In case you missed it on the Beck Blog

From Patty and Kevin,

"Happy Easter to everyone! The Becklets are 2 weeks old today and they are making great progress in the NICU. Daniel was taken out of the incubator this week and is in an open crib. He is actually sharing a crib with his sister Kathryn. He has started to learn how to bottle feed. According to the doctors, it takes boys a little longer to learn new things but he is working really hard and we are sure he will master it shortly. He finished 22 cc's this morning which is the most he has finished so far. He had to be fed the rest of his feeding thru his tube but he was pooped by then so he deserved the break. He now weighs 5lb 2oz. He has been breathing well and has not had any episodes of apnea or bradycardia so they are going to start to wean him off of the caffeine that he is on to prevent these episodes. Kathryn was also taken out of her incubator this week and is maintaining her temperature really well. She loves being in the same crib as Daniel and is usually staring at him while he sleeps. She tried her first bottle last night and did a great job. She is now up to 1 bottle per shift and can finish an entire feeding. We thought her doing so well would bring out Daniel's competitive side, but we're not sure he realizes yet that she is doing better than he is. Kathryn now weighs 4lb 2oz and has also not had any episodes of apnea or bradycardia. The doctors are going to wait a few more days before weaning her off of her caffeine just to be sure she is finished with the episodes. The doctor heard what he thinks is a heart murmur this morning but he said this is normal for preemies (2/3 of preemies develop one within a few weeks of birth) and he is not concerned at this point. It was very faint and he said they usually correct themselves within a few weeks. Anna had her first bottle this morning and wants everyone to know that she may be the smallest but she can do anything she puts her mind to. She finished her entire feeding on her first try like a champ but zonked out right when she finished - that is hard work! Based on how well she did this morning, we are thinking she will progress quickly like her sister. As long as Anna continues to gain weight, they are going to put her in an open crib sometime this week and see if she can maintain her own temperature. She weighs 3lb 6.7oz. The babies enjoyed their first Easter baskets full of preemie clothes and hats and CD's and wipes. We are going to try to take pictures of them in their baskets tonight. I'll post them tomorrow if we are successful. Thanks for all of the cards, gifts and prayers and good wishes. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that the babies are receiving! They can't wait to meet everyone! They are even more adorable in person than they are in pictures. At this point, all the doctors will say is that they will be coming home sometime in April. It could be early April or mid-April. As long as they continue to make progress, we are happy! We realize how lucky we are that they are doing so well for being 8 1/2 weeks early."