Everybody is taking all feeds by bottle

You read it right, everyone is on all feeds by bottle. Casen is still having a little trouble finishing all of his, but other than that they are all doing well. THey called us yesterday and told us to bring Ella's carseat up, she is doing her carseat test tonight. While we were there today, she had her hearing test and passed. YOu go girl;) Just think only three more sleep studies, three more hearing test and three more car seat tests. Ella had her sleep study done last night and we hope to have the results back tomorrow or Wednesday.
When we got to the NICU this morning all the boys were dressed alike it was so cute. Cooper was wide awake and stayed that way the whole time we were there. I got to tandum feed Ella and COle today, they did really well. I am getting so excited they are starting to leave the hospital. I am so dreading tomorrow. I have to go back to work for the last week of school. I am ready to see me co workers and students, but it going to be so hard knowing I can't leave to go see the babies. Only 4 days I can do it. Just think when the work week ends, we will have a baby coming home and the rest following.

Here is a pic of Ella and Cooper

Moving Along

Everything is moving along very quickly. Ella and Cole got moved into their open cribs today. Cole is up to 6 bottles a day, we have found that is a major chugger, so we are having to give him a slow flow nipple on his bottle otherwise he chokes. Casen is up to all 8 bottles now. He is still working on getting his isolette temp down so he can go to an open crib. Cooper is up to 5 bottles and doing good. He too is working on temp in isolette. Dr. Al said that the babies must be starting to smell home. He said Ella is having her sleep study done on Sunday, and that is then sent to Texas Children's Hospital to be read. THis is to determine if she needs to be sent home with an apnea monitor and oxygen. THis takes a couple of days to get back, then is she is still doing ok then she will have her car seat test. This test is to see if she can sit in a car seat for an hour and not forget to breathe. If she passes then we are looking at her coming home. That may even be in the next week. I am not going to get my hopes up, so I am not let down. I will just wait for word she is ready to leave. ;) I think Casen and Cole will be pretty quick to follow her. Cooper will not be far behind them. I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hello Level II

Yep, thats's right we are all together in level II. We got to the hospital today, and they told us that Cooper and Casen would be going to level II at anytime. I have to say hearing that I kind of had this sad feeling come over me, not that I was not happy that we are one step closer to going home, but level III is all we had known. THis was where the babies started out, this was where all the ups and downs took place, and we had gotten so attached to our nurses there. So, about 10 am they came to take Casen first, we followed him upstairs, got him settled in then it was back to get COoper. THey got him upstairs and moved him right next to Casen, but within 5 mintues both boys started dropping their O2 levels. This move stressed them out as well. Finally, after about 30 min or so they calmed down and got settled in. Next, I hear Ella and Cole's nurse saying Ella needs to be fed, then Cooper's nurse says he needs to be fed, no more had she said that I hear when are you feeding COle and Casen will be ready to eat in 2o minutes too!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHat?????????? I think for the first time in 7 wks Jeremy and I realized we had four babies. When all the nurses were saying this to us, Jeremy and I just looked at each other and began cracking up laughing, and decided laughing is just what we are going to do lots of. Otherwise, the only other option is crying, but that won't be good for anyone. So LAUGHING it is. As we were standing there laughing, I hear Dr. Caplan say "Hey Mrs. Perez you have quads" as he too was laughing. I know it will be crazy trying to figure it all out, but we are so ready to have them home and all be one big family together. Oh and before I forget, we did get everyone fed, with the exception of the nurse feeding Casen, and we would have fed him but she said she would do it. THanks Carol (Casen's nurse)

Nursing Quads!!!!!!!!!!!!

So just a sneak peek into my world of nursing quads. My schedule goes like this. Casen is nursed at 9am, Cooper 11am, Ella at noon, and we are going to add Cole to the nursing schedule tomorrow. I am however, going to learn to tandum feed. THis is where I will be able to nurse 2 babies at once, thank goodness, otherwise I don't think I would ever be doing anything else;) We are going to start trying this with Ella and Casen since they are the two strongest nursing babies, then Cole and Cooper. I am telling you I better end up a size 4 with all of this calorie burning that I am doing. Haha

3 down 1 to go

Ella, COle, and Casen are all now off their oxygen. THey have it available if they need when they eat otherwise we are O2 free!!!!!!!!!! Cooper is moving pretty quickly to catch up with them. He is on 1/2 a liter and 25% O2. It is really getting real that we are so close to bringing home our babies. We also found out today that Cooper and Casen have been moved to level II. The only problem is that there is no space next to Ella and Cole, so we are waiting for some babies to go home. Soon everyone will be together again. I got to nurse Cooper and Casen today. They did really well, Cooper got tired after 10 min. so they tube fed him the rest of his feeding. Casen on the other hand nursed and finished his bottle. Way to go boys. I am going to try to nurse COle for the first time tomorrow. Speaking of Cole, when we went up to see them today he had thrown up all in his bed. Poor guy his reflux is still getting the best of him. Ella is now finishing her bottles in 7 min or less. Nonnie got to feed her yesterday, she was so excited. We have our CPR class this saturday, so we will be prepared should anything happen. Until next time.........

Moving right along

Ella is now taking all of her feedings from a bottle. She is such a big girl, well I say big, she only weighs 3bs 13oz. She is still nursing once a day, and then getting bottles the rest of the time.
Cole is now up to 4 bottles a day. Reflux seems to be much better
Casen is also on 4 bottles a day, and will start nursing once a day as well. THey turned Casen's O2 done to 3/4 a liter yesterday, and then today they turned it down to 1/2 a liter, so as soon as it is on 1/4 a liter he will be moved to level II with Ella and Cole.
Cooper is still doing really good on the nasal canalas, and he is now taking 3 bottles a day. He is not far behind the rest of them . His O2 is still at 1 liter. Cooper's nurse informed me that he had an explosion in his isolette last night, and he shot poop everywhere in his bed, so far that it managed to get on the walls of the isolette. GROSS! So when I got there today he was in a plain white T-shirt since he had managed to mess up his cute outfits. Boys;)

Cooper the Trooper

Jeremy and I walked into the nicu today and Nurse Patty, said check out Cooper's new look. We turned and low and behold his CPAP was GONE!!!!!!! He was on nasal canalas. The RT said he was putting up such a fuss that they decided to try it out and he did fine. Go Cooper. Ella is now taking six bottles of her 8 feeds a day, she is doing so well, she stills needs O2 when she eats, since she sometimes tires out easily, but other than that she is doing well and gaining weight. Cole is still fighting with that stinking reflux, but he is doing 2 bottles a day, and they are using Dr. Brown's bottles with him which seems to be doing the trick. Casen is cruising along, he is still on nasal canalas and taking one bottle a day. I can't believe how much has changed and how they have grown in 6 wks, they are considered 35 wks gestation, since that is how far I would have been if I was still pregnant. We were also told today that we need to sign up and take CPR for infants, when we do that it usually means a baby is getting close to coming home. So we shall see;)

6 wks old

Well here we are six weeks old. I can't believe there is actually a light at the end of the tunnel. Ella and Cole are upstairs in level II taking bottle feedings. Ella is taking 6 and nursing once a day, and COle is taking 2 bottles a day. His poor reflux is still giving him trouble when he eats. Also he wants to chug his bottles, we have decided that he will win the BEER chugging contests. Casen is on nasal canalas and Cooper is on CPAP and they are in level III. They are doing well. They are expected to start bottle feedings (one a day) some time this week.
weight updates
ella-3 lbs 9oz
cole- 4lbs 15oz 17 in
cooper 4lbs 1oz 16 in
casen 4lbs 5oz 15in

4 wks old today

I can't believe that they are four weeks old today. My how time flies. Cooper is off the ventilator, Ella is off the cpap and is level II status, but they are keeping her with her brothers as long as possible. Three of them got moved to their own pod together. Ella, Cooper, and Casen are all together, COle still has his VIP corner in pod C and he is also off cpap He and Ella are are on nasal canalas.
weight update
Ella- 2 lbs 12oz
Cooper 3lbs 8oz
Casen 3lbs 6oz
Cole 3lbs 12oz (as you can see he is a whole lb bigger than Ella)