Bottle, please!

Emma maintained her weight from yesterday despite her IV being removed, which can contribute to weight loss. Mia is closing in on her birth weight already.  The goal is for both of them to be back at their birth weight within 2 weeks, so Mia is ahead of schedule. 

Both girls took bottles from Dad today.  They seem to be becoming more interested.  Emma drinks 35 ml per feeding, and Mia is up to 30 ml. (They started somewhere around 3 - 5 ml.)

The temperature in their isolettes was lowered once again, bringing them closer to an open air crib.  

Baby Steps

Emma and Mia are 1 week old!  They continue to take steps in the right direction...

Emma is now off her IV, and is solely taking milk via her feeding tube or bottle. Mia still has her IV of Gatorade-like vitamin-sugar water as a supplement, but should be off of that soon. Emma is taking the maximum amount of milk per feeding; Mia is close behind.  

Both girls are scheduled to try 3 bottles/day out of their 8 feedings. Dad fed Emma another bottle today, which she seemed to enjoy.  Mia is showing more interest in her pacifier, and seems to take a bottle when we're not around.  She's very active and likes to look around; she has a hard time focusing on eating when we try to bottle feed her. 

Both girls keep packing on the ounces.  Emma was up 1 oz to 4 lbs, 6 oz.  Mia gained 2 oz., and now weighs 4 lbs, 4 oz.  Catching up to her sister!  

And finally, the temperature in both of their isolettes was turned down today, in preparation for moving to an open-air crib. 

We're having a great time getting to know our daughters.  They constantly make us laugh and also make us very proud.  They're so strong for being so tiny. They like to make diaper changing and temperature-taking time challenging for us.  They both smile a lot when they're sleeping, and grab onto our hands with their tiny fingers.  Emma has been known to suck her thumb now and then. Mia gets the hiccups after bottles. 

We don't yet know when they'll be able to come home with us. Possibly 2-3 more weeks, but it all depends on them.  Their main challenge is working up to 8 bottle feedings per day - no feeding tubes.  Babies vary in how long it takes them to catch on.  Apparently something will click with them at some point.  Until then, we just have to be patient and keep taking these baby steps.  

Photos:

1) Mom and Mia during care time

2) Up-close with Mia

3) Emma takes the pacifier from Mom

4) Emma in one of her new outfits from home

 

Lazy Wednesday

We had a relaxing day today with the girls. Lots of snuggling and naps. It's amazing how much time we can spend staring at them while they sleep.  The nurse said Emma had been very alert in the hour or two before we arrived, but she was sleepy the rest of the day. Mia was very active at lunchtime when mom was holding her.  Her eyes were wide open as she tried to take it all in. She's very animated and moves her arms and hands all over the place.   

They weren't as interested in bottles today, but we'll keep trying.  Both are making strides to get back to their birth weight.  Emma is now 4 lbs, 5 oz. and Mia weighs 4 lbs, 2 oz. They're eating more each day, so that should help.  

The nursery is filling up with familiar faces.  A new mom in the adjacent nursery is one of Megan's former colleagues from JWT.  Her baby girl that was due in April arrived a month early and turned out to be a boy!  Also, a former teammate from Starbucks was Megan's neighbor in ante- and post-partum.  Her twin boys were born the day after the girls and could end up in the nursery while the girls are there.   Finally, we met Brigette and Will in antepartum, and their little girl, Teagan, is just two weeks older than our girls.  She's getting ready to move home, so we're excited for them! 

Photos:

1) Dad cuddles with Emma

2) Dad holds up Emma so she can see her sister and Mom across the room

3) Mia takes a post-lunch nap on Mom

4) Dad and Mia share the first of many naps together

 

 

Feeding Frenzy

We arrived at the nursery this morning around 11am for Emma's care time.  The girls' nurse and the nurse practitioner greeted us with the news that both girls were over their jaundice, so they'd be taken off the phototherapy.  And even more exciting...both girls had fed from a bottle overnight!  We were so proud of them, as neither one had been showing much interest.  This is a huge step on the path to getting them to feed by mouth, which is one of the requirements to take them home.  

Emma had her first bottle with Dad today, and she finished the entire thing.  Mom gave Mia her bottle, which she drank most of, and gave us a few good burps.  Both girls fell fast asleep and took great naps after their bottles.  They are just so sweet to watch.

Photos:

1) Emma takes her first bottle from Dad.

2) Dad cuddles with Emma.

3) Mia takes her first bottle from Mom.

4) Big burp from Mia!

5) Mia falls into a satisfied slumber after lunch, as does her sister.

Star Patients

Good progress today!  Emma and Mia are now in the same nursery - #11 - so that has been great for us.  We can all be together.

Both girls are now gaining weight.  The nurse practitioner said they probably lost all the weight they were going to lose, and now it should keep coming back.

Emma decided to pull her feeding tube out, so when the nurse had to re-do it, she left out Emma's oxygen tube to see how she would handle breathing room air.  So far, so good!  Emma is breathing on her own.

The photo therapy for jaundice seems to be working.  They'll keep it up for at least another day to get rid of all of it, but for now the girls don't seem to mind lounging with their Ray Bans in the sun booth.

Matt and I got a lot of good quality "touch" time with the girls today.  We love just sitting in the rocking chair holding them and talking to them.  It's the best feeling!  

This evening the nurse gave the girls their Hepatitis B shots.  Mom didn't watch, but apparently they both handled it like champs.  Way to go, girls!  The nurse was great, and did everything possible to make them comfortable so they didn't feel any pain.  We are so lucky to be in such great hands!

We were with the girls from 11am - 7pm.  We're exhausted, but it was a wonderful day!  We can't wait to see them again tomorrow.

Photos:

1) Matt takes Emma's temperature while she holds nice and still for him

2) Her reward is some quality time with Dad

3) Dad changes Mia's diaper as she squirms

4) Mia gets her Hepatitis B shot. "Just tell me when it's over," she says.  

5) Emma seems un-phased by her shot.  Actually, neither girl even let out a peep.

Girls catch some rays; Megan goes home

The Infant Special Care Nursery keeps the girls on a regular schedule.  Every 3 hours, they have their temperature taken, diaper changed, are fed, etc.  During these scheduled "care" or "touch" times Matt and I can participate in caring for them and holding them.  We'll plan our daily schedules around these times, so we can be with them as much as possible.  We can be in the nursery at any time (except during the nurses' shift change) but these scheduled sessions are the most fun for us (and we hope for the girls too!).  

The main care change for the girls today was that the doctor decided to give Emma and Mia a little photo therapy to get rid of some mild jaundice.  They'll be on it for a few days.  They're sporting felt sunglasses and lying in heat lamps.  They look they're on vacation, and don't seem to mind it one bit. (Except the fact that the sunglasses are one more thing they try to rip off their face.)

And finally, after 8+ weeks at Swedish Hospital, Megan walked out a free woman - and more importantly, a new mom! - this evening. After completing paperwork and visiting her favorite nurses, we spent time with the girls and headed home.  While very nice to be home, it was bittersweet since the girls aren't able to join us yet.  But, we'll use this time for Megan to recuperate and both of us to get used to living at home again.  

Photos:

1) & 2) Mia gets cozy in the photo therapy lounge

3) & 4) Emma kicks back in her condo

NICU Graduation (Already!)

Great news today!  First, this morning, Emma got to take her CPAP off.  Quite a relief for all of us, especially her, as she'd already physically taken it off herself earlier.  

This evening we got the news that Emma and Mia would graduate from the Neonatal ICU!  They moved to the Infant Special Care Unit (ISCU).  We were very surprised and happy this happened so soon.  They're among more stable babies now, who are still growing like they are. The girls are in separate nursery rooms for now, but should be in the same room within a few days.

Emma has a small oxygen tube in her nose to give her a little boost.  She constantly has her hands conveniently near her face and as soon as we look away, she rips it out.  She's a strong little girl and does not like that tube in her nose!

Mia is also very strong despite being the smaller one.  When she's not asleep, she's constantly stretching her arms, hands and legs and looking around with her eyes wide open.  She is very alert!

Both girls are feeding through a tube in their nose, but are able to have milk from their mom.  They are good eaters; just not quite ready for a bottle yet.  That is the main difficulty with being born at this gestation. Most babies aren't ready for a normal feeding until they are 36 weeks' gestation. Emma likes her pacifier a lot; Mia doesn't seem to care about hers.

It's interesting to see their personalities already start to develop. We can't wait until they're in the same room and we can see them together.  We can tell they miss each other!  Mia heard Emma crying while in the NICU, and she started looking around for her sister.  Very cute!

Photos:

1) Mom and Emma (CPAP free!)

2) Dad and his baby Mia

3) Baby Emma is free from her CPAP.  Still has a small tube in her nose to give her a boost. 

4) Mom and Dad congratulate Mia on her promotion to the ISCU

5) Grandma visits Mia in her new home, the nursery

6) Dad and Mia relax in the nursery