In about an hour...

...I'll be on my way to the hospital to pick up Makayla!!!! She's coming home!!! She's done great the past couple days, so she's ready. They're giving her the Synergis vaccination to protect her against RSV (a respiratory virus that just causes a cold in healthy kids but can be fatal in preemies), and they are sending her home on an apnea monitor (monitors her heartrate and breathing). They did a pneumogram a couple nights ago, which is just a 12 hour monitoring test to check for any breathing irregularities or heartrate problems. I talked with the doctor this morning, and he said she had some mild periodic breathing (short pauses), and had a couple of very short bradycardia episodes (low heartrate) - like 7 to 9 seconds long each. This is totally typical for a preemie, but to be on the safe side, they are sending us home with a monitor. Darrell and I have both refreshed our CPR training too - a requirement of the NICU.

I'm so thankful our friend Gloria got a couple preemie outfits for the girls - when I went to find something for Makayla to wear home today, I realized two things - one, most people bought us older-sized clothing, so we really don't have many newborn-sized clothes; and two, the newborn-sized clothes would be enormously huge on her, seeing as she's only about 5 lbs and they are made to fit 8-11 lbs. So thank goodness for Gloria and the preemie outfits!!!

It's kind of bittersweet, since we'll be leaving Mackenzie there - I'm sad that they'll be separated for a while (although they're not really together now anyway, since they're in separate beds).

I forgot to ask the doc if Mackenzie's gaining weight again...did I post that she had lost for 3 days in a row? Can't remember! Anyway, they are limiting her bottle-time to 15 minutes per feeding, then tube-feeding whatever she hasn't eaten - all to try to limit how many calories she expends trying to eat. I'll check when I go in this afternoon. I asked him about her anemia; he said it's too soon to see any improvement in her hemoglobin, but confirmed that it continues to be low and said they'll be watching it. She is currently on iron and Procrit; the doc said he's hoping to avoid having to give her a transfusion. At least she was more alert when I went in on Sunday; Saturday when Darrell and I went in, she was so tired she didn't even have the energy to breastfeed. Sunday they had done a gavage feeding for the feed prior to my visit, so she wasn't so tired and was able to nurse for quite a while.

Yesterday was the first day since they were born that I didn't go in to visit - it felt very strange. Darrell went in and did the CPR training and other discharge training, but I was exhausted and also afraid I'm coming down with a cold, so I didn't go (and I had already done the training). And Anthony is still home from daycare, with a runny nose and cough. We did go to Target when Darrell got back from the hospital - my first trip there in many months!!! Woo hoo! We got a baby swing - so so cute - with some gift cards, as well as a couple other little things - pacifiers, an extra cover for the changing table pad, etc. Anthony had a gift card too, and got a new train engine for his Thomas set...always a spirit-lifter for him. I am amazed still at how quickly I get tired out - Darrell could tell I was running out of steam when I was practically hanging from the shopping cart! LOL

I'd like to ask for everyone's prayers about my work situation...or lack thereof. Ideally, I would not have to work and be able to be a stay-at-home mom. The thought of putting the twins in daycare breaks my heart, and sometimes even finding a daycare that will take one baby, let alone two babies, on apnea monitors is extremely difficult. Realistically, me not working is just not feasible for us right now. I got terminated from my hospice job while I was on bedrest - they were only required to hold my job for 16 weeks, and sure enough, during the 17th week, I got a letter informing me that I was no longer employed there! I have mixed feelings about this, but that's another post for another day...just suffice it to say that it may be that I'm better off not being there. I have a limited time remaining on disability, and then I will have no income, so I need to start looking for a job. It would be great if I could find something that either has evening/weekend hours so my schedule and Darrell's could work out such that the girls don't have to spend much time in childcare, or something part-time that pays enough to meet our needs...I don't really know what the answer will be. I know God will meet our needs and provide something...but prayers in this area would DEFINITELY be appreciated. Thank you all!