Good news!

Let's hope he keeps this up! But...

PROLOGUE

About 9:05 tonight we got a call from St. Mark's NICU... this after having told the doctor at noon that we wanted to be updated on any changes to Luke's orders....

CHAPTER 1

After talking with the neonatologist on Thursday, she told us that Luke had been doing well enough to try giving him the bottle 2 out of every 3 feedings, and seeing how he tolerated that, after having received NG feedings every other time for a day or two (One of the many orders we hadn't been informed of, thus leading to our frustration as expressed earlier). We figured this was a great step in the right direction. Thursday at 9 p.m. he weighed in at 6 lbs 8.2 ounces. The doctor told us he had to gain weight for 2 days straight and do it all on bottle (nipple) feedings. (Either a real nipple or a bottle... you get what I mean...)

CHAPTER 2

Friday, Robyn went in at noon to feed Luke and to talk with the doctor about a "care plan." She however forgot to talk with the doctor, and instead just enjoyed being with the little guy for nearly an hour. At 6 p.m., we went in as a family and Luke had eaten only half of his bottle, and was receiving the rest through his NG tube hooked to a "feeding pump" that pumps the milk in more gradually, to reduce the likelyhood of spitting up. He weighed in at 9 p.m. that evening at 6 lbs 9.8 ounces.

CHAPTER 3 (Trust me, it's getting good here...)

We went in today at noon again, just me and Robyn. Luke was doing well, having eaten his 9 a.m. feeding from the bottle completely gone. Robyn nursed him on one side, and he took 30 cc's more from a bottle -- considered a "complete" feeding, making 2 in a row. We thought for sure he'd NG the 3 p.m.... he'd been doing so well, we thought he'd need a break. I gotta stop underestimating this kid. While there, we "reserved" the bonding room again for 6 p.m. so the girls could come and hold their baby brother again.

CHAPTER 4

We went back at 6 p.m. tonight to let the girls hold him and to feed him again, this time with stored breast milk from the bottle. We asked, and he'd eaten at 3 p.m., the entire bottle (we thought it couldn't happen!), wide awake, and alert, and hungry, apparently! At 6, Robyn fed him his bottle, and he ate the entire 60 ccs. This made for 4 complete feedings in a row! Could this really be happening?!

CHAPTER 5

The phone rang tonight at 9 p.m. The caller ID (that's identification, not part of the human psyche. Thanks Dr. Freud for screwing that up for everyone...) said St. Mark's Hospital. Oh joy, they are calling us cause something's changed... what could it be? Robyn answered the phone, and it was Luke's nurse. She mentioned that Luke had eaten his entire bottle AGAIN at 9, making for 5 feedings in a row now, apparently a significant milestone, becuase THEY REMOVED THE FEEDING TUBE!!! Also, 9 p.m. is the "weighing in" shift, and Luke now weighs in at a healthy 6 lbs 11.5 ounces... his second straight day of significant weight gain without losing, and this after 5 -- count em, FIVE -- bottle feedings in a row!

EPILOGUE

The doctor told us that this is typical with preemies. One day, all of a sudden, it will just "click". Like with me and swimming lessons. I took swimming lessons for years, seemingly with little progress, then one day, I just swam. It clicked. Don't know quite how or why, but now I can swim. Luke now seems to know how to eat from a bottle, and GAIN WEIGHT DOING IT. another day and a half of this and HE COMES HOME! Now the phrase comes to mind "I don't want to get my hopes up too high, because what if he doesn't... " But, I happen to be in the middle of preparing an Elder's Quorum lesson on faith... and it just tells me that I can't think that. I must believe. I don't think Luke is dangling the carrot out in front of our noses just to pull it away again. I think this is the beginning of "IT"... It's going to happen this time. I can just feel it. Keep your fingers crossed and knees bent and arms folded for the little guy. He just may be on the HOME stretch!!! :)