Tuesday Update

Big day for visitors today.  Tonight, Bob and Rosanna Bamsey and David and Jenny Branstad stopped by to see Cooper and Eloise. 
Cooper is off of the Cpap and onto a nasal cannula for breathing help.  Ella is still on her Cpap.  Cooper also had his IV line removed today so he will get all of his nutirition through the feeding line in his nose.  Ella is right behind as she is usually just a couple days behind him on most everything.  Both gained 80 grams yesterday and are really starting to plump up. 

Lunchtime visit from Gramma Polly

The babies got a visit from Gramma Polly over lunch. Although more importantly, Gramma Polly got to "hold" the babies over lunch :-)

Monday, and a visit from Gramma Betti and Pops

Baby-wise, today was a pretty uneventful day. Eloise had a recheck brain ultrasound and everything looks good. Both babies are growing like weeds! Ella is 2lb 5.5oz, and Coop is 2lb 6oz! These last few days have been the first in which both have consistently put on weight, as opposed to bouncing up and down. Hopefully this is a sign of more weight gain to come.

Gramma Betti and Pops came for a visit today. It was great to see them, and they got to touch and "hold" both babes. It was great to see the smiles on their faces when we told them that they could, and while we know Coop and Ella enjoyed themselves, I think the happiest people were Gramma and Pops.

We also got some adorable sleeping baby pictures...there's no doubt who's kids they are! :-)

Paging Dr. Awesome...Dr. Awesome please

Thank you Evan and Amy (and Mr. Redisch)...you've created a monster :-)

Sunday Update

Not much new going on today.  Cooper and Ella continue to grow.  Feedings are going well for both.  Coop is no longer recieving IV nutrients, and is just about on to full feedings where he wil get everything from the fortified milk.  Ella is just a day or two behind him on this.  Both are having protien and calories added to the milk in order to fatten them up a little.  Hal and Rebecca Lieberman stopped by to visit and meet them today.

Saturday Update

Another fairly quiet day for the babies. Both are now over 1000 grams. Eloise is right on 1000 and Cooper is at 1020. Hopefully we will see steady weight gain now that they are past the first two weeks. Today was the first time we were able to hold both babies on back to back days.

2 weeks old today!

It was moving day for the babies today. Not a big move, but a move nonetheless. The NICU has some adjoining rooms with a little more space which I don't think the babies notice, but J and I sure do. It was also bassinet changing day for the babies. So while the nurses were getting their new beds all ready for them, Daddy and Coop had some "boys club" holding time, while Ella and I had some "girl talk about the boys" holding time. :-)

Both babies were put on the CPap today, a step down from the SiPaps they've been on. Ella's phototherapy light came off and the doctor decided to start fortifying her food with formula to give her more calories. Coop's been having his food fortified for a few days now, which is I think why he's starting to gain some weight.

Thursday Update

Not much going on today.  The "baby twins" said to say hello to their cousin Maggie. 
Our friends Blake and Lisa stopped by today and visitors are always welcome if anyone is around the twin cities.  Just make sure to call first to be sure we will be there and that it is a good day for the babies to have visitors. 

What a Wednesday...

Today was a great day to be Mom and Dad. We both got to hold Coop, but I'm pretty sure he liked being a "baby burrito" with me more than with Daddy. :-)

Other than that, the day was pretty mellow. Both babies are still doing well on their SiPaps, and the doctor thinks they both look great. Both are still increasing on their feedings, and I swear I think Cooper is getting bigger and bigger right before my eyes. Eloise still has some catching up to do with her brother, but she's not far behind.

Tuesday Update

Not a whole lot new to report today.  The nurses allowed me to do diaper duty on both babies this afternoon.  Both Coop and Ella are doing well on their feedings.  Ella is having a turn with the photo therapy, and Coop is enjoying a break from it. 

They had to recalibrate Cooper's SiPap machine today so we had the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of him with no mask on. 

Monday's update

It may have been a day late, but Daddy got the best father's day gift today: he got to hold his little baby girl for the very first time. There is no doubt in my mind that she's got him wrapped around her little finger. :-) It was so much fun to see Jeff almost jumping out of his skin with excitement about holding her, and she seemed very happy in his arms.

Other than that, today was a pretty standard day. The babies are both growing, which is a good thing for them, but bad for their SiPap machines. Since they're growing, the masks don't fit their faces as well as they should, but in Eloise's case especially, the bigger size mask takes up half her face! Hopefully they'll grow just a big more so we won't have that issue for much longer.

Happy Father's Day! (and some pictures too)

We know we're biased, but our children are very advanced. Cooper rolled over today...twice. We're not sure how he did it, but he did. It took him about 20 minutes, but somehow he worked his way out of his little snuggle blanket and made it from his front to his back. We are very proud parents. :-)

I think all of Coop's advanced behavior got to his head though, because he also tried to pull his sunglasses off, and when Jeff reached in to move his hand, he just held on tighter. We've got a little stinker on our hands I think! :-)

Both kids are still doing well on the SiPap, and Eloise went to continuous increases on her feedings. It's only a matter of time before she catches up to her brother. Cooper's sunlamp came off today, although there's always a chance he'll have to go back on it again.

The kids also made (with the help of their overnight nurse), a father's day card for Daddy...he sure is one proud Papa.

We also had visitors today.  Dave Shirley and Jordan Copple, and Aaron and Jaycee Bradley stopped in while they were in the Twin Cities for a summer basketball tournament.  If anyone is going to be in town let us know and we will make sure to be available for you to stop by and meet the twins. 

Saturday

It's safe to say, that at least in one way, Eloise is surpassing her brother. Our little strip of bacon gained another 10 grams over night, while Coop lost 10. Not only that, but both are now on a continuous feed so sometime in the next few weeks we should start seeing them gain some real weight. We're ready to fatten them up a bit. :-) Other than that, the day was pretty status quo. Both are still on the SiPap, and will probably be for some time, but both seem to be tolerating it well. With tomorrow being Father's Day, we're hoping for some holding time...well, the new Daddy will be doing the holding while the Mommy will be documenting every minute. :-)

Friday Update

Both babies took a little step backwards today.  They are having a lot of the apnea spells.  Both of them are back on SiPap machines.  This is more of an advanced C-Pap that they had been on.  The doctors do not appear worried about what is going on.  The main cause of the spells is the fact that that they are young and will grow out of it in hopefully 4 weeks or so.  They are currently what would be 28 weeks and usually the spells peak between 28 and 31 weeks.   

Other than that they are doing really well.  Both are getting little to no extra oxygen from the machines, just need the extra pressure to remember to breathe. 

Both babies weighed in this morning at 930 grams (2lbs 1oz).  I suggested calling Ella "Pork Chop" since she gained 40 grams over night however since she is still so small the nurse suggested  "bacon strip" instead. 

Thursday update

Good results on brain ultrasounds today.  Cooper is back on a CPap to help with his apnea spells.  These are pretty common and will be for the next few weeks.  Ella no longer needs her photo lamp and is still doing well on the Cpap.  We will try to get some new pictures of both babies now that they dont have the "sunglasses" on any more.    Both had the PIC lines put in today so no more lines in through the belly, just a regular IV.  Feedings are going well for both babies.  It is hard to believe they will be a week old already tomorrow. 

Wednesday Update

Today was a good day. Zoe was able to hold Eloise for the first time.  Ella fell asleep in her moms arms and looked really content to be there. 

Eloise is catching up with her brother in a hurry.  She moved from the SiPap to the CPap for her breathing.  Basically she is requiring less help to breathe.  Cooper no longer needs the photo therapy as his biliruben levels have dropped low enough.  Ella still has her tanning lamps, but will be rechecked in the morning.  They are using the photo therapy for a bruise on her foot as well so she may keep it for an extra day or two. 

Grandma Polly took a few pictures

Tuesday Update

Coop and Ella are staying pretty steady.  The doctor told us today that they were doing "excellent."  Both of them had their first feeding of milk through their feeding tubes today.  This should help to fatten them up.  Both also had bedtime stories before we left tonight.  They appeared to enjoy it.  Hopefully Zoe will get a chance to upload some pictures from today sometime tomorrow. 

Monday Update

Cooper and Ella continue to do well.  No big changes today.  Coop is still breathing room air through his cannula, and Ella is adjusting to the C-pap. 
Zoe finally got out of the hospital and was welcomed home by Caddie (who still has no idea what is about to hit her).  She is doing very well.  
It was kind of nice to have a quiet day after an eventful weekend. 

A Bunch of Pics thanks to Grandma Betti

Our Little Man

He's little...but here's the face of the newest Robinson man. I think he looks like he belongs. :-)

pictures

Sunday Morning Update

Zoe got to hold Cooper for the first time today. Hopefully she will get to hold Ella later today. Cooper is off of his Ventilator and C-pap and on to just a high flow nasal cannula to help with his breathing. Ella is off the ventilator and on to the c-pap.

Big News

Cooper John Robinson and Eloise Payton Robinson were born June 11, 2010 at 5:01 and 5:04am. Cooper weighed in at 2lbs 2oz and Eloise was 2lbs. Both are in Children's Hospital in Minneapolis and doing well. Zoe is doing great and hopefully will be sprung from Abbott after a long 2 and a half weeks tomorrow. Grandma and Pops, Arnie and Julie, Evan and Amy, and Grandma Polly have all been to visit so far. We will upload some photos once we get them compiled.