Schneider Blog: 11 Days in

I can't believe it. We have 11 day old girls who are doing unbelievable! Little Alana and Kira are doing great at Rex. I don't recall if I mentioned it in the last blog, but they are now at Rex and they don't have any IVs or bililights. The nurses have been bumping their feeds by 2ml every 12 hours and so far so good.

Little Alana is quite the spitfire. She starts to wake up just before her 3 hour feeding and stays pretty lively and alert during her feeding. Kira was actually pretty alert last night too when they were doing the feeding. They look around and make silly faces while we hold them. It is pretty awesome. Saturday night we held them while the nurse did her assessments, changed diapers, took temps ect. Alana thought it was be funny to do a number 1 on Daddy's lap while she wasn't wearing a diaper. Then about 10 minutes later had a number 2 that was felt through the pillow she was laying on. Oh boy.....

While we were at Rex on Saturday a few nurses who specialize in physical therapy came by to look at the girls muscle tone. There is a big concern with preemies that they wont have good muscle tone. They tend to be sort of floppy since they miss out on being tucked in and snug for the full term. Well, when they got done they said the girls were way ahead of where they expected them. The only thing they noted was that Kira has a little bit of a smack when working her pacifier. Other than they they wouldn't bother doing anything until they were ready to come home. At that point they would give us exercises to do with them.

I figured they would do well. We still hear about how far they move in their isolettes. For a 10 day old preemie to scoot themselves 6-8 inches out a place they'd have to have good muscle tone and strength right?

The neonatal also wants Joy to meet with lactation and start to attempt breastfeeding. Joy is pretty intimidated and we are all impressed. Typically a baby doesn't have the strength or coordination to do this until 34 weeks. Our little ones are just 33 weeks adjusted today. So they are starting them about a week early. However, they love their pacifiers and seek them out whenever they are awake. Then they absolutly go to town on them. I joke with Joy, "You thought the pump hurt?" :-D mean huh?