Growing a Family: Almost home...or maybe not

Yesterday Victor was able to start eating breast milk and he's been passing gas and pooping like a champ so we are well on our way! Yes, I do a little happy fart cheer every time I hear a toot! I said to the nurses yesterday I don't think it will be near as exciting when he poops in a potty for the first time after this. We've been waiting 8 months for this poop. Thinking back to those very first 8 days before his first surgery waiting and waiting for him to stool while his ittty bitty tummy just got more and more distended while I consulted Dr. Google and read horror stories of preemies with NEC (I'm not going to explain, but if you want to google it you can imagine my fear). Well that is over, it all works now, but slowly. There is a delicate balance between pain management and getting everything working again. We don't want him to be dealing with pain in any way, but narcotics slow down our digestive tract so even though he is wanting to eat on his normal schedule the bowels aren't moving fast enough to get rid of the waste for that eating schedule. So this morning all looked good and we were switched to all oral pain meds for our transition home and then 2 hours later they measured his tummy and he had an extra 2 cm and was very distended. Thankfully, he is still stooling and passing gas so it's not a concern as to whether or not he's all working, more a concern of getting him back up to speed, but that said, we do get another day out of the deal. The surgeons said "No going home until we're sure he won't be right back." Even though his time may be a little longer than we hoped, Victor is still the happy, patient little boy he's always been. We've even got a few laughs out over the last couple of days.

We're all holding up pretty well, but mama is missing her other boys and Victor is, too, I think. We have a picture of Oscar and Mylo in his crib and he spends a lot of time studying it and talking to it. I talk to the boys on the phone when I can and my mom says Mylo is really trying to find me in the room when he hears my voice They were supposed to come and stay at Ronald McDonald House with Grandma last night so I could be back and forth for night time feedings and snuggles, but the RMH was full with critical care families who get first dibs on rooms so that didn't work and we ended up having to do a combination of turning my dad into breast milk delivery service and a little supplementing with formula. When Grandpa Roger comes to get breastmilk this morning he'll be trading cars with me so they will have car seats for Mylo and Oscar and they'll all come in and visit this afternoon before bed time. Mommy can't wait!