It’s been almost a week since we posted our last update – and it’s been a fairly quiet week at that. Peanut has all but put her surgeries behind her and the focus has shifted to how her remaining intestines are going to work. Slow and steady on straight breast milk seems to be the path, as an attempt to add a human milk fortifier on Tuesday to help fatten her up was a complete failure. The fortifier caused Peanut to flush everything out of her system in a short time instead of digesting it properly. Tough, that won’t keep the doctors from trying again in a few weeks as her body continues to grow and adjust. Although she lost a few ounces from her body not tolerating the fortifier, she’s come a long way over the last few weeks and a few setbacks here and there are expected.

Peanut has also moved into an “open air” crib, as she is now able to maintain her own body temperature at room air temp. Currently, she has to wear two layers of clothes, a hat, and is swaddled in a blanket to maintain the right temperature, but as she gains more weight, she won’t need as many layers.

We had the chance over the weekend to bring the kiddos to Iowa City to see Peanut again. It was also the first time each of them got to hold her. The kiddos were sitting in the corner of Peanut’s room watching a movie on the laptop and it was feeding time. Peanut was just situated on my lap with the bottle when Lulu looked up from the movie. Not only was it the first time she’d seen Peanut take a bottle, it was the first time she’d seen me hold Peanut. She had to get a better look and make sure no one was cutting in on her territory. In less time than any of us could react, Lulu was off the floor, across the room, up on my lap next to Peanut, and “holding” the bottle. After the bottle was empty, Lulu announced “I’m a good big sister. I want to hold my baby sister now. She’s so little.” How do you say no to that?

Lulu Holding Peanut

Potato Boy With Peanut

Sissy Holding Peanut

How did Peanut respond to all this? She slept a lot the next day.