Russell & Charlotte's NICU days (12/30/08 &ndash 2/17/09)

Click on the headings for pictures and more info.

Arrival Day 12/30/2008! (pictures)

NICU days

1/1/2009 (pictures)

Russell has been taken off the ventilator. Yay! He also started some little feedings today. Charlotte has developed a pneumothorax (air collecting in the chest cavity). It doesn't seem to be causing trouble, so they are just waiting to see if it resolves itself. They are holding off starting feedings on her to keep from stressing her more.



More pictures coming soon for some of these dates. I wanted to get the info up so you can see how well they are both doing.

1/2/2009

Russell
Russell is at an even 3 lbs today (1370 g). (It is apparently standard for babies to drop a little weight initially.)

He is getting some of the standard things for premature newborns: a blood transfusion, caffeine, lasix (a diuretic), and some UV light treatment for elevated bilirubin levels (hence the sunglasses in the pictures).

He is feeding at 6 ccs (5 ccs = 1 teaspoon) every three hours (through an NG tube since he is too little to know how to eat)

Charlotte
Charlotte still weighs 2 lbs 11 ozs (1220 g).

She is also getting the standard things for premature newborns: a blood transfusion, caffeine, lasix (a diuretic), and some UV light treatment for elevated bilirubin levels (cool shades for her, too)

The pneumothorax wasn't resolving on it's own and she really looked like she was working hard at breathing. So they put in a chest tube to try to clear the air out of her chest cavity and get her lung back in order and put her on a ventilator. Between that and the UV shades, you can't see much of her cute little face now.

Cindy got to go home from the hospital today!

1/3/2009 (pictures)

Russell Charlotte

1/4/2009

Russell Charlotte Kevin's folks flew in today to meet the babies. (Pictures coming from them soon, too.)

Kevin got his first chance to hold Russell today!

1/6/2009 (pictures)

Russell Charlotte

1/7/2009

Russell Charlotte

1/8/2009 (pictures)

Russell Charlotte

1/9/2009

Russell Charlotte

1/10/2009

1/11/2009 (pictures)

1/12/2009

1/13/2009

1/16/2009 (new pictures!)

Kevin and Vicki had to be in Lubbock for a couple of days for work. Cindy & family dropped in a little extra on the little ones for us. Kevin got back to Amarillo yesterday and Vicki made it back tonight.

Charlotte made it up over 3 pounds!

1/17/2009 (new pictures!)

1/18/2009

1/20/2009 (new pictures!)

Russell made it up over 4 pounds today!

1/21/2009

1/22/2009

1/24/2009 (new pictures!)

1/25/2009 (new pictures!)

Vicki got to help feed Russell today and got to hold both babies (see pics).

2/3/2009

I guess it has gotten busy, because I haven't kept up with the web page!

2/9/2009

Rooming In, Part I

Rooming In, Part II: 2/15 &ndash 2/16

This time Kevin and I roomed in with both Russell and Charlotte. Wow - that was tiring! Just when both babies would be asleep at the same time, it would be time for a nurse to come in and do an assessment!