NICU Day 4 and 5

Day 4 in the NICU- A couple of the big events from this day was that by the end of the day the babies' jaundice levels dropped enough that they were able to be taken off photo therapy, I was able to see the babies with their eyes opened for the first time, and they also got to meet a few more family members including their big brothers! Last but not least the doctors decided to try them on a nasal cannula instead of cpap. We were thrilled with how quickly that happened. 

Trying to use the pacifier 

Visiting with Aunt Whitney

Hanging out with Uncle Rod

Eyes opened!

Looking very mellow and relaxed 

Uncle Bobby, Aunt Randy, and Granny Baker all came to say hello 

Day 5- this was without a doubt one of my favorite days so far.  Poor Ryan had to go back to New Bern to work so he missed it! I was able to spend almost the whole day at the hospital.  I had several special visitors including my mom and Nana along with Marianne and Rebecca who brought me a delicious lunch along with cupcakes. :)  The babies had a FABULOUS nurse.  All of our nurses have been good but we have had some who have been great.  These nurses are amazing.  The love and tenderness they show towards these babies is truly inspiring.  You can see how much they are invested in their care and also how they care about us as family members.  Multiple times I was able to witness these nurses really stand up and advocate for what they thought was best for the babies and let me tell you- these nurses are some tough people! They are not afraid to get fired up if it's in the best interest of a child.  I cannot say enough good things about the NICU and special care nurses. The absolute best part about this day was that I finally got to hold both of the babies!!! One of the best feelings ever!

Helping with Kate's assessment 

Changing my first diaper 

Pretty girl

One of the ways you hold babies in the NICU is by doing what is called Kangaroo care. The baby wears just a diaper and is placed on your skin, all snuggled under your shirt. A lot of research has shown medical benefits for babies who do it as well as benefits for the parents.  I loved it! It was very overwhelming to get to finally hold Kate, five days after she was born.  I just sat there with my eyes closed trying to memorize how sweet and special the memory of holding her for the first time was. One thing I could not get over was how very tiny she felt. Even though she looked small in her bed, actually holding her and feeling how small and light she was compared to a normal baby was pretty crazy. 

   

Best feeling ever!

You can barely see her little head in there. It was a little tricky getting her situated with all those tubes and wires.  

Later that afternoon I got to have a turn with Andrew.  I love that sweet boy!

I felt more confident changing his diapers since I have had some practice with boy babies, lol

Look at those tiny fingers...

Andrew's kangaroo time. It was so peaceful and dark in there that I almost fell asleep

Andrew back in his bed

Another thing their sweet nurse did for me that day was get some footprints. I realized that they had not done any when they were first born. 

My mom and the boys came to pick me up that afternoon and the boys really wanted to come in the hospital.  They weren't allowed to see the babies that day so we decided to go to the Ronald McDonald family room. 

Harrison loved all the water animals on the hall way 

This Ronald McDonald room is a wonderful place.  They always have free snacks and baked goods but best of all they have a nice big playroom with lots of toys. They also have a nice outdoor area with tricycles, etc., a big kitchen, and a game room.  It was so nice for the boys to have a place to hang out at the hospital.  

Having a snack together 

James and I got to spend some time together playing connect 4.