Not taking a bottle...

Monday passed rather uneventfully for a baby in ICU...when I called the night nurse she said he'd had a good night, and this time that meant he slept for a couple of uninterrupted periods. I was really glad to hear that, because Sunday he ended up taking only about a 45-min nap all day, plus he'd been refusing food since about noon on Sunday.

They said they would have to start IV fluids and/or a feeding tube if he didn't eat better on Monday--he just flat-out won't take breastmilk or formula from a bottle. They wondered if he would nurse. So I got there as quickly as possible, and sure enough, he was very interested in eating that way. They feel it's probably a comfort thing, which is fine, except that it's not the most convenient method with various tubes and wires still attached, plus I am not sure how much milk I'm actually making. Since they can't measure his fluid intake, they'll monitor his diapers for output and keep an eye on dehydration.

The surgeon covering for Dr. Bradley mentioned changing the wound vacuum today, but decided to wait until tomorrow. We can't seem to get a clear indication of whether or not Dr. Bradley would check it again on Wednesday when he comes back, no matter whether it has been changed on Monday or Tuesday already. My main concern with that is not wanting him to have to go through sedation any more than necessary. We finally learned that in either case, whether today or tomorrow, they would not make the final decision about closing his incision until Dr. Bradley returns.

My big surprise of the day--the "powers that be" at Glenn's job told him to come back to Charleston! I am sooooo relieved and thankful. We felt it was a bad time for him to be away from work, but I honestly get overwhelmed about the silliest little things like trying to get away to the store, or do laundry, or keep everyone updated, while spending as much time as possible with Brandt in ICU. I know he gets good care even if we're not sitting right with him--but the Mom in me doesn't like to leave him. Especially with his needing to eat so much now...my exhaustion level is at an all-time high. And the days stretch on very long when I'm away from my precious fam. So having them here and being able to see them even for short periods does a world of good!
Am hoping to head to bed a little earlier after feeding Brandt and getting him to a sleepy state for the nurses this evening...cheers for a good night's sleep!