Day 33

I am starting to wonder if I give too many details on this blog and bore everyone. I literally write all the news that I can think of every night. I have enjoyed keeping this up-to-date so I have a record of these events with photos and video and my family and friends (and even strangers) can keep up with these amazing babies.

Now for the updates. Ethan gained 68 grams to 2708 last night and Sydney is up 100 grams to 2520 grams. This puts Ethan at 5 lb 15.5 oz (yes, just shy of 6 lbs with his cast!) and Sydney is 5 lb 9 oz. Ethan's foot will be re-cast tomorrow, so we'll try to remember to ask them to weigh him before and after the cast so we have an idea what it weighs. Their feedings were increased by 1 cc each. This brings Ethan's feed to 54 cc and Sydney to 50 cc.

Today's 1 pm feeding went fairly well. Ethan took in 28 cc again--we're hopeful he'll jump up to his 40 cc record again soon. He is brady-free since yesterday at noon. Sydney took in only 8 cc. It's difficult to just be patient while she learns to eat. We get discouraged and then remember that once they get this (so we're told) they will take off and be home shortly. That is, as long as Ethan stops his bradys. We meet with Annie, the occupational therapist, again on Friday afternoon and we're hoping they are 'getting it' by then.

We decided to go back for the 10 pm feeding tonight (instead of going at 7 pm to find them sleeping--that's been the trend the last few nights). We are thinking of doing this every day from now on, but are a little anxious about staying up late and getting up early for work and school. We'll see how we hold up. When we arrived, we were told that 7 pm was a little rough time for Ethan. His oxygen saturation dropped and wasn't coming up on his own. They gave him a little oxygen and called the Neonatologist to examine him. They decided to take some labs to see if he was getting sick (RSV, etc.). His white blood cell count came back normal as well as a test checking the ratio of red to white blood cells. They said they will watch him carefully tonight.

As a result of the 7 pm rustling (being examined and blood drawn), Ethan was really sleepy for our 10 pm feeding. We were frustrated, but know his breathing is more important that eating. Here are a few videos of us trying to wake him up. I talk about "oral motor" on the second one. This is one thing the occupational therapist taught us to do in the very beginning. It helps teach them to open and bring their tongue down. Premies sometimes keep their tongues on the roof of their mouth and that doesn't work for sucking properly.

Tonight, Ethan ended up getting zero in his feeding. Sydney got 10 cc. Not our best day for feeding. It is so frustrating when we know that this is something they have to 'get' before we can take them home.