Saturday (1/23), I returned to my first Suns game since before the babies were born. I had missed going to a game for so long, and was so excited about returning, that our sales representative welcomed us back with upgraded seats. We were seated courtside, in the first row, in the corner behind the basket facing the visiting team (Golden State Warriors). I was so happy and grateful! It is good to be back to normal, and it's nice to see so many people expressing their support for us in so many different ways. GO SUNS!
Eva and Zoë are growing so quickly! Eva now weighs 3 lb 8 oz, and is 16" long; Zoë's weight is 2 lb 10 oz, and she's 14.5" long. It's so amazing to see what a difference a few ounces make in their appearance; the doctor confirmed they are identical, but we can still tell our two princesses apart!
They have both been doing really well, and are feeding on my breast milk almost exclusively---they also receive additional calories from fortifiers. Both of our darlings are very alert, yet at the same time very peaceful and mellow. We've had the opportunity to change their diapers and take their temperature when the nurses do their rounds, and they rarely fuss or cry when they're handled. Every time we carry them, they look right up at us with their beautiful brown eyes, and within moments fall asleep peacefully.
Today, I was fortunate enough to begin kangaroo care, with Eva. It was the sweetest thing! She lay right on my bare chest while I held her, covered with a blanket. She looked up at me the whole time, and gripped my pinky tightly as I whispered softly to her and kissed the top of her head. When it was time for me to put her back, I could tell she didn't want our time to end yet. She wriggled around and clutched at me, so I could keep holding her. It was the hardest thing, to leave her behind. I'm just happy I got to hold her so closely, and that she's doing so well. Tomorrow, I hope to start doing the same with Zoë. It will be great when I can hold both of them like that together!
As the weeks go by, with our babies in the NICU, we have been working hard at home to finish preparing everything for their arrival.
I have had to order a few more clothes to fit them, since they will most likely still be smaller than 'newborn' size when they come home. I found out that BabyGap stocks some items in a size 'Up to 7 lbs' which will probably fit them better since they will probably be around 5 or 6 lbs, at the most when they come home. We also had to buy another shelving unit for our garage, to accomodate the overflow of items that will probably not fit in the nursery. We anticipate using it mostly for diapers and wipies, and also for their travel gear so we can save some space in their closet and in our home.
The nursery is essentially ready, with the exception of a few finishing touches. We have to hang their personalized picture frames, that will display their first tiny handprints and footprints along with their picture. We are going to hang these over their cribs---to help everyone tell them apart! I also plan to make a crystal pendant 'chandelier' to hang from the ceiling, but am still looking for some of the materials I need. It will be similar to the popular capiz pendant lamps, but with crystals instead of capiz shells. I am having a hard time finding the metal ring I need to string the crystals onto. We are also looking to put up some pretty floral wall decals to soften the space---see the ones I'm considering below (available at WhatIsBlik.com).
Eva and Zoë are progressing very well in their development, and growing stronger with each passing day. They have both been moved to the Intermediary unit in the NICU, which is one step down in terms of high risk. Eva has been taken off oxygen and is on room air only now, which is a big milestone. Zoë is sure to be right behind her, as she is almost ready to come off the small amount of oxygen she still needs to keep her stable all day. Zoë now weighs 2 lbs 8 oz and the last time we checked, Eva was at 2 lbs 13 oz, so they are steadily putting on weight as well. I have been able to pump milk during my recent visits to see the girls, and I am looking forward to starting kangaroo care, which is when I'll be able to hold them up against me, in skin-to-skin contact, to increase our bonding time and aid in their development. We are grateful that our babies are doing so well. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
