skin contact between baby and parent is great for the baby. They get better sleep and is great for bonding. Babies get 1 hour, separately, to snuggle on your chest. Both Lilly and Davis handled the snuggle time very well! Mom did ok... her butt was sore for sitting in one position for so long.
Also, Granny (daddy's mom...)got to meet her grandbabies today! She said she thinks they're cutie pies!
Day 5 - 12/8/11
Day 5 was a good day. Father Tony from our church, St. Susanna in Mason, came by to bless Lilly and Davis. He also brought a small nativity scene to help decorate their area in the NICU. Lilly and Davis are both doing well (at least from my uneducated interpretation of the charts, numbers, settings, etc.). The nurses would say they are doing as they would expect babies born at their age would be doing… The nurses here are great, don't get me wrong. We just need to know if are little ones are going to make it through this just fine. I know they can't tell us that, but sure wish they could.
Day 4 - 12/7/11
Day 4 and everything is “still going as expected”. You can never get a straight answer from the nurses… How are our kiddos doing? Response: They are behaving as expected… Are their ventilator settings too high? low? how should I interpret what you're telling me? Response: Can’t really say, every baby acts differently… Should we be feeling good about everything so far? Response: There has not been any setbacks so far, this is going to be a long road with lots of ups and downs… Are you wearing blue scrubs? Response: Well, everyone views colors differently. To some this may be blue and to others this may be azure or cyan, it all depends on how you see the color… very frustrating!!! I understand the doctors and nurses don't want to give you a false sense of hope, but come on… We listen to alarms, bells and whistles going off regularly on our babies montors. Please give us something, anything positive so we don't dwell on the negatives every night we go home without our babies.
Day 3 - 12/6/11
Lilly showing off her suntan from phototherapy lights!
Davis sleeping under the phototherapy lights in his bear hat!
Everything is going fairly well for Lilly and Davis. They both are handling their feedings well and will start getting 2 ml of food every 3 hours. Momma was discharged from the hospital today. Pretty tough going home without your babies :(
We know they are in the best place they can be right now, so we just have to be patient.
Day 2 - 12/5/11
Today is Lilly and Davis' second day in the NICU. They are both still on ventilators, however we are told they are light settings. Next step will be to move them to CPAP machines. They get their first little bits of food tonight. A whopping 1 ml of milk… Hopefully they handle it well and we can up the food and get our little ones nice and chubby.
Auntie Lori decorated the babies area in the NICU for Christmas today. If they could talk, I'm sure they would say thanks! Lori had to head back to Tampa in the afternoon :( She'll be back in ~2 weeks to visit her little neice and nephew for Christmas.
Auntie Lori decorated the babies area in the NICU for Christmas today. If they could talk, I'm sure they would say thanks! Lori had to head back to Tampa in the afternoon :( She'll be back in ~2 weeks to visit her little neice and nephew for Christmas.
Day 1 - 12/4/11
Lilly and Davis were born today! They spent their first night in the NICU and both required ventilators to breathe. Neither one will be fed today or tomorrow… gotta make sure everything is ok before they get some food. They both will get fluids, electrolytes and antibiotics delivered intravenously (through tubes inserted intheir umbilical cords. They both will also get medicine through the ventilator into their lungs to help them breath easier.
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