Mi Key Button (pronounced "mickey" ) and BMC

Victoria... feeling content

I got the photos ready for this post in April, not long after we were home from the hospital...thinking maybe some of you are not familiar with a "g-tube" and how it works.  The g-tube gives direct access
to the stomach.  When we came home from the hospital, she was on the pump nearly 24 hours a day.  Little by little we changed that, and have added other foods, so we mostly run it twice a day now.  In between, we feed her orally.  She is doing reasonably well with soft 'baby' foods, and with drinking from a bottle. We give her what she can take orally, and make up the difference of what she needs with the pump.  The first six weeks were home, she was not gaining weight, but over the last 5-6 weeks, she has begun to gain again.  She got sick at 17 lbs, dropped to 14 at her lowest while sick, then got stuck at about 15 for awhile.  Now she is back up over 17 1/2.  Her legs were SO skinny.  They are still not fat, but they are growing and looking healthier.   She is already 16 months, and we are so thankful for her.
She enjoys the great outdoors, loves her stroller  and being held.  She rolled over today...something she has not done since she got sick.  She does not like having her arms exercised...but her legs are limbering up, and she does not mind when we exercise them.   Well...sorry the photos are all so old.  I am doing this post on Reuben's lap top, and I don't have any newer ones to choose from today.  I will try to get some more up to date ones...sometime, when I find my way back to this blog... : ) ...meanwhile, it is summer, and we are all enjoying the sunny days, when we happen to have them, and catching up on indoor things when we don't.  The garden is up and growing...at the moment, I am pumping water out of the low end.  I am so glad for our raised rows!  So far, only the weeds are drowning!  We are hoping for a little drier weather,  so that we can get into the garden without sinking up to our knees, and get the rest of the weeding done.  I have one end of the 2nd garden which I can not reach with the pump, which has a lot of standing water...the low end of that garden.  I was thinking of sending out my boys in swim shorts to bail it out...hmmm...it could be messy, potentially useful fun.  Hope you are all enjoying the beautiful summer days...and stopping once in a while to hear the birds singing.

syringes we use with the mi-key button

The pump which pumps food for Victoria.
It fits neatly in the little black back pack you see
it in for 'on-the-go' use.

Medication port...but we use it for many other things

The extention, which connects to the mic-key button on one
end and to the pump on the other.  The
white thing you see is very important.
It is a clamp, and must be clamped when the tube is
not being used.
If Victoria has a burp...it can come out her mouth,
like any baby...or...open the clamp.
Getting air out with the tube is called,
'venting'.

Priming the $30.00, 1- day use bag, which
is for use with the pump
(We have learned to clean these bags well, so
they can last much longer)

The Mi-Key button.
This is what we see of the G tube.
It is held in place by a little
balloon inside which has about 5 mls
of water in it.  The extention attaches in the
middle, and gives access for feeding.
(This is an old photo...the incision you see
has been all healed for a long time now.)
When we are not using the tube, there
is a little stopper...somewhat like what
you find on  a beach ball that we close.
In side the mi key button itself, is a little
valve which automatically closes, until the end
of the extention is inserted, and opens it.

The bottles with this little hole
make measuring out meds or
vitamins so very easy
with the different syringes.

Caleb with Victoria

Daddy with Victoria.

What do three little girls look forward to every
week???  BMC, of course!

BMC  is short for Bible Memory Club...Rachel
decided she wanted to do something with them,
and this is what she began.
She teaches them a Bible verse,
sings songs and tells them a story, and
 quizzes them.
This year, many in our church were involved with
the Scripture Memory Fellowship
program, so she used this time to help the younger
two learn their "ABC" verses.

When they are done, they get prizes for their hard work.
sometimes the prize is getting their nails painted!

.

Both toenails and finger nails.
Sometimes the prize will be some fun stickers.
Sometimes it is the privilege of
baking with Rachel.
Whatever it is, the little girls love it, and look
forward eagerly to their BMC!
Well done, Rachel!