The Babies' Nursery

 My talented sister and mom put together our nursery.  I deserve no credit for its extreme cuteness.  Jenn picked out the fabrics and mom sewed the bedding, curtains, and pillows.  We used the same furniture that we had for N and J but it has a totally new look this time.  It's way cool!

CARSON'S BED:  (orange and gray)
Above his bed, the picture reads "Nothing is impossible with God."  So fitting isn't it?  I prayed over my sweet Carson just today while I was holding him at the hospital.  I put my hand over his chest and begged God to heal and strengthen his lungs.  Carson has caught on to drinking his bottles now and he's eating really well.  Sometimes he has to take his feed through the feeding tube instead of his bottle because his respirations are too fast and bottle feeding is a little much for his breathing.  Now we just have to wait (and wait some more) for his lungs to grow and strengthen.  He is such a miracle.

HARPER'S BED: (hot pink and gray)
Above her bed the picture reads, "Every good and perfect gift comes from above."  It sure does.  We took Harper in for her weight check at the doctor a couple days ago.  She is up to 6 pounds 9 ounces!  Chunky girl likes her bottle!

Way Overdue Update

We have had quite a week!

 Harper was able to come home on Wednesday...she is such a great baby.  I've decided that one very big plus to having NICU babies is that they are totally "trained" when you get them home.  Little Miss Harper is just on the most wonderful schedule and she sleeps like an angel.  Nathan and Jordan are just so tickled to have their baby sister at home.  Oh, it will be a glorious day when Baby Carson gets to join us!  I have been so much more emotional leaving Carson after every visit now that Harper is home.  It just tears my heart up that 5 of us are at home together and Carson is still in the hospital.  We are so thankful for all of his fabulous nurses.  They just dote on him, love him, and take such good care of our little guy.  Harper wore a hat home instead of a hair bow because it was a pretty chilly morning.  You know, these precious NICU nurses are very particular about their babies.  I was so afraid they wouldn't let me take her home if she wasn't wearing a hat!  Discharge was pretty quick that day so Nathan and Jordan still had on their pajamas when we got home.  :)

Carson has started drinking from a bottle!  This is a really big step for him.  He already works so hard to breathe so putting together "suck, swallow, breathe" is quite a challenge.  The first few days of bottle feeding, he would take about 4 mL from a bottle in 30 minutes.  That's about the size of a teaspoon.  He has slowly improved and today he drank about 20 mL with each bottle feed.  He then gets the rest of his feed through his feeding tube.  

When I think about Carson's first 18 days of life, I think about Isaiah 41:13, "For I, the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you."  I just know that God is holding our hands, whispering in our ear to "fear not. I will help you."  

Nurse Cindy fed Carson his first bottle.  He wasn't too sure what to think!!

Carson loves his paci!

  Nathan and Jordan finally had their birthday party this weekend.  When I was in the hospital and the boys' birthday began to approach, I decided to call the birthday party location and see if maybe I could move the party date a few weeks out.  I had already missed Christmas and Thanksgiving...I did NOT want to miss Nathan and Jordan's birthday party.  Thank goodness I got to celebrate with my big boys! 

Disclaimer: I did not unfold that napkin and tape it to the wall...I like to think I have better taste than that (most of the time.)  I guess the sweet ladies that were hosting the party at the church decided to take some liberty in decorating!  I didn't notice it until it showed up in the background of the pictures.  HA!

This Mama's heart is so full!!!  What a joy it is to celebrate our children!

Look who's in a big boy bed!!!!

More Blessings!

Yesterday, Bryan and I got to hold our sweet Carson for the very first time.  He was 10 days old.   My heart swelled when the nurse handed my little guy over to my arms.  One of the nurses tonight told me that she prayed over Carson's bed last Thursday night when his condition was very critical.  I had tears in my eyes.  We are so thankful for all that have prayed Carson through this scary time. Last week we were hearing things from the doctors like, "if he has enough lung tissue to survive," "his vital signs are critical," "his blood pressure is not stable," "he has a tear in both lungs,"  ...  and little did those doctors know that Jesus was working a miracle in our midst.  Carson still has a very long way to go.  He sounds like a wheezy squeaky kitty cat with every breath.  It's so hard to watch his little chest work so hard to catch every breath right now.  He is doing great and holding his vital signs stable while on his nasal cannula.  The doctors are weaning him off of his clear liquid diet through his IV and moving him to a formula diet through his feeding tube.  He is on breathing treatments twice a day too.  We are so proud of the leaps and bounds he has made during his first 11 days.  

Little Miss Harper is just a princess. She is doing great with her feedings!  When I got to the hospital tonight, she had no feeding tube!   The nurse practitioner decided to go ahead and take out her feeding tube to see how she did with her feeds over the next couple of days.  That is great news.  We plan to take her carseat up to the hospital for her carseat test tomorrow.  Harper is so close to coming home with us.

Chaplain Services from the hospital delivered baby lambs to each baby in the NICU this week.  It came with a sign that told the parents that their baby had been prayed over.  How sweet.  These lambs will be treasures forever.

Meanwhile, Nathan and Jordan are doing awesome to be so flexible.  They are so fun!!!

A Big Day for The Calvert Family

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN AND JORDAN!!! My big boys turned 4 years old today.  The first thing Jordan said to me when he woke up this morning was, "Am I four yet?"  So cute!  They were so excited about their birthday. 

At four years old: Nathan and Jordan LOVE Star Wars.  N and J know all the characters and can recognize their spaceships.  They have a new love for Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtles.  And, both N and J find it hilarious that the other turtles call Michael Angelo, Mikey.  Nathan and Jordan love to eat spaghetti, pizza, macaroni, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, and chicken nuggets.  N and J really do like vegetables and fruit too...green beans and broccoli are never a fight with them.  Both Nathan and Jordan love action figures, puzzles, coloring, stickers, cars, and books.

Today was pink day at school too!

Today was also a big day for Carson!  The doctor took him off the ventilator today!  We can see his darling little face.   He only has a nasal cannula now.  So precious!

Harper's sweet night nurse made her a super cute hat yesterday.  Isn't she fashionable?!  I could just eat her up!

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