Thursday, July 12, 2012

NICU Days With the Quads!

I arrived here yesterday morning making the trip in near record time - for ME!
4 hours 16 minutes!

Amber and I spent the afternoon at the NICU and I held Trystan Lee for the very first time! She is a wise little owl. Trystan was the 'gatekeeper' - the baby at the very BOTTOM - holding that 'gate' closed! And a GOOD one she was TOO!

"Now just WHOOOOOO did you say you are? My GRANDma???"

I had thought - we all thought - a baby may be coming home while I am down here but, alas, it will not be for another week or so. Little Miss Trystan had been taking all 8 of her feeds by bottle but this simply WORE HER OUT!!
You will notice the feeding tube is back in. Plus both Trystan and Logan had a 'Bradys.' This is where there heart rate drops really low. While this is common in preemies, they do NOT want to send babies home when they are still doing that!
The baby must go 7 days without a Brady so the count started over.


This is Miss Kailey - the baby that looks most like Amber.
Next time I come down I will bring Amber's baby book so she can see for herself.
Kailey ripped HER feeding tube out the other day but they replaced it yesterday.
The formula they don't take from a bottle is then given to them through the tube.


Harrison also had a feeding tube put back in. I took pictures of them BEFORE so you can see their pretty faces! Amber is certainly looking pretty these days!


Sweet little boy!


Logan Lee - born the 'Peanut' of the four weighing only 2 lb 6 oz - is no longer the smallest! She alone of all the babies has NO feeding tube and gobbles all her feeds down in 10 minutes flat!

These pics are from yesterday. I admit to being a tired Grandma when we got home last night! Amber had put some delicious short ribs in the crock pot so we came in and ate while we watched the Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. We missed this when it came out during the quad pregnancy and vowed we would see it after the babies arrived and so we did!

Today was another busy day. Let's face it! With the quads EVERY day is going to be a busy day!!


We started the day with a trip to the hair salon - for Amber.
There were several classy little boutiques nearby - but I had spied a GOODWILL so I trotted myself down there and found several great finds! From Bill Blass white pants to several Ann Taylor tops and a Liz Claiborne chambray shirt - I was super pleased with my shopping expedition!


Back in the days when Amber was covering a lot of openings and events she and her friend, Lisa, would stop in at this Japanese Sushi Bar and have lunch.
They liked it because it had easy parking and a peaceful relaxing atmosphere - not to mention good food! She was telling me about it and since we were headed to the hospital to eat in the cafeteria anyway - she decided to whip right in and that's where we had lunch! Perhaps the LAST quiet lunch out together for some time!


I'm not big on sushi so I had a Kobe hamburger and sweet potato fries.


It all TASTED as good as it LOOKED!!
And I ate every single solitary BITE!!

Then we headed to the NICU where we spent the remainder of the day and stayed until nearly 10:00 pm. A volunteer group had brought a dinner of roasted chicken, green beans and macaroni and cheese in for the NICU families. That made it easy to stay later tonight! Next visit I will bring a cake to share with the ones at the Ronald McDonald House. This place has been such a blessing to us!

NICU days are busy days and I have been busy learning how to feed, burp, hold, and bathe preemies. 


I even needed to learn how to wrap these babies up like burritos!


I have fed all four babies - Logan is the easiest!


Harrison is the hardest!


I gave Trystan and Kailey baths tonight.
It is the evening shift that weighs, measures, bathes and changes their clothes.
Amber and Mike have 2 closets chock full of cute outfits and soft cuddly blankets.
The nurses enjoy dressing the babies up!

I can't tell you how grateful I am to get all this 'Traing Time!'
I have learned SO much and will be more comfortable caring for the quads now.
The nurses and staff are wonderful at sharing all the tips they know and since several of them have had the quads since they arrived - SIX weeks ago now! - they even share the specifics that work for THAT particular baby!

We got home late this evening and I am bone tired.
But I will be ready to do it all again in the morning!

13 comments:

Pondside said...

What a day, Linda! You are in Quad Heaven and on Quad Time - for the rest of your life! Lovely photos of your baby and her babies.

RetirementRainbow.blogspot.com said...

Oh! My Goodness! They are all so beautiful! They all look so big and healthy and alert. Many Congratulations to you all!

Angie said...

I loved seeing all the pics of the Quads in their adorable outfits. That duck sleeper is too sweet. They are all just perfect :)

Glad you and Amber got some time out today. Sounds like you made major scores at the Goodwill. I love anything Ann Taylor! BTW, that coral shirt looks beautiful on you. I think that is your color!!!

Hope tomorrow is just as wonderful for you friend!

Vee said...

Well I am very glad that you ate all your supper because you must set an example for those babes. Yes, Amber looks much more herself...relaxed and pain free...I don't know about that, but I'm hoping that pain free is the truth.

The babies are just too cute. They all look so healthy and darling in their outfits and caps. We'll add "no Bradys" to our prayer list.

Take care now, everyone...

Bernice said...

They are beautiful!! I am so happy that you are able to old and feed them,have you been given the chance to change one of those famous Bell stinky diaper yet;)
Enjoy every minute of your stay, and continued prayers.

Jill said...

They are absolutely beautiful babies! They look so healthy. You did such a good job describing and showing pictures I almost feel like I was right there with you. Amber looks wonderful! I'm glad you got a nice, quiet meal together. Here's to another day filled with baby love...x's 4!

Changes in the wind said...

Those babies get cuter every time you snap a picture...so glad they are doing well and Grandma better not skip her vitamins:)

Kelly said...

I love reading updates like this! So glad to see the babies making good progress. They are the sweetest things in their adorbable outfits! I never knew there was so much to taking care of preemies. It all makes perfect sense though. I don't care for sushi either. I think your burger looked good though! Glad that y'all are able to eat so well to keep up your energy for everything going on. That is so important.

Deb said...

I bet it is a whole new experience with the quads...learning what works for each little one...such cute photos...I know you will all be happy when the little sweeties can call go home and start their lives...

Deb said...

I bet it is a whole new experience with the quads...learning what works for each little one...such cute photos...I know you will all be happy when the little sweeties can call go home and start their lives...

Chatty Crone said...

Each one more precious as each day goes by. sandie

Elizabeth and Gary said...

Hi Linda,
The babies look wonderful!!! and are growing so perfectly. They are just so sweet. I am so glad Amber is doing so well, and she looks lovely!
Such a special time in your life's thank you for sharing it with us.
Have a sweet day, Elizabeth

Carla said...

We keep telling Amber how remarkable she is and was during her pregnancy but You are also remarkable running the highway from Dallas to here and from Katy to the Med Center.
You're an energizer bunny clone. You just keep on going.
Hugs