Monday evening 8:00 PM - Today Adam and Grant decided to switch roles, somewhat. Adam was moved to an isolette, or a "condo" as the nurses call it. This is a promotion in the NICU and means that he is continuing to improve. He had a brain ultrasound today, a routine check for intracranial bleeding, which came back completely negative. This was a HUGE hurdle to clear. Grant, on the other hand, decided to throw us a curve, by developing what appears to be some sort of infection. He is usually very active, but since last night he has become somewhat lethargic. The doctor suspects an infection and is doing a blood culture as well as a culture on his spinal fluid to rule out meningitis. They have started IV antibiotics in advance and have stopped his milk feeding for now. No news is good news from the lab, as it means there have been no "bugs" develop in the petri dish. It will likely be 2 - 3 days before he starts to stir again, and that is also how long the lab gives for the "bugs" to grow. The doctors don't seem to concerned, but we are rather frustrated that he has taken a small step back as his brother is taking small steps forward. We probably shouldn't complain too much about him though, as he has had a good run without any problems.
By the way, both boys are gaining weight, at least up to today. Adam is at 2lb 10oz, and Grant is at 4lb 6oz.
Lastly for tonight, I have to say something about the doctors and nurses who work with the premies. To say that these people are unbelievable is an understatement. The doctors work with the smallest and sickest children imagineable, and are always trying to stay ahead of the problem. Proactive, not reactive. You get a different sense from these doctors than you get when you go to a GP. They seem to be just a little bit more "dialed in" to their patients, but I guess that's because the stakes are so high. There is at least one of these doctors in the unit at all times, and most of the time there are 2 or 3. The nurses are also a special group. They are the ones who have to change IV's, which is a monumental task when you consider the size of the veins in a premie. They tend to get attached to the babies in their care after some time. I think it takes a special person to attend to these babies, but they don't seem to think so. I'm just very thankful that they are here.