Good morning! Lilah's transfusion went well. She has had fewer spells since which is a great sign. They told us this morning that they will not retest her hemoglobin on Monday. They do not expect her to need another transfusion at this point.

She was wide awake when we got here this morning and looks much more pink then yesterday. Here is sweet Lilah resting after second breakfast.

Our poor little Lilah is now dealing with a low hemoglobin count which is pretty typical. Sometimes babies born early have trouble creating red blood cells, and typically their hemoglobin bottoms out around 4-6 weeks of age. The kids are at four weeks, five days today.

This afternoon she was given a blood transfusion through an IV in her head. It sounds horrible and doesn't look all that attractive either, but she is doing okay!

We will know if her numbers rise sometime tomorrow when they re-test her. For now she is on IV fluids for 12 hours.

I will update you when we get the results. Stay safe on the roads out there tonight!

Both kids have been struggling with reflux the last week or so. We are hoping this will get better soon. You can tell how uncomfortable they are after a feeding. Normally the feedings would shorten as they get older but every time they speed up the feedings, a lot of spit up happens.

Dave gave Alec a bath today! Check out the video below... Alec really liked the rise part of shampooing.

There is just nothing to say! The kids are doing really well. Both are gaining weight and getting stronger. They were moved to a bigger nursery due to fewer kids in the NICU and the need to consolidate the nursing staff. A few of their roommates were due around the same time in February and it has been fun meeting the other parents and grandparents. Yesterday I gave Lilah a bath. She really liked her hair being washed but when it came time to wash the rest of her, she was not pleased! It is amazing how loud those little lungs can be. Below are a few pictures from the photo shoot we had on December 7th. They look so different now!

Good Morning and Merry Christmas! Dave and I are enjoying the morning with Alec and Lilah here at the hospital.

Both kids are up to 4lbs 1.6 oz... yes, they are the same! Every few days or so, they will decide to out weigh each other.  Both kids are now cannula free and doing great. We cannot get over how much they progress every day. 

Yesterday they were showered with gifts from former Alumni. My favorite gift was hand decorated ornaments from children who use to be former NICU patients. I picture Lilah and Alec being able to do the same thing a few years from now, every time I look at them. 

 We hope that you all have a wonderful day! 

Today both Alec and Lilah had their first eye exam. Preemies are at risk for something called ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity ) which is blood vessels in the retina that grow abnormally.

The first eye exam did not reveal anything of concern and the kids will be rechecked in three weeks.

The kids were also treated to a surprise from Santa! He brought teddy bears for both kids and took a picture with them.

Before we left yesterday, they had ordered a crib for Lilah. To our surprise both of the kids were in cribs when we arrived this morning. It's one big step in the right direction.

Lilah was taken off the nasal cannula yesterday because the prongs were never in her nose and she was doing fine. Five minutes later it was back on her because she set off the alarms. We've decided she must like the air in her face so they are leaving it for now, even though she really doesn't need it.

Alec is still on high flow air but doing great!

Below are a few pictures the evening nurse snapped and printed for us:

I apologize for not posting yesterday. I debated heading to the hospital late last night after work but my very wise husband suggested I rest. As guilty as I felt, I am glad I listened! I needed it :)

No changes last night or today. Alec is 3lbs 12oz and Lilah is 3lbs 13.7oz!

Quick shameless plug: if you need to make an end of the year charitable donation consider the March of Dimes. They have made this holiday season a little brighter for all of the families who have little ones here. From handmade hats for the babies and pizza nights for tired parents to bringing in Santa for pictures. Right now they are matching any donation made until the end of the year.

Not much to say tonight other then our babies had a good day! Nothing new from the Drs. We are very excited to be status quo.

A few people have asked if it was possible to get updates via email, so I have added a sign up form on the very right of the blog. Just put in the email address you want the updates to go to and you will get an email any time I update the blog... which at this rate is once daily.

If you sign up and do not receive an email in your inbox, make sure to check your spam folder. 

On to the kids... They are doing great! There was no change today other then a little weight gain and a bit of sodium added to Alec's diet. So here are some pics to make up for the lack of drama.