Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Updates & Anxiety

The girls have been doing amazingly well!  They are now seven months old and around 13 lbs for Charlie and probably 13.5 for Addie.  They sleep on their bellies because they sleep so well that way.  My twinset can be put down for a nap AWAKE, and they are content to lie there and fall asleep, often without complaining.  They are very happy girls.

According to David, Addie says "Mama" now.  She says it when I'm not around, and he says that it is almost as if Addie is asking where I am.  I've heard Charlie say "Da" at least two times.  Perhaps my potentially mirror image twins even speak that way :)

We believe the girls could be mirror image twins because my Adeline sucks her right thumb and my Charlie, her left.

The girls roll over, front to back, most often during naps.  In fact, it almost always wakes them up.  The secret is that you can go in and flip them back and they frequently go right back to sleep.


 My anxiety is now in high high gear over tomorrow's surgery.  Charlie has polydactly and was born with six fingers on her right hand.  Dr. Dagum will remove her extra pinky tomorrow morning.  The problem is that Dave and I have fallen in love with that little pinky.  I can't give it enough kisses today to take my worry away.  I do feel like we need to do the surgery now so that it doesn't become a nuisance, but I will miss that little tiny itty-bitty finger.  I am glad it is on her right hand, as she sucks her left thumb and that brings her such comfort.  I am concerned about her recovery.  I don't want my baby to feel pain.
 Elliot - loving big sis to Addie & Charlie
Buckeye fans Addie & Charlie

Monday, May 7, 2012

We're Home! And We Have Been...

We did indeed go home the day after my last post.  As you can imagine, the speed of life picked up a bit then! We got the girls ready to come home.

 When we brought the girls home, Dave and I got our pictures outside with them.


We got the girls inside and the dogs got to meet them.

Grandma brought Elliot back home, and she was thrilled to meet her sisters! She held Charlie:

And then Addie:

Finally, our whole family was together at last!!!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Going Home Eve?

Addie - 5lbs, 10oz Charlie - 4lbs, 14.5oz Tomorrow is supposedly the day the girls will finally come home! Still waiting on rounds to be sure. Addie dropped 15 grams last night, and that could potentially keep us here. Charlie is up half an ounce today. I'm nervous about bringing the girls home when I've become so used to the monitors. I'm not nervous about whether or not Dave and I can handle being parents of twins. Of course we can! I actually find most people to be quite negative and unsupportive, especially because they are twins. Some things I've heard: *You'll never sleep now! *How will you ever handle two babies at once? *You won't be able to do it on your own. *When Dave returns to work, are you going to have someone with you every day? *Are you hiring help? *It's too bad you didn't have twins first so that this time seems easier. (I actually think it's better that I had the experience with Elle before the twins!) I read in a twin mom book that I was reading that the author kept being told, "Glad it's you and not me!" And her reply was, "Yes, me too." - Which I think is perfect! Waiting not so patiently for rounds now to hear what the plan is!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Almost There!

Addie - 5lbs, 10.5oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 14oz

 (Elliot was born at 5lbs, 11oz - Addie has almost caught up!)

 We're feeling quite hopeful over here now. The girls had big gains last night. Their NG's have been out for 24 hours now, and they've fed without them for 48 hours. The girls will have their car seat tests today or tomorrow. They have to sit in their car seats for an hour while their hearts, lungs, and temperatures are monitored. If after an hour all that is stable, we're yet another step closer to leaving.

I think Thursday (today is Tuesday) is going to be our day. The girls have switched of their super-fortified 27-calorie supplement and down to the 24-calorie supplement. (Typically, preemies are sent home on 22-calorie, but since our girls are crazy-good breastfeeders and much prefer breast to bottle, they will get 24-cal during three bottle feedings a day/night.) Now that they've switched to 24-cal, they are going to want to see their weight for two days before they send them home.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Addie - 5lbs, 8oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 11oz

 The girls dropped weight since yesterday, but nutritionist Sue isn't as upset this time because...

 *drumroll, please*

 We have done NINE FEEDS in a row with no NG!!!

 One of the charge nurses came around this morning (lovely woman, she stops by every day, but sadly, I don't know her name) and said, "I am putting a box around your girls' names." I said, "Awesome! What does that mean?" She said, "You're on my short list for going home. I might even highlight their names." I am hoping to hear carseats mentioned today :) I am a bit surprised the girls are doing so great this morning. They were very tired during their 8AM feed, and neither nursed for more than 15 minutes, but they've both been calm ever since, so apparently they got enough milk. I thought they'd wake up angry and hungry, but we're less than an hour to their 11AM feed, and they are snoozing gently. Keep up the good work, ladies!!!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Six Weeks Old!

Addie - 5lbs, 8.5oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 12.5oz

 PROGRESS!!! 8AM Feed: Full nursing session - no supplementation needed 11AM Feed: Both girls took their full bottles - no supplementation needed 2PM Feed: Both girls took their full bottles - no supplementation needed Did someone finally get through to these girls that when they eat and gain they get to come home? WAHOO! Wish us luck for 5PM feed!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

42 Days

Addie - 5lbs, 7oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 11oz

Friday, April 20, 2012

37 Weeks

Addie - 5lbs, 6oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 9oz

Charlie dropped 10g today, so Sue the nutritionist was back on my case again.  This time she said, "I don't want you to stop nursing."  Apparently she realized part of my meltdown was due to her comments. Instead, the girls breastmilk in bottles or their NG will now not only be fortified by the liquid fortifier to make it 24 calories, but will further be fortified by powder fortifier to make it 27 calories.  (Plain breastmilk is 20 calories.)  (How do they know that?!)

Charlie dropped off the chart for weight today and Addie is only at the 10th percentile.  Charlie needs to pack it on now.

I gave the girls a bottle today at 11AM, because nurse Kelly said they are usually too tired to nurse a full session then, so we should do bottles.  After doing it, I realized I REALLY don't want to give bottles personally, because 1. I think it's confusing to the girls, and 2. It's really boring!  I'd rather cuddle them as they nurse!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

40 Days and 40 Nights

Addie - 5.5oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 9oz!

Way to go Charlie! She is working hard to catch up to Addie!

Charlie and Addie both took full bottles for their 2am feed. Now if they could do that more often, we could get out of here soon!


Stuff I want to remember about the NICU:

1. The way that everyone refers to our girls as the Amreen girls. Because my health insurance is under my hyphenated last name, the girls are referred to by my maiden name. Which is pronounced Am*rine - you know, how it is spelled. Yet everyone calls them the Amreen girls.

2. Giving the girls baths in little plastic tubs. These are the same tubs they store their personal possessions in. Little tiny little bitty tubs.

3. Worrying about the other babies in the pod. A baby had a Brady and needed a stim in room E1, and I was so disappointed for their family. They aren't headed home anytime soon, so it didn't matter to them the way it mattered to us two days ago.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Tread Lightly

Apparently word got out that I had a bit of a breakdown yesterday. Already in the first hour at the hospital, 3 people have stopped by to see how I am doing.

The girls' weights went up today, significant amounts again, so feeling a bit better.

Addie - 5lbs, 5oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 7oz

Adeline was too tired or distracted or something to nurse this morning, so her whole feed was NG'ed. Charlie nursed really well for 20 minutes, then was supplemented with 25ccs. I am sure she will have more than a normal feed because of it.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

What Keeps Me Going




CRAP CRAP CRAP

Yesterday, after little or no weight gains, the girls finally had BIG gains!

4.16.12
Addie - 5lbs, 5oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 6oz

Today I came in to crap news all around. Both girls LOST weight this time.
Addie - 5lbs, 3oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 5oz

Now their nutritionist is upset and has discussed with me the options. "I don't want to tell you not to nurse..." she said several times with undertones of "Just let us feed them our way and fatten them up." We can go to powdered fortifier, rather than liquid fortifier which they are on now. The problem is that they started on the powdered fortifier and spit it up constantly. They had no tolerance for it. We've decided to try alternating their nursing sessions and nursing them both on the same side. For example, Addie will go first on the right side, then Charlie will feed on the right side. Three hours later, Charlie will go first on the left side and Addie will then feed on the left side. Because I am producing a lot of milk right now, the girls may not be getting the fatty hindmilk that comes at the end of the feeds. If I nurse them on the same side, one baby will get the much fattier milk every other feed.

Addie is below the 10th percentile for weight and Charlie is below the 3rd percentile for weight.

Plus, when I came in this morning and said, "How are the girls," our nurse Diadje (sp?) told me that Marinka had to stim Charlie last night. That automatically resets the clock to at least seven more days. We were really hoping that we were in our last week here. Now we're guaranteed at least one more week. The girls went off the caffeine yesterday, so in about 5 days we'll see how that affects them, too.

Once again, life in the NICU...two steps back.

Oh...and another argh. The identical boys across the hall whose parents we've become NICU friends with, I heard this morning that one of them is off their NG. That means they're taking bottles well enough to take all their feeds that way. That's a near guarantee that they'll be going home soon. They were born two weeks before the girls, but their corrected age is eight days younger.

UPDATE: Everything I wrote above was discussed during rounds. And then I burst into tears. I am feeling so frustrated. The doctor and NP's said I am one of their most dedicated moms and maybe their best nursing mom ever. One got me water, another got me tissues. They all stopped everything to try to talk me off the ledge. I'm sure it's not the first time they've had a mom like me. I decided to take the 2pm feeding off and come home to sleep. They suggested that maybe I need a break. Yikes.

Oh, and on the way out of the hospital, I slipped on something wet on the floor. My right leg flew straight forward, my left foot did not. In fact, my left foot chose to stay put. So I landed flat on my left kneecap. Yup. That's my day.

UPDATE AGAIN: When I went back for the 5PM feed, I got some better news finally. Charlie had taken her 2PM bottle completely in under a half an hour. We need both girls to be able to do this for any and/or all feeds before they come home. And Addie had her head sonogram redone today, and there is NO bleeding on her brain. Last week they had said that they can be misread, and apparently that is what happened. No brain bleed for Addie. Whew.

Charlie will not be having a blood transfusion at this point either, because though her crits are low, her retics are quite high. I can't remember if I posted this the other day or not, so I thought I'd add it on.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

5 Weeks Old!

Sadly, our little Twinkerbells have spent their first 5 weeks of life in the hospital. Can we take them home now?!

Addie - 5lbs, 2oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 3oz

Waiting to hear what their doctor will say about Charlie's lack of weight gain over the last few days. She went up zero grams yesterday and only 5 grams today. Hoping we aren't told that she needs more formula and less nursing. (While nursing is what everyone wants, it expends more calories. Plus, when they NG a feed - use a feeding tube - or bottle feed them, they give fortified, high-calorie enhanced breastmilk.)

Our nurse Michael was not here during rounds, but reassured me that Charlie is fine and to just give her some time. He says she's doing great. The struggle the nurses are having with the girls right now is that they won't take bottles. Michael said Addie again didn't do so well with the bottle at the last feed, but that Charlie took her whole bottle in 5 minutes. Yesterday, Charlie was challenging with the bottle, too, so another big step! Once the girls can "nipple" all 8 feeds in a day for 2 days straight we're nearly ready to bring them home. And won't that be dreamy!

Friday, April 13, 2012

36 Weeks Gestation

My girls have hit 36 weeks gestation now!

Addie - 5 lbs!!!
Charlie - 4 lbs, 3oz

36 Weeks means the girls should be "nippling" by now. They are doing a GREAT job with breastfeeding. I am super proud of them for that! (So are the nurses - they have to prepare fewer feedings now, because the twinkies are taking full feeds sometimes from breastfeeding!) The only issue is that they are NOT taking bottles, which is funny because they are champs with their pacifiers. Today they will be meeting with a speech therapist (I know, right?) for their 11 and 11:30 feeds. He or she will do some exercises with them to help them take their bottles. Dave and I will both be here for that so we can give them bottles when we need to. If "they" were just one baby, it would be different if that one baby refused to take bottles (Elliot). But the fact that there are two babies...that is just too much to HAVE to breastfeed every meal for two kids. In all honesty, I will breastfeed MOST meals, but we need more flexibility than that.

The doctors just came for rounds, and said the girls will go off their caffeine completely by Monday. (They can't go home for at least 7 days after they stop the caffeine.) Until Monday, they will continue on their caffeine, but they are not increasing the amounts based on their weights anymore, so they are slowly being weaned from it, too.

I was concerned that now that the girls are nursing for full feeds sometimes during the day that their weight gains wouldn't be enough. The doctor and nurses assured me during rounds that they look at gains over a week, and Addie is gaining an average of 37g a day and Charlie-girl is gaining an average of 30g a day, both of which are great.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

30 Days

Addie - 4lbs, 10.5oz
Charlie - 4lbs, 2oz

Today we hit the 30-day mark. It has gone way too slowly, and yet so darn fast! Came to the hospital too early for a feed today so I can just cuddle. I keep coming up for feeds and then racing home to try to visit, spend time with Elle, or get things done, and I haven't taken the time to cuddle my girls. Off for now to scoop up my Addie-girl for some baby-sniffing cuddles.

Okay, rounds have been done. I got 45 minutes of cuddling with Add. Summary of rounds:

Feeds going well, girls gaining well. Addie's numbers look good, but yesterday she had her 30-day head sonogram. There appears to be a bit of a bleed on her brain, a level 1. This could delay her development a bit, but it could also be a misread. A follow-up next week. (I am freaking out, of course.) Charlie is also growing well, but she's a bit anemic, her crits are low but retics are good. There is potential for a blood transfusion, but we'll know more after they redo their blood tests tomorrow. From what I understand, the low crits mean she's not making enough red blood cells, but the retic level means she has the potential to, hence the restest. Both girls are being weaned off their caffeine, hopefully that means not too many A's and B's.

We also chatted about feeding. Apparently, I've made the impression that no one is to come near my children with a bottle. Over the last three days, at least four people have very tenderly discussed adding bottles to our routine. All four times I've agreed. Here's my deal, I want my girls to breastfeed. Most importantly, I want them on breastmilk. If Daddy can give a middle of the night bottle while I nurse the other baby, that's fine. I don't want my girls on bottles for every feed. I want the bonding experience and the nutritional benefits and the health benefits (for the girls and for myself) that direct nursing brings. I also don't want to come to the hospital at 2am and 5am for feeds. Give them bottles, but support my decision to breastfeed, too, please.

Also, every 3 hours, nurse Tina is lowering their isolette temperatures by a half degree celcius. The hope is that by their last feed with her tonight (5PM), they will be moved into an open crib. They are being swaddled to help them maintain their body temperatures. By easing the temp down, the girls' bodies are hopefully adjusting, too. Their beds now are no longer tilted to help them with reflux, because the crib will not tilt.

The girls are looking bigger today, Addie seemed huge during our cuddles. Mommy is trying to not let the exhaustion and news during rounds send her over the proverbial edge. Verge of tears here, but one of the nurse practitioners tells me that that comes with the 30-day mark and I am right on track.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Just Another Manic Monday

I haven't posted over the last few days, because my parents Nana and PopPop came in from Ohio for Easter weekend. They, sadly, headed home today, and left a teary-eyed Elliot and me behind.

Addie is up to 4lbs, 8 ounces, Charlie broke the 4lb mark finally and is at 4lbs, 1 ounce. They've been doing fairly well. Addie was off the cannula again, but she's back on again, too. Their temperatures in the isolettes are being lowered to start to wean them to room temperature. (They're on 30.5 degrees currently, but need to get to 28 degrees to move into a crib.) Nursing is on and off - some sessions the girls eat what may be their full feeding, other sessions I can barely get them to latch. Today's last session was rather pathetic, but in all honesty I am SO exhausted, it was likely as much my fault as theirs.

We were also told today that perhaps Charlotte will be having a blood transfusion. Our nurse, Bob (GrandBob or Uncle Bob), let us know that tomorrow at rounds they will likely discuss the need. The girls are 35.5 weeks, and Charlie is still having a lot of A's, B's and stims. She is slightly anemic, and will be given a blood test again to recheck. If she is, she will have a blood transfusion. David chatted with Bob extensively about it tonight, and I checked it out online. It sounds rather common for preemies, especially those born earlier or tinier. I hope to be at the hospital for rounds tomorrow to find out more.

Happy Easter!

The Twinkerbells got their first Easter baskets yesterday! Inside was a pink or purple paci and a pink or purple teether <3

Thing One & Thing Two


Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Story of My Girls' Birth

Saturday night, March 10, we went out to dinner with Dave's family. After dinner, all of them came back to our house. Once they left, Dave and I CRASHED. We were so exhausted. We just sat on the couch like bumps on a log for about an hour watching mindless TV.

At about 10:15, I got up to get ready for bed, and first went in to pee. I literally peed for two minutes straight, which is weird because during the last few weeks I could feel like my bladder was going to explode and then only pee a teaspoon. So when I finished, I was already suspecting. The urine was cloudy and smelly. I put on a pad, stood up, and immediately soaked through it. I changed it, then went out to the living room. I said to Dave, "How does March 11 sound?" his eyes got SO big and he said nothing (just like when I told him it was twins!) I am still surprised that my water broke while I was on the toilet. Very convenient and no clean-up! There was no "pop" or "gush," but I knew since every time I changed position more leakage would occur.

Betsy came back over to our house to stay the night, and Dave and I woke Elle to tell her, though she didn't wake up enough to remember the conversation in the morning. Dave and I set off for the hospital, and real contractions joined us. Holy cow - the contractions came on strong and fast! I was in real pain, and had some of the most incompetent nurses ever! I had five attempts to put in an IV line, before they got it on the sixth try! Finally finally finally they came to get me to take me to the OR. They told us my bleeding risk was incredibly high, and warned us of blood transfusions and even possibly a hysterectomy. They said surgery would be at least two hours. (it's now about 1:45 am, Dave and I are so tired he can can hardly stand up, my contractions are killing me, and the clocks are "Springing Forward" one hour in fifteen minutes.) I got an epidural this time instead of a spinal block, because they wanted the flexibility of giving more should the surgery go badly.

I finally lay down on the table and they prep me, bring Davey in, and get started. It takes about 20 minutes before baby A (Adeline Quinn) comes out. We hear the faintest "mew," then they rush her over to her exam table. I can see everything they are doing. I can tell it is not good. They intubated her and literally had one of those bags over her mouth so they could breathe for her. No one on her team was saying a word, Addie was making no noise, and the team was rushing around looking panicked. Dave and I were terrified.

Then the doc pulls out baby B (Charlotte Baily) and she screams! That girl is teeny-tiny and she has some LUNG power! I laughed at her crying through my crying over fear about Addie. Charlie's team was laughing and joking and celebrating how great she was doing. Still no sound from Addie's side. They rushed both babies to the NICU, and that was that. While they finished up my surgery, which went incredibly well with minimal bleeding, Dave and I were left to worry with no answers.

We went to the recovery room, and Dave went off to find answers about Addie. They wouldn't tell him anything except "we're working on her." Every time someone walked past our recovery room, I was certain that they were coming in to tell us that Addie didn't make it. We were told that they needed an hour and a half to work on her, and only then could we call to see if they were ready to give us information.

Finally, Dave got to go to the NICU to see Charlotte and the docs let him in for a second to see Adeline. She squeezed his finger, and I know that's the first relief he felt. He came back to recovery to let me know.

Once I got my real room, the nursing staff turned from incompetent to incredible. Dave and I sat and worried and cried a bit and prayed. Every time we asked about Addie, we just kept getting vague answers, which was the scariest part.

We both took naps, then Dave headed home for real sleep. He was the guest conductor at a major Honor Orchestra concert that night, and he hadn't slept in well over 24 hours. I slept a bit, then fb'ed, texted and called friends and family. We didn't post anything on our walls, because we agreed that we didn't want to announce their births when we were unsure that Addie was going to be okay. My BFF Sue came to the hospital to see me, because Dave was home sleeping, Elle was at my in-laws, and my parents were on their way from Washington D.C. (My uncle who passed away in August was being laid to rest - cremated - at Arlington Cemetery on Monday, and they were in D.C. for that.)

So Sue came to hang out and she got to see the girls. Addie was finally stable! She had tubes coming out of every place, monitors covering her. Vikki showed up about a half an hour later. While we were down there, Addie really started doing well, and they took her off the respirator!

It turns out that ped's want babies taking less than 21 breaths per minute. Addie was taking 90. In order to keep her from going into respiratory fail, they had to do her breathing for her. Late that night, she finally hit only 20 breaths a minute. We are out of the danger zone now, and thanking all things good that our baby is okay!

The girls are beautiful, and they look just like Elliot did on her birth day. Their hair is more blonde than hers was on day one, though.

Dave did come from that initial trip to the NICU to see them with these words, "the girls are not identical." He had a smirk on his face. I immediately assumed a birthmark on one of their faces, or a strawberry hemangioma or something (Elle had a strawberry when she was born on her left ring finger.) But no, that wasn't it. Turns out our Charlie-girl has 11 fingers :) On her right hand she has an extra pinkie (which will be surgically removed when she's a bit bigger and could handle surgery)! It's called polydactyllism, and my nephew had it, too, in the form of 11 toes. It is supposedly not genetic, but that's awfully incredible.

So Dave had his concert last night which his parents and Elle went to, and my parents arrived at 4. Dave and fam arrived at 7. It was a very nice visit, and when everyone left for the night, Elle was a WRECK. She didn't want to go home without me, she was scared that I had to be in the hospital, and she didn't get to see the babies. (No one under 13 in the NICU because of flu season.) It was hard to see her have such a hard time, and my Mommy Guilt kicked in hard core.

Mom offered to stay all week, then fly home. Dad had to leave the next day with the car. As much as I wanted her to stay, there was no reason for her to stay now. She'll try to come out for a week when the babies come home instead. Dave was going to call in sick Monday, but I told him I'd rather he do that Wednesday, which is when I was to go home. (I went home Thursday instead, and Dave took Thursday and Friday.)

Big Gains!

Adeline - 4lbs, 5.5oz
Charlotte - 3lbs, 9.5oz

Wow! Our girls really gained since yesterday! Addie looks absolutely huge to me today. Even Charlie is starting to look like she has some meat on her bones! Perhaps their regular feedings plus nursing yesterday helped pack on the grams...

Monday, April 2, 2012

So frustrating!!!

Adeline - 4lbs, 3oz
Charlotte - 3lbs, 8oz

I've been so excited by the prospect of two to three more weeks until our girls come home. This morning during rounds, however, when I asked for an ETD, I was told, "Around their due date." Dr. Courtney said, "I think they'll even make it home by Cinco de Mayo!" That's terrible news. That is still more than a month away. Feeling SO frustrated right now.

Attempting nursing again today, and I am going to really get serious about this. They want the twins "nippling" for 2/3 of their feeds, and I want a lot of those to be with me, not a bottle. Being with these girls at the hospital is starting to feel like a full-time job! Of course when they come home it will be, but all parents expect that, and it won't involve figuring out what to do with Elliot or driving back and forth from home.

22 Days Old

Addie stayed the same at 4 pounds, 2 ounces since yesterday.

Charlie decided to take advantage of that gain a bit to make her 3 pounds, 6.5 ounces!

I'll be meeting with Candy, the lactation consultant today, to get some help getting Adeline to nurse. Charlotte is having an easier time of nursing so far.

UPDATE: Not much luck nursing Addie - her nose was SO clogged and she had gas that she could get rid of, so she tried and tried, but no luck. I went back to the hospital tonight to try with Charlie. She was so stuffed up that she snored the entire time I held her, so nursing was no success either. She latched 3 times in a row, sucked twice, and had to stop to breathe through her mouth. Bummer, dude!

Sunday, April 1, 2012

3 Weeks Old!

I was told this morning during rounds that we should be going home in two to three weeks. Let's make it two weeks, ladies!

Addie - 4lbs, 2oz
Charlie - 3lbs, 5.5oz

The nurses refer to the girls as "The Escapees," as they scootch themselves down in their isolettes so their bums are touching the towels instead of their feet. In fact, as I type this, Addie is doing just that. Charlotte has been moved back up three times since I arrived. One of our nurses today, Renee (two nurses today because one is training to be on her own), was impressed that Charlotte is turning her head all the way over on her own.

Still waiting to hear when big sister Elliot can visit her sisters for the first time, can't wait for that! The nurses are predicting that by Easter she'll be allowed in - that's only one week away!

Finally, on the nursing front, Adeline has no interest whatsoever. We'll be meeting with Candy, the lactation consultant tomorrow. Charlotte, on the other hand, has taken to it no problem, and has expressed some anger when told that it is time to stop.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

3 weeks since water broke...

Addie - 3lbs, 15.5oz
Charlie - 3lbs, 4.5oz.

Both girls on their cannulas, same old, same old.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Week 34

Today we hit week 34 of the pregnancy. If only I had been able to carry them this long!

Addie - 3lbs, 13oz
Charlie - 3lbs, 4oz

We're trying Addie off the cannula again...she did have a stim this morning, but nurse Christine said she cleaned some big nasty boogers out, so perhaps we'll have some luck!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Ah, the joys of the NICU. After celebrations yesterday for the girls being off their cannulas, both are back on today. *sigh* So frustrating!

Addie - 3 lbs, 12 oz
Charlie - 3lbs, 3.5 oz

In silly news, Charlie decided that during her diaper change last night would be the most opportune time to projectile poop. Turns out you get a new isolette if you cover yours in poop!

The girls tried their first bottles today, and neither one had much interest in it. We'll try again tomorrow!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Another Day in the NICU

Addie gained 61g last night to bring her up to about 3 lbs, 11 oz. Her birthweight was 3 lbs, 6 oz, so that's great progress! Charlie gained 2g since yesterday, which is actually good news, because yesterday she pulled out her feeding tube and lost at least 1/3 of a feeding. I was worried she would drop weight (taking her below her birthweight), and was hoping she'd at least maintain her birthweight.

Addie is off her cannula, making her the first of our twins and the twins across the hall - Ethan and Tyler, who were born at 28 weeks and were due May 19. The girls' doctor (Dr. Courtney) was applauding Addie being first :) Then, since Charlie was on only 1L of pressure with her cannula, they decided to take her off of it, too. She did well for quite awhile, a Brady or low heart rhythm here and there, but tonight has been put back on. Likely the A's and B's are results of very congested noses, which are the result of using the cannulas. Definitely a vicious circle.

My favorite most bestest news of the day is that Charlie was a ROCKSTAR at nursing! I let Addie try this morning, and like her Daddy Dave, she wanted to sleep and was willing to pass up yummy food for a few extra minutes of shut-eye. This afternoon, Charlie got another shot at it (each of them have tried once a day for three days now), and she took to it like nothing else. That girl was in Mommy-milk heaven! In fact, I had to peel her off and she was NOT pleased! I kangaroo-ed with her after that, and she spent most of the time rooting around and licking me, trying to find her way back to the liquid gold! So proud of my miniscule milk-lover!

Mommy (that's me!) is feeling some good old-fashioned Mom-guilt over not going back to the hospital tonight. I was there twice today, though, and frankly, Dave and I are EXHAUSTED. While, yes, we are sleeping through the nights now while the twins are the hospital (and can I just say I LOVE sleeping on my stomach again?!), we are also spending lots of our free time at the hospital, going to bed later than normal (mostly me - mostly due to pumping), and getting up at our regular going-t0-work times. I did call the NICU, though, and their nurse tonight, Amy, assured me that they are doing great and that I should sleep while I can still get sleep.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

16 Days Old

The girls' starting weights were: Adeline - 3 lbs, 6 oz and Charlotte - 3 lbs, 2 oz. They are now 3 lbs, 9 oz and 3 lbs, 2 oz! Charlie FINALLY hit her birthweight again!

Adeline was taken down to 1 liter of oxygen from 2 to try to wean her off of the cannula. For both girls we're working toward fewer breathing issues (a's and b's) and unassisted poops. They seem to have had a good night, and I am so relieved that both gained weight since yesterday!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Big Sister Elliot


Elliot's dream has come true and she is finally a big sister. How is she taking it? She doesn't really know. Don't get me wrong, she knows the babies have been born. Yet if you ask her what our big news is, she'll tell you that we're having twins! She knows the babies are out of my belly, yet sometimes she still kisses my belly and talks to the babies. She knows the babies are at the hospital and is having a hard time with our visits up there when she gets left at home with a babysitter.

The hospital has a ban on all siblings coming into the NICU under the age of 13. Elle is only 4 1/2. They say the ban should lift soon, as early as April 1, as long as no cases of flu come into the ER anymore. Actually seeing the actual babies should help her understand better. She is a very smart, very independent, and very well-behaved 4-year old, so sometimes we forget that something so abstract is hard for her to understand. She can't wait for her sisters to come home, though, so that "we can all be a family and you and Daddy can stay home."

ColorSplash'ed Girls

Adeline Quinn - Born March 11, 2012 - 15. 75 inches, 3.6 pounds
Charlotte Baily - Born March 11, 2012 - 15.5 inches, 3.2 pounds

Pictures of the New Girls

Adeline - Taking a Break from her Nasal Cannula - (Like that Preemie Pacifier? Giant!!!)
Charlotte - Kangaroo-ing with Mommy
Charlotte - Under the Bili Lights for Jaundice
Charlotte - March 12, 2012 - One Day Old
Adeline - March 12, 2012 - One Day Old

15 Days Old

The twinkie girls are now 15 days old! They've survived with much love and care in the NICU for over two weeks now. I was able to head to the hospital today and kangaroo care with Adeline this morning after dropping Elliot at school. Around 11 I headed off for the doctor, and afterward turned right around and headed back to the hospital to kangaroo with Charlotte.

Adeline ("Addie") is now taking 27 cc's of fortified breastmilk at her meals, down from 30 cc's. The girls are spitting up a lot and having decent sized residuals before their next meals, so they've backed down their feedings a bit. Addie has reached her birthweight and is fluctuating there now. When she was born she was immediately intubated, and the cpap she was wearing broke down the skin on her nasal septum (that little piece that separates both of your nostrils). It turned black and wore away. Luckily, because she's such a little thing and still growing rather quickly, the skin is growing back mostly on its own. She is being weaned from her cannula now so that there is nothing touching that spot, and the nurses are putting ointment on her nose every 8 hours.

Charlotte ("Charlie") is now taking 22 cc's of fortified breastmilk. This girl does NOT like the fortifier. She is quite the spitter-upper. When the nurses don't use the fortifier, she does fine, but she really needs the added calories and vitamins the fortifier provides. She has NOT yet reached her birthweight, and for the first time today, the doctors sounded a bit concerned about that. Charlie has polydactyly, which means she has an extra digit. Charlie's happens to be a sixth finger (pinkie) on her right hand. Because the finger has a bone in it, it will require surgery to remove. We found out today that that surgery will take place at about three months. While the plastic surgeon was there talking to me today, he also checked out Addie's nose, which he said should heal itself. Charlie is also on the nasal cannulas, and had two stims today while I was holding her. She has to go seven days with no stims in order to come home.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Birth Day!!! - March 11, 2012

On Saturday evening, March 10 around 10:15 PM, I decided to go to bed. I was using the restroom, about to change into my jammies, when my water broke! Off to the hospital! The contractions started not long after arriving. I never felt contractions with Elliot's delivery. I FELT contractions this time!!! I finally was prepped for my c-section, and David and I were close to being parents of 3.

Though I went into surgery around 1:45am to be prepped, the babies arrived at 3:48am and 3:50am. It sounds like a long time between being prepped and the birth, but the time changed - skipping time from 2am to 3am!!! The girls are Adeline Quinn & Charlotte Baily. Pics and more info to follow <3