One Month Old

The girls are one month old today, my how they have changed since they were born.

This past week Anna graduated into a crib.  This means is big enough to hold her own temperature, and not need assistance from her isolette to keep her warm.  It also means Sam and I can hold her as often as we would like, which we LOVE!

 

I visit Anna everyday and the hospital and take Kathryn with me so the girls can have sister time, as well as I can enjoy my time feeding Anna.  It is difficult to capture a picture of these moments, but I always hold Kathryn over Anna's crib so they can look at each other.  I make sure both girls know about their sisters, since they do not get to spend much time together.

 

Kathryn is usually pretty sleepy, and spends the majority of her day sleeping.  However, she has recently started to be able to pick her head up and move it back an forth.  She also likes to stretch frequently, which I captured below.  This week on Tuesday I took Kathryn to the pediatrician and she weighed 6lbs, BIG GIRL!  :)

 

 

 

Since they are one month old today, I attempted to capture their size difference in proportion to an object.  It is a little unfair because Kathryn does not fill out her entire sleep sac, but you can see how little Anna is in the picture.

Kathryn and Anna

 

Anna is usually pretty alert at her feedings and diaper changes.  We captured the moment today.  Anna is becoming a big girl as well and weighs 3lbs 6oz today.  Her favorite thing to do is listen to music.  We discovered when you turn the music off in her hospital room she cries and fusses and makes a face.  I am so glad she already appreciates how wonderful music can be, and hope she will continue to have a life long passion for music.

 

 

 

 

3lb Club and Girl Time

Today Anna weighed 3lb!  Way to go Anna!  Sam, Kathryn and I set off to visit Anna at the hospital this afternoon.  It took 3 rounds of trying to figure out Kathryn's eating schedule with my pumping schedule to also arrive at the hospital and coordinate with Anna's feeding schedule, but we did it!  We took 2 cars to make it happen.  This enabled me to run to the grocery store while Sam stayed in the NICU with Kathryn and Anna.  Then when my shopping was complete, Sam brought Kathryn down to my car and I took her home, while Sam stayed with Anna a little longer.  It worked out well.  I made it home in time to nurse Kathryn for 22 minutes, wahoo!  Don't worry she was very hungry and took half of a bottle after that as well.

I enjoyed my time holding both girls for the second time today in the hospital.  Anna is very alert during.  She looks at me with her big eyes, and I think she understands what I am saying.  Or she has already figured out I am crazy in love with her!

We survived our first night with Kathryn at home.  We are thankful we can figure out the schedule with just one baby at home for now, but I think we are already getting the hang of it, so hopefully Anna can come home as soon as she can so we can all be together.

Kathryn is at home!!

On Friday, Kathryn had her car seat challenge, where she took an hour and a half ride to a made up place as she sat in her car seat in the nicu.  This test makes sure Kathryn's heart rate and breathing are ok when she is in her car seat for an extended period of time.  Thankfully Kathryn passed the test.  This is one of the last challenges in the process before going home.

The feeding tube was removed on Thursday 2/14 in the afternoon.  At that point in time they were monitoring Kathryn's eating volume on a 12 hour basis to make sure she consumes her minimal feeding requirements.  I planned mentally for her to have a set back and that her tube was most likely going to have to be put back in, but.... as usually she surprised us and has been taking her feedings appropriately since the tube was removed. 

Look at how cute her hands are!  :)

So, since she was eating appropriately and passed her car seat test, we were pleasantly surprised on Saturday morning when we arrived that they said, "Today is the day, you get to take a baby home!"  We were a little shocked, as we were thinking she may go home on Sunday... but Saturday was definitely a bonus.

So today, we enjoyed the last day in the NICU with two girls as patients.  Sam fed and snuggled Anna at 11:00.  Anna is starting to take more of her feedings with a bottle.  She usually does not finish her entire feeding with a bottle, but she usually finishes half of her feedings from a bottle.  Everyone in the NICU is amazed at how alert Anna is, and how well she is feeding, especially because she is so small.

I nursed Kathryn today at 11:00.  She, recently in the past few days, has nursed a little bit better.  She usually takes about a half of a bottle after I nurse her.  I look forward to the day when Kathryn can be strong enough to take an entire feeding from me instead of having to finish her feeding off with a bottle.

Then all of the arrangements were made to take Kathryn home.  We met with our doctor and our nurse to make sure we had all of our instructions.  We fed Anna and Kathryn one last time in the NICU and off we went.

Sam was able to "ring the bell", which plays a lullaby to signify a baby is born at the hospital.  They usually ring the bell after delivery, but with the care needed for the girls, that step was missed.  Sam and I enjoy hearing the bell ring the lullaby every time we heard it while we were in the hospital.  So, it was exciting for us to Ring the Bell for Kathryn today!!!

We quickly learned as Sam placed Kathryn's car seat in the car, that the driver seat of the Prius needed to be pushed forward.  Therefore, I drove the 3 of us home from the hospital.  Hmm.... we may need to figure out how four of us are going to fit in the Prius going forward.  Am I going to have to do all of the driving.....???  Can we even fit all 4 of us in my car?? Yikes!

We did not worry about it for now, and instead enjoyed the first two feedings with Kathryn home.  She makes sweet noises as she dreams and so far both feedings have gone as expected. Praise the Lord!

Today Kathryn weighed 5lb 9oz upon her departure and is 19.5 inches long.  I think that is a good sign that she may be a tall girl when she grows up.

Anna weighed 2lb 14oz on Valentines day, 2/14.  How fun, she will always be able to remember that day and how much she weighed.  Both Sam and I were hoping the girls would be born on Valentines day as they would have been 36 weeks and 1 day old.  However, we have been amazed at the progress since they were born, and are so pleased with how they are developing.  We are thankful we had minimal complications, and instead have been able to enjoy the past 3.5 weeks with them. 

Today/Friday evening Anna weighed 2lb 15oz.  We are hoping she will weigh 3lbs when we visit her tomorrow.  What an accomplishment for Anna the first day her sister visits her in the hospital.  :)

Tonight will be a test to see how we can manage making bottles, pumping, feeding, changing and eating.... ohh yeah and did I mention sleeping??  Yes hopefully all of those activities will be accomplished on our first night home.

Ohh yeah, while all of this activity of Kathryn getting to go home today, IU BEAT PURDUE!  GO HOOSIERS!  This is the first game I have missed during my pregnancy... but I think the outcome was worth the prize I won.  Taking my daughter home for the first time.

3 weeks and we've come so far!

Both girls are growing at a great rate!  Today Kathryn weighs 5lb 3oz, and Anna weighs 2lbs 10oz.  They have both come a long way in the past 3 weeks, as today marks the day they are 3 weeks old.  Anna looks tiny in her outfit, but I promise she is growing!  :)

Kathryn is starting to eat more regularly from bottles, which is a sign she is developing.  Sam likes to appoint himself as the "best bottle feeder ever!"  He says he has the magic touch!  However, today Kathryn took bottles from Sam as well as me, so I guess we are both bottle champs today!  :)  Kathryn sometimes nurses, but that is more challenging for her at this stage in development.  But each days it seems, she continues to get stronger.

Proud Papa

Dad the Bottle Feeding Champ

Anna is growing a lot, and her body is starting to fill out with a little fat.  She is getting a little fat in her cheeks and she is starting to look a little more like her sister.

Anna is a carrier for the bacteria MRSA.  MRSA effects 30 to 40% of the current population, but most people do not know they carry the bacteria.  It is spread through human contact.  In order to protect the other babies in the NICU from contracting MRSA, we have to wear gowns and gloves when we visit Anna.  She is in isolation.  However, we have been cleared to continue Kangaroo care 2 times a day, so she continues to get the same amount of human contact on a daily basis.  MRSA is a concern for the hospitals because they do not want to spread it to the other patients.  Anna, at this point in time is only a carrier, so it does not have an effect on her. 

At this point of our care in the NICU, we continue to monitor how much the girls are eating and the progress of their weight gain.  Once Anna is big enough, they will change her out of her isolette bed and into a crib like her sister.

The biggest obstacle for both girls at this point in time is learning how to eat.  They will be 36 weeks gestational age on Wednesday, so it is still early in the developmental stage for them to be able to eat independently.

All Three Girls back together again!

Today, has been a wonderful day!
I am a very lucky Mom of twin girls, and today was the FIRST time I have held both girls together at the same time.  It brought tears to my eyes to bring the girls back together again.  All three of us were at peace during our skin to skin time together.  It was so precious to look down at both girls facing each other, feeling one another breath, and resting peacefully in my arms.  I cannot believe these two little lives developed inside for so long, and now they are here.  If I were still pregnant the girls would have been 35 weeks.  However, since they are here they are two weeks and 1 day old today. 

I was able to share this moment with Sam's parents while they were vising.  I prayed for the girls while I held them in my arms, and we lifted up our Praises to God as he has blessed us with these two perfect preemie lives.  There were many moments shared today to Glorify the wonderful blessings the Lord has provided to our family through Anna and Kathryn.  We know it is in his power that he has made these perfect girls for us, despite their difficult journey while I was pregnant as well as their early arrival.

Jane held Kathryn for the first time yesterday and Sam Sr. held Kathryn today for the first time.  We all enjoy holding the girls in our arms and resting peacefully while we watch the little girls sleep.

We had wonderful nurses that helped create our moment of bring the girls back together again with their Mom at the same time. They took pictures with their camera and printed us off pictures while we were there. What special ladies to take time out of there day to create family moments for us, as well as take additional time to put the pictures together in a frame and scrapbook pages. I do not know what we would do if we did not have such wonderful nurses caring for us.

Both girls are continuing to do well.  Each day we watch them gain weight.  Kathryn continues to learn how to take a bottle, but most recently she enjoys just sleeping and being held by so many people who love her, that she shows very little interest in bottle feeding. We know she will eventually master the task, but so far she is not very interested in the idea and work involved in feeding.  Little does she know once she learns the tube can come out of her nose and she will breath easier.  :)

Sam continues to work, while I spend my days at the hospital.  However Sam makes multiple visits to the girls throughout the day.  In fact, he has the opportunity to spend more time with the girls while they are in the hospital compared to if they were both at home, due to the fact the hospital is so close to his work.  We are thankful for the family time we share with them in the hospital each day.

Head Ultrasounds are clear

Friday February 1, 2013

Today was a big day for the girls.  They both had head ultrasounds to check for bleeding in the brain due to their premature birth.  The results of both girls are perfect, no bleeding in the brain, praise the Lord!

Holding Anna in her bed

Cute Kathryn after a feeding

Snug as a bug in a rug

Let me out of here!

Today was also their bath day.  I was able to participate in Anna's bath.  I brushed her hair, and made sure she looked pretty.  We also had a little fun with our little one after her bath to make sure she was all dry.

After Anna's bath she received a new bed.  She is graduating into a little big little girl bed.  She still needs the warmers because she has her IV line in, but this bed will eventually help her transition into a crib like Kathryn once she gets bigger.

Anna's feedings continue to gradually increase each day.  Kathryn's feedings are also staying the same for a while until the doctors determine she needs more calories to keep up with her weight.  Kathryn is currently learning now to bottle and breast feed.  Both tasks tire her out quite a big, but she is showing signs of interest earlier than expected, since she is so young, way to go kid!  We like to eat in this family, so we know you will figure out how to do it eventually.  :) 

Saturday February 2, 2013

Today we spent some snuggle time with the girls and didn't take a lot of pictures.  However, Sam wore his Twins shirt in honor of the girls today, and I captured the moment of him snuggling with Kathryn.

Kathryn looks a lot like her Dad in this pictures, too cute!