Still working our way towards the door...

As I sit here holding my rotten little man I am thinking about all the things that have gone on since this little guy came into the world with twin brother Bentley much too soon. Cody and I jokingly tell everyone how spoiled Rhys is and how he always wants to be held, but truth is I am thankful we are able to hold him whenever we please. It wasn't so long ago that wasn't the case. I am actually proud of the fact that Rhys knows the difference between being loved on and being left sitting in his crib. That speaks volumes about our involvement as well as the level of care provided by the staff at the hospital. I have a new found respect for physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists. Before this experience doctors were people I saw once or twice a year for a routine checkup. I am blessed to be a very healthy person so my first stay in the hospital was when the boys were born. I am thankful that doctors have the dedication they do, for without them our little man would not be with us. The nurses and respiratory therapists are amazing people in their own right. They are the ones in "the trenches". The doctors make the decisions, but these people are the ones responsible for carrying out the orders. I understand that this is their job, but what amazing people they are to go to work each day to help our little people fight. I'm sure all you preemie parents out there can relate. So, to all those ladies and gents who have ever taken care of Rhys, Cody and I say thank you from the bottle of our hearts. :)

As far as Rhys goes, he is still doing great and we're still working towards going home. He's sort of slowing down on the amount he takes during his feeds, but I think part of that is because he is fighting his upset tummy while eating so you constantly have to battle his arching and crying. The doctor changed his orders to minimum of 1.5 ounces to max of 2.5 ounces per feed. I am really hoping the fortifier is the reason for all his problems and he will lose the tummy issues in a day or two once he works the last of the fortifier out of his system. The nurses are also telling me that Rhys has his nights and days mixed up since he likes "to party" from 2am to about 7am and then sleep all day. We're really going to have to get that fixed ASAP because Mommy's schedule doesn't work that way! Soon we will also be doing our car seat challenge. I am a little worried about this one since Rhys tends to get really angry and sometimes desats. If this happens he will fail and going home will be delayed. I guess I'm going to have to hold his pacifier for the whole hour so he stays calm. That's about it as far as news. Please remember to keep Baby Bella in your prayers. Her family is going through a rough ride right now as they are closing in on the two weeks of life mark. At two weeks of life for Rhys we were being put on the oscillator and starting our 6 weeks of 2 steps forward and 2 steps back. My, how far we've come.

In closing, my thought of the day... You can never kiss and hug your kids too often. It's hard to realize how special that is until you don't have the ability to do it!