Fridays with the Tuley's

Jacob turned 9 months on Monday. We can't believe it! Jacob has had a great week...he's showing off some new skills that he's mastered, such as sitting without support and saying his first word. You'll have to watch the video to see what it was!!! He's growing so fast right before our eyes and we are relishing every second that we can with this little miracle. Things are so special for us, and we applaud EVERY milestone that he achieves. We are so proud of him and look forward to all that God has in store for this little one.

Hope you enjoy the pictures this week. We had a good time taking them! :)

Here we are at our church's Trunk or Treat. Jacob is sporting his Tiger Costume for all to see! When Jacob was in the NICU and had his surgeries, Jeff liked to call his scars his Tiger Stripes. So I thought it was fitting that Jacob sport his Tiger stripes in a Tiger costume. Grrrrrr! What a tough Tiger! You can see by the look on his face that he's not thrilled about his hat...we however, are totally elated! :) You can kind of see our "Jungle" in the background. Our small group pulled together and helped out with this one...thank goodness...I wasn't sure what I'd gotten us into by signing up for a "SPOT" at the Trunk or Treat. But it proved to be a really great time!

Let's try for a smile without the tiger hat????

No???

At least Mommy's happy!

One more try with Daddy and the tiger hat???

Well, maybe a partial smile???

But not really.

On Wednesday we had another Jacob Photoshoot in his usual chair. He looked so cute in his Glow in the Dark skeleton shirt. Can you see the candy that is going down into the belly? So cute!

Of course, Jackson had to get in on the photoshoot. They really do "LOVE" each other. Sometimes Jackson loves (licks) on Jacob a little too much. But Jacob just laughs and takes it!

Jeff and Jacob play with this music/educational toy alot in the evenings. It's so cute hearing Jeff sing along with the toy as it sings its numbers and letters. He always adds his own little variations, which is pretty funny to hear. Jacob is so proud of himself when he makes it/daddy sing.

This is the NEW SKILLS section of the blog...haha!

Here's Jacob about to play with the hungry caterpillar rings...doesn't he look thrilled... hee hee.

But, you can see how straight his back is...this has been alot of work to get him to sit up so straight.

Then, when I was snapping pictures he decided to try out lifting his hands...he looks like he's concentrating so hard. Don't mind the messy mirror. Somebody, not saying who, touches it with slobbery hands and I haven't cleaned it yet.

That same somebody, with the slobbery hands that touches the mirror, was now confident enough to lift the ring to his mouth WITH BOTH HANDS while sitting. YAY!!!!!!!! Way to go Jacob. We're so proud of you!

Then of course, Jacob is showing off his speaking skills in this video. See if you can tell what he's saying??? Needless to say, there have been some tears shed over this word...sniff sniff. :)

As always, thanks for checking in with us today. So many of you that follow this blog have been witnesses of one of the many miracles that God is a part of. We are always grateful for the continued support and prayers that are still being lifted up for Jacob. May you have a blessed day!

I know it's Saturday...

...and I said that I would post on Friday...so for all the Jacob fans that were expecting something yesterday...SORRY! Here's the skinny on the big guy! (ha...get it)

This is one of the semi-good family photos we've had in the past few months and we're all looking at the camera. Looks like Jacob is close to smiling or just finishing one. Either way, we're just happy to have a family photo with him in it! :)

Uncle Buh and Aunt Benny (Jon and Jenny) came to visit for the weekend. They were in Nashville to attend a wedding and got to stay with us. What fun we all had...they loved watching Jacob bounce up and down in his jumper, on their lap, when he sits...you get the point. He loves to just bob up and down...maybe we can catch it on video for you. Why couldn't he have smiled like this in the family pic???? Hee hee.

Jacob has his photoshoots every now and then when he seems particularly happy...and this day was no exception. I love the socks that GJ and PB got him from Yosemite...they say, "a bear says, Grrrrr." Plus, he's wearing a onesie (size 18 months...what a big guy) from Aunt Vonnie with bear paw prints all over it. The bear theme was in full swing that day...

On that same day Jacob didn't have any appointments, so we went out for some fun. While we were out, we ran into some our very best friends, Jackie and Mike. We went to lunch at a little deli close by and enjoyed some fun company. They have a blog about their adoption journey and are hoping to be bringing home a child from Nepal in the near future. They are a special couple! And in pure Jacob fashion...he's not looking at the camera... :)

I caught this picture of Jacob soon after laying him down on the floor. He's watching a Baby Einstein video and totally enthralled. Usually he will not hold his head in this position for very long....but I'm not kidding...this kid was watching the screen for about 20 minutes before he put his head down for a short rest. But, he was back up in a flash when something ran across the screen. So he can do it...he just needs the motivation. Me and Toys just don't cut it I guess.

We're working on strengthening Jacob's oral motor skills by playing little games with him during feeding times. He was holding this carrot stick in his mouth for quite a while. It looked funny, so we caught a picture. What a ham!

This last picture is of Jacob from today. He's such a cute growing kid! Each day he's getting stronger and stronger. I love seeing the joy in his face when he discovers a new talent he has...

Thanks for checking in with us this week. Have a wonderful day! Stay tuned cause next week is HALLOWEEN....that means that Jacob will be sporting all kinds of cuteness!

Another Friday Post

I am finding less and less time in the week to post about Jacob's activities. Maybe I should just make it a plan to post on Fridays...

This is the drooly Jacob picture...because he's getting 4 more teeth...YES 4 MORE! He's getting the top four middle teeth. The two in the center have already broken through the skin, but the other two beside each of those is just about to come through, you can see the spongy skin ready to show some more pearly whites. When they grow a little more, maybe I can snap some pics. For now, you'll just have to believe me by seeing the drool!

Jacob had his very first trip to Walmart, that's right, FIRST trip! I was so proud of the little guy sitting up so well in the shopping cart. I had been putting this off because I just didn't think he was strong enough to hold himself, but there's a harnace that clips him into the seat cover...so I could have taken him a LONG time ago! :) He is so cute playing with his little ball. Don't worry, nobody touched him and I sanitized EVERYTHING before and after getting into it!

Jacob had a couple of appointments at VCH this week and so did his friend Sam. This is a pic of us playing in the garden while waiting for his buddy Sam to finish his procedure. Jacob had the best time feeling the breeze on his face and playing with his keys. He's getting strong enough to pull himself forward in the stroller to grasp at unreachable things in front of him. This is great, because his abdominal muscles were sliced a couple of times for surgeries and it means that he's beginning to strengthen those up! Go, Jacob Go!

Sorry about this video being sideways. I thought I would be able to rotate it, but alas, you can't do that...so you'll have to live sideways with Jacob for a minute or so. Jacob has been loving Jackson lately, and he loves Jackson's toys, especially the ones that make noise. I love how he pulls his hands up off his legs when he laughs hard! He just keeps laughing when Jackson squeezes his toy and makes noise with it. Precious!

Just a precious picture of our little one. Although, he's not so little. We had an appointment this week and Jacob is over 30 and a half inches. Way above the 95% for length. He's also weighing in at 22 pounds 4 ounces. Way to go! Our appointment was a follow up with the surgeon that did Jacob's surgeries, and when he came in he said, "Wow, I wouldn't even have recognized him!" Jacob has come such a long way!

And the last picture I leave you with is of our new patio! Jeff did this!!! He's so good at projects. It took him a couple of weeks, only because of rain stopping his progress, but nevertheless, it is done. Doesn't it look great! You can also see the top parts of the retaining walls that Jeff did a couple of summers ago. What a lot of work!

Thanks for checking in with us. Hope you have a blessed day today. God is still working miracles...share that with someone today!

Socks...Jacob's new love

Jacob is beginning to really show us his personality lately. He's quite the smart little fella! And apparently, pretty flexible too! Here's the pictures of how I found him after his nap. So funny! By the way, don't you just love the roll of fat around his wrist...how cute is that!

Thought this video was so funny that we had to post it. Yes, that's a sock in his hand, and yes he did pull it off, despite what he says in the video.

Thanks for checking in with us. Hope you have a blessed day!

Sitting, Pushing Up, and Satting 97...

Hello to all the Jacob followers out there. It's been a fun week with the "Big Guy" and lots of things are beginning to click in his little brain (and muscles). Jacob has been sitting with support and very steady for about a week. He could sit with support at the beginning of September, but would topple over if you left him for even a second. Now, he can sit and "catch" himself with his arms, except when he falls backwards. :) He loves this skill and even attempts to let go and lifts his arms occasionally. We're so proud of his progress. He works so hard!

In the last post we had a video of Jacob pushing up and wow...that skill has gotten better and better. He is lasting anywhere from one or two minutes up and playing with items in front of him. It's kinda cute how hard he has to work just to do this...you can hear him make little grunting noises as he is "working" and then when he lays back down he kinda catches his breath. Silly right lung...let's show it who's boss!!!

The last picture I will leave you with is this one from today... During naps Jacob is put on the sat monitor just to make sure his O2 is good while we're not around. It's set to alarm when he goes below 93 or 94. Well....this is how I found Jacob when he woke up from his nap...

Can you see his face???? Who knows how long the oxygen was off his nose...but obviously it wasn't a problem. The sat monitor never went off... and he was satting 97! :)

Oxygen Schmoxygen...Psssshhhhaaaa!

Thanks for checking in with us. Have a blessed day! So glad God has a sense of humor....

8 Months...and Videos

Happy 8 Month Birthday Jacob! I can't believe that it was 8 months ago today that you were making your stamp on this world and, together with God, showing all of us what it means to be strong in the Lord. God's strength is made perfect when we are weak. You are our miracle!

Here's some videos of Jacob...enjoy!

I have been placing him on his tummy ALL THE TIME to get him to push his chest up with his arms and he finally did it on his own. I know this is a skill that is supposed to be learned at an earlier stage, but Jacob rarely tolerated tummy time, until recently. These arm skills are what we need to get him to roll over, crawl, sit up, etc. So this is HUGE progress. And we were SUPER EXCITED...as you will see in the video. Now that he is bigger, it's getting harder for him to do these things (more weight to control), but we feel like once he "gets it" he will just take off from there. He's so close to rolling over and sitting, he just lacks the arm strength/control. We would love to see him do these things VERY SOON...

Jacob has finally discovered that he can reach for the faucet. He still can't catch the water though...Hee Hee.

We absolutely LOVE hearing Jacob laugh. We try anything and everything to hear it. Jeff is the best at getting laughs out of Jacob simply by moving toys and making silly noises. Here's a video of his precious laughter.

Thanks for checking in with us. May you have a blessed day!

PB and GJ

No...that title does not mean Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly...it means....Papa Bear and Gramma Jo. That's right! Jacob had a visit from his Papa Bear and Gramma Jo and fun was had by all. Aside from having doctors appointments and therapy sessions everyday...Jacob got to show off some new skills and entertain his PB and GJ. Here's a few pictures of the week. Enjoy!

This was Jacob's Saturday attire (thanks Gran-Chap Daddy and Gramma Tuley). Whooo...Pig Sooie. Even though the Razorbacks lost the game on Saturday, Jacob had a great time "making touchdowns, passing, and running the ball" with Papa Bear.

PB helping Jacob with his sitting. He's so close. Just a few more weeks of practice. I'm sure of it!



Gramma Jo (don't hate me for posting this pic...) and Jacob in the morning. GJ was singing to Jacob and he fell fast asleep on her shoulder.

Hanging out!

So cute...lunch at Calypso Cafe in Nashville. Yummy! Also, Jacob's first time in a "Restaurant High Chair." Don't worry, it was highly sanitized!

Daddy and Jacob playing on the floor. Jacob just adores his daddy. Anytime Jeff comes home or plays with Jacob, the two of them light up. It's hard to tell, but Jacob is wearing a "Harley Davidson" onsie. Any guess who bought him that????? What a fun time!

"OH............Jacob loves papa bear, Jacob loves Gramma Jo, Jacob loves daddy, and he loves his mommy too." (A Papa Bear original song)

Thanks for checking in with us. Have a blessed day! God is able...

reaching

Jacob's newest skills include REACHING for EVERYTHING! He has finally realized that he can get anything and everything. I was wondering when this would kick in... He has been reaching for things for a while, but not like this... His curiosity has finally peaked and he's interested in everything. Yay! I guess being in the hospital for 3 months will delay alot of things. But now it looks like things are beginning to click in his little mind and he's finding out this world is kinda cool after all.



This isn't a picture of him reaching...but it was a first time in a "high chair" at a restaurant. Before, he just didn't have the trunk strength to hold himself up... What a big guy!

There will be more to come later. I've got pictures from Papa Bear and Gramma Jo's visit...stay tuned!

Thanks for checking in with us. Have a blessed day! God is faithful...

NO MORE SHOTS!

We just wanted to send out a quick post to let you know that we no longer have to give Jacob the Lovenox shots. YAY! Thank you for the prayers.

The ultrasound showed that the clot was still there, in his IVC, but that it had calcified (attached itself to the wall of the vessel and hardened) and is not in danger of breaking off and blocking blood flow. So, they saw no reason to continue the blood thinner.

Needless to say, tonight's bedtime routine was much more pleasant for Jacob (and us) now that we don't have to "shoot him," as GG would say...

Have a blessed week. Thanks for checking in with us.

One Year Ago...

It was one year ago today, that Jeff and I were sitting in the office of a specialist to confirm the CDH diagnosis of our son Jacob, given to us two days earlier. As we watched the screen of the ultrasound this was the first image that we saw. It is Jacob giving us a "thumbs up." We looked at each other and decided in that moment, God was speaking through Jacob and saying that we were going to be okay, regardless of the outcome, that God was in control.

Neither of us ever thought that we would actually get to have Jacob here with us. This picture was not our "sign" that God was going to heal Jacob. It just told us that we were going to make it through this difficult time and that God was going to take care of us and Jacob. In fact, just a week prior to Jacob's birth, we were making plans for his memorial service and picking out the outfit for him to go to Heaven. We just knew in our hearts that we weren't going to get our miracle. We knew and had faith that God could speak the word, and Jacob would be healed. But neither of us thought we'd be that blessed.

God gave us a miracle. How blessed we are! With so much sadness in the world, God chose to shine some light into it, through Jacob. God gave us our "glorious impossible" and we thank God daily for Jacob's life.

Road Trip!

Jacob went on his very FIRST road trip for the Labor Day Weekend. What an adventure for ALL of us! The Tuley Tribe all met in Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains on Friday night and spent the weekend hanging out, shopping, eating, and having fun. Who was the center of attention...who else? Jacob! He thought it was quite alot of fun entertaining all the adults.

Here's Jackson and Jacob ready to get in the car and GO!

Here's the car...loaded up with all our stuff. Wow...kids require alot of stuff! Jeff joked that if we'd been hit that the car would explode like a bomb because of all the oxygen tanks we had to travel with...ha! I reminded him of the episode on Mythbusters where they tried to shoot a tank and did not succeed. Pretty funny! Anyways, God kept us safe!

Jackson's favorite traveling spot!

Jacob says, "Hum....I am up to no good!"

Our little family on the porch of the cabin.

Everyone had to get their hands on Jacob at different times of the weekend. It was great for Jacob to be with his Tuley family. What you may not know...is that behind every camera was a group of CRAZY family members doing anything and everything they could to make Jacob smile; Kissing sounds, clapping, smiling, making funny noises, and even flailing arms. Ha!

Gramma Tuley with Jacob at dinner (Mexican, of course)!

Gran-Chap-Daddy with Jacob. Aww... Jacob loves it!

What a special treat for us. Here Jacob sits with his GG. The last time that GG saw Jacob, he was not even a day old and very sick. This was a VERY SPECIAL time for Jacob to be with his only remaining Great Grandmother. Just precious!

Biggie and Jacob...such a great picture of both of them.

Aunt Vonnie and Jacob with "Mr Crazy Legs" the giraffe.

Jon seems to be laughing at all the adults trying to make Jacob smile. It didn't quite work this time.

Jacob fell asleep with his Aunt Jenny. How sweet!

Here's a picture of the Tuley Tribe on the last day of the trip. (Minus Aunt Vonnie). Jacob is staring at the fan...

Of course, did you expect the Tuleys to get together and NOT have Cardinal stuff??? Here's Jacob in his Cardinals outfit. Go Pujols, Go Cardinals!

It was a wonderful weekend. Jacob did great and we had no trouble at all! As nervous as we were about leaving home, it showed us just how strong Jacob really is... We are so blessed!

Thanks for checking in with us. Have a wonderful week! God is faithful...