Saturday:
I got to go down and see the boys after I finally was able to get up and out of the bed after my C section. They were both in their individual beds. Alex was still breathing room air, but Charlie had been given a nasal cannula to help with his breathing. He seemed to handle it well at times, but as you watched his chest rise and fall, you could see how hard he was having to struggle to breathe. I got to hold Charlie for a little bit. Both the boys were said to have on demand feeds - meaning, that if they seemed to want food, they would be given some.
Charlie
Lucy came up to the NICU that evening with Grammy and Poppa. She seemed a little overwhelmed by it all and only stayed for a few minutes. However, she was very thrilled to be wearing her "Big Sister of Twins" shirt and her "I'm a Big Sister" bracelet. :)
Sunday:
Alex
Charlie
Alex remained about the same as the night before, but Charlie's oxygen levels had been increased. He was receiving 5 L of oxygen at around 40%. The neonatologist explained to us that he had mild respiratory distress, which is why he was in need of the oxygen. They also stopped Charlie's feeds as well. Due to the increased oxygen, he was getting quite a bit of air down in his stomach; they put a tube in to help get the air bubbles out, but he still was a little uncomfortable. Both boys had received baths that morning (which the nurse said they disliked very much!) as well as x-rays. The x-rays for both boys looked great so that put our mind at ease about any unseen concerns there might have been. I held Alex that morning ( I think I have my days correct) and he tried to nurse for a little while. He latched on for a few minutes and seemed to be handling everything really well. However, the suck/swallow reflex plus remembering to breathe is a lot of work, so he tired out quickly. The lactation specialist though was impressed - that is a reflex that babies develop in weeks 34-36 during gestation, so the fact that he was able to go ahead and do that will little to no help shows great promise for the future.
Lucy came back up to visit her brothers this evening. It was a much better visit because we started down in the hospital room with just Mommy and Daddy and then went up to visit the boys. Grammy had spent a lot of time talking with Lucy about how Mommy had just had surgery and had a sore place and needed Lucy to be extra gentle. You could tell she was trying to so hard to be careful but at the same time, just needed to be loved on! We then took her up to see her brothers and she was so excited this time to get to touch them. She really seemed to enjoy watching them squirm and move. I think her initial fear of all the wires and things attached to them is beginning to wear off and she's getting more comfortable.
Lucy and Alex
Lucy and Charlie
Monday:
Monday was quite a long day - I was being discharged from the hospital, so we had paperwork to do, staples to remove (yikes!), and a car to pack up. We went up and visited the boys for a few minutes in the morning after getting everything in order, but then left since they were sleeping. It's so important right now for them to be able to have these long periods of restful REM sleep. Since babies' brains are developing up until 39 weeks gestation, their brains still have a ways to go. The only way they can allow them to develop is to have these unstimulating times of sleep that mirror life in the womb. We left and took everything home, and then came back to the hospital again after Lucy had gotten settled for the evening. That day must have been a needed day of rest for the boys because they were still zonked out when we came back by. We sat and talked with the nurse for a little while about how they were doing, but left soon after. After all, we want what is best for them which is to grow and gain their strength. So if that means that I have to go a whole day without getting to hold one of them. . . well, I guess I can live with that.
Tuesday:
Michael and I took Lucy to school and on the way there, she expressed her interest in going back to see her brothers. So we told her that we would take her back with us this evening. When we got to the hospital that morning, the boys were both getting ready for their morning assessment so Michael and I got to take their temps as well as finally change the first (of many!) diapers. (It seems so weird to me to have two little boys who are almost a week old and to say that I have only changed one diaper! Once they are home, they will make up for that, I am sure!) I sat and held Charlie Kangaroo Care style (skin to skin) while Michael had Alex wrapped up and cuddled up with him.
Daddy and Alex
Mommy and Charlie
Charlie's oxygen had been turned down to 4 L and 21% and his respiratory rates were the best I had seen them while he and I sat there and cuddled. His breathing was nowhere near as labored as it had been. Toward the end of the visit, he began to wake up and his eyes were wide awake and he was so alert. He locked eyes with me and we sat there and talked. Alex had slept through our whole visit so after Michael got him settled back in his bed, he came over to see Charlie wide awake. As he walked over, he said, "Hey Charlie!" and that little baby whipped his head right around and locked eyes with his Daddy - he knew exactly who was talking to him. :) We talked for a few more minutes but didn't want to get him to riled up, so we got him settled and told him we would be back in the evening.
Wide awake Charlie
After we picked Lucy up at school, we made her take a bath and change clothes to get rid of all the preschool germs. We had dinner and then back up the NICU we went. Alex was once again asleep ( I promise - he has many wakeful moments too . . .we just never seem to be able to be there for those or else we don't have the camera) but Charlie was awake and having his diaper changed. Lucy was looking at both her brothers and got very upset as she listened to Charlie cry. I don't know if she thought the nurse was hurting her baby brother or what, but she was extremely agitated until they handed Charlie to me and he calmed down. Alex and Charlie both had presents for their big sister (aren't they thoughtful?) so we let Lucy open those while she was there that evening. Charlie gave her a camera so she could take lots of pictures and Alex gave her a Cinderella doll.
Opening presents from brothers
I got to hold Charlie again that evening, since he was wide awake. . .Alex slept through all the excitement.
There is a picture of four out of five of us. . . hopefully soon we will be able to get one with all five of us!
The balloons you see Lucy holding are from Jackie and Kathleen. They showed up at the NICU just as Lucy started to get fussy.. . so not only did they get to see the boys, but they got to entertain Lucy as well! ;)
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