GREAT baby day today! Harrison and I did another record time feeding for us, yeah! He is more and more alert (and awake) every day. He’s a different baby than he was a week ago; it’s awesome. His sleep study test results came back very similar to Hayden’s first one….some apnea, doc will start caffeine to help. Just like Hayden, they will repeat test in 12-48 hours to see how well caffeine is working. They figure he will respond to caffeine just as postively as Hayden did. No one has said anything yet, but I’m anticipating him being discharged on Monday. Keeping fingers crossed.

Hayden had a big day as well. We did record feeding for him and I, and we spent 30 minutes super wide awake talking. I think he’s enjoying his caffeine regimen. :) He spent the whole time grabbing for my face, sweet. His sleep study came back great. Not sure of all the medical details but he’s improved enough on the caffeine that he is getting discharged tomorrow. We are meeting with the respiratory therapist in the morning to get our apnea monitors for both boys, and instructions on how to use them, and what to do if they go off and babies have breathing episode.

We wish it were both boys coming home, but know that Harrison is on his way very shortly. Our little miracle babies. Can’t wait for everyone to meet both of them…soon, very soon. I told Jason we needed to go out tonight and get crazy since it’s our last night without babies at home…..sad thing is I’m WAY too tired. I guess that’s what babysitters are for!!

Oh, and the bears have been bathed finally!! Yeah! They knew I meant business too; I didn’t have to hold them at all. They stayed right there by me while I scrubbed on them. :)

Good baby day yesterday. Spent all day at hospital. Both boys are doing well, feedings are going great. I had record feedings with both Hayden and Harrison, yeah! They were going to repeat Hayden’s sleep study test last night, and do Harrison’s first one last night as well. Should know results sometime today. It looks like both boys will most likely be coming home with apnea monitors for a few months though. No news on when they are coming home as of yet…but docs are saying maybe end of this week or weekend. Everything still tentative though.

Boys got their first postal mail yesterday…..their social security cards. Funny the things you think are cute as a parent. I ooooo’d and awwww’d over their mail. I guess they are now part of the beast…..soon they will be getting credit card approvals in the mail.

Harrison was taken out of fishbowl and is now in big boy crib!! He has to keep up his good feedings and be able to regulate his body temperature in order to stay out of incubator. He’s doing much better on his feedings. He will probably have sleep study test done in a day or so.

Hayden’s sleep study test came back showing some apnea..several over 6 hours, lasting about 20 seconds each. Doc will treat with caffeine (strange) and they will re-do test in 12-48 hours, and of course he will stay in hospital until they feel he’s ok. Doc said he will most likely come home with monitors so we can see what’s going on.

Just got text from Jason…both boys had their circumcisions done. From a man’s standpoint I guess they can handle anything that comes their way now, no problem.  :)

One day at a time…things change so quickly. I’ve been running errands, getting groceries, and getting the house in order today since leaving the hospital. Oh, and I’ve noticed no one has volunteered to bathe the dogs yet. :) JJ, it’s on my list for this week.

Last night at 8:00 they started sleep/apnea study on Hayden. Hooked him up to all kinds of monitors and put oxygen-looking tube in his nose. They were to run study until 2am last night and would do two feedings during study. This checks his heart rate and oxygen levels during sleep and feedings. I was there for first feeding and he did well. No drop in heart rate and his oxygen flucuated between 87-100%. The 87% is a bit lower than they want it, but the nurse said it was ok because it only dropped this low at the very beginning. Hayden gets greedy and starts drinking, and forgets to breathe at beginning of feeding. He is learning and corrected himself after the first drop so this is great.  Will find out how rest of study went today. He’s doing well out of fishbowl and I believe they will do circumcision today so that’s a great sign (this was one of the last things they would do before release).

Harrison feedings going well. The nurse last night said he had done well the last several feedings…drinking 10ml more than his minimum and finishing bottle in 15-20 minutes (they want feeding in less than 30, prefer 20 minutes). I had her feed him last night to witness it myself and she was right…quick feeding, did 10 ml over minimum, and he was actually still rooting around after bottle was empty. She said as of last night no order had been done to move him from fishbowl, but said that there is a minimum of good, steady feedings that have to be done before that can happen. I’m not sure if this number is 5 or 25…will see what’s going on when I get there today. Before release he will have to get moved to regular crib, maintain temperature, continue with good feedings, pass sleep study and get circumsized. I’m not sure if all of this will/can be done by Thursday, but as of late last night no one has told us otherwise. Again, I will talk to day nurse around lunchtime when I head to hospital. I’m hopeful that even if he doesn’t come home Thursday with Hayden, that he will only need maybe a few more days to catch up…he’s done VERY well on progress the last few days. Keeping fingers crossed, but everything is one day at a time and things change very quickly it seems.

Jason and I are doing well. We’re tired, but seem to be ok. My sister-in-law Cindy made us some homemade flour tortillas and taquitos so we are set for food. At least now I know Jason will be eating a good lunch…Rice Krispie treat from a vending machine doesn’t count. Will update again when I’m home from hospital later this afternoon. Gonna try to fit in a trip to the nail spa while I’m out….I need a quick re-vamp so I feel like a girl again. :)

Babies are doing fine. Feedings are still going well. Hayden is up to 4.9 pounds, Harrison at 4.4 pounds. Hayden doing ok out of his fishbowl; they are giving Harrison some more time to better work on feedings before moving him out of fishbowl and into real crib. All is well.

Spent all day at hospital. Good day. Early yesterday the docs discussed with us the possible need for Harrison to be put on feeding tube. He’s kinda traded places with Hayden on the feeding issue…upping food intake is wearing him out and he’s possibly burning more calories than taking in. He’s asleep most of the time I see him. Today docs said he’s doing much better. We witnessed this firsthand; he was wide awake for the longest period I have ever seen him and he ate much better than our previous feedings. He was responding to my voice better than ever before, looking directly at me, and holding his head up and looking all around the room while doing burps. It was fabulous.  Like everything else, if it doesn’t continue this well, things may change….we are taking things one day at a time. He’s still in fishbowl to stay warm..takes too much energy to keep self warm so they are giving him some time.

Hayden doing well today too. Eating like a champ and very, very alert and active. He’s doing well outside of his fishbowl bed. During our switching around with babies, we were able to put babies in front of each other and show them to each other for the first time.  They weren’t much interested in each other. Not sure what we expected, but somehow I figured they would be excited to see each other, haha!

Special thank you shout-out to Lindy for the baby brushes…..boys had their hair brushed for the first time today. They looked super cute with their hair parted on one side :) I’ll get pic tomorrow of it.

Jason and I are doing well. Yesterday was hard thinking about the feeding tube issue, but today was much better. We got plenty of sleep last night and feel better today. Jason finished up his class and feels like one major load has come off of his shoulders. Aunt Cindy is making us some more homemade flour tortillas so things are looking great :)

Going to feed dogs, shower, and go watch TV in bed. We’ll be at hospital all day tomorrow. Talk soon, and love to all.

Hayden was taken out of incubator today and now has a big boy bed….looks like a busboy dish cart. :) Rumor is that Harrison will move out of his incubator later today. Yeah! Nurse said they would have to prove themselves to make sure they can maintain temperature outside the fishbowl. Big step today.

Good baby day today. Hayden and I did 45ml milk in under 20 minutes. No one cried, we didn’t fight, no one got choked, no one forgot to breathe, it was good.  He (and I) are learning that Mommy is boss.

I was able to spend about 10 minutes with Harrison actually WIDE awake. He’s been asleep 90% of the time since birth. I know in a month from now I’ll be wishing he’d sleep more, but it sure was wonderful looking into those eyes knowing that he sees me there.

Yep, good baby day.

NICU docs saying that babies will come home next Thursday the 29th. They will be 35 weeks along. They are anticipating that their issues will be either gone or minimal by then. All is tentative until my boys are home in their cribs. Stay tuned….