Black hole of two children...and photos to make your ovaries twinge

As big as a magazine (I know, I need to find better objects to compare her to).Who doesn't love pissy baby photos?
Baby: I want to eat. Darsie: I want to hold baby.
Pacified for a moment...and getting cuter every day
Can you believe they let us come home like this?

I hadn't realized that I hadn't posted that we were HOME! So sorry dedicated readers to make you worry. Between pumping every two hours, feeding the littlest monster every 2-4 hours, and feeding the biggest monster constantly, I'm exhausted.

We were able to bring Elise home last week and it has been GREAT! She came home weighing approximately 3 lbs. 13 oz. and on Friday at her doctors appointment, she weighed 4 lbs. 3 oz.! Holy weight gain! She likes the milk! She is still taking fortified EBM and nursing occasionally. However, she isn't the best nurser, so I'm thinking that her prematurity is the vice there. I'm going to give a nipple shield a shot. She is also an old pro at peeing through her preemie diapers. At night, I double up on them so I won't have to do any midnight clothes changes.

Darsie is doing as well as expected. She has some sibling rivalry/jealousy, but is learning how to deal with it and we are learning how to deal with the tantrums.

More photos soon and updates, promise!

Back in the hospital...

BUT, it is a good thing. I'm rooming in with Elise tonight because she is coming home tomorrow (barring unforseen circumstances of course). She passed her car seat test this afternoon and I am caught up on CPR (2 breaths to 30 compressions if you haven't done it recently!). Now I just have to keep her alive tonight (well, mainly eating) and then we get to take her home tomorrow! I can't believe it and Jeff is sooooo excited! I will have to get a photo of her in her car seat because she is so tiny! We thought Darsie was little when we brought her home (almost 5 pounds) but Elise is only 3 pounds 12 ounces!!!

I'll update with photos tomorrow once we get home and settled.

Being a mother is the best.

Everything we have been through for these two little girls is sooooo worth it.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there.

Preemies Suck (literally)!

Yesterday was a great visit with Elise. I finally got to breastfeed her and she did really well once she figured out what I was trying to get her to do. She took about 8 cc's by breast and then the rest by bottle. She was super alert and active, too, which is always fun. I let my mom hold her, too. Darsie also tried to get in on the holding action as well.

Last night while Jeff was visiting, they moved Elise to a lower level nursery. I have to figure out where that is today but it is awesome news!

Once we can get her eating really well on her own, she can come home. So keep your fingers crossed!

She is doing really well!

We are all recovering and getting used to the changes in our lives. Darsie is totally in love with Elise and asks to go see her all the time. She is also a "HUGE" help with pumping. She loves to crank up the suction at the oddest of times and hold the shields. Such fun :)

Miss Elise is doing super well, too. She has had her picc line removed and is taking 30cc's of breast milk at a time. She is having a bit of an issue drinking her bottle, so she does have an NG tube but gained an ounce yesterday, so hopefully the additional weight will give her more energy to eat. We are hoping to take her home next week at some point, so keep your fingers crossed for us!

She should be out of her box in the next couple of days and is now above her birth weight!

My little raver...

Still doing really well. I got to feed her and kangaroo her for an hour tonight. PURE BLISS!

She pees, she poops, she eats!

Just a quick update on our Miss Elise. She is continuing to thrive well. She has lost a couple of ounces but is doing great! She is under the billirubin lights still at the moment but the doctors are hoping her kidneys kick in in the next few days and we can get her out. She looks so cute in her purple "sunglasses". She is pooping and peeing just as expected and she is being fed breastmilk! Yesterday I finally got to go and visit her and hold her and feed her...it was wonderful! Jeff visited later in the evening and he got to hold her and feed her, too. The doctors are expecting a two to three week hospital stay for her, so overall, not too bad.

My bp is still high, so we're hoping to get that resolved soon. I get my staples out this afternoon, too. Oh joy!

More photos and updates soon.

She's here and I'm home!

Elise was born on the 29th at approximately 8:32 in the morning. She weighs 3lbs. 7 oz. at just one day shy of 34 weeks..so small but she is very healthy! She is on a nasal cannula but on room oxygen. She is under the bili lights, but holding her own temp and blood sugar levels. She was transferred to a different hospital, so I only got to see her for a few moments on Sunday but will get to go to the hospital and see her tomorrow. More updates then!

Now for a few photos: