Nasal Canulas for All!

When I left the NICU this afternoon after my morning visit (because morning visits never, ever end in the morning, but rather mid-afternoon) all three babies were on the nasal canula. Annaleigh of course has been on it for a week now and is still doing wonderfully. Lily got herself on the canula courtesy of yesterday’s nurse. The nurse felt that the CPAP was making Lily uncomfortable when she was being held, so she suggested that a canula be set up for Lily to use while she is out of the isolette. This morning was the first time they tried her on it and she did very, very well while I was holding her. So well that today’s nurse and the doctor decided to leave her on it and see how she did. Lily managed to stay on the canula for 8 hours before she began to tire and was moved back to CPAP. But we are very proud of her for lasting as long as she did and her nurse said they would try it on her again soon. Charlie’s nose has been irritated from the CPAP prongs so the doctor decided to give his little nostrils a break by alternating him between CPAP and the nasal canula every four hours. So far he’s doing just fine with this, and if he keeps it up they will most likely extend his time on the canula.

We were happy about the breathing progress today. Our only disappointment was that Annaleigh did not gain any weight. She did not lose any, which is good, but we were so hoping that she would have a decent gain tonight. Her feedings were increased to 26 ml and she’s on 26 calorie supplement, so our fingers are crossed for a gain tomorrow. The nurses assured us that her slow weight gain is not abnormal, but as Charlie nears 4 lbs and Annaleigh is stalled at 2 lbs 11 oz we can’t help but worry a tad!

Dr. Hiatt returned today after a 2 week vacation and it was very nice to see him. It was especially nice because he was thrilled with how the babies are doing! The first thing he said to me was, “Congratulations!! They are doing great! I am so pleased!” Go babies!

Tomorrow Joe and I are off on our minivan hunt. The dealership where we purchased our cars has about 20 used Honda Odysseys on their lot so we are hoping to get lucky there. In the evening we are taking a baby care class at the NICU that we are looking forward to. It will be a busy day, but there will still be plenty of time for baby snuggling!


Charlie looked adorable in his little paw print onesie. For some reason Joe thinks it makes him look like Fred Flintstone. Can’t say I agree… [Joe's Contribution: Yabba Dabba Doo!!!]


Lily takes a break from her nap to give us a little peek at her eyes. She’s been snoozing a lot the last few days so it was nice to see her awake for a little bit!

Annaleigh just gets more beautiful every day. And she's always smiling lately, which doesn't hurt!

This picture is actually a week old, but I just scanned it today (the nurses took it) and I LOVE IT!!! Charlie is so frickin' cute! Look at those giant cheeks!