The neonatal intensive care unit at Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze is now a little less crowded, as two of Staten Island's first quintuplets were allowed to go home.

Jamie and Kevin Ferrante became the proud parents of four girls and one boy on December 27, but only Alessia and Emily came home Wednesday night.

"I'm going to have twins today. By the end of the week I'll have triplets, and then quads and quints," said Jamie Ferrante. "Just to be able to hold them and feel them, because they were in incubators. I can pick them up whenever I want to, change them, dress them up."

At birth, the children ranged in weight from 1 pound 8 ounces to 2 pounds 4 ounces and have spent most of their lives since in incubators.

Matthew Ferrante is expected to come home by the end of the week following hernia surgery. The littlest quintuplets, Amanda and Ella, still need to remain in the hospital to gain weight.

"The verdict is not in on pre-term babies at time of discharge," said SIUH Director of Neonatology Dr. Philip Roth. "The good news is they all look incredible right now, but the real question will come years down the road for them."

The Ferrantes are pleased of the care their babies received.

"Everybody here is wonderful. If it wasn't for them, I don't think they'd be as healthy as they are," said Ferrante.

Roth gave the parents sound parting advice.

"I told them yesterday to get a good night's sleep, because it'll be the last one for a very long time," he said.