Moving Up In The World

Just in case the doctors decided to say that our kids could go home today (that didn’t happen), the nursery is ready to go.  The drawers are full of all kinds of cute and loads of baby-related things I didn’t even know existed.  For now, the chair gets some good use by Tanya, but that’s about it.  No crying.  Yet.

Today we got the great news that the twins are moving from the Level 3 part of the NICU (the super-scary, kids-are-barely-hanging-on area) to the Level 2 part of the NICU (not quite so scary).  Here’s Cameron’s playpen (he’s in there) during his last hour in Level 3…

It seems like there’s a different type of something every day around their beds.  Today that something was just some labels I hadn’t seen before.  So, is this line a PICC or TPN?  I have no idea what I’m talking about…

Since Cameron’s Level 3 playpen is tied to all kinds of fancy computer equipment, he had to get a new playpen to move to Level 2.  They’re pretty much the same, except that he hasn’t pooped in the new one yet…

Here’s up close and personal with Cameron’s Darth Vader machine.  This contraption apparently warms up and humidifies the air he breathes.  Must be nice…

I stole Cameron from Tanya for a little bit today.  He uses his time with me to practice crying.  He’s keeping his skills secret from Tanya for the time being.  One day, he’s going to show her how great of a crier he is.  He wants to make her proud.  Here’s a shot of the 4 seconds he wasn’t crying when I was holding him…

Here are Cameron’s old and new playpens.  The new one’s on the left.  They’re like one-man backpacking tents, except they’re heavy, loaded with wires and computers, roll any way you push them, have built-in heaters, and they’re not actually big enough for a man…

OH MY! WAIT!!  THERE’S A NOSE ON MY FACE!!!!?!!?!!!

Oh wait.  Nevermind.  There’s a nose on daddy’s face too.  It’s cool…

Sophia left Level 3 several hours before Cameron did.  Apparently, once Cameron got the “first born son” title, he decided he could slack off a bit.  We need to have a talk.  Anyway, here’s Sophia’s empty Level 3 area…

Sophia keeps getting little eye boogers on her left eye.  Tanya cleans them off every day, but they keep coming back.  Maybe the nurses put them there because they think eye boogers are cute.  Here’s another picture Sophia will one day be mortified about.  Eye boogers…Yay!

Sophia’s getting more & more “fill” under her skin every day.  Tanya & I both think she looks more like Cameron as time passes.  Her hair’s also getting blonder every day.  Cute blond daughter…I’m sooo in trouble.

 

Here’s her foot sensor.  It makes sure her foot is still there…

While Tanya was holding Sophia, Cameron moved over to the Level 2 area right next to Sophia.  I snuck over (all 10 feet) to snap some photos of him.  He wouldn’t dance, so I got some shots of him sleeping instead…

Here are the magic mommy vibes in action.  Sophia completely loves cuddling with Tanya.  She is absolutely never more happy than when she’s with her mom…

Here’s proof of the happiness.  See those cute cheeks?  Yes, you do.

Sophia totally loves me.  At least that’s my story.  I’m writing this, so you get my story.  She loves me.  Lots…

The twins don’t get covered in blankets when they sleep, so we cover their playpens in blankets instead.  There’s a sort of “keeping up with the Joneses” that goes on at the NICU with playpen blankets.  Ours match with different his & hers color palettes.  We haven’t upgraded to the blankets with gold plating yet though…

It may not seem like much, but the step up to the Level 2 NICU is a big deal for us.  It’s a quieter place with less frequent evil beeps and boops.  One thing it does seem to have more of though is crying babies.  The Level 2 kids seem to be older with stronger lungs.  When kids in Level 3 need something, their monitors beep and boop.  When kids in Level 2 need something, they cry.

Let the crying begin!

4 thoughts on “Moving Up In The World”

  1. Awesome…they are doing so well. I miss being there…but will be out soon. Loving these updates, but so much work for you. Thanks though!!!

  2. Great news that they are growing and, in your words, ‘moving up in the world’. BTW: a PICC line is a peripherally-inserted central catheter– an long IV line that goes in an arm, but the tip resides in a central vein (usually the superior vena cava). It is safer for long-term use due to its long length, which makes a line infection less likely. For this reason, it is usually used for longterm IV antibiotics, or, in Cameron’s case, TPN. TPN is total parenteral nutrition: the building blocks of food formulated to feed through an IV rather than through the gut. I would suspect they are supplementing his nutrition through the IV. Godspeed! Just remember, they will get a month or two EXTRA use out of their nursery compared with term newborns!

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