Day 12

So he we are almost 2 weeks in, and we are getting restless. All we are waiting for at this point is for Eli to decide he wants to eat by mouth. It is so fruatrating. Last Saturday he took 4 full bottles. We were so excited because it was his first day of trying, so we got our hopes up that he would be flying out the door.

Unfortunately, Eli was still losing weight, so they started fortifying my breast milk on Sunday. This means simply that they are adding calories to my milk to help him gain weight. In doing this, he began to stay full longer. In the nicu, babies are fed every 3 hours. In orser to come home, they have to take all 8 daily bottles for at least 2 days to come home.

After Eli's one successful day, he went until Wedensday night taking nothing by mouth. The increased calories made it so he was no longer hungry at feeding time. Some feeds he would sleep, others he wouls be wide awake and happy...nevwr was he hungry! You can't really blame the poor guy for not wanting to eat!

He finally hit his birth weight again, and last night they started reducing calories again. He finally starting taking a bottle again. He has not yet finished one, but I am hopeful that we are getting closer. Occupational therapy has been working with him too, so they are working on finding something that works for him.

We were told early in the week that a Christmas homecoming may be pushing it, but that will continue to be our goal.

On the home front, LJ and Kaycie have both been sick. Fevers over 104, and just blah. Today everyone seems to be over the worst. We are struggling though. Poor LJ is over this. His routine is off. His mommy and daddy are not there att he same time, and he knows Eli is here but doesn't quite understand why he hasn't seen him yet. Thank you for all of the offers to watch the kids for a few hours but besides some visits with my parents, we are keeping them close right now. LJ is a sensitive soul anyway, and this is just wearing on him. Kaycie doesn't really know what is going on besides things are different right now, so she has also been extra clingy. All of this makes mama on the verge of tears all day every day. No matyer where I am I feel like I need to be somewhere else.

Thank you for all of the prayers. Please continue to pray that we can all be together again soon and that we come out of this stronger than before.