Hospital Frustrations...

Well, as of today our babies have been in the hospital for 37 days!! And, if I include my stay before they were born, I have been there every day for 51 days!! It's pretty unbelievable!! With that said...the past few days have been long and full of frustration!! It started out the other day when they decided to move the boys into the "isolation room" (a.k.a. closet!!) with one other child to try to accommodate more patients. The room was so small that Kyle and I barely fit in there together, much less if the other babies parents had been there!! Plus, this room is off away from everyone else and in a place that could be easily overlooked!! While we were there, Mitchell's alarms went off and no one ever came to check on him. Kyle finally went out and asked one of the nurses who was supposed to watch out for them. With a rude tone the nurse said that she was looking after them while their nurse was at lunch. So, Kyle looked at her and said, "well one of my sons just had an apnea spell and no one ever came to check on him." Then, of coarse she was super sweet and so sorry!! So, we ended up being moved back out to the nursery. Then, for the past few days we have had nurses from the "well baby nursery" who are VERY sweet, but don't have the slightest idea about how to care for preemies!! They ran out of breast milk the other night and instead of calling me to bring more in, they just gave them formula for 3 of their feedings. Then, all to find out that there was actually still some in there fridge that never got used!! Then, Dr. Hassell wrote orders to take Mitchell off his calorie fortifier and one of the nurses mixed his breast milk up with it and had I not been there to stop her, he would have had it. I mean, that's like giving a patient medication that hasn't been ordered...what an idiot!! You would think that these nurses would read the patients chart after the doctors had made there rounds to check for new orders!! UHHHHHH...it makes me so mad!! Then, last night I was breast feeding Mitchell and his numbers all went south and alarmed the monitors and no one came until I said that I needed help. Then, the ding dong nurse was like, "well, was that a spell?" and I said, "I don't know that's why I called you over here." then she said, "well, let me ask another nurse." So the other nurse said she didn't feel comfortable documenting it as a spell since she didn't see it. So, I was completely frustrated because if it was a spell, I want it documented so that he doesn't get discharged before he needs to. However, if it wasn't a spell, I don't want it documented because we are anxious to get them home and that will delay the process by another 5 days!! And, normally I don't breast feed right after I bathe them because the nurses said they would get too tired. But, the "well baby" nurse encouraged me to go ahead with it, that they would do fine and of coarse it ended up being a nightmare!! They were screaming and completely uncooperative!! Then, a NICU nurse came to help and said, "didn't you bathe them just now?" and I said, "yes, but their nurse told me to go ahead and breastfeed them." Then, she rolled her eyes and said, "I don't know why she told you to do that." Also, when they weighed Parker last night, they told us that he weighed 4 lbs. 4 oz. which would be a 6 oz. gain from the night before. Neither of them have ever had that big of a gain and when I asked one of the NICU nurses about it, she laughed and said that there was no way that was right and to be expecting a big weight loss tonight. So, all that to say, we ended up talking to the charge nurse last night and she said she was going to try not to schedule the boys with the "well baby" nurses so much. I felt bad, because they were all SOOO nice, but I really was starting to feel uncomfortable leaving them under their care!! So, today when I got there, my favorite nurse, Jamie was taking care of them!! She is who took them at the delivery and she is awesome!! I just love her to death!! I told her that I wished she worked every day so she could be their nurse!! Unfortunately, she only works 2 days per week so I guess that's out of the question!! Anyways...hopefully things will be better and these babies will be home soon where they belong!!! Jamie said today that she thought Mitchell would be home by this weekend, so I hope she's right!! Kyle and I completed the CPR thing tonight so now all Mitchell has left to do is his circumcision (ouch!!) and the car seat test!! Hopefully, all will go well and he will be home soon!! Please keep praying as Parker still probably has a couple more weeks!!

Updates...

Well, our precious little ones are doing so great!! Mitchell now weighs 4 lbs. 9 oz. and Parker weighs 3 lbs. 14.2 oz. It seems like their weight has just taken off!! They are now on "full feeds" which means they can eat as much as they want at feeding time instead of having a set amount. They are both breast feeding wonderfully!! They can only do it twice per day because they still get tired and don't need to burn any unnecessary calories. They have to weigh between 1900-2000 grams before they can move to an open air crib and Mitchell is past that. So, we're thinking he will probably move soon, but Parker still has some time!!

So, the following is what they have to do to go home:

Not have spells for at least 5 days in a row
Be on "full feeds"
Maintain their temp. in an open air crib for 48 hours
Pass their car seat test (they have to sit in it hooked up to all the monitors for the amount of time it takes to drive them home without the alarms going off)
Kyle & I have to take an infant CPR class

Dr. Hassell and our nurse talked to us about going home yesterday, which was so exciting!! They said that once we get them home, that we shouldn't take them anywhere except the doctor until the spring because of RSV season!! So, I guess if you want to see them before the spring, you will have to come to us. But, they said don't come with a cold or bring small children.

So, if all goes well we think Mitchell could possibly come home in the next week!! Parker still needs to be a little bigger before he will be ready to come home, unfortunately!! Although, Dr. Hassell said preemies usually struggle in at least one of these areas and the boys have done great so far with everything, so we hope the open air crib won't be their problem area!!

Anyways...they are just doing so great and we are so thankful!! God has definitely held these babies in His hands and protected them and for that we are truly grateful!! Please keep praying!!

As for Kyle and I, we are trying to get everything in order for these babies to come home, as they will be here before you know it and we will be home-bound for the most part!!