Together again!

Saturdays and Tuesday are bath days and the babies take them on Wednesday, HA!

Seriously, Saturday was bath day and boy was it fun. The girls screamed and screamed, it was great. They were really stinky, who knew babies that small and cute could smell so bad? (Can't wait to show their dates this someday) They are back in the same crib and doing so well. Evangeline is now almost 5 pounds and Addison is almost 4. Evangeline is taking every other feeding my mouth and Addison is starting to take a whole bottle. Their favorite nurse, Angela is starting to talk "car seat test,"which means that Evangeline may be home in about 10 days or so, maybe even by next week! Addison will follow soon after.

We will soon get back the test from their birth to determine if they are in fact identical or if their is a possibility that they are fraternal. I will let you know. Interestingly, if they are identical (which I think that they are) then they are mirror image. Cute.

So they are now two weeks and two days old and developmentally they are thirty-five and one day. Wow. September 13th (the day I was admitted to the hospital feels like a long time ago. Yay Yip and Yap, you are doing so well.

The little piggies

Addison and Evangeline are doing great. They are eating so well. Evangeline is now taking only every other feeding by tube. Addison has now taken one bottle today and did very well. She is also almost out of here box. Their nurse today said that they may wrap them up together in a twin burrito and keep them in one crib. I will defiantly post pictures of that. So they are continuing to make Dad and I work hard to get the house ready for babies (which is slow going with spending time at the NICU.) Tomorrow Evangeline and Addison will be two weeks old, for their two week B-day I hope they get to be in the same crib.

Being a Mom

The girls are just amazing us. Today I went to see them and Evangeline is in a big girl bed, she no longer needs the isolette to regulate her tempurature. Both girls have gained weight to the point that they are now their birth weight.

Neither of them have had a respiratory episode since 10/20. Evangeline passed her hearing test (Addison was too wild to be tested today :o)

The big news is that they are being moved to the step down NICU. They are doing so well that they can move now. So many things to be grateful for.

On the topic of gratitude, I am so grateful for the support of so many people and at the top of my personal list is my mother. Barb Doyle is the most amazing person I know and I am now fully realizing that as I become a mother myself. She was here with us for almost a week and I know I could have not done it without her. She clean, cooked, listened to my worries, and DROVE IN THE CHICAGOLAND. For those of you who do not know my mom, she does not drive in areas like this much less in high traffic areas where she lives. But that is what a mother does. A mother gives of herself to benefit her children. I always saw that in my mother, but now I am a card carrying member of the mother club, so it means so much more now. This all came to me as I walked from the NICU to the ER to get my wedding ring removed and this we the only time to eat so as I walked I managed to put down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (Long story about the ER, basically in a fit of glee that some of my swelling went down, I attempted to put my wedding ring back on, and much to my chagrin I could not get it off.) So I guess the basic thesis of this post is that being a mom involves a tight rope walk of taking care of yourself and of your children. I am in amazement of any mother that I can come into contact with, and all of this from a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

PS My mom is the most humble person I know, so do not tell her about this post as she will kill me :o)

Daddy's little girls

Wow, Daddy's little girls are doing so well. The top picture is Evangeline and the bottom is Addison.

Addison is now 3lbs, she is tolerating her feedings and has not had an episode since yesterday. Episodes are were she either forgets to breath or she has a high or low heart rate. These episodes are due to Apnea (see below.) She got a bath yesterday and was a wild woman the whole time. The nurse took her diaper off and placed her on the blanket, she peed and screamed. Very cute.

Evangeline is now 4 lb 1/2 oz. She is tolerating her feedings very well. Both girls are at the maximum feeding for their weight. Evangeline also has not had an episode in a day and got a bath yesterday. No wild woman behavior that we know of as of yet. She also has graduated closer to room air, she was bundled and in a little shirt yesterday as they were testing to see how she regulated her temperature. She did very well. She looked so cute in her little shirt.

They are both doing really well with their feedings that today they get to try nursing. This will be done during their Gavage feedings (http://oce.sph.unc.edu/phnceac/babyguide/gavage.pdf)

I am very excited about this and any non-NICU/real mom things I get to do.

Days that the girls entered this world 9

Days until their original due date 41

Time Daisy has looked around the house for the babies and cried- COUNTLESS

"Apnea
Apnea is another common health problem in premature babies. During an apnea spell, a baby stops breathing, the heart rate may decrease, and the skin may turn pale, purplish, or blue. Apnea is usually caused by immaturity in the area of the brain that controls the drive to breathe. Almost all babies born at 30 weeks or less will experience apnea. Apnea spells become less frequent with age."

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growing/preemies.html