04-18-10

Oh my goodness. I will start with Friday being the start of an emotional roller coaster. I couldn't stop my hormones from raging. We were anticipating the results from Quinn's head scans to check for bleeding. So my nerves were shot. The morning couldn't come quick enough.

Saturday was an awesome day. Quinn starting eating and was digesting fine. Her scans that check for bleeding in her head came back normal. That was a huge relief. My heart just fluttered when we got all of this great news for Quinn. I told Brooklyn that she needed to teach her big sister how to be tough. I think she gave her a lesson.

On Saturday night, Richard and I got to take their temperature and change their diapers. It was the most amazing thing I have ever done. We were giddy for the rest of the night.

We found out tonight that Quinn's murmur was closed with the first round of medication. This is great news. Keep in mind it could open again but for now she has been cleared by the cardiologist. She was also taken off the ventilator today. She is now on the C-pap like Brooklyn.

Brooklyn is still pretty much hands off. However, she has been acting out a bit. She is not digesting her food as well as before. They may need to take her off breast milk. You have to train their little bellies to take the food. So it may take a few tries to get her belly to hold her food. Last night, she was a bit jealous of Quinn's breathing tube and almost had to have one herself. She straightened out and decided to behave. She is just being testy right now and not cooperating very well. But she is a tough chick and she will stay strong.

Both girls are under the light deal that is for jaundice. Which isn't unusual for preemies to have to do.

We were able to hold the girls tonight while they were changing some things. Words cannot describe our excitement. We also changed their diapers. Richard had to change his first poopy diaper from Quinn. It was so wonderful to be hands on with the girls. We had no idea we could and the NICU nurses encourage as much hands on from us as possible. They tell us the girls really like it. I know we do! We heard them crying tonight and it was the sweetest sound ever. Brooklyn was crying when I was changing her diaper and you just lay your hands across her and calm her down. She held my pinky as she calmed down and I didn't want to leave. I wanted to pull up a chair and stay until she released my pinky. It is so hard to explain how it feels to have these little beings acknowledge you. They will open their eyes and look at you when you talk to them. Quinn loves to hear Richard sing to her. She seems to be more alert when he is singing to her.

We try to keep a positive attitude when we are with the girls. We want to be happy all the time that we are with them. And for the most part, it isn't hard. I am just so happy to be with them. Occasionally, they will tug on my heartstrings and I have to concentrate on holding back those emotions. But we want them to feel our happiness and not sadness. So we are always talking to them and babying them. It does our hearts good and we hope it does their hearts good. It is just amazing how you can love something so much.

They already have a reputation in NICU. They are feisty and always have their arms and legs going crazy. The nurses can't keep them swaddled because they escape the swaddle. The nurse said most babies just lay there and chill. Not my girls!!!! A couple of nurses commented on their feisty ways. I informed them that they were just as feisty in my belly. They were going all the time. When more than one sonogram technician say they wonder if it is okay to be scared of a baby, you know they are feisty. I had a couple tell me they get nervous when scanning Brooklyn (Myrtle) because she was a handful and hard to get what they needed. She made if difficult because she was always moving or hiding her cord or hiding her face. Oh, I have a long road ahead of me. Nurses said they are more active than most babies their age. So it starts!!! I can't wait for the challenge ahead of me.

I love them!

Pardon any spelling errors. I will correct later. But I had to do this on my phone. I will proof read later.