Keeping Calm

Everything is still going well and calm for the girls. Georgia lost a little bit more weight the other night so they increased her feedings slightly and now she has begun gaining again and is up to 2 lb 8 oz. Madelyn is continuing to do well with her feedings also and is up to 2 lb 10oz. Everything seems to be very calm and quiet which we are immensely thankful for.

The other night when we came in Madelyn was all wrapped up like a little "baby burrito" and she looked so cute and comfy... the picture doesn't do it justice. The nurses tried her off of her nasal cannula for a period of time yesterday but apparently she started getting tired and needed to be put back on it in the evening. Breathing is hard work.





Georgia needed a new feeding tube the other night so we were given a rare chance to see her without anything on her face. She wasn't quite sure what to think.



Georgia had another head ultrasound this morning and the results came back showing everything to be stable. Neuro surgery is still following her and likes to order lots of ultrasounds which in a way makes me feel better but also worried everytime.

Both girls are scheduled for eye exams next Thursday the 30th. They will be checked for Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which is an eye disease that occurs in babies born too early. Blood vessel growth in the eye is very active the last 3 months of pregnancy and since the girls missed out on this time of development there is a possibility that the retina and blood vessels in their eyes did not develop fully. ROP is most common in babies born weighing under 900 grams and both of our girls were born around 830 grams. Mild ROP can often heal itself but more severe versions require laser surgery and can even result in loss of vision. Please keep their little eyes in your prayers.

We have talked to the doctors about Madelyn's upcoming surgery and they say they are thinking it will be about 3-4 weeks from now. She currently weighs about 1200 grams and the surgeon would like her to be closer to 2000 grams for surgery which would be about 4 lb 6oz. Based on her weight gain trend they think she will be there by the end of August.

On another note I figured out how to make it possible to receive comments to the blog without requiring people to become registered users or any of that hassle in case anyone was interested. We love hearing from people who are following our girls and are amazed by the stories of complete strangers who feel compelled to pray and care for our family.