Our Little Babies

Finally, I have some pictures of the boys! I have TONS of pictures, I just couldn't figure out how to get them on here. They are rotating funny and I can't get the formatting right. Enough about that, onto the boys!
Here we are on Christmas Eve. Mom and the boys! Lucas Edward Lindgren (aka baby A) is on the right in a blue hat. Andrew Jack (baby B) is on the left.
Right now they are in the NICU at Children's Hospital because they were born so early - at 32 weeks, and they don't know how to eat. When they were born, they had IVs in their tummies and were both on the C-PAP machine to help concentrate oxygen so they could breathe. By 3:00pm they were off of the C-PAP and the IVs were gone from their tummies the next day! Right now, they still have 1 IV that gives them protein, lipids, and vitamins because they aren't eating on their own. That is very common with babies born this early - they can suck, swallow, and breathe, but they can't coordinate the movements and they tire out really easily. Right now, if they get a pacifier, they give it a couple of sucks, then get tired and fall asleep. Same thing with crying. They get all worked up, and by the time they get their faces scrunched up and their mouths open, they let out a little whimper and are so tired they have to fall back asleep. It's really cute, and I know we should count our blessings now, because when they get stronger, they will be very loud I think!
They are starting to get some milk through NG tubes that go into their noses and down to their bellies. They eat about 5 ml. right now per feeding (every 3 hours). This will increase as they get bigger. They do hate the tubes and try to pull them out of their faces! They also hate their "sunglasses" that they have to wear under the phototherapy lights (for their jaundice). Today they get a break from the lights, but they will probably need to be back under them tomorrow - sorry guys!!
Once their IVs come out, we are transferring them to a Level 2 nursery at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids so that they are closer to us. They will spend time there just learning how to eat and getting fatter. We are really hoping this can happen in the next few days, we'll just have to see. It is really awful leaving your kids behind and driving out of the parking ramp every day. We always get really excited on our way down there and then it just gets harder and harder to leave. We do know that they are being well taken care of - all the nurses love them - and the doctor calls us daily with updates. The updates take all of 15 seconds because they are doing very well for NICU babies. They are not as sick as most of the babies around them - another thing we are grateful for!