We're home!

Last night we went to the Keg for dinner and then headed back to the hospital. We all settled into the hospital room and the nurses left us to fend for ourselves. It was a pretty eventful night. Emma had a big barf so we had to change all her bedding - she settled down ok afterwards and only woke up to eat every four hours. Leah was a bit cranky and we had a hard time getting her to sleep. In total I think John and I got about 3 hours sleep - it's a whole new kind of tired! The pediatrician was in to see us this morning. He is going to keep them on their barf medication and he also wants us to give them 2 - 3 fortified bottles a day. After he discharged us we fed the girls, got the car loaded and got them into their carseats. We then had to say goodbye to all the wonderful nurses at the hospital. They are all such wonderful people and they made having our babies in the NICU easier for us both. We never had to worry when we went home at night because we knew the girls were getting the best possible care. Our final stop was in to see Aunt Bonnie and to thank her one last time for convincing us to have our babies at North York General. We are all going to miss seeing her everyday but I have promised that I will let her do the girls nails and hair once they are old enough (we all know I won't be any good at it!). So we arrived home and got the girls settled and then the cat started throwing up. For those of you that know me well you'll know how attached I am to Jackson. She was very sick and John had to take her to the vet. We think she ate some flowers and the vet gave her some fluids and some barf medication - that makes 3 out of 5 of us on barf medication! She seems to be doing alot better now but it was a stressful day. Emma, Leah, John and Jackson are all sleeping as I write this...I think I might go join them!

THEY'RE COMING HOME!!!!

They passed their carseat test today so they are all set to come off the monitors tomorrow. The plan is tomorrow night John and I are going to go our for dinner (our last meal!) and when we are done we're going to go to the hospital and start our care by parent. We will all stay in a room together and if all goes well we will come home Wednesday. We are both very excited to get them home - it's hard to believe that today they are three weeks old. Since we won't be home tomorrow night the next update will be when they're home from the hospital.

Wake me up when its over...

Leah doing carseat test - 5 lbs 5 ozs

If only all tests were this easy!

Emma doing carseat test. I can't imagine that she'll ever outgrow the carseat...she's 4 lbs 11 ozs now.

Uneventful Day

Nothing much new to report today. They are both still doing well. John gave them a bath today and they both cry until you put them in the water - then they think it's great. They were both off their monitors for a tandem feed today and it was much easier to maneuver them. We brought a car seat in today for testing. From my understanding they'll put them in it and observe them with the monitors to make sure they can handle the positioning. They will probably do it tonight or tomorrow. They will be 5 days off the caffeine on Tuesday which will mean they can come off the monitors. I think tomorrow we will start to plan when John and I will spend our night at the hospital - at that point they come off the monitors and the four of us are put in a room together to fend for ourselves...if we pass we go home

Getting ready to bring them home

I went to the hospital by myself today while John stayed home and got everything done that we have been neglecting for the past three weeks. I just got home to find the condo sparkling, all the laundry done and the babies room ready. It was very hard for him not to come but he wants the place ready for when his girls come home. Not much change in the girls since yesterday. Since the tubes came out we have had no throw up. Leah wasn't as fussy today and Emma was her usual peaceful self. I had them nose to nose on my lap this morning and they just looked at each other and tried to suck each others hands. Then they fell asleep. They continue to go 4 hours between feeds which makes for long breaks at the hospital since you can only sit and look at a sleeping baby for so long. We can't wait to have them home. If all goes well they come off the monitors on Tuesday and then home time shouldn't be far off.

Dr Govan (the pediatrician) was in this morning checking up on the girls. Both Emma and Leah continue to have one good barf a day and he thinks it's the tubes that are causing the problem so they have come out - hopefully for good. All the tape has been removed from their cheeks! When I arrived at the hospital today it was time for Leah to feed. She did quite well but was very fussy afterwards. She seems to be very needy in the morning - cries and cries until you pick her up. Can't say it bothers me too much seeing as she didn't cry when she was born or when she was throwing up so the way I see it is there nothing wrong with a bit of healthy screaming! At 12 pm both the girls woke up hungry so we had our first go at tandem feeding - what an experience. My two little footballs did quite well and both promptly went to sleep for 4 hours. Their next two feeds were also done in tandem (still 4 hours apart!) - John was there for the last one and we managed just the two (sorry four!) of us. By the third try I was much more comfortable and all the nurses assure me that soon I'll be able to do it on my own. I'm willing to give it a go if it means 4 hours of them both sleeping. The occupational therapist came to see Leah today. One of the nurses noticed that her feet were pointing in and asked for a consult. After examining her the therapist has given us a list of exercises that we have to do with every feed in order to get the muscles in her feet to relax and correct the problem. Because they were premature their development will be closely followed. For the next two years we will have to go to a follow up clinic at different milestones where they will monitor and assess all aspects of their development and help us with any issues. There is not a doubt in either or our minds that we are receiving the best possible care.

The girls had their tubes removed for the day!

It was so nice to see them without it. We officially moved to on demand feeding today. Leah woke up every 3 hours and Emma every 4. In between feeds I napped in the care by parent room. They will continue to get their fortified feedings through the night and hopefully move to exclusively breast/bottle (no more tube) within the next few days. The nurses have suggested that I try and be there for 4 feeds a day so starting tomorrow I will go to the hospital at 7am (and hopefully beat traffic) and stay through until at least 7 at night. They expect us to stay overnight sometime late next week. Here are some pictures we took today...

One of Emma's many faces

Sleeping Emma

Leah getting burped

Sleepy Leah after lunch

The pediatrician was with the girls when I arrived this morning. He has decided to fortify the breastmilk the girls get from the tube (and eventually the overnight bottles) in an effort to help them put on some weight. This is common for preemies. He has also decided to wean them off their daily caffeine (they give it to premature babies because they sometimes forget to breathe). They have a half dose until tomorrow and then Friday they will be caffeine free (maybe I should start guzzling coffee and diet pepsi - mmmm). Once they are off they need to go 5 days without what they call a spell - basically they have to remember to breathe - before they can come off the monitors. As it stands (and this could change) sometime next week I will need to start staying at the hospital for all feedings. At that point the girls will move from scheduled 3 hour feeds to on demand feeding no more than 4 hours apart...and I think I'm tired now! Leah was a bit fussy today. She's back to her fiesty self now that the barfing has stopped. I don't think she had enough at her first feed because she proceeded to scream for two hours and of course I was busy for one hour feeding her sister so she was consoled by the nurses. By the time her second feeding came around she was pooped out from the crying and we had to top her up through the tube. She passed out in my arms and had a nice nap. Emma is still very quiet but she makes all sorts of funny faces. It's fun just watching her and if you kiss her on the lips she makes this look like she's swallowed something sour - very cute. I'm looking forward to having them together. They have spent only minutes together so far and I'm curious to see how they act when they're in the same crib - if one screams will the other one sleep through or join in!

They lost weight but the nurses assured me this is normal. Both girls did well today...Leah managed all three of her feedings and Emma did 2 and a half (she got topped up through the tube because she fell asleep in the middle of her feed). Dad gave both girls a bath today. It's funny because the nurses aren't used to having useful dads around and they asked me if it was ok if John bathed Emma (I was cuddling Leah). We both thought that was amusing. Uncle Drew came to visit the girls today. It was the first time he'd seen them since they were minutes old - he still thinks they're tiny!

Another good day.

The next stage the girls will reach is getting the feeding tube removed from their noses. In order to do that they first have to master breastfeeding. I arrive at the hospital in time for Leah's 11am feed (can't get there any earlier because have to cross Toronto 401 rush hour traffic). I am there for Leah's 11am, 2pm and 5pm feeds and Emma's 12pm, 3pm and 6pm feeds. Once the girls are breastfeeding at all three feeds the tubes will be removed and they will be bottle fed breastmilk for the overnight feedings. I was concerned about giving them a bottle but all the nurses have assured me that it won't affect their desire to breastfeed (I have nightmares of bottle feeding two babies now that I know how demanding the feeding schedule is!). So today Leah breastfed for all her feeds. Emma was very sleepy for her 12pm feed but she breastfed for her 3pm and 5pm feeds. We'll see at the weigh in tomorrow morning how they did (they also have to be putting on weight before the tubes are removed).

Happy Father's Day!

Leah and Emma (and the NICU staff) made polaroid cards for their dad - even one of the two of them sleeping together. We had a very nice day today. Both girls did extremely well with their feeding. Emma had all her lunch and dinner and Leah had her dinner. They are starting to slowly gain weight - Emma gained 10 grams yesterday and Leah gained 25 grams. Grandma and Grandpa Holmes came for a visit this afternoon. They each took a baby - there's no fighting when there's two!

No puking today!

The medication seems to be working - we had a barf free day and both girls seemed to be in a better mood. It is nice having John at the hospital all day because then we can take naps. The hospital has a few rooms with a pull out couch and a tv and it is a nice place to rest knowing that the other one can be with the babies.

Emma in cot

Leah having after dinner nap

Sleeping Leah

John tube feeding Emma - can you tell why they think breastfeeding is too much work!

Emma waking up

I arrived at the hospital today to find the babies out of the incubators and in little cots AND dressed in their own clothes. It was very exciting to see them all snuggled up - they looked like normal babies. They are still having issues with the puking and we were back late tonight and had a chance to speak with their pediatrician. Since they are actually losing weight now he has started them on medication that will hopefully stop the puking (they have baby acid reflux). Ever since the puking started Leah hasn't been all that interested in breastfeeding so we are hoping the medication will settle her tummy and get her focused. Emma has been sick as well but she has the energy for one feed a day. Since John is off tomorrow we should have time for some pictures...

I forgot the camera at home - so sorry! Today mom got to hold both girls. They have been very stable for a few days now so they took Emma off her monitors and brought her over to cuddle with her sister. Of course they both promptly fell asleep but it was so nice to hold them together. Emma seems to be getting the hang of breastfeeding. She took one full feed today. Leah seems to know what to do - she just gets lazy. I can't say I blame her seeing as the alternative is laying there snuggling while her tummy fills up. The main issue the girls have is with their feeds. Leah has had one solid barf the past few days but they don't seem to be too concerned as she is gaining weight. John and the nurse thought she looked a bit yellow so I think they are going to test her for jaundice again.

The girls had a good day today. They are both off the IV but I think they are going to wait until they are 35 weeks to move them to the cot. I asked about their weight - Emma is 4 pounds 5 oz and Leah is 4 pounds 15 oz. Both are up to full feeds now and are gaining weight. They each got a bath today. Dad was in charge of Leah and mom did Emma. It's quite a challenge maneuvering such a small baby but they won't let us go home until we master it... Both girls passed their hearing tests - I guess they really do like dad's singing!

John giving Leah her first zerbert Emma waiting for bath to get started

Both girls are doing well and gradually increasing their feeds. They were both a bit pukey today but nothing to be concerned about. Emma got her entire lunch while breastfeeding but Leah wasn't all that interested today. They have been getting a nutritional supplement through an IV and it's looking promising that they can stop that soon. One less tube!! If they do come off the IV then they should be able to move them out of the incubators into little cots. All the monitors will still be hooked up but they won't be able to lie around in their diapers anymore so we'll get to try on some preemie shirts!

Leah and Emma are 1 week old!

Our lives have completely changed in the past week. I have gone from being unable to walk, move etc to all day trips to the hospital. I have been to a grocery store for the first time in two months and I can drive again! The girls are progressing really well and although it is very difficult for us both to have our babies in the NICU we know they need to be there. They are both gradually increasing their feeds (they are fed through a tube that goes right into their tummies) and hopefully in the next couple of days we will start to feed them on our own. We can hold them whenever we want now and they are both so peaceful...fingers crossed that they'll stay that way. Today is John's first day back at work and it was very hard for him to leave me this morning. He is going to work til 2 then take the subway up to the hospital. Once the babies come home he will take his vacation time. I'm off to the hospital now. I will take a picture of the girls today to celebrate them being one week old. One week pictures...

Emma under jaundice lights (check out the purple sunglasses!) Leah under jaundice lights (we still hadn't seen her face at this point) Leah - One week old Emma - One week old

Jen Discharged

Jen was discharged from the hospital yesterday and spent the night at home. The focus now shifts to visiting the girls in the hospital and getting some rest. After a trip to Walmart to get preemie diapers we arrived at the hospital this morning to find Leah off the CPAP and breathing room air! Very exciting news. We had both been anxiously awaiting the unveiling of Leah's face and it was rather amusing to discover that they are both now being treated for jaundice (very common in preemies) and the treatment involves putting them under bright light and having their eyes covered. So still no full face for Leah! Today was the much anticipated visit by their Great Grandpa Holmes and we had thought he would only be able to hold Emma. Much to our surprise the nurse got Leah out of her incubator and brought her over for a picture with her sister. So not only did we get to see her face for the first time we also got to see her and Emma together. It was really neat.

Emma Emma Emma Leah Leah Leah

They've arrived!Leah (5lbs 2oz) arrived at 7:24 am followed by younger sister Emma (4lbs 7 oz) at 9:30. Jen, John, proud grandparents and the twins are all doing fine. The babies are in ICU and are expected to remain in hospital until they are closer to full term. These babies are cute! (Grandpa Dave)

33 Weeks!It's official. I have reached the end of the tape measure - my belly is measuring 50 weeks... The doctor is very pleased with my progress and is now saying "it could be any minute now". If the babies were born this week they would still need some time in the NICU but he doesn't foresee any major issues. My week was ok - I am starting to get very uncomfortable but the end is in sight. Ultrasound on Monday - we are very curious to see what they are weighing in at now! We thought it would be fun to compile a list of everyone's predicted delivery date. Name Date Dr. Shuen "it could be any minute now...." ;) Barb Holmes Tuesday, June 8th (33w3d) Kieran O'Brien Saturday, June 12th (34w) Thomas Lamont Sunday, June 13th (34w1d) Sandra O'Brien Tuesday, June 15th (34w3d) Kathleen Lamont Wednesday, June 16th (34w4d) John aka Dad Thursday, June 17th (34w5d) Gillian and Brett Friday, June 18th (34w6d) Margaret Lamont Monday, June 21st (35w2d) Jen aka Mom Tuesday, June 22nd (35w3d)