Day 15 12/23/09

Well, today Magda the occupational therapist called me and told me that she was in Hank's room and she was wondering if I was coming to see him today? It was about 9ish so since we had been staying at the condo down the street we get there between 9-9:30... We were actually getting off the elevator when she called and I was thinking "are we coming"?? How sad that she would even have to ask but most of the parents here don't come everyday, some have multiple children, some have to work, some just don't care. Well, I told her we would be in his room in two minutes and she said she had a suprise for me....

We had been working on his pacifier for the past two days, like I mentioned the other day, babies who have been intubated (breathing tube) associate thing put in their mouth as being a bad feeling. So for the first 2 days, he hated the pacifier, we worked with him constantly reintroducing this as pleasurable.

So, the Occupational Therapist said he was doing so good with pacifier that instead of bottle feeding him which they originally had planned on they decided to try breastfeeding. He latched on immediately and ate for 45 minutes! It was so great that he remembered, they said that it could take the longest part of recovery just teaching him how to eat again. Well..... he didn't need any help with that!

He still has a chest tube in that is draining pretty good still, that will have to go down before they are able to remove it.... and he is still on a little oxygen tube up his nose. We are just a few steps away from home now. We do not want to come back so we will stay as long as we need too!

Gramms and Grumps came by today (they come everyday just for moral support, they have been our rock as well as Lee and Jennifer) so she got a chance to hold Hank for the very first time. Grumps was a little afraid to hold him right now with his tube in and all... he will wait a little bit longer.

Now, that I am breastfeeding again I will have to spend the night at the hospital again so Hank can eat whenever he is hungry! Derric is going to try to stay with me too on the little one seater they call a couch haha! This is going to be interesting!!!