Feeding Camp Days 8 & 9

While at home, I grabbed these bad boys off Wyatt's playroom wall.  He loves them and I thought he'd like to have them here too.  

Yesterday (Wednesday) I went home for a couple of hours to make more of Wyatt's blend for his night feeds.  James couldn't get down here until 5ish which put me leaving in HORRIBLE  traffic.  It took DOUBLE the time for me to get home, over an hour.  I got into the car and mapped my route while still sitting in the parking lot and almost burst into tears when I saw the red highway and estimated time.  If I were leaving to go home TO Wyatt and James instead of away from him, I wouldn't have been as upset.  But I made home without tears and safely.  

My horrid drive home.  

Yesterday Wyatt ate/drank almost 20oz again.  He coughed, gagged and lost a little once in the afternoon but that all for the day time.  Our nights have been a little bit harder than I'm accustomed.  With the increase in night time volume, his vomiting output has gone up some as well as making dirty diapers in the middle of the night.  I'm really not used to that one.  Not what I care to wake up to.  lol.  

I don't think I've mentioned it but since we are staying in the hospital, they monitor EVERYTHING.  Input and output, meaning every sip of water is weighed, every bolus and flush of water through the tube, written down and all vomit and wet/dirty diaper weighed and recorded (and no wipes are a part of the weight... makes for an interesting time when it's a dirty one).... oh my. 

He LOVES being outside and loves running.  

Something was off today for Wyatt's eating.  It wasn't a bad day, he just didn't eat as much.  He had a feeding tech he hadn't had before.  I don't know if that was it or if he just wasn't feeling the eating thing.  While she was working with Wyatt, I was watching after the first low eating amount but nothing stood out as a reason why he didn't do as good of a job as previous days.  It was his milk totals that were down more than anything.  I'm praying he picks up the volume tomorrow.  

In OT today, she had Wyatt work more with textured items and less with his muscles.  She said he did better with play-dough than he had previous days with "gak-ier" type textures.  He played with it for just a little bit then started to put it back in the container, as if to put it away and be done.  The "wetter" textures are a little more difficult for him.  He's more timid to touch more than sticking a finer in it, so no real playing.  

Wyatt's team leader approached me today with a trial schedule for the weekend.  She gave me complete control on taking the option and to just trial it for three days.  If we like it, we keep it, if we don't we can return to what we are doing now.  The one we have now is the "late" schedule.  Breakfast at 9 through to dinner at 6.  Wyatt is doing okay with this one but it's not optimal.  Snack is at 3 and he's sleeping right up to 3 and I've had to wake him up a couple of times.  With the new one, we'd have to "early" schedule.  Breakfast for Wyatt at 7:30 through to dinner at 4:30.  It has it's pros and cons just like they all do.  Wyatt has been waking up at 7:30.  I'd have to wake him up around 7 for both of us to dressed and ready for breakfast.  I'll be honest, I never like to wake him when he's sleeping but.... waking him from HOURS of sleep versus waking him from a nap is much easier.  Then he'd have his speech time, lunch at 11, snack at 1:30 and dinner at 4.  With this one, I can keep Wyatt up until snack is over then lay him down for a nap and have him up by dinner time.  After dinner I can feed Wyatt by mouth as much as I want.  This means until we can drop some of this blend night feed, I can space it out a little more and not so much while he's sleeping.  Less being connected to the pump (higher risk for pulling his button out) and less chances for middle of the night vomit.  :-)  I'll decide on Monday and let them know.  

There's a lot of turnover happening this week.  Someone went home yesterday.  Two or three people leave tomorrow.  A baby came in today.  I know they will be full to the brim next week.  Makes me curious as to who is coming?  Will my new neighbors be friendly?  Loud?  Shy and hard to talk to?  I do know one of the families being admitted next week.  We've gone to church together for longer than I've known James.  Kind of sweet to know someone coming and here while I am here.  I met another mom who is doing outpatient now and will go into inpatient with her daughter in July and I look forward to seeing her sweet face and having our small moments of chatting each day even though I just met her.  A common friend introduced us because he felt our stories are very similar and we just had to meet.  :-)  

He wanted nothing to do with taking a picture with Mommy in that moment.  

I feel like Wyatt has adjusted well to being here.  He has his moments of cranky but overall I think he is having fun.  He has his favorite things to do.  I think if I let him, he'd play outside all day long.  I wish it were 10 degrees cooler in the afternoons and I'd be happy to let him play outside all day long.  He just gets so hot, we have to come in and rest.  

More running inside.