Today I wanted to post the next piece on Tessa & Georgia’s progress in the NICU.  As I write this, I am watching a tough and professional South Africa unit beat up on brave Fiji – Stacey and I are mourning the results yesterday but at least we can genuinely say we have more important things with which to concern ourselves!

After my last post, the following day (Monday) brought the first procedure for the girls.  As I mentioned in that post, Dr Tan had been watching Tessa’s blood count for some time because her haemoglobin count was bordering on low.  Since she had had some trouble with her lungs, it was thought that perhaps a low haemoglobin count was making her work a little too hard to move oxygen around her little body.  The more energy she expends on breathing, the less she can devote to getting bigger and building the muscles that make all these processes more manageable for her, so it was felt that a blood transfusion would be necessary at some point and earlier was better than later.  The blood transfusion took place on Monday, after they had completed the necessary tests, and they gave her 22mL of blood to top her up.

Tessa & Georgia hit one month yesterday and the last week was in some ways just so reflective of our journey over the last month as a whole - an emotional rollercoaster of extreme ups and downs ..

Originally I started writing this blog to give the girls a record when they got older of what their first few weeks were like.  Since then I've really appreciated the nice feedback I've had from people around the world who are using the updates to keep track of the progress of the girls.  A few people have commented that it is a bit like a soap opera - each week has ups and downs and seems to end on a cliffhanger!  I was happy to hear that - it means I've been able to convey a bit of the emotions that Stacey and I have been riding.  It certainly feels the same for us.

This week began with the usual mixed bag of news - I'm happy to tell you this time it has ended on a positive note .. (touch wood!).

The good news is that Georgia is home, and Tessa will be joining her sister at home on Wednesday this week.  Things are not quite as apocalyptic as the title of this post may suggest!  Although managing two newborns I expect will feel a little like the end of the world ...