Is that a bottle I see?

On Monday morning Aiden's doctor called to give a routine update and I mentioned to her that I was concerned that he wasn't bottle feeding yet and worried that he was being set back too far in the feeding area by waiting for his surgery. I mentioned to her that I thought he was getting milk during our breastfeeding sessions also. She decided to give Aiden a chance to prove his bottle feeding abilities/tolerance this week. He has been getting 2 bottles a day since Monday - only 5 mls in each bottle, but it gives him good practice. Today she said he was doing so well on the bottle that they are going to give him 4 bottles a day! We fed him his first bottle Monday night and I fed him again today. He is actually pretty good at it, he does have to be reminded to pace himself and I just tilt the bottle down so he stops getting milk and remembers to breathe. He really enjoys it and burps like a big boy afterwards :)

This is Aiden getting his bottle...

This is what happens after Aiden gets his bottle...

And this is what happens when momma stays at the NICU too long late at night :)

He weighs 4 lbs. 7 oz. and has finally been gaining steady weight - about an ounce a night. He saw the surgeon yesterday and we were told his surgery is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. The sooner the better! He will be transferred back to Sutter the day before his surgery and stay there 5-7 days before being transferred back to Mercy.

He is almost a full term baby and all the nurses and the physical therapist say he is a VERY social baby. They have actually turned him around in his incubator so he is not facing the wall so that he can watch everyone in the room. The nurses also taped some black and white pictures of shapes up in this incubator so that he has something to look at. He loves his awake time, loves it when people talk to him and really loves it when people hold him. We can't wait to bring him home where he will have lots of social time with mom & dad!