Wednesday June 8th in the morning

It seems that Karsten is about 6 months old, but each night at 9.55 we note that he is another day old. Last night he hit his 3 day. Wow a lot can happen in 3 days. Good news to update. Julie has now been able to feed Karsty on a regular basis and he continues to put on the pounds (actually ounces). He no longer has an IV runing fluid to him and for the most part is functioning much like any 3 day old child. Currently he is up to 6 lbs 7 oz and looking strong as ever! This morning they drew blood again to check the platelet count and as we arrived back in his room around 6.30am this morning, the nurse met us with further great news. The platelet count after a day and a half are stable at 11,000 and have not dropped. This is what the Dr said he was hoping to happen. We are very happy and optimistic, but still taking it in small strides. Karsten slept in a normal crib last night and seemed to continue to rest and gain strength. We are so happy and so grateful for everyones support. If we could thank everyone individually we would but since we can't know that we read every comment on facebook and on the blog and are grateful beyond words. We will keep you posted on the next step. They have mentioned upgrading him and moving him to a transition area in the NICU to prepare him and us for coming home, but no time frame is set. We will continue to wait and see. To be honest the nursing staff is so great that we are considering asking them to keep him until he graduates high school. They help us feed him, monitor his vital signs, a doctor is always close by and I have decent insurance so after about $2000 dollars a year it will all be covered. We can't feed and raise him for that much at home. Ok Ok I am just kidding but good humor and laughing certainly has helped to make the past few days a lot easier. The journey is still early but we have hit a few smooth stretches and it is nice to just hold and kiss that little face. When you get to see him, you will understand. He is a great little boy and we are honored to be able to be his parents.