Banned from the NICU!

Mommie was kicked out of the NICU today.  :(  I have caught the cold that Bubba had last week.  NICU rules say I am persona non grata.  :(  I knew that when I left the house.  I was really going to deliver milk.  I took a peek at both boys and grabbed their dirty laundry and headed home after a quick trip to Babies R Us (I got a nice price adjustment on the carseats!). 

But how about some good news about the boys???

Weight check:
Colton 4lb 11oz
Sean 3lb

Sean is on his way to TRIPLING his birth weight!  This is a huge feat considering how he has struggled.  He is doing okay on the vent - his settings were lowered - but the ET tube causes some irritation and he has bronchospasms.  When he bronchospams, he is literally clamping down his lungs and not breathing at all!  When that happens his heart slows to the 70's (his normal heart rate is 150's).  A lot of times he recovers on his own, but a few times the nurses have had to help him out.  He is continuing his antibiotics for his pneumonia.  And, remember his broken leg?  He's moving it all over the place!  Poor nurses keep trying to get him to hold it still, but he refuses.  Spunky little kid!  He is now eating 27ml every 3 hours.  :)

Colton is actually big enough to come home!  He is waiting for his double surgery on Monday.  The general surgeon and the neurosurgeon agree to do his shunt placement and hernia repair at the same time!  WOO HOO!!  After his surgery, we are going to work on getting him to take a bottle.  Babies don't general know how to suck, swallow and breath until about 34 weeks.  On Monday, the boys will be 34 weeks, 3 days.  We would do it sooner, but the surgery will require him to go back on the vent (for maybe a day or two) and then starting over once he's extubated. 

Because the boys were so early, they have not been able to breastfeed - they both are tube fed.  I have been pumping every 2-3 hours with a 5 hours break during the night.  Even though my milk never really came in like it does for most women, I've done okay with my volume up until now.  The boys are now eating more than I am producing.  :(  Because of this, Colton is now getting some formula.  He's the bigger, stronger boy so his system will have an easier time with the formula.  This is a real big bummer for me.