My Babes are 2 weeks old and die-hard Hawkeye Fans already

One of the nurses took two pictures of them the other night, and so we scanned these adorable photos in. My husband jokes that Jake is giving his little brother the "death grip" which shows the nature of them in the womb (their size, mainly).

Look! No oxygen anymore!!! Jake was 4 pounds, 6 ounces yesterday...and so his last mission besides maintaining his own oxygen is bottle-feeding better. He and his brother got spoiled with their nose-tube feedings.

Sam is 3 pounds 5 ounces. He does not like his vitals being checked...he grunts and grunts and turns really red. However, I did get to see his beautiful dark blue eyes once he was really "disturbed." He remained awake for the rest of the visit then.

Preemie Ribbed Cap (Free KUAS Pattern)

Now the babies are showing some Hawkeye spirit! I just couldn't stand looking at their heads swimming in all of the newborn hats, so I decided to make a preemie hat with some pep. I purposefully made a ribbed hat to mold of the babies' heads and grow with them. Hope you enjoy the pattern...it's a quick and gratifying knit for all of the preemies you come across in your life.

This type of ribbed or striped hat is nothing original...but here's a pattern just for the tiny-weensy size.

Preemie Ribbed Cap:
Yarn: lightly worsted weight or DK yarn (a yarn that recommends size US7 needles)in two colors. Less than 70yds per color.
Needles: Size US7 straights or Dpns
Gauge: approx. 5 stitches=1'' (lightly stretched); 6 rows= 3/4'' (18 rows=2.5'')
Measurements: unstretched= 3.5'' wide; stretched= approx 5.5'' wide; 4.25'' tall

DIRECTIONS:
Co 51sts with size US7 needles.
NOTES: Add 3 or 6 extra sts if the baby's head is larger than most preemies, or if the baby is just about newborn size. Also, I chose the MC and CC because we're Hawkeye fans, but use your own colors to suite your needs.

The Main Body:
1. Using the Main Color (MC) black, knit 6 rows in 2x1 ribbing (*k2,k1* on the right side and *k1, p2* on the wrong side if you're just using two needles).
2. Switch to the contrasting color (CC) gold without cutting the MC and knit 6 rows in 2x1 ribbing.
3. Switch to MC and knit 6 rows in 2x1 ribbing.
4. Switch to CC and knit 6 rows in 2x1 ribbing.

Decreasing for the crown:
5. Cut the CC, leaving a few inch tail, switch to MC and knit 2 rows in 2x1 ribbing.
6. *K2tog, p1* across.
7. *K1, p1* across.
8. K2tog across.
9. Purl across.
10. Cut the MC, leaving a long tail of several inches. Pull the darning needle through all of the stitches left on the needles and secure with a knot.
(11.)Sew the hat together if you used the two needle method.
12. Weave in all threads.

Feel free to add a pom-pom in the two colors for some extra pizazz.

My babies are turning 1 week old!

Just a picture update of the little tikes in intensive care:

1 day old:

Jake off the CPAP mask temporarily until he later needed to be back on it. Mommy got to peek at what he looked like for a couple of hours.

Notice the size of the pacifier and the size of the baby?

Two days old:

Jake on the CPAP mask to help him breath. Daddy's company actually produced it!

Mr. Cool Dude in the isolet getting his UV treatment for jaundice.

Three days old: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Look, I've got my arms spread just like Mr. Bat and Skeleton!

My heart ached every time I saw him...

Four days old:

Jake finally feeding from the bottle. I think they started him off on 1tsp. He started to stop breathing with more than that since he's not coordinated yet for feeding and breathing.

Jake, looking like his daddy. He was too tired to fully open his eyes.

Look, little booties on my hands! I bet the nurses finally got sick of me pulling off those wires...

5 days old:


Jake in good spirits now he has no mask and also now 1 less wire running into his bellybutton. He's also sporting his booty on his hands.

Sam, the little squirmy stinker.


6 days old:

Jake is eating 12ml of milk now. His brother is drinking 7ml, but actually is 3 grams heavier than his birth weight now! What did Jake do today? His first poop! The nurse just commented on how they have been waiting for him to do that, and on his next change...what did they get? A big messy surprise! And he didn't even fuss when she changed him, the little angel.

Daddy spending time with the babes.

Sam, the Hawkeye fan.

Sam got his catheter removed from his bellybutton and put into his arm for sterile purposes. They say I should be able to hold him tomorrow!!! I can't wait!!!!