Day 10 in ISCU

Kenny went back to work today, and I was able to visit the girls solo...which kind of made me sad.  I really like that both of us can be there and each of the girls get some special one on one time, or at least someone talking to them and loving them while we are both there.  I know that is something that all moms deal with, (splitting time between any number of children) but for some reason, this was hard for me today.  :(

Anyway, the twins were actually wearing clothes today.  And while they didn't match, they still looked super cute!  Lulu was in a yellow ducky pajama onesie, until she peed on it while I was changing her diaper!  

Stella was wearing a white hospital shirt, but then was changed into a little purple outfit.  I love that they are wearing clothes!  

I was able to breast feed Lulu for a few minutes today!  (sorry, I don't have a pic!)  I was so surprised when her nurse asked me if I was up for it.  She actually latched on very nicely and got down a few swallows.  Then she took about 15 ml of her 25 ml bottle.  Good job!!! 

                               Lulu asleep after a very successful feeding session

                                      Close up on Lulu's little face!  So pretty!

The nurse tried to give Stella a bottle today, but she didn't want to have anything to do with it.  We'll get there.  She took a very nice nap while I was holding her.  I LOVE snuggling with my babies...all 4 of them!
         
                                                big yawn from Stella

                                            Stella's happily asleep

Thank you all for your continued thoughts, phone calls, texts, dinners, and prayers.  Thank you for asking about the girls.  Thank you for listening when I call.  Thank you for taking the "big girls" for a play date.  Thank you for driving me to the hospital.  I appreciate it all so much.

Day 9 in ISCU

I was so happy to get to the hospital today, as it has been a rough day at home.  The time change did not work in my favor, as Gigi woke up at 5:30 instead of 6:30 today.  I'll sleep again someday, right?  :)

After church this morning, Kenny and Talia were playing around and Talia was pretending to drive the car.  Next thing I know, Kenny is writhing in pain as Talia slammed the door on Kenny's left index finger, peeling his nail up and breaking the tip of his finger!  We spent almost 3 hours in the ER!  (and Talia had an allergic reaction on Friday night, and Kenny took her to the ER too!) My life is so boring!!!

                          Kenny is comparing his finger splint to Lulu's IV splint on her arm

I was able to feed Lucia a bottle, and she took about 20 ml of her 25 ml bottle.  She is really starting to get the hang of sucking, swallowing, moving her tongue, and breathing all at the same time.  That's hard work!

Stella was awake for most of the time that we were there.  Her eyes are getting more blue every day.  She is not quite ready for a bottle, but she loves to suck on her paci, with a little bit of help.  The nasal bulb helps to hold it in place.  Those nurses are smart!   

Pumping is going really well, although I am waiting for the day that I can actually nurse!  I keep bringing in bottles of breast milk every time we visit.  I've brought in so much that they've moved some of the milk into a deep freezer.  Glad to know that I will be able to feed both of them!

I love that we can both hold a baby!  

Day 8 in ISCU

Today was another big day, especially for Stella!  We continue to be so thankful for the daily progress that our baby girls are making.

Stella had her chest tube and belly button IV out, and her jaundice had gone down enough that she did not need the lights anymore.  And while she was still breathing fast, she seemed so happy and so much more comfortable!

                                              Sweet sleeping Stella

I was finally able to hold her!  I was such a happy mommy!

Kenny was able to hold Lulu at the same time...I just wish Talia and Giana would have been there too...

Both girls increased their feedings to 20 ml (just under an ounce) every 3 hours.  Kenny gave Lucia a bottle again, and she did better today, swallowing about 1/2 of it.  The rest went through her nasal feeding tube.  Stella still gets her feedings through the feeding tube, but they are hoping to start a bottle with her soon as well.

Stella was also stable enough to be moved into an isolette of her own!  Such a big step for my little girl.  I am so proud of her!

Before we left, we switched babies so that Kenny could hold Stella and I held Lucia.  Call me crazy, but I really think that my identical girls look a little different.  I'd like to think that I can tell them apart...the nurses think that once they get a little bigger, that will be more difficult.  We'll see!

                               another sweet pic of Stella--her face is just so cute!

Day 7 in ISCU

Today was another good day for the girls!  I am so thankful!

When we walked in, Lulu had been taken off the nasal cannula and was breathing entirely on her own!  The only thing she had on her face was her feeding tube/line down her nose.  I am so proud of her!

Stella's breathing seemed to be a bit fast and labored, but they were able to take her chest tube out at 3 pm, and she was much more comfortable.  Hopefully, she can recover quickly and catch up to her sister.  She was still under the lights to help her jaundice.

Both girls were sucking on pacifiers like champs!  It is such a nice thing to see their little mouths sucking.  I am hoping that means that they will transition nicely to nursing.  (as an aside...pumping 7 to 8 times a day is a lot of work!)

I was asked to change both of their diapers today.  Changing Lulu in her isolette was not easy.  They both have the cutest little bottoms!  I love it!

I also gave Lucia a bottle today.  Both of their feeds were increased to 15 ml every 3 hours. She gave a couple of good sucks and swallows on the bottle, but then was tired and we gave her the rest of the bottle through her nasal feeding tube.

Kenny was thrilled to hold Lucia today too...such a proud and sweet Daddy!

then I got to hold her again...heavenly!

I just love this sweet little face so much!

I hope to be able to hold Stella tomorrow...will keep you posted!  :)

More Updates on Stella and Lulu

Weds. Oct. 31--Day 5 in ISCU--Happy Halloween!

Kenny and I stopped at Babies R Us to get the girls something to celebrate their First Halloween...next year will be so much better with my one year olds in some super cute costumes.  Any cute ideas???

Lucia continued to be under lights, but seemed very content sun bathing--she is her mother's daughter!

Stella also looked yellowish to me, so I was surprised that she was not under lights as well.  Both of the girls had a new picture of them with their eyes open that their nurses had taken and decorated last night.  Even in the ISCU, the girls are surrounded by scrapbookers!  It was so good to see them with their eyes open.  The nurses said that they were both active last night.  I also brought some pics of Talia and Giana to hang by their beds, so that their big sisters are watching over them.

                                                           Kenny and Lulu


Both girls were fed by a feeding tube today.  The tube runs through their noses and empties into their stomach.  They are getting 5 ml every three hours (like a teaspoon).  I am so happy that they are getting my milk.

After the "big girls" were asleep from a busy night of Trick or Treating, 

we got a phone call around 11 saying that Stella's left lung was not cooperating, and it collapsed again.  She was going to have surgery again to reinsert the chest tube.  Poor girl...another set back. :(

Thurs. Nov. 1--Day 6 in ISCU--

Today was a big day!  Stella's surgery went well and her lung seemed to be responding nicely.  Both girls got their breathing tubes removed from their mouths and only had nasal cannulas in their noses pumping oxygen.  It was so great to see so much more of their little faces.  Without the tubes in their mouths, they both found their voice.  They were quite vocal...they'll fit right in with Talia and Giana!  They would make the sweetest little sounds and cries.  SO NICE TO HEAR!

                                              little Lulu

Stella's feeds were increased to 10ml every 3 hours, but Lulu remained at 5 ml, as she wasn't really digesting the milk that she was taking.  While I was there, she had a big poopy (meconium) diaper, and I was so happy to change it!  It was the first diaper that I was able to change.  While I know that I will change hundreds of diapers, it is nice to do "regular mommy things" with the twins now.  We hope that with a poop, her systems will start to work more regularly and she will be able to digest the milk.

They took a break from lights for Lulu, since her billiruben level went down, but now Stella is jaundiced, so she is under lights.  She does not like her little glasses as much as Lucia does, and tries to take them off.  Safety first, Stella!

I was also so thrilled to hold sweet little Lulu for the first time.  I am so thankful!  It was an incredible half hour, but then she needed to get back into her bed so that her temp was stable.

                                      I am so in love with her sweet little face!
                                       (and how cute is she holding my finger?!)

Lulu was also moved into an isolette (looks like a small little house) today, so that she can sleep for longer and not be bothered by the constant bells that go off in the ISCU.  This is a big step that babies take when they need less attention.  Way to go Lu!

Stella and Lucia Are Here!

We are very excited to announce the birth of Stella and Lucia--our miracle mono-mono twin girls, born at 32 weeks and 5 days!  It has been a very scary and difficult pregnancy, and our motto continues to be "Everyday is a good day!"  Here's a little run down of the past few days...

Friday October 26th

I went to Evanston for my routine 3/week ultrasound, amniotic fluid check, and non-stress test at 2 pm.  We started with the ultrasound and the girls looked great.  There was still enough fluid, they were still both head down, and heart rates were great.  I then got hooked up to the stress test monitors.  Although I had been feeling contractions for about a week at that point, and certainly a few that morning, they were not consistent, so I was not concerned.  While on the monitors, I continued getting contractions, which kept getting stronger, so I was admitted to Labor and Delivery for more monitoring.  I honestly didn't think anything about it.  I usually have contractions for a few weeks before delivery, and I was scheduled for a c-section on Fri. Nov. 2, so I just assumed that was when I was delivering.  I continued to be monitored and the contractions were coming on quicker and stronger, and I was dilated to 2, so Dr. Plunkett decided that we would do the c-section that night.  I protested a bit, saying that I was dilated with Gigi for about 4 weeks.  She did not want my labor to get any further, so it was safer to get the girls out that night.  When I walked into the OR to get my spinal, Kenny was not even there!  I was scared that he was going to miss it.  Within a few minutes, he arrived and we started.  I felt a lot of pressure and started vomiting almost instantly.  :(  But at 6:33pm, we heard Stella Diane's (4 pounds, 6 ounces) sweet little cries, which made us so happy to hear.  I could see her pushing the oxygen mask off her little face, and I knew for sure that was feisty Stella--she had certainly been the more active one in utero!  A minute later, Lucia Rosa (4 pounds, 5 ounces) was making little sounds too.  They were wrapped up and taken up to the Infant Special Care Unit (ISCU) as soon as they were able, and I was left in the OR.  I had a very rough delivery and initial recovery period, but was finally able to go up to my room around 11pm.  I was not able to see the girls, which made me so sad.  Kenny was able to go into the ISCU to see the girls and snapped these pics:

                                                    Stella

                                                   Lucia

Saturday October 27th

Day 1 in ISCU--I was so eager to get down to the ISCU to see the girls.  I had the nurse wheel me down there as soon as they said that I could go.  It's an incredible sight to see your children all hooked up to tubes helping them breathe. While I was so happy to see them, I spent most of the visit in tears.  I was so happy that Talia and Giana came to visit and were so excited to meet their baby sisters.

                                             The proud big sisters

                                       Kenny and Giana watching over Lucia      

                                      Talia watching over Stella

Around 7 pm, one of the neonatologists came up to my room to let us know that Stella was about to go into surgery.  Her left lung collapsed and she needed to have a chest tube to help.   (A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, is the collection of air in the space around the lungs. This buildup of air puts pressure on the lung, so it cannot expand as much as it normally does when you take a breath.)  She would also need to be intubated with tubes that go down her throat through her mouth. Around 9 pm, we got a call that she was out of surgery and doing well.  Kenny went down to see the girls and then left with the "big girls" a bit later.  When I went to see the girls, Stella seemed very comfortable, even though she had this big mouth piece, but Lucia seemed to be breathing harder as well...

                                               Stella after surgery

Sunday October 28th

Day 2 in ISCU--The morning started early with a neonatologist in my room at 6 am, telling me that Lucia's left lung also had a pneumothorax.  She was not to be "outdone" by her sister!  They were going to start surgery soon, and would call when it was done.  It was a long morning...poor Lulu did not handle surgery well.  They were having a hard time getting an IV in her and needed to reinsert the chest tube that drains all of the fluid out 2 different times, as it was not in the correct position the first time.  She was in surgery most of the day...and we were not able to be in the ISCU with either girl. :(  Kenny came to the hospital with Giana, as Talia woke up with a fever!  He was then able to come back later and we had a nice visit with the girls, telling them how proud we are of them.  They are being so brave!

                                           Lucia asleep after a hard day

Monday October 29th

Day 3 in ISCU--Both girls were moved to an oscillating breathing machine that was "shaking" their lungs, and that was helping their lungs to keep inflating and deflating gently.  All of the doctors and nurses have been so wonderful and helpful.  It has been such a warm and loving environment.  I am so thankful to everyone for their help and support during this crazy time.  

pics of Stella

                                                   pics of Lucia

Tuesday October 30th

Day 4 in ISCU--I was so not ready for today to come, as I was discharged from the hospital.  And while I knew for a while that the girls were going to have to spend some time in the ISCU and not be coming home with me, it did not make it any easier to leave them there.  The girls looked great this morning!  They were flipped so their tubes and head were on the other side, and I felt like I could see their cute little faces so much better. Lucia has jaundice, so she was placed under lights, with these super cute little sunglasses on to cover her little eyes.
                                                 
                                                       cute, right??? :)

Both girls seemed to be responding to our voices and arching their backs when we would be talking to them.  I felt badly, as then they would both seem to choke on their tubes in their mouth.  :(  The girls haven't eaten yet, so any nutrients that they have received have been from their IV.  I have been pumping, so I hope they are getting my milk soon!

Sweet Stella 

me and Lulu

Kenny and Stella