Good Vibrations

Noah hanging out in his Boppy

Sleepy time

Charlie's sweet little hand

Pumpkin resting up - he has a lot of healing to do!

Today was another great day for both boys. Every day, Noah gets better at feeding. Since he was born at 36 weeks, he's had a bit of trouble getting the hang of it, and it's still a tough task every time - but getting a little better nonetheless.

Charlie is also doing fantastic. His dialysis is turned completely off, not just draining. His epinephrine continues to be off, his dopamine is down to 5 (yesterday it began at 13). He had two chest tubes pulled out. He is still putting out urine on his own, though they are still giving him a low dose of Lasix so that they can keep ahead of the edema (his lower extremities are still pretty swollen). He has begun breastmilk feedings via nasogastric tube, only 2cc's an hour so that they can make sure he tolerates it. His Fentanyl is keeping him sedated and comfortable, but it has been turned down as well. There were glimpses of movement today, but he's still pretty much out.

The plan for tomorrow is to begin weaning him off the vent if possible. They are going to have to place him on methadone to help him withdraw from the Fentanyl, so we will see when that will happen. Hopefully they will be able to wean completely off of the dopamine soon, and hopefully his blood pressure will remain steady!

The power of prayer is such an amazing thing. We are praying that Charlie will be as comfortable as possible through this healing process, and that he holds steady as he has. The support has been so incredible; so many people offering to help us and watch Noah whenever we need it. The prospect of having twins and having one hospitalized was terrifying at first - we couldn't fathom how we would be able to pull it off. Thank you so much everyone for your kindness and help! Even the simplest words of encouragement mean the world to us. We will update tomorrow, as always!

Lots of love,

Josh and Mina