Our Big Drinker

We have been introducing Veronica to the bottle this week. It’s a little on the early side for her to be able to master the art of sucking and swallowing while breathing, but she has been showing signs of readiness … so we’ve tried. After two days, I think we have found the right formula for success: only trying every other feeding (and letting her sleep through the alternate feeds), using a slow-flow nipple on the bottle and tilting her a bit to the side. Using this technique, she took 30 ml (out of 45) from the nurse yesterday at noon, 15 ml from John last night, and 30 ml from me at noon today. Way to go Veronica!

Veronica’s brady episodes seem to be decreasing as well — both in duration and intensity. So she is working on her last two big hurdles before she is ready to come home. (It likely will still take several weeks to be ready, but I feel like we’re into our final approach with her.)


Colin also is doing well with his feeds and seems to be digesting everything properly this time. As a result, each day the doctor is increasing the amount he gets. His total daily intake is still less than what Veronica eats in one feeding, but if he can continue do well, he’ll catch up in no time. (Okay, it will take some time, but he will catch up.)


Colin is on his second day of stability — thank goodness. If he continues to remain stable through today and tonight, the doctor is planning to start him on the steroids again tomorrow. Even without the steroid treatment, they have been able to continue to lower his ventilator settings, so I am keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed that the treatment will be enough to get him over the top of the hill and off the ventilator.