Evening update, Sunday

Praises:

• Seth's left lung is better. Now they are trying to better inflate his right lung. He remains on the oscillator ventilator. 
• The nurse practitioner was able to get a PICC line in David's other arm!

Prayers:

• Again, that all the babies will begin making their own surfactant, especially Seth, and that Seth's breathing issues would continue to improve so he can get off the ventilator and avoid the complications (including chronic lung disease) that can arise from long-term ventilator use. 
• There was another unsuccessful attempt to insert a PICC line in Marcie Jane, this time through her leg. Another nurse practitioner will attempt it through her other leg tomorrow. If unsuccessful, Marcie will need surgery from Children's Medical Center to insert the broviac into her chest. I would LOVE to avoid this, looking at Gavin's scar from his broviac during treatment for leukemia as an adolescent, but I realize a scar is one of the least important things on the list of potential concerns. Boys think scars are cool; girls aren't so fond of theirs. :} I'll just be grateful to have her with us in future years and can point to it as a sign of God's faithfulness and goodness. 
• Gracie had to restart her blood pressure medication at a very low dose, but did a good job without it for most of the day, so that is an encouraging start.
• I arrived at the NICU tonight to find Will crying and milk coming out of his nose and mouth while his oxygen level dropped. The nurse quickly syringed him and explained that the CPAP can make it difficult to keep the milk down; maybe he needed to burp and just couldn't. It was nice to hear his cry for the first time, but otherwise obviously upsetting to see him struggle. It was a good reminder that even though he continues to sail through the NICU experience thus far, he also has his little challenges and "traumas," and it bothers me that I can do virtually nothing to help him - and in this case it was my milk he was distressed by! So a "little" but important prayer request is that the babies on CPAP will be able to eat without problems. I'm also reminded that if Will were the only baby, we would be praying like crazy for him; it's just that all the others' needs are so much greater at this time, he tends to be the P.S. rather than the center of the attention. I love him just as much as his siblings!
• Please also pray for Isaac, who has exhibited some signs of anxiety and stress, and for me to be more stable around him. I cry SO quickly and am so overwhelmed in general (not helped by the hormones of having given birth to five babies, and now having five preemies in the NICU, plus pumping around the clock!).  But I sure love these babies and wouldn't trade them for a stress-free life, that's for sure! I can't imagine doing without one of them. 

Thanks again for praying, and please also remember the press conference at 1:30 Central Time tomorrow, that the Lord would honor Himself and that I will be composed and not a sobbing wreck. :} The whole family could use your prayers during this time. It's stressful for grandparents and aunts and uncles too! 

With love and gratitude,

Carrie