Doing great, still in NICU

Jack first clothes

Ben first clothes

Happy family

Who's who?

Ben

Jack

1 week old:). Home from NICU soon?

To go home: 

Gain weight

Jack 1930g (up from 1890g) ~about 4lb 4oz

Ben 1970g (up from 1930g) ~about 4lb 5.5oz

Regulate body temp

Both isolettes were at 28C and boys were staying warm.  NICU room temp is 28C so they might be out of isolettes tomorrow

Take all feeding by mouth

Jack still taking some by gavage (feeding tube)

Ben has been feeding on his own (ad lib) for 24+ hours and has still gained weight

They have to pass a 90 minute carseat test.  Monitored closely for oxygen desaturations while sitting in carseat for 90 min.  The staff will show us how to support a preemie in the carseat with rolled receiving blankets.  Carseats aren't designed for babies under 5lb.  We are bringing our carseats to the hospital this morning!

Ben may be coming home soon!  Jack will be right behind him!

Happy Jack

Jack and Mommy

Still hungry?  Jack

Ben stretching

Ben tube free, Jack the cutie

No more feeding tube!  No more nasal cannula!  Sooooo cute:)

Daddy and Ben

Ben's sweet face

Jack sleeping

Smiley Jack the cutie.  Its a good thing you can't smell this picture:). 

All clean

NICU visit going on 5 days old

Seeing Jack for the first time without his nasal cannula.  He was sleeping but opened one eye when he heard his Mommy and Daddy.

Bens side of the room, I am sitting on Jack's side, which looks the identical

I nursed both boys at their noon feeding, they both latched and practiced feeding, but are not ready for a full feeding.  They get too tired and fall asleep before getting enough calories.  As preemies, when they are too tired, they forget to breathe.  Here, at his 3pm feeding, Ben gets his first full bottle of my pumped milk.  He took 19mL by bottle and the remaining 10 mL thought his feeding tube (in his nose through his stomach).  2 hours earlier, he had pulled the tube out, despite it being taped to his face...  His nurse yesterday, Anne, kept calling him "wiggly."  We all think he'd be rolling over already if they weren't pitting bumpers around him in his isolette.

I have been pumping for 5 full days now and am almost making enough milk at each pumping for both boys (sometimes enough, sometimes about 10-15mL short)!  I think that is really incredible!

Mommy and Ben snuggling!  So happy:)

Daddy got to bottle feed Jack a whole feeding of breast milk as well.  Jack took 9mL through the bottle (more than the nurse thought he would) and the rest through his feeding tube.  Since we were both holding our boys at the same time, the nurse balanced the syringe connected to Jack's feeding tube on Mike's shoulder for a minute so he could take our pictures!  The NICU nurses are so wonderful.

Daddy and Jack snuggling after feeding.  The boys slept on our shoulders for about half an hour!

Jack sleeping

Day 4 with our twins in the NICU

After pumping around 11pm of my last night in the hospital, we went down to the NICU to help with the midnight care time.  Because they are preemies, they need their sleep to grow, so we try to let them rest until their care time, which is every three hours (12, 3am, 6, 9, 12, 3, 6, and 9 pm).  For care time, we get to take their temperature, change their diaper, and assist with feeding them (so far only gavage feeding while some holds them (skin to skin or swaddled).

Midnight NICU trip.  I have my pumped milk and some ice water.  It is nice and warm in the NICU, good for babies, not for moms healing from major abdominal surgery.

Daddy holds Jack's hand

Jack gets to try taking food by mouth for the first time

He loved hearing Mommy's voice

He threw up all over Mommy.  Mommy loves him!

Ben had no more nasal cannula and no more IV line!

Daddy with our mostly tube free Ben.

Love these boys!

Benjamin Michael Merrick - 3.5 days old (still our midnight NICU visit)

Days 2-3 with our twins in the NICU

So I am not ready to string together too many words into sentences  (mentally exhausted due to lack of sleep).  Instead I will share some photos of our boys first four days - they were 4 days old as of 8:24 this evening!!!  The photos of the boys in my last post were from Wednesday, so they are 1 day old in all of those photos.

Jack 2 days old. My mom, now known as Mommom, got to see her first grand babies for the first time.  I love this photo as it has Mommom's hand (tanner on left), my hand (right), and Jacks hand.  Here Jack is wearing his eye protection on his head as he had mild jaundice and was receiving phototherapy.  There is an oxygen saturation sensor on his left hand, which is a bright red light, making his hand look like it is a funny color.

Mommy, Mommom, and Jack

Mommy (left), Mommom (right), and Jack hands

Mommy, Mommom, and crying Ben

Ben gives Mommy the middle finger and she doesn't see it.  Stealthy daddy catches it on camera.

Ben: "peace out man"

Jack looking alert (still 2 days old)

Sad Jack and Daddy

Jack gets phototherapy, Mommom watches

Daddy keeps Jack calm

Mommom holds Ben for the first time!!

Ben loves Mommom

Jack: "Stop it guys"

Deliriously tired but very happy and content Mommy holding Jack for the first time.  He was amazing.  I placed him on my chest between my breasts and he used his hands to push himself up and find my right nipple.  He began rooting and found my nipple with his mouth.  He did not latch/suck, so his nurse turned on his garage feeding tube.  This way, his belly got full while he was at the breast and he will associate the breast with eating until he is strong enough to latch.

Exclusively pumping to start your milk supply is very difficult.  The hospital nursing staff and lactation consultants were terrible at supporting our efforts to get started.  That story itself could be a whole post.  Fortunately, Mike and I don't give up very easily.  The NICU nurses have been great at supporting us, allowing skin to skin time, and allowing me to place the boys at the breast before they were ready/able to latch.  Good news, Ben latched and took 5mL+ straight from the breast today.  Jack tried, but still not ready to breastfeed.  They are getting all of my pumped milk and I think everything is going to work out great in the end!

Skin to skin with 3 day old Ben in the afternoon.  Like Ben, he rooted and found my nipple, but did not suck.  He will when he is ready!!

Sad Ben!

Sleeping with one eye open

Tiny sweetie pie, giant pacifier.

Both boys met Aunt Donna for the first time.  We did not get a picture of her with the boys.  Next time...

Sleepy Jack 3 days old