It amazes me how much can change in such a short period of time. At this time last year we had decided that instead of Christmas gifts we would be going on a cruise with Craig's family. We had been talking seriously about having a baby but had not quite decided yet. Needless to say plans changed and we are not taking a cruise this year. At the end of the year, when we did decide to start trying we thought it would take a lot longer to get pregnant and we never imagined we would get twice what we bargained for! Even 6 months ago if someone had asked me what our lives would be like now, I'm not sure I could have imagined anything this wonderful.
The girls are both doing so great. Some of the questions we get asked all the time about them are:
Can you tell them apart?
Yes! To us they look similar but most definitely not identical. Maybe they'll trick us one day but not anytime soon.
How are their eyes?
Both girls had ROP (retinopothy of prematurity) an eye disease that affects premature babies. Madelyn's ROP was much more severe and almost required surgery but Georgia also had a mild amount of ROP. I am elated to say that next week the girls will be going to hopefully their last eye appointment; for at least the foreseeable future. According to the opthamologist their eyes are maturing nicely and any traces of ROP are regressing.
Do they have to go to the doctors/hospital a lot?
We don't go to the hospital anymore but both girls have a decent amount of doctor appointments. It feels like more the colder it gets. I take them to the pediatrician every other week for weight checks in addition to their normal 2, 4, 6 month well baby appointments. The doctor likes to keep an eye on their weight gain and make sure we don't need to make any amount/calorie adjustments to encourage better weight gain. In addition to their normal immunizations the girls also receive monthly injections of the RSV vaccine synagis. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus and is a very common virus that leads to mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children but can land a premie back in the hospital. Because of her atresia and subsequent surgeries Maddy has more appointments and has been seeing a gastroenterologist as well as her surgeon Dr. Robertson for check-ups. Maddy was also diagnosed with mild hydronephrosis which if not resolved could lead to bladder infections and complications in the future so she will see a urologist in January. The girls will also continue to see the developmental pediatrician every 6 months or so just to make sure they are not exhibiting any delays.
How are they sleeping?
Soooooo wonderfully! The girls sleep from 11pm-8am pretty consistently.
How much/what do they eat?
My goal originally was to only breastfeed my children... but things change. The girls are getting a 50/50 mixture of Neosure formula and breast milk. The formula helps them receive more calories in a smaller amount. They eat 6 times a day and generally take about 120-150 ml each feeding. The plan is to begin some baby cereal in February!
Do I have lots of help?
Yes and no. Craig and I have wonderful families who would be here everyday to help if we asked but.... unless they want to stick around for the next few (or 18) years I decided I needed to figure this twin thing out for myself. Craig is an amazing help in the evenings but for the most part we're on our own during the day. We go shopping and to doctors appointments and even meet Craig for lunch sometime... and to everyone out there who says I'm crazy and it's impossible... when you need to, you figure it out. Our friends and families are great at picking out lots of cute outfits and toys for the girls or coming by with bags of diapers and they even listen to my stories about the girls that I'm sure are only funny/impressive to me which is much appreciated. We also happen to know a couple of great NICU nurses who double as very qualified babysitters for the occasional date night.
How much do they weigh?
We went in for a weight check last Wednesday:
Georgia = 10lb 7oz
Madelyn = 9lb 10oz
The girls have started to watch each other a lot more lately. We find this so hilarious and possibly hints to their personalities. Georgia looks at Madelyn and smiles and laughs... Madelyn looks at Georgia with a serious/concerned face and studies her.
So these pink hats were the girls' first hats/clothing. I remember being so excited they could finally wear something cute. It made the wires and tubes look a little less harsh.
