First day at home!

Monday, July 28th 

We survived the first night!  We had lots of visitors on Sunday to help us welcome little Katherine and Lauren.  The first night we were on our own---Ed and Bridget did the 9pm and 12am feedings and Mama had the 3am and 6 am feedings on her own while having to still pump.  Luckily Ed helped with the 3 am feedings which was so nice.  We were all sleepy but everyone got fed, burped, changed and cuddled so that's all that matters.  

Here's our little princess Abby checking in on her baby sisters.  

Will try to get more pictures this week---including our 1st doctors appt scheduled for Wednesday.  

Bringing our babies home!!!

Sunday, July 27th 

What a special and huge day this was for me and my family.  Bringing our babies home!!!
We were all so so happy and excited but a little nervous too.  We woke up semi early, Abby had spent the night and Gigi and Papa's house so they came early and helped us get ready to go.  

Here's some pictures highlighting our day:

On our way to the hospital!

Changed, dressed, packed and ready to go!

Half of the bottles I had stashed in the Nicu freezer.  700 bottles total

Proud parents 

One very happy Mama

Family shot

One very happy Daddy 

Leaving the Nicu!  (hopefully forever)

We arrived home about 35 minutes later, I ran inside to get Abby and to talk to her and explain what was about to happen and who she was about to meet.  

Meeting her sisters 

Abby understood her role as big sister immediately and began to work right away---she was busy covering the babies with blankets and bringing Mom and Dad burp cloths for feeding time. 

1st full family shot---got Charlie too!

Lauren in her adorable little Whale PJs--thanks aunt Marty

Katie 

Basically our life now

Womb mates now room mates 

Abby helping feed her baby "shisters"

More pictures to come!  

Thank you to everyone that was at our home today to help us welcome our baby girls!!  Gigi and Papa,  Mimi, Bridget and Danny.  Thanks to Aunt Eva, Uncle Tony and Melanie for stopping by.  Thanks to Aunt Marty, Aunt Chelle and Caroline for visiting.  

Getting ready to go home!!!

Saturday, July 26th 

We were running around like crazy today in particular trying to get everything done in preparation for our sweet baby girls homecoming tomorrow!!!

Checklist of things that had to happen: 

1. Girls had to be transitioned from isolette to open air crib and maintain a temperature of 97.5 or higher (all of ours have been in 98.3 or higher)

2. Girls had to pass the 'car seat challenge' which is where they sit in the car seats for half an hour and maintain body temperature, etc. 

3. The hospital OT (Occupational Therapy) team did an exam

4. Congenital heart exam 

5. Hearing exam 

6. We had to meet with our Nicu doctor and a discharge nurse and go over all sorts of follow-up visits with our doctor for the girls for when we leaves.  SIGN the discharge paperwork.  

7. Collect all of the stored expressed breast milk they have of mine from the Nicu freezer

Girls are pretty much ready to go!!! 

We will call their nurse in the morning to double check what time we need to be there to pick them up.  

Katie wide awake and ready for dinner 

Lauren fast asleep, dreaming of sleeping in her own bed =)

Nicu Checklist 

Enterol (they store all the breast milk that people bring into the Nicu) brought us all of this.  Half of what I currently have stored in the Nicu---700 bottles total.  We may need to borrow some freezer space from people. 

Out of the isolettes!

Thursday, July 24th 

This is a HUGE milestone in the Nicu and actually one of the last ones before you get ready to go home.  When we first came to the 8th floor they told me when the girls reached 1800 grams that was a huge milestone, it is at that point that they are taken out of the isolettes and put into open air cribs.  They usually wait until the babies are that big so they can regulate their own temperature.  If they can keep their temps up for 48 hrs after being taken out of the isolette then there is no medical reason to keep them, so they can come home!!

On Thursday Katie got moved out of her Isolette and into open air crib at 6 pm.  Lauren was also moved into her new crib at 3 am that next morning.  

Way to go my little champs, only a few more days!!!

Katie 

Nurse taking Katie's temperature, 98.4!  

(They need to be at least 97.5)

Katie in Pink, Lauren in Yellow 

Little Lauren in her new open crib!  

5 weeks!

Thursday, July 24th 

Katie and Lauren are 5 weeks old today!  It seems like every week they are meeting major milestones.  At 1 week we were moving up to the 8th floor for feeding and growing, week 2 we started bottle feeding, then wearing clothes and losing feeding tubes, and now at their 5 week mark we are looking at the girls coming out of their isolettes and into open air cribs! 

Here are their stats: 

Katie--1860 grams, 4 lbs 

Lauren--1800 grams, 3 lbs, 15 oz 

Lauren 

Katie