Quick Update on Our Progress

My heart is pounding right now, overwhelmed with joy and love! I just finished up with a terrific visit to the NICU. Both of our daughters are doing quite well. We still have a long road ahead, but we're seeing definite progress already.

Breanna is slowly being weaned off the ventilator and is looking great! Her color is so much better than before and her breathing is slowing down. She's learning to relax! I'll get to bathe her tomorrow and I'm so looking forward to that! She does have a hole in her heart, which the doctors say is common with preemies. Please pray for it to close on its own as she grows bigger so that she doesn't need heart surgery.

Lillian and I just had a wonderful personal visit. We did kangaroo care, which is when the baby is put on the parent's chest, skin to skin. She was very calm and went for my breast. She suckled a little bit and tomorrow we're going to start officially nursing. After she went back into her little bed, she slept so very calmly. It was great for both of us. (This is the first time I've been able to hold her and it felt so good!) She's totally doing everything on her own and is absolutely thriving. She just needs to keep growing some more and then we'll be able to go home.

My DW has been just amazing through all of this! I have fallen so much more deeply in love than I ever thought possible. He is so strong, so supportive, and so very loving. He's going to sleep at home tonight so he can be rested up for taking me home tomorrow. He's been getting run down with all of this, and I hope he gets some really good rest so he can enjoy his birthday tomorrow. He has a friend who had twins last spring and spent a long time in the NICU. That dad came up to visit today and put DW's mind at ease a little more.

As for me, I am here at the hospital for an extra day and it's done me a world of good. My folks came up today and my dad finally got to meet his first grandbabies. It was so nice to see them!We added another blood pressure medication today and that has helped my numbers a lot. And, I'm going back on the narcotic for my Bell's Palsy pain. My nerves are regenerating - which is great - but extremely painful. I can even feel the tingling in my hair follicles - it's so strange! Here I was thinking my C-section pain would be the killer, but that's been a piece of cake. That is strange, as well! I look forward to being home tomorrow to rest, but not to having to get in the car to come to the NICU instead of just walking down the hallway.

I'll have my DW upload some photos on our computer at home tomorrow so I can post some pictures of our girls.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I know that those prayers have made a huge difference for all of us. Please continue to pray for our girls' health and comfort. And please pray that my eye will get back to normal soon so that I can see what I'm doing again.

Best wishes for a wonderful rest of your weekend!