Just a quick update today. Brendan is doing very well. He is on room air now in the cannula – no oxygen support needed. He still needs the cannula for a little bit of pressure and it makes the air warm and humid. They’ve taped it right on to the end of his nose so it stays in place better now. Poor kid doesn’t have an inch of skin that hasn’t had tape on it!
He was up to 18cc every three hours on feeding, still increasing 2cc every 12 hours until he hits 45 total.

He was looking better today too, he has lost a little more of the puffiness. He was also awake and alert while I was there, while not seeming uncomfortable. His little voice is getting a bit stronger.

Trevor has been having a little trouble with gas and discomfort and very full diapers. We are not sure if it is something I am eating or if it might be the new vitamins he is taking. He will see the doctor again this week so we will ask about it.
While Mom was changing his diaper today, he made a fierce grunting sound and shot liquid poop at least five feet across the room. You expect with boys that you have to be on the alert for the water fountain, but even with that he hasn’t gotten too much distance yet.
This was an unbelievable shot and I spent some time scrubbing the carpet while we all laughed in disbelief. I wish I was exaggerating, it was clear across the room.

Of course, he looks completely innocent!

Saturday – It is really easy to lose track of the days of the week! This fifth week is flying by, and Christmas will be here before we know it.

Bill and I got to the hospital just in time for rounds this morning. The doctors were smiling and giving thumbs up. Brendan is doing very well and they have already weaned down the oxygen in the cannula a little. It will occasionally push a few drops of water in to his nose in order to keep his nostrils moist and comfortable with all that air blowing in. When those drops land, it really irritates Brendan and he will cry a short while. I can only imagine how maddening that would be and I don’t blame him for crying. I can’t wait until that can go away too!
Brendan’s new goals are all about being a baby – he needs to get stronger, he needs to eat and he needs to grow!

Trevor is awesome, he continues to be a great baby. He had some trouble with lots of gas today, I have no idea what I might have eaten that would bother him that way.

I’ll get straight in to pics and videos!

I spent hours holding Brendan. We have lots of catching up to do!

The pacifier is a wonder! They were able to go through the entire night and morning without giving Brendan any doses of Fentanyl or Morphine. They put a little sucrose on his pacifier and he was able to calm down and relax on his own. He has a drug called Precedex via IV drip now instead of Fentanyl but this reduction in drugs is a big deal to all of us.

This video is actually from yesterday. Right after taking the vent out, Brendan was figuring out that he could make noise when he cries. He will need some time before his vocal cords will heal. As sad as this video seems, we were so thrilled to hear his voice!

Trevor has a nice full belly!

Are you lookin’ at me?

My grandpa used to tell my sister that he was going to box her up and send her back to the factory because she cried too much. Trevor fits in the box, but I lost the receipt, so I will have to keep him!!

Human baby or Tasmanian devil? Trevor makes adorable baby sounds all day, but if you try to pick him up, change his position, change his clothes, etc… he growls!
Sometimes he does it randomly too!

Mom has been here two weeks and we finally made the time for me to get a haircut. It is SHORT again! Just right for having two grabby little babies with really long fingers!

The 25th is a not only a significant day because the boys are one month old, but Brendan took a huge step forward today! Extubation!!!!

This is officially the last picture of Brendan on the vent this morning!!

And this is Brendan with no ventilator!!!! His cheeks weren’t tape free for very long, he has to have the nasal cannula to deliver a bit of extra warm humid oxygen to him while he adjusts.

No ventilator means holding the baby! He is still very difficult to pick up from the bed, and very delicate with lots of connections, but he can finally get some hugs and cuddles.

We made a second trip back to the hospital tonight so that Gramma could cuddle Brendan too.

No ventilator also means that Brendan can start working on his nippling. The nurse gave him this pacifier and he took to it instantly. Not only did he latch on to it extra firmly, it helped soothe him when he was upset.

This was a very Brendan-focused day, but Trevor had a great day too. He gets lots of love and attention from everyone at home. When Mom and I went back to the hospital, Trevor got to have some bonding time with his daddy.

There is probably a ton of information that I am leaving out today, but it is all trivial in the big picture. Brendan is doing very well now – extubated for 13hrs so far and still holding strong. Trevor had a great night and was awake quite a bit today. Hopefully both boys will sleep well and wake up even stronger!