The Girls Are Home!

This morning after breakfast I dialed up the NICU nursery to speak with the girls nurse about their night. Something always happens during the night. Sometimes it's progress in the right direction and sometimes one gal or the other has a set back. The nurse watching over our girls was out for breakfast, I was asked to call back in a half hour. The morning was busy getting my Mom settled and showing her this and that around the house. She hasn't been here to visit us in New York since Hugo was born so we've a few changes about the house to share with her. We made a grocery list of diapers and Balmex, long sleeved onsies, 40 watt bulbs, an extension cord and food to eat for the week to come. Our fridge was just about cleaned out, but not our deep freeze. My Mother-in-law Carolina came to help me out the week before the girls arrival. She offered to make some risois for our lunch one afternoon. I quickly handed her a giant tupperware container and begged her to fill it to the top for me! So, we may have an empty fridge, but we have lots of yummy risois in the freezer!

We were all bundled up ready to climb into the van when I remembered I hadn't called the nursery back. I put our trip on hold for two minutes to place a quick call. I did want to check on the girls status but also wanted to let the nurses know I was planning to drive up, stay through the evening and was bringing milk for the girls. On the phone I was told that the girls had a great night and... were my car seats ready? "Were they ready?!" I replied. "I've only been driving a van, bursting with car seats, around town for weeks now!" I could hardly believe my ears. Our girls might be coming home with me.

Sunday night my Mom flew in to begin her baby visit with us, she plans on staying a month to six weeks here at the house. We drove to the hospital so I could nurse and she could meet her newest granddaughters. They wont be the newest for long, my sister Lizzie is due with her second child in June. So Sunday night the nurses had guessed, based on the girls progress that day, that Marlo might possibly be ready to come home with us sometime Tuesday, most likely on Wednesday. Little Miss Sabine, they just didn't know about and really didn't want to predict. She had her heat turned off for the second time shortly before we arrived which was good news, but her progress has been so unpredictable thus far. We were told to assume and prepare ourselves for the girls coming home one at a time, not together.

Did I have car seats? Such a funny question to ask a pregnant woman on baby nesting hormone overdrive.

Miss Sabine Luvenia

Miss Marlo Amalia

Hugo and Marlo

Driving up to the hospital our family doctor's office called to confirm appointments for both girls for this coming Wednesday in the afternoon. Was this okay with me? It's awesome I told them! Then I paused and asked if I had heard correctly, was the appointment for one or two babies? Two babies was their answer. I still couldn't believe that they were both coming home. Even though I was smiling from ear to ear, I knew I wouldn't fully believe that I'd have both girls coming home with me until we pulled out of the parking garage.

It was all true. Both Marlo and Sabine were discharged into my full time care. I was excited and scared at the thought of their being released to me. Maintaining their nutrition while increasing my milk supply and watching for signs of trouble in the girls was all a tiny bit overwhelming in the news department. I kept asking for charts or lists or some sort of print out I could tack up in the nursery to follow and consult. The nurse, nutritionist and lactation consultant all just looked at me funny and laughed at my nervousness. I can't be the first mom to want a little hand holding as I depart the hospital for the real mom world with preemies.

I called my Mom to tell her that I had girls in the van! She wanted to know how many. Mom had been hoping that they would come home one at a time so we could ease into the preemie business. Not our girls style though. I listened to their coos and sighs all the way home with my smile still spread from ear to ear.

Hugo was very, very excited. He could not wait to hold one of the babies on his lap.

Sabine

Marlo, Sabine and Hugo

I wondered if he would get any sleep at all that first night with the girls in the house. Mom and I both had our eyes and ears on the door to the nursery keeping up Hugo patrol. We were worried that either he or Evie the cat would climb into their crib for the night. I found his happiness with the girls arrival home to be wonderful. They seem to respond to his voice as much as they do to my own. Good friends reunited at last.