Snuggle Time

Thursday, June 20

Today was another great day in the Marsh wing of the NICU! The girls continue to "eat" every three hours. Each girl has lost a few ounces of their original weight, which is normal. But we are hoping that with continued feedings, they will start to get a little fat on those precious bodies.

When I went down to the NICU this morning, I was shocked when the nurse asked if I wanted to hold Devyn! Of course I did!!! Once the girls are stable enough, they encourage as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. It helps the baby to learn your smell, feel your heartbeat, and adjust their heart rates to your own. I knew Justin would be jealous...but luckily he arrived from work just in time. We both got to hold her for about 15-20 minutes.

                                                                        Snuggle Time!

 


Each girl is assigned "touch times" with their nurses each day. Now that they eat every three hours, their touch times are every three hours as well. These are the times that the girls get their diapers changed, their temperatures taken, etc. Both Justin and I got to help out today and finally do some of our parental duties. I checked Devyn's temperature and changed what was her second poopy diaper (too bad Daddy couldn't have done that one but he was at work). When Justin arrived, he did the same things with Kinley.   

 

What a Pro!

 





The girls continue to get time under the jaundice lights each day. Their levels will be checked tomorrow to see how they're doing with that. It will be nice to be able to see their faces more once they are done with the lights and their eyes won't need to be covered all the time.

The doctors have decided to take the girls off of their preventative antibiotics to start building their immune systems. Of course, this means that the girls' conditions may decrease a bit during this process, but it is necessary nonetheless.

 

Mom, Dad, and Devyn

 



 

Devyn, of course, got most of the attention today. Luckily her sister was snug in her bed and didn't seem to mind. We hope that her lungs improve quickly so that she can be taken off of her breathing tubes and can be moved around more easily.

 

 

Kinley-snug as a bug!

 

 

We love that the NICU is open 24 hours a day to parents and families. I was discharged from the hospital this afternoon, and it was difficult to know I was leaving the girls behind. We went back for a late night visit tonight and Daddy got to hold Devyn one more time.