Good weekend

Sorry for the long time between posts. The boys had a good weekend. I will start with Max so I don't get anybody confused (including myself). Max has been doing well on CPAP. His oxygen needs have been in the 38-44% range. His gases had been running in the mid to high 50s, but on Friday he had a gas with a CO2 in the low 60s, so the decision was made to move the PEEP on his CPAP up from 8 to 9 (10 is the highest setting, 5 is the lowest). It was a proactive move to keep his gases looking good and give him as much support as they can without resorting to the vent. He has been stable and the docs moved him back to a PEEP of 8 today. Please pray with us that Max's gases look good and that his lungs continue to grow and expand and the muscles that help him breathe continue to get big and strong. Max has certainly learned how to use his new found voice. Turns out, if he cries, either his nurses, Kate or myself, runs to his side and usually ends up holding him and rocking him back to sleep. It is really just a ploy for attention I think...I mean, what can he possibly have to be upset about? Max also tipped the scales at 9 pounds and a fraction of an ounce tonight!! 9-pounds? We are getting awfully close to double digits buddy!!

Wes had a good weekend as well. He continues to do very well with his weans and is up to 3-hours twice a day. His breathing gets a little bit labored towards the end of the wean, but his oxygen needs have been very low...lower than what some kids go home from the NICU with. That is very encouraging for Kate and I. We have had a lot of people asking if we have any idea when the boys are coming home. The docs have not really given us much of an idea, but what we can gather from nurses and just our own knowledge of what it takes to go through the 'exit" doors of the NICU, our best guess right now is that maybe Wes will come home in September sometime and Max will likely be more like October/November depending on if we end up needing a trach or a G-tube (a feeding tube surgically placed in his stomach for feeding). We are just going to focus on today for now!!