In the hospital

Talan has been having trouble eating the entire time we have had him. It did get better for about 2 weeks, and he made those great accomplishments I talked about in his 4 month old post. I have taken him to the doctor several times, and they haven't been able to help me, and that has been very frurstrating. While his eating was better, and his strength was growing, I thought we were on an uphill climb with this. Then, his eating started declining again, and he just kept getting weaker, and eating less, and finally, Tuesday night, I knew I had to take him in. They admitted him Tuesday night to try to figure out what all is going on with him. He won't eat at all now, and is even weaker now that he is in the hospital. So far, all the tests they have run have come back negative. They are wondering if his lack of eating is neurological, b/c they said around 4 or 5 months, a babies eating switches from being reflexive, to their brain telling them when to eat.....and his brain just may not be able to do that. I hope that in't the case. They are ruling everything else out first, but we are looking at a feeding tube with him probably. It looks like he is going to be in for several days....he hasn't made any progress so far. He is so pitiful, it makes me so sad. I want to be there with him all the time and hold him and love on him. We all really miss him here. It is hard not having one of my babies here with me, and feeling so helpless. I have been able to go up there 2 or 3 times a day and staying 1-2 hrs at a time. That is just all I can do with 4 other kids in tow. I am so torn....I need to spend time with him, I need to be giving attention to the other 3, I want to hold onto Zach and not let go as I think about next week. Luckily, someone from church called, and is getting together a group of people to take turns going to the hospital and holding and loving on him. That was such a relief to me! Please keep him, and the rest of us in your prayers!

It just melted my heart to watch my kids when we went to the hospital to see him. They were so sweet, and so worried about him. I didn't tell them to do this for the photos, they just all ran up to love on him.

LLeah had to be the mommy she is and cover him up!! She also brought him this little stuffed animal....and when I got there today, the nurses had it sitting right there on his chest, I thought that was so neat.

The kids made him cards for us to hang up on his bed. Noah's said, "Talan wins the race". I love it!

This is him today, while I was holding him. Here you can see where they have given a feeding tube through his nose. They were trying this temporarily to try to get his strength up b/c a stomach tube is their last resort. They had him on pedialite through the tube, and then he threw up, so they have him back on just saline now through the I.V. I miss my baby, I am ready for him to come home, but I want more than anything for them to figure what is wrong with him.