Wednesday PM - Today was more succesful in the visitation department than yesterday. We were able to spend more time with both boys, and they ranged from being wide awake to sound asleep. Adam's timing was a bit off as he slept through most of the time that Heidi and I held him, but always seemed to awaken when he was placed back into the isolette. That's very frustrating, as we don't like to leave him when he's awake and looking around. We were limited to holding him once a day for 1 hour total, but I was able to convince one of the doctors to increase that to twice per day, 1 hour each time. It has something to do with his size and his ability to maintain his body temperature. Grant has no such limits, but does have his own schedule and agenda. He still is a morning person and is very alert during the morning hours, culminated by his Mom-time feeding at noon. After that the lights go out and he's asleep for most of the rest of the day, except for diaper changing, bathing, and weighing.

Apparently I temporarily surprised one of the doctors yesterday when I was holding Adam, but I only found out about it today. A little background: We are trying to have as much skin-to-skin time with him as possible because there is some supporting evidence that this type of holding and contact is better for the premies. In my haste to get out of the apartment yesterday I threw on a t-shirt, which is not conducive to skin-to-skin holding (no buttons). The hospital has these moveable privacy screens, much like you might see form the 30's or 40's, that moms use when they are breast feeding. Heidi suggested I use one of these to take off my t-shirt and then don a gown that is worn when handling the babies, only with the open side to the front. Being the dutiful husband and father that I am, I did as instructed. What I didn't know was that the neonatologist was walking past the screen while I was doing my quick change. It seems she was momentarily taken aback, because she apparently asked the nurses who the man taking off his clothes behind the screen was. Now, I know this doctor very well as she was the attending neonatologist when Grant and Adam were born. But she wasn't able to see me behind the screen. In the end the nurses told her what was going on, and everything was fine. I never knew there was a question until today when another doctor told me that she had heard I was "streaking" in the NICU. Moral to the story: Wear button shirts when planning to hold sons skin-to skin.

Lates news on Adam: There is none. We still haven't heard anything from the cardiologists and can only assume that there is still a backlog at Texas Children's Hospital. He's doing quite well, all things considered, so we are patiently waiting as he approaches the 4lb mark. Meanwhile his nurse for this evening advised us that he is now trying to escape his isolette through the rear portholes. They have more or less given up on trying to place and keep him in any conventional "baby position" and let him do as he wishes as long as his vital signs are stable. Truth be told, I believe they will be quite bored when he is transferred to Texas Children's Hospital.

Again, we missed out on picture opportunities today. I know, but it's a logistical problem when Heidi and I separate to see both boys and maximize our time. OK, tomorrow we'll try to get the nurses involved. Now it's time for bed...