1 month and 1 day old

We can't believe it's been a month already!  As fast as time is going while the girls are still in the hospital, I can't even imagine how it will fly after they come home!

Hannah and Hailee are both doing ok with their feedings.  I wish they were getting there a little bit quicker, but I guess it is normal for them to learn slowly.  Hannah is taking every third feed by bottle and Hailee is taking every other by bottle.  We have heard numerous times that this is the most frustrating part of the NICU stay for parents.  The reason being that the parent knows that once their baby can feed well for a few days to a week then they can come home.  The problem being that feeding is exhausting for the babies, so it can take a while to learn.  Both girls will just get tired and then stop eating or take too long to eat their bottle if they have too many in a row.  The nurses want them to finish a bottle in less than 20 minutes.  With the girls being 35 weeks gestational age this Wednesday, hopefully they will start to pick up a little.  Hailee did nurse last week and did very well.  I was happy with that!  Hailee now weighs 5lbs 6oz and Hannah weighs 4lbs 7oz.  They are really growing quickly! 

I called the NICU at 4:00am this morning when I woke up to pump, and they told me that Hailee may need a blood transfusion.  They said she had her weekly labs come back saying that her blood count was low.  I guess this is fairly common with preemies because their bodies just can't make blood fast enough.  When doctors did their rounds today, they decided not to do the transfusion today and just to watch and make sure she didn't start having spells.  If her oxygen level or heart rate starts to drop, she will need one.  Hopefully she will bounce back on her own and won't need one.  Both girls had a follow up brain ultrasound today that again looked fine.  What a blessing!

I have been sick with a bad cold since Saturday.  Saturday I did go to the hospital (I just had a sore throat that day), but wore a mask when feeding and holding the girls.  Yesterday and today I didn't even go.  It's awful not going.  This is the second time I have been sick (first was with the flu) since the girls have been in the NICU.  The nurses told me from the beginning that if I overdid it with coming to the NICU daily, taking care of Ella, taking care of our house, etc that I would get sick.  I imagine that is what is happening.  Hopefully things will slow down soon when the girls come home and we can all stay well!  As much as it stinks not visiting the NICU daily, it is not worth subjecting the girls to anything!

Hailee

Hailee

Hannah, trying to suck her thumb

Hannah, getting hungry!

Hannah

Hannah falling asleep

Ella having fun with the twin's new stroller :)

Feeding, feeding, feeding

This week our focus with the girls has been on their feeding.  Hailee took her first full bottle on Sunday.  I was (unfortunately) not there for it.  Her nurse said she was "tearing the bed apart" at feeding time, acting starved to death, so she decided to try nipple feeding her and she downed the whole thing!  I was so happy!  I called on our way to church to get an update on the girls and that was the good news.  Since then she has been doing well with the bottle.  She still has some of her feedings gavashed (tube fed), but not many.  Hopefully she keeps it up!  Hannah is a bit behind her.  She has attemped about twice now, but has not yet finished a bottle or really even come close.  The girls will be 34 weeks (adjusted age) tomorrow and really shouldn't even begin to know how to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time until after then.  So, Hailee is just a bit ahead of schedule.  Hopefully Hannah will catch up within the next week or so. 

There is one thing that we do not have a problem with:  my milk supply!  It is actually getting to be ridiculous!  Paul and I have been discussing for the past week or so that we may have to get a small deep freezer outside to start storing my milk in.  The NICU keeps telling me that they have plenty and not to bring any more, but our freezer here at home is packed full with it!  We literally have about 60 bags or so right now, ranging from 3 to 6 oz per bag.  I have already cleared out as much of our food as I can without throwing it away.  I know they say your body knows you have twins and produces twince as much, but with the girls only taking less than 2 oz per feeding, the excess milk is really adding up.  At least I will have a large supply for a while after they come home so that their daddy has no excuse not to wake up and help me with the midnight feedings!

Otherwise, the girls are doing well.  They had their initial eye exam this evening and it went well.  The have no signs of ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) at this point, but their blood vessels are still immature so they will have another eye exam in two weeks.  As of last night, Hailee weighed 4lbs 12oz and Hannah weighed 4 lbs 1oz.  The nurses that have known them since the beginning can't believe how big they have already gotten. 

We are starting to get anxious for the girls to come home.  Once they have their feedings down to eating everytime by bottle they will be moved to an open crib and out of their isolettes.  If they can maintain their temperature and continue to gain weight for a couple days, they can come home.  They do have to be over 35 weeks, but that is only next Wednesday.  They have to pass a carseat test to be sure their airway won't close if they are sitting up for an extended period of time, but that isn't done until right before discharge.  If they pass all of these things, they can come home!  We are hoping to have one baby, if not both, home within the next two weeks.  The nurses have said that it is rare that both twins will come home on the same day.  They won't keep one twin just because the other isn't ready for discharge.  As difficult as that would be, we will deal.  We have made it this far! 

Paul and I did finish the girl's nursery this past weekend.  It looks great!  Their furniture is white and their bedding is light purple with white and brown in it.  I washed all of their newborn clothes and they look adorable all hanging in their closet.  I just need to hang some things on the walls and we will be all set! 

We have found out in the past couple weeks that Hailee and Hannah will have two new little girl friends to play with this summer!  Our friend's Kristen and Ashley both found out they are having baby girls!  We are so excited for our girls to have best little girl friends just like Ella does.  I can't wait for my cousin's Deanna and Tara to find out what they are having in the next few weeks.  While our family is really in need of some little boys, girls are always so much fun!  :) 

Mommy kangarooing Hailee

Hannah

Peaceful baby:  Happy mommy

Hailee

Hailee

Hannah

Hailee, finally one with her eyes open!

Hannah...still sleeping :)

Mommy feeding Hailee

Hailee passed out after the feeding

Hannah showing off her cute butt ruffles

Hannah

Hannah

Hannah's froggy feet

Hannah

Hailee

Hailee telling me "Enough pictures mom"!

3 weeks old tomorrow!

Tomorrow Hannah and Hailee will be 3 weeks old!  Their adjusted age is 33 weeks today.  It's hard to believe that if I was still pregnant I would still have another month or so to go until they would induce me for labor. 

The girls are both doing well.  We have had a couple setbacks, but they are doing good overall.  Hannah started having more "spells" over the weekend.  A spell is when the baby drops either her heart rate or oxygen level.  Hannah was having her spells because of her oxygen levels.  She was put on a nasal cannula to help her out.  The doctors say that this happens sometimes when a premature baby gets worn out and tired from breathing on her own.  She is on the lowest oxygen setting, but is still requiring the help.  Hopefully she will not need it anymore before long.  Hailee started spitting up a couple of her feeds the other night and had a big distended belly.  This is a concern of a very serious problem in preemies called NEC.  It's a gastrointestinal problem that requires antibiotics or surgery to correct.  They did an x-ray on Hailee's belly and did not see signs of the problem.  They are watching her closely now to be sure she doesn't start having more symptoms.  It sounds like as long as she can continue to tolerate her feeds and not spit them up that she should be fine.  Her belly still looks big, but maybe she is just taking after big sister Ella :)

Both girls have recently put on good weight.  Hailee now weighs 4lbs 5oz and Hannah weighs 3lbs 11oz.  The 34 weeks mark is when the girls can start trying to nipple feed.  A couple of the nurses have tried bottle feeding each baby this week, but they don't quite get it yet.  Once the girls are taking all of their feeds by bottle, they can come home.  So, this will be the next hurdle for both of them to overcome.  I am really excited to start trying to feed them by nipple versus through a feeding tube.  

Paul put together each girl's crib this week.  They look great in their room!  I can't wait to finish decorating and putting everything away.  I started getting out some of Ella's stuff for the twins this week too.  I got out her old play mat and she has been having a ball with it!  I set it up and she keeps head-butting all of the toys hanging down, just laughing and laughing.  I think she has used it more in the past 2 days than she ever did as a baby!

I love the little outfits that the girls can wear now.  Preemie size fits them perfectly, but not for long!  I think they will be growing out of them in no time!

Hailee on Valentine's Day

Hannah

Hailee

Hannah

I added some cute pictures of Ella that we have gotten lately :)

Our little love bug

Ella's new "cheese" face

More progress made!

The girls have been progressing well since the last time I have blogged.  They are both now off of their cpap and breathing with no help just as we all do.  Hailee got her umbilical catheter out yesterday, so she is now iv free!  Hannah is getting her pic line out sometime tonight and she will then be iv free as well.  As soon as Hannah gets her pic line out, both girls can start wearing clothes.  I am so excited to be able to dress them in some of the adorable preemie clothes we have gotten.  The only assistance the girls will have is their feeding tube and heart monitors.  They are both eating more and more every day and doing well with their feeds.  It's amazing to think about how far we have come in just less than two weeks. 

Tomorrow Paul is officially done "working from home" and I will be on my own driving, taking Ella to and from the sitter's, and going to the hospital.  We have been so thankful that for the past couple months Paul's work has been so understanding about him needing to be with us during all of this.  He has helped me out tremendously and there is no way I could've done it without him. 

I'm excited to share some of the pictures we have taken recently since the girls aren't hooked up to so many tubes!  Enjoy!





Hannah

Hannah

Hailee, half asleep

Hannah

Hailee

Hailee's little feet :)

Hannah



Hailee holding my finger



Hailee

Almost 1 week old! (31 weeks gestational age)

The girls would be 31 weeks today if they were still inside of me.  A lot has changed since I last had time to blog.  Hannah got extubated just a few hours after Hailee did.  The medicine really helped their lungs and they are both now on cpap.  Each day it seems their level of oxygen needed had decreased and they have now been breathing room air for almost 2 days.  If they continue to do so well and don't have any breathing "spells" they will be off cpap in no time!  They both hate the machine on their nose.  When they get to take it off for a bath or anything else, they cry and cry when it has to go back on.  :(  It will be a big milestone for them to get rid of it!

Both girls have now been eating breastmilk for a few days now.  They are still eating it through a tube (can't suck, swallow, and breath at the same time until about 33-34 weeks gestational age), but they are digesting it well with little to no residuals left in their belly from it.  Their feedings just got upped yesterday and they are at 7 (Hannah) and 8 (Hailee) cc's which equals about a half ounce at each feeding every 3 hours.  I am pumping for them and bringing my milk to them each time we visit.  It was tough at the beginning, but I now have no problem with production which is great!  I feel that it is the one thing I can do for them while I am here at home and they are in the hospital.  Both girls are gaining great weight.  Hailee is now 3.7lbs and Hannah is 2.12lbs.  A couple more ounces and they will both be back to their birth weight. 

Both girls had high bili levels and had to be under the lights for jaundice a few days ago.  Hailee only for about 24 hours and Hannah for about 2 days.  They are both off now and their levels are measuring normal.

We were told Sunday that Hailee had a heart murmer.  Even though we were told this was common, we were so nervous about it.  She had a echo done yesterday and it came back that the murmer is completely normal and should close up on it's own very soon.  They will keep an eye on it until it's closed, but nothing else should have to be done.  We were so happy with the news!  It was the best birthday present I could've asked for! 

We have been able to hold the girls for the past few days now.  They hate coming out of their isolettes, but once they get situated they are so calm and go right to sleep.  I do "kangaroo care" with them where they go down in my shirt to lay.  This is very calming for the baby and helps keep their stress levels down.  Paul and I hold one of them each day and then switch the next day.  It's a process to get them out, but will be much easier once the cpap is off. 

We keep hearing from the doctors and nurses how fiesty the girls are!  Every time someone messes with them, they let them know they don't appreciate it!  The nurses say that's how they like the babies, it means they are doing well compared to a baby that just lays there.  I think it just makes it a bit more difficult for the nurse sometimes.  No one can believe when they ask if we have any other children that we already have a (almost) 17 month old too.  I can only imagine how busy I am going to be once the twins come home!  They both already have quite the personality! 

Even though it is tough not being right upstairs from where the girls are, it is nice to be home.  After 3 weeks of hospitalization, I was so ready to be with Paul and Ella all the time again.  We take Ella to her sitter's every day for about 4-5 hours so that we can spend that time with the girls.  When we aren't at the hospital, I am catching up on time spent with Ella.  We are starting this weekend on the girl's nursery.  I can't wait!  We have nothing done in it since I have been on bedrest or in the hospital for so long.  I love hanging all of their little clothes up in their closet that we get from people.  Hopefully once a few more tubes are off, we can start dressing them at the hospital.  Their clothes are so tiny but still look too big for them! 

Paul and I often talk about how we think Ella will be with the twins.  Ella has a huge personality now and thinks that everything revolves around her!  I don't really remember her being this rotten before I left, but she sure does have a mind of her own now!  It could be a combination of time with daddy and so much time being spoiled by grandparents :)  Leah thinks Ella will poke the twin's eyes out because that's what she does to her baby dolls.  Ha!  We will see I guess.  It will be interesting. 

We are so happy with the progress the girls have made in only a week.  We know we will still have setbacks, but hopefully they are just small.  I can't wait until they are off of all of their tubes and iv's and they can just keep warm and grow in the NICU.  I hope the next few weeks go quickly for us.  We can't wait to look back at this time as in the past.  We are trying to stay as strong as possible and just keep taking it day by day.  Thanks again for all of your prayers and support.  It truly does make things a little easier on us to be surrounded by so many people that care. 

Hannah, still intubated

Hannah, catching some rays

Hailee, tugging on her cpap while sleeping

Mommy and Hailee

Daddy and Hannah

Mommy and Hailee

Mommy and Hailee

Hailee already loves her paci