Genie in a Bottle

Katie, our prized pulitzer, has the night off, so I will do my best to fill in! Okay, let's see. I went to visit Chase this morning for a quick visit. Nurse Anne said he slept well through the night and only had minimal emesis (vomiting) this morning. Katie and I then met with OT (Chase's Occupational Therapist) as we were both anxious to see what they thought of his sucking/swallowing development. She was pleasantly suprised by his progress from last week - when his cheeks were tight and he wasn't as animated/excited about his binkie. She spoke with the resident and has scheduled a follow-up appointment tomorrow afternoon to actually try bottle feeding! It has been a long time coming, but to us this is such an important milestone for him to reach and to HOPEFULLY succeed at! I'm sure we can still move forward comfortably with other feeding options, but all seem to be more invasive, in particular the g-tube placement.....Chase also had an Eye and Ear exam this week. Results from the eye exam yielded immature retinas, which generally are common place for premature babies. Next follow-up will be in two weeks, so we will know if there is improvement then. Chase did pass his initial hearing exam with flying colors and will be reassesed again as he continues to grow .....Finally, we have a care conference scheduled tomorrow after meeting with OT. This enables Katie and I to meet with everyone involved with Chase's care (from the attending physician to the discharge nurse). We can ask questions, set goals, and ensure all parties are on the same page. And we have cautious optimism that his development and his homecoming plan can be positively affected by his bottle-feeding progress over the next week or two. Release that genie from the bottle!!