Our first family picture
The girls at 1-1/2 weeks old
Holding Aubrey for the first time 8/26/11
Holding Charlotte for the first time 8/24/11
The first month of the girls' lives was a whirlwind for us! We were trying to get used to the fact that we had two beautiful daughters that made it (Praise God!) and learning the ins and outs of the NICU. Seeing your babies for the first time with wires all of over them in a setting where machines are beeping, nurses are busy tending to babies all around you and your own, was an experience in its own! I think I cried everytime I went into the NICU to see them for the first 4 days! Once we understood that all of the wires were there to help with monitoring the baby's heart rate, breathing, etc. it made it much easier!
After four days of recuperation time in the hospital, they sent me home. What a bittersweet feeling! After 55 days in the hospital, I was ready to see my home again and sleep in my own bed, but leaving my babies was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do! Thanks to family and some great friends, I had rides up to the hospital every day for the first two weeks when I couldn't drive! I would go up to the hospital late morning and John would come after work to see our sweet girls and just to be there at their bedside.
The girls spent 11 days in the Level 3 NICU. Once they were able to breathe on their own without the CPAP, they moved them on! On August 30th, they were downgraded to Level 2..... what a joyous day! This meant me were one step closer to going home! It was a little bit trickier in the Level 3 NICU to spend time with our girls! They were in two separate pods so our time was split between the two of them. Once they were moved to Level 2, Charlotte and Aubrey were put together! They even had their own little "room" for a while. They section the girls were put in was a little crowded, so they put them in an overflow room that was just for them! It was so nice to spend time with them there with no one around except a nurse when I needed her.
Once moved to Level 2 and the girls had their breathing down, the next step was to get their PICC lines taken out! What a great day that was! Less wires to have to maneuver around to hold my girls! Then moving on to bottles..... There are many things that a baby has to do before being discharged from the hospital. Taking all 8 of their bottles is one of the big ones! On September 5th, Charlotte got to try her first bottle. They gave them 20 minutes to drink the bottle and what is not finished is given through their NG tube. The nurse warned me not to get my hopes up, as usually the first time a baby tries it, they usually don't finish. Charlotte proved her wrong! She scarfed that thing down in less than 20 minutes! As the babies do well with and finish their feedings, they give them more bottle feedings each day.
Aubrey was having some breathing issues and put on a nasal canula for a bit. She got to have her first bottle a dew days later on September 8th! She wasn't too keen on finishing it, but showed us she knew how to do it! HA!
We were extremely lucky as our girls didn't have any real concerning health issues while in the NICU. Overall, they were very healthy, just early! The struggles they encountered were those that would be expected for a preemie born at 32 weeks. They were there to learn how to breath, eat, and hold their own body temperature.
On September 13th, after 24 days away from home, Charlotte Ruth got to home! I just thought it was hard leaving the the babies at the hospital when I came home! Taking one home and leaving one behind was absolutely horrible! I was overjoyed that I was getting to bring my baby home, but felt so guilty about leaving Aubrey there. With the help of friends and family, I was able to go visit Aubrey each day and be there to help feed her! I cried each time leaving my baby at home with someone else, and cried each time I left the hospital leaving one to go be with the other. FINALLY, on September 22, after 33 days away from home, I was able to walk out of the NICU for the final time with both of my babies!
Although the NICU experience is not one I would wish for anyone, I look back and think how blessed my entire family is for the NICU staff we grew to know and love! The girls had wonderful doctors that used their knowledge and expertise to do what was best for them. They also had amazing nurses that truly loved them and cared about what was happening to my girls!
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