Baby Update

Jill0924 · #1 April 9th, 2008, 08:19 PM

Just an update on my girls - They are doing very well (knock on wood). Serenity is breathing on her own using a canula (or candula - I'm not sure how to pronounce or spell it), a little tube that puts oxygen in her nose. She still has a heart murmur so she is on a second round of medicine to close that valve between the heart and lungs. She is recieving caffine (just what I need, kids on coffee!) to stimulate her nerves - aparently it helps with heart rate and breathing. She is currently getting 4cc of breastmilk every six hours and doing well with it. She was being raised 1cc every 12 hours, but stopped at 4cc when they started the heart medicine (the meds can upset their tummy). We have been able to hold her once a day for the last five days - it is great to have her in my arms! Arianna is doing equally well. She is still on a ventilator, but breathing mostly on her own since the ventilator is on the lowest possible settings. They want to try to get her off the ventilator, but when she falls deep asleep she will stop breathing (that's when the ventilator kicks in) so until that stops hapening she has to stay on the ventilator. She too is on caffine to stimulate things. Her heart murmur seems to be gone (horay!) so she is just being monitored for now. She has also started getting breastmilk - 1cc every six hours; so far she is doing just fine with that too. We got to hold her for the first time yesterday. I held her yesterday and her daddy got to hold her for the first time today. I was exstatic that I could finally hold her! The nurses are going to try and have Serenity's monitors flip floped so we can be next to each other when we hold the girls - we may have the chance to get our first family photo! The nurse also told us tonight that the girls may be moved to the next room. Apparently they get moved up by how well they're doing. Since the girls aren't "new" babies anymore and they are doing so well, they will most likely be moved. We feel so blessed that the girls are doing so well. I have my fingers crossed that things will continue this way!

breea · #2 April 9th, 2008, 08:38 PM

so glad they are doing so well...Grow babies grow

the scotts · #3 April 13th, 2008, 05:10 PM

that is great news

god bless those tiny angels

Jill0924 · #4 April 23rd, 2008, 09:37 AM

Another update: The little girlies are still doing great. Serenity is wearing clothes now. She is being prepared for an open air crib. The nurses are slowly turning back the heat in her isolette and letting her get used to holding her own temperature. She is still on a low flow canula for breathing, but it is set at room air most of the time and she has taken to pulling it away from her nose and putting it in her mouth! She weighs about 3lbs 4oz. Arianna was off of the ventilator for just over 48 hours, but had to be put back on it yesterday. I was disappointed that she didn't stay off , but the doctor assured us it is very normal for babies to take several tries to finally get off the ventilator for good. The doctor may give her steroids to help prepare her to be off of the ventilator. They are pretty confident that the next time they take her off it will be for good (I have my fingers and toes crossed). She is now on full feeds like her sister and is tolerating just fine so far. Both girls are getting fortifier added to the milk to give them extra calories - miracle grow for babies

Arianna weighs 2lb 5oz, she's gained almost a whole pound since birth! The first two pictures are of Serenity, the next two are of Arianna, and the last two are my husband and I each holding one of the girls kangaroo style.