Homecoming

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and pleasant surprises. As most of you now know, Sophia and Cecilia are at home! They were released from Kishwaukee Hospital on Friday, January 29th a mere 29 days after they were born! After two weeks in the NICU at Rockford Memorial Hospital, their neonatologist decided that they were stable enough to be moved Kishwaukee which was much closer to home. At Kishwaukee, the girls spent the next two weeks eating and growing..fast! They were taken off their feeding tubes after a few days and were taking all their meals by bottle. They were moved to open cribs and maintained their temperatures beautifully. They passed their car seat safety tests with flying colors. The test consisted of sitting in their car seats for 90 minutes without any apnea or heart rate spells. They also had hearing tests and cranial ultrasounds. Cecilia passed her hearing test, but they found a grade one cranial bleed on her ultrasound. Our pediatrician said that this is common in premature babies and that the bleed will resolve itself. Sophia's ultrasound looked good, but she did not pass her first hearing test. She will have another one within a month. There are many reasons babies do not pass their first hearing test and as her mother I can assure you that she can hear just fine. They are scheduled for their eye exams at the end of the month as well as their neonatal follow-up. Sophia was released weighing 5 pounds and Cecilia 5lbs 4oz. Tim and I took them to their first pediatric appointment on Monday and learned that they are growing phenomenally at home! Sophia weighed 5lbs 5oz and Cecilia 5lbs 9oz. Looks like mom and dad happen to be naturals! We have had a lot of fun so far with them at home, although sleep has been a rare commodity in the Tice household. The girls are eating about every 3 hours, sometimes sooner. They are very hungry girls! Right now we have them sharing a crib, because they love sleeping next to each other. It is amazing to watch them grow and reflect on how far we have all come in such a short time. I am so very blessed. They have very distinct personalities, and they make us laugh all the time. It is such a joy to hold them and cuddle them. The love that I feel for them is unlike anything I have ever known. Thank you everyone for all the prayers and encouragement. We will continue to update as time allows, but it is quite busy here lately!