Mini Update

Fabulous news from the girl's doctor today.  At two weeks old, head ultrasounds showed both girls had possible grade 1 brain bleeds. Yesterday's scan showed that all issues have resolved themselves & they won't need to scan them again!  This is a huge weight off our shoulders!

{Madeline}

Amelia also hit another milestone...she is 5 pounds! Well 5 lbs 2 oz to be exact! She is up to 3-4 bottles or breastfeeding a day & her sister is up to 4-6.

 {Amelia working with the OT}

 {Amelia working with the OT}

The anticipation of having them home is almost harder to handle than all the worry at the beginning of their stay. We know they are so close to making it!

Feeding & Growing

Both girls have had a great week & are really starting to gain weight. Madeline is now up 1 pound since birth! She weighs 4lbs 9oz & Amelia is 4lbs 6oz. Their little preemie diapers are starting to get too small!

Dad on diaper duty

Right now we are really excited that Amelia is gaining weight, since she is on a diuretic for her heart murmur. {This could cause her to maintain or lose weight} Her echocardiogram last week showed that her PDA valve has not yet closed, & in fact looked larger. They will check again tomorrow to see if it has improved at all this past week, as they can still hear the murmur.

caught a little smile

We have been working hard on breastfeeding. Right now they can feed from me or a bottle twice a day, & I'm hoping that this can get bumped up to more sessions soon.  The closer they are to getting their feeding tubes out, the closer they are to going home! Both girls have their shining moments in the eating department, while on other days, they just play around or snooze.

In certain light both girl's hair looks strawberry blonde

We have a checklist of all the things the girls must be able to do/or have done. So far only two things have been checked off. Dave & I have taken the infant CPR test & both girls have passed their hearing exam. Hopefully this week we can really make a dent in that checklist. The Braves season has started & these girls need to be home watching the games with us!!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from the girls!

By the time we took those pictures, we had already fed & played with the girls for the day, so they were way passed out.

We didn't spend our Easter like most. No church, no family brunch beheading a lamb cake @ Carranor Hunt & Polo Club {a Winder family tradition}, & no Easter egg hunts. Instead we went to visit our beautiful babes in the hospital. 

We got the good news today that Amelia is now 4 pounds!! Madeline is almost there at 3 lbs 15.2 ounces. Both girls are getting some protein & calorie additives to my breast milk, so that should fatten them up nicely in the coming weeks. The girls have been attempting bottle & breast feeding. Maddie has picked it up a little quicker than Amelia, but both are showing great progression.

eating is hard work!

Maddie worked on breastfeeding today & did a great job. Even after she was through, she still wanted some time with her paci. This girl sucks so loud, all the nurses can hear her at their station around the corner. Pro! 

Well it wasn't like most people's Easter, but we still enjoyed every minute!

Wait & See

The girls have had truly an amazing week. They were moved up to the 7th floor, where they focus on feeding & growing. With some hard work, the girlies next step should be home!

The doctor calls them the top of their class. They are eating more, gaining weight, and no longer need to be in the isolettes for temperature regulation. The best part is...they are wearing clothes!! 

Both girls have now had their first bottles & in the next few days will work on the breast. At this age they have to learn how to breath & eat at the same time. Right now they will eat and forget to breath, so we help them out a bit by pulling the bottle out after about 3 sips. 

With all this progress, there are some "wait & see" type issues both girls are dealing with. Basically the doctors & nurses have explained to me that "it could be nothing" or "it should heal on its own." Not the most reassuring language to a fretting new mother, but I have to take their word for it. Both girls have a possible grade 1 brain bleed, Amelia still has a murmur, & they are watching the growth of Amelia's skull {in hopes that the bones are not fusing together too quickly}. All are conditions that can heal themselves, but all can also cause serious harm to the girls. So for now we wait & see...

In good news, the girls are also more alert, playful & sometimes cranky. See below :)

Thank you Aunt Rachel for our cute outfits!