Big Boys!

Tyler and Max are doing really well and continue to grow every day. It is amazing how much they look like real babies now! (Not that they weren't "real" babies all along...) Because they started off so well with bottle feeding, they are now taking the bottle twice a shift, which is 4 times a day. The remaining 4 feedings of the day are still given through their feeding tubes. Both boys have been finishing their entire bottles with no problem so the nurses are going to suggest increasing the amount of time they can bottle feed. Pretty soon they will be solely bottle feeding, which also means they would lose their feeding tubes! Tyler is now getting 30 cc's per feeding and Max is getting 27 cc's. This amount is calculated based on their current weight and birth weight, which is why Tyler is always getting slightly more than Max. Speaking of weights, we are getting some chunkers on our hands! Last night Tyler weighed 3 lbs 12 3/4 ozs and Max weighed 3 lbs 8 3/4 ozs. Not too much longer and they will be in open air cribs. Wow!

Max's nasal cannula was removed yesterday but he is still getting a little oxygen pushed into his isolette. Definitely progress though! Neither boy has had an apnea spell in a long time, which is obviously great news. We haven't been told anything specific recently, but I would guess they really are going to be home before we know it!

In other news, Molly just informed me that Max and Tyler's March for Babies team has already raised $2230!!!! Wow, in less than 3 weeks too. We really and truly cannot express how much that means to us. Every time we walk into the NICU and see the tiny babies who are thriving and growing - especially our boys - we realize how lucky we are to have modern medicine. I can't tell you how incredible it is to explain to people that our babies are in the NICU because they were born 3 1/2 months early... and they are doing really well. It still doesn't seem possible when you say it out loud. Needless to say, our story would not be so happy without modern research and medicine. So THANK YOU to everyone who has helped support this amazing organization - March of Dimes. It means more than we could ever express. (For more information on the team, see the post from March 14th).

Here are a few pictures and a video from last night. I wasn't sure if I could upload videos from my camera, so it's nothing prize-winning. But at least you can see some movement instead of still pictures!

Max without his nose cannula (and with chipmunk cheeks!)

Max hanging out before dinner

Tyler after his feeding last night. He was wide awake and moving all around. I didn't think the volume worked on my camera, but it does. The beeps you hear are just a few of the lovely monitors that go off every day - although that was not one of our boy's beeping! (Click Play to see the video)