Yesterday we were looking forward to another first -- and received four! As the pictures show (for Saturday), Grace was on my bare chest and she was as alert as a baby her age should be. We cuddled and she cooed and hiccuped lots. Her nurse, Dori, offered that she needed a sponge bath so we came back to the hospital in the late afternoon expecting to bathe her and learned that she would be moving at 5pm to the Continuing Care Nursery (CCN), a blissful level down from the NICU. We were certainly happy and it seemed entirely unexpected to us, as parents who aren't sure what to worry about, so we worry about most things. David and Dori wheeled her on her first trip in her "bubble" and she got situated in a "corner" suite. She lost her water view but she doesn't mind. Finally, while the day was long at the hospital, we finally gave her a sponge bath, between breastmilk pumpings. She was alert and seemed to enjoy the experience. We learned that eyes get wiped from the inside to the outside once with the same part of the cloth just in case she has an infection (which she does not). By 8:45pm, the pooped parents and Grammy went home with hungry bellies!

William has a new roomie. His parents are very nice and wished Grace a fond farewell (and took the picture of us next to Grace's bubble). William also had a tummy X-ray yesterday as the docs were concerned about the size -- it's just air in there! So he and his Mommy are struggling with a similar medical malady! After a bit of spit up in the morning, he is keeping his feedings down nicely. He really enjoys being on his stomach, which is okay for preemies, so the nurses place him there to aid in digestion. Hopefully, today William's IV comes out and he will receive all necessary "stuff" via his nose tube. William had a new visitor yesterday, a hematologist covering his pediatric hematologist. She was very friendly and checked out William -- no problems with the heelsticks! And we cannot wait to be surprised (hopefully) again very soon with William moving "hotels" to CCN next to Grace. The CCN will probably be more restful and enjoyable to William as there are less bells, alarms and staff running around (and less babie too).

We are very fortunate in that our babes have never intubated to this point and there are many bigger babies in the NICU who are long-termers (length of stay and intubation according to their parents). David reminded me that hernias run in his family so we will talk with the docs to be sure that they are aware of this issue, should Grace or William have a hernia.

William and Grace's cousin, August, sent Precious Moments dolls yesterday and they are in their bubbles already. We have played the prayer for them and while the babes were asleep, the nurses liked the prayer. The prayer voice sounds remarkably like August's. August, you may be famous!

Before the delivery activities, we moved our potted geraniums outside for the summer. They had been neglected a bit. With a pruning spurt of energy yesterday after the hospital, they now enjoy their place on the front steps. This is definitely a sign of normalcy in our household!

I hear David taking a bath -- such a restful activity for him and my Mom is resting in the sleeping position! I think I'm back to bed to rest before another pumping -- and we are going to Mass today. Since I did not feel well before the babies were born, we have not seen our friends and attended Mass in a few weeks. It will be wonderful to see Father Paul and folks.

Seize the day! With love,

David, Victoria, Grace and William

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