How far we've come: Sleep edition

On the day they were born, December 17, 2008, neither Elzi nor Lillian required any breathing assistance. Elzi did have a tent for a few hours, but both girls were breathing room air.

Because they were unable to control their own body temperature, the girls first beds helped them to do so. Lillian's bed was beneath a heating lamp, and Elzi slept in an isolette.

Both girls received a few days of photo therapy to prevent jaundice. Elzi had a blue lamp that shown through her isolette, and Lillian had a super bright UV lamp above her bed. We thought she looked like she was laying on the beach.

On Christmas Eve, 2008, Lilly was given the opportunity to show that she could regulate her temperature on her own in a regular bassinet. She even got to wear clothes for the first time. However, she was only in her new bed for about a day before they put her back under the lamp. Meanwhile, Elzi enjoyed being naked in her nice warm isolette.

A few days later, both girls began wearing clothes on a regular basis.

On December 30th the girls were moved to Durham Regional and began sleeping in bassinets, regulating their own temperatures.

At last, on January 13th, Elzi and Lillian moved into the same crib. They shared this crib until Lillian went home January 21st.

When Elzi came home the next night, the girls began sharing a crib in their bedroom at home.

Of course, along the way there have been naps with Daddy...

naps in swings...

naps in car seats...

and even naps sitting up in Bumbos and high chairs!

Around August, when the girls were about 7 months old and rolling everywhere, the girls moved into their own cribs where they now do all of their sleeping.

How far we've come: Eating edition

As I was watching my daughters split their typical breakfast of 3 scrabbled eggs, 2 waffles, and a banana this morning, (Yes, you read that right. You would not believe how much they eat!) I began to reflect on how far they have come since this time last year.

EATING:

In the beginning the girls got their nutrients from IV fluids and breastmilk given through a tube in their nose.

At one point, Lillian even had an IV in her scalp...

...but after a few days, the girls no longer needed IV's. Once their IV's were out, Lillian and Elzi were able to practice kangaroo care in preparation for learning to breastfeed.

The girls started drinking breastmilk from a bottle around Christmas Eve last year. It was hard for them to stay awake long enough to finish a bottle, so the rest would be put in their tube.

The girls were fed every 3 hours and Mommy and Daddy would time their visits to the hospital to be able to feed the babies.

Eventually, the babies were able to practice breastfeeding for 10 minutes at a time. Mommy went to the hospital 3 times a day in hopes that one of the girls would be alert enough to nurse.

When they were about 6 or 7 weeks old, the girls finally got the hang of breastfeeding and began to nurse without needing to be followed up with a bottle. How exhausting for all of us!

Alas, around 6 months of age, we started eating baby food, and there was no turning back.

It is so hard to believe that my babies are now eating table food and drinking from sippy cups just one short year from their birth. It is amazing what can happen in a year!