Four Weeks

Today, the twins are four weeks old. It seems like both an eternity ago and just yesterday that they were born. They have now reached what would have been 32 weeks gestation, and are getting closer to being ready to function in this outside world.

We had a good day with both babies yesterday. Colin started the morning out a little agitated, but his moving (some might call it thrashing) about is causing fewer desaturations — which is very good. He received his first dose of the steroids at noon yesterday, and had a very good afternoon and evening. We are taking that as a sign that the steroid treatment is starting to work — although I don’t know for sure how quickly it actually would take effect.

The doctor was hoping to switch Colin back to the regular ventilator yesterday, but they ran out of time. The nurse thought they would make the switch today instead. John and I both are looking forward to getting Colin off the vibrating ventilator — both because he seems more comfortable on the regular machine, and because we should be able to hold him again. It has been more than a week since the last time I was able to take him out of the isolette. That’s a very long time.

The Prevacid seems to be working for Veronica’s reflux, which in turn seems to have been the cause of bradys, as suspected. She continues to have episodes, but more along the line of one or two a day rather than every hour, as she was for a while there.

Her nurse yesterday (who will be her nurse again today) said she is going to ask the doctor about putting Veronica back on getting her feed over just one hour (down from two right now). If she tolerates that, we may be able to try going back to the regular feeding — holding the milk up and letting it drain into her stomach — rather than the continuous feeding.

This is significant because now that she is 32 weeks, Veronica should be able to handle the combination of skills needed to start taking a bottle and eventually nursing. She has been sucking on her pacifier during her feedings (and her hand, thumb, blanket or whatever else she can get into her mouth) so she is getting used to the idea of associating sucking with a full tummy. She will need to master this last skill before she is able to come home (and, of course, have her bradys under control and be off the oxygen). We are getting so much closer with her.