Feeding and Growing

Jack went with us to visit the girls today. We decided this might be his last trip up to see them. He has a hard time with all the buttons, switches and curtains, let alone the isolette doors to open and close and computers. Plus, we are up there visiting for a few hours, too long for a toddler. But, we managed to get a few good pictures of him with his sisters. He is pretty good at reciting their names, but we aren't sure he realizes they are coming home with us in a few weeks.

The girls are doing well. They all had head ultrasounds yesterday that were normal. Because they were born early, they have a risk for bleeding in their brains so preemies less than 34 weeks will get a head ultrasound. They are all off their IVs and on full feedings of breast milk or formula. They are receiving about 3/4 of their feedings through a bottle and about 1/4 through the tube in their nose. This is really great. Most preemies have a hard time sucking and swallowing until about 34 weeks. These girls are superstars! They are working on gaining weight. They are up and down on their weights, but they seem to be trending upwards. Anna is 70 grams (about 3 ounces) from her birth weight of 4lbs 3 oz, Elizabeth is only 25 grams (one ounce) from her birth weight of 3 lbs 1 oz and Kate is about 95 grams (4 ounces) from her birth weight of 3 lbs 12 oz. They are still in their isolettes, but Anna is off the temperature control which regulates the infant's temperature. She is still in the warm air of the isolette which is helping her keep her temperature some. Anna and Kate continue to have a few spells where they drop their heart rates and/or saturations, but these are infrequent. They will have to go 5 days without a spell before going home. Elizabeth still hasn't had any of these. She also puts up the most fuss, will cry to be fed and hates her diaper changed and she'll let you know this! She also is the most awake and will open her eyes and look right at you. Kate is the most laid back (she was content with staying under my ribs) and rarely gets upset. She trusts you are going to feed her when you get the time. (good thing, I need one of them to be my patient one) Anna is somewhere in between the other two. She has moments of fussiness and demanding food/attention, and moments of such a deep sleep that you can't wake her. We'll have to see if these personalities persist as they grow. Here are a few pictures from our visit today.

Jack looking at Anna

Dad feeding Anna a bottle. This is the first time John has ever fed a baby a bottle. And to start out with a preemie! Luckily, Anna (and the two others for that matter) is a champ with oral feedings! I think she thinks she is a term infant not a preemie.

Elizabeth's favorite position--legs curled up near chest and arms crossed. You can tell she was squashed between the other two for so long.

John showing Jack Anna

Looking at Anna

Celebrating John's 32nd Birthday

Celebrating John's 32nd birthday on August 28, 2009.

Jack got his cake and sang to John the next day since he was in bed the night before.

Happy Birthday John!!

One Week Old

Here are a few pictures of the girls on Friday when they were one week old. They are doing great!

Kate

Elizabeth
Anna

Two Cute Pictures

I wanted to post a quick update. The girls are doing well. They were taken off their bili lights today and are still in the isolettes, but at least we can see their little faces. All three of them gained some weight last night. They are being weaned off the IV fluids as they continue to increase their feedings. I spoke with the neonatologist today and she was pleased with how well they are doing. She thinks they are ahead of where they should be at this point and could be going home in a few weeks. Elizabeth doesn't know she is the smallest...she needs to gain weight, but she has had no other issues. She is a little spark plug! Anna and Kate have both had a few spells, where they have dropped their heart rates and oxygen saturations, but did not need any stimulation from the nurses. They "forgot" to breathe, but then remembered on their own. These spells are normal for preemies. Before they go home, they have to go 5 days without having a spell.

Here are two pictures that I thought were cute and I wanted to post. The arm bands were placed on each of us when the girls were born and we were told they have to stay on until the girls go home from the NICU. These are our "tickets" to get into the NICU to visit the babies. You should have seen John's face when the nurse told us this..."I have to go to work with these on?"

This second picture is John holding Kate. Kate looks the most like him I think. She looks like a Scudder, like Jack did when he was born. Since the girls are so close to the office where John works, he is able to take a taxi over to visit them in the mornings before work, or on his lunch break. I love this picture of the two of them. There is something about a Daddy-daughter bond that gets me every time.

Grandmom and Granddad Holding the Last 3 of 5 Granddaughters Born this Year

Grandmom and Granddad have seen the girls, but today they were able to hold each one of them for the first time. Since May, they have become Grandparents to 5 granddaughters. Starting with my brother's baby, Mia, born in May, then my sister Sarah had her first baby, Marie, born in July, and finally, we added 3 more last week. Can you imagine 5 new girls in 4 months. Wonder what Christmas will be like with these 5 girls running the house in a few years?

Granddad holding Kate

Grandmom holding Kate

Granddad holding Elizabeth




Grandmom holding Elizabeth

Granddad holding Anna

Grandmom holding Anna

Mama and her Girls

When we got back from the hospital yesterday, we found our house decorated. Our nieces did a great job posting the babies names in the upstairs windows and adding pink to the trees and windows. Thanks girls! Some of the flowers
Holding Anna

Changing Kate's diaper before a feeding

Holding Kate

Holding Elizabeth

Aunt Julie Visits Her New Nieces

Aunt Julie got to meet her three new nieces today. Here she is holding Kate.

Anna did not open her eyes for Julie
Holding Elizabeth, she did open her eyes and was awake for part of the time.

Julie was able to drive me to the hospital and see the girls. They are doing great. They will hopefully get off their bili lights tomorrow. They are increasing their feedings and taking quite a few bottles which is really good for babies their ages. Some of their feedings still go through their NG tubes, but they are doing great on the sucking reflex. Anna's weight today was 3# 14 oz, Kate's was 3# 7 oz and Elizabeth's was 2# 14 oz. It usually takes about a week before they start to gain weight and about 2 weeks to get back to their birth weights.

Jack had a blast with Abby today, thanks for visiting Julie and Abby!

Bili Lights

All three girls are under bili lights now. This is pretty common for preemies their ages. They all had "glasses" on to protect their eyes. Today was the first day I was able to really see them and the nurses were nice enough to take them all out of their isolettes so I could hold them. I was actually able to nurse each of them as well, and although, they latched on well, they still have a long way to go to learn to nurse and eat from a bottle. Each of them have been able to take a bottle feeding in addition to getting their feedings from a tube that goes from their nose to their stomachs. The hope is tolerate the feedings and gradually increase the amount of food and decrease their IV fluids. Today, the amount of formula/breast milk at each feeding was 4cc (Elizabeth), 7cc (Kate) and 11cc (Anna). 5cc equals 1 tsp.

Anna

Kate
Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Big Brother

Jack came to meet his sisters today. He saw me for the first time and realized the babies are not in my stomach anymore.

Jack was excited to see his mama--it has been 3 days.

Looking at Anna. He told us he wanted to see "another sister"

Sitting looking at Anna

The nurse removed her glasses and turned off her lights so Jack could see her face.

Walking to "another sister's room"

More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from last night.

This is Kate all stretched out.Dad changing a dirty diaper on Kate. He did well, even with all the wires.

Elizabeth snoozing. She really likes her arms above her head.

The girls aunts: Susie and Cindy with Elizabeth