Sunday 9th January

Much better day today; we didn't see either of our children turn blue.

They both took their bottles really well, and are both looking and acting more and more like normal babies - interacting with us and each other. It was amazing to see Willow like this particularly; we're still very worried what effect everything she's gone through - especially the heavy oxygen requirements, seven weeks on a ventilator, and two courses of steroids - will have on her. So to see her co-ordinating her feeding and looking active like this is very encouraging.

Other than a nice break in Poole Park for coffee with friends, and a visit to the BP garage to talk to Trevor MacDonald's sound-alike, not a lot else happened today. We spent a good quiet few hours relaxing by our babies' cot as they were behaving so well; imagining what it will be like in just a few weeks, doing this at home. We can't wait just to do something normal - like go shopping with the kids to Asda (well, maybe Waitrose, not Asda; we need to keep them away from germs for a few months), or go for a walk together, or even watch TV and relax. Just to not have to drive to the bloody hospital every day would be nice.

So, three nights left until we 'room in' with our son. It feels like we're only actually going to give birth to these babies next week, or whenever they come home. They will effectively be new-borns, we just happen to have had the privilege to watch them grow and get to know them for the last 15 and a half weeks. It's still not going to sink in until we ring that bell to get out of NICU for the last time. And that really can't come quick enough.