All dressed up!

The babies got dressed up today!

We gave them a bath and then put some onesies on them.  It is great to see them wearing clothes and not just wires and monitors. 

Danny

Elsie 

Sammy

I took video of the boys.  I thought it was only fair since Elsie's cinematic debut was weeks ago.  :)

Here's Sammy during care time:

And here's Danny making the trip from his isolette to Mommy for kangaroo care (skin to skin):

What a face he makes when the nurse adjusts his nasal cannula!  I shot this video because this is the first time we got to hear Danny cry because he recently got off the vent...but sometimes you just get lucky when you have the video running!

Here are a few more pics of our last few days:

Sammy being held by Daddy

Mommy holding Danny

Sammy resting

Elsie smiling in her new outfit

Danny napping

Sammy not enjoying laying on his back

Danny  sitting with Mommy

Elsie napping

5 WEEKS!

It's hard to believe we have been here 5 weeks!  The good news is we are about one third of the way through our NICU stay.

Good news all around!

Sammy finally hit 1000g, so now all babies are in the quadruple digits for weight.  Sammy is about 2lbs 2oz, Elsie 2lbs 4oz, and Danny 2lbs 7oz.  They are definitely starting to fill in and look not-so-bony :)

Danny is off his vent! A few days on the steroids and he is doing much better.  We now have all 3 babies off the mouth vent...this is a huge achievement!  The next vent step from the RAM cannula they are currently on is to change to the high flo cannula which doesn't use a machine for pressure.  Probably another 2 weeks for that.

Our focus now turns to eyes and ears.  Over the next week or two, all the babies will have them tested.  Keeping our fingers crossed for good news!

Here are some pics:

Danny napping in his onesie

Sammy smiling for the camera

Mommy holding Danny

Danny napping with his binkie

This is a PREEMIE onesie.  Shows how small they really are still.

Danny with his eyes open

Elsie hiding her eyes napping

Elsie sneaking an arm out of her snuggie

Elsie peeking as she rests

Sammy getting some Mommy cuddles

Elsie looking at Daddy

Sammy smiling..so happy to have his binkie

The NICU brought in supplies to make Halloween frames 

Sammy covering his eyes from the light

Could Sammy's binkie be any bigger?  It takes up half his face

Sammy in a rare moment all stretched out napping

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My little minions :)  The NICU did a Halloween photo shoot last night.  All the costumes were made by volunteers and you get to keep them for keepsakes afterwards.  They are so great here at the hospital :)

Breathe in, Breathe out!

Sammy came off the vent yesterday!  It has been 24 hours and he is doing great!

Sammy's last few moments with his mouth tube

Sammy getting extubated and getting his nose prongs in

 

What an exhausting day!

Danny started some steroids to help him get off the vent.  Today was the first day, but we already saw a calmer, more relaxed Danny so that is hopeful.  He also is wide awake most of the day because of this too, so I took advantage and got some pics :)

Danny resting with his binkie

More afternoon napping

What?  They took Sammy's tube?  You can't have mine!! I better hold it tight!

Wide awake this morning

And Miss Elsie has now joined the 'Kilo Club' hitting 1000g today!  She continues to maintain her rock star status!

I just eat, sleep and grow :)

Miguel and I continue to be humbled by everyone's generosity.  Our friends Sue and Tracy McConnell made these gorgeous quilts for the babies.  As a crafter, I can say from experience that quilt-making is very time consuming, and we are so grateful that our babies are loved and receive such heartwarming gifts.

Here is Elsie's on her isolette

 Blue for Danny, Green for Sammy and Purple for Elsie

Look forward to tomorrow to dress the babies in their first Halloween costumes!!!

ONE MONTH!

Can't believe it has been a month!

Elsie is now 2 lbs, making the triangle complete!  In fact, Danny hit an even bigger milestone reaching 1000 grams!  Even though this is only 2lbs 3oz, he is really starting to fill in and get a little chub :)

Elsie graduated to another type of ventilation, the cannula.  She previously had two nose tubes that went up her nose and hung down into her throat, and she now has the big girl nose cannula which has two little bumps that sit in the entrance of her nose.  She's going places that one ;)

Her first day with the new cannula

Resting peacefully in her swaddle

Blocking her eyes from the lights in the room

Danny had a leak in his vent tube and had to get his tube switched out, which gave us the chance to see if he was ready for CPAP before reintubating him.  Sadly, he did not do well without his tube and tuckered himself out quickly trying to breathe on his own.   When he gets worked up he either holds his breath or forgets to breathe, neither which works well for sustaining oxygen.  So he is back on his tube as he feeds and grows a little bit longer before trying again.

Danny in his swaddle

Danny destroying his swaddle in less than an hour

Nurse Donna fixed his wagon and made him a burrito

Danny's attempt at CPAP with his nose tubes and a binkie

No big news for Sammy, he is just growing and feeding.  And sleeping.  :)

He loves to be swaddled, as long as he gets one hand or foot out

Tuck me in, but let me stick out....

Prepping for the swaddle, he sticks his arm up

All burrito-ed up like his brother

My mom made them some rally caps and after game 4, it seems to be working...

Again, Miguel and I would like to thank everyone for all their support through this time.  I had a reminder yesterday of the gravity of the NICU.  I was in the lounge heating up some food, when another NICU family came in with the nurse manager and the social worker.  I don't know what the diagnosis or prognosis was, but it was clearly a devastating one.  The 2 minutes on the microwave felt like eternity as I watched everyone from the grandfather to the parents hysterically sobbing in agony.  I returned to our room crying, thinking about how lucky we are to have 3 babies here, and alive.  Not to say we won't have a long list of issues we will face due to their prematurity, but it is always important to keep the perspective that others may have it worse than you do.