Today was a rough one. Not rough in the sense that anything really bad happened… thank God, but just one of those days that tested Mom, the nurses, and everyone going back and forth all day long. It was BUSY. Let’s start with our easier child today… Colton. 😂 Colton is doing great! He is still hanging out at a PEEP of 9. They did add a few extra breaths, so at times he gets a little additional pressure, but overall he is handling everything really well. Possibly Thursday, we

It’s been a few days since our last update because we took some much-needed time this weekend to just enjoy being together as a family. 💙 Saturday morning was actually a pretty big step for our family… we got our family car! Three rows with plenty of room for the boys, all of their things, and eventually the additional nursing help we’ll have with us. It feels a little surreal to buy a vehicle specifically thinking about bringing our boys home, but we absolutely love it. Aft

Not much has truly changed this week, and honestly, sometimes that’s a good thing. We are still taking things day by day and letting the boys grow, rest, and continue moving forward at their own pace. We’re still working on Colton’s puffiness, in his face and head. At times it seems like it isn’t quite as tight, but he is still holding onto quite a bit of fluid. We’re going to continue working with surgery and a few other teams to see if there are any other options we can try

It’s been a little while since our last update! We had a very busy, but very much-needed weekend. Mom and Dad finally got to spend some time together after almost two weeks apart, and Dad was able to see the boys on Saturday. Much needed family time. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 And boy, did they show off for dad! 😂 They sure like to act good when Dad is around. They also love to snuggle and sleep with him. Colton and dad are already sleeping buds. He mentioned how much bigger and better they

Both boys have been having some really good, restful Green Day’s & that is exactly what we needed. We’ve been following our new schedules, and things have been going so smoothly. Both boys are learning to take nice, long naps in the middle of the day and are sleeping through the night. Apparently Mom’s schedules might actually be working. 😉 Right now, our biggest goal is simple: rest, rest, rest. Declan is becoming such a little man. He sits in his MamaRoo chair twice a day

Today was a good day. A calm, mellow, relaxed, exactly-what-we-needed kind of day. 💙🩵 After the chaos of the weekend and then a couple of quieter days to recover, it finally feels like the boys are getting back on the ups. Mom may have gone a little overboard and created official schedules for both boys and hung them up in their rooms. 😂 The goal is simple: protect their rest, make room for therapies, and make sure we aren’t asking too much of them at once. And somehow, wi

This weekend was supposed to look a little different. It was Labor Day weekend. We had big plans to “eat hot dogs and barbecue.” 😂 You know… normal holiday weekend things. Instead, we had a very quiet, very restful weekend inside the hospital. And honestly, that is exactly what the boys needed. Was it what I had hoped for? No. Once again, I think I let myself get my hopes up about what the weekend might look like, only to feel a little disappointed when reality had other pla

As I always say, this journey is a roller coaster. And here we go again. Last week felt like such a high. Declan made the huge jump to low flow. He was able to get out of his room, go to his very first playgroup, and experience a little bit of freedom. Colton was making progress too, although I asked everyone to keep praying for him. And we still need those prayers. Because this weekend reminded us very quickly that in the NICU, everything can be great… until it isn’t. Friday

The last few days have brought a lot of emotions…some really beautiful ones, some scary ones, and a whole lot of reminders that this journey can change direction so quickly. Starting with our little rockstar, Declan. 💙 If you read our last update, you know we took a pretty huge leap and moved Declan all the way down to 1 liter of oxygen. And I am so happy to say… he has done SO well. He continues to surprise us. He’s comfortable, he’s happy, he’s playing, and he’s proving on

Surprise 💙🩵 This is a surprise in the absolute best way and I think this might be one of the best blogs I could ever possibly write. After a really good weekend, I honestly thought my heart was already pretty full. The boys’ great-grandparents came to visit, Dad got to soak up some much-needed snuggles, and overall, it was just a good weekend. I went home Sunday to spend some time with family and Riley, and then drove back downtown first thing this morning. Traffic was abso

SEVEN MONTHS. 💙🩵 Seven months with Declan & Colton. Seven months of loving two little boys more than I ever knew was possible. And today, they gave us a pretty perfect seven-month day. Both boys were awake, active, playful and SO much fun. They were smiling, moving, interacting and showing off those little personalities that just keep getting bigger by the day. And apparently, they decided seven months was also the perfect time to prove that these boys know how to POOP. 💩

Today is hard. Sad. Emotional. And honestly, I’m angry. This is one of those posts I might delete later. But this blog has become an escape for me and something I know I’ll look back on someday, so I might as well lay it all out there. Ughhh… I got news today that I really didn’t want to hear. I had been holding onto this hope that Colton could possibly be home by Halloween. Today, I was told that realistically, we are probably looking closer to December. 😭💔 That means at l

This trip was everything we needed. When we planned Seattle, we had no idea what life would look like by the time August came around. We certainly didn’t know that I would have been living in a hospital world since January 9th. Leaving the boys was so much harder than I expected. I cried on the way home the night before we left. I missed them before I was even gone. And that feeling never really went away. I don’t think there are words for how much I miss them when I’m not th

Today was one of those days where my heart was in two places at once. ❤️ Leaving the boys last night felt impossible. I cried pretty much the entire car ride home and somehow missed them before I had even officially left. I know they’re doing amazing and are in the best hands, but that doesn’t make walking away any easier. Then… 4 AM came quickly. 😴✈️ Ryan and I headed to the airport for our 7 AM flight to Seattle! We landed, checked into the hotel, and apparently decided sl

A Little Baseball, A Lot of Progress ⚾️💙 After everything these boys have been through, getting to share pictures of them feels like such a huge milestone in itself. And what better way to do it than with a little Cubs vs. Sox family rivalry? Mom is a Sox fan, Dad is a Cubs fan, so naturally the boys needed matching “House Divided — I’m the Tie Breaker” shirts. The only problem? There are TWO tie breakers. 😂 For so long we have been careful about sharing their faces, and it

A Quick Update on the Boys 💙💙 First, everything is okay! Sorry for being a little quiet the last few days. It’s honestly just been hectic, but in the best possible way. Having two babies who can now cry, want to be held, want attention, and actually want to play is a TOTAL shift. 😂 It’s amazing and everything we’ve been waiting for, but also a little exhausting! We’re learning a whole new version of these boys, and they’re definitely keeping us busy. Thankfully, Dad is her

I’m not even sure where to start this update. There are so many emotions, and I’m not sure I have the words for all of them yet. I am grateful. I am emotional. I am incredibly proud. And I am very, very tired. But most of all, I just keep looking at these two boys and thinking… how did we get here? Colton 🤍 Not much has changed with our sweet Colton and right now, that’s okay. We lovingly call him our slow grower. He is doing well, but we are basically in a holding pattern w

A Big Week Ahead… Prayers for Declan 💙🙏 We had such a great weekend with the boys. Ryan came for a day and brought his dad, Grandpa, who got to hold and feed Colton. It was such a special moment and a memory we will always hold onto. 💙 This morning, I woke up early to spend a few hours with the boys before heading home for the day. I surprised Ryan at his softball game and I got some much-needed time with him and Riley. Riley and I have basically been attached at the hip a

Today was one of those days where I found myself sitting back and thinking, Wow. Look how far these boys have come…. First up, Declan had his GJ tube procedure this morning, and he did amazing. He was only gone for about 40 minutes total, and honestly, the hardest part was transporting him down there. They tried to sedate him, but apparently Declan had other plans and decided to fight the medicine. 😂 Typical Declan. The procedure itself went great, everything looks exactly h

A Week Full of Big Steps This week brought some exciting progress for both of our boys. As always, we celebrate every victory while remembering they’re still in the NICU, still on life support, and still have a long road ahead. But this week definitely gave us more reasons to smile. God is good!! 💙 Colton Colton continues to amaze us. He’s doing well on his trach. He’s tolerating his feeds, continuing to take bottles, and even had his electrolyte supplements restarted to hel