Behold!

We were finally able to hold the babies when they were 4 days old. On that day, a nurse named Dede decided, "I think these babies need to be held." Just like that. No doctor's order, no official count down. Fine by me. They were so tiny in our arms. It was amazing. I felt a little awkward at first, and Rodney said he did too. Are they comfortable? Now and then a tiny arm would raise and they would streeeeeetch their little bodies. We had to hold them separately because they were in separate rooms attached to monitors and such. I wondered if the babies knew they had a sibling, if they remembered each other, if they wondered about or missed each other. I couldn't wait for that surreal moment when I could hold my two babies in each arm. How will that work? I am awkward with one! Hard to imagine.
We also began helping with the babies' care. We could change diapers, take temperatures, change clothes, and change bedding. It was a bit cumbersome working around the isolates and the wires. There were two portholes on both sides. The bed raised or lowered with an electronic pedal on the floor. We poked our hands inside and took care of business. It was a little tricky, but once you got used to it, it worked pretty well. My back ached horribly as I stood there. I asked one of the nurses once, "Does your back hurt when you hover over this thing?"
"No...Maybe it's the couch bed?"
"I sleep like a rock on that thing."
"You might not be getting as much rest as you think." It turns out she was right. The back pain disappeared as soon as we got home.
The doctor gave me the ok to start breast feeding them once a day. Any more than that was too much work for them and burned precious calories. It was so nice to feel that bond though. Rodney and I also got to bond with some skin-to-skin contact called "kangaroo care." We stripped the babies down to their diapers and put them on our bare chests, then covered with a blanket. It was supposed to make the babies feel comforted and bonded to their parents. Studies show that preemies' development and growth improve greatly when they get that skin-to-skin time with their parents a few times a day.  I think it also helped Rodney feel closer, and the studies also suggested that it even helps stimulate the hormones in the brain for fatherhood. We talked about how amazing it felt when they lifted their itty bitty heads and looked up at us with those big watery, sparkly eyes: "Hi, Dad. Hi, Mom."
After about a week and a half, other family members were allowed to hold the babies too. My mother drove up to see the babies almost every single day for the whole 4 weeks. I was overjoyed when she was finally able to hold her grandbabies in her arms. Pappy, Aunt Amy, and their Nana were finally able to hold the precious Garland Twins, too :).
Things are starting to feel a little more normal.