I swear I didn't pose them! The girls love to nap together and just snuggle up on each other. Isn't this adorable? They are doing well. Lexa had some gas this morning and was fussy for a couple of hours (of course it was on my shift!), but gas drops are lifesavers and she has been fine since. Lexa LOVES her swing which plays classical music as it rocks her. She has spent a lot of time in it today while Geneva prefers to stretch out on her blanket. It's about time for their feeding...
Here are some new pictures of the girls. Aren't they adorable? They had a GREAT day today. Lexa is up to 6 bottles a day & Geneva is at 4 now. The goal is 8 before they can come home so it is looking closer & closer. I am hoping by this time next week (fingers crossed). Geneva is up to 5 lbs. 9 ozs. & Lexa is at 5 lbs. 1 oz. They still love to sleep but are more & more awake, especially for their daddy. They love to cuddle with me & snuggle up on my chest & go to sleep, but when Patrick holds them, they really study him & smile a lot (although it is probably just gas)!
Apparently I have quite a blog following... I have had more than a dozen e-mails & phone calls this week telling me that I am falling behind on my blogging. Sorry for any worry--the girls are doing great. Geneva is up to 5 lbs. 6 ozs. & Lexa at 4 lbs. 13 ozs. Lexa is actually doing better with her feedings--at 4 bottles a day and scarfing them down in 5 minutes flat. Geneva is more laid back, taking her time & only consuming about half of her 2 bottles a day. They have upgraded from the premie nipple to the regular nipple, which is good. Lexa is still on daily medicine for reflux but other than that, no medicines, IVs, or bloodwork. They are very healthy, just need time to learn to eat. Because they are premies, they remain sleepy but are learning quickly & are much more alert. Basically we are just waiting for their maturity, as they would still only be 35 weeks right now in utero. The original goal to have them home was between their 36-37 week mark which would be June 17-24, & I think we will make it. We go to the hospital twice a day coordinated with their feedings. They are the hit of the hospital nursery for sure. All the parents & staff love them! Aren't they cute in their new hats that Aunt Amy made for them? This way the doctor can tell them apart (even though they look nothing alike, he still gets confused). Lexa remains our gentle baby doll, fair and blue-eyed. The jury is still out on her hair--she may end up red-headed afterall. She gets very red in the face when she is upset (mainly when you don't get the bottle to her mouth fast enough). Geneva is quite a character, making the funniest sounds & faces constantly making us laugh. Geneva loves her pacifier & her new nickname is Maggie (from the baby on the Simpson's that constantly smacks her passy). Her hair is continuing to thin & lighten. We shower them with hugs & kisses & tell them how many people love them.
Aren't they so cute with their bottles? I think the bottles are bigger than them! The girls are each receiving 2 bottles a day but depending on their moods sometimes aren't too interested. The doctor tells us we are basically in a holding pattern until they learn to suck and swallow. Since they are premies they don't have a lot of energy and prefer to sleep right now, but they are trying. Geneva (in the hat) is daddy's "little Miss Piggy". She grunts and snorts while she eats but just gets too sleepy. She'll wake up in spurts and start sucking and making crazy noises. Lexa has the sucking down but is a little too lazy to swallow preferring to let it run out of her mouth at times, or spit it right in daddy's face as she did on Wednesday night. She also likes to make noises but they are more content and cooing sounds. They continue to receive supplemental feedings in their feeding tube and are gaining weight. The nurse said once they get the feedings down it's like a light switch comes on and they can come home within 2 or 3 days.
On 4/18, I had a very elegant baby shower in my hometown with such a variety of people throughout my life... high school friends, college friends, grad school friends, family, in-laws, and family friends. It was perfect despite the thunderstorm. My sister-in-law, Amy (pictured here) was the official photographer of the day & has much better pictures than mine... Hint, hint, Amy. Click on the link below and then "view album" then "play slideshow."
Here are pics from my shower with my college friends, held on 4/25. We had a lovely luncheon at the Crumpet Tea Room. As usual, I got too busy and didn't take pictures until the end and unfortunately some had already left. I can't believe I was that big! It feels like a lifetime ago.
As I awoke from a brief nap, somewhat foggy I glanced at my nephew, Luke's baby picture and thought to myself, "Look at my beautiful baby, Geneva." Then I realized that I don't have any framed pics of my girls. Don't they look alike? Although Luke had dark hair for several months, he is now very fair and blonde. I have noticed the past 2 days that my dark-headed princess' hair is already lightening up. It's amazing how fast babies change. All reports are still great from the hospital. Both girls received their first bottle early this morning and tolerated well! Geneva drank half, and Lexa polished it off. Lexa is closing the gap, originally weighing 8 ounces less than sister but now only 1 ounce behind. Both have their IV lines removed and are enjoying the freedom of moving their right arms. We are so blessed.
As my mom's only child, she has waited a long time to have grandchildren and now gets 2 at once. However, she does not want to be viewed as a grandma so has invented the name Su Su (her name is Susan) for the girls to call her. Patrick & I aren't crazy about the name, but I figure the girls will call her whatever they decide. The girls continue to do well. I spoke at length with the doctor yesterday who is amazed by their progress. You can tell that the nurses and doctors are trained not to set time tables as it gets parents' hopes up, but he did say they are ahead of schedule and progressing much faster than they originally projected. They are "85% there on feedings" meaning they are still increasing their amounts daily and will soon achieve the highest amount given through feeding tubes. So, the next step is oral feedings which he thought Geneva would begin as early as Thursday and Lexa a day or two later. He said "the only thing keeping them here is learning to eat orally." "As soon as they learn that, they can go home." I have really seen a change in the past two days with their feeding. Instead of sleeping through them, they are beginning to understand the suck/swallow combination and are sucking their pacifiers and making little noises as their feeding tubes are going so I am confident that they will quickly learn to eat on their own. They continue to gain 1-2 ounces daily and just look so much healthier. Geneva no longer uses her IV line, and today is Lexa's last day of hers. They no longer have to get daily bloodwork as all of their labs continued to be normal. They continue to have normal heartrates, oxygen levels, and blood pressure. We are so happy and hope they can move to the least restrictive bedding soon-- an open twin crib. We can't wait to see how they interact with each other as they have been separated since birth.
