The world of the NICU

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit can be an emotional roller coster. The past five days have been so crazy that it's hard to differentiate what happened on which day. Our hardest day was Saturday, when we were told by a neonatologist that they were unsure if Claire's kidneys were working... or if they ever would work. If her kidneys don't work, she would almost positively be too small for dialysis. Claire's kidneys have been the hurtle we've been hit with the hardest. Aside from her kidneys, both girls have been doing very well. On Saturday, April 20th we decided to have them baptized. It was a very special moment for our family. It was especially nice because we were able to have each set of Godparents there even though it was put together on short notice.

Lily and Claire both started off on a ventilator. As of today, Lily is on a nasal cannula doing almost all breathing on her own. Claire is on CPAPP and like her sister, is breathing almost completely on her own. Yesterday they started taking breast milk, which is also a great step. We're hoping that they can move into a twin room soon... it will be so nice to have them share a room and be together again!

On Sunday the 22nd I was able to hold Lily for the first time. It was a little intimidating with all of her wires and whatnot, but it was the best feeling in the world. She kept her eyes open for a long time and while I was holding her, her breathing increased and she hardly needed oxygen at all. When our time was up, she cried a little bit... I'm so excited to continue kangaroo care with her & to soon be able to hold Claire.

Like I mentioned earlier, our greatest hurtle so far are Claire's kidneys. Her creatinine levels have been high and getting higher, so we're hoping and praying that it starts to lower soon. The creatinine levels tell us if her kidneys are filtering and doing their job. Please continue to keep Lily and Claire in your thoughts and prayers. We have a long road ahead of ourselves and the support from our family and friends has been greatly appreciated. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We'll continue to update as often as possible.