No Paternity Test Needed

As the doctors and nurses push Clara and Wilson to develop and grow (lower their oxygen and increase their feeds), there will be more ups and downs for all of us in the NICU. It is important for the kids to move toward these milestones on the road to recovery, but it isn't always easy to watch. Thursday and Friday were both hard days. Clara and Wilson had several "desats" (this is when there is a severe desaturation in their oxygen and/or their heart rate slows significantly) and Clara's breath rate was high enough that they moved her back to three liters of flow on oxygen. Our nurses and doctors continue reminding us that this is normal for babies born at 26 weeks, but it doesn't make it any easier for us to watch. (Imagine Kentucky being up one point on Duke and watching Christian Laettner, who is perfect for the game, take the final shot. While the ball is in the air you have a certain feeling in your stomach. Multiply that by a hundred or so and that is what it can be like watching a desat).

Every day, however, we are thankful for the good things that happen. Yesterday was a great day for the McGarvey family as Morgan held his son for the first time. Like his Dad, Wilson knew he had an audience and was eager to perform. Morgan held him for an hour and a half and Wilson soaked up the attention, only going down in his oxygen once for a brief moment. At the end of his kangaroo care (what it is called when you hold the kids with skin-to-skin contact), Wilson also decided to pose for his first family portrait. What a ham! Who knows, maybe Morgan is the father after all. (Just kidding. No really, just kidding)

We don't want you to think Clara was left out of the mix. Chris held Clara most of the time Morgan held Wilson, so they both received plenty of attention yesterday. We'll see which one is having a better day today to determine who is the better parent. (Again, just kidding . . . sort of)