Day 17 in ISCU

I was so surprised to walk into the ISCU this morning to see Lulu out of the isolette and in a big girl bed!  She has been maintaining her temperature, and has been improving on taking her bottles (and nursing so well, by the way!), so they officially moved her to an open crib.  Another big step in leaving the ISCU.  VERY EXCITING!!!

my lovely little Lulu

Both girls have also been doing a great job gaining weight.  They both weigh the exact same--2184 grams--4 pounds, 13 ounces!  WOW!  When I am changing their diapers, they are starting to get rolls in their little thighs.  Keep gaining, little ones!  

Here's one of our favorite nurses, Vivian, giving Stella her bottle.  She didn't want to take the bottle from me after a great nursing session, but took it all from Vivian.  Good job!!!

Stella sports a very true saying on her shirt--good things DO come in small packages!

Day 16 in ISCU

Talia and Giana could not wait to go back to the hospital today!  At church this morning, they told everyone that they were able to hold their little sisters yesterday.  They are so proud to be big sisters!

                                            Giana and Lucia, Talia and Stella

Stella was wide awake during our visit--isn't she so cute?!

Stella loves to smile!

Daddy snuggling with Lulu...and Gigi too!

So thankful for another wonderful day!  Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers!  I am so proud of my little miracles!

Day 15 in ISCU

We had an amazing time in one of the parent/family rooms this afternoon...the big girls were so excited all day to go to the hospital to see the twins!  The twins were loving all of the snuggles that their big sisters were giving them.  It was such a special time!

                                     Gigi holding Lulu and Talia holding Stella

Gigi and Lulu

Lucia and Stella

Talia and Stella

I love my family of six!!!

 Kenny, Gigi and Stella

Me, Talia and Lulu

We stopped at the chapel in the hospital on the way out and Talia wrote this in the prayer book...such a sweet big sister!

Thank you God!

Day 14 in ISCU

I got to spend some extra time with the twins today, and it was so wonderful!  Thanks to everyone for helping with the "big girls"--they had a lot of fun too!

The girls are sleeping and eating and getting bigger everyday!  They've both had big weight gains this week--Stella weighs 4 pounds, 11 ounces and Lucia is 4 pounds, 10 ounces.  They are both eating the max. amount of 40 ml (just over an ounce) every 3 hours, and their bottles are being fortified with some extra calories and vitamins.  Sometimes, they can finish the entire bottle, and other times they just take a few gulps, and the rest goes down their feeding tubes.  They just need to remember to keep swallowing so that they can keep growing!

                                                           Lulu

                                                         Stella

I was able to get some good snuggling time with each of the girls today and then with both of them together.  They fell fast asleep, and seemed to really like being so close.  I LOVED my time with them today!  I was so sad to leave.  I can't wait until they come home and we can snuggle all the time!

                                            snuggles with my little Lulu

                                      Stella was wide awake after her bottle...

                                         ...but soon enough fell fast asleep

                                  I was able to hold both of the girls again!!!

                                       Stella and Lucia--together again!
                                        (for a few minutes, anyway)

Day 13 in ISCU

Lucky Day 13 and Stella finally catches a break! Her ECHO cardiogram came back and there was nothing of significance to note.  The doctors were not concerned, but we will have to follow up with a cardiologist in 6 months.  Thank you God!  Phew!

                                              Stella is so relieved!  :)

The other very lucky thing that happened this morning is that the girls now have "lo-jack" like beepers on their ankles.  We are now able to take them out of ISCU and into parent rooms for an hour, since they have been doing so well and have been stable.   This is a big step in leaving the ISCU.  We are excited to take the big girls there this weekend and enjoy some time together as a family of 6!

Stella did great today!  I was able to bottle feed her twice and she was even able to nurse today!  She did great nursing--latching on right away and staying on for about 3 or 4 minutes.  Good job!


Lulu also had a great day!  She also nursed like a little champ today for a few minutes and then took about half of her bottle.  Hooray!

Some of the clothes in the ISCU have been washed over and over, so they have shrunk over time.  I brought in some of the preemie clothes that Talia used to wear when she first came home.  They are big on the twins, but they are so cute!

                                               little Lulu

                                              sweet Stella

Day 12 in ISCU

Happy Wednesday!  It is so comforting to walk into the ISCU and have a neonatologist come up to you to let you know that your children are making such great progress!  So nice!

They have detected a heart murmur on Stella. :( She had an ECHO cardiogram performed yesterday, and the results are still not in.  Hopefully, we will get results soon.  The ups and downs of preemies...

                                            Stella happily sleeping

It seems like I am falling into a pattern during my mornings at the ISCU.  I am just so happy to change diapers and feed the girls.

Lulu had 2 poops while I was there--so happy to see it all working so nicely!  Although Lulu's feeding tube was back in (she was very tired during one of her overnight feedings and would not take it all, so her tube needed to be reinserted)  I was able to nurse again, and once again, she did good.  We nursed for about 10 minutes, and then she took her entire 35 ml bottle.  Hopefully, she can quickly become more consistent taking the bottle, and have the tube removed for good!

Stella also had a poopy diaper and she took her entire 40 ml bottle!  She is catching on quickly!!!  I feel like she has made such big strides these past few days.  I am so proud and so thankful!   She was wide awake after taking her bottle today.  I hated to leave when she was so alert!

Big thanks to Annie and the Endre family for getting Stella and Lulu embroidered blankies!  They are so soft and look beautiful on their "princess beds" (as Talia and Giana call their isolettes)

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!