Overstimulated

This is a word we heard a lot in the NICU.  They said that premature babies aren't supposed to be bounced or moved too fast or startled because it isn't good for the neurological development.  We are not sure when they will be 'all clear' from this, but in the meantime we keep our house quiet, move slowly with them, hold them close, and try not to startle them.

When either of them are startled when during sleep, they throw their hands up in the air.  It happens if there is a louder noise or if we touch them to move them too suddenly.  Sydney has a tendency to hold them in that place--sometimes for minutes at a time.  I've seen her be started and overstimulated and then hold her hands up for 10 minutes.  It is pretty funny...even if we're trying to avoid it.  I snapped a photo of Sydney the other day during her 'strike a pose' moment.

Oh and you can see that we've had a hard time cutting their nails well--she scratched her cheek so bad that it bled that day.  She is such a mild baby.  She is pretty content most of the time (thank goodness because she has the lungs of the two of them!)