Love Bugs Progress....

Back and forth, slow and unsure, but these little lovies are making progress just the same.

It has been a long couple of days between trying to recover from surgery, trying to keep up with what's going on with the babies and keeping our heads on straight. The babies are doing well over all.

Frankie is breathing room air on his own as of Sunday night, taking feedings through his feeding tube (in his nose) as of yesterday and started phototherapy today for jaundice. He is very feisty and loves to get on all fours and try to launch himself around. He is in an isolette now so I'm less worried abut him throwing himself over the edge. Today he had his hand over his mouth and looked like he was telling secrets-he is adorable, and when he gets upset he makes all these little wrinkly faces.

David continues to be on CPAP. He is basically breathing room air but getting a little help from the machine to keep his lungs inflated so he doesn't have to breath as hard. He does not like to be touched and gets very squirmy and upset when moved. He has a murmur that could be something or could be nothing. We should find out later today if he will have an ultrasound on his heart to differentiate it. Because of this, he has not started his tube feedings yet. He is also starting to get jaundice but hasn't quite made it under the bili lights yet. Today was the best day ever because I got the special treat of finally being allowed to hold him. I've barley even laid a finger on him since he was born and I think the nurse could sense my grief over this. She swaddled him up, tucked all the cords in and I got to cuddle with him in the rocking chair for about 20 minutes. It was wonderful. He was very calm and serene and held on to my finger tightly the whole time with his huge paw. I was hoping he would open his eyes but he didn't and that's okay. He knew I was with him and I gave him lots of kisses. He is beautiful and looks so much like his dad. I can't wait for him to be off CPAP so we can see his face better.

Update: David had his echo today and it showed that he has a PDA (patent ductus arteriosis). This is a duct in the heart that is supposed to close when a baby is born but sometimes it just doesn't happen,more often in preemies. So they will give him 3 doses of a drug called Indomethacin and recheck with another echo on Thursday to see if the duct closed. We hope this will work but if not, these rounds of medicine can be tried again. One step at a time...

Mattea is staying true to her rockstar self. She's been breathing on her own since she was born and also started her tube feedings yesterday which she has been tolerating well. She is also in an isolette under phototherapy lights. I got to change her diaper today and do kangaroo care (skin to skin holding) while she got her tube feeding. I love this because the nurse puts her through the top of my shirt and it's like she's in a little cave. She was laying on my belly with both of her legs spread out wide like a split. This probably has something to do with her beeing breech. She falls alseep like this because it's so comfy. I get sleepy too.

David has been up in the NICU a lot, geeting the hnag of baby care. He's amazed by meconium and how little and cute they are. It's hard right now since they can each only be held once a day. We have to take turns with them.