Today Jacob spent some time outside and in the sunroom. I was able to snap some cute pics of our cutie patootie. In case you're wondering, he's STARING at the fan in the sunroom. He was so amazed at how fast it was spinning.

Looks like somebody is practicing sitting up...we're working on giving Jacob opportunities to put pressure on his arms and helping him learn how to balance himself. He's making progress.

Jackson jumped up on the couch and started licking Jacob's hand as I was taking pictures. This is what I caught... Jacob seems to be saying, "Do you see this?" Jackson loves Jacob, and Jacob loves Jackson.

Something made Jacob light up...not sure what it was, but it made for a great picture!!!

Thanks for checking in on us! May you be blessed today!

New Places...

Jacob found a new place to nap...

...and a new place to play...

...as well as a new place to hold his zebra (with both hands).

It's been fun watching Jacob this past week. Thanks for checking in on us. Have a blessed day, God is up to amazing things!

6 Months!!!

We can't believe our son is already 6 months old. He had a great day today! He went to church, slept, went to SATCO, slept, played with some new blocks we got for him, slept, went on a walk with his friend Sam, and now is sleeping some more. :) God is so good to us and we give God all the praise for having brought Jacob this far. Everyday is a blessing!

I got a picture of Jacob after his nap doing this...is he trying to roll over???? Maybe???? One goal we would love is to see Jacob rolling over and sitting up by the time he's 8 months old. Originally we thought it might be too lofty, but it is JACOB we're talking about. He never goes by the books...so maybe he'll surprise us all and roll before we know it. Come on Jacob, you can do it!

Pulmonology Appointment

We had a good check up with the doctor today. Jacob did great during the ECHO. He flirted with the Ultrasound technician and behaved really well as she looked at his heart and vessels.

After the ECHO they weighed him; he weighed 17 pounds 5 ounces with only his dry diaper on. This placed him at 49th percentile. About a month ago, he was in the 16th percentile, so he's made GREAT progress. YAY Jacob!

Then we met with the doctor and he reported that Jacob's pulmonary hypertension has decreased, but not enough to decrease his oxygen requirement. This means that we will be on oxygen at least until next spring. Once we have made it through the cold/flu season, we will begin to ween him off the oxygen slowly; like taking him off during the day and keeping him on through the night, or decreasing the flow, etc. Actually, Jeff and I think this is a good thing. They are using oxygen to help relax the vessels that take blood to his lungs, allowing his lungs to grow and develop.

Thanks for thinking of us today.

This one's for GG...

This update is for GG (Jacob's Great Grandmother; Jeff's Grandmother "Alice") She tells me that she looks morning, noon, and night for an update. So here you go GG...ENJOY!!! We love you!

Here's an update on the big guy...he's had a great week. The home health nurse came for another visit and Jacob is up to 17lbs 10 oz. He's also 28 1/2 inches long. This puts him in the 50th percentile for weight and 95th percentile for height. Apparently, Jacob has surpassed what Jeff weighed when he was 6 months. Way to go Jacob! The nurse listened to his lungs and said they sounded clear, but he was breathing a little fast, so we're going to keep an eye on that. She also evaluated his development in gross motor, fine motor, hearing, and vision skills. Hearing and vision seem okay at this point, but developmentally we are behind in gross and fine motor skills...Jacob just doesn't have alot of strength. His arms and legs are very weak, which can be expected from being in the hospital for so long. Please pray that Jacob can make some real progress with his strength in the next few months. We would really like to see him rolling over and sitting up by the time he is 8 months old. Maybe that's lofty, but we'd love to see Jacob making that kind of progress.

We have our Pulmonology appointment tomorrow. Jacob will get an ECHO and we will talk to the doctors about Oxygen and such. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Here's what you all are really wanting to see...pictures!

As Mama Tuley was on her way to Little Rock to see Aunt Vonnie for her birthday, she stopped in for a short visit. She was amazed at how big Jacob had gotten since she last saw him. He's a growing boy! Here's a picture of them interacting. It was a good visit, but not long enough!

This picture was taken by a member of our SonSeekers class on the day of the shower at Woodmont. I thought it was a great picture of us together. Thanks for the pictures Cookie!

Jacob is really enjoying his fingers lately. Here's a close up of him chewing away. I wonder if any teeth are on the way???

This video was taken yesterday afternoon. I was in the kitchen getting some of his food ready and I heard some "racket" in the living room. This is how he was entertaining himself. I quickly got the camera and didn't make a sound because I didn't want to distract him or lose this moment. It was funny!

Thanks for checking in on us. May you be blessed today!

Look at that HAIR !??!?!

I got these pictures of Jacob just after he woke up from a nap. Whenever I go in to get him out of his crib, he always gives me the BEST smiles. It's like he's been holding them in, and as soon as he sees me, he lights up! It just melts my heart everyday! This child has been through so much, and yet, everyday he smiles like nothing has happened to him. What a miracle!




This is a close up of his cute face. I got this picture after he'd been fed and had fallen asleep in his bouncy seat. Precious! Now ladies, don't be too jealous of those lashes. Hee Hee.


Jacob had an outing about a week or two ago and he got to meet some of his mommy's teacher friends. We went to Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch. Teachers love summer break! We actually get to have a lunch with our friends for longer than "30 minutes." Jacob did such a great job on the outing and they doted over him so much! These are very special ladies and I am so honored to call them friends.

This picture is one of my favorite pictures of Jeff. He is so happy when he comes home from work and gets to hang out with Jacob. Both of their faces light up when they see each other. It's priceless! Jacob wasn't still, so he's a little blurry in the pic...

Thanks for always checking in on us. I know there are many of you (some that we don't even know) that are continually reading the blog, checking on Jacob's progress, and praying for his health. THANK YOU. Today in church a wonderful lady asked if she could put her hand on Jacob and pray over him. We both teared up. We didn't even know her, but she knew about Jacob. Words cannot express the gratitude that Jeff and I have in our hearts for people that have lifted up prayers for our son. I know there are many of you that we have never met or may not know very well, but your concern for Jacob and your prayers mean SO much. May you be blessed today!

Heads Up!

I was finally able to catch a few photos of Jacob holding his head up. It doesn't last long, but he's getting better and better at it. When his arms are in front of him, it's like a natural reflex for him to lift his head. This is a really big deal for him! Way to go Jacob!

Look at the devilish grin on that face of his...

In this picture I was holding a monkey from his activity mat that rattles. He automatically lifted his head and watched it as I lifted it higher and higher.

This picture was just too cute...I had to post this one. He's sitting so well in his bumbo chair and holding himself. He loses balance every now and then, but overall, we're excited about his progress. What a cutie!

Thank you for checking in on us. May you be blessed today!

Photoshoot

Enjoy the photos of Jacob from earlier this morning.

He started out all smiles, then quickly faded as he got more tired.

We're so IN LOVE with this little miracle!

Lest I forget our furry "child"... Jackson got in on the photoshoot too. He's so goofy!

Giggles with Gramma Jo

My mom came all the way from California to spend a couple weeks with Jacob. They had the best time together. He really thought she was something special. She got some giggles out of him, and had him smiling often. Here are some special pictures of them together, and a video that shows just how much she could make him giggle, even with something so simple as saying her "name."

Gramma Jo's first time holding Jacob. What a special day for both of them!

Rocking and Singing with Gramma Jo...see the smile???

Here's the video of Jacob and Gramma Jo. How fun!

Jacob on the 4th of July.

Chris and Lois Ehlers (family on Jeff's side) gave this onesie to Jacob. The shirt says, "Hometown Hero" and I would have to agree...he's our Hero anyways! On the 4th we didn't go anywhere and see fireworks, not that you could in Nashville, it was raining, but maybe next year Jacob can get a real taste of what that day is all about!

The home health nurse came to see Jacob today. (She comes every two weeks) Jacob weighed a whopping 16 lbs. 4 oz. and 27 inches long. What a big boy! She listened to his lungs and said they were very clear, that was a great sign. We have an appointment with Pulmonology at Vanderbilt on July 24th to check his heart and pulomonary hypertension. This appointment will also tell us more about how long we will need the oxygen. Please continue to pray for that appointment.

Thanks for checking in on us. May you be blessed today!

P.S. Thank you to all the teachers at A.Z.Kelley for the card and money that you collected for Jacob. It meant so much that you were praying for us. I plan on using it to keep our diapers stocked in the house! :) I can't believe how fast you go through those things!

Finally an Update

For those of you that have been looking for an update and not gotten one...this is why! For the past week or so, my mom and I have been decorating the sun room while Jacob was napping. Usually, that's my time to update the blog, download pics, work on scrapbook, clean house, etc. But when my mom was visiting, we decided to take on the task of decorating! Fun! So here's a picture of the sun room empty, and another one with the finished product. We cleaned the inside first, made the curtains and pillows, and put it all together! What do you think?

Here's proof of our handiwork!

My sister, Jamie, and brother in law, Josh, came in for a visit for 4th of July weekend. We had a great time just hanging out and playing with Jacob. Josh and Jeff put some trains up in Jacob's room and they look cool!

Here's a picture of the big guy sitting in his bumbo seat. He's really looking handsome these days! :)

Jacob is doing really well at home. He can hold his head really well lately. He is beginning to tolerate tummy time much more, but still won't lift his head and neck. He is reaching and grabbing at everything in front of him, and putting all kinds of things in his mouth. He recognizes our voices and smiles when we say something. It's so awesome! Jacob doesn't have alot of physical strength yet, although he is getting more and more each day. He can't quite roll over, but he will lift his legs and curl his hips when he stretches in the morning. Cute! He has started rice cereal, and doesn't like it too much, but will tolerate it some! :) The last doctors visit has us weighing 14 lbs. 6 ounces, but I'm almost positive that he's gained at least a pound and a half since then. He's getting heavy!!

Thanks for the continued prayers for Jacob. He's such a miracle. Please continue to pray for his development, that he will continue to grow and improve each day!

Thanks for checking in with us! May you be blessed!