Eye Opening Experience

Archer surprised Mom and Dad this morning with an opened right eye! His left eye was about half way open when Mom and Dad went home for the night, and it will most likely be open by New Year's Day.
Archer is now off the blood pressure medication (Dopamine)! His blood pressure levels have been excellent. He also received more blood today.
Archer lost an I.V. line that was in his left leg, so that one was taken out and one was put in his right arm.
Archer also had his 30 day head ultrasound. The results of this test were the same as the past few with a small questionable spot, which is not a major concern right now.
Happy New Year, Archer! May next year bring you good health and a happy home!

Steroid Time

Archer had the line in his right arm taken out that was used for blood draws and monitoring his blood pressure. The blood draw line got clogged a couple of days ago and the part that monitored his blood pressure was not getting very good readings. It is undecided if they will add another similar line for these functions.

Archer's blood pressure (being monitored by a cuff) has still been good. He was taken down to even more smaller doses of blood pressure medication. Not much left to go!

During the last 24 hours, Archer's oxygen levels have stayed in the high 70s. He has been very squirmy and his breathing has been constantly up and down about every 5 minutes. The doctor did decrease a couple of pressure settings on the ventilator. This seemed to help a little. He also started taking an inhaled steroid, in combination with his breathing treatment, that should help lung development. It could take up to two weeks to see the results of these steroids. The steroids are similar to what someone with asthma or chronic breathing problems might take. Archer is expected to be on these steroids for a short period of time.

Archer is also off the antibiotics that he started about a week ago to cure whatever sickness he may have had, if any.

The hernia that Archer has is most likely because his boys are starting to drop. After they drop, there is air left from where they were before. This is a common occurrence.

Four Weeks Old

Archer's blood pressure levels have continued to be excellent and he was able wean down a little more on the blood pressure medication today!
Archer's oxygen levels were way down throughout the morning and afternoon (all the way to 56%), however he had a rough evening and was back up to 75% oxygen.
Archer's chest x-rays during the past couple of days have also not been as clear as they had been a few days before.
Archer also started getting a hernia in his southern region. Apparently this is very common in preemies, gross to look at, and not a concern at this time.

More Blood

Archer's received the gift of blood again today. The doctor stated that he would like to keep the blood supply up more often to make sure that he is as stable as possible.
Archer's blood pressure levels have been great. He was able to wean off quite a bit of the dopamine today. Just a little more to go and he will hopefully no longer need to be on this medication. Or, he could take so little of this medication that it may be possible to start the milk feedings again.
Archer's oxygen levels have not been so good as of late. When Mom and Dad left today, his oxygen levels were at 88%. A late night call to the NICU by Dad revealed that the nurses had retaped the tube around his cheeks, repositioned it a little, and in just a few hours were able to wean him all the way down to 72%!

No Stressin' Today

Archer saw a new doctor today that will help keep an eye on his seizure-like symptoms that he had a few days ago. The doctor decided to postpone the EEG test because it may not show very much at all, as far as what caused the action, and it would have also stressed out Archer. The test may be scheduled when Archer is a little older and healthier; an MRI will be done before Archer leaves the NICU which should help show why he was having such an action. The good news is that since that day Archer has not shown any seizure-like actions, but he has been on seizure medication.
Archer's blood pressure levels were good today and he was able to wean down to smaller doses of medication for this.
Archer received a new Kate's Kart book today: If You Were My Bunny.

Clear X-ray

Archer started out the day by showing us that his latest chest x-ray was the clearest it had been in a long time. The "haziness" or "fuzziness" was not very existent which means that his lungs should be getting a little healthier.
Archer will attempt again to wean off the blood pressure medication a little bit at a time. His blood pressure was at a good level throughout the day today.
Archer's respiration levels today were about the same as the previous days and were stable. We hope to wean these numbers down soon as well.
Archer shared some bonding time with Mom and Dad today. They both got to hold his pacifier for him and rub his back for a little while. He has really taken to using a pacifier.

Christmas Day

Archer received two gifts from Santa Claus today! The first gift was the gift of a new I.V. line in his ankle! It took the nurses quite a few pokes, and a lot of time, to get the line in (this made Archer, Mom and Dad a little nervous and irritated as well).
This first gift leads right into the second, which was the gift of blood given through the new I.V. line. Archer was running a little low on blood because of all the blood draws.
Archer's blood gas levels have been great so the doctors have been setting the ventilator to lower pressure settings. We hope this trend continues. His oxygen levels have been a little high, but stable.
Archer's blood pressure is still taking nosedives every now and then. The most recent could have been attributed to needing more blood in his system.
Archer's most recent weigh-in was at 1 pound, 8 ounces.
Mom and Dad are very thankful to have spent their time with Archer on his first Christmas. They think that Archer's gift of showing them his eyes will be a little late, but soon, and it will be well worth the wait.

Christmas Eve

Archer was so excited about Santa Claus coming to town tonight that the nurse said he exhibited seizure-like movements. His breathing level would drop dramatically while she noticed an arm tremor that would not stop. A brain scan was ordered immediately to check and see if he had any increased bleeding in the brain. He did not (great news)! An EEG (brain activity scan) has been ordered to be completed in a couple of days, though the doctor believes this may not show very much. The best option would be to do an MRI to see what's causing his actions but he is a couple of months from being healthy enough to withstand this test.
Archer is now on seizure medication. The seizures could just be the fact that his brain and nerves are still very immature. There are several babies who go home on seizure medication that will eventually grow out of the seizure activity.
Other than this news, Archer's respiratory stats have been very good since his new tube was put in place. He has gone down a pressure setting on the ventilator and his oxygen levels have been stable.
Archer's blood pressure medication has also been decreased, though the new line they put in his right arm is having a difficult time getting a good read because Archer moves around so much.
Archer also received a new Kate's Kart book for Christmas: The Perfect Tree.

More Lines

Archer had a rough start to the day. Early in the morning, Archer's blood pressure levels started to take a nosedive. The doctor doubled his dosage of dopamine to help counteract this. They were still monitoring his blood pressure by using an old-fashioned cuff every couple of hours. Late in the evening,  the doctor added a new line into his right arm that tracks his blood-pressure levels in real-time, and they will also be able to take blood draws from this same line. They needed to add this line because the line going to his belly was no longer useable (this line was taken out yesterday).
So after this half hour procedure of adding a new line to his right arm, Archer has one limb (one of his legs) without anything attached to it. Archer did very well during the procedure though; he kept trying to help out the doctor by moving his arms in the direction of the line.
Archer had a test completed a few days ago that checked for infections. There are three levels that are checked in this one test: blood cultures, CBC, and CRP. Archer had the same test done today to see if maybe there was a reason for his blood pressure drop. The blood cultures and CBC were fine, however the CRP rose from .9 to 5 since a few days ago. This test is not a concrete test, in fact many doctors ignore this test. However, it could also mean that he caught some sort of infection (the common cold for example), or there could be inflammation. If it is an infection, then this might explain blood pressure drops. To be proactive, the doctor prescribed antibiotics for the next 48 hours to help get rid of any infection.

Three Weeks Old

Archer made some positive strides today after receiving his new breathing tube. In the last 24 hours his oxygen levels fell below 60% for the first time in a long time.
Archer had a line that ran into his umbilical cord that monitored his blood pressure and was also used for drawing blood. After three weeks of use this line seemed to no longer be working. Archer had this line removed from his belly. Since this change his blood pressure has been monitored by a blood pressure cuff every two hours. In the future the doctor may need to add a line to his arm or heel in order to have real-time blood pressure updates. Archer's blood pressure levels today were very good. This allowed the nurses to wean him down to smaller doses of dopamine.
We hope these trends will continue so we can hold him in our arms in the near future.

Hairy Day

Archer got in a lot of rest during the day today. His blood pressure and oxygen levels have been about the same the last few days. He is back on the breathing treatments because his lungs seem to look better through the chest x-rays while he is on these treatments. His chest x-rays have also shown some 'haziness' regarding his lungs. Some tests were performed to see if he had some sort of infection, (maybe something like pneumonia). However all results have so far shown that he does not have any infections.
The nurses are trying to wean Archer off dopamine, but his blood pressure levels determine how much he receives. He would not let them wean him off any doses today.
Mom and Dad noticed that Archer's hair was coming in, and his head has sure rounded out since he has been turned in different positions by the nurses. His hair seems to be coming in a blondish-brownish color.
Mom received a phone call late in the evening with a new update as well. Archer's tube that runs down into his lungs was replaced with a wider tube that should fit a little more snug. The nurses and doctor believe that the smaller tube was not getting enough air to his lungs (maybe this was the fuzziness?) and there was a leak. The ventilator and oscillator may have been overcompensating for the air leaks, thus the higher oxygen settings. This new tube should fit well and will hopefully allow Archer's oxygen settings to decrease.

Mom & Dad's Anniversary

Archer made a lateral move today from the oscillator to the ventilator. This is due to the fact that he was not doing so well around 1:00pm today. His stats were falling pretty low so they decided to make a change. He has been doing pretty good since this change. Whether he is on the oscillator or the ventilator, the overall goal is to get his pressure settings down and help him require less additional oxygen.
Archer's blood pressure has been in a good range in the last 24 hours, ever since taking him off the breathing treatments. He is still taking dopamine to help his blood pressure. He will not be able to receive milk until he is off this medication.
Mom and Dad celebrated their fourth anniversary today with their new son. Archer gave the gift of explosive poo in light of this celebration. There is no number assigned for what happened in, and outside of, his diaper. "Archer" also made some decorative signs in the NICU to help them celebrate. Mom and Dad will stay close by overnight and will get to see him early in the morning.
Archer received a decorative christmas ornament, with his picture inside, provided by the NICU staff. He also received a new Kate's Kart book: The Little Drummer Boy.

Testing

Archer's days have been very similar lately. His oxygen and blood pressure levels vary every few hours. The doctor decided to perform a 24 hour study to find out if the breathing treatments that Archer has been receiving every 6 hours have been affecting his blood pressure levels in a negative manner; so Archer will be off the breathing treatments through tomorrow to see if this is the case.
Archer has been resting on his sides and belly because his breathing seems to improve in these positions.
Archer also received another dose of Lasix to help get rid of some fluid. His diaper showed that this worked very well.

Bright Lights

Archer has been on dopamine for a few days because of his low blood pressure levels. When he is resting his oxygen levels are usually doing great, but his blood pressure goes down. When he is active his oxygen levels take a dive, but his blood pressure goes up! There isn't much of a happy medium.
Archer still cannot receive milk because he is taking in the blood pressure medication.
The nurses have been turning down the oscillator pressure settings when they have the chance in order to help wean him off this machine.
Archer has been resting on his belly and sides for the last couple of days.
We are waiting for the moment that Archer opens his eyes; we think it could be any moment now. He seems to react positively when he has a light pointed at him.
Archer received a new Kates Kart book today: The Gingerbread Man.

Belly Time

Archer's story has been about the same the last couple of days. His blood pressure has been low at times, the nurses will give him blood pressure medicine, then it gets a little high. He still cannot receive feedings because he is taking the blood pressure medicine, In conjunction with this, his oxygen levels will go up and down. At one point today he required 100% oxygen. Then a nurse turned him on his belly (which we thought was not possible while he was on the oscillator) and he immediately jumped down to requiring only 58% oxygen. The pressure settings on the oscillator have also varied because of chest x-rays showing overinflated or underinflated lungs.
Dad called for a checkup in the evening and the nurse stated that he was doing well. He was getting fussy on his belly so she turned him on his side. He was requiring 75% oxygen at the time. Dad was also told that Archer had such a great start (a long honeymoon) that everything is probably catching up to him; he is now going through what most preemies go through, the normal ups and downs.

No Gloves

Archer started out early this morning with low blood pressure levels. Another heart scan was performed to see if there were any vessels that had opened up. The official results of this test are not in, however after first glance the doctor believes that the heart scan came back with good results. Official results should be in tomorrow. In the meantime, Archer was given some medicine to help his blood pressure, and this eventually made it too high. When we left for the day, his blood pressure was in the 30s, just where they would like to see his levels.
Archer was given dopamine today. This is supposed to help the heart work in a good manner, in conjunction with his lungs.
Archer has received blood transfusions the last two days. There are recent studies that may link intestinal problems when someone receives blood transfusions and feedings. Therefore, Archer has not received any milk this weekend. He may start back on food tomorrow if they are through giving him blood pressure medicine and blood transfusions.
Archer went off antibiotics today. He also went off the Lasix medication for his kidneys. His diapers were showing more fluid than what he was taking in.
Archer's oxygen level was 70 when we left for the day. The nurse's hope was to get this down to 60 before shift change. The pressure settings on the oscillator are on low settings.
Mom and Dad got to touch Archer for the first time without using a glove! He seemed to crave attention this weekend so Mom read him a book while caressing his feet and legs.
Archer weighed in a couple of days ago, he had lost 10 grams since birth. They measured him today and from head to toe he is 11 inches long.

Two Weeks Old

Archer went back from being on the ventilator to the oscillator this morning. The pressure levels were set at a very high level on the ventilator. The doctor and nurses were trying to be proactive and not cause another hole to appear in his lungs. The oscillator is more gentle on the lungs, though it is less helpful when it comes to helping Archer learn to breathe on his own. 

Archer was very, very restless today. He was constantly flailing his legs and arms and raising/lowering his breathing levels. He was given a sedative, as well as a pain relaxer, but neither of these medications seemed to help. It is not an alarming situation, but he would help himself more if he would just rest a little, as this would not make his lungs work so hard.

More Milk, Please!

Archer had another calm day today. The nurses have been trying not to move him around as much, nor poke or prod him. They're even trying not to change his diaper as much, just so he gets as much rest as possible with the hopes of his oxygen levels going down. However, his oxygen levels have stayed about the same, in the 60s. He seems to be a very active child and does not want to rest as much as the nurses would like. We are hoping his oxygen levels will change after he grows more and his lungs develop over the next few weeks.
Archer's milk intake was increased from .5 ml to 1 ml every three hours today. He is taking the milk like a champion.
Archer had another brain scan today and the initial results showed the same as the last two (one small, questionable spot that does not seem to be an issue as long as it doesn't grow).
Archer's chest x-rays today have all shown good results.
Yesterday I met another mother of a 28-week NICU girl, Emberlee, and we were discussing names. She said that the boy name they had picked out was Archer. There must be a trend going around that we didn't hear about.

Got Milk?

Archer had a nice, calm day today. He received another Kate's Kart book today: Goodnight Moon.
Archer's chest x-rays and blood gas levels all looked good today.
His oxygen levels are still on the higher end. He has been taking a breathing treatment to try to help his growing lungs.
Archer has been taking .5 ml of milk every three hours. He has taken to accepting the milk very well. Apparently it is abnormal for such young preemies to have good reactions to accepting milk. Let's hope it stays this way.

Rollercoaster

Today was full of ups and downs, again. After a calm night, Archer put the NICU staff into a flurry right at shift change this morning. His oxygen levels took a nosedive and a chest x-ray was ordered which revealed a small collection of air in his left lung. His lungs have been overinflated. Luckily the doctor was able to remove the extra 20ml of air in his chest using a needle instead of placing another chest tube.
Archer's blood gas levels were a bit low a few times throughout the day, but the last x-ray showed improvement. His oxygen level is currently at 70% with 70 breaths per minute. He was taking 5 to 10 breaths per minute on his own for a while today.
Archer squeezed Lacy's pinky finger (through a glove) after one of the chest x-rays. It was a good bonding moment.
Archer also started feeding today! He is on schedule to receive .5 ml of milk every three hours. It will take some time to tell if he accepts the feedings or not. Most preemies don't tolerate the milk at first; we may be in for more rollercoaster rides soon.

25 Weeks

Archer received another sedative in the morning to help calm him for the busy day ahead. His chest tubes were removed today! There were no signs of air entering his chest after they had clamped off his tubes.
Later, after the chest tubes were removed, Archer needed quick assistance with his oxygen levels. The room was full of nurses and the doctor was by his side. His oxygen intake was at 100 percent, provided by the oscillator. The doctor then performed a test to see if he would do well on the ventilator instead. This seemed to fit Archer's needs as he is now on the ventilator.
The nurses then repositioned Archer on his belly for the first time. What a flat head! It was easy to tell that he was very upset during this transition, however he seemed perfectly happy and calm shortly after the move. His oxygen levels improved dramatically while in this position. He currently requires only 35 percent oxygen with 40 breaths per minute. The lower these numbers go, along with more breaths on his own, the healthier he will be.
Archer is also receiving a Lasix medication which helps with fluid retention in his kidneys. His diaper was quite soaked due to this medication.

Ouch!

Archer had a busy day today.
He received a new Kate's Kart book, Baby Animals in the Snow.
The nurses took the suction out of his chest tube because the x-ray showed that both lungs inflated well. They'll continue to track his oxygen levels and listen to his chest. If all goes well, they'll clamp the tubes soon and then remove them.
Archer also had a picc (percutaneous intravenous central catheter) inserted into his hand today. The picc runs all the way through his arm and into his chest. They will give him fluids using the picc, as the umbilical cord can no longer be used. He has one remaining tube running to his umbilical cord that will stay there for one more test.

Archer's oxygen levels are still up and down, but it was to be expected after all the procedures he had today. In fact, the doctors held his left arm up for almost 25 minutes to insert the picc. This takes up a lot of his energy. There was another preemie in the NICU in which it took two days to try to get the picc inserted correctly. Good job, Archer!
The pictures posted should help give you perspective of just how small he is (compared to Lacy's hand).

Chill Pill

Archer had an easy going day today. The doctor gave Archer something to help calm him a little. He thought with all the tubes and varying oxygen levels that he could use something to ease his stress.
Archer's oxygen levels were a little higher than yesterday. During our stay he ranged from 49% to 54% (we left at 49%).
Archer went number two today! Apparently this was an exciting moment for the nurses.
The doctors in the NICU rotate every week. Archer will see the doctor who originally admitted him into the NICU after birth. We are curious to see how doctors views may differ regarding keeping Archer healthy and strong. We expect a busy week coming up for Archer.

One Week Old

Archer made the nurses earn their pay today; he was calling them near the incubator every few minutes to turn his oxygen levels up or down. He is currently around 45% oxygen, and the nurses are trying to wean him down to a lower percentage so he can soon move back to the ventilator.
The doctor said that the second chest tube seemed to be working well. He had pulled out 8 ml of air from his chest (which apparently is a lot), and there did not seem to be any air reentering his chest. The first tube could have been blocked by a few drops of blood. It will be a few days before the chest tubes are pulled out.

Up and Down

Mom and dad visited Archer today and spirits were up. We received great news right off the bat about his latest brain scan - the results showed the same as the last scan. There is still a small, questionable spot but nobody seems to be concerned with this, and are confident that there are no further worries regarding bleeding in his brain. Because of these good results, they may start repositioning him, moving him around a little more, so he is not tired of laying on his back all of the time.
Archer peed on the nurse's hand today! Ha ha! Nice shot, Archer!
Archer received a second book today from the not-for-profit organization, Kate's Kart. The first was Thomas: The Cranky Day, and today's was Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Kate's Kart provides books for families who spend lots of time in a hospital. Please help this organization whenever you have the opportunity.
Archer also received small doses of blood again, only because of several blood draws performed by nurses. Many thanks to those who have donated blood.
Mom and dad left feeling good about Archer's status, until another phone call was received in the evening. An excellent doctor inserted a second chest tube to remove air in his lung. The first one did not seem to be working too well for whatever reason, it seemed clogged. They kept having to turn up Archer's oxygen which was a concern. However, he feels like the second tube was working properly. He is unsure if they would remove the first tube or wait until the lung is healed and then just remove them both at the same time.

A Step Backward

Today was mom and dad's first morning without being one floor down from Archer, and mom received the dreaded phone call from the NICU on this first morning. The doctor needed consent to insert a tube through Archer's chest. There was air collecting in the space around his lung, preventing it from expanding. This can be very common in small preemies. The tube should help keep the air out of his chest and heal the lung within 2 or 3 days. Because of this setback, the c-pap was out of the question, and Archer went back to using the oscillator he was on when he was born. The nurses have been helping him wean off oxygen from this throughout the day.
Tomorrow Archer will have another brain scan to check for any bleeding.
They also plan on inserting a PICC line in his arm.  With this they will start to inject any fluids he needs because soon they will not be able to use the umbilical cord to inject these fluids.

Rough Day

Today was a rough day for the three of us...
Archer did lose all of his lights that treat Jaundice, so now he can incubate in the dark.
Archer's doctor tried to downgrade him from the ventilator to a c-pap (which would go in his nostrils). The ventilator is currently connected to a tube that goes down Archer's throat. This is more invasive than a c-pap. Archer apparently did not take too well to the c-pap. He got frustrated and didn't breathe. The doctor thinks this could have been because of mucus stuck in his throat or tube. We watched them replace the current tube with a new one, and they also sucked out some mucus. We hope this was the reason for not breathing on the c-pap (it's kind of hard to breathe with mucus in your lungs) and that with this fresh tube and mucus cleared they can try again tomorrow.
Archer's mom was released from the hospital today. You can imagine the heartache of being side-by-side with Archer and then having to leave him over 45 minutes away, daily. It was pretty much gut-wrenching for both mom and dad, but it's something that will heal over time.

Archer's 4th Day

Archer has been weaning off his high-tech equipment by the hour.
He lost another light for his jaundice today; pretty soon it will be lights out for him.
Archer's breathing and lungs have been so healthy that the staff took him off the oscillator today. He upgraded to a ventilator. With this, he can take breaths on his own and the ventilator can take some breaths for him. The staff is already toying with the idea of taking him off the ventilator and onto a c-pap, though there may not be one small enough to fit his nostrils.
Archer's heart test results came back with positive results! There are no known open vessels that need to be treated.
Archer's parents ate a celebratory dinner provided by the hospital. They also received a car seat to take home; unfortunately the trip home tomorrow will not include Archer.
We are very thankful for the tremendous strides he has shown at his stay in the NICU.

Archer's 3rd Day

Archer had an array of tests done today. By the end of the night he was pretty well pooped out; his legs and arms weren't flailing about as much.
Archer had one of three lights taken away that treat Jaundice. His skin is looking better by the minute. The other lights should be taken away in a day or so.
Archer had a chest x-ray. They found that his lungs are a little too inflated! The caring nurses turned down the pumping of air. They said they are all so amazed at how strong and healthy his lungs are.
Archer had a brain scan. We were very anxious throughout the day to get the results of this test. Many preemies (and those still in the womb) have a spot in the brain where bleeding generally occurs, though while in the warm womb, it usually goes away. The nurse read the results of the test from the computer, and said that the only note was to double-check a tiny spot that could or could not be a bleed in a few days. I asked if it is a tiny spot, if it is something we should be concerned about, she said, "No, not at all."
Archer had a heart scan today too. These results were sent out to another hospital, and we are still waiting on these results.
We spoke with one of the doctors this morning who stressed that it is a long road ahead of us. There could be a few weeks of quiet time, then he'll reach a certain point where there will be down times. We are very thankful for his progress so far and these positive results. A lot of his actions are mimicking those of a 26 week preemie, not a 23.

Archer's 2nd Day

Archer's health continued to be just as good as the day before. We were told that his health was much, much better than expected, considering he was 17 weeks early, and the average survival rate was 50% or less.
He received two blood transfusions, because the caring doctors and nurses had performed several blood draws. The transfusions were just small doses, like teaspoons. He also had a chest x-ray which came out showing more positive results. At times his temperature would dive a little, but the caring nurses would bring it back up in no time.
Tomorrow he faces a heart scan to see if there are any open blood vessels. If there are some to be found, it is common in preemies, and 80% of the time they heal themselves or through medications. If not, there are other procedures that can be done to close the vessels.
Mom and dad watched a video on how to care for preemies. It will take a lot of time, effort, and dedication, but we are parents and take joy in caring for our son, even if we can't hold him just yet.

Archer's Birthday

Archer arrived at 7:47am, Saturday, December 1st, 2012. He also arrived almost 17 weeks early! He weighed in at 1 pound, 4 ounces. No length was measured, but we're estimating about one foot. This is due to his really long legs and toes.
We suspected Archer may come early, but not this early! Mom and dad did what they could to keep him in the womb. We were in the hospital for five nights straight, working with Dr. Wheeler to help keep Archer in, but he would have none of it.
Archer let out a good squeal when he arrived. Dad got to see him for about 1 minute in that operating room. Mom only saw his face for a mere few seconds. He was then whisked away to the NICU where nurses and doctors took special care of him.
Mom's health was fine after the delivery, just a little sore. It was a good 4 hours until we were able to see Archer again.
We were told his health was great. His breathing was excellent, he required no additional oxygen, and he was feisty. His eyes were still fuzed together. He was in a special incubator, connected with various tubes and monitors.
Mom and dad were overwhelmed with the events of the day, but Archer and the staff at the hospital gave us great hope that he will be taken with excellent care at his long stay in the NICU. There will be many ups and downs during his stay in the NICU, but we hope that this blog is filled with only ups.
Thanks to all of your prayers, thoughts, and gifts. We appreciate the generosity you have shown us in these tough and special times.