PRAISE GOD!

Ryan is making leaps and bounds! He was taken off the C-Pap this morning and a nasal cannula was put in its place. His oxygen levels reached 24%, and his doctor felt he was strong enough to take this step. The cannula pipes air into his nose, as he no longer needs the pressure that the C-pap offered. In other words, he is opening his lungs completely on his own now and is able to absorb room air oxygen on his own...the cannula is there for support.
He looks wonderful! We can finally see his full face again, and while he is a little yellow, they intend to perform another jaundice test tomorrow.
The best news of all- I got to hold him for the first time today! I was over the moon! He feels and smells so good, and was so calm the entire time he was in my arms. He is so teeny tiny, I must say I was a bit nervous when I first took him, but he responded to me so well and I am OFFICIALLY in LOVE. I mean, I was before, of course, but now that I've held him and spent some time with him, it's SERIOUS, people! :)
Mike has a cold now and is unable to go into the NICU for fear of getting Ryan or the other babies sick...I'm so sad and frustrated for him! He wants to hold his son just as badly as I did...but I think he is just so run down from the flight back from India, going straight into the hospital with me for 3 nights- he is exhausted!
The second best news- Ryan is eating from a bottle! His first feeding was 5 ml of breastmilk through his feeding tube (he's been on protein and other nutrition since he was born), but I was able to give him 5 ml of breastmilk from a bottle today, and he SUCKED IT DOWN! I'm hoping to begin breastfeeding as soon as they tell me he is ready.
Here are a few pictures from our visit today: