ENOUGH ABOUT CLARA ALREADY!!!

*Picture not posed. Wilson knocked his passie on his head
and was clearly wondering where it went and why it wasn't in his mouth.

"Hey!?! What's the deal around here? I'm getting bigger, breathing on my own, and acting cute but no one is talking about me. Enough about Clara already. A little credit please. This @#$% isn't easy." - Wilson's comments after reading the blog.

Wilson, thank you for letting us know how you feel. We are very proud of the progress Wilson makes on a daily basis and cannot believe his transformation over the last seven weeks. The nurses removed Wilson's air cannula at noon yesterday and he is still breathing fine on his own. He also weighs a whopping three and a half pounds, which means he will hopefully be able to maintain his body temperature without assistance. The doctors are already lowering the temperature in his isolette and hope to have him in an "open air" crib in the next week or two. As we know from personal experience, anything can happen, but Wilson's first 49 days have been a miraculous success. (We used to be afraid we would jinx ourselves by saying things like that, but honestly, if we had that kind of power we would use it). 

Now that we have given Wilson his due, we want to update you on Clara. Unfortunately, Clara continues to regress and everyone is becoming hyper-vigilant about the condition of her lungs. The lasix did not help her breathing and she continues to exhibit classic symptoms of BPD or chronic lung disease. Once we get through the MRSA scare (we'll receive her blood cultures back today) a decision will have to be made on the course of Clara's treatment. We talked with the doctors at length last night about the risk of using steroids versus going back on a ventilator or taking a wait and see approach. Bottom line, there is no easy decision. However, we feel very comfortable the doctors understand our wishes and will do everything they can to maximize Clara's chances for long-term success. That's all we can ask. Other than that it will take God and time to get past this phase. 

We can't tell you how much it means to us to have people call, text, email, or even just read the blog. We might not be the best correspondents right now, but our friends and family make this (barely) tolerable. This has been the roughest week for us since they were born, and we are truly humbled by your support and love.