We're Home!

Sorry that we've been lax in updating everyone on our move home. We've been a little busy!

We came home from the hospital late Monday night. Yesterday, we spent the day running errands and putting the house back together, and we enjoyed a wonderful visit with Benjamin. We held him for the first time wrapped up in a mountain of blankets--all we could see were his little eyes. He was rather uncomfortable the whole time we were there because the docs kept having to adjust things on him. His breathing was somewhat labored, so he's back on the nasal c-pap for a few days.

Today, we spent some restful time at home with Jack, then we went to see Ben this evening. He had a much better day today--more comfortable--and I was able to hold him "kangaroo style," skin-to-skin! I finally felt like his mother, since I could comfort him. He slept on me for an hour or so before he had to return to his incubator. I spent most of that time praying over him and felt so much peace about the state of our little guy.

For those of you who want details: Ben is on the nasal c-pap (blowing positive pressure to keep his breathing passages open), and his oxygen needs vary anywhere from 21% (room air) to about 50%. His lungs still show a couple of slightly cloudy spots, indicating possible pneumonia, but his blood culture and spinal tap show no infection. He's receiving 10 cc's of milk every three hours through his feeding tube and is tolerating it fairly well. They hope to remove his umbilical arterial and venous lines in a few days and insert a PIC line (inserted into a peripheral vein, leading all the way to the heart) so that he can receive more concentrated nutritional fluids through a more secure line. He has not lost much weight and is now 2 lbs. 13 oz.

That's all for now! We'll post recent pics ASAP. Keep praying!