05-20-10

What a night in the NICU!!! Apparently the space between the girls was only temporarily occupied for some testing. They are back together again.

First of all, on the 05-18, the girls were weighed. Quinn weighed 4lbs 2oz. Brooklyn weighed 2lbs 9.8oz. Their feeds are getting increased so frequently that I can't keep up what I have told you. I believe Quinn is up to 47ml every four hours and Brooklyn is up to 29ml every 4 hours. Girls are growing like beautiful little flowers.

We really need Miss Brooklyn to plump up more. She needs to get more body fat to help keep her warm without help from the insulet box. They are decreasing her box temperature to ween her off the heat and make her keep her own heat. Then she will be like her big sister.

YEP!!!!! Quinn is moving up in the C nursery. She has graduated from her Insulet Box Bed to a Big Girl Warmer Bed. The warmer beds are the same as what the full term babies are in for their examination after birth. YEP YEP YEP, it is an open bed. She looked so shocked last night to be able to watch the things go on around her. Her eyes were wandering everywhere. And the best part, she is wearing clothes!!! She is able to maintain her body heat enough to come out of her box and wear clothes. She stays swaddled in her bed also. It was so surprising to see her new bed when we got there last night. I am so proud of her for working so hard. She is quite an inspiration to me.

Also, the girls are picking back up on their feeding from a bottle. Yesterday Brooklyn out did Quinn and took 16ml. Quinn only took 10ml earlier in the day. She is too busy sleeping. She is the laziest baby. Brooklyn is always up and moving around. Not Quinn...her D-stats are a result of her self induced coma. She gets so comfortable and asleep that she just forgets to breath. Crazy lazy chick. But last night I tried feeding Quinn again with the bottle and she took 35ml. Nurse Jessica said that I need to feed more often because that was the most she has ever taken from a bottle. She was so darn cute sucking on that bottle. I just wanted to eat her little cheeks. I get so giddy talking about those precious wonders. Now, I need to work on the burping part of feeding. I hate it. I just don't like slapping their back and trying to listen for a burp. What if they don't burp? What if I missed it and I am still beating her back? I just don't like it. Guess I will have to learn to love it.

Richard got to hold Brooklyn last night. And she did so good with her breathing. She had a death grip on his thumb. He would try to move it and she tightened her grip. She controls him...she knows it too. I am pretty sure if those girls said "JUMP" he would say "HOW HIGH?" Just don't tell him I said that because I would have to hear him agree with me. I doubt he will deny my accusation. He was more excited to see Quinn in clothes than I was. If we go into the baby section at a store, I have to monitor him because he would buy the entire section of girls clothes. I tell him that we don't know when they are coming home so we need to be sure to wait and buy the right size. But I am constantly having my name called to look at a cute shirt or dress he has found. I love it! I think by seeing her in clothes that sparked his mind to buy her an outfit. Hope that gives an idea about how wrapped these girls have him.

Oh, I can't wait for Miss Punky Princess (Brooklyn) to gain that fatness so she can come out of her box. A friend suggested that her name be changed from Petite Princess to Punky because of the way she acts. I agree. We don't want her to be petite anymore but I can definitely handle her punkiness. She is so funny. I wish you could see her yell at the nurses when they mess with her. For instance, last night Nurse Jessica was taking her temperature and Brooklyn looked at her and let out this horrendous scream. But is was a short scream. It was her way of saying, "Leave me alone, lady!" She is so funny. I have only heard her cry a couple of times, although I heard from the nurses that she is a screamer. But I have heard that short loud and mean yell several times. It is like if she could bite you she would. Just to show her frustration with you messing with her. She seems to get more sassy as time goes on...oh the teenage years! I love her attitude. She has that classic "Don't mess with me" aurora about her. She seems so independent already...a Miss Know It All. (A thought just entered my mind...I just described ME!!) This is so not good.

Oh, let me mention a funny little incident with Quinn last night. We were putting them back in their beds and I was saying bye to Brooklyn and Richard was saying bye to Quinn. Well, Nurse Jessica was finishing some notes at Brooklyn's bed. Then we both turned around to the loudest noise. Apparently, it was coming from Miss Quinn's bottom. I know little girls are supposed to fluff or poot. Honey, this little bit of a chunky monkey let out nothing short of a FART! Richard was laughing and at first I thought it was him. (When I initially heard it, I just assumed it was the noise from the chair when you sit in and the air escapes.) But the nurse asked if that was Quinn and in between laughs Richard informed us that the noise was from Quinn and she had a unique face to accompany the FART! I couldn't believe such a little baby could produce such a huge noise. We could even hear it through her swaddle and extra blankets. AMAZING! I am so proud! That is my girl!

I hope soon I can report that Brooklyn is out of her box. She is just playing catch up. I think her weight gain isn't as prominent as Quinn because she is so active that she burns it quicker. Quinn is so lazy that she doesn't burn anything. If you can imagine a 4lb baby having a double chin...it is quite adorable. Before long they both will have butt cheeks.