October 14th, 2006. Okay so we have two choices for Beau. The first is to give him a g-tube and take him home where we can work on making sure he gets all the volume he needs per day. The other is to send him to a rehab hospital where he spends the next 6-8 weeks with a tube down his nose into his belly where they are going to try to get him to take all his volume, but may turn to us at any point and say he needs a g-tube anyway.

As of now we're gathering more information on both options. We've been talking to other NICU parents whose children have g-tubes and who've been in rehab hospitals.

I feel like the hospital is no longer beneficial to Beau. Yes, they take care of him when I can not and they have his best interest at heart, but now they've put a tube back down his nose into his belly and whatever he doesn't take by bottle he takes by tube. They're trying to keep him on an every 4 hour schedule and that's fine, but if he's asleep they give him food by tube. I wouldn't be doing that at home. I'd give him his bottle when he wants it and he can take what he wants. Then whatever he hasn't taken for the day, I give to him through the g-tube at night.

I don't think I could handle another 6-8 weeks in a new hospital with new staff who are probably going to tell me he needs a g-tube anyway. I feel like I can work with him at home and slowly get him to take his full amount and wean him off of the g-tube slowly and at his own pace. I need my son home and home is the best place for him. Please keep praying that if he does get the g-tube the operation goes smoothly.