Can I begin by saying that I'm so very, very grateful for my mother being here to help out? I'd be a huge basket case if it weren't for her. We are busy each week with doctors appointments, staggered feedings and the chaos that comes with being a family of 8 with 4 three years of age and younger. We have weekly speech therapy for both boys to monitor their ability to take a bottle. As crazy as it may sound to some, it is a huge help. Grant has a very unorganized suck and can take up to 40 minutes to drink 2 1/2 ounces. He has improved greatly this week with his volume and is now taking up to 3 1/2 ounces at a time. Bryce was doing very good at taking 3-4 ounces at a time but has struggled to increase his weight. This week we increased his calorie intake to 28 calories to compensate for the number of times that he nurses, rather than taking the bottle.
I don't know if I mentioned it previously but both of the boys require higher calories due to their severe prematurity. Breast milk and "normal" formula is 20 calories. Grant is currently on 26 calories and gains between 1/2 - 1 ounce a day. Bryce had also been on 26 calories but he's been struggling to put on even a 1/4 of an ounce a day. The problem is not something that I would ever have considered a problem up until the twins' birth - nursing. Both of the boys are getting to the point where they'd rather nurse than bottle feed. Grant will nurse about 3-4 times a day but easily takes his bottle when it is offered. It takes 3-5 minutes to get him to latch on a times but once he does, he's good about emptying it. Bryce, however, is losing interest in the bottle. We have to really work with him to take even 2 ounces from the bottle in the past few days. It is absolutely AWESOME that micro preemie twins with as many issues as they had preferring the breast over the bottle but poor Bryce really needs those extra calories from the formula that I can't give him with breast milk. We have ST (speech therapy) on Tuesday and hopefully they will be able to guide me on what to do regarding this. Upping his calories was a good start but if he's not taking the bottle, it doesn't do a lot of good.
Other than feeding, both boys are doing very well. Grant sleeps up to 9 hours at night and does a fantastic job of making up for it in his feeds during the day. Bryce has been waking up every 2 hours to feed at night which is typical for a breast fed newborn. Both are beginning to focus on us when we're holding them or talking to them. They are also beginning to track us if they hear us talking as we cross the room. Grant is up to 8 pounds even and Bryce is 7 pounds 4 ounces. They are still dinky but they seem so big to me considering how tiny those little boys were when they first entered the world!! Bryce and Grant (especially Grant) are also starting to coo and I swear that I've never heard anything sweeter in all of my life. These boys are such precious miracles!!
Since bringing the boys home from the hospital, we've been looking for another mode of transportation. Our minivan, while awesome, only holds 7 passengers. It also only held 3 car seats so it has been impossible to go anywhere with the girls during the week. This is yet another reason I'm terribly grateful for my mother. I only have room in the van for the boys plus Brooklyn so whenever the boys have a doctors appointment or I need to run an errand, mom watches the girls while I take the boys. It has made things a lot easier. However, we ARE going to have to be able to go as a family at some point and driving two vehicles to go anywhere is certainly not cost effective. We were blessed yesterday to be able to find a tank...er.... large vehicle for a great price and in great condition with low miles that fits all 8 of us comfortably. *I am still reeling from the thought that there are 8 of us in this family, btw* We bought a Ford Expedition. I swore I'd never go back to a domestic and certainly NEVER own a Ford (gasp) but it runs well and we can all go places as a family so I can suck it up, I guess. LOL
So why the title? Well, it has been quite an adjustment having two infants in the house, in addition to Brooklyn who is still a baby herself, and her three older sisters. And trying to figure out a way to get the whole family from point A to point B has been an interesting journey. However, the biggest adjustment for me is the acceptance of the fact that I'm just not all there right now with all that is going on. This morning I had an appointment for a much needed trim. I brought Grant and Raegan with me and left the younger 3 at home. When everyone asked which one of the twins I had, I of course said Grant. However, each time I'd talk about him after that, I'd call him Bryce. Earlier in the month I had a prescription called in for Bryce to our local pharmacy. For some reason, the prescription was filled under Grant's name instead of Bryce's. While they were in the middle of switching things over to Bryce, they asked for his insurance card to make sure that it was filed properly. I promptly handed them Grant's insurance card and yes, I knew it was Grant's when I handed it over. Confused the poor lady comes back and apologizes for all the confusion and told me that the script had been filled for the right baby after all. How foolish did I look when the light bulb came on and I had to explain that it was filled for the wrong baby and I just gave her the wrong insurance card. There have been times that I can't even remember my own name from being pulled in 38 different directions during the day. I know that this is just part of adjusting to life as a mom of 6 - 2 of which have special needs. But good gracious, how I'd love to have a few of those brain cells back! Its absolutely embarrassing some of the stupid things that I do and its always when I have none of the kids with me to explain away the complete airheadedness. Most people must think I have more than a few marbles loose. Sigh. I will be so happy when some of those marbles find their way home. I know. You don't have to tell me - to some extent, I will always be a few Fruit Loops short of a full bowl - but I know that at least SOME of those brain cells will become functional again once the kids are a little older and sleeping for 3 hours solid is not a luxury.
I read over my blogs since the boys' homecoming and have to sigh. I've gone from formulated thoughts to lots of ramblings and rabbit trails. Ah well. At least you have some good reading material if you desperately need to sleep but can't. Read my craziness and you'll conk right out! ;) Seriously though, I wouldn't trade one lost night's sleep or brain cell for the fact that both of these boys are home from the hospital and are beautiful, healthy and growing little babies! As much as I'd like to, I have no right to complain. Each night when I go to bed, I get to kiss two gifts from God (well, technically SIX!!). :)
*Correction (and proof that I'm a few marbles short): We bought an Excursion NOT an Expedition.
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