Update 9-3 to 9-7-08: Great Week!!

Randy's hand on Ricky's chest

Heath Allen with his 1st teddy

Heath and I

Steven Tyler found his ear to play with

Sweet little Leah Grace

OK, so I didn't get this posted any better than the last, but I'll keep trying!! This one will be alot shorter without all the medical jargon. All the babies have done absolutely great the rest of the week! On Wednesday, Dr. Levy decided he would try Ricky on the bubble cpap again, but might wait a little longer on Heath. Well we get there Thursday morning at about 10:20 and they had extubated Ricky (taken the tube out), had him off the vent and back on the bubble cpap doing great! And much to our surprise, he decided that Heath was doing good enough to take him off the vent also. So 30 minutes later, he's extubated and on cpap doing great also!! Thank You Lord for ANSWERED PRAYERS!! So Ricky and Heath have been doing awesome on the cpap for the rest of this past week. They do xrays on their lungs and tummy's every other day or every couple of days. They do an xray on their abdomen's to check how much air they have in their stomachs and intestines from the cpap (it's normal for it to cause more air). So after feeds and during the day they hang up their feeding tubes to an open syringe ("to chimney") to help get out excess air. Heath is also getting a little chest therapy from respiratory to help clear out his lungs a little more. They have tolerated the switch so well and maintain great O2 saturation's. Steven Tyler (aka Ty) and Leah are also just trucking right along too. They are both down to 1.5 L/min. on their high humidity nasal cannula's. They keep their O2 sats within range like they need too with occasional drops that they resolve on their own. Everyone is is gaining weight. They add calories to the breastmilk on all the babies. Ty and Leah are also getting extra protein added too. They have all gained for the week too. Heath made it over the 3lb. mark!

As of Sunday, these are their weights:

Ricky Shane: 2lbs 15 oz.

Heath Allen: 3lbs 0.68oz

Steven Tyler: 2lbs. 6.1 oz

Leah Grace: 2lbs. 2 1/2 oz

Last night I got to hold Heath and Leah!! Leah I did kangaroo care which is holding her skin to skin on my chest. The parents get to do this to help keep the babies temps up and for bonding. She is just so tiny!! But felt so good to have her against me and she did wonderful keeping her O2 sats up and not getting stressed out from it. It did her mommy alot of good too. Heath I was able to cradle in my arms due to his cpap lines, so sweet too. Today I hold to get to hold Ricky and do kangaroo care with Ty also. Ricky is the only one I've not been ablt to hold yet, so I hope I get too today.