The many faces of Chase :)

Notice there's no yellow NG tube in Chase's nose anymore. I wish I could say it's because he's taking 100% of his feeds by mouth. I turned for a half second and he somehow completely pulled his NG tube out. He's still up to his Houdini ways! I think he's trying to tell us something. He actually took every feeding by bottle today, so he didn't even need the tube. But then Chris went to feed him his 8 o'clock feed tonight and said he only took half. This was right after they had to re-insert the NG tube, and so he had been pretty agitated and was probably too tired out for a bottle after that ordeal. It always seems to take multiple attempts before they can get it back in. And I can't imagine how painful and uncomfortable it must be for him each time! It's probably a good thing I wasn't there when they were putting it back in. I was hoping they wouldn't put the NG tube back in since he hadn't needed it all day. I wish I would've said something to the night nurse.
The docs are still watching and waiting. We plan to go in early tomorrow morning when the doctors round to hear their thoughts. He's up to 7 lbs 8 oz now, so he didn't gain much this week. He's probably burning up more calories by bottle feeding. And he's still having quite a bit of emesis. He finally has a primary nurse after two months. We were sad because no nurse would sign up as his primary and so he would have a different nurse almost every day. We felt like nobody wanted to take care of him because he was too high maintenance with the trach and emesis. We were so spoiled at St. Luke's b/c his primary nurses were so wonderful and knew his every need. So now his primary nurse, Becky, will have him each day she works. So she'll get to know him, the doctors, and Chris and I. She's had him the last two days now. It will help things so much I think, and will take the pressure off Chris and I. We would always feel like we needed to tell the nurses all the little things about Chase and his likes and dislikes. What Chase likes: his vanilla binkie, his sugar bear, Daddy singing, being read "Guess How Much I Love You" and "The Barnyard Dance", his musical giraffe, and being held. What Chase dislikes: NG tubes, diaper change, having his temperature taken, throwing up, trach care/change, hospitals :)