Lazy Day

Evidently the boys' nurse from yesterday told Nathan to tie me to the bed if I refused to rest. So I'm resting. And so is Nathan. For some reason, I'm having a really hard time sleeping at night. It's not really that I'm worrying or anything. I think it's the combo of being away from home, sleeping on a Sleep Number bed (not a big fan actually, it's kind of like sleeping on a glorified air mattress), sweating because they had a plastic mattress cover on the mattress (got rid of that this morning), and the fact that I can't seem to get a deep breath. I wonder if this feeling short of breath has anything to do with my diaphragm moving back into its normal position. Anyway, it makes for some sleepless nights.

The good news...this morning, after pumping at around 5 am and getting a snack, I was able to fall back asleep at 6:00. Hard. For another 5 hours. Nathan got up and organized our photos of the boys while I slept and slept and slept. It felt SO good! After some lunch and a shower, we went over to see the boys just in time to help with their "cares", which is what the NICU staff call changing their diapers, feeding them, taking their temps, checking their blood sugars, etc. It's always fun to be there during those times, because the boys are awake and we get to feel like parents.

The exciting thing is that, as of 11:00 this morning, the boys are completely off of oxygen and breathing 100% on their own! Yay!!! Also they have increased the amount that the boys are being fed. Before each feeding, the nurse pulls from the tube that goes to their stomachs to see how much milk is left in their tummies from the last feeding. Lately, both Levi and Asher have had hardly anything left in their stomachs, which means they are digesting it the way they are suppose to and should start putting on some weight. They've both gained just under an ounce since yesterday...it doesn't sound like much, but it's the first time they've reported a weight gain since they were born, so it is kind of a big deal. They also moved the boys' feeding tubes from their mouths to their noses, which looks SO much more comfortable.

The nurse today said that we should be able to hold them again today. So we're planning on going to NICU in time for their 8:00 pm cares and then will hold them while they are being fed. I get so giddy whenever I find out that they are stable enough to be held...I just can't wait to wrap my arms around one of my cute little monsters.

After we visited the boys, we finally made a trip to Payless Shoes, where I got a pair of tennis shoes big enough for my swollen feet. Until now, I've been wearing my moccasin slippers everywhere because they were the only shoes that fit. I have now graduated from a size 6 or 6 1/2 to a size 7. Sweet. After grabbing some Dutch Bros (the only coffee I drink...the coffee I've been pining for over the last 7 months), we came back to our room, watched the first episode of this season of The Office (which I slept through when it was on tv), and now Nathan is taking a nap. I'll let him sleep for another hour before waking him for dinner and then time with the twins.

Physically, I'm feeling a lot better. I'm no longer taking Norco, the narcotic pain med that they had me on. The super strength Motrin seems to be doing the job. My mom got me a tummy support that is specifically made for use after a c section, and boy oh boy does it help! Today was the first day that I walked all the way from the parking garage into NICU and back...I was tired, but wasn't hurting. And it actually seemed to help with the stiffness in my legs and feet caused by the swelling. They're still swollen, but not quite as tight feeling.

We did get some really cute photos of Levi today without his nasal cannula, but we haven't gotten any photos of Asher yet today. So after we get some tonight, I'll put them up on our online photo album.