Coming Home and a big day for the boys

After my update from the nurses this morning, I thought this blog would be about Oscar's big day, but by the time I got there around 10 this morning, it had become a big day for them all!

Yesterday, I was discharged from the hospital and I am doing pretty well with recovery physically, but that, of course, meant that I no longer have a bed 1/4 mile from my boys. It certainly feels like something is missing in our house even though the boys have never been here before, but as sad as it is to leave them behind, I know that our little guys are in amazing hands with their nurses as Children's and I also know that my ability to rest and recover is critical to me making enough food for them which has thankfully been going awesome!

That's enough about mom though, this blog is now focused right where it should be, on our boys!

Each day when I talk to Dr. Mrozak in the morning either in person or over the phone we get a little update on what is going on with each of the boys and when I called this morning I got the best update ever...Oscar got to come off the ventilator!!! When I got to the hospital to visit, I found out that there was even more than that happening today. Oscar wasn't going to be alone; little Victor would also be off the ventilator by evening! In the meantime, he had to have a central line put in since his cord lines weren't working and he wasn't tolerating feedings which meant they needed a better, longer term IV so they don't have to keep poking him to move the location. Mylo just keeps plugging away; he struggles because he's super feisty wants to be kicking and moving all the time and  he's always pulling at his vent and his bili sunglasses and everything. He did have his Oxygen assistance lowered a bit so we are hoping he's off the vent when we go in tomorrow. He also just got to start feedings today so we've got two boys getting mama's milk and I'm crossing my fingers Victor can handle the good stuff sooner than later so he can catch up with younger, big brothers!

While we are there, the nurses let us handle many of the boys cares so we get to take temperatures, change diapers, give oral cares (milk on the q-tip) to help them keep establishing that sucking reflex that will be so important when they are ready to eat without the tubes. Today the boys had it in for mom and were out to show me that they were just like all the other boys and, as soon as you open their diapers, it was time for another pee party!  This, of course means the whole ordeal of changing their bedding. This is where my day got EXTRA exciting since Milo and Victor both pulled this on mom, I got to hold Victor up for the bedding change and even though he didn't get to leave the little isolete, just resting in my hands he went from kicking and squirming and just melted into them and then he opened his eyes and just stared at me. It had to be one of the most incredible moments of my life, to hold my sweet boy and, being a super lucky mama, I got to have TWO of those moments today, because Oscar did so well with CPAP that we got to start kangaroo care for him today! This means that we get to lay him on my chest or Marty's skin to skin  for an hour each day. He did beautifully with it today and just snuggled right in. Marty sat by our side and talked to him and he opened his eyes for the first time (his eyes have been fused which is normal for their gestational age)  while he was laying there and listened to his dad talk!

I could go on and on, but the important part is all of them are doing well and growing strong! I am going to try to put an all picture post together on Sunday's for their weekly updates since I now write these while attached to a pump, it's a little trickier for me to get all the pictures added in.