Our Boys

Valentin Nolan, 4lb 15oz, 17 inches, 10:37am, March 19, 2009, (Val)

Conrad Michael, 5lbs 2oz, 18 3/4 inches, 10:39am, March 19, 200, (Con)

Val holding N's thumb and working his paci.

Both guys are doing great-- Con went on room air last night at midnight & has been doing amazing on it since. (Very few episodes of apnea & fewer brady's-- most self-recovering.) He ripped out his feeding tube so many times they switched it to his nose (he's still ripping it out, but isn't ready to go off it yet, so he's stuck for a while.) Val is on 1liter of oxygen still, but at 21% (very low) but he's working a little harder to breathe, so we don't want to rush him. He's also having some bloody nose/snot issues. The bloody noses are likely bc his nasal cannula is drying, so they added a humidifier this afternoon & he seems to be much more comfy now. The snot he's still working out from the c-sec (amniotic fluid doesn't get squeezed out of their lungs during a c-sec like it would in a normal birth). All their chest x-rays are clear so far. Their arms are splinted to keep their IV's in & secure.

They're both doing really well on their feedings so far, so if they keep it up (no major spitting up & make sure they're digesting everything) they'll be weaned off their IV's at 3am tonight. (fingers crossed! Altho they will leave a track line in just in case.) Their issoletes are still keeping them warm. They need to be able to maintain their body temps at 27deg Celsius before they can try a big boy crib, & right now Val's is around 30 & Con's is set at 31.5. Tomorrow they think we might be able to put them to breast for the first time. (They won't get much, if anything, but it's good practice for them & me.)

They each have a "dimple" at the base of their spines (Con's is slightly larger) & they're having u/s on Monday to make sure the dimples are merely that-- the docs want to make sure the skin is closed over them & that their spinal cords aren't affected. It's likely just a precaution, but we want to be sure.

I know there's more, but that's the basic NICU update. I'm a little nervous that they're progressing so quickly, but thrilled at the same time. We just want to be sure they move at their own paces.

& on their names: N picked their first names out of 2 of his fav books, "Nolan" is after their daddy, & "Michael" is after both grampa's. (& for those of you wondering-- Valentin is pronounced: "Val-en-teen"). Sorry to keep you all in suspense, but I couldn't resist teasing you guys a bit longer! :)