Abby and Belle Carlsen have been moved out of intensive care and into the general pediatrics unit at Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital in Rochester, Minn.
The 5-month-old twins from Fargo are now eating on their own from bottles, said their father, Jesse Carlsen.
The girls experience some pain as the food works its way through their reconstructed bowels, he said. As a result, the babies have been fussy around the clock.
"It's nerve-wracking," Jesse Carlsen said. But doctors said the discomfort should go away within a couple of days.
Parents Jesse and Amy have been walking with the girls and trying to keep their minds off their tummies.
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They also have been pulling Abby and Belle around the hospital hallways in a wagon - one of the girls' favorite activities.
Abby and Belle were formerly conjoined twins. They were connected at the abdomen and shared several organs, including their livers, pancreas and bowels.
They were born in late November in Minneapolis. The sisters were separated May 12. Since then, they have been making consistent improvement.
Doctors expect they will return home to Fargo sometime in June.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534
