So THAT's how that works!

Allan has had a very big weekend. Friday Alissa reported that at his 3 o'clock care he was sucking his pacifer like it was his job and that she thought he was ready to give the bottle a go. It was very exciting -- Dad was there, Alissa, and a couple of the other NICU nurses who were in the area. It was our baby's moment to shine. In a word, he choked. For real.
In 20/20 hindsight, it was kind of a cheap shot. After all, he's been sucking on pacifers for weeks and nothing has come out so there was really no reason for him to anticipate that this would be any different. No one told him this one was loaded. (In our defense, we really had no reason to suspect that he wouldn't be all over it. After all, Griffith nailed it in one try.)
Our boy got a mouth full of milk, his eyes bugged out, and he coughed and spit and hacked around. We all laughed (not Allan, he was too shocked to laugh.) Then we did it again. This time he simply kept spitting the milk out as fast as it came in to his mouth. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me, I suppose. After that he clapped his little mouth shut and would have no more of that nonsense. He was perfectly happy lying back and waiting for someone to fill his tummy with milk. This sucking and swallowing nonsense was an awful lot like work. Plus every one kept laughing at him and there is no one related to the Brannons who can stand that.
Jennifer tried him on it today (without an audience) and, after an initial rough start, he took to it and sucked the whole thing down. Clearly he is going to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. The boy is not a performing seal, after all.
Griffith continues to do well. Now that they know what is wrong with his belly they have reduced his feeding and put him on an IV. That has helped with the gas, bloating and cramping. He is much more comfortable. Plus Mom, Dad and all of his nurses are spoiling him rotten in advance of his surgery. He couldn't be any happier. He just curls right up under your chin and racks out. Which is fine while he is 4.5 pounds. It is going to be much harder when he weighs 25 pounds and still wants to do that.