Daddy Day Care!

Matthew:

The last few days have showed continued progress for both of the boys which just changes our lives completely, when we know the boys are ok we can try and enjoy the brief time we spend away from them. In particular for me I found work very hard in the first month (which I guess is to be expected) as I just wanted to be with the boys and Soph and I just spent the whole time wishing for positive updates.

Now they have started to come with increased regularity for the first time and it feels fantastic. They both are still having their little struggles and the steps they are taking forward are small ones but we are still going in the right direction and we are so proud of our little fighters. During the week, Soph is with the boys in the day and I see the boys every night after work and stay with them for anything between 30 minutes or two hours. I recently discovered that Soph's very good at letting the boys rest when they are sleeping as any kind of stimulation is taking their energy away from growing and developing. I'm not so good at this!! When I go and see them in the evenings I can't resist rubbing their tiny backs or holding their hands as they are just so cute and I have this romantic notion that daddies touch is of course soothing and just what they need....it's our Fox boys secret and we won't tell mummy!!

On Friday I had a cuddle with my baby Xander. Although the hospital like to put the babes down our shirts to promote the skin to skin contact I really like craddling them when I hold them as I can look at their faces and cover them with kisses!! Having cuddles with them when they are off Sipap is just magical as they open their eyes, move their mouths and try to wave their hands around, which indicates they are starting to behave like proper babies and we love it. It's strange, because we don't have any other children to compare it to, even though we are in this sometimes horrible intensive care ward, we still get the immense pleasures from our babies when they start doing things for the first time, like sucking their fiingers, wriggling all around their incubators, or turning from side to side.

When we went to visit them yesterday morning (Saturday) we noticed a bit of a pong coming out from both of their incubators!! Although you may think they should have regular baths, they do not like handling too much and the hospital try to leave them in peace as much as possible but unfortunately there was no denying this smell, the bubba's needed a bath! This was great fun as both Soph and I got involved. We had the little bathtub in the incubators and the nurse held them over the bath whilst we washed their hair, faces, arms and arm pits. They didn't seem to mind it too much, only the odd occasional cry. We wrapped them up in towels after and rubbed them dry, it was fantastic and the first time I'd cleaned them. They looked so clean and cute afterwards...if a little shocked as to what occured!

I love every minute I'm spending with my boys and am so happy with their progress, it's just bringing the moment I take my whole family home closer and closer.

Xander holding our hands after his bed bath

 Joey having a cuddle with his teddy

Xander holding his dummy (for about two seconds before he spat it out!)

 Joey having wriggled all the way down his incubator

 Xander

 Joey star fish

Joey not liking his Sipap

 Xander and his tiny hand

 Xander

 Joey saying his prayers