NEWSFLASH: We're Eating Solids... AND - Taking the bottle!!!

That's right folks, you heard it hear first... Here's the detail:

Last Tuesday, during NICU Follow-up Clinic, we were told that we could begin feeding Kyle rice cereal - which he ate, but didn't care for after a couple of days. So, we decided to add sweet potatoes to it (with pediatric approval, of course). And that did it! Ever since we started the sweet potatoes, Kyle has been sticking his tongue out "tasting" everything that he can get near his mouth.

However, due a little (or big) gas problem from the rice cereal - we needed an emergency dose of Prunes. Yes, those icky things people have to eat, when they can't you know what... Honestly though, the baby food version isn't that bad. Anyway, I decided to give him a bottle of Prune/Apple juice today at the pediatricians, because he was starving - and I didn't want to poor his milk down the tube before he got his shots (poor baby). So, I stuck a nipple on the juice jar, and stuck it in his mouth to see if it would quiet him... And boy did it ever! He went CRAZY, and cried everytime I took it away.

So, when we got home today from our appointments and errands, I sat down to do his feeding with a juice bottle & milk bottle. I started with the Juice bottle, and I got the same lip smacking result. Then I put the milk bottle in after a minute or so... Kyle got a concerned look on his face, but he didn't start choking - so I kept it in, and he kept sucking. Every now and then, I would alternate back to juice and the back to the milk - only to keep his interest in sucking & swallowing. He took 1.5 ounces in all, which is nearly 3x's what he's ever consumed in a single feeding since birth. We only stopped because he feel asleep in my arms :)

Fast forward to the 7PM feeding... And again, 1.5 oz. This time we stopped because something came gurgling back up, and he seriously started choking/coughing. Not wanting to overwork him, and out of fear of aspiration - I stopped. Of course, he wouldn't hear of it - and screamed until I could find the pacifier and stuff it in - LOL.

I figure that he needs to build a tolerance to this, he hasn't consumed more than 15cc's since the end of June - so I don't want to damage a good thing, Know what I mean?

Thanks to everyone that is constantly keeping us in their thoughts :)