Hello!  Drew, Matt and Claire continue to grow and thrive at just under a week old!  Katie got to feed each one via bottle yesterday.  Matt just hogged it down, Drew did OK, a little slower going down than Matt but still good and little Claire struggled at little bit.  She doesn't quite have the strongest sucking power yet so they are going to hold off on the bottle feeding with her for a little bit till she gets bigger.  Katie and Judy spent the afternoon today at the hospital with the babies, they got to feed and hold them, they are just doing great!  I have been going to see them during my lunch hour, which is a treat, its just me and them and I don't have to share them with anyone!  I just go back and forth between baby and talk and touch them.  Amazing...

All of the babies are now off the nasal canula and breathing on their own and on room air!  Way to go guys and little girl!  Tomorrow the hospital will do a brain ultrasound to check for brain bleeds and any other issues upstairs, we're all praying that everything is OK.  They are really just going through normal preemie/NICU issues and the normal feed and grow pattern.

We are so blessed to have WONDERFUL nurses at the NICU that treat our babies like our own.  These women are just awesome.  Tara, Cassie, Jennifer, just the whole crew really they are so great.  The babies have one nurse for them only for the most part.  They have one nurse watching over them during the day shift and and another nurse looking over them on the night shift.  What great care they are getting!  These folks know their stuff and there are no words that can describe how great it feels for our babies to be in the hands of such consummate professionals!  Tara a nurse that just loves to take care of them made these wonderful name signs for each of the babies, they are hanging right up next to their isolette.  Check them out, they are SO COOL!!  Check out the footprints!  Tara is the bomb!

OK, are you ready to see this little cute dude!?  This picture is of Cassie feeding Drew this afternoon his bottle, he is just wide awake and loving the bottle!  He's my boy!

Here is a picture of Katie feeding Matt this afternoon!  He doesn't like the flash on the camera so he keeps his eyes closed.  It is somewhat dark in the NICU and you really have to have the flash on to have the pictures turn out.  Matt is on two bottles a day and Drew is on just one.  He is a good little boy!

Katie got to hold Claire for a little bit this afternoon too.  She is still feeding via the feeding tube that you see in her mouth.  They really don't seem to mind it from what I can tell.  She just sat in mommy's arm and stared at her.  She is just a little precious thing!

I am a tad biased but I think the babies look great!  Their color is wonderful and they are just active and alert when you hold them.  WHAT A BLESSING!  Katie and I talk about how there are just so many blessings and wonderful things that have happened with the pregnancy and after they have been born.  Things happen for a reason and we are so grateful for everything, absolutely nothing is taken for granted.  

We hope that this finds everyone well and enjoying the summer!  Our next blog update will be tomorrow.  We'll have a birthday blog message!!  Stay tuned!

Love,

Todd, Katie, Claire, Drew and Matt!