As far as the girls go, the big thing they are working on right now is figuring how to eat on their own (so they don't need the NG tube) and how to gain weight from that. Sounds simple enough, I know. You figure...eating = gaining weight but sometimes it ain't so simple (Akersons...another shout out to you). I'm oversimplifying things, but when the girls are given food through the NG tube it is fortified with extra calories. When they get it straight from mom, well....it isn't. They need to learn how to take enough during feeds and then use that to grow big and fat. This last week they have been working on eating on their own more and more. They're learning, they're getting better, but their growth has slowed down because of it, and they are not where they need to be yet.
Emma Jane snoozing on dad. She stayed like that for three hours yesterday. I got there at 9:00 Friday morning, planning on giving them their 9:00 feed via bottle. There is a learning curve here for me too, I need to learn how to feed them via bottle. Again you would think that would be obvious, but many times babies have an adjustment period you have to help them through even when they are born full term. The girls, being so early, have more trouble with it. Actually they are learning quickly I am told, the nurses are pretty impressed with how they are doing, but they still need to be reminded sometimes to either a) swallow (when they don't things get very drooly messy very quick b) breath (when they don't things get very blue very quick) and/or c) suck (when they don't things get very nowhere very quick). So I got there in time to do the 9:00 feed and the little stinkers refused to wake up. They didn't stir at all when we changed their diapers. When we fussed with them they didn't bat an eye. Eventually we were forced to give up and send the feed down through their NG tube. I decided to hold Emma Jane while her feed went down. I put her on my chest and got the only signs of life I saw from her that morning. She nuzzled around a little like a little dog working it's way into its favorite spot. She got comfortable and was back in the land of nod, not to stir again, at all, even with all the commotion of decorating the room and being excited for Mary Jane, until it came time to change her diaper and stuff for the 12:00 feed.
Parker examining the world in one of her rare, calm, and contemplative moments. It's funny. We had some visitors yesterday, and Parker was calm and quiet through their entire visit. It was like she was trying to prove me a liar in front of them.
We stuck the girls together just for fun. Okay...quiz time. Who is who? I will reveal later. What do people think?
6 comments:
Emma Jane on the left and Parker on the right. Am I right, am I right?
That must be Parker on the right with her hands up. Emma Jane on the left looks content as can be. Unless, you are trying to trick us all. Hmmmm.
parker on the right for sure.
where are the NG tubes?
Liz,
That day Parker had decided to pull out her NG tube so we gave her nose a break for a couple of hours. Emma Jane's is just well hidden in the picture... Oh how I wish they really were not in their noses anymore.
Okay....on the left (looking at the pic) is Emma Jane and on the right (looking at the pic) is Parker? How did I do?
Okay, Okay...I just looked at the picture again (after reading the other comments) and realized that I failed miserably on the quiz. Please don't hold this against me. (If you do, I'm holding the drawer divider hostage)
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