Update on my nephew

It's busy times here as we are preparing to go on our annual family vacation to Puerto Penasco, Mexico. I'm especially excited this year as our 10th wedding anniversary falls on the day we travel down there. We will be having a celebration and a vow renewal ceremony on the beach that night! I have been having so much fun planning and preparing for it, that I haven't updated on my nephew.

He is doing fantastically as well. He might be released in the next week or two, which would still be about 4 weeks earlier than his due date. He is up to 4# 7oz. as of Sun. He is feeding on his own regularly and was moved out of his incubator to a nursery bed last week, so he is holding his own body temperature. He is still on a canula for breathing and despite several bad apnea episodes, a transfusion and meds for anemia, and a now "minor" PDA (a valve in his heart did not seal completely-very typical in premies), he is doing incredibly well. They are talking about sending him home on oxygen. The completely amazing thing in this is that they are certain, based on his development at the time of his birth that he was actually more than 13 weeks early and not the 12 weeks that they had calculated prior to his birth. He responds to his mommy so much and always watches the nurses. They have affectionately nicknamed him "Curious George" because he is constantly watching them with his big soft brown eyes! (Can you tell I'm a proud auntie?)

I also got to be blessed enough to meet him for 5 minutes on the last day of my trip to visit and take care of my sister. It was truly a miracle and a blessing, since NO ONE except mom, dad, and grandparents are allowed in the NICU there. But the head nurse heard that I had flown out to take care of my sister and had been sitting in the waiting room all week while she visited him and told my sister I could come in for 5 minutes as a going away gift. I almost missed my plane, but it was so worth it! It was amazing. He is amazing. God is so amazing. Despite all the pictures and videos, it's too hard to understand exactly how small he was. It's like trying to imagine and comprehend how big the Grand Canyon is. God is so great and mighty. Wow!

So, now I looking forward to seeing him again on May 29th! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and for continuing to keep them in your prayers. I know my sister and her husband are getting really nervous now that their son is about to come home. They are also very anxious about RSV, since he will be high risk. Thank you in advance to all you prayer warriors.

In His Love!