We FINALLY got clearance to leave the hospital on Friday. We were SO ready to go home and start figuring out how to do this without nurses and staff. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the “pampering” while it lasted, but knowing we hadn’t really started being a family yet was gnawing at us.
Benjie gave us a bit of a scare as he had spit-up/gasping episode overnight. Fortunately, he had been in the nursery, but you never like to hear that your baby was turning blue at one point. He is a little prone to spitting up if he eats too much, since he’s so, so tiny. Of course, then I’m freaked out about him choking to death at home. Ah, the anxieties of mother-hood. But one of us will be sleeping in the babies’ room at night, so we will be able to hear him if he’s having any problems. They said he was very noisy when it happened. They kept him in the nursery all morning for observation and it was funny how bored we were with only one baby. :-)
For me, I had to have my staples removed. That just sounds gross, but it was actually quite painless. I’m healing up nicely, so I really can’t complain. :-) The staff seemed impressed with my progress. One nurse kept asking me, “Are you sure you don’t need anything? I feel like I’m not taking good care of you!” I really felt fine most of the time, and took the drugs when I needed them. And I was the talk of the floor with my two births. A lot of, “Oh, you’re THAT one!”
Mike was cute about a lot of random things. When I called to cancel some of my pre-scheduled appointments, most people say “Congratulations” when you tell them you had the babies so no more ultrasounds. One lady was just, “OK. *pause* Um, thanks for calling.” It was kinda odd. Mike was disapointed in her response. He goes to get the car seats out of the van so they twins can try to pass their car seat test and he waltzes in saying, “THAT is the response you’re supposed to get with twins!” Apparently everyone he passed awwed or ooooed or congratulated him. And there weren’t even babies present! Too funny.
So, despite the babies having to get their hepatitis vaccine in their car seats because they forgot until the last minute, we were finally ready to get wheeled out to the car. Mike had a car seat/baby in each hand, I had my purse on my lap and a little mascara and lipstick on, and Mom brought up the rear with the video camera and the pretty flowers she had gotten me to brighten up my room. We loaded up and headed to…McDonalds! Yeah, so kill me. :-P
Pulling away from the hospital, babies invisible in their rear facing seats behind us, the enormity of what we were about to take on hit me and I started bawling like a baby. Mike was quick to reassure me that we would do great, and I was quick to reassure him that these weren’t tears of fear or sadness. It was a mix of hormones, and maybe a little bit of a good bye to our lives up to this point. I had the same moment with a newborn Eleanor in my lap 26 months ago. It reminds me of one of my favorite books Eleanor received as a baby.
“On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same.’” – On the Night You Were Born, Nancy Tillman
We made it home with our cheeseburgers and immediately passed the babies to the in-laws, who were anxiously awaiting our arrival. Got a few things set up with diapers and wipes and formula and stuff, and then…sat.
So far, the babies eat, sleep, and fill diapers. Annabelle has a reactive sphincter. Wipe her little butt and things get messy. It’s kinda funny, as long as you’re prepared. The babies are on a pretty good schedule of eating every 2-3 hours, one after the other. They are both starting to eat more and more, which is good.
We had a visiting nurse stop by on Saturday and they are both still losing a bit of weight, which is normal. Hopefully, by Tuesday, they will be gaining again. Ben is so, so tiny. I want to see him start plumping up! I hate that I couldn’t keep them in my for another two weeks. But I’m very, very, very thankful that they are still healthy.
We’re settling into a routine with feedings. The lactation consultant says 35 weekers are really too small to nurse. They just don’t get it and they struggle with coordinating sucking and breathing. But they need to gain weight as quickly as possible. So I try to put them to breast before every feeding so they can “practice”. Then I pump. Fun fun. But I’m making enough milk already that we only need to supplement with 2 feedings of formula. Hopefully, by the time the babies hit their original due date, they’ll be happy little sucker fish. And if not, at least I know they’re still getting healthy breast milk most of the time.
Well, I think that is about all I have to report. The babies sound like rain forest birds when they get noisy. It’s pretty funny. Eleanor likes to hold them and help feed them for about 10 seconds before she moves on to something else. Having my mom here to help keep Eleanor entertained has been very, very helpful. We’re enjoying the little chunks of time we get with bright eyed babies checking out the world. All in all, things are very good.
We’ll keep you posted!
sounds wonderfully wonderful. I am glad all is well and settleing in is going well. use all your helpers while you can so you can sleep!! Have fun pumping!! I am so glad you are putting the extra time and effort into giving them breast milk even though it does add a lot of time to nursing. I had to pump for jc he was a “lazy nurser” I don’t like that term! But esp with them being so tiny they need the extra from mommy milk
sending love your way <3 and you can share it with ella and the little bits 
Sounds like you are all settling in nicely. Congratulations for your blessings. I will continue to have your family in my prayers.
Hadn’t seen this post. Love it. Love all the wee ones. Annabelle will die of embarassment if this post lives on in the far future.