Finally an Update...

I'm sorry that I have been lax on sending out any updates. It is a lot easier to give good news than not so
good. We do have good news, but not everything is great. I will start with the good stuff first, though.

Both boys were moved from the Level Three Newborn ICU (NICU C) to the Level Two ICU (NICU D) , or as I call
it, from Cell Block C to Cell Block D. The difference is that the Level Three ICU does IVs, respirators, and CPAPs. The level two is more relaxed, with one nurse to four babies instead of one nurse to two babies. Emerson Hospital in Concord has the Level Two Newborn ICU but not the Level Three.

Thomas is doing extremely well. He has rebounded from bottom out weight of 3lbs., 2oz., to 3lbs., 12oz. That puts him 7oz. above his birthweight. He has been off of any type of breathing assistance for over a
week and a half. As of today he is able to maintain his own bodyweight and is coming out of the Isolette Incubator for a crib. He actually seems very aware and stays awake for as much as an hour. He took a bottle this morning for the first time and ate about
8ml of milk. There are three things that he has to be able to do before he can head home: He has to breathe on his own, he has to maintain his body temp unassisted, and he has to be able to be able to take nurse. He is well on his way on two of these and he is tackling the third with a vengance, according toJen.

Nathan is not doing as well as his brother. From the start, he has had an issue with low blood sugar. In
an effort to treat that, other things in his development needed to be traded off. He had no trouble breathing from 4/6-4/11, but the increased fluids he received to treat the the glucose levels made it harder to breathe and he ended up going back on a nasal canula to deliver more oxygen. As last
week progressed, he required more and more. There was a rattle in his lungs this morning and he is having frequent Apnea spells where he stops breathing and his heart starts to shut down. They x-rayed him this morning and gave him a diuretic to dry him out a little. They also plan to reduce the fluids he has been taking in. He is also fighting a bacterial infection in his eyes... His weight gain is as good as his brothers. He also is 7oz. above his birth weight and 10oz. above his minimum weight of 2lbs., 13oz., at 3lbs., 7oz. While he is keeping pace withTommy, Nate's weight gain has been sporatic. One day
he'll gain 80grams (~2ounces) and then he'll go two days without an increase. The medical staff said it is healthier if they gain a half to three quarters of an ounce per day like Tommy has done. All in all, they say Nathan is a typical premie, and will be fine. As his Dad, I wish he were a little healthier.

In the last email, I had said that they were ready to go to Emerson, which is a lot closer to home and work.
We were told on April 8th, 11th, 14th, and 15th, that there was no room at the inn. (I know, my opinion of my kids might be a little high if I use that phase...) It's been quite a roller coaster of hoping today they'd be moved and then being disappointed. On Friday, I requested that the medical staff at Brigham and Women's not use the word "Emerson" unless the word
was preceeded with the phrase "ambulance your boys is on the way to"... Well, last night they forgot I'd asked that and told us that Emerson called yesterday and that they had the beds ready for Tommy and Nate.
However, the pediatrician covering for the one that just left for a two week vacation wanted to watch Nathan for another day or two because of his
condition... So it looks like we may have while yet at B&W fighting Fenway or Marathon or just typical Boston traffic...

At then end of this, you might ask, so how is Nathan really doing? I wish I knew. I know he is adorable. I know he smiled at his mother before his brother did. I know he likes to grab the hairs on his father chest, and that if he weren't fight the eye infection, he'd also be coming out of his Isolette. Based on everything I've heard from others who have gone through this, he'll be fine. It is just a little hard right now to think long term.