We have been home since Monday and are loving our new life as a family of four. Grayson and Hallie fit right in and are adjusting to their new home very well. We have had the wonderful help from Nana (mom) and Grammy (Karlos).
Days are easy and nights are sleepless for the most part due to two tiny little grunters. We feed every three hours which would not be a problem if I weren't awake listening to sweet little grunts in between. After the first night we figured out a few tricks to help us through the night: Have EVERYTHING ready before bed; bottles, burp rags, diapers, pump equipment ect. We also have a routine. Daddy does the 6am feed which allows me to go to the guest room after the 3am and sleep until the 9am feed. Our night schedule is just like the NICU schedule 12am, 3am, 6am and we do bottles instead of nursing. I quickly realized having full bellies is best at night and since they are preemies they don't nurse as well as a full term baby would meaning they are hungry sooner. During the day we nurse when I don't mind feeding on demand. Last night went really well and I hope for another night like it tonight. Fingers crossed. I woke up rested with energy to clean, run a few errands, feed and love on babies. Either they didn't grunt as much or I am getting used to it. They sleep right next to my bed on their Rock and Plays for the time being. I'm not sure when we will move them to their nursery but we we do we have the comfort of Angel Care monitors to detect breathing. I was pretty scared of functioning on too little sleep but have found a daytime nap after a rough night makes a world of difference.
We have been enjoying the beautiful October weather with walks in the neighborhood. They seem to really like our walks and sleep through the noise and movement perfectly. Today's high was 76. Have I ever told you how much I love October in Texas? I've always said my favorite seasons are Washington summers and fall in Texas.
Out first pediatrician appointment was this past Tuesday and our next is this coming Tuesday. We waited for an hour and a half but otherwise really liked Dr. Archer (come to find out we saw Dr. prayer not Dr. Archer) and the location is a just a few miles away. As usual, the babies impressed their doctor. They gained quite a bit of weight (G 6.8lbs and H 5.6lb). That seemed like a pretty big jump to me from their last hospital weight of 5lbs and 6.2lbs but we will take it! She called them 'miracle babies' when she reviewed their NICU charts. Everyday we thank God for blessing us with our early but very healthy babies. Our path could have been very different and we will always remember how fortunate we are.
Last night, Mom left after her week with us. We were sad to see her go and she was even sadder but we did enjoy our first night just the four of us. Today we woke up and spent the day watching football, playing with our littles and soaking in this crazy, special time. We haves everything we could ever want or ask for and I think both Aaron and I spent the day in awe of our life.
So here are pictures of our last hospital day, first day home and our week as a family of four. It's been a week I'll never forget and will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. Tomorrow we are going to church (at different times) and having the family over for lunch. Perfect ending to the best week of my life. God is GREAT!
