May 31st

Boys Update – Sunday

This weekend was exactly what Mom and Dad needed. We were able to catch our breath a little, recharge, and spend time with our boys. As we head into a big week, we're feeling hopeful and excited for what's ahead.

💙 Colton

Colton is doing really well. He's spent the weekend resting and recovering, and we've already seen some of his swelling start to go down. One thing we were watching closely was his urine output. We were a little worried at first, but with some time and patience, he's been able to pee more on his own, which has been a huge relief.

He still hasn't pooped yet, so his feeds have been stopped for now while his body continues to recover.

Tomorrow is a big day. He'll have his very first trach change, and after that, the team will slowly begin weaning some of his sedation. I can't even explain how excited I am for the possibility of getting a little hand squeeze tomorrow. If all goes well, we're hopeful that by Tuesday he'll be much more awake.

And honestly... I still can't get over seeing his little face. After four months, it's something I'll never take for granted. I cannot wait to see those eyes open and watch his personality start shining through again.

🩵 Declan

Mr. Declan has had quite the weekend. Wow, a lot can change in just a few days.

This little guy is AWAKE. Very awake.

Between about 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., he is absolutely wild. He gets feisty, lets everyone know when he's unhappy, and then immediately opens those eyes and starts charming every person who looks his way. Today he even held Dad's hand for a while.

He wants everyone's attention, and I think he knows his brother is sleeping right now, so he's soaking up every bit of it. Lord help us when they're both awake at the same time.

The biggest news with Declan is that he has pooped for the last two days. I think we're up to six times now! For most babies that wouldn't sound exciting, but for Declan, it's huge…. Life changing.

Tomorrow morning he'll have another GI contrast study to see how everything is moving through his intestines. If things look good, we may finally be able to restart feeds.

To say we're excited would be an understatement. At the same time, we're nervous. It's hard not to be. We're hopeful, scared, excited, and anxious all at once…but his poop party is coming soon!

Another encouraging sign is that his ventilator and oxygen settings remain low. We're hopeful that within the next week or so we may be able to start making progress there too.

Overall, I really feel like this boy is ready to grow.

As we close out the weekend, we're feeling grateful. Grateful for progress, grateful for rest, and grateful for the incredible team helping our boys every day. Especially their nurses, we see you… even when you are off work or don’t have them, your checking in. 🥰🥰

This week feels like it could be a big one for both of them, and for the first time in a while, we're heading into Monday feeling excited about what's next.

Night Y’all!!! New month, new week, we are ready for June!

Declan Jet- charming eyes 🥺

Colton’s little hands.