2 + 1 + 1 = Family (LOL - Cheeseball) and Pictures of Course!

Hello,

We have had a pretty uneventful week since we last spoke Sunday. The new room, as seen below has been a nice edition to our beautiful babies young lives. It is nice and spacious for observing, holding, and playing basketball with paper towels:

A quick note, I would like to talk about an incredible gesture by 50+ people I have never met. A group of very generous people that have been supporting Gwen Edwards fight with cancer wonderfully have supported us in an unbelievable way. You are amazing people who have never met us! There is really not a way to express the gratitude and love shown by people who genuinely care about the well being of others, and can show so much love to complete strangers. I am just really surprised. It is incredible. Can't say it in words. Anyhow, this is my best attempt at Geek Week! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/weeklyauctionforgwenedwards) Please Please join!

Geek Week!

Ender. This lil guy has been getting fat! In the last 5 days he has grown over 150 grams! He is currently 2.09 kg which is 4 lbs 9 oz. I honestly never thought we would see this weight! Ender is getting fed 40 ml every 3 hours and if I can say, pooping beautifully:) He is still on the nasal canula at 25% (21% is normal air) but the rate is low, he is doing well. Ender (and Rooney) have been getting Occupational Therapw0rking with them on suck swallow breath reflex. Ender has been doing really well, the OT was also impressed with pushing ability of his legs and pulling of his arms. We are so proud of our chubster! (and as Libby would deny, our ginger boy!!!)

Rooney, compared to Ender, who's skin is a little ruddy, is a straight up pale red power ginger. If you put her in the sun, she would have more freckles than... ... ...her father? Which obviously is a great thing! Rooney is 1.82 kg with is slightly over 4 lbs! Yay Roo! She is a sass ball (Every time you hold her she decides to poop) and absolutely adorable, there isn't much more to say.

Libby and I  absolutey love these little babies. We were able to both do "double kangaroo" with the kiddos this week, the first time the babies have been able to see/touch/feel each other since they left the womb.... pretty sweet, life is good... please keep up the positive vibes. Love to all- @lee and the ginger babes.

Chestcne

"Rooney, you can make noises if you put your hand like this while crying!"

"Ender, stop telling me stuff and then falling asleep!"

 Mom and Babes

 Mom and Grandma holding babes..

Is it too early for Ender to ask to hit up the Toy section at Target?

Grandpa Craig with Roo!

"Grandpa why is your beard grey? I'm used to Ginger beards!!"

Bring on the jokes.

Mom is lightning fast Ender!

Snooooooozing!

Rooney, heyyyy buddddyyyy!!

Spider Child.

Sleeping with Ender

Roo Zonked.

Pic (Rooney takes a) Dump 2

Hello again,

I apologize for the time between posts, but the more time between, the better the news. We found out this evening that Ender and Rooney will be moving out of the "Intensive" part of the NICU into the "Feeder/Grower" section. This means that they will have a higher nurse to patient ratio, but also means they don't need as high a level of care. The babies will be transferred to another twin room, apparently with more space than their current one.

Ender keeps pushing forward. He is getting closer to getting off his nasal cannula, he is currently getting humidified room air on low flow. He is on day 18 of 42 of his antibiotics and he is eating 30 ml of breast milk every 3 hours via feeding tube. He now weighs 4 lbs 2 ounces, impressing us everyday! His head ultrasound earlier this week was unchanged, allowing us relax a little more every day and just enjoy spending time with our beautiful babies!

Rooney is no longer using any breathing assistance, which makes her even cuter and makes it much easier for us to hold her! The breast milk she gets fed via feeding tube is now being fortified (increasing the calorie content and added nutrients) to try to get her to gain weight. Fortifying the milk slightly increases the chance of NEC coming back, but at this point, brain development and growth is very important and worth that small risk. Nurses are checking both babies bellies routinely and so far they are tolerating their feeds well.

I got my first real experience as a father this weekend. I was changing Rooney's very fully diaper. As I pulled up her legs up to get under her butt, she shot a perfectly angled fountain of poop over the diaper onto the bed, her legs, and her monitoring leads. It was a mess and she was sitting there looking at me, looking as cute as possible while I changed her diaper and sheets, and the nurse switched out her leads. Hopefully this is not a sign of what is to come when the babies get discharged!

Keep the good vibes coming for both our little Gingers (Libby says Ender isnt, but secretly, I think he is a daywalker)

This is right before Rooney decided to get projectile.

Please don't judge me, I would never use Instagram, these were done by Libby;)

Endy with Mom!

Zonked.

There are those eyes!

With Poppi

Hats from Upper Peninsula

Holding his pacifier!

Tiny Feet!

Rooney is Zonked.

Hi Mom!

Rooney can also hold her pacifier

Zonked again.

Awake again!

Mom with her equality burrito!

First time being held by Grandma!!! Rooney loved it!

Yawn.

0 to 80 years in 2 seconds.

Heyyy buddy!