3 Week Update and 1st Bath

The girls are continuing to do well.  A phrase that we hear a lot in the NICU is 

"They are acting developmentally appropriate for their age."

Basically, the are doing exactly what the doctors and nurses would expect 3 week old babies that were born at 32 weeks to do.  

Naomi is now 3 pounds 13 1/2 ounces.

She loves to nurse.

She is soooo..... close to not needing her extra oxygen.  She has been staying right around 22-25%.  

21% is room air.

She does well with her bottles most of the time.  But just inconsistent enough to keep her from progressing to the next feeding stage.

She is maintaining her own body temperature.  

They will not move her out of her isolette until she is more consistent with her bottle feedings 

because it actually will use up too many calories for her to be in an open crib.  And they want 

those calories going towards eating better.  

Isn't that crazy that just hearing more noise, feeling drafts, and being in room air would burn 

enough calories to be worried about?!?

I wish I had that problem :)

Colette is 3 pounds 12 ounces.

She also loves to nurse (although she is a little slower to get a full feed).

She is not quite as close as Naomi with her oxygen needs.  She is still up around 30% (which is developmentally appropriate for her age).

She doesn't like her bottle quite as much as Naomi, but she is gradually getting better.

She is maintaining her own body temperature.

She also has to do better with feedings before they will move her out of her isolette.

Overall, the girls are doing awesome!!!  Colette is just a half step behind Naomi in a couple of things, but both girls are healthy and growing!  

Onto fun stuff~ their first bath!!!

Naomi bundled up in her blanket in the "whale" tub.  They keep them wrapped up to help them feel more secure and to keep them warm.  

Again~ they don't want them wasting calories on arms flailing around, 

getting too cold, or crying too much.

The nurse was nice enough to take pictures, so I could do the bath.

She was pretty darn comfortable in there~ she was almost falling asleep!

Sweet girl!

Once Naomi was done with her bath, she got bundled up in 2 warm blankets.  

Nice and clean~ with a new pink bow in her hair!

Now for Colette's first bath!

Korby brought the kids up so that they could be there.  They really haven't been able to do anything to really bond with these girls yet.  So, it was nice to have them there to feel like they are a 

part of these girls lives.

The nurse wasn't able to get as many close up shots of Colette since the kids were all around the tub, but I'm still glad they were there.

You can hardly see Colette, but she is in the tub.

Colette getting her arm washed.  The nurse kept calling it their "Spa Day."  They got to soak in a jacuzzi, get a mini massage, be lathered up with lotion, and they got their hair done.

Sounds like a great day to me!   

Colette bundled up in her warm blankets.

Here is Colette after her bath, but before she got her new purple bow.  I will have to make sure to get a picture of that next time I go.

This was the first time that the kids have been able to touch their sister!  Crazy that after almost 3 weeks, they would have to ask a nurse if they could touch their sister's foot for the first time!

Maybe next time they come they will be able to touch Naomi.

*Notice the Elmer's glue on top of the isolette.  That is what they use in the NICU to keep 

bows in the girl's hair!