Multiple Blessings: Oct 28

Happy Halloween from our little pumpkin heads :)

Shaylie (left) and Tycen (right)

Sorry it's taken me so long to update you all. We've been much busier these days now that the babies are getting closer and closer to going home. Thank you for your patience and of course your continued prayers!

The babies had their second eye exams last week. The good news is that they still have no sign of retinal disease. The bad news is that although they're vascularized into zone 3, they're still premature meaning they're not completely vascularized into the periphery of the retina. This means they will have to get another eye exam in 2 weeks. If they are still here in the hospital it will take place then, otherwise we will have to do it on an outpatient basis.

**Please pray that our babies will have continued healthy eye development and that they will tolerate the eye exam as best as possible.

Both babies came down with a cold the past couple of days. They are both very conjested, but fortunately it hasn't significantly affected their breathing or their feeding yet.

**Please pray that our babies can fight off this respiratory infection ASAP. Pray that it will not affect them in the mean time (feeding, weight gain, apnea, etc).

Tycen getting his boogers suctioned out of his nose

Shaylie and Tycen have been progressing very well with their feeds. They are able to consistently get over half of their feeds fully by mouth! Shaylie had her feeding tube taken out because they thought it might be adding to her conjested nose, however we convinced them to keep it out until she was not able to take a full feed by mouth....almost 36 hours later she is still doing very well without it!! The doctor predicted that Tycen is about 1-2 days away from getting his tube out, too. All of the staff here is very impressed and say that both babies are off the charts with what would be expected of babies at their gestation.

**Please pray that Shaylie will continue to do well without her feeding tube and she will not have to get it put back in. Also pray that Tycen will get his feeding tube out soon and that both babies will continue to take more and more breastmilk by mouth.

Shaylie cuddling with mommy

Shaylie and Tycen had their 3rd and final head ultrasounds. This was the last major test (other than the eye exams) they need before going home. In the last ultrasound before discharge they are looking for periventricular leukomalacia or PVL (prior ultrasounds they were looking for bleeding). PVL is one of the main causes of cerebral palsy or other long-term disabilities.