Let's start with weights: Peyton is now 5# 11.5 oz. Kendall is now 4# 2 oz. Chase is now 4# 8.5 oz. Obviously very happy that everyone is now above the 4 pound mark! The only thing that the girls still have is the feeding tube which they alternately use with a bottle. The only other wires are the monitor wires for their heartrate, lungs, and oxygen levels, but these are just little stickers on their skin, nothing invasive. Since my last post, Peyton has been upgraded to an open air incubator. That means she is maintaining her body temperature. This was a big, scary step for Derick and I - Was she ready? What about all the airborne germs? What if she gets cold? etc. But, she is doing great! I have practiced Kangaroo Care with all the girls now, and even was able to have Peyton and Kendall on my chest together one day! Their incubators are next to each other, so the nurses were able to get them both for me with wires and all. Chase is across the room, so her wires couldn't reach. Another milestone was including Trey; He finally visited his sisters! Grammy Liput and I took Trey one evening. He did so well! He got to see Chase getting a bath, and Peyton taking a bottle. All 3 girls were wide awake when we were there, which is the only time I've ever witnessed all 3 alert at the same time. It was like they knew their brother was there to see them! He charmed the nurses, of course, and played with Grammy in Austin's Playroom (a play area for big brothers and sisters donated by Lemieux) while I spent a little extra time with the girls. He told them all goodbye, waved, and blew kisses to each one.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Feb 25, 10
The girls are 3 weeks old today! So, they are really 34 weeks, 5 days old. All are gaining weight. Peyton is now 4# 13 oz, Kendall is 3# 4.5 oz, and Chase is 3# 11.5 oz. All of them are bottle feeding, periodically. Peyton is eating the most at 42cc (approx. 8 teaspoons) and she took the entire feeding for me through her bottle today. Many times they will take part of the feeding through the bottle and then tucker out, so they'll get the rest through their feeding tube. The NICU staff seems happy with their weight gains - they gain about 1 or 1.5 oz a day lately. I continue to hold all of them when they are awake or while eating. The most important thing for them is still sleep, so I don't like to disturb them when they are "growing" peacefully. All are now on a multivitamin and Kendall passed her hearing test! I used "Kangaroo Care" with Peyton today. That's the nurses' term for holding them skin on skin on my chest. The theory is that it helps them bond, learn your smell, and ultimately is good for their development. I can't wait to do the same with Kendall and Chase! :)
Saturday, February 20, 2010
February 20, 10
The girls are all in the same pod! They moved Kendall last evening to join Chase and Peyton in Pod 1. It is much easier to spend time with all of them now. Derick held Peyton today! He was hesitant because they are so tiny, but she was a sweetheart for him and he did just fine! I changed all 3 diapers today and took temperatures. This was a first for me. All 3 are continuing to grow, gaining little by little. The feel they are doing well. Nothing major to report, although Chase and Peyton passed their hearing tests (Kendall has not been tested yet) and all 3 ultrasounds of their heads showed no bleeding, something they look for routinely in premies, and the doctors were arguing over who would get to tell me the great news! They will have one more ultrasound before release to come home, just as a precaution.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
February 16, 10
The girls are 12 days old today. All are now above their birth weight: Peyton weighs 4# 1 oz, Kendall weighs 2# 12oz, and Chase is 3# 5.5oz. They are all tolerating their feedings well, and actually Peyton drank 18cc (a little over 3 teaspoons) of her 30cc from a bottle on Sunday night at 2am! She is really young to do that, and it's not something they will consistently try right now, but she seemed to be rooting to suck, so the nurse tried it. They are all eating every 3 hours. Chase had a PDA, which is a small hole in her heart that is common in premies, but was given a 36 hour med and although she hasn't had the official echocardiogram, the neonatologists feel that the murmur/hole is gone. Kendall is on an antibiodic to help her belly - it's a little full, but the xrays and bloodwork show no sign of infection, and it is soft, which is good, so they are hoping she just needs a little help digesting. Overall their progress is good!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Just a quick note to say that I found out the general rule of thumb is that the babies will come home the week they were due, plus or minus a week. Obviously that is contingent on a lot of things, but it at least gives me a better idea. I was thinking 2 weeks, but sounds like it will be 4 at the very least, could be 8. The other "markers" they must meet before they are released: drinking from bottles for every meal and gaining weight, maintaining a normal temperature outside of incubator, and breathing without any assistance. Right now all 3 are off the jaundice light and Peyton and Kendall are off all oxygen. They are now 32 weeks. They told me about 34-35 weeks they'll start to bottle feed - right now they get their formula through a tube in their nose. They started with less than a teaspoon at each feeding and are up to about 2-3 teaspoons.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
First, thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts! I am home as of Monday. Girls will be in NICU at West Penn for approx. 2 weeks or more. Peyton, Kendall, and Chase are all doing well. They are getting very good care (Derick and I agree nurses and doctors are not paid enough!) around the clock. They continuously monitor heartrates, bloodpressures, and oxygen levels as well as any blood work that needs assessed. They are each in a different pod right now, but may eventually move to the same one, which would be nice for Derick and I when we visit. Trey is happy that I am home, but still has no concept that his sisters will follow shortly! His biggest obstacle right now is not understanding why I won't pick him up (doctor's orders.) He looked so big to me after just one week of being away. Daily our goal is to get the girls to continue to grow and mature. They've started feeding through a tube, so hopefully now they will begin to gain weight. They will move to bottle feeding in about 5 days. I have been told by each girl's nurses, more than once, that either they have "an attitude" or are "feisty"! Anyone surprised?
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