Another Day...

Well, we're still here. A week ago today, I was at home mentally preparing for my C-section. Now, a week later, we have two precious babies in the NICU. Leah became an official NICU patient yesterday. She and Joel are both in isolettes. Picture a crib with glass sides and a glass roof. We take them out to feed them and then back in they go. Every three hours, we take their temps, change their diapers, I nurse one then Todd bottle feeds, I nurse the other then Todd bottle feeds. We are supplementing each nursing session with formula to try and get them to gain weight and hopefully help them hold their body temperatures.

This may be way too much info but here is our situation: The isolettes have an air flow of a constant temperature. The temp in the isolettes started out at 33.0 degrees celcius. Leah and Joel have to hold a body temp of 37.5 degrees celcius and above. If they reach 37.0 or above, the nurses turn down the isolette temp. 1/2 a degree. When the isolette temp reaches 28 degrees, they will begin the transfer to a crib- then they have to hold their body temp for 24 hrs before they are released. If they fail in the crib, we start over. Both isolettes are down to 31 degrees after 24hrs. in their isolettes. It's a slow process. The great thing is, they are both healthy, just suffering from their immature status.

Please pray specifically for them to hold their body temps. We are emotionally ready to go home and be a family again. Of course we want to take home healthy babies, so we're willing to wait, but the wait is challenging. We were moved to a different room again last night. Now we have windows again and a bigger room but we're back to three security doors and a walk to our precious little ones instead of being right outside their door.

I haven't mentioned the incredible care we have received here. Our NICU angels a.k.a. nurses have been so amazing. They have hugged me as I cried, laughed with us, admired our little ones, and have gone above and beyond in everything. We are so thankful to have Joel and Leah in their care and know the Lord has sent them as an extra blessing when we have needed one so desperately.