At this stage, M & M’s underdeveloped eyes allow them to see little more than shapes and changes in light.  Recently they’ve been giving their eyes quite the workout as they slowly shift their focus to figuring out what (in the world) is going on around them.  Both Max & Michaela now respond to their parents’ voices, find creative ways to pull their nasal cannulas out of their noses, and spend a lot of time ‘looking’ around the NICU…

Max trying to see what his dad looks like

Michaela presumably expressing her disapproval of mom’s singing

Max and Michaela now weigh 2 pounds, 9 ounces each and spend most of the day “eating” their meals of milk fortified with extra calories, sodium supplement, and caffeine (to help maintain their heart and respiratory rates).  While M & M continue to gain weight in the NICU, their number one fan prepares for homecoming day by faithfully (obsessively) smelling the babies’ blankets each week before laundry.

A confused family member struggles to find the babies hiding within the blankets

Luckily this fan won’t have to wait too much longer.  Max & Michaela are 4 weeks old today, which means that if all goes well, we are halfway to homecoming!