Happy Memorial Day!

Today Austin and Malia are 30 weeks of gestational age, and both still doing great.  Weight gain is perhaps the most important benchmark for any preemie, and they are both steadily packing on the pounds (more like ounces or grams, actually).  But their feedings are both up to their maximum allowed by their weight, and Austin is taking 27cc per feeding, while Malia is up to 19cc.  Doesn't seem like much, but a huge leap from their 1 cc feedings that they started out on a couple of weeks ago.  All this progress has brought Austin up to 3 lbs., 4 oz., while Malia is up to 2 lb., 7 oz. (almost to her brother's birth weight!).  At Austin's current weight, he is close to the weight where they may try and "challenge" him without his CPAP in the next day or so.  This doesn't mean that he'll be without it for good, but it would be the first opportunity to see how he breathes and maintains his saturation levels on his own.

Both babies also have had their PICC lines removed a couple of days ago, which is especially nice because the tree of intravenous lines supplying them is no longer needed; now what they get from breast milk (with some 24 calorie supplement added) is about it for nutrition.  Without the PICC line, it is also one less pathway for infection for them once the entry point fully heals.  We're proud of their progress, and grateful that they have consistently exceeded their progress expectations without any major setbacks.  No major developments to report on Malia's heart murmur, but the bigger she gets will mean an increased chance of the duct closing on its own.  We're holding out hope that the PDA will continue to pose no symptoms or problems for her (aside from the murmur).

We're told the babies also both got their first sponge bath yesterday, which apparently they enjoyed quite a bit.  No doubt we're looking forward to helping the nurses out with this soon.

A noisy and busy day in the NICU made for a lot of chaos around the twins, but they seemed oblivious to most of it.  There were several new admits to the NICU in the adjacent pods, and seemingly some sick babies among them.  We also saw some sadness in the parents of a baby that we recall came into the NICU shortly after Austin and Malia.  You hope that it gets better for the families going through that, and it renews your appreciation of the good fortune for your own kids' state of health.

I realize my grainy cell phone pictures don't do justice to the babies, especially with the CPAP covering most of their still tiny faces.  But here's a couple updates on the pictures today, beginning with Austin.

I had my second kangaroo cuddle with Malia today, this time with much more success than the first time.  She slept comfortably through the entire hour on my chest, with no de-sat or bradycardia episodes.  Here's a capture during today's session:

Tomorrow Cheryl goes in for her first check-up with the OB.  She's been healing up great and feeling better, although the round-the-clock pumping schedule is taking its toll!