I drove up last night after work and got to hold Saxon while he took his tube feeding. I know everyone dotes on their babies, but they really are about the sweetest natured babies I have ever seen. They hardly cry at all and when I hold them it is magical.
(Callie holding Saxon and Ella together for the first time)
They are both good eaters and are starting to really take to nursing. I guess the sucking reflex normally develops in the womb around 35 or 36 weeks of gestation. That's about the point we would be at now, so they are right on track.
Callie actually nursed both twins at the same time today with some help from Jenny, our favorite lactation consultant. She's really great and seems to show up just in time to help Callie meet the next breastfeeding challenge.
Callie also got to do Kangaroo Care with both babies at the same time after Amanda and I had left. I'm super jealous. If any of you parents missed out on this with your babies, I can't tell you how sorry I am for you. Feeling the skin to skin contact is warming, soothing and, well, I just can't say how much more I feel bonded to the babies after having done it. Callie said the babies had their heads apart, but their legs tangled together. They seem to really like being in contact with each other.
I don't remember off-hand what their weights are, but I know they both went up. All that breastmilk is giving them a bit of jaundice, however. (Incidentally, that's what the phototherapy was for.) The doctor says they may go off breastmilk for 24 hours and then back on. Apparently the off/on cycle can cause the jaundice to stop.
Still no word on a date for coming home, but the list of goals to meet is getting shorter. We still have to pass a car seat test, get Saxon circumcised and "room-in" (stay with the babies for 48 hours). As I understand it, the rooming in process is basically Callie and I taking care of the babies while the nurses keep a "hands-off" watch on us. They want to make sure we can take care of them and I know one of the requirements is the babies have to gain weight during the 48-hour period.
(Is it just me or do they look like they're dancing?)
I'm also not sure who to thank, but have you seen the price of gas? I know $3.57/gallon is still rediculous, but thats more than 40 cents per gallon cheaper than when the babies were born two weeks ago. A tank of gas now costs me less than $100!
And, yes, I've taken new pictures, but they are still trapped in the camera! I will get them on here ASAP, but it will probably be Monday before I can get to it. Nick gets back from his Civil Air Patrol trip tonight and then we're back to Kansas City until Sunday night. He is the last one to see the babies as his summer travel schedule took him away right as they were being born.
As an update to the previous post about what we need:
1. My mom and dad got us the stroller. (Thanks guys, we love you!)
2. We may use the one crib for both babies after all. The jury is still out on SIDS risk and, as the Kangaroo Care session showed, they very much like being together.
3. I was right about needing the sleepers, but not about the sizes. We need preemie for Saxon, but newborn for Ella. (Hey, I'm learning as I go here!) We've also got plenty of "one-sies" We bought them thinking it would be warm when the babies were born. We were right about that, but didn't take into account the fact that they would be spending 100 percent of their time in cool, air conditioned hospital rooms.
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