Luca Ella (aka Pieces, Baby A) & Finley Vera (aka Bits, Baby B) Tonn were born via scheduled cesarean ssection on January 7, 2014 at 9:47 & 9:48 am. Luca weighed 3lbs, 5.3oz & was 16 inches, Finley weighed 3lbs, 11oz & 17 inches. Everything went well, they were taken down to the NICU after meeting mommy & daddy. Bryan went with them to the NICU while I went to recovery. They were put on CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) & an IV for fluids. My delivery nurse wheeled me in my bed to the NICU after staying in recovery for a while & I was able to see them again for a few minutes. Since I still had my epidural, I had to stay in bed for the remainder of the day. Bryan was able to visit them throughout the day & do some diaper changes.
We stayed in the hospital for 4 nights after delivery. The girls have "touch times" every 3 hours where we check their temp & change their diaper. The nurse checks them out & we can touch them through port holes in their incubators. They are kept warm in these incubators. We (me & the girls in & out of utero wereinpatient together for 7 weeks, 5 days. I discharged home this past Saturday the 11th (our6 year wedding anniversary). My mom is here until Saturday which has been a huge help and we have been able to keep our amazing nanny for a while longer. Grandma has been able to see them daily & has even been able to hold them. Ani & Brody cant visit in the NICU but they have seen lots of pictures. Anika is having a little bit of a harder time since she can't see them & we still go to the hospital. She & Brody are excited to have me home though.
After a couple days we were able to do kangaroo time (skin to skin) with Luca. Finley had to be put on a ventilator to help with breathing & to be given surfactant which helps her lungs. I don't call her feisty Finley for no reason, after a day or so on the vent, she decided to pull her tubes out & wave them in the air. Apparently she knew something we didn't, like-she didn't need it any more. She was put back on CPAP & stayed on it for a couple days. She was also under lights for slight jaundice. They are now 3 days free of CPAP & IV's, Finley has been off lights for 2 days & both are now on room air with just a little added pressure through a nasal cannula. They are fed through a gavage or ng tube feeding (tube in the mouth down to the stomach). I have an abundant supply of breast milk & they are well fed. Right now they get 22ml feeds every 3 hours plus 2ml of a fortifier. They practice sucking eith their tiny soothies when they are fed through their ng tube to simulate what it will be like when actually getting fed by mouth. Next week we get to attempt breast feeding.
Bryan & I take alternate holding each baby but get to do it twice a day & at the same time. They have now been moved to a different pod within the NICU as they don't need as much undivided care. They are slowly gaining weight from their initial normal baby weight losses but are still tiny @ 3lbs, 3oz (Luca) & 3lbs, 3.67oz (Finley). The estimate length of time they will be here is 6-8 weeks & we're past 1 week now. Please conyinue to keep them in your prayers. I will post pictures later today.
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