I CONQUERED THE BOTTLE!!!!!

Okay, I didn't really conquer it....but I conquered half of it:) The doctors didn't think I would do a good job, and because of their lack of willingness to try, mommy has been a bit stressed out this week. But have no fear, baby Zander is here! I sucked really good through three days worth of feedings, and I tried to be awake for all of them...sometimes I had to snooze a little bit. Anyways, mommy talked to the doctor on the phone today and my Doctor #3 decided that she would allow me to attempt one oral feeding in a day. So one oral feeding every 24 hours, the rest by nose hose.

So today at 3:30pm, because I was wide awake...my Nurse Melissa sat me down and stuck this bottle thing in my mouth. Did you know that if you suck on that nipple thingy stuff comes out????? It's not like my binkie...my binkie doesn't leak, but this nipple thing...whoa....it gave me milk:):):) Needless to say I sucked on that nipple until I fell asleep. It turns out that I only sucked 20 CCs out of my 38 CC meal, but everyone was VERY impressed with me because they thought that I might not be ready.

It just goes to show you that MOMMY KNOWS BEST!!! She actually got the doctors a little upset with her because she wouldn't take "no" for an answer. They said I might not swallow and then I would choke and never want to eat again....um hello! We're talking about me here, since when do I not like food????? Mommy just kept asking and asking. She told them that she understood the risks, but really felt that I was ready to have one try. Mommy and I make a good team when it comes to arguing. She comes up with the argument and voices it to the doctors, and then I do exactly what she tells them I would do....just to prove her right:)

To tell you the truth, I did more awesome than mommy could have imagined. Mommy would have been overjoyed if I was able to swallow 1 CC, but I went above and beyond!!!! Milk tastes so much better when it goes through your mouth....not your nose!


In other news.....
Mommy, daddy, Grandpa Bob, Grandpa Orr, and Gwen, Matthew, and Nicholas all helped cut down the other half of our broken tree today. I hear it was really hard work trying to miss the neighbors' garages and the power lines, but I know that got a good chunk of that tree down! Grandma Domo refused to come today because she was fearful that there would be lots of injuries....she was right.

Daddy burned himself on the chainsaw and then cut himself in the back of his leg...(don't ask me how). Grandpa Bob and mommy were holding a rope attached to a huge branch and they went flying through the air...(I wish I could have seen that) and now Grandpa Bob's shoulder is more messed up and mommy's fingers are all raw and blistered.

After we got most of the tree down mommy and Gwen snuck Matthew and Nicholas into the hospital to see me. Mommy got into trouble (hehe), but Matthew and Nicholas did really good being quiet and not fighting. I was proud of them, so I tried to look as cute as ever for them. Mommy took a picture of them right before they had to leave. Mommy knows she broke the rules, but Matthew and Nicholas have been working hard to break in some of my toys at home, and they helped a lot with the tree today. They also helped a lot when mommy and daddy moved into our house, so we owed them:)

Mommy, daddy, and Gwen all watched me eat my first bottle!!!!!

Grandma Orr came and held me twice today. She couldn't help with the tree so she took babysitting duty....not that we really had to ask...she looks for any excuse to be with me:) Our friend Janelle came to visit me today too. She didn't get to hold me because Grandma Orr was holding me, and then she had to leave so she didn't get a chance....I was sad. I told mommy to ask Janelle to come back sometime soon so she can get her baby fix.