Don't Drink and Drive

Shepherd and Jackson are five weeks old. The boys are now the sage elders of the NICU, sharing their wisdom and life experience with the young kids who come into the unit. The Britton Boys continue to improve on a daily basis and at some point during the last week both boys crossed the five pound mark (Jack is 5 lbs 4 oz and Shep is catching up at 5 lbs 1 oz). Shep and Jack's feeding schedules are like a frat boy's during rush week. They grab a bottle, drink until they pass out and then wake up three hours later and do it all over again. And the similarities don't end there, they also occasionally throw-up on themselves.

Jack has been doing so well with his feedings that he was able to take the Car Seat Challenge (CSC). I find it funny that the quicker you can down a bottle, the faster you get to go in a car, but that's for another time. Now, earlier I talked about the onesie challenge, which is a contest that doesn't really exist, but that I made up to help improve my baby dressing skills (I can now dress the boys in just under two hours). The Car Seat Challenge is a real test that the boys must pass before they can leave the NICU. To complete the CSC a child must remain securely fastened in their car seat with their leads attached for 90 minutes. During the 90 minutes the child must maintain their heart, breathing, and pulse-ox rates without any significant decreases. I am happy to report that Jackson dominated the CSC and passed without any problems (There are pictures below). After watching his brother Shep is anxious to show us his skills and will hopefully take the CSC at some point this week.

In addition to the CSC, the boys have had eye-tests (that came back normal) and Jackson had a hearing test (that also came back normal). We are still unsure of the boys homecoming timeline, but the CSC is one of the last NICU hurdles. The doctors and nurses have told us to be ready and that the boys could be coming home at any moment. It is possible that Jackson may come home before Shepherd, but for the moment we are in a holding pattern.

Another great week in the books. Vicki is doing very well and we are both trying to get the apartment ready for the homecoming celebration. Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts. New photos are below.

Kodak Slideshow of Shep and Jack Week 5

Video Slideshow

Much Love,

-The Brittons