9-22-10 update

Peyton


Olivia



It has been a couple of day since I updated everyone so let me back up...
Since both babies are off oxygen now we are allowed to Kangaroo with them. This is just holding them skin to skin and we can keep them out for hours holding them as long as they stay warm and are not having any "spells". Tracy got to Kangaroo with Peyton for the first time on Sunday and he said he loved it because it was very calming to have him sleep on him. I think Tracy actually fell asleep for a short time too! Sunday I got to nurse Peyton and then try to bottle feed him but it is a lot of work for him at this point. Olivia tried a bottle with Tracy but again it is a lot of work for them and we are going to stop the bottles for a little while so they can get stronger. I can continue to try to nurse but it is not for food it is more for experience as they are just learning.
Monday Olivia's doctor put in the order to have her IV line removed and it is so much easier to hold her without it. We did do too much with either baby that night because Peyton was doing Photo-Therapy under the Bili light and Olivia was tired. We also got there later than usual that night so they were not as active as usual.
Last night Tracy did kangaroo care with Peyton and I did it with Olivia... He was right. It is very relaxing! That is until Olivia started screaming! At the time I did not know what happened but after I put her back in her bed - a little while later I think we figured it out. 1: her belly button fell off (although I don't think that was painful) and 2: she spit up a little - so I think her tummy was hurting and that is why she was screaming. Peyton slept through it all. The big event from last night was that both babies have been moved into new beds. They are similar to their old beds but it is the next step to going to an open crib. They are getting to be a big boy and big girl!

Olivia's New Bed


Peyton's New Bed

Today... I called to check on the babies around lunch time and get the report from the doctor and here goes...
Olivia is staying the same with no changes in her care. Peyton will have his PIC line removed tonight and they are taking him off caffeine (which was used to minimize his "spells"). He might have to go back on caffeine but they are going to watch him for a little while. The nurse told us that they think he might have some reflux and that is what causes his "spells" but they took him off zantac the other day.

more good news

Last night the doctor told us that Olivia's PIC line might come out in a day or two. We usually count on whatever staying in longer but I called this morning and Olivia's nurse told me that the doctor put in the order to remove her PIC line tonight! I -of course- cried! This means that Olivia is no longer getting any IV fluids or nutrients! She is doing so well. She is also off the Billy Light today (but, as usual, she might go back under it - no big deal). Peyton is also doing great! He is still under the Billy Light but he follows Olivia and I doubt he will have it tomorrow. We will have to wait to see about his PIC line... it might take longer for him to get rid of it but it seems that he is getting tired of following Olivia and he is getting stronger and stronger! They are both so different from each other and Tracy and I love to sit and watch the babies at night when we go visit! They make the cutest faces!

Great News 9-19-10

Peyton


Olivia's first bottle


Oliver looks like he really likes wearing Olivia's hat


Isn't she adorable!

We just wanted to give everyone a quick update! Today when we went to the hospital to visit the babies their nurse told us that their Doctor wanted to talk to us. I was immediately scared - it was like being called to the Principal's office. She came down when they told her we were there and she told us that the babies were doing very well. She said it was like they read the textbook on how to grow and mature in the NICU. She thinks that Olivia will be off all IV's in a day or two and they will remove her PIC line (which is a deep IV that is thread through a vein in their arm so it does not come out). She also said that Olivia is having very few "spells" of forgetting to breath - a "spell" every now and then is not a big deal... she will grow out of them soon. Olivia is starting to nurse some and she will also take a bottle - the first steps to getting out of the NICU!
I am still waiting to hear the "BUT....."
She continued to tell us about Peyton. She said that he is doing much better than she thought he would be doing at this point. He was taken off his nasal cannula the other day and they thought he would have to go back on it but they wanted to give him a chance. He proved to him that he is going to stick with Olivia and he was not going back. He has not had it since and the doctor was very happy about that. He is having fewer "spells" and is also eating only breast milk now. Yesterday the Doctor gave the orders that he is to start trying to nurse and I was thrilled. We attempted today but he was tired and did not do much but he did try! It was his first time nursing and he made progress. We will try it every night as long as he acts like he is hungry and interested. They call it "cue feeding", and Olivia is doing it as well... so I get to try to nurse both babies every night now! So far Peyton is doing everything that Olivia does a day or two later. So his IV will come out about 2 days after hers.
All and all tonight's talk with the doctor was just what we needed. She was so happy and positive that it made us feel awesome. The best part was that she told us that we should have a more definite time frame, for when the babies will come home, in the next week or two. Waiting is so hard but it is awesome to go visit every night and hear all about their progress and it is even better when the doctor takes time out of her schedule to make a point to tell us how well they are doing!!

Olivia weighed 3 lbs 6 oz last night and Peyton weighed 3 lbs 9 oz last night.