Super Dad

What an awesome dad Josie and Ella have.  He has been AMAZING with everything.  He gets up in the night when girls are up, he helps with feedings, cleans bottles and nipples and most of all, loves on the girls!

 

You girls are super lucky to have a SUPER dad!

 



January 22nd

We had a follow up appointment with our pediatrician on Tuesday and here are their stats

 

Ella was 4lbs 10oz, 17 inches long

Josie 5lbs 10oz, 19 inches long

 

Josie is in the bottom 3 percentile and poor Ella isn't even on the chart :(

The doctor doesn't have any concerns at this point and wants to see us next week to make sure they are growing.

 

Here is what 1 pound difference looks like

 

On another note, we have taken the girls out once, to the doctors appointment and ran into one person (other than staff) and got the questions.."Are they identical?" "Do twins run in the family?"

I hope this isn't something that happens EVERYTIME we go out.  I think it would get old fast.

 



Showered!

On Saturday morning after Josie and I got home, we had a baby shower to go to FOR US!!  It was thrown by my wonderful friends Melissa, Lynn and Stephanie.  It was great!  I kept Josie's discharge a secret (just in case she wasn't) so it would be a surprise.  It was a wonderful shower!  We had a good turnout and we were "showered" with LOTS of wonderful gifts!!  I loved seeing everyone and think it was a great since I had just spent the last 3 months away from everyone.

 

Everyone

 

Instead of playing games, my very creative friends had a great idea.  Each person got a letter and decorated it with colors from the nursery and then I got to take the letters home and hang them on the girls' wall. 

 

 

Everyone worked on the letters while I opened our gifts

 

This ornery peanut was pretending that yarn was her baby.  So cute.

 

Opening gifts

 

And here are all the letters on the wall in the nursery.  I think it turned out AWESOME!!  They made the E and the J extra special for the girls!

 

One wall of letters

 

A big thank you to everyone for coming and their help!  I couldn't be happier!

 



Home Sweet Home

We are all FINALLY home!!  On Friday, January 18th Miss Josie Marie was finally released from the hospital after 34 days in the NICU.  With Ella remaining in the hospital, mom took Josie home and Dad stayed in DM at the hospital with Ella.  I was very happy that we were headed home, however, only having 50% of the family home wasn't exactly what I wanted.  So off to Ottumwa Josie and I went.  It was a rather warm day in January, at 55, and sunny which was ok by me.  My precious cargo and I made it back around 4pm.  When I got home, I cried because I was just so very happy to be home.

Josie in her car seat!

 

 

On Sunday, January 20th, Ella Mae was discharged from the hospital.  Dad was in charge of bringing the rest of the family home. I couldn't wait for them to get home.  They arrived at 2pm.  It was snowing and in the 20's by the time they got home.  In 2 days it went from 55 down to 20's with snow.  Crazy Iowa weather!!!

Dad bringing Ella home

To my surprise Dad had a special sign made for the homecoming. 

:)

Our homecoming wasn't so great to some....Princess was not enthused at all with the new arrivals.

Poor Princess wouldn't come into the living room with Josie there!  HAHA!!  She just sat in the dining room all night. 

 

 



1 month

Josie at birth with Pooh

1 month with Pooh

 

1 month stats

Ella at birth with Piglet

 

At 1 month

 

1 month stats

Things that make you Hmm!

 

So the girls are doing great in the NICU!  They are "learning" how to breast feed and they haven't had an apnea spell in a few days.  Both are goals needed to get them home.  I am really trying to breast feed with them, but premie babies don't have a suck swallow reflex so it has made this quite the challenge.  Our girls are figuring it out and but they just don't have the energy to do a full feed.  So just this week, we started following up with a bottle.  They have to be able to take all feeds by mouth for 3 days before they go home.  Difficult to do when wanting to be successful at breastfeeding.

 

Which brings me to things that make me go hmmm (really it makes me go more than hmm!)

So as our girls are learning to feed these are some interesting things I've noticed or heard

 

First, they strongly encourage breast milk cause it's best for premie baby.  With in 1 week they were supplementing our girls with formula.  Hmm..

 

Your baby is getting to warm when you breast feed so get her down to her diaper.  Another nurse, your baby is working to hard to maintain her temperature when you have her almost naked and it wears her out to much, so she isn't as successful at breastfeeding.  Hmmm, which one is it?

 

"You should breastfeed every other feeding."

"Normally, we start breastfeeding once a day, then once a shift, then every other to every feeding.  That way they don't get worn out" 

"They need the practice, you should try breast feeding at every feed."

 

To get us home faster I have decided to let them introduce bottle with them.  So I stated that I wanted to breast feed first and then follow up with bottle only during the day for the first couple days.  Not to do bottle at night just yet.  That would be all they would do on nights is bottle.  I don't want them to get used to a bottle as when we get home I will try to breast feed all feeds.

So I walk in this morning and my nurse tells me that Ella was wide awake and would have done great at taking a bottle.  "That's great! Especially when I'm trying to breast feed!" (insert sarcastic attitude). There have been more things, but I will try to let it go in one ear and out the other. 

Needless to say, I am starting to get frustrated with the nursing staff.  I am just hoping that when we FINALLY get home, I will be able to breastfeed, with out feedings taking the 1 hour and 45 mins it has today. 

 

To end on a happy note, these 2 are so awesome!