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