Surprise!

Yesterday we got a very unexpected and exciting surprise... Tyler is breathing completely without any oxygen support! We weren't expecting this to happen for quite some time, so were really shocked. Both he and Max were down to 1 liter on their vapotherm and Tyler had only been receiving about 22% oxygen for a few days. Since room air is 21% and his pressure was so low, the doctor decided to test him without any support and see how he did. His cannula (the prongs in his nose) was removed at 9am yesterday and he hasn't had any apnea spells so far. Fingers crossed that he continues to do well, but this is a very exciting step for Tyler! Max is also close behind as the doctor removed him from the vapotherm pressure this morning. He is still getting a small amount of oxygen, but it is significantly less breathing support than with the vapotherm. A big step for Max too, so our little boys are moving along! They are continuing to gain weight as well, which the doctors are happy about. Last night Max weighed 2 lbs 10 1/2 oz and Tyler weighed 2 lbs 13 1/2 oz. They seem to be staying right with the 3 oz difference they were born with, but Max's protein additives should start moving him along quicker. He'll catch up in no time.

We've been telling the boys to rest up because they have a big weekend ahead... Big Jim is coming to visit! He will be here from Thursday until Sunday and we can't wait. The last time he saw his newest grandsons was when they were 3 days old. I think he'll agree that they have changed quite a bit since then! I will post a few comparison pictures below to show how far Max and Tyler have come. Their progress is pretty amazing.

On a side note, it is 75 degrees and sunny in Nashville today. As the sun shines a little longer and brighter each day, we hope this means the darkest of days are behind us. And we're not just talking about the weather.

Max: 1 day old

Max: 5 weeks old

Tyler: 1 day old

Tyler: 5 weeks old and with NO breathing support!