One Week Down

Jared at one of his feeding sessions.

His reaction to a bite of applesauce.

Drinking his milk from a medicine cup.

Week one has gone by quickly! Jared did great and they are very pleased with his progress. From Monday to Friday he tripled his intake! Can you believe that? It is amazing. It is a slow process but they keep assuring me that he is progressing faster than they had anticipated. The open cup drinking is challenging. Have you ever thought about how difficult it is to drink from a cup? I hadn't. It is definitely a skill that I took for granted. Jared's getting better at it, but it is tricky. He likes to keep his tongue up at front and it pushes the milk back out, but he is getting better and better at it. We give him his drinks from a little medicine cup about 1 tbsp. at a time. He gets 4 oz. at every meal time and with his 6 meals a day he is getting quite a bit down! Go Jared!

I am so grateful for the Ronald McDonald House. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to be here for a month in small hotel room all by ourselves. The RM house is like home away from home. Every one is very friendly and there are always people to visit with and home cooked meals every evening. We are feeling quite comfortable here and I am so grateful for those that make this house possible.

Jared and I are getting to be great friends with Monica and Gavin. Gavin is the other little boy in the program with us and they are also staying here at the RMH. They are from New Mexico and Gavin is also a transplant patient. He had an intestinal, liver, pancreas transplant when he was one. He is four as well and he and Jared are getting to know each other very well now. We have decided that they are starting to act like brothers now. They are silly and like to tease one another! Today we took the boys to a park and then to Chocolate World. It was nice to get out and the boys enjoyed the outing. It has been a nice, quiet day.

I received a wonderful tender mercy today. As we sat down at Chocolate World to enjoy our famous milk shakes, I looked at the table next to us and was surprised to recognize the people sitting there. It was Glen and Kim Judd. They were on the BYU ballroom team with us for a couple of years. I went over to visit with them and they were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. What a small world! They live in New Jersey but were in the area for a wedding. They gave me the name and number of a women from the ward here in Hershey and then called her and gave her my contact info. She called me tonight and was so sweet and offered to help in anyway that she could. She also confirmed the time and place of Sacrament Meeting tomorrow so Jared and I will be able to go to church. It is such a blessing to know that no matter where you are, the church is always there. This little miracle today also reminded me of how much Heavenly Father knows me, loves me and is aware of what I need. It was a good day.

Jared and I holding a 5 pound bar of chocolate at Chocolate World!

Jared and Gavin

Transplant buddies and eating school friends.