While the boys are enjoying being boys at home, we do still have some preemie stuff to deal with, mainly their eyes. They've been seeing their eye doctor once a week to follow their ROP. Wyatt has been approved for follow up every two weeks because his eyes are doing so well. He's still stage 2 but it's getting better every time they see him.
Cameron, unfortunately, has a date with the retina specialist later this week. His right eye looks the same as Wyatt's, but his left eye has gotten a wild hair and is at stage 3 and "pre-Plus disease". Plus disease is when they treat his eye with a laser surgery. And the laser surgery requires him to be under anesthesia which requires him to stay in the hospital overnight for observation.
Last week, on my first day home alone with them, I took them to the eye doctor. I like our eye doctor. He's not arrogant and isn't afraid to call on one of his colleagues for a second opinion. This did translate into me pushing a stroller out of the doctor's office at 11:30 pm, running home to feed the now cranky and hungry boys before dashing off to get that second opinion 30 minutes away for a 1pm appointment.
We made it on time and it was a scary appointment. It was basically an appointment to decide if Cameron was going to need eye surgery the next day or not. They decided not. He'll see a pediatric retina specialist later this week and they are the ones with the final say.
Both met their pediatrician. They liked him until he took them out of their blankets to look at them. We had to strip them down to their diapers. Once the cold air hit their skin, their opinion of him changed. We learned a lot about "normal" baby stuff. The discussion was a mix of normal and NICU things. They were weighed and measured. Then a week later, I took them back for another weight check which they passed with flying colors. They're close to 7-1/2 lbs now!
Grandma and Grandpa came to help and finally got to hold their grandbabies. They met them while they were in the NICU, but rules were that only parents can touch the babies. Visitors can only look. But last week, the Tiny Mighties got snuggles from them and we got some extra sleep!
Life with twins-
It's busy. The boys don't like schedules. Sometimes they want to eat every hour and a half. Sometimes it's two and a half hours. Sometimes it's three and a half. You never really know unless you've just sat down to eat. That always wakes them from a deep sleep and you'll get no peace until they've eaten first. So we're learning to eat hot food cold.
My husband and I have the night split into shifts. I take the first shift then at one or two, depending on how early he has to be at work, he takes the second. That way we can get a four or five hour stretch of sleep.
We're still working on nursing. They're doing okay. Preemies come with issues namely stamina and being very particular about their latch. I must be pretty cuddly because they love to drift off to sleep when I hold them. This sets them up for all day snacking and if two babies decide to snack all day, then Mom will soon need a straight jacket.
I've tried changing their diaper when they've gotten sleepy to wake them back up. With their reflux though, they turn into milk volcanoes so that doesn't work.
With latching, it's got to be perfect or they refuse to nurse. This can take a while and if they wake up close to the same time, things go awry very quickly.
I've settled for just doing what we can, switching to bottles if we need to and just letting maturity work those issues out. They get breast milk either way and as long as they get what they need, I'll be happy. I don't *have* to nurse them, but it would be a little more convenient.
We've mastered feeding them one at a time or at the same time. I've got a nursing pillow (pictured below) called the Twin-Z and it and a pair of rock and plays have been life savers. The pillow is good for feeding them at the same time or for a safe place to put them. And of course, for nursing them. It's like two boppies put together.
They've been sleeping in their rock and plays at night. Their reflux has been bad despite being on Zantac and the rock and plays hold them upright enough that they are mostly comfortable. They're considered a safe place for them to sleep plus we have Owlet monitors on them. Laying them in their crib gets you screaming babies. I tried stuffing a pillow under their mattress. I can get the amount of incline they need, but they end up rolling down the mattress. I found Wyatt completely sideways and Cameron had wedged himself into a corner. So the rock and plays will do until their GI tract matures a little.
The dogs are curious about the new "puppies" and they're allowed to sniff them. They've snuck a few kisses here and there. Their tails wag when they sniff them and every day, both go into the nursery first thing in the morning or on their way to bed at night to see their new family members. They've done really well with being respectful. The first day, the dogs were pretty unsure of the screaming "puppies" but seem to have accepted them.
Well, this post has gotten long. We're taking our pediatrician's advice and keeping their exposure to new people and places as low as possible for the next two months.
In a couple of days I'll have more news about Cameron's eye. Until then, here's a pic of the boys and one of their dogs, Giuseppe. Wyatt is on the left, Cameron on the right.
Take care!
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