Yesterday was bath day for Holland and Eden. We got them dressed in their Halloween best, complete with pumpkin hats (courtesy of St. Joe's hospital). They seem to love bath time and always stay so relaxed and alert.
On Friday morning the babies got their first bottles! They sucked them right down like little champs. Getting them to take full feeds from the breast or bottle is the next hurdle on our way home. So far, they have done so well at it that it might not be long at all. On Thursday and Friday Holland took full feeds (34cc's)while breastfeeding. Eden is taking at least 20cc's at a time, which isn't too shabby (her full feed is 38cc's).
As of Friday night Eden has joined the FOUR POUND CLUB!!! Yay! It took her 16 days to gain a pound. Amazing. Today we weighed them while giving baths. Eden was 4 lbs 3.5 oz, and Holland was 3 lbs 9.5 oz. It looks like we could be bringing home some five pounders some day down the road.
Holland and Eden had a busy day today. They both got back to breastfeeding and were quite happy about it. In fact, I am sure that was their favorite part of the day. Our favorite part was seeing them in a crib together for the first time! When we left the hospital tonight they were cuddled up together listening to some Baby Beethoven. They seemed more content than they had been all day. Their recovery from the eye surgery was better than expected. They are still a bit grumpy and keeping their eyes closed more than usual, but overall they seem pretty peaceful.
Well, we've got good news and bad news to report. We'll start with the good... When they were last weighed Holland was up to 3 pounds 2.5 ounces, and Eden was 3 pounds 6 ounces. They are getting so chubby that we almost don't recognize them as the same babies! Check out the double chins in these pictures! Wednesday evening we made some really good progress with the breastfeeding. They weighed the babies before and after and Eden was able to get 7 cc's. Holland got 16! They adjusted the amount of their gavage feedings by that amount, giving them less through the tube. As they get more practice and get better at it (and get started on a bottle), we will start eliminating the tube feedings a little at a time until they are taking full feedings from the breast or bottle. This is one of the requirements for them to be able to come home.
Bad news is that both girls had their eye exams yesterday (they have been having them once a week), and the eye doctor saw that they had progressed to Zone 2, Stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), which would require laser surgery. The surgeon came yesterday evening to look at them and decided to do the surgery last night. They both had to be put back on the ventilator and sedated for the surgery, and weren't able to have anything to eat last night. The surgeries went well and both girls are now recovering. The most significant risk of ROP is that it can cause retinal detachment, which can lead to blindness. With the surgery, the risk of that happening is significantly decreased. Holland required more extensive laser work than Eden as her eyes were more premature. The surgeon said that the prognosis for both girls is good. They will continue to monitor their progress and we should know after two weeks whether or not they will need to do any further work. It is pretty likely that one or both girls will need to wear glasses, maybe at an earlier age than most kids.
On Saturday John and I gave Holland and Eden their first full-fledged baths. They each sat in the little tub with their eyes WIDE open looking around. They seemed to like it a lot! Mommy held each baby while Daddy scrubbed their little backs and heads. Then Mommy got them dressed in the little outfits that Kendra, Katie, and Patti Roberts bought for them, and brushed their hair. Well, Holland's hair at least. Eden doesn't really have any!
In other news, Eden has graduated to the oxygen cannula FULL time. Holland is doing 6 hours on cannula and 6 on CPAP. I'm sure she is ready for 9 and they will probably bump it up today. They were weighed yesterday and were up to 2lbs 12.5oz, and 2lbs 15.5oz. They'll get another weight tomorrow and I am SURE Eden will hit the three pound mark. Holland won't be far behind.
Holland and Eden had a great day today. It's really quite incredible how quickly they are growing and changing day to day. Little unique personalities are starting to develop and we definitely have no problems telling the two of them apart. Holland is now on a special cannula device called a vapotherm that works kindof like CPAP in that it keeps pressure in the lungs but without the big bulky head gear. She is on this for six hours every twelve and is doing great. She now weighs 2lbs 9oz!!
Eden is almost completely off CPAP and on the cannula full time. She does ten hours of cannula and two on CPAP. She really hates those two hours on CPAP so hopefully she won't need it much longer. Last weigh-in was 2lbs 12oz!!
