Thursday's News from the NICU

It's about time to go back for our 2nd visit of the day, which is usually pretty low key and not a visit that we find much out at, other than how much weight they've gained or lost.  Hopefully tonight, we'll hear that they both gained. 

Mom and I went at 11:00 today and it was a bottle feeding time.  Elissa gulps her's down, poor Ellie just doesn't want to work for it yet.   They are fed by the tube in their nose to stomach every other feed to save energy/calories.  Elissa has had no more apnea so we are now 24 hours past that.  I asked the neonatologist if that meant we were in the clear with that and she wouldn't answer for fear that she'd jinx her.  Soooo, I took that to mean at this point it could go either way.   I pray it's gone.  We were told yesterday that they like for their respiration's per minute to be in the 50's or below.  Yesterday, both were still breathing pretty heavy in the 70's, but today they were down to the 60's.  So, we are getting there on that.  They continue to be in those isolette beds that help them regulate their temp.  I asked the doctor what the progression for that was and she said she just liked to see the temp in the bed going up and the babies' temp staying the same.  She looked back on the chart for me and each day for since they have been in those beds, the temp in the bed has gone down and they have held their own.  I was full of questions this morning I guess, because I also asked her what kind of time frame we were looking at in coming home.  I know that all babies do different and one might be ready to come home before the other.  I know that she could tell me 3 weeks and it could be 1 or vice versa.  Her answer was 7-10 days so I'll take that as another 2 weeks.  If you count Friday, the day they were born, today is our 7th day in the NICU.  So what's another 7 if that's where we need to be????  I'll try not to think about the answer to that question.

Now for the not so good news.  The doctor hears a heart murmur on Elissa.  She said if she still hears it the same or worse tomorrow, Elissa will have a heart ECHO.  If it's better, she will leave it alone.  The nurse later told us it sounded like a PDA.  Those letters stand for a condition that refers to a duct in the heart that should close at birth.  Some babies, especially in babies that are early, have a duct that doesn't close.  It can be treated by medicine to try and close it or sometimes it is a surgical procedure.  I haven't thought too too much about it because it's either there or it's not and it's either something we'll deal with or not.  We'll cross that bridge when we get there.  I also know enough about it to know it's fixable and not life threatening IF that's what it is. 

I didn't take but two pictures this morning.  Both were of Ellie on the iphone because that's who I was holding this morning.  This child cannot be denied by Sid Whitehead.  I wish I had a video camera and could capture her even the looks that she gives you.  She is already him made over.  I  know it's a little funny looking but she was up on my shoulder and my camera was sort of crooked.  She was also half way asleep, but she is soooo nosey she tries to look at every noise, sound, beep, person, me, whoever, before she finally gives it up. 

And just for comparison's sake, because I, along with lots of other people think that Ellie and Bailey favor, here's a picture of Bailey from her stay in the NICU.  This was the first time I got to hold her.  Little Sid???  I think so!!!!  I also believe she could be Ellie's twin.

(now that I have these together, they do a look a little different, but that's because Bailey has 2 weeks and 3 pounds on Ellie in this picture.)  I hope to get some of Elissa tonight. 

I started having spinal pains that moved up into my neck on Tuesday.  I called my doctor on Tuesday and he said lay down, use a heating pad, blah blah blah.  Well, today there was no blah, blah, blah.  I was hurting.  Mom was ready to take me to the ER.  I called the doctor back and we went in.  My bp was higher than normal, but he said given what was going on, he didn't see it as an issue at this time.  But it appears that I do have a form of a complication from my spinal.  He said lying on my stomach and not being up and on the go (REST) was what I needed, and we'd treat it with medicine for now.  If it didn't get better, I'd have to have it looked at by the spinal people.  It usually feels better at night than it does in the morning and I'm not sure why that is.

That's all we know today.  Tomorrow Elissa and Ellie will be 1 week old.  I can't believe a week has already gone by.  I wish it was a week they were still growing inside me, but it's just the situation we are in.  I'm a little better about being away from Bailey but I think I know it's because her daddy is with her.  She did ask me on the phone last night while Mom and I were at Chick Fil A if I was coming home. I lost it!!! Right there at the table.  Like a fool.  But again, I know she is having the time of her life and probaby really hasn't given me one thought.  Little stinker.  We'll all be back home before we know it. 

We continue to appreciate your thoughts and prayers.  I believe the girls are doing good despite the fact that they are in the NICU.  And I don't believe it will be long before we'll have that sister ride loaded down and Philly bound!!

Oh yeah! We had a tornado warning today after we left the girls. I called after the strom to find out if all was well in the NICU, which I knew it was, but still felt better asking.  Come to find out, they have special glass on their windows and hurricane type shutters that they let down when bad weather comes. I was very impressed with that and glad to know my babies were safe and sound inside that NICU.