Come home, Ryan!

Ryan is still in the NICU....and I am getting VERY anxious to have him home. My mom and Mike keep telling me that it's the best thing for him, but I'm starting to lose my patience....
Right as things were looking perfect for him to get in the car with us and drive away, Ryan developed what is suspected to be a bit of reflux. The problem is that it's effecting the amount of oxygen he's absorbing into his bloodstream. He's had a few "de-sat" drops, so they've started him on some reflux medication and will watch him for another day or 2.
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you hear me screaming??? I want him HOME!!!
The good news is that he's growing (up to 5 lbs, 11 oz- his birth weight), and breastfeeding with no trouble whatsoever- other than the occasional drowning b/c my milk is seriously CRAZY flowing! I need to sell some of this stuff!
Mike and I have developed a pattern of going in for his 11 am feeding with Mimi and Catherine, then again for his 8 pm feeding. He gets to breastfeed for both of these feedings, and the nurses (who I'm becoming a little too chummy with!) are bottle feeding my breastmilk in between.
This morning, Catherine sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to him...it was so sweet! She is going to be the BEST big sister!
Thank you everyone for your endless thoughts, notes and prayers- we feel so special to have so many wonderful people in our lives! So many of you have been cheering us on, and we cannot express our gratitude.
Hugs- and kisses too! :)

No more Mr. Nice Guy!

Ryan has had it with all the "baby" stuff- he is off EVERYTHING now! He's our big boy now!
No more nasal cannula, no more oxygen, no more IV lines, no more anything! He's had a bath, has gained 3 ounces (up to 5 lbs, 10 oz now!), is breastfeeding like a CHAMP, and is pooping and peeing (like a geyser), maintaining his own temperature, etc, etc. We couldn't be prouder parents.
He still has some stickies attached to his chest to monitor his heart rate, his oxygen absorption, and his respiratory rate, but none of these things are helping him- they are there only to monitor.
Everyone has been in to hold him now- Daddy (with a mask), Catherine and Mimi too!
He seems to look so much like Catherine, it's pretty amazing...what do you think?

And what has Catherine been up to during all this ACTION?

Catherine has been a busy bee this week. She has been adjusting extremely well to the idea of having a baby brother, and is very VERY excited to have him home.
This past week, she attended Vacation Bible School at Crosspoint Community Church (where she attended school before we left for India)- and was a MANIAC for it! We could not believe how enthusiastic she was to go each evening and see her friends. They played great music and she is still singing some of them at the top of her lungs! One of the band members had blue hair, and she finally got to meet her "celebrity" the last night of VBS- she was speechless!



She also got to go on an early-morning bike ride with Daddy- something she's been waiting to do for over a month! She has been practicing her riding (and getting herself started so Daddy wouldn't have to get off his bike to help), and has declared herself to be "like the wind" fast!



And last but not least, she's been practicing some of her outdoor activities in the NUDE...classic! :)

Houston, we have eyeballs!

My mom and I went to the NICU tonight to see Ryan- and guess what? Not only did we get to see Ryan, but we got to see his eyeballs as well! Yay! I cannot say exactly what color they are- they look to be a dark blue, but maybe with a little gray tint....Catherine's were dark gray from the beginning and she ended up with dark brown eyes. We'll see!
Needless to say, we stared into each others' eyes for about 45 straight minutes. The LOVE is overflowing!

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: