Two steps forward, one step back.....

From the outset of our time in NICU, we'd been told to expect the journey to be like taking two steps forward then one step back. Of course we didn't think this would apply to our two precious girls, and we supposed our dream run would last until their return home. Well it hasn't been quite like that this week.

The nurse looking after Eliza last Saturday noticed she had a distended tummy, which was also firm and was sufficiently concerned to call in head nurse in charge. After X-rays they decided to treat Eliza with a batch of antibiotics for the worse case scenario... wait for it Necrotizing Enterocolitis commonly known around the unit as "Nec".

Eliza's incubator is full of gadgets again, damn.

Nec is pretty common about the 2-3 week mark for little premies. The condition, when full-blown, results in a hole in baby's abdomen causing a nasty bacterial infection.  So the NICU philosophy is to treat any tummy problem as if it's Nec and jump on it fast; better safe than sorry. After her great weight gains on Megan's milk, poor Eliza will be nil by mouth for 10 days. So her longline IV has been reinserted so she can be given nutrients while she's on this treatment. At first we were pretty stressed, as the worst case scenario (surgery) was very scary.

But she's cruising.

Luckily it turns out she's on the lower end of the scale, and we're just very lucky to have a medical team who've left nothing to chance. Through all this, she's been such a good girl - very settled and not many grizzles. Every day since she has looked more herself - we know she probably misses the feeling of her tummy full of milk, but she has been so incredibly brave. The medical staff are pleased with her progress.

And is going to tough it out for 10 days.

Olive, meanwhile left her incubator behind and was put in a big girl's cot! The first day this happened, Megan panicked and thought she had disappeared, as the cot is much shorter than the incubator. That is not the kind of scare you want to have too often.

 Olive in her big girl cot, dressed to impress.

Olive too had a minor step back soon after. On her second day in the cot, she was back on Wellington CPAP as her 02 saturation levels had been dropping quite frequently. Regardless it's been pretty exciting seeing her in real clothes, and helping to undress and dress her, around her cares. We've said this before, but with your own babies, you don't see the medical apparatus - like Olive and Eliza, it's what we have become used to as parents too.

Back on Wellington CPAP

But still as sweet as can be.

So all in all, this week has been a reminder that this is a journey. Quite a few people have asked when we are likely to be getting the girls home. We used to say that it's typically around when they would be full term (just after xmas for our girls), but now we think the best answer is when they are ready - there's no rush. It's also been a little lesson in our journey as parents of twins. These are two individual little girls who will approach things differently and will be ready for things at different stages too, which is pretty exciting really.

And intelligent too!

And even more exciting was Olive's first bath! This was conducted by Michael, with the assistance of one of our favourite nurses Maria. The beautiful photography is by Megan. If a picture is worth a 1000 words, then these photos shall form a treatise on happiness and cuteness.

Precious cargo!

She likes it!

Nurse Maria is a great teacher.

Hang on a minute do I like this after all?

Yes I do!

A few people have asked about visiting - well here is the deal. If you read this blog then we'd love for you to meet our girls, if you'd like to. There are a few simple and sensible rules.

The visiting window is 3.30-6pm ONLY every day. We can only have a total of 4 visitors at a time in the nursery including us, but there is a family room where extras can wait to stagger visits in and out. Kids under 12 can't visit, but the family room is a safe place for them to wait. You should be well and if you have been sick (ie a cold etc), then you need to have been well for the previous 48 hours before coming in. No jackets are allowed inside the nursery (just leave in your car - it's warm inside) and visitors should wash their hands before coming through the double doors.

The NICU is very easy to find on the fourth floor of the newest block of the hospital. There is very good and quite cheap carparking under this block. So if you're in Wellington and want to see if they are as good in the flesh as they are on film, pop in and see us. Megan or I try to be there during every visiting session, but probably best to text us to make sure we'll be there, and in case others have already arranged to visit. You can't see the babies without parents there. Megan cell 021 377372. Michael 021 476007