Three Lovely Ladies

Malone and Lizzy came by this morning to babysit Maddy while I went over to the NICU to spend some time with Zoe. All three did great! Many thanks!

Into the Open

Zoe had a great weekend as well. She is now in an open crib, nippling around the clock and working on turning down her air. Jim and I now take shifts with Maddy at home, and Zoe at the NICU. She'll be home soon enough, we can't wait :)

Chilling on the couch

Once out of the car seat, Missy Maddy made herself at home on the couch with Dad . . watching sports, drinking beer - - okay, maybe milk, but she settled right down and is enjoying her new digs. We love having her home, and can't wait for our Zoe to join us soon.

Made it!

This is the little peanut finally at home! As you can imagine we drove home super slowly, and I stressed about each bump and crack in the road! She did great, no fussing or crying.

Going to the Zoo

This past Friday we got some unexpected news! Maddy was set to go home on Saturday. We originally where told it would be longer, but she was doing so great that the Doctor felt she was ready to go to the "Zoo". They say Zoo for home at the NICU, it seems that when people say "going home" around premies they tend to act up and stay longer. This is Maddy in her car seat all dressed up and ready to fly the coop.

Sweet Dreams II

Zoe is a half degree from an open crib, she has been doing really well getting primed for a open crib. We think most likely over the weekend. She's still on a little air, but eating really well. This seems to be her favorite position these days when put back to sleep after eating . . . she clearly seems comfortable :)

Sweet Dreams

Both girls are doing well this week. Each had a weight gain, and each has started to eat bottle/nipple around the clock as tolerated (one step closer to coming home). Maddy is maintaining her temp great in an open crib, we think she'll be home a little ahead of Zoe.

A girl and her binki

Here she is again - live:
www.youtube.com/v/E0Rw-YImXAA

Wide Open

Maddy has officially moved out of her isolet into a open crib as of this afternoon. She spent a good part of the first few hours wide eyed taking life in without a plastic dome around her. Zoe has 1.5 degrees to go before she can come out into the open (soon).

A girl and her binki

Sweet Maddy Sunday evening sucking on her binki. She and Zoe have been doing well this week with feedings, they are slowly climbing in weight :)

Bottle, Breast, Gavage . . . I need a spreadsheet!

Today I worked on figuring out how to feed two little girls that have slightly different feeding schedules. They both eat every three hours, but Maddy can nipple (breast or bottle) twice in a row with a gavage feeding between. Zoe is nipple, gavage alternating. They each have one of the options 8 times a day. I swear, by the time the nurse and I figured out how I would feed them, Jim bottle them, and the nursed gavage I was seeing double and lots of list making in my future! Dear lord, excel spreadsheets came to mind - ugh!

Side by Side

This is the first time the girls have been so close to each other. Jim and I sat close Wednesday night cuddling the girls prior to the nursery move. Zoe is in a bit of a food coma here ;)

Moving on up!

Well, the girls "hit the carpet" late Wednesday night. The carpeted nursery is the last place the babies go prior to heading home. We're still looking at the end of this month or early June, but we are officially in the last most stable nursery :)

Sleeping Beauty #2

Maddy after a tough day at the office, mouth open and drooling . . . dreaming of the next feeding. She usually is wide awake and ready to go when I come in early in the morning, just like a Zaba.

Sleeping Beauty #1

Missy Zoe passing the time away this afternoon. She is down to minimal air, we are hoping she kicks the nose cannula soon. She is most definitely a McCarthy, she likes her sleep! I have to do a LOT of negotiation when it comes to waking her up to eat.

Nice and Steady

Maddy is now IV free as of this morning, and Zoe is really down low on her oxygen. All was quiet at the mid-day visit. Both girls did great at the breast feeding now that I am using a shield . . . Maddy didn't give me her usual concerned and confused look when she started - phew! The next step is to start lowering the interior temperature of their isolets so they can go into an open crib. They are set at 30 now, they need to hit 28 . . . perhaps next week. More pictures to come soon.

Weekend Report

All was quiet this weekend. Maddy and Zoe are on the same eating schedule (breast or bottle 4x a day, gavage the other 4). They both had a weight gain, Maddy maybe in a open air crib at the end of the week. Zoe needs to gain a little bit more before they put her in one. She's about a half pound short of it. Jim and I finished painting the nursery, now to assemble the cribs this week. Mother's day was lovely, we spent time with the ladies and Jim made the day really special for me. I'm lucky to have such a great guy, and two amazingly adorable little ladies in my life!

Mom's Turn

I had to get my turn too!!

Double Trouble

After the girls feedings last night, Jimi was put in charge of snuggling and holding both girls while Mom when to pump. Jim's looks so proud, happy, and a tad concerned.

Say what!?

This is the face I get when I go to either feed Maddy by breast or bottle. Confusion, and mostly concern . . . hahahaha

Zoe's First Tubbie

Up until this point Zoe has been getting a sponge bath until last night. Her first tubbie was late in the evening, she did great, she seems to love water. Maddy will get her first bath once the IV is out (maybe over the weekend). Here is a link to Zoe's bath video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trgLXKW_nBE

Back in F

We are kicking off the week with good news. Miss Maddy is back in the spot she held next to her sister in Nursery F as of this morning. They even took her off of assisted air - which I have to admit freaked me out so I had to double check with the Dr's and Nurse Practitioners before leaving this morning. They said she seems ready for it, and it won't set her back to try. She's definitely moving around a LOT more, and they are easing her back into her feedings. Zoe is doing well, they turned her air down a lot today as well, and her feedings are up. We hope she packs on some weight this week :)

All Quiet

We visited our little ladies this morning. Zoe had a quiet night, and breast fed this morning; she didn't seem too interested but kicked in after 10 minutes and got her breakfast. Maddy's culture came back positive, so she definitely is running a infection. The good thing is they now know what it is and can blast it with the right antibiotics. She had lots more color to her this morning, and was aware and awake - phew! Now its a matter of a few days for her to get back to herself and move back to nursery E.

All Tuckered Out

Little Zoe after her second breast feeding session. She and I are getting better at it each time we try. She gets a tad more tired than I do afterward :)

Two Steps Forward One Step Back

Ever since the first day the ladies where admitted to the NICU, the doctors and nurses warned us that our stay would have a lot of "two steps forward and one step back". Well, I have to admit Jim and I got very comfortable with the ladies progress and let our guard down a little. Missy Maddy is battling a infection as of yesterday afternoon. She did show mild signs of something happening with her for the past two days, but they where really mild until yesterday. They assure us that any baby that spends more than 10 days at the NICU gets some type of infection - it just happens. So our little peanut now is on some antibiotics which seem to be doing the trick. She's getting some color back, and moving around more but she did get demoted to nursery B from E. We'll keep everyone posted as we know more.

The Breast is Best

Happy to report, both girls are getting the chance to try and breast feed. Zoe had her shot earlier in the morning yesterday and was a champ, her session went well. Maddy was a bit too sleepy in the evening . . . we'll attempt today again.