DAY 14 - THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008

ANDREW - Andrew is famous!  Today when we were at the pediatrician's office for Aaron's check-up (3 of our neighbors all see him and highly recommended him) he was asking about Andrew and what the latest is on him.  The doctor said this morning there was a monthly learning lecture yesterday and Andrew's case was presented.  His TEF surgery was present by Dr. Kogut, Andrew's pediatric surgeon, and she showed a video and images of the repair.  I kind of wish I could've been there.  He was also transferred to a new warming bed- a "Cadillac bed" as his nurse calls it.  It's a new top of the line, high tech warming bed that is more compact, rotates around to prevent moving him a lot, a really nice thick mattress, and much more.  I just hope he doesn't enjoy it so much that he won't want to come home to his everyday crib.  When we called this evening to check up on him we were told that the VCUG was postponed until next week.  When they took him down for the procedure this morning they did an initial x-ray and found that some of the barium from his Esophagram the other day was still in his intestines.  The residual barium masks the area they need to see and would prevent them from getting an accurate view of his kidneys and urinary system.  Also, the NICU doctor on call today wants a specific doctor to do the VCUG test since that is her specialty but she only works on Wednesday & Thursday.  So the VCUG test won't be performed until next Wednesday or Thursday.  As anxious as we are to know the results of this test and what the next step is in his healing process, it's for the better.  This will give Andrew more time to heal and become more stable before going through another surgery.  Andrew is also out of the oxygen hood and breathing normal air all on his own.  Which means the air in his chest has gone away.  We also learned that they fed him 10 cc of mother's milk today for the first time through his feed tube and into his stomach.  Previously he was fed nutrients through his IV. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to digest the food very well and had a tummy ache.  So they will start feeding him smaller amounts of milk to let him get used to the food over a longer period.  His Creaton levels have also dropped to 0.2 which is normal for new born babies. So his kidneys are still doing very well and normal.  Unfortunately we weren't able to hold Andrew today. We had planned to see him this evening, but because Katie's blood pressure shot up this evening we weren't able to go.  But we are so happy that he is doing much better and keeps getting better day by day.  We know that everyone's prayers are helping him a great deal.  Andrew is no doubt  a miracle.

AARON - Aaron had his first outing today when we went for his first check-up with the pediatrician.  He HATED the car seat and screamed after he was buckled in.  He'd better get used to it because he won't be going anywhere in the car without being in it. He wasn't bothered by it on his ride home from the  hospital because everything was so new.  Aaron now weighs 4 lbs 15 oz. so he is doing well.  His original birth weight was 4 lbs. 10 oz. According to measurements by nurses he is now 18 1/2 " long so he's even grown a little too.  We are grateful that he is doing so well.  The doctor says he is perfectly normal.  Small, but normal.  We were looking through his discharge papers the hospital gave us and he was only in the 11-25% percentile in weight and length.  I have no doubt he'll eventually catch up.  Other things we've learned about Aaron so far:  besides hating his car seat he doesn't like baths, lying on his back, or having his diaper changed.  Sounds like a normal baby to me!  Our first full day without expert help has gone well.  So far no serious damage has been done.  We also set a new milestone with Aaron- he successfully breast fed from mom today.  We have been working with him each day, but today he finally got it (and so did mom!).  We are tired but it's a rewarding kind of tired.  As soon as I pick him up in the middle of the night and look into his face I have an overwhelming feeling of love for him.  We love having him at home with us and look forward to the day when Andrew can leave the hospital and join his brother. (PICTURE: Aaron with another one of his adorable faces)