September 28, 2008

12:00 pm
Curt and I did not get up to this hospital this morning, but plan to go later this afternoon! But, I did call to get an update!

The nurse said that the boys are doing great. Evan is making some attempts at nippling! Yay buddy! He's waking for his feedings and is showing some cues...rooting, etc...to eat! It's a GREAT start!!! He took half of one of his feeds this morning, and has attempted a few other times, but has been pretty tired out! Still, I'm THRILLED that he's showing some interest. He has to build up his endurance, and likely his feeding "technique" (aka...suck, swollow, breathe), but we'll take any little baby step that he gives us! Good job buddy!!!

The other big news is that they took out his PICC line today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Evan is OFF of his IV after nearly THREE LONG WEEKS!!!!!!! As discussed earlier, they finished his TPN nutrition (they yellow bag of nutrition and his fat/lipids), and he got clear fluids, and is now off! Good job buddy!!!

Alec is doing great also. I forgot to add yesterday that little toughie Alec pulled his G-Tube out (the tube in his nose that they tube feed/check residuals with) and they left it out (so far) because he has been taking ALL his feeds by mouth!!! He continues to do well with his feedings! Eating like a BIG boy! His weight gain is slow though!!! As predicted, the doctor added the fortifier to Alec's breastmilk to help beef him up. They also added it to Evan's milk as well. The doctor plans to maintain Alec's every two hour feedings for today, then tomorrow switch him back to the every three hour schedule. She figured out that in order to maintain his fluid levels and gain weight, he'll need to drink 41 cc every 3 hours. The nurse said that there have been several of his feedings now (which are every 2 hours) that he's taken 40, so they think that with the extra hour sleep that he will be able to do it! We'll seeeeeeeeeee. Come on Alec!!!!!!!!!

Pictures to come! Promise!


PICTURES:
Little Alec:


Big boy Evan:


Both little loves:






Evan and Alec's new Room with a window:


Olivia kissing her little brother Evan




Olivia and Daddy giving Alec a bath




Olivia with the soap


Scrub-a-dub


And did we mention that Alec peed on Curt twice during bath? Hahahahahahah.



6:30 pm
Our visit tonight was nice. It's so quiet there with our boys...snuggling them is great! No huge updates tonight. So far the boys are handling their fortification just fine. I worry about how they'll handle it, but hopefully real good. I asked the nurse what the fortification was and she said it's Neosure formula (high calorie preemie formula). She said that may even come home on the fortifier (fine with me whenEVER they need to come home!!!).

Daddy got to give Evan a bath tonight. It should be noted that mommy can give the bath if I want too...but I have never been real good at giving the tiny babies baths. Curt bathed Olivia when she was a newborn, and the boys too now. I don't know why...but there is something about a teeny tiny baby and soap and water...slippery...hahahahaha. So daddy does it. I figure that I'm on camera detail...and I LOVE that! I will be sure to post pictures of tonight's bath tomorrow!

Evan is looking great tonight! We can tell he lost some of his water weight, and tonight's weighing proves it. He lost a couple ounces, but his legs and feet are no longer swollen, and the nurse said he was peeing up a storm, having some very wet diapers. He is getting out all of that fluid that he was retaining from his TPN. Yay Evan! I asked the nurse WHY he retains water, and she said that they don't really have a reason for it, but it's totally normal/fine, and NOT abnormal. MANY preemies do so, so that made me feel better. Either way, he's peeing it all out and doing great!

And that little Alec boy...he is such a little scrapper. Drinking his bottles like a CHAMP! He'll switch to every 3 hours tomorrow....let's hope he does GREAT! He'll need a bit more endurance as he has higher volumes of milk. Hope the fortification helps him gain more weight too. I did ask the nurse tonight if it was a concern that he was gaining such little weight, and she said that is why the doctor added the fortifier (which we knew!) but that it's not really a concern. He's not LOSING, and DID gain .2, so not to worry!!!

Small update on me: the Clogged Duct is in the clear. After a scalding hot shower and several pumpings, it finally cleared up! AMAZING how much better I feel without that constant pain! I feel renewed! It is SO easy to get down on yourself and frustrated when in pain...it is easy to feel frustrated, tired of it, and just get down on pumping. Today, without the pain, I am completely back to myself and feeling good about it. Now...I don't LOVE it...I don't look forward to my date with the pump every 2-3 hours, but I feel just fine about it.

So...I'll keep it up as long as I can. Our freezer is filling up with breastmilk.....I am a good cow...haahhaah. You KNOW that you're a good cow when you get into the NICU and the nurse has 3 bags of the breastmilk storage bottles ready for you (they usually give you ONE, but I always have to ask for 2-3 because I produce so much milk!). Anyhow, it's going well.