We have WEIGHT GAIN to report!!!

So, today was our follow up at the GI clinic since James' feeding tube placement one month ago today, and I am happy to NO ELATED to report he weighed in at 21POUNDS!!! Now they are registering it as 300 grams gained from the date of the surgery. At check in pre-surgery he weighed 19.4LBS., But when we left the hospital since James had not had anything to eat times 3days except for a slow 20mls an hour he lost weight and when we weighed him at home after discharged out of curiosity (ONLY PREEMIE PARENTS OWN BABY SCALES) he weighed 18.8lbs. Then took ill times two days bringing his weight down to 18.5lbs. So all in all not only did we gain the so called 300 grams but he put back the weight he had lost too. SO THERE!! Can they give him so more credit please!

Any how we are so thrilled to say the least. Now we have a new goal we are to cut back from the 10 hour continuous night feed to 8 hours and gradually increase him by 5mls over an hour every 3 days to reach 70mls per hour times 8 hours, plus the afternoon nap time feed of 70mls an hour. We are to have him at a goal of 750mls (calories) via tube feeding and the rest by mouth.

So far so good, this week how ever was a rough one. James was gaggy at the beggining of the week and threw up his nap time feed yesterday. But this is the first since the tube placement and he has had a much better day today. So I guess this is to be expected every so often especially since it occured prior to the tube. But at least we know he will get more and all we have to do is hook him up. The cutest thing is he now calls the button and tube his baba. He no longer gets a bottle but maybe once in a while since his surgery. I think he has had three or four, but now when I hook his tube to his button he says baba. I never said to him either that this was replacing the bottle nor did I intend to stop, but I did want to and now it just kind of happened. No weaning no problems YEAH! Also,

James has been showing great interest in his potty chair as well as the big potty, so much so that we have been peeing in it 2 to 3 times a day and tonight he told me he had ca ca so we went to the bathroom took his diaper off dumped the dump in the toilet wiped his butt and sat him on the potty and said this is where you do ca ca and pee pee he then nodded his head got down and flushed and said bye bye ca ca. (We then washed our hands) So I think my New years resolution is to get my boy potty trained. Any tips are greatly appreciated. I also think I will buy some pull ups. I have been telling him that once he starts going in the potty regularly he can get spider man under wear or he can wear underwear like daddy in which he responds YEAH!!!!! I am excited too! He is very smart and I think he is ready, I think they learn from repetitions so if we do it often. I don't know first time mom but here we go and go and go!!!!!

So today was a good day and I thank you lord. Our week was hectic with therapies and doctor appointments. This is our schedule now, Tuesday PT, Wednesday Feeding, Thursday Speech and a visit from our early interventionist, Friday OT this week we threw in a visit to the Surgeon because of recurring granulation and today the GI, But such is life of a premature child. Oh and did I mention working 20 hours a week (@ Night) doing Laundry, Now if I could just clean my house too, I so think MOM's RULE!!!

I tell you though I have learned so much in so many ways and I am starting to understand a little of why god chose me to have a premature baby. I think any way, I have always since high school wanted to be an RN, from a CNA in high school, to an MA and caring for my parents and now my son I think this is his way of pushing me a little harder to achieve. Does not have to be so harsh, but OK already, I get it. So once my life becomes a little more balanced and James is in school and seems to be doing well, I am going back to school to finish what I started.

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE!
Tracy