My First Blog Post

Originally, when I was hospitalized with preterm labor, I sent out "update" e-mails to friends and family to let them know how we were all doing. Now that the babies are here, I have continued to send out e-mails, except now they are full of pictures which sometime exceed e-mail limitations. At the recommendation (or perhaps demand) of many recipients of my e-mail updates, Gary and I have begun this blog so that everyone can check on how things are going and see pictures of the babies without my needing to send out e-mails. So, I have tested my computer skills to the limit and this is the result. For continuity, I have posted on the blog all of the update e-mails that I have sent out. I considered revising them -- but decided that they are best just as they were written during the experience.

Now, on to the update. . . .

The babies are doing great! This past Thursday we bathed the babies. It was pretty funny. Afterward, they all had these looks on their faces that clearly said, "What the heck just happened to us?" Here are some pictures of each baby's expression after their baths:

Piper:

Henry:
Rosemary:

And then today, we finally got all three babies together for a picture:

We've had lots of excitement over the last few days, so I'll try to go over it all the best I can, baby by baby.

PIPER: As of last night, Piper weighed 4 pounds and 11 ounces, and was 16 1/2 inches long (although Gary and I suspect that the length measurement is a little off, as she looks longer than that). Regardless, that is a significant weight gain! Piper is now attempting to take all of her feeds by bottle, but if she doesn't finish them she gets the rest via her feeding tube. Thankfully, she doesn't have to take very much by feeding tube. Piper had been on "human milk fortifier" (or HMF), which is a powder containing extra calories which was added to her milk. Well, she was gaining weight so rapidly on the HMF that she was taken off of it on Saturday. In order to go to a crib (and get out of the isolette), a baby must be able to maintain his or her temperature. Piper was "tested" yesterday and unfortunately didn't maintain her body temperature well enough to go to a crib, but the nurses think she'll be in a crib in a matter of days.

HENRY: As of last night, Henry weighed 5 pounds and 10 ounces, and was 18 3/4 inches long. Henry is also taking all of his feeds by bottle, and whatever he can't finish he takes by his feeding tube -- which is not much. Like Piper, Henry was on HMF and was taken off of it on Saturday due to his rapid weight gain. Henry also got the crib test yesterday -- and he passed! So, today Henry was in a crib! And, when a baby goes to a crib, the baby gets to wear REAL CLOTHES! Here is Henry in his first little outfit:

ROSEMARY: As of last night, Rosemary weighed an even 3 pounds and was 16 inches long. She has really done some growing lately. Also, Rosemary is now allowed to take two bottles a day, and is doing a great job with the bottle. As she gets bigger, she will be allowed more bottles each day. Despite her rapid weight gain, Rosemary is still on HMF simply because she has some catching up to do. Babies need to be on almost all bottle feeds before they go to a crib, so Rosemary needs to do some more growing before she can try the crib, but she is on her way!

As far as when they're going home, a doctor estimated about a week or two on Piper and Henry. He said that he suspects that Piper will make it home before Henry simply because he is still having "bradies" (which are heartrate drops as explained in a previous e-mail) about once a day, and Piper is not. A baby must be brady-free for 5 days before he or she can go home, so that would probably put Piper going home earlier than Henry. The doctor estimated that Rosemary would go home a week or two after Piper and Henry.

We cannot wait to get them home!