2wks, 1day

Yesterday I spent over five hours in the hospital with Bracha. Now that she's out of the incubator someone has to be there every evening to give her a bath, which she really enjoys. After her first bath on Monday she was too pooped to eat but after yesterday's bath she was wide awake and guzzled down her bottle rather quickly. She's up a lot in weight, only 70gr short of the 2 kilo goal. Once she reaches that, and eats all her meals orally, she can come home! It's looking like it might not happen this week, though she could very easily hit the target weight...but eating is still difficult. But I hope to have her home before next week is out.

Eliana's stump fell off yesterday so today she also got her first real bath (rather than just the sponge baths she's been getting). She is very much not like her sister; Eliana hated the bath! But after getting dried, dressed, and fed, she was very cozy and nodded off in her crib (rather than insisting on being held till she's fast asleep before we an put her down, which is how she usually is).

Eliana's well-baby visit on Monday went well, she's gained weight well. Yesterday she had her first doctor's appointment. I found a pediatrician very close by and we went to check her out and I liked her a lot. I'm really glad we found someone nice and competent and only three blocks away. I'll take Bracha to her after she gets released so they can meet and get to know each other.

I got the girls registered for health insurance and had all of us put together in the system to be recognized as a family. In order to get the maximum coverage for the girls I had to increase my own coverage so now the four of us have the highest level of health insurance we can get. The girls will get free dental till they're twelve! (the general health insurance is free as is, the government pays till age 18, then if/when they do army/national service, the government continues to pay. After that it is covered national insurance payments deducted from your pay check. The only thing we need to actually pay is the cost of the added insurance coverage which includes extra benefits, and that comes out to relatively very little per month...Israeli health care rocks!)

As for pictures, feast your eyes on these beauties:


Eliana

Bracha