Our First Family Picture
Daddy and Peyton Mommy and Olivia
OK... I know I am slacking on keeping everyone informed but that only means that there is not too much to report and everything is going as expected.
Since our last update... Peytons PIC line was removed and he has not been put back on the caffeine so he is doing very well. His weight as of last night was 3 lbs 14oz so he is about to break 4lbs!!!!! Olivia's weight is 3 lbs 9 oz so she has a little way to go but she is gaining and doing great. Both babies are breathing room air, they no longer need a temperature monitor but are in a regulated bed still, they are eating only breast milk - that is fortified and calories are added to help them bulk up, and will hopefully get to start breastfeeding and bottle feeding again next week.
Friday Day: My good friend Michelle came down and went to my doctor's appointment with me before going to visit the babies. The Doctor cleared me to go back to work - only after I promised that I would not lift or strain at all and I have to wait until Wednesday to start. I am so glad to be able to get back to a routine and be able to control something in my life! She also said that when the babies come home she will write me a note so that I can take time off of work to be with them. Olivia and Peyton are doing great and when I talked to the Doctor today I told him that we were thinking that they might be able to come home in 2-3 weeks - and he agreed that he felt like they might be ready to go home in 2 weeks!!!!!!! Tracy and I are still leaning more towards them coming home in 3 weeks but still it is nice to know that they are moving right along!
Friday night, Tracy and I experienced our first "bad day". Right around the time of shift change for the nurses Olivia had about 5 apnea spells in a row and Peyton had some crazy stuff going on with his breating as well. To make matters worse we found out that the nurse that was with them was still in training but since they were short handed they pulled her and put her with 4 babies in our pod. Then to top everything that had already pushed me to my limit... the nurse who was taking over was not a NICU nurse at all. She was a PICU (pediatric ICU nurse) and she did not know anything about the monitors, making bottles, or the beeps and alarms that go off all the time. At that point I lost it and started crying in the NICU - Tracy was also stessed out because we did not know (and feel comfortable with) any of the nurses that were coming on duty. I told him that I had to get out of there... I knew that the babies would be taken care of but I was so worried about Olivia and Peyton and stressed about the fact that it seemed like no one knew what they were doing that if I did not leave then I would lose it completely and I really would rather save that for home. As it turns out - both babies survived the chaois of the NICU that night and they did not have any more spells. I knew deep down that this was our "bad night" and that everything would be fine and it was. Luckily we have not had another night like that but I guess it will always be in the back of our mind and maybe next time we can handle it a little better.
Saturday - Tracy and I kangarooed with Peyton and Olivia for about an hour. It seems that this is the only time when we can all 4 really relax.
Now I just have to finish organizing the babies room and figuring out what to do with their clothes... although I think this will be an ongoing process for my OCD mind. We also need to get the car seats installed and sell some of the stuff we have in the basement. We will see if the yard sale ever happens!
OH Kris and Amber (my brother and sister-in-law) have a date now for when they are going to come and visit and I cant wait to see them. Hopefully I will still be off with the babies but we will just have to wait for the doctors orders.
One of our NICU nurses made Olivia a hat with a bow so she would look more like a little girl! I think it looks like the hat that Lucy wears on I Love Lucy!
Peytons Hair after his bath
