2 "feeds" down

Well, I imagine the poor resident assigned to Riley today doesn't care for me much. I mean I like her, but I asked to speak to the attending earlier in the day when she said the plan was to leave the replogle in till the weekend....and then, when she decided he was breathing too fast to feed by mouth, and putting a feeding tube in defeated the purpose....she was overruled by the same attending (not by my doings this time). He came around on afternoon rounds and asked how Riley handled the pedialyte. Ummm he didn't get pedialyte as Dr so and so says he's breathing too fast. OVERRULED. It was as if Riley knew what had just been said and he went from sleeping peacefully in my arms to being in a rooting/hunger frenzy. That pedialyte couldn't get there fast enough. It was only 8mL's of pedialyte (there are 30mL's in an ounce), so it's a really pitiful amount. But...testing both his stomach ability and his ability to know how to suck/swallow/breathe all at once without choking or aspirating the food into his lungs. Since he's 3 weeks old now and has never had to put this skill to use, I was nervous.

It took him about 15 minutes to drink the 8mL's. You could tell he really didn't know what to do with the bottle. then, somehow, he got a little taste of the fluid, and went into a frenzy of gimme gimme gimme.Settled from that, and here and there sucked properly. The nurse (who had to do it cause of his fast breathing) gave him the pacifier then snatched it real quick and put the bottle in to kind of help him figure it out. They say it'll get better each time. he did a little better on the 8pm one. But he was so content after both of them, as little amounts as they are. If he does well on them, his 5pm one tomorrow SHOULD be able to be milk. He was even completely calm, just a little grumbly during his assessments and diaper changes. Not one cry. THIS was definitely a new thing. He will be fed every 3 hours tonight, that same amount. Hopefully he will tolerate them all well.

Once again, I just want to thank everyone for all the kind words via blog comments or emails. They really lift the spirits during a long hard day :o) We know we are truly blessed to have so many people caring for little Riley. It's amazing the improvement he has made. When he first got here, I thought....we'll he will be here a while, but sounds like he will come home before Halloween. Now, I know that isn't going to be the case and it saddens me to know I won't be home to enjoy the fun with Travis that night...or that I won't get to take the 2 boys together to the pumpkin patch. But at least now, I know he WILL be coming home one day. For several days, it really seemed as if that wouldn't be the case. So I'm setting my next goal for home by Thanksgiving. We'll see what happens.

Some pictures from today...

Just cause I love him on his belly and they let them lay like that in the hospital because they have the monitors on them...


Sound asleep


Bottle's in!


Now what am I supposed to do with this? (Notice the size of the bottle? The amount of pedialyte was only about a half inch deep in this bottle. IF that much. Pitiful.


Heeeeey now...there is something IN here


:o) Happy baby


blurry but I like it


I've seen that look before