So Glad Mom Is Back

January 23 - Both Grady's are very glad to have Julia back with us today! Thank you for praying for her yesterday. She still is not feeling 100%, but she is improving after a lot of rest yesterday. In addition, we talked with the head neonatologist, and he felt that it was safe for us both to be here as long as we kept washing our hands... makes sense, doesn't it? :-) Yesterday was quite a learning day for me (Grady) with Julia resting at Ronald McDonald House. However, it was a good experience and good training caring for our son, with the added comfort of great nurses just outside the room if needed! I must say that taking care of a baby all day is quite tiring, as you can see in the picture to the left :-) However, Grady Jeremiah and I figured out the routine and did well with it. He did especially well in taking his bottle with me...Grady Jeremiah is doing outstanding with his feedings! We are seeing remarkable improvement over the past three days. Since the early morning hours of Saturday, Grady Jeremiah has taken 100% of his feedings via bottle! He has not needed to receive any of his feedings via tube since then. We are amazed at how well he has learned the suck-swallow-breathe pattern. Thank you for praying for him in this area! He did lose a little weight yesterday as bottle feeding is a lot of work for little guys. However, as he has progressed in learning the rhythm and became more proficient at his feeding today, we saw the weight gain return this evening. He is now 5 pounds, 14 ounces.He also has now made it almost four full days without any bradycardias! Yesterday and today he only had a few breathing lapses (desaturations) but was able to correct them on his own without help! These are important milestones in the process to go home. It is amazing to see how quickly things develop the closer he gets to his anticipated "due date." Please continue to pray for Grady Jeremiah to breathe well, to grow, to stay free from any sickness or infection, and to continue to do well with his feedings. Please continue to pray that we will be healthy and well so that we can be with him. Check back tomorrow to learn about the grandparents getting to hold him for the first time :-)