Inadvertant Bad Coffee Experience

August 30th 11:30 a.m.

For those of you who have gotten accustomed to getting a Ty and Park update while enjoying your morning cup of Joe, my apologies. This blog is obviously coming about twelve hours later than normal. Having had to work two night this week, Heather has been a trooper and has taken on blog responsibilities most of the week. Last night I was just plain too whooped to sit down and write. The week got the better of me. So if your morning coffee experience was disrupted a bit at least now you know it wasn't due to any further devastating news about the boys, it was simply a task I chose to procrastinate on:)

Life in the NICU is just pretty strange at the present. Up is down and down is up.....I can't figure out really what is happening. Tyler is supposed to be progressing pretty well, but the last few days have seemed the exact opposite. Thursday's bizarre turn for the worse still has no explanation. Prior to Thursday we were seeing times when he was awake alert and seemed to be actually a little bit aware of his surroundings. We were getting holds that were up to two hours and he seemed to be on a good path. Lethargy, paleness and disconnect became the norm on Thursday.....for no apparent reason......to the point where they didn't want to give him his immunization shots.....it was really weird. He got a blood transfusion to give him a boost. The news of the bleed in his brain was a little difficult to hear and prompted a lot of speculation in my head. Yesterday he had rebounded enough that they were comfortable administering his shots. These of course had the expected effect. He just didn't feel good all day. Unusually cranky, really unsettled and just plain sick were the norms of the day for Tyler. The poor little soldier just didn't feel good and it showed. When we left last night about 9:30 his heart rate was still up, he was still breathing really hard and he just couldn't get settled in. Parker continues the anomaly. He has been really struggling as of late. After three plus weeks back on the breathing tube we were informed that he had at least a couple more weeks. His oxygen requirements wouldn't come down and he was actually diagnosed as being worse off then he was three weeks ago. His eye exam as well as the changing of his tube on Wednesday really knocked the poor little guy for a loop. Unlike brother Tyler, he was able to be given his shots on Thursday though. The extreme discomfort this provided along with the potentially devastating news about his brain ultra-sound made Thursday a tough day. The anomaly comes in with Friday. Parker's oxygen requirement was actually down.....down to 45%.......he had been camped at 50% plus for so long I had forgotten what the 40's looked like. He seemed to be slightly.....slightly more settled than the past few days and was satting pretty well. Nine weeks in the NICU tells us that this is most likely the positive rebound from the blood transfusion he had earlier.....but who knows. So the bottom line is: I really don't know what to tell you.....other than both boys are alive and at least somewhat well and living in the NICU........living in the same room I might add......which has been really really nice. Seeing them both at the same time and so close to each other is the positive focus of the week!!!! It will be interesting to see how they are doing today:)