A Quick Update

Hey everyone.  I am sorry that I haven't been in touch since before Abbey and Caroline were born.  Things have been very hectic, to say the least.  I have been trying to manage eating, resting/healing, visiting the girls in the NICU every four hours and pumping milk for them every 2 to 3 hours.  Since I came home yesterday, I have added in spending time with Jack and Molly and traveling back and forth to the hospital.  That hasn't left time for me to call you and update you on their births or status since.  I really don't have much time now, as I spent the majority of the day at the hospital and am spent.  But, I can't stand not touching base.  

The current status is that Caroline is doing very well.  I asked the doc today about a timetable for length of stay, and she replied that she could come home today.  That sent me for a loop, as we were not thinking that she would be coming home so soon.  But, the Lord must have known that we couldn't handle that quick of a turnaround.  The discharge nurse had almost completed her paperwork and Caroline's heart rate dropped a bit.  So, she it there for tonight.  They are hoping to send her home tomorrow, maybe on a heart rate monitor.  She will breast feed twice a day and then bottle feed a combo of breast milk and formula the other times.  They are so young that they only eat every 4 hours at this point, but I still have to pump every 2 to 3.

Abbey is having a harder time.  She is having trouble with her sucking.  They discovered today, that part of it could be due to the fact that she has a cleft palate.  Part of it is she just isn't ready.  They did check for heart murmurs, which can accompany clefts, and she is fine in that regard.  She will get an ultrasound of her brain tonight to see if there are any problems there.  I don't think they suspect anything and this is more of a precaution.  I sure  hope so.  Also, we hope she will be able to bottle and breast feed soon.  If so, she won't have to have any surgery until 9 months or so.  Because of her trouble feeding, she won't be coming home just yet.

Jack and Molly are doing okay.  Molly is missing me a lot, it seems.  She told my mom that she needed to leave, because she wanted me and Ed to be here every night and every morning.  Jack understands things better, so he is hanging in there.  They got to see the girls through the NICU window today for the first time.  Until today, they have been hooked up to IVs, so they were tethered.  Today, Abbey and Caroline were free to roam.  :o)

Ed and I are very tired, as is my mom.  It is logistically difficult and fairly draining.  Thankfully, the girls are very healthy compared to their friends in the NICU, so it hasn't been too heavy of a burden.  Even still, we covet your prayers for health, safety, patience and energy.  

Thanks for reading and caring.  I hope I can write more later and maybe add a photo.  Good night.