I had to share this photo. After complaining that I didn't get anything for Valentine's Day, Nacho had Guelly carry out my present, a dozen roses.....what a great couple of valentines!!!!
















This is Alex on the CPAP....I don't think he could see very well!













This was much better for Alex. We were very glad to get ride of those big tubes!












Here is Mommy holding Alex for the first time.













And Daddy's turn holding Alex. He was actually better for Daddy than Mommy.....the starving man wanted milk from Mommy and she isn't allowed to give it to him!

Alex has had a very good day today. The have lowered his air on his oxygen by half so maybe he will be coming off that soon! The also increased is feeding by more than double today....to 12 ml....still not a lot but hopefully it will keep him a little more full. We think his wonderful disposition is because he is so hungry all of the time. I got to hold him again tonight and he settled down with the help of a paci and sugar water and slept the whole time. He got a break from his feeding tube for a little while. The next one will probably be down his nose.

I got to spend the morning with Miguel. We had a good morning but he cried when I had to drop him off at Diane's. It broke my heart.

For all of you who know about our immigration stuff we got a call from our lawyer tonight. Our appointment is for April 14th!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stress!!!!!!!!!! I have to get our Hardship letter done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried when I told Nacho......so happy yet so scared!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alex had one step forward and two steps back. The good news is that he is no longer hooked up to the CPAP, he just has regular oxygen which means smaller tubes and he is much more comfortable.

The bad news is that he has/had a leak in an air sack of his lungs. He has some air in his chest cavity now. All of his numbers for his blood gases still look good and it doesn't seem to be bothering him so they aren't going to do anything to remove it right now. They are going to watch it and see if it resolves itself.

The other bad news is that Alex's biliruben level is double what it should be....that means he has jaundice and is under the bili lights.....gee I think I remember Miguel going through this too!

They have also stopped is feedings until some of these things come undercontrol. So we are back to freezing my milk for him. They do still have him hooked up the the bag of nutrition and the IV of fats so he should still gain weight. He really liked having food in his belly though so I feel for the little guy.

I will be going home tonight and will head back to Toledo tomorrow morning. Hopefully tomorrow the Ronald McDonald house can get me in. There are only two people on the list ahead of me as of this morning. I may just stay at the hospital until they can get me in. I can sleep on a pull out bed next to Alex. I haven't decided.

I will be able to post pictures after I go home tonight. I will grab the cord for my camera to upload them.

I will keep everyone updated.

My little brother was born on Sunday February 24th, 2008. He was 4lbs 10 oz and 18 inches long. His name is Alex Ruben. He was born early at 34 weeks so Mom says he has to stay at the hospital until he gets a little bigger and can breath better. I can't go see him because I'm too little.....so not fair. Mom can't get any pictures uploaded from the hospital. Her card is too big to fit in Grandma's computer and with the snowstorm we got today Papi didn't go up to see her and Alex to bring her cord for the camera.

Alex has started getting small feedings every 3 hours by his feeding tube. He is digesting some of it but not all. Hopefully things will begin moving soon for him. They decided to leave him on the CPAP for one more day. Maybe tomorrow they will move him to the smaller oxygen tubes to that Mom can hold him! And so Alex can move his head! He has a reputation in the NICU for having a temper.....so watch out! He will scream until he turns blue and has every monitor going off!