Getting Close

A few days ago the girls' nurse told me, "We're getting close now, Mom." She told me to go ahead and bring in the car seats, so the girls could have their car seat test. (They have to be able to sit in the seats for 30 minutes without their heads flopping over and suffocating themselves.) Of course, I brought the seats the next day. I cannot wait for the girls to come home.

They still have to be able to take all of their feeds for 24 hours by mouth (either by breast or bottle). Right now they are taking ever other feed by bottle, and we practice breast feeding once a day. They are finishing most of their bottle feeds now, and breastfeeding is a work in progress. They each usually only take about 4-8 mL of their 40 mL feed by breast before getting too tired. However, Elzi and Lilly have both taken half their feed by breast twice! This is quite an accomplishment for their age and size.

Lilly now weighs about 4 pounds, 10 ounces, and Elzi weighs 4 pounds, 2 ounces. They are becoming much more alert more often, and getting stronger, lifting their heads up off their beds. We are hoping that they will come home sometime this week. The nurses are confident that their feeding will take off soon. Now we just wait as the girls achieve this last accomplishment in order to come home. Wish us luck!

Grandma & Lilly and Mommy & Elzi

(Not the most flattering picture of Mommy, but the first picture of the girls together)