This post is overdue, but given that I am currently living at the hospital and that I am spending almost all of my time feeding babies, I hope you will forgive me.
Meet Elise Katherine and Lucy Abigail
February 8th at 7:11 am and 6:51 am
4 lbs 11 oz 18.1 inches and 4 lbs 10 oz 17.2 inches
The girls are beautiful and healthy and growing and have stolen our hearts already. Since they decided to make their entry into the world a little bit early, they have had to spend some time in the NICU here. We are grateful for wonderful doctors and nurses who have been diligent in explaining the progression and growth premature babies need to make (regulating their own body temperature, learning to stay awake long enough to eat and gain weight, getting rid of all that biliruben that causes jaundice, and remembering to breathe all of the time.) We had hoped to be out of the NICU in a few days, but soon learned that it would take a little bit longer. Although we were very disappointed, and we long to have our family all together again, we are glad that Lucy and Elise are getting the care that they need and that we have this time to get to know the newest members of our family.
One of my greatest fears in having twins was that I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart and that I would mix my babies up. Lucky for me, not only do Lucy and Elise look different, but they have personalities that are already polar opposites.
Lucy is a little fireball already. She is the one that caused all the trouble when she broke her water sack early Monday morning. She had been baby B the entire pregnancy — the baby that was supposed to come second. However, at the last minute, she pushed her way past her sister and made her way into the world first. She was the one always kicking me during my pregnancy and she is still the most active now. She is stubborn — we cannot make her wake up and eat if she does not want to, and she will purse her lips together and scowl when we try to force her. But, when she does want to eat, she gives 110% and you can hear her chugging across the room. She is my little squirt.
Elise is the more mellow of the two. She is sweet and more patient than her sister. While she had more problems initially, she is doing better now and is just waiting on Lucy to come around so that we can go home. She is full of smiles and rarely cries. She is a better nurser, and nurses for longer, so I get to spend a little more time with Elise than with Lucy. (Lucy gets a bottle more often, so she has been getting more bonding time with Dad.) I already have one Daddy’s girl in the house. Maybe Elise will be a Momma’s girl.
My favorite part is that they seem to love each other already. As soon as they were off of oxygen and glucose drips, we starting putting them in the same bed together. After another day we started swaddling them together so they could get more skin-to-skin time. They love it. I have been nursing them separately until they get the hang of it and can stay awake long enough to not need prodding. Whoever is in the crib will always be fussy until I bring back her sister. As soon as we snuggle them together and swaddle them next to each other they settle down and don’t make a peep. Their bigger sister Annika loves them already too and I am really hoping that I end up with three best friends in my house. (More on Annika and the babies in a later post. . . so stay tuned!)
We are hoping to have them home within the week, but it may be longer. I am dying to get some great pictures of them and I will certainly post them here when I do. These girls better get used to the sound of the camera clicking!
by Erica Holland Photography
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