thetadpoles.com

We’ve finally started to think about getting the twins nursery ready. In the beginning everything was so uncertain, I wasn’t able to think that far ahead. Everyday brought new changes and hurdles. By no means are we out of the woods yet but at least now I can start thinking about the babies coming home without the horrible nagging thoughts of “what if they don’t”. It scares me to even say that out loud. While they are still on the vent they are growing and tolerating full feeds. No more IV nutrition or fluids for us! Well, other than blood transfusions, one nurse said the twins are on a “platelet diet”. They seem to need platelets almost every other day (in fact both got platelets this morning.) Anyways what I am getting to is that we are slowly starting to make plans for our little ones to come home.

The past few days the twins have been really irritable. They will be sound asleep and then wake up kicking and soundlessly screaming. The first couple of times I got all freaked out that something must have been very wrong. A nurse said that as preemies get older they will do that, start acting like regular newborns. GASP! Screaming, kicking, irritable, who knew that I would delight in those things as it is showing they are growing up!! Their other new thing is their love of swaddling. One of the night nurses swaddled them when they were being irritable, when I called in the morning for an update their nurse said she had never seen them look so content for so long. Fauxma Dee got them some adorable swaddling blankets for their 8 week birthday today (the twins are SOOOOO spoiled). Unfortunately the blankets are a little too big for them right now, they are swaddling them with a cloth diaper and there is room to spare!

Today I kangarooed Loen for a little over an hour in the morning. I thought I was getting really good about taking my top off discreetly and putting a hospital gown on untill I looked out the window. The twins window looks out into a small patio, on the other side of the patio is the windows for the regular newborn nursery. As I was adjusting my camisole down (so Loen could lie on my bare chest) I noticed I could see all the way through the outside windows, through the newborn nursery to the viewing window on the postpartum floor…..where a visitor was looking through the window…at me. Whatever, I got to hold my daughter. They say dignity goes out the window when you have kids, in my case literally. The tadpoles have become so stable that we can hold them almost everyday now. After dinner Tadd and I went back to say goodnight and we were both able to hold the kids. I kangarooed Derby and when I stood up to put him back in the incubator (with the help of the respiratory therapist and nurse) he had drooled on my chest. Loen was totally sedated by her time with daddy. The nurse said they should sleep well tonight. They love to be held.

When I went in at 5pm I saw Derby sucking on his tube. His hand was right by his mouth so I pushed it a little closer to see what he would do. He started to suck on the tip of his thumb. It was so cute. I went to take a movie of it but by the time I got back with the camera he had moved his hand…DAMN! He knew I was going to film him and decided not to play my little game. That boy is on to me I tell ya.

Thumbsucker

MOM! get me out of this crazy thing

HA! My plan worked and she is going to hold me today.

Out like a light and looking a little like a shar pei with that chin

My little snuggle bug Loen

Loen

A mother sent in a bunch of flannel squares for the NICU moms. You sleep with them and then tuck them under the babies heads so they are comforted by your scent.