Toby has had an on-again off-again relationship with the bottle this week. He does well for a few feedings over the course of a couple days and then crashes, exhausted. Back to square one. The plan for transitioning from gavage (tube) feedings to bottle feedings seems simple: one per day until he does well, two per day until he handles that, and on up to the full eight feedings each day. I was hoping for a nice, smooth increase. The reality is more like the proverbial roller coaster. We are at the bottom of a hill now and trying to climb up again. Toby had two sessions with the bottle yesterday and neither was successful after two good ones the day before. So it's time for more resting and waiting and patience . . .

The ability to nipple feed and gain weight is the major obstacle to overcome to get home. Breathing is difficult for Tobias; he will probably go home with oxygen, a monitor, breathing treatments, medicine and I don't know what else. But the ability to feed seems to be a baseline requirement. So even while we thank God for his marvelous progress so far and know that God's timetable will not be frustrated, we are praying that Toby is able to move ahead in this area.

I am also realising more and more that when we do get home, it is not going to be life with a typical newborn but instead life with one who requires the rest of us to make a lot of adjustments and accommodations. It feels like maybe this has just been boot camp for each member of the family and the battles are still ahead. So the need for God's wisdom and God's strength continues. Thank you who are reading this for your continued interest and prayers. We are so grateful to you and thankful for you.