Harry really lives up to his name- look all that head full of hair!

oh rita, they're beautiful!! i LOVE rosie's little wrinkly legs... premies are such a miracle, and twins are even more the blessing. you must be so proud. what a difference these last few days have been!!

Rita they are getting more beautiful by the day! Rosie is an absolute doll! Walmart has preemie outfits that snap together in the crotch, and down the legs. You can either snap it to make it pants, or snap it to be a baby bag(that what I called it, don't know the official term)! You and the family are still in my thoughts and prayers! It makes my day to see them, and know how well they are doing!

Little angels They look so good!!!

I went to visit them tonight when I got off work. They really are starting to fill out!

Rosie is still forgetting to breathe, but she is holding down her food now, so we have that to be thankful for. Like I said yesterday, she is finally holding down her food. And she did a poopie yesterday - which she had not been doing - so more progress!

Neither one of them have the sucking, swallowing, breathing thing down yet - so they are being tube fed. They both have small feeding tubes in their noses. This will come in time.

Harry did a poopie tonight and guess who was holding him and got to change the diaper! Yep - ME! He also needed his clothes changed, so I got to pick out an outfit and put it on him. It was like dressing a little doll.

Jim and Jess arent getting any sleep and the twins arent even home yet!!! Jess has to pump breast milk every 3 hours around the clock to feed them. She says she feels like a milk machine - all she does is eat, sleep and pump breast milk. She is worried about being able to breast feed as they get bigger.

Anyway, after a stressful day at work, I decided I need to head to St Louis and hold babies! It was very relaxing to me.

I went to St Louis again to day to visit Harry & Rose, and Jim & Jess.

They detected Harry has a mild heart murmur, but the pediatrician didnt seem to concerned about it, so we arent going to be either. Rosie is still doing the forgetting to breathe thing and regurgitating her food. I was holding her today when she did this, so I smell like sour milk right now! Harry is 3lbs 8 oz and Rosie is 3lbs 3 oz

Here is a new picture of Harry being held by his great-grandma Marian (Jess's grandmother)







Here is Rosie also being held by her great grandmother Marian

Awww! They are filling out! Thanks for sharing the progress! As far as not getting sleep, well as I am sure you know that comes with the territory, and it flies by like a blink of an eye! They are just adoreable!!!

CUTIES!!!!! They are so tiny and precious!

Your family truly has been touched by the hand of god, so happy to see they are filling out a bit. I will continue to pray that things get better for them. Sounds like they have a wonderful team of Doctors, Nurses, and Family. You have a true blessing in them. I send my love to you and your family.

Rita it's very common for premies or even term newborns to have a murmur. They usually close up within a few weeks. Chloe was a term baby and she had one that closed up by her first check up. I am sure it's going to be fine!! Keep us posted! BTW they are getting more and more beautiful every day!!

I keep telling Jess it may be a good thing she has to pump every 3 hours to feed them. That is the feeding schedule they are on and probably will still be on when they come home. She can start getting used to it already.

We fully expect Harry to come home before Rosie - but still have no idea when that will be.

Ill probably go back next Tuesday to visit them. I've been trying to go every couple of days. Id love to go everyday, but its to expensive to drive that far. And Im getting to old to go to work all day and they drive to St Louis afterward. Last week just about wore me out.

Its so relaxing to sit there holding those little sweeties. I am absolutely madly in love with them already.

I enjoy baby pics so much. Thanks for sharing.

I have nursed may baby. She is almost a year and I am so proud we have almost made it to that mark with no formula..............but it is very hard I understand where Jess is coming from. If she can't do it she should not feel bad every little bit she does pump counts. Your pics of the babies and the feeding tubes brought tears to my eyes my son had one. On the bright side at least the are non evasive. It is so good to hear the babies are doing so good for being born so early. They will be chasing lively toddlers before they know it.

Awwwww these little sweeties just melt my heart!

If the way you treat your gliders is any indication, I imagine you'll be spoinling them senseless in no time!!!!!

Praying that they continue to grow stronger each day and will get to come home soon!

Oh good - I was really hoping for a positive update on your grandbabies. They are such treasures!!

It's not that Jess doesnt want to breast feed - she is just worried about having enough milk to feed both babies. There have already been a couple of times they had to substitute formula because Jess didnt have enough.

I wish we could get a picture of Harry where his face isnt all wrinkled up!!! He really doesnt look like that all the time!

Awwww, they are just so adorable. Thanks for sharing them with us Rita. I am glad they are doing well. Tell Jess to try Funugreek (not sure how to spell it, but I think that is close) for milk production. I know a lot of mommies swore by it. It must be hard to not see them everyday, but that is a long drive and gas is going up again darn it!

Updates?

I want updates too!! How are they?? When do they get to go home?? Any new pics??? How are the new parents?!?! And is the hors....er....dog still staying with you??? How did all that go!? LOL

Come on Rita, you're slacking here!!

I think Rita's with her dad...he was having surgery today.

Yes, I still have Big Mac the horse/dog. He may be going home this week-end. He's been a very good boy so far, so keeping him longer isnt a problem. He just has to go home before my floor is laid on June 9, 10 and 11th.

Harry and Rosie are doing about the same. They are still in the Neonatal intensive care unit at Childrens Hospital. We have no idea at this time when they will go home. They need time to develop and catch up. They still dont have the sucking/breathing/swallowing thing down yet and continue to be tube fed. They are still in incubators altho there is some talk of possibly moving Harry to a regular crib soon.

Jess is starting to feel better. There is one good thing to all of this, she should be totally well by the time they come home. She is hoping to have 3 months off starting when the babies come home. This is a little frightening as she is a manager at Enterprise Car Rental - and they have recently let quite a few people go.

Jim has calmed down. This was so stressful on him. It hurt so badly to see him break down a couple of times. He is finally getting some rest, is back to work and has a schedule of visiting the babies down pat. He delivers breast milk every morning and visits the babies - goes to work - works thru lunch - leaves early - picks Jess up as she still cant drive - and they both go to the hospital together each evening.

My heart breaks because I cant drive up there to see them everyday. It wears me out working all day and they driving up there to get home around 10pm or after. Plus the cost of gas... I havent seen them since Sunday and thought I would see them today. So I HAVE to go up there tomorrow. I just cant stand being away from them. Its going to be strange when the come home. Jim & Jess are going to want their lives back and wont appreciate someone being there all the time. I cant blame them for that - I wouldnt like it either.

Anyway - this is getting to long. I will post more tomorrow evening when I get home from visiting with them.

I am so glad they are getting better.

Yes the only benefit of this is Jess can fully recover and be at full force when they get home. That defentally will help them a lot. I am glad she gets 3 months off but that is kinda scary they are letting people go. Makes you a little paranoid.

Jim sounds like he is just moving along, want to keep busy will make time go faster.

I am sure Jess has tons to keep her busy during the day between resting, resting, and finishing all those things she didnt get to do when they came early.

I bet grandma just wants to get there every day--you might have to move in with them lol.

Hey I will take Big Mac if they still need the break--he can come teach my big boys who runs the house!!

I left my Dad's hospital bedside after 10pm last night and drove the 30 minutes away to see Harry & Rosie. I was NOT going to let another day go by without seeing them!

They are doing really well. They are testing them with body temperature control at this time and have the lids on their incubators raised. If they do ok, they will be moved to cribs in a few days. They still dont have the sucking/swallowing/breathing thing down yet but that will come with time. They still have some developing to do. Harry had a tiny little pacifier in his mouth last night. They give them the pacifiers so they can get the feel of something in their mouths - and so they can practice their sucking/breathing/swallowing. Rosie doesnt like the pacifier at all. But she is now keeping her breast milk down with very little regurgitation.

Its amazing to me how they can change in just a few days. I hadnt seen them since last Sunday. They are both gaining weight. Harry now weighs 4lbs 2oz and Rosie is at 4lbs. I held each baby for an hour. Holding babies is such a wonderful stress reliever.

I cant believe they will be a month old on Monday. They are both doing remarkably well. We have been so blessed.

They are just growing so big. just wait before too long your arms will be falling off from holding 2 wild toddlers!!

they just need to get that pesky breathing/sucking/swallowing down.

They will be home before you know it then you will be able to spoil them even more!!

Hopefully mommy and daddy are sleeping as much as they can!!

Sounds like everyone is getting stronger, which is great news!!! One of my friends from college just had her first child not too long ago, and she wasn't producing enough breast milk at first, and it really got her to feeling like a failed mom, but she got it evened out eventually. (((((Hugs))))) for everyone.

I just spoke with Jim on the phone and he said they moved Rosie into a regular crib today. And that Harry will be moved into one as soon as one becomes available!!! PROGRESS!!!!

Good news! I'm so glad thisis working out well, Rita, it was a scary thing for a while. You all are still in my thoughts and prayers.

That's awesome news, Rita!!!

Rita that is just wonderful! Looks like we both have wonderful progress going on for our babies!