Things Revisited

As I was browsing through the folder of pictures we have taken of the boys over the past 60 days, I am once again in awe of God's answers to prayer and the living proof of his miracles that I hold in my arms each night.

Two months ago the boys were both in critical condition; such tiny little babies who's cries were silenced by tubes into their lungs. I'd come home late at night after spending hours at their bedside only to see totes full of tiny baby boy clothes lined up against the wall in my room. I would push the sight out of my mind. We weren't sure these precious, incredibly tiny creatures were going to be coming home with us. As the days progressed, things at times were so grim that it felt unbearable. Seisures and brain bleeds, holes in the heart and very high oxygen requirements, desaturations and bradies... it was so overwhelming at times. God was always faithful to hear our cries and wrap His arms around the boys. The PDAs and PFOs closed without surgery, the brain bleeds stabilized and the seizures were brought under control. They were soon extubated to CPAPs and then nasal canulas. Their desaturations became less severe and the episodes of bradycardia occurred less often.

The boys continued to thrive and grow despite such large obstacles. They went from Giraffe isolates (special isolates for critical infants) to traditional isolates and then to open cribs. Then went from IV feedings of TPN and lipids to OG tube feeds and then NG tube feeds, full feeds and now feeds by bottle. They went from tiny two pound micro-preemies to sweet and chunky five pound newborn babies. From desatting just from sensing the isolate door opening to crying loudly until they are held and fed. My major "touch-me-not", Grant, has become my favorite cuddle bug. My sickest little boy, Bryce, has become the chunky one. :)

Time and time again I am in awe of God's faithfulness. In December I was terrified to even look at my precious babies' tiny clothes. Two months later I enjoy digging through their NEWBORN and 0-3 MONTH (WAHOO!!) clothes for outfits each day and have happily started putting up the preemie sleepers and preparing for their eventual homecoming. What wonderful blessings these little boys are!

We do have a new prayer request for the boys. Their eyes are checked every two weeks to monitor their development. This past Wednesday the physician was concerned by what he saw during Grant's exam. Both boys have Stage 1 Zone 2 retinopathy. Grant also has Plus Disease - a product of retinopathy. The worse case of Plus Disease is retinal detachment. Right now both of the boys are in the early stages and we are praying that God heals their eyes and that their vessel growth slows down to normal levels so that when they are rechecked on Monday & Wednesday, the physician says there's no need for the surgeon to come in and take a look at them. Please pray with us that God will step in an show himself again through the healing of our boys. He has answered our prayers for the boys over and over again and I know that He will take care of our precious babies as He always has.

Paul and Brooklyn are feeling much better and God-willing I will be able to ungarb (currently wearing mask, gloves & gown in order to see the boys) this coming week. I have gotten the clear to breastfeed Bryce, and hopefully Grant as well, and am so thankful for their continued progress with the bottle. God-willing, we will be able to bring them home as soon as the end of February which would make my heart soar! I give my Father all the praise for what precious miracles these two precious twin boys are and how much I have learned and grown through their NICU journey. The devil can throw everything he wants at us but my God always perseveres!!