Good Bye Incubators!!

As I wrote via Twitter earlier today, all three boys are out of their incubators and in little "cribs."  This is because their bodies have learned to regulate their temperatures a bit..and if anything...these little engines run a bit warm...especially after Mommy and Daddy hold them.  Which leads me to my second piece of good news...

For the most part, they are adapted well enough to day to day activities that we can hold each of them almost whenever we visit.  And boy...let me tell ya...these guys are little time killers.  I tend to view myself as someone who always wants to do at least two things at a time.  Life is just more efficient that way.  Well...when you hold one of these little guys...that is MORE than enough to keep you satisfied.  They are each just so cute and so fun to cuddle with...I just don't know where the time goes!!  Even better...because they each need to be changed or fed at half hour intervals...their needs dictate where you go and who you feed.  Takes away any type of "guilt" having to put down whichever one you are holding to go take care of another!!

Ezra and Gideon (oops...) I mean Caleb are pretty much independent of any machines or IVs.  That means no needles!!!  The only exception might be for special tests that may need to be run as needed.  I don't know if they are fully considered "feeders and growers"...but they are awfully close.  Pretty much the only thing they aren't doing that a normal full term baby  is doing is eating with a bottle each meal and they still occasionally stop breathing or have their heart rates drop.

For the eating, all three of them have little orange tubes that go through their nose or mouth into their little tummies.  At least once a day (sometimes more if they are giving indicators wanting to feed) Caleb and Ezra try eating with a bottle and small nipple.  As they get better at the suck, swallow, breath thing they will have more and more via bottle and less via the feeding tube.  Generally, babies don't "learn" to do all three at once until around the 34-35 week mark.  So hopefully...we should see some progress in that regards soon.

In the same way...continual breathing is another issue.  Occasionally...as I think I have previously written...they will just forget to breath.  It isn't as scary as it sounds because the respiratory indicator and heart rate monitors track accordingly and set off the appropriate warning (we are experts reading these machines now!).  Normally, they will self-recover without any assistance.  If they don't do so in a few seconds...the nurses give a subtle reminder.  I've never been there for a "not-so subtle" reminder...but my impression is that they force the little one to cry...the best sign of breathing!!  Caleb is recieving caffeine to help his breathing a bit more.  So in that regards...with two doses of caffeine a day...at 6 days old...he will fit right into our Kaldahl Family!!  Can you put coffee in a bottle!?!  :-)  Fortunately, Ezra doesn't need it and seems to be the furthest along...amazing after the rough first day he had!!

Gideon is still on the nasal cannula.  This helps his breathing a bit.  They have tried weaning him down a bit...but he isn't responding as favorably or as quickly as Ezra did.  In the same regards, he is still on an IV and gets a mix of feeding tube and IV fluids to get his nutrients.  But...he is able to be held just as much as his brothers and is just as cosey(sp?) in his Mommy or Daddy's arms.

So that's about it from our neck of the woods.  We ask that you keep a fourth baby in your prayers over the next few weeks.  Our boys got a pod-mate yesterday, and unfortunately he is in much worse condition than our boys.  He was born at 25 weeks and is only around 1lb.  Obviously, the docs / nurses don't share anything with us....but the nature of the pod and proximity to each space makes privacy impossible.  This little guy is really, really small and I'm sure has a rough road ahead of him.  It makes for a mix of emotions sometimes.  On the one hand...we see how blessed we are to have avoided such a difficult time for our boys.  On the other...we are heartbroken to see such a little life struggle so much and can't imagine how hard it must be for his parents.  I suspect his mom is having her own medical issues because she has been physically unable to see him yet.  I don't know his name...but his first initial is "J."  So while you say your prayers tonight...please remember "J" and his family.

Okay....phew....to avoid ending this note on such a downer...I have included some pics.....

Caleb:  He was sleeping w/ one eye open!!

Gideon:  We finally got to see his eyes and hint of a smile!!

 Ezra: He likes his new crib and sleeps peacefully

A proud mommy and daddy with their oldest boy, Caleb

Have a great weekend!! 

God Bless,

J & A