we exceeded our birth weights!

We had their 2 week MD appointment today and Meredith was 2070 grams (4 pounds 9.7 oz.) and Hannah was 2050 grams (4 pounds 9 oz.). They both exceeded their birth weights! YAY! I have not had to supplement them since Meredith came home from the hospital (7 days) and Hannah for 11 days. Now we are just working on simultaneous breast feeding so that I am not feeding one, then the other and never having time to do anything else! It is a steep learning curve! We will get there! I picked the picture for our announcements. I will give whoever actually checks this a sneak preview. It is the one of just their heads. Hannah is on the right and Meredith on the left. The other picture I just like b/c I LOVE baby feet! In that one M is on the right and H on the left. Some of you have asked this ... in the pictures from yesterday Hannah has on the pink and white onsie and Meredith is in the pink gown. When they are sleeping and not making faces, they look remarkably similar. They have different shaped heads, but the pediatrician says that won't always be the case. They certainly have their own personalities, so I am not worried about mixing them up. Meredith has chubbier cheeks right now too, they pediatrician says not to count on that either b/c that won't always be the case either! We do have Meredith's toenail painted ... just in case =)

The girls had some simultaneous awake time last night. So, of course, I took some pictures =) They are starting to be awake a little more during the day ... hopefully that will translate to a little more sleepy at night! They are doing well and seem to be taking in a little more of their environment every day!

All home!

Both girls are home! Meredith came home on Tuesday the 24th and we couldn't be happier! Now our family is complete. They had their first doctor appointment together on Thursday the 26th and are gaining weight appropriately! They weighed the exact same! 1945 grams which is 4 pounds and 4 ounces. We have a toenail of Meredith's painted. They look enough different, though, for us to tell them apart. No doubt positioning in the uterus because their features are remarkably similar. I guess that is why they are called 'identical' twins. We sleep them together in Meredith's crib in the toe to toe position. If you put them side by side, within minutes they are snuggled and reaching out for one another. It is too sweet. In all the attached pictures, they were put on opposite sides of the Pack-N-Play and wiggled next to each other.

So I was wrong!

Both girls together M on left, H on right










Hannah











Meredith, before the NG tube

Meredith right after birth, she has been through a lot!

Hannah right after birth, my two little warriors!

NOT 21 days to babies! I ended up having pre-eclampsia and having the babies by C/S on 7-16-2007. Meredith Anne Finley was born at 4:16PM and weighed 4 pounds and 8 ounces. Hannah Claire Finley soon thereafter at 4:18PM and weighed 4 pounds and 7 ounces. They were both taken to the NICU directly after birth. Meredith was having trouble breathing and had to be on a CPAP machine. Hannah was having trouble holding her body temperature and her blood sugar was low, therefore she also had an IV drip of dextrose. Hannah came to room in with me after about 30 hours. Meredith is still in the NICU as I type. She got off the CPAP after 10 hours and is breathing really well. She is now having the same trouble with holding her temperature as Hannah did and she was having trouble learning how to feed. She had an NG tube for about 5 days but it is out now. YAY! She is feeding really well. I pump for her and go and breast feed her when I can break from taking care of her sister, which has ended up to be about twice a day. We try to spend a lot of time with Meredith by each of us going there several times a day. It is exhausting and heart wrenching for both of us to leave her there. She has a great team of NICU nurses and though it is really hard, the silver lining is that it gives Alan and myself each alone time with each girl. We don't see each other much though!! We are hopeful that Meredith will be home next week and our family will be complete. Hannah is doing well and thriving at home. She is eating well and sleeping well and is just as cute and loveable as her sister. I will attach some pictures of the girls. I don't have any since Meredith got her tube out, so the one with the tube is Meredith and the one without is Hannah.

Still Growing!!

Still growing. We had an ultrasound today and Baby A (Meredith) weighed in at 4 pounds 8 ounces and Baby B (Hannah) weighed in at 4 pounds 7 ounces! WOW! The sonographer was amazed at how close their weights are! If they keep growing like this we will have some 6 pounders by 7/27 (and one very uncomfortable pregnant lady!) She got a good picture of the bottom of someone's foot and measured it too. Their little feet are about 2.5 inches long! WOW! No wonder their kicks can be so breathtaking! 21 more days to babies!!