This Wednesday (4th) we hit 8 weeks in the NICU. Lots of progress on the one hand, and lots more to go on the other. Calvin is nearing discharge, but we have no end in sight for Simeon at the moment.

Calvin could possibly come home early next week! He is definitely looking chunky now nearing 7 lbs. He is eating like a champ completely by mouth and is gaining weight well. While he has met tons of big milestones, he remains in the NICU for them to monitor some final and potentially-no-big-deal concerns. 

Simeon is making progress, albeit slowly. He has now been officially diagnosed with a lung disease caused by prematurity. That, coupled with his large heart defect, is an atypical one-two punch for a start to life. BUT ... Simeon is a fighter! The doctors have increased his respiratory support the last few days, and now Simeon is beginning to gain weight. He is almost 5 lbs. The main goal for Simeon right now is weight gain. If he gains weight, then his lungs get stronger and, God-willing, then he can come off CPAP. We're very unsure how long we'll remain in the hospital for Simeon. A good case scenario could be another 8 weeks in the NICU, and then after that we'd be returning in short order for Simeon's open heart surgery.

We also want to give a massive thank you to our local church, First Presbyterian Church of Houston. Ben and I have truly been overwhelmed by the hospitable love, faithful prayer, and tangible support from so many in the congregation, from a lengthy meal train to  house and kid help to encouraging texts/visits to blessing us with baby items, including throwing a very sweet baby shower. Through our church, we have felt God's heart of generosity and compassion in this hard season. And we want to say, "Thank you, all y'all." (Did I say that right, Texans?) You all have been like Aaron and Hur were to Moses in Exodus 17, holding up our arms so that we have the strength to continue to hold our precious babes.