Claire is Home! (Kind Of)

Today is a happy day! Baby Claire was released from the hospital! I'm not sure who was more excited - Marc and Frances, or Ryan, who FINALLY got to see and hold Claire!!! (He took her a soft little stuffed animal as a welcome home present.)
Marc and Frances live up Emigration Canyon (above Hogle Zoo). It is about a 45 minute drive from the hospital to their house. When Frances was released on Thursday, and the girls were still in the NICU, all four grandparents put their heads together. Frances' mom was able to find a furnished duplex just a few minutes from the hospital. It was especially nice today as Claire was released. They are close enough that Marc can stay there with Claire while Frances goes to the hospital to feed Alice.

Baby Alice just needs to eat a little more in order to be released. As we have all taken turns helping in the NICU, Frances would always feed Claire first, since she was such a great little eater. Whichever one of us was in there helping would wake up Alice, change her diaper, and get her ready to eat. But once she was bundled back up, she would zonk out again. One of the NICU nurses suggested that Marc and Frances keep her awake by keeping her a little bit uncomfortable. So now once her diaper is changed, they don't bundle her up immediately. That little trick has kept her awake long enough to eat well. We are anticipating a Tuesday release for Alice, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed. (We love this picture of Alice stretching her little leg. Even more hilarious is the amused look on Marc's face.)It is amazing to all of us that Claire was released only one week after she was born. The first date that was discussed for their possible release was the 14th, so we are all overjoyed that they are both doing well enough to be released so soon! They are adorable, and we're anxious to have them both together at home.

Speaking of together, they were finally close enough in the NICU that we could take pictures with both of them in it!

One more cute thing to note - a few days ago, Ryan was really concerned that the girls wouldn't know who he was. He was frustrated that all of us kept going into the NICU and holding the babies, and he hadn't had a chance to see them yet. He decided that if we took pictures of him in, and put them on their bassinets, that they would know who he was when they finally saw him. We kept telling him that they pretty much slept all the time, and didn't even know which one of us was holding them, but he wouldn't budge. So we took two pictures of him and put them in the girls' bassinets. He was happy.