We need a bigger house....

Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful for all of the supplies that are arriving on my doorstep - bottles of formula, feeding bags, tubing, etc. But it all arrives in bulk; one month's worth of supplies at a time.

Our house was "cozy" before Oliver arrived. For nearly nine months, we worked at cleaning out closets. We reorganized to make more room. We bought a small storage shed. And when Oliver arrived in August, our house became a little "cramped" with teeny clothes, play mats, swings, diapers and such.

Then, in December, the equipment began arriving. At first, just a CoughAssist and a pulse oximeter. Neither had much in the way of additional supplies (or "consumables" as the insurance company likes to call them). Then we got a couple good-sized boxes of SimplyThick to add to the breast milk. Then we switched to formula with the SimplyThick added.

In February, the newest addition to our equipment family arrived: a nebulizer. And several little boxes of albuterol to go with it. A mask or two. Some tubing. A makeshift adapter with a T-connection so Ollie could have his treatments while lying down. We'd gone from a little cramped to surrendering the coffee table to the equipment family.

We got home from the hospital on Tuesday with a couple of patient belonging bags with 5mL and 3mL syringes to flush the tubing for his feeds. Several Y-site extension tubes to make it easier to administer medicines via g-tube. A couple of 60mL syringes to vent his g-tube and give feeds via gravity. A few bags to hang feeds in case we got a pump.

Then Wednesday rolls around. The home medical equipment and supply company delivers a Kangaroo Joey feeding pump with small backpack. More feed bags. A pole to hang the feeds and mount the pump.

Today, a box of 30 feed bags arrives. Along with more Y-site extensions. Plus four cases of ready to feed formula. And one can of powdered formula. The tubing that runs from Oliver's Bard button to the Y-site extension tube hasn't even arrived yet.

Shhhhh. Asweep...

Mama and baby are both sleeping beautifully right now. It's good (great!) for both of them. Everything is still going superbly today. Ollie is doing great without morphine - what a little trooper - and seems to be tolerating the increasing quantities through his g-tube wonderfully.

As of now, it looks like we will be here at least through Tuesday. Tomorrow, they'll be showing us how to conduct a bolus feed (we hope not to need a pump for him, it would be a lot more convenient to feed as needed). He won't be able to take oral feedings until we have another swallow study done to make sure everything is working OK after the Nissen. That may happen before we leave the hospital or we may have to come back a couple of days later. You can tell the little fella wants to drink something, but now that the feeding volume through his tube is up, he doesn't seem to be acting as hungry anymore.

Once again, thanks everyone for the vibes and prayers you've been sending our way. And thanks to my parents for helping out so much over the weekend (Spring cleaning! That's just too much guys!).

Please also keep Rebekka's parents in your prayers. Her mom was supposed to visit to help with Ollie, but Bekka's father has had a bad time of it the last few days. I know they need the good vibes as much as we do. I know it's hard being so far away sometimes.

Until later...