Penelope and Isaak - Day 4

We hope updates decrease in frequency pretty soon but I know we have an anxious audience refreshing their browsers like mad waiting for the next update. At this early stage in their little lives each day is a big deal and everyone wants to know what is going on - we understand.

As of now, things look pretty good. Both babies seem to be tolerating mommy's milk well and it's really cute when they're fed. You put just a drop in their mouths so they can taste it and you can see their little lips smacking on the yumminess. Next they get a 1ml bolus feed through their tube. This allows them to associate the taste and sensation of the breast milk with having a full belly.

For those mommy's out there, Bekka is producing 2-3oz of milk every 3-4 hours. This is fantastic given the preterm delivery - it takes a lot of effort to get milk volume ramped up that early. She's a champ! We now have our own basket in the ICN freezer so we can put plenty away to feed them as they begin to eat more.

Bilirubin counts are just about in the normal range today and there is a good chance they will remove the lights tomorrow. We'll be able to see their little eyeballs! The twins will be on and off the "bili lights" over the next few weeks, but coming off the first time is a good step. Weights are still looking good. Penny remains at 620g while Isaak has dropped a bit more to 690g. That is still a good number and he had a bit more to give up. They'll be upping fluids and calories to keep both of them no more than 15% below their birth weight. The goal is to get both babies back to that weight by two weeks of age. 

We happened to visit earlier this evening just as they were starting Isaak's evening assessment. The result is that we have a few great pictures of him, some with his eyes open and without CPAP! Mysteriously, I can't pull them off the SD card using the laptop so you'll have to wait and see those after I get back to house and get them down/uploaded. Penny was on her belly under the lights so no great pics of her. We hope we can get a good shot of her little face very soon.

During the assessment, Bekka was able to hold Isaak in two hands (inside the incubator) while they changed his bedding. That was a very sweet moment. When I get the pics up, it will give you a better idea of his size. We really hope to be able to do "Kangaroo Care" in few more days and really get to hold the little guys. That will be a special moment.

Bekka should be discharged tomorrow. She's recovering very well from her c-section. Today, she has managed to walked all the way down to the ICN several times, getting a little faster and more confident with each trip. Not only is she recovering from surgery, but also from being in bed for 3 weeks.

What an amazing wife I have.