Update on the boys, February 5th 2008

The boys are doing well so far. They have "graduated" to the level 2 nursery where they are all breathing on their own. They are breathing room air with no need for oxygen or help from nasal cannulas. They are all getting fed through tubes in their noses that go into their stomachs and they are tolerating around 10-15cc each feeding (about 1/2ounce). They get the rest of their nutrition through IV lines. All of the boys have a little jaundice and so they are on bililights and biliblankets to help their bodies break down the extra biliruben that is making them yellow. The boys all need help keeping their temperatures up so they are in incubators that help keep them warm. They cannot eat from a bottle yet because they are not able to suck yet, they will hopefully develop this ability in the next 2-3weeks. They all lost weight at first and went down into the 2 pound weight range but they are starting to steadily gain it back now. They are so strong and we are so proud of them that they continue to grow and thrive and hang in there. We don't know when they will come home, but probably sometime in the next 4-6 weeks or so. For now, they are safe and being well taken care of and their job is to keep growing , stay healthy, and continue to tolerate their feedings. I will keep posting as we continue to meet milestones and as things change. Please keep the boys in your prayers as they make it through these important weeks of growth and development in the ICU. We are praying that they remain healthy and come home soon.