October 1, 2008

It's officially October. I thought that when we hit October, I'd be SO thrilled...my boys would be coming soon. Little did I know, that they'd be here already...struggling to get home to their family.

I didn't see the doctor at all today. She wasn't in the NICU for any of the time I was there. Regardless, the update today was meager. Both boys were doing pretty well. Evan is nippling more, and showing FAR more cues to want to eat, and eating more! He'll attempt more, AND take more volume in his feeds! He's up to 52 cc and is doing well tolerating the increased volumes, and taking more and more by mouth! When I was there over the lunch hour, he took about 35 cc for me from the bottle, so it's definately a start!

Alec, the little squirt, is up to 42 cc on his feeds, and they did switch him to every 3 hours today. He does great with his feeds, and is usually eager to eat! He eats GREAT some feeds, taking nearly all, and other feeds takes half and half (half by mouth, half through g-tube). Evan is inconsistent like this too...it's just part of being a preemie...building that endurance to eat more! I asked the nurse how their tummies have been, and gas, etc. and she said that Evan's has been great, but this morning Alec's was pretty distended. The doctor was a bit concerned, but the nurse added that he had just taken his entire feed of 42 cc, which likely could have caused the tummy distention. Hope so! Alec's blood sugars have been GREAT, in the 100s, so the thought is that he may have turned the corner in terms of his low sugars! Good boy!

When we went up tonight, we were asked to bring up some undershirts/onesies for Alec, because his temp was low. So we did. The nurse told us that they took his temp ad it was 97.2, which is pretty low, so the doctor asked that they layer his clothes (thus needing to bring onesies!). The nurse said that she would monitor his temperature, and that if he was still cool after trying the blankets (she wrapped him in THREE) and undershirt, then they'd put him under the warmer to warm him back up, and then try him back in his crib. ***We called at 10:00 pm and his temp was back up to a normal range, so that's great!

We also found out that Evan drank his entire 52 cc bottle for the nurse at 6:30 pm!!! GREAT work buddy!!!

The nurse also weighed them and sadly, they both LOST weight again today :( Evan was at 5lb 11.8 oz yesterday, and today was 5lb 11.4 oz, so down .4 oz. Alec was 4lb 4.5 oz yesterday, and was down to 4lb 3 oz today, down 1.5 oz. I can't lie...I'm sad and frustrated with their weights. Weight gain and "catch up" to normal weight is necessary for them to come home, but more importantly, is important for them to grow!!! I am so sad that they are in such a "holding pattern" and are not going up. Tomorrow, I will talk more with the doctor about what her plan is to pump those weights up. I feel like we need a "plan". I hate that they are not gaining :( Please, PLEASE pray for them. They need to gain weight for their health, to grow as healthy little boys. PLEASE boys....grow!!!!