Completely in LOVE!

James and John David getting ready to eat. Definitely starting to look like a "Smith" and a "Pate", even a "Howa"....big head- Smith, big ears- Pate, big nose- Howa! I love it!!!! Can you tell who is who????









This is a canvas painting Claire painted for her brothers.



Boys are doing really well. On Monday, they were moved to the "back wall" of the NICU, which means they are graduating up to the next level. As the babies grow and do well, doctors move them further out from the center of the NICU where the really critical babies stay. They also got new beds yesterday. Heather, one of our favorite nurses, changed them into smaller issolettes that are used when the babies become more stable and don't require as much critical care from their beds. I heard through the grapevine tonight, that she had a little photo shoot with them last night. My dad and step mom (Mose and Rose) bought the boys some really adorable preemie onesies at Babies R Us yesterday and Heather dressed them alike and took pictures of them side by side. One of the other nurses tonight said the boys looked so much alike when she had them lying next to each other with their arms wrapped around each other. Rob questioned whether they swapped the babies, because tonight we noticed that John David was all curled up and snuggled in his blankets and James was sprawled out...very unusual for them, Usually John David is sprawled and James is snuggled up. When they are dressed alike, they look so much the same that it kind of scares me to think of mixing them up if they weren't in two different beds. I think it may be time to paint a toenail!I can't hardly wait to see those pics that Heather took.

They are eating well. James took 24 cc from me today and John David took 40 cc yesterday. They are up to two bottles and day a one breast feed a day. SO half of their feeds are from the OG tube (tiny tube that goes to their belly) and the other half are from breast/bottle. James is on 27 cc and John David is on 29 cc.

James weighs 3lb 3oz and John David weighs 3lb 7oz right now. They are growing well. We are praying daily for them to stay healthy and well while they spend some more time growing and getting stronger.

Breathing seems to be about the same. They have spells every once in a while, but generally they recover on their own and the nurses don't have to do much to them. They have told us that it is very typical.

James will have a renal ultrasound Thursday, Jan. 8th to check the fluid on his kidneys. Remember at birth they were concerned with abnormalities of the kidneys due to his two vessel cord (sometimes the two vessel cord can suggest abnormalities in the kidneys or hearing. Please pray for tomorrow's scan to be clear of the fluid he had at birth.

Speaking of birth, I can't believe these little miracles have made it to one month! They have grown so much and done so well. I am so proud of them. I am so thankful for every single blessing God has granted them.
Every single time I walk in that NICU and see them in their issolettes, my heart flutters and my soul rejoices. Each time I prepare to leave them, I always place my hand on their issolettes and pray for God to breathe strength into them, give them an immeasurable amount of health, place a safety net around them, keep them from discomfort and give them growth and rest through the night. My heart aches as I leave because I want so badly to hold them close to my chest, kiss their tiny little heads, smell their distinctive NICU sterilized blanket smell, and feel their warm, delicately soft skin. My heart is also filled with the purest joy I have ever felt because they are here, growing and thriving and becoming their own. It is so hard to leave them, makes me tear up each and every time. So after I pray for them, I then thank GOD for all of the people who are also praying for them each day and night. I thank HIM for hearing all the many heartfelt prayers from all of our family and friends and granting those prayers in HIS and only HIS miraculous way.

So the Pate boys are doing well and we are so thankful for it.

Please make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the page and spend a few minutes praying for some of the prayer request on my "wall". These friends are in desperate need of prayer and I want them to be prayed for my many and I know that there are many of you out there who believe in the Power of Prayer like I do.