The girls are one week old today and doing great. Mr. M arrived on Saturday and we spent the whole day yesterday training to care for the girls. I admit was was so scared to handle them when I first got here. They are so tiny. The doctors kept encouraging me to start feeding them and changing them but I noticed a strange resistance with the nurses. It took me a day or two to realize they were waiting for mother to show up and that because I was a male they weren't sure I could do it. I finally decided they are my kids and I will just do it so I did. I had to gently push some of the nurses aside when the girls needed a feeding or burping but by Friday my inner grizzly mama came out. By yesterday I felt much more comfortable even though half of India was staring at me through the NICU windows. Look, they seemed to say, a man caring for a newborn! In general everyone at the NICU has been lovely and I have had fun explaining to some of the nurses that in America you can have two daddies or mommies. They are surprised but take it in stride. Deep down I suspect some of them think mother is still going to show up.
Today Mila is coming home. She has put on weight and is eating like a champ. Stella lost a bit of weight yesterday so we are waiting to see if she is ready to come home today or not. In general aside from mild jaundice the girls have been healthy. Mila has a really strong personality. She is a fast drinker (like her dad Mr. M.) and she lets you know what's up. Estella is more mellow and takes a while to finish the bottle, but is very cuddly. They both threw up a couple of times after feeding, so one nurse put them to sleep on their front for an hour while we watched them and they looked like a pair of frogs (I know, a big no no in the USA).
We decided to move from hotel to apartment with nanny as we thing that will be easier. We got the birth certificates in 48 hours and have appointments for DNA test and Consular Record of Birth Abroad/Passport on Thursday. We are actually not going to request emergency passports because we will be here for a while. We are trying to focus on our wonderful new family and enjoy this special time we have together rather than getting worked up about getting out of here.
I can't seem to load pictures from this connection but I will find a way and get them up soon
Today Mila is coming home. She has put on weight and is eating like a champ. Stella lost a bit of weight yesterday so we are waiting to see if she is ready to come home today or not. In general aside from mild jaundice the girls have been healthy. Mila has a really strong personality. She is a fast drinker (like her dad Mr. M.) and she lets you know what's up. Estella is more mellow and takes a while to finish the bottle, but is very cuddly. They both threw up a couple of times after feeding, so one nurse put them to sleep on their front for an hour while we watched them and they looked like a pair of frogs (I know, a big no no in the USA).
We decided to move from hotel to apartment with nanny as we thing that will be easier. We got the birth certificates in 48 hours and have appointments for DNA test and Consular Record of Birth Abroad/Passport on Thursday. We are actually not going to request emergency passports because we will be here for a while. We are trying to focus on our wonderful new family and enjoy this special time we have together rather than getting worked up about getting out of here.
I can't seem to load pictures from this connection but I will find a way and get them up soon
Awesome!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThrilled for you all. Proud of you all. Happy for you all. Nurses will get over it, many baby nurses become baby nurses because they love caring for babies.... even female mommies sometimes need to be firm on the subject. Glad you have found your mommy side just like single moms have to find their daddy side. All 5 of you are going to be and do great, and by the time the 5th family member comes home you are going to be such an old hand at tiny babies it will be shocking to find the last isn't tiny.
ReplyDeleteSO VERY EXCITED AND PLEASED AND HAPPY on behalf of all of you.
Savor this time. In one year they will be walking and there will be more children than adults in your home. This is such a special and brief second. No such thing as too many pictures or too much love.
The transition to feeding, burping, changing is an abrupt one but you get used to it quickly, even if you are being watched by all of India. It makes for that much more of a memory...have fun!
ReplyDeleteDitto to Michael, awesome!!!
ReplyDelete