Day 11 in ISCU

Today was an AMAZING day!!!

Stella is now off the oxygen cannula, so all they have on their faces is their feeding tube!!!  They are both breathing on their own.  HOORAY!  They also removed both of their IV's.  The only things they have attached to them are their feeding tubes, heart monitors, and breathing rate monitors.  HOORAY!!!

Sweet sleeping Stella breathing on her own!

                              Stella is so happy without her oxygen cannula in her nose!

We got to hold both girls at the same time!!!!  I haven't been able to hold them both, so it was such a great feeling to be able to do that.  They both fell into a deep sleep...which means they were very happy too!  I think that they liked being so close to each other again too.

Holding them together really showed me that while my identical girls have many of the same features, they look a little different to me.  Kenny thinks that I am crazy, but a mommy knows!  I think that we are going to get them baby bracelets to wear so that others (or maybe Kenny) will be able to tell them apart. :)

It seems like both girls are starting to consistently gain weight these days!  That is good news, as gaining weight consistently is something that the girls need to be able to do before they leave the ISCU. Stella weighs just 5 grams more (they weigh them in grams), and they both weigh 4 pounds, 8 ounces!  Good job girls!

                                             Lulu

                          I love to see the girls wearing clothes--they look so cute!


I got to nurse Lulu again today.  She latched on really nicely and got a few good pulls.  After nursing, she took her entire ounce by bottle!  She is getting to be a champ at taking bottles!  Big girl!

                                 She makes the funniest faces when I burp her!

I was able to go back at night with Kenny.  The girls are so active at night.  They were awake during most of the time that we were there.  I was so surprised and excited to see Lulu's feeding tube off of her face.  She pulled it off, and they were not going to put a new one in unless she needs it.  WOW!!!  Her face is just so cute!

                                        hi from Lulu!
                               
                           

                            Lulu loves to snuggle with her daddy (and her paci)

Stella also started taking a bottle today.  She can get down about 15 to 20 ml's.  Good progress!  I did try to nurse her, but she was very confused!  :)   We'll try again another time...

Hooray for today!!!  So thankful!