Day 10 and PICTURES

Ty finally pulled a few pictures off of his phone. I think we'll spare the ones with the tubing/wires/etc and post his "good" side. He's looking so good now!

Well, today started GREAT! I made my way to the hospital at 8:15 after I received a phone call telling me that Jeshua was awake and ready to eat. I know this doesn't sound so great, but my little man hasn't been "awake" enough to demand eating ever! We have basically been force feeding him for the last few days, but today he demanded. In fact he demanded food all day long, way to go Jesh. Through out the night on Tuesday he was eating 50 ml and sleeping for about 4 hours. Today he was eating on average 60 ml and eating every 2-3 hours. Another great leap for Jesh. Now, I thought that when he ate 60 ml every 3 hours he would be free to go. I thought this only because that is what the doctors have told me. Well, what they didn't tell me is that he has to be totally weaned off his fluids (which they do gradually as he picks up eating) and filling his diaper and bag appropriately for up to 48 hours before they take the PICC line out. The nurse tonight told us that Jesh may be totally weaned off his fluids tonight depending on his next feeding, which is by bottle and measured (sorta hard to measure a nursing baby!!) but not to expect him to go home until the weekend or early next week. Jesh is nursing better than he was yesterday. Even the nurses were commenting on how well he did today. I still finished off every feeding session with the bottle just to have some sort of measurement and to "top him off." So, in short, feedings are way better today.

Dr. Walker (the surgeon) came by this morning to check Jeshua, as he does every morning, and he took Jesh off his antibiotic. One less thing going into his little body. Dr. Walker also asked how many times I had cleaned or changed the colostomy bag. Um, never. He encouraged me to listen to the ostomy nurses and even try changing the bag. SCARY. The ostomy nurse came around 11:00 this morning and walked me through the whole thing. I was able to get the bag off (thanks to my mom who was holding Jesh's arms and soothing him.) We noticed that one of his stitches had popped so now his stoma is more almond shaped rather than round, not such good news. The nurse made a new "pattern" for the opening of the bag and helped me get it on. It sure helped that Jesh had fallen asleep by the time we actually got the bag in place. The bag was still holding tonight so I think I did okay for my first time trying. It sounds like the ostomy nurse will be back tomorrow to help me again. Tomorrow I think I will try all of it by myself to make sure I can do it. I know they are grading my performance as well as Jeshua's so I want to do the best I can to get out of here.

I mentioned earlier that my mom helped me out today. It was nice to have someone with me today. I have been getting lonely. She got to hold and feed Jesh a bottle today. I am pretty sure she enjoyed her time with him. Tyson came back this evening and got to hold his sleeping baby for a while. We had a good night together. Tyson told me a pretty funny story about Aaron tonight, I hope I tell it right. Before I had the baby, Aaron asked how the baby would come out of mom. He actually asked if the baby wound rip my tummy to come out. I of course said no, but didn't really know how to explain the whole thing to a 4 year old. I told him that the baby comes out a special way. That was that. Well, tonight at dinner Aaron asked, completely out of the blue, "how does the baby come out in a special way?" (I am so glad he asked Tyson and not me) Tyson told him that there is a special small opening in mommy that no one can see that gets bigger for the baby to come out and then closes right back up. BRILLIANT! Tyson is so much better at talking to our kids about weird things. Aaron scrunched up his nose and asked if it hurts mommy when the baby comes out. Ty was very honest and said yes it does. Aaron told Ty that boys don't have special openings, only moms! Smart boy.

Anyways, tomorrow is a new day and hopefully things go even better than today and we can start getting this little boy ready to go home to a family desperately waiting for him.