Bringing premature babies into the world is a challenge. Seeing my girls in the NICU for the first time brought on an array of emotions. They are covered in wires, and monitors, they look too small for the bed they are in. The sounds are frightening, especially since you aren't sure what all the sounds mean. You're unsure how to hold your baby, your timid with your movements because they seem so fragile.
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| Alexis |
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Olivia
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Your goals start out small. One goal was to have them breath on their own. Olivia did not need extra help, Alexis did need the CPAP machine to help her. The next goal was to eat, and grow. The girls would be weighed daily, the nurses measured how much they would take in at each feeding. Olivia was a great at eating her feedings. . Alexis would fall asleep and not be able to finish. They eventual had to put a G-tube (feeding tube) in her nose. Lastly they would need to hold their own temperature, this was another goal that Olivia was able to reach before her sister.
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Olivia (top) and Alexis at one week old.
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We would spend hours a day at the NICU. I always felt guilty if I was not holding my girls. The nurses prepared us to bring the girls home. We had to watch mandatory videos, demonstrate CPR, and the girls had to pass their car seat test. What the nurses could not prepare me for was bringing home one baby without the other. At nine days old Olivia was ready. It was a bitter sweet day when we brought her home. The next two weeks were emotionally exhausting. I'd travel back and forth to the hospital during the evenings once Jake was home. I never felt like I was there enough, but I had to remind myself that Alexis had professionals looking after her, Olivia just had Jake and I. I was incredibly grateful for the support that we had. Between their Aunt Stephanie, Grandma Amy, Grandma Kelley, and Grandpa Mike; Alexis had visitors everyday. Finally, it was time for her to come home.
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Homecoming days, Olivia (left) Alexis (right)
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Since they have been home their goals have changed. We want them to keep eye contact, react to loud sounds, smile, and roll over. It's incredible to see how they have grown. They have doubled their size, and look like healthy babies now. We were lucky, some women do not make it to 34 weeks with twins. I had to constantly remind myself that they were so healthy given their circumstance. I will continue to watch these strong, little girls grow. They have made an unforgettable impact on my life.
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| Olivia (left) Alexis (right) Easter 2017 |
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