The boys are catching up

I'm hoping to get some new pictures up tomorrow -- and maybe even a video at some point -- but in the meantime here's a text-only update for you. Abby had a tough night last night, as she had to contend with a fever and a lot of pain from the surgery. Little by little she's been feeling better, able to sit up more often, choose from a slightly wider range of snacks, etc. And, most importantly, around 1:30 this afternoon she was able to go visit the NICU and see the babies for the first time since they were born. I'll leave it to her to blog about the experience at some future date -- she was clearly pretty thrilled though. We're hoping to go back up for another visit tonight.

Other good news: the boys were both taken off CPAP today, so they're basically breathing on their own (like their sister). The staff will keep a close eye on them, and they can always switch back if they need to. But it's really good that, less than 48 hours from birth, all 3 are breathing so well. You can really see the boys' faces much better now -- and you can see that they both have hair! It's not as dark as Lila's though. Speaking of baby girl, she opened her eyes for a little while earlier, and they sure looked blue to me. I know that can change, but it was just neat to see her eyes open. She also got a little food for the first time today!

The NICU is an interesting place. At some point I'll try to post some pictures so you can all see it. It's huge (biggest in the state) and is actually on 2 floors. It does not have a long glass window where people can go look in on babies easily. The babies are not side by side in a long row of incubators. It's not easiest place to get in and out of -- you just have to know the routine. You have to pass through 2 sets of double doors, have a badge and be waived through by security. Once you're in the room, you have to find your way to the babies you're there to see -- and you have to be accompanied by a parent. There are columns throughout which are painted to look like tree trunks (the ceilings have the branches and leaves). Around each tree trunk you'll find four zones, each of which holds a baby. There are computer screens and other kinds of monitors everywhere. At any given moment, there are enough beeps and alarms (for example, if a baby's pulse drops a bit, etc.) going off that it sounds like the nickel slot room at a riverboat casino. There are also a lot of (wonderful/fantastic) staff running around: neonatologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, etc. who are assigned to different patients. The best analogy I can give you is: think of a really busy office with a lot of computers, phones, staff and hand sanitizer... and now imagine it's in the middle of the Hoosier National Forest. Yeah, that's about right.

The NICU can be a little scary, but it is the best place for our kids and all the other little babies who need extra help. Until next time.