Photos + video: Two weeks with the tube; Uncle and cousin; Swimming

We have been home from the hospital for two weeks now. The tube has a lot of advantages and disadvantages. Loki has grown more in the last two weeks than in the previous two months. He is up to 13 pounds 9 ounces (6.15 kg). We also struggle much less with feeding him . We offer food, and if he refuses, then we move on to the tube and pump. It is also easier to share the work: Before, Mom was the only one who really knew how to feed Loki. Now I can do it just as well. And the other night Loki's Nurse Extraordinaire Margaret did us the huge favor of sitting Loki while we had our first real night out in almost a year. Loki was incredibly at ease with her, which made it very easy for us to leave and not worry during our almost seven hour adventure.

Of course, it is a constant task. Each three hour feeding cycle has a half-hour set up, then a one hour wait, then a fifteen minute take-down, then a 75 minutes wait for the next cycle to begin. We give him 105 mL (half thawed breast milk, half NeoCate formula, fortified to 24 cal / ounce) over an hour at each feeding.

However, we gave in, and are now trying continuous feeds overnight. If we didn't do that, we would not get enough sleep and just go crazy. So, every 3 hours from 9 AM until 10 PM, we do normal feeding. Then from midnight until 7 AM, we have the pump on continuously, providing three feedings worth of pure NeoCate. During the week we will give continues feeds only two feedings overnight.

Loki still struggles with the food. His reflux can be quite painful, and some nights and early mornings he wakes up quite a lot of discomfort. In addition he coughs, spits up and sometimes even aspirates (breathes in some refluxed milk) more often than in the past.

Suddenly today, Loki began to vocalize much more. He used to "talk," but largely stopped in the last couple months. Then today, he talks with lots of babbly sounds, like gah, dah, bah, and blah. He even does it when he's upset. Instead of screaming "Whaaaah!" he now screams with clear syllables. It's funny, in that it sounds like he is swearing.

For a week, my brother and his son - thus Loki's Uncle Brent and Cousin A.J. - visited. It's great for Loki to meet his family!

Our new apartment has a pool, and we finally went swimming yesterday. Loki tried a little boat, and this funny head floater ring that is popular in China, but not yet here. He had a lot of fun, particularly once he got the hang of the head float and realized he could kick around.

Loki babbles:



Loki swims:



Dad and little man:


With Uncle Brent:


With Cousin A.J.:


Loki, Uncle Brent, and Cousin A.J.:


Little boat:


Head floater:


With our friend Christine, who has been a huge help, particularly at the hospital: