Max takes it to the floor.

Maximilian had a great time with Mum and Dad today. He breastfed really well with Mum in the daytime and was awake for a good portion of her first visit with him.   In the evening, Max did well again at Mum's breast and was awake and in a great, playful mood with everyone around him.

Because he was so awake, he decided that he needed to play on the floor.  Mum set up a little play mat for him with some toys and music to amuse him. He was quite excited to be playing and kept it up until it was time for his next feed.  By the time that feed came, he was already dozing off, so Mum and Dad put him to bed and kissed him goodnight.

Health-wise, there's a bit of news regarding Max.  His MRI results came back and there was nothing of note, meaning that Maximilian's noodle is developing normally. This is a good thing for a child who has had continuous breathing issues since birth, and helps Mum and Dad worry less.

The other bit of news is regarding his feeding. While Max is doing very well at the breast, he is still not feeding well enough to be entirely independent of supplemental feeding systems. What this means is that Max needs some help getting food to his belly. What this means in his case is that he has another surgery ahead of him. They will be implanting a gastrostomy tube (aka G-Tube).  What this is, is a simple feeding tube that goes directly to his stomach through his belly. The benefit here is that he'll still be able to learn to feed orally while not having to worry about whether or not he's getting enough. The other benefit is that we can bring him home without his breastfeeding skills being perfected. As it stands, there is nothing, medically speaking, standing in the way of Max being at home; but it could take Max a couple of months before he masters feeding enough to meet his caloric needs. No one wants to see him stay in the NICU just because of that. It means another surgery, but Mum and Dad think that having him home sooner (rather than later) is a good trade off.