The biggest gainer...

Greetings!

We had such a wonderful Easter relaxing and rejoicing last week. This week we were back into the routine of doctors' appointments. We met with the GI specialist again. Last time he felt strongly that Elsa was not a candidate for a g-tube to supplement her feeding. Based on her weight gain for the past month though he has decided that a g-tube might be the way to go. We are taking the month of April to see if Elsa can get her weight gain in to the rate of 12 to 18 ounces per month. This was a bit of disappointing news but we are hopeful that whatever outcome that Elsa gets stronger and stronger. A g-tube is typically placed in the stomach and stays in for one to five years. It is rather razzle dazzle and doesn't interfere with her normal eating, it is just a way to supplement the extra calories she needs during the night.

That being said...We are realistic but ever hopeful that Elsa is going to kick it up a notch this month. In past weeks and months, Elsa typically was eating 600-650 (1ml = 1 calorie) ml of milk each day with some solid foods. We attributed the low numbers to her slow stomach emptying and the never ending teething she had been enduring. Last week her top front teeth emerged quite a bit and she has been a different kiddo eating. She crested the 700 mark at the start of the week and broke through to the 850 mark yesterday. She should be hitting 850 each day between a combination of her milk and solid foods. Needless to say we want to be realistic that if she isn't gaining the weight she needs then we need to seriously consider the g-tube. But we are ever so hopeful that the visit with the GI doctor sparked a ravenous hunger in her. As fans of the biggest loser on television, we hope that when she goes on the scale next month that she is the biggest gainer!

We are praying for Elsa to eat and eat and eat.

God Bless,

Dan & Mari & Elsa & Jonas