Big News...

Monday was a very big day for the Valencia family.  Not only did Grammie have her retirement party but Piper was released from CHOC that day too!!!  WAHOO!!!  Prayers have been answered.  

Piper loaded up in her wagon on the way to the elevator.  Such a BIG girl!

I am thrilled to report that Piper has been doing AWESOME at home.  She is a great baby!  She sleeps the day away and only cries when she is ready to eat.  James and I could not ask for more.  The only bummer about the whole situation is that Phoebe is still at CHOC.  As of Tuesday James and I have started the major juggling act of being at home for Piper while trying to be at CHOC for Phoebe.  Thanks to both James and my wonderful mom, I have been able to do both.  Phoebe is doing really well and it should not be too much longer before she gets to join us at home.  I pray for that day and can hardly wait until it is a reality.

Today, Piper had her very first visit to the pediatrician, Dr. Ball.  She slept the entire car ride to and from the doctor's office and she was such a good patient while we were there.  The doctor said she looks great.  I could not ask for more.  She is now 5 pounds 1 and 1/2 ounces.  I can hardly believe she was once only 3 pounds 15 ounces.  That seems like such a long long time ago!

Grammie's Retiring from Teaching!

On Monday morning the parents in my mom's classroom got together to have a small retirement party for her.  There was not a dry eye in the house.  The room was filled with so much love.  My dad even got one of my mom's very first students to attend.  I was so happy that both James and I could be apart of this special day.

One of my mom's 1st students

For those of you who don't know my mom, she has been teaching for 35 years and is hands down the best teacher I have ever met.  She started her teaching career in Santa Ana, where she taught in both English and Spanish.  After several years there she transfered down to Capo Unified School District.  She taught at several schools in Capo which included opening two schools as a kindergarten teacher.  My mom has been and will continue to be my teaching inspiration.  Teaching was not just a job for my mom, it was her life.  She was constantly teaching and loving her students in ways that went far above what "normal" teachers do.

The coolest part about my mom retiring is that she can now be a full time Grammie!!!  James and I are thrilled that my mom will be watching Piper and Phoebe this next school year when I go back to work. We are so blessed to have her.  

Car Seat Challenge

On Friday the nurse taking care of Piper and Phoebe asked me to please bring in one of the girls car seats.  This was very exciting news!  It meant that Piper was ready for her Car Seat Challenge.  What is a Car Seat Challenge you ask?  Well I can tell you...before NICU babies can go home they need to sit in their car seat for 90 minutes with out any problems or issues.  I am very happy to report that Piper had her car seat challenge on Saturday night and she passed with flying colors.

Today, Piper had her last NICU test which was a hearing screening.  Again, I am thrilled to say that Piper passed with no problems at all.  All of this exciting news means that Piper is very, very close to coming home with James and I.  Wahoo, praise Jesus!  Now even though this news is super duper exciting it also poses a challenge for us.  Once a NICU baby is released they are not allowed back into CHOC.  James and I will have to juggle one baby at home and one still in CHOC for a bit longer until Phoebe comes home.  Please pray for us that we can figure out a good plan and that things don't get too crazy.

                                                                                                              

I could not leave our little Phoebe out of this post.  Here is my new favorite picture of Phoebe smiling with her Daddy.  I have a feeling these girls will be Daddy's girls for sure! <3

No Feeding Tube

Hurray...Piper got her feeing tube out yesterday (Friday)!!!  Since Piper has been doing SO well with her feedings lately, the doctor ordered that her feeding tube could come out.  Phoebe is working hard on multi-tasking (suck, swallow and breathe) but it is a little harder for her.  I know she will get there as she grows and matures.  This milestone puts Piper that much closer to coming home with Mommy and Daddy.

In addition to this HUGE news my mom and dad (Grammie and G-Dad) spent the evening at our condo putting together our two adorable cribs.  Thank you guys for not giving up and working SO hard (I know it was not an easy task).  The cribs look amazing!  I can't wait until we have two happy, healthy, chubby babies in those cribs permanently.

3 Weeks Old (37 Weeks)

 Piper 

It is amazing to think that Phoebe and Piper should still be in my tummy.  Today they would have been 37 weeks instead of 3 weeks old.  Don't get me wrong, I am glad the girls are here and healthy today, but it would have been nice for them to bake a little longer.

Today was another amazing day at CHOC.  Piper drank her morning bottle for me in 4 minutes flat.  Phoebe took some of her morning bottle and then got tired.  Both girls are working SO hard and making good progress, just on their own time schedule.  Then at the 2:00 pm feeding Piper shocked both the nurse and I.  Piper took a shocking 56ml from my breast!!!  This was going above and beyond what she should eat.  At this point Piper needs to eat a minimum of 40ml at each feeding and if she takes more that is just an added bonus.  Just when I thought things could not get more exciting, Phoebe breast fed 34ml and only needed 3ml of breast milk in her feeding tube.  I was so proud of my big girls!!

Speaking of "big girls" here is a quick weight update on the girls, Piper is 4 pounds 8 ounces and Phoebe (who is quickly catching up to her sister) is 4 pounds 5 ounces.  We still do not have a going home date for either  of the girls but James and I are fine with that.  We continue to see progress everyday and that is all we can ask for.  Knowing God is watching out for our little miracles and that we have so many people praying for them makes this whole process so much easier.  Thank you to everyone for praying, we love you all! <3

Phoebe

TWO Cribs!!

When I got to CHOC this morning Piper and Phoebe had two big changes.  The first change was in their location.  Prior to now Phoebe and Piper had their very own private room in the PICU.  Yesterday James and I were told that a set of sick twin boys needed our room so they were moving us to another part of the PICU.  I was very happy to give up our room to two babies in need but sad to lose the privacy.  The girls are now in an open area that is a lot smaller.  The great part about the move is that it puts us one step closer to the door (literally speaking) and one step closer to going home.

Another change, the most exciting change, I found was that Phoebe was in a crib and no longer needed her isolate.  Wahoo!!!!!  At this point all Piper needs to do is take all of her feeds from a bottle and then she will come home (she is getting closer and closer every day).  Phoebe has a little bit more work to do.  She has to be off caffeine for 5 days (she is on that to help develop her nervous system), today was day one and she needs to take all of her feeds from a bottle like Piper.

James and I are very eager to have both girls come home, but not before they are ready.  No dates have been set for the girls to come home.  Right now we are just taking each day to learn more and more from our wonderful nurses at CHOC.

Bath Time

Yesterday was a very busy, busy day not only for James and I but for Phoebe and Piper too!  Not only do Piper and Phoebe have a check list of things they must do/accomplish before they can go home but James and I have a long list too.  I am happy to say that as of yesterday James and I finished watching all the necessary videos (infant CPR, swaddle bath, back to sleep, car seat safety, and NICU baby release) and we helped our nurse give Piper her very first bath.

Since Piper and Phoebe are preemies, CHOC teaches parents how to give their babies swaddle baths.  Piper was so calm and content during the bath.  It was so nice.  She even had a nice heat lamp over her to keep her warm.  I wanted to take the heat lamp home with me because it felt so good.  If anyone knows James, they know he LOVES the air conditioning.  I am always FREEZING at home so a heat lamp would come in handy. :-)