Greetings to you all. Thank you for your prayers; not only are we feeling them, but so is Xavier.

First of all, let us praise God for His goodness! Xavier achieved his first goal: week 24!

We left PVH in Fort Collins today a little after 9:00 AM MDT and arrived at University Hospital in Denver just before 11:00 AM. The paramedics took a number of readings after getting Rebecca on the gurney and several before taking her out of the ambulance. For Rebecca's part, she slept on the drive down (alas, she was not allowed to drive the ambulance, nor was I).

Check-in was speedy as all her records and info was sent in ahead of time. The room we are in is about half the size of the one at PVH, but just as nice. We have two large plate glass windows, a southern exposure and a straight view of Pike's Peak. The amount of natural light in the room more than makes up for any shortage in the room's accommodations. The bed is superior, having some sort of intelligent air mattress that inflates and adjusts to pressure points every so often.

More cables were attached to Rebecca upon arrival to the room. I made the comment that I had seen this episode of Star Trek: it's the one where Captain Picard is turned into a Borg.

It took nearly :30 minutes to get the belly monitor to find Xavier. That boy was really playing hide-n-seek today. The Doppler monitor easily found him, but the longer-term sensor had challenges. It was replaced with another one which worked better. Rebecca was also connected to a contraction monitor (no need to worry: no contractions, just part of the baselining procedures we went through today). Xaviers heart rate is very good, ranging from mid 130's to mid 150's. We have a paper tape of the hours he was monitored. I am suggesting using the tape as a wallpaper border for the nursery.

The monitors were removed after a few hours. The doctors deemed it necessary at this time to only monitor Xavier once a day for about :30 to :60 minutes. That, I think, is a praise report.

Rebecca was tapped again with an IV stub. This one went in easier than the last, but still no blood could be drawn through it. This required another "poke" in her other arm to get the blood. Yes, more tests. Rebecca said earlier "Of course you realize the longer the baby does well, the more tests they are going to run." Rebecca seems to be a rare case and the doctors don't know quite what to do.

We met with her team (she has two doctors and one resident). They were all very open about what is going on, the various possibilities and other turns that can happen. Though the information was hard to hear, still it was delivered calmly and with good context--nothing like last Tuesday's events. That, I think, is another praise report. The doctors are on the same page as Rebecca and me--Xavier stays in the womb as long as possible.

They are treating Rebecca as one at high risk for "severe pre-exclampia" so they will be watching her and her BP very closely. They discussed with us what happens should she reach the point of exclampia, which will not be good for either mom or baby. The last set of tests for protiens in her urine were positive. The amount of proteins found are not pre-eclamptic, but her doctor thinks she is moving in that direction.

With the information the doctors had this afternoon, they would like it better if Xavier weighed more: 500 grams. Last week's sonogram put him at 400 grams. His survival expectation outside the womb at this stage is very low.

After a few hours, we had another ultrasound. Xavier (and mother!) are looking good! Xavier is still three (ish) weeks behind in growth based primarily on the circumference of his waist, which is (apparently) one of the primary markers. His head, arms and legs are tracking right at 24 weeks. His heart is healthy, his bladder was full, his umbilical cord strong and active. They did take a reading of his amniotic fluid, but the technitians did ot comment. I expect the doctors will tell us more about that tomorrow.

Here is some exciting news! Xavier is about 15 ounces (435ish grams). That is still below the 500 grams the doctors would like to have him at, but... Last week's ultrasound had Xavier at the 3rd percentile for his growth. This afternoon's ultrasound puts him in the 6th percentile! Praise God! Note, there is some margin of error in the weight estimates, so the doctors are not committing to saying he has grown that much, but praise God anyway!

The doctors here are cautionary and have re-stated we need to take things day by day. Xavier, having made his first goal, now has a goal of growing to 500 grams, then to 1000 grams as well as the longer-term goal of 28 weeks and beyond (his size is still concerning, and not at the calendar 24 weeks--he needs to catch up to be physically 24 weeks before the doctors here will relax more, I think)

Visitors are welcome, but we are asking not before this Saturday (3/26). Today was trying and Rebecca needs rest. Visiting hours are 7x24 here, but it is in a secured environment (I've had to wait for the elevators twice because somebody tripped an alarm in the baby wing; doing so locks down the floor and the elevators). Visitors need to check in at the front desk right off the elevators.

Thank you for your prayers; they are gold to us and to Xavier!

PS. Team Xavier (the three doctors) came in just now to talk with us. Overall, it was a positive meeting, the upshot being:

1. They are planning to deliver vaginally at this point because the type of C-section they were contemplating would place unnecessary risk on Rebecca. The C-section is not off the table, but for now vaginal birth is the plan.
2. Xavier really needs to catch up in his growth physically.

A view of (a tiny part) the Colorado University Medical Campus, which is behind the building Rebecca is staying in.

Greetings to you all and thank you for prayers, support and visitations.

We had several visitors today, including a Girl Scout cookie delivery all the way from Cheyenne. Even had a surprise visit from one of Rebecca's coworkers, also from Cheyenne.

Rebecca is doing well. Her BP is still a little erratic at times. Sleep today has been difficult. Probably a result of laying around all day and having little activity. The steroid injections may be contributing to this also. The labs all came back negative, although traces of uric acid is now showing in Rebecca's blood. This is a sign of preeclampsia.

Xavier is doing well. His heart rate is strong and fluctuating in a healthy manner. He has been active today, the black smudges on the movement graph is as squiggly as it has been since we began watching. We should have even more news about him tomorrow once we get to Denver!

We have been busy preparing for the journey south; Tuesday morning a final call to University Hospital will be made to ensure there is a bed there for Rebecca.

Meanwhile, the windows we ordered for the Northern Outpost are ready and scheduled to go in this Thursday and Friday. This has caused a slight disruption of our best laid plans. The four-legged kiddos will not migrate south until this weekend, and I will spend Thursday and Friday in Fort Collins to oversee the window installation. It is well we are taking things one day at a time; those who know me know how I dislike my set schedules to change :)

Always, thank you for for your prayers and support.

Hello, greetings and Happy St Patrick's Day to you all.

Always, thank you for your prayers and support. We are seeing prayer answered daily.

Today I got to take Rebecca outside where we dined on fine Culver's cuisine. The sun came and went as did a breeze. As we wheeled around the jogging track, it began to rain, then some sleet and snow. We were a little damp by the time we returned to the hospital lobby.

Yesterday many people visited us, including one surprise drop in who happened to be returning to Denver from Cheyenne. This helped break up the day. Rebecca had a couple of BP measurements that exceeded the 150 upper limit, and the nurses and doctor think it was due to the stimulation of so many people dropping by. (there was laughing, and telling stories about family, etc which put a cheery rose to Rebecca's cheeks--a little too much cheery blush). The doctor suggested limiting visitors to no more than thirty minute stays.

Rebecca's BP is back in the mid range of where we want it to be. She is in good spirits today and we've received several visitors this afternoon.

Xavier is something of an Olympian, both in his ability to hide from the heart beat monitor (although you can catch him wiggling) and in the strength of his heart. Tonight his heart rate ranged from 138 to 158 during the 5-10 minutes we "cornered" him; earlier today he had nearly as active a range. This is exciting, expected and healthy. Glory to God!

Tomorrow, Rebecca will have another steroid injection, have more blood drawn for another series of labs and another 24 hour round of looking for various protein markers in her body. The new round of tests are to help University Hospital in Denver in getting a baseline when she is admitted. Her move will begin about 7:30 AM Tuesday with the ambulance heading south about 9:00 AM.

I am preparing for an extended stay in the Southern Outpost, which means collecting all the can't-live-withouts from up north and getting the Northern Outpost packed in moth balls. I will be practicing bringing home little ones as I will be bringing both Lena (our Dalmatian) and Poof (our 5#, self-cloning fuzzball of a cat) with me. This will be a Poof's first visit to the Southern Outpost.

2 Chronicles 16:9! Our God is strong on our behalf and on behalf of Xavier Michael!

Thank you all for your prayers,