Pushing the Limits (Milk and Otherwise)

Court was able to come home yesterday after a three night stay at the hospital where she began nursing this week.  All the babies were able to nurse for periods of time. Yesterday afternoon also marked the first time they took a bottle.  Each bottle or breastfeeding is still being supplemented with a gavage feeding.  For example, Gabe at his 2:00 took 17 of his 37 cc's from a bottle with the rest via gavage.  Many times they are just too tired to non-gavage feed for more than a few minutes.  Try to imagine being ripped from your bed at 200am (after weeks of softly receiving milk into your stomach via tube), having a breast or bottle shoved into your mouth and being told to work for your food.... 

A milestone in order to come home is the ability for all feedings to be either breast or bottle.  We will not be able to administer gavage feedings at home.  After accomplishing that, they will have to sleep in a crib for a few days, and finally then they will be subject to release.  

The babies receive feedings and assessments every three hours....800, 1100, 200 and 500 am and pm. Assessments include temperature and vitals check, diaper changes, a check via syringe of how much of the last meal is undigested in the stomach, and multiple other steps.  The NICU nurses try to involve us in the assessment steps, so we have already taken temperature and changed diapers many times. 

The babies will enjoy a milk buffet this weekend - breast, bottle and gavage....hopefully an increasing amount of breast/bottle.    I wonder if Golden Coral would be more popular with the younger generations if they offered something similar.  Depends on the waitresses I suppose.   Just a thought...... (Is this thing on??)

We were able to pick up our new Honda Odyssey last night and Courtney even drove for the frst time in a couple months.  She picked up right where she left off.   I will not comment if that is a good or bad thing.  Austin liked mommy's "new truck."   The night ended with Austin and mom playing outside on the swingset while dad mowed the yard.  Austin loves to watch dad mow the grass, and this was the first time I had been able to this year.  Thanks to my dad and jay for handling the first several cuts.