Lots going on...

We have now successfully survived two nights with two babies. Holy cow it's a lot of work. They each eat every three hours and up until recently their eating times were staggered (one ate at 8 the other at 9 etc) we've slowly been moving that so now they are only 30 minutes different. Eating is still a lot of work for them, especially Emerson. She will get going pretty good and then decide she doesn't want to do it any more. At the hospital we would then just put the remainder in the feeding tube but we don't have that option here and sometimes it takes forever. Of course in addition to the feedings I'm also still pumping 8 times a day so that doesn't leave a whole lot of time for sleep or anything for that matter. Although Marcus is amazing and really does so much.

The nursing still is hit or miss. Thus far Eli will nurse really well about once a day and the rest of the time he's not into it, and Emerson just doesn't get it at all, which isn't really surprising since the bottle is still a bit of a challenge. But we're managing.

Yesterday we had a visiting nurse come out (my insurance pays for it to help monitor premature babies). She weighed and measured them and offered some advice etc. It was nice to have someone come to us since hauling the babies out is a bit of a production. One that we couldn't avoid today since they had their first pediatrician appointment (during feeding time). I actually lost a little bit of my precious sleep time worried about how that would work, but we managed to squeeze Emerson's feed in early and then Marcus was able to feed Eli while we were there. Both babies are doing great and all of our persistence with the feedings are paying off. Emerson weighs 4lbs 4oz and Eli 5lbs 6oz.

They also got their Hep B shots today and I think it made me more sad then it did for them, they cried for a second (literally) and then went back to sleep. I suppose at this point in their short 26 days of life they have been poked so many times already in the NICU they're old pros with needles and things. The appointment took about two hours total and already it's such a spectacle to take two babies out. I'm not used to the attention and everyone making comments and asking questions. We get a lot of "bless yous" and "you have your hands full don't you?" And of course a few questions regarding their conception (which I will never understand why people feel like they can ask).

The other day a lady asked us if we meant to have twins. I totally didn't understand what she was saying and just said, "umm... this is just what we got." To which she said, "Oh so they were spontaneous?" Yeah sure why not, people are weird, and I'm sure it's just the beginning since we've literally only been out of the house together once. (Well twice if you count Emerson's homecoming).


Oh and did anyone else know that tiny babies can squrim and move in their sleep? I did not. I thought that was a skill developed much later but the other night Marcus went in to check the babies and found Eli like this... (Sorry it's dark but the babies were sleeping so no flash)

How he managed to already get caught up in the crib we don't know, but as a result we put a breathable bumper in. I don't want him to get tangled and they both squirm all over. Who knew?