Making Progress....

Well today I spent my first Mothers Day with the boys! It was a very special day from start to finish with all the things Dave and the boys planned... including stamping their handprints into a frame that they got me and plenty of holding time and kisses.

They really have been doing well overall and making postitive progress. Sometimes it is not as fast as we would like and seems to drag on but we know the wonderful homecoming only has to be getting closer!

This week Ethan was put into a big boy crib! The nurses didn't tell me in my morning call and left it as a surprise and my mouth dropped when I got there to see him out in the open with his little eyes looking around at the view he had now compared to the covered up isolette/incubator. The same thing happened with a surprise of Caleb being put into a big boy crib the next day. On the downside, Caleb just couldn't keep his little temperature up so he went back into the incubator until he puts on some more weight. Hopefully once he puts a couple more hundred grams they will try again.

Ethan could very well be 4lbs when he gets weighed tonight... his last weight taken on Thursday was 3lb 15.1 oz. Caleb just make it over the 3lb hump last week and now is 3lb 1oz. We look forward to every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday as it is their big weigh-in nights.

Both boys are still on the nasal canula and have been slowly being weaned down on the flow and oxygen. Ethan is getting very close to start the adventure in bottlefeeding. He just needs to start breathing alittle slower on a consistent basis and then I think they will try it. Caleb still has alittle way to go until they try but he is a fighter so he will be there as well soon.

Both boys had a follow-up eye exam on Thursday. They both have signs of prematurity with their eye development (known as ROP-Retinopathy of Prematurity) which can lead to blindness if not watched closely and resolved. So the eye doctor will follow up once a week so that he can watch them closely and it could mean a laser surgery down the road if it progresses. This as well as pretty much every else the boys have experienced is very common in preemies and treatable.

Caleb had an MRI this week, well actually the week before they attempted twice but our little peanut decided even with the medication to make him drowsy he would not stop moving so they couldn't get it done. So after a total of three unsuccessful attempts due to being stubborn and then having spells one of the times (heart/oxygen levels dropping) they finally were successful. We found that everything looked normal even after all the seizures he had which is a HUGE answer to prayer! The doctors and nurses were very pleased with it as the seizures could have had an impact and didn't. The only thing mentioned is that it looks premature of course but I know we are going to have two smart cookies premature or not.

It is just so amazing to see how far they have come in the last two and a half months! What miracles they are and such a blessing to Dave and I! Thanks for all your continued prayers!