Monday, April 12, 2010

Quick update

Apologies for not providing better and updated information but it has been a trying 4 days.

Benjamin has been moved from the intensive neonatal unit to the regular neonatal unit.

Julia will probably be coming home on Wednesday.  The neonatal unit has mother/baby rooms and she was given one of these Sunday night.  But Nathan is attached to several monitors and these monitors constantly go off whenever Nathan movers.  Imagine trying to sleep with an alarm clock going off every 15 minutes.

Benjamin is as we expected the active one.  The nurses have called him "tres sportif."  Nathan is very calm and very quiet.  Much as Samuel was.

Samuel is continuing to grow up.  Yesterday I asked him to put his socks on and he sat on the floor and tried top put his socks on.  While he was doing this I sat next to him and pointed to his toes and said "Toes".  Samuel responded with what sounded like "toes."  I then pointed out that he has 5 toes and I counted them out.  Samuel then repeated what sounded like "five toes."

I talk to him every night about what is happening and why his mother has not been home.  I hope he understands but it is difficult to tell.

Both Benjamin and Nathan have had bouts of jaundice the last few days.  They have spent a few hours each day under the light therapy and it seems to have worked.

The doctors tell us that the boys need to be autonomous in their eating habits before they are able to come home.  Nathan has breastfed but hr takes a few swallows and then falls into a very deep sleep.  Very cute but we would rather see him eating.  Benjamin has yet to be breastfed as he had a tube up his nose to assist his breathing and a tube in his mouth through which he was fed expressed breast milk.

Our friends and neighbors have been wonderful.  Last Thursday our cleaning lady took Samuel with her to a friends house, which she also cleans, and Samuel had an extended play date with our friends son.  On Friday our cleaning lady dropped Samuel off at the HG.  On Saturday I took Samuel to the hospital to spend some time with Julia and while she was watching Samuel I visited the boys. For Sunday we asked a neighbor to watch Samuel for a few hors so I could visit the hospital.  This neighbor has a young daughter named Claire.  We had told the neighbor that I would drop Samuel off between 1530-1545. I was quite touched that her daughter was hanging out in front of our house from 1500, riding her bike around, waiting for Samuel to make his appearance.

Benjamin lifted his head today.  Later than Samuel did it but very early for a newborn to raise his head.  Benjamin also almost rolled over yesterday.

Nathan lays very still and coos.

-Dave