Bundle of joy

Hello, world!  After a couple of months blogging break, I am back.  I have some amazing stories to share with you :).

The first is about my bundle of joy.  Baby of Diana was born about two months ago.  He was just a tiny little thing... only about 1.1 kilograms (or a tinge over 2 pounds).  Basically the size of a bag of sugar here in PNG.  As babies usually do, he lost weight in the first couple of days of life and was quickly down to 900 or so grams.

"There is no way this baby is going to survive," I thought.  Pretty much every day.  Lots of times.  But each morning when I came into round, I was surprised to find that he was still alive and kicking!

After about a week, we placed a tube in Baby of Diana's nose and mom began to feed him small amounts of breast milk.  The tube was necessary because he was too small to know how to suck.  Each day I would increase the amount of milk by just a couple of cc's, careful not to overdue it.  Amazingly, he did quite well.  Still yet I was surprised when I came into round.  I have never had one this small survive for so long!

And then slowly, ever so slowly, he began to grow.  And grow.  Eventually he learned to suck and began to breast feed.  And he grew some more.  Two months later my bundle of joy is gaining weight like a weed.  We are weaning his extra feeds.  In fact, now he is almost exclusively breast feeding.  He has also moved out of the nursery and is sleeping on the bed with his mama.  I expect that the two of them will be on their way home by the end of the week.

Oh, what a bundle of JOY!

"For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?  Is it not you?  Indeed, you are our glory and joy."

~ 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20