Great Day

Today has been a wonderful day. Warren decided to straighten up, for the most part, yesterday. Some of the nurses who had him his first days came back and worked with him again and he seemed almost comforted by that. So far today he has required no extra oxygen. His cpap is turned to a higher setting so he receives more forceful air delivery, but it is the same air we are breathing. So proud of him and his hard work!  He tolerated some big changes today, too. He moved isolets!  Same location, just to a new, clean one. This required unhooking him from all the equipment. And while we were at it, we weighed him on the big boy scale, gave him a bath, and I got to hold him (for just a few minutes) without all the headgear. He's got such a cute head of dark hair!  He looks so much like his daddy...

And Dean has just finished hour 2 of 3 for his second room air trial. He also got a bath today, though he wasn't as upset by this as his brother!  And then I put on his hat I made while on bedrest, wrapped him in a blanket, and held him like a regular baby.  Maybe regular isn't the right word...term baby?  Anyway, he was swaddled in my arms, looking up at me with his big blue eyes. So precious. He's now back in the isolet finishing his feeding, resting comfortably at 97% saturation. 

As I am able to be more involved in their care, as nurses get to know me better and feel more comfortable with me stepping in, I am finally starting to feel somewhat like a mom. It's hard, when your child lives in the box, to have a connection. Though one little look, seeing their eyes open, holding them, etc all help significantly. It's just not what you picture when you learn you are pregnant. And we had months to prepare ourselves for the reality that they would likely be very early. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to suddenly go into labor. Or for the term babies born sick, when parents have to leave them behind when they are discharged, and there was no advanced warning of that. One of the few things about bedrest and hospitalization I have to be thankful for. 

I will be posting pictures again soon!  I cannot believe how much they have grown.  Only about 100 grams over birthweight but up over 300 grams from their low point!