The setup

Hi again. Just decided to post a quick pic of the setup in the NICU because I'm sure it's kind of hard to envision.

Asher is in the far bed under the green blanket and Nolan is in the near bed. There are 6 beds in level 3, so 4 more isolettes line up in a row next to the boys. We are at the far end of the room from the door so we have slightly more privacy than if we were right at the doorway where Asher originally was. Their monitors are the screens above the foot of the bed and the CPAP machines are at the head of the bed (the blue machine you can see by Nolan). IVs and their food also hang near there. In the reception area of the NICU there is a large scrub sink where you scrub in before you enter, then there are sinks and endless antibacterial wash for frequent handwashing while you're there.

The chair parked next to Asher is where someone is usually sitting - either Jordan or myself, one of their nurses or the respiratory therapist. There is a lot of sitting and watching...both the boys and the monitors. They do try to make it as comfortable for the parents as possible, in that we have a drawer for each of them where we can keep personal stuff, they give me all the pump supplies, bottles and labels I need for milk, and they bring out rockers, screens and pillows to make it as comfortable and private as we need it to be when doing kangaroo care.

You can see how close together the beds are and although there are other babies equally close to them we don't really know what's going on with them. Out of respect for each other, no one looks at (at least not obviously) or asks about the other babies. If a baby is in level 3 they are very sick, so for privacy's sake everyone keeps to themselves.

Anyway, hopefully before too long the boys will move to level 2 (when the breathing is more stable) and then they can co-bed in a crib and we will have a lot more freedom to interact with them and get to know the other parents better. Baby steps and we'll be there!