Separated conjoined twins once attached at head resting in separate beds

NEW YORK -- Two babies born conjoined and separated last week in a risky and long surgery were finally resting in separate beds.

Jadon and Anias McDonald were connected at the head when they were born 13 months ago. They underwent a 27-hour surgery on Oct. 13 at Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Since then, messages of support and encouragement poured in from all over the world as people learned about the story of the two little boys.

"It's just amazing how these people who are total strangers can love our babies, the way they do and you could really feel their love through their messages and just all the donations," said Christian McDonald, the father of the twins.

Four days after their historic surgery, their mother, Nicole McDonald, was finally able to cuddle up next to Anias in a single twin bed. Meanwhile, Jadon was opening his eyes.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke with the parents, and asked how the boys are doing.

"They're doing well. You know. Jadon has his eyes open and he's tracking with his eyes. He wasn't moving his left side for a while, but now he's moving his left arm," Christian McDonald said.

Nicole McDonald said she thought she saw Jadon smile at her.

"Yeah, under all that tape. and he's looking at me right in the eye. It's just, he's trying to pull all the tubes out," Nicole McDonald said.

The parents said Anias has always been the one to struggle more. After he was born, he had breathing issues, feeding issues, and seizures. Doctors expected his recovery to be slower.

"We knew Anias would struggle more, but I don't know how to say, he's progressing at a slower rate, but still moving forward and there's still so much hope for him," Nicole McDonald told CNN. "He's crying and moving his arm. So I just know that he has a lot more recovery to do, but he'll get there. He always surprises us."

Christian McDonald added that the support from everyone has helped, and is still needed.

"I was just saying he's doing very well, but he's still having some of the seizures and we just appreciate everyone continuing to pray for him, that's what we need the most," he said.

Both the boys will go back into the operating room Thursday to have their head dressings changed. But doctors overall said they were pleased with their progress.

Nicole and Christian McDonald said they were taking everything one day at a time.

"The first day when Jadon wasn't moving his left side at all and Anias wasn't moving at all, I couldn't stop focusing on it. I couldn't stop thinking that this was permanent," Nicole McDonald said. "But every day it gets better and I think that's the best part, everyday there's something new and good to focus on and we just keep doing that."

CNN contributed to this report.