Finally...a photo!!!

I know this is what you all have been waiting for.......

James Wilson Taylor

6 months and 2 days old.

Yesterday we had follow up appointments with the gastro interologist, the g-tube surgeon and a follow up from the last hospital visit.

All appointments went well, his biliruben level is getting better, his g-tube site looks wonderful and his lungs sound clear. All good things for this little guy!!

We are gaining weight and starting to move more...God's miracle at work!

I will try to write more later, my brain isn't awake yet, but at least you can see the growing boy!

Allie

Happy, happy 6 month birthday James!

So yesterday was little JW's 6 month birthday! Ahh (a sigh of relief), we have made it this far! Half of the first year down, the other half to go. We have been home just almost exactly two weeks from our last stint in the hospital, yeah, and doing really well. Tomorrow we have a doctor appointment and hopefully all is well with his little lungs. Last I looked, JW weighed 10lbs, 4oz. 

Thanks to all of you who have kept us in your thoughts and prayers, we appreciate everything that everyone has done for us. Keep up the prayers!! They are working!

More to come soon, I will update after our appointment.

Praise God for His miracles, including JW!

Allie

Home Again, Home Again

Good news!  JW is home from the hospital and doing well.  We are ecstatic that his trip didn't last too long!  I think it was more of a precaution than anything.  He also started to move his left arm more, including his fingers!!!!  This is huge for him.  Hopefully more improvements in his movement will begin to surface as well.  His lack of muscle tone is one of the possible reasons for his respiratory issues.  So, the more he moves and gains muscle strength the better he will continue to do.  Also, someone from ECI came yesterday and worked with him doing therapy.  The person (sorry, can't remember if Allie said it was a man or woman) even sat JW up and Allie said he loved it.  He liked being able to look around...wouldn't you after being in a bed for almost 6 months?  We are still waiting for more answers on JW's hips.  He goes to the doctor, I believe, next week for that appointment.  Please pray that the doctors will have some answers and a plan of attack as it is becoming more apparent that his hips are actually bothering him...and it makes sense why he can't move his legs with his hips dislocated, don't you think?  Hopefully we will have more insight into this issue and what the doctors are planning to do about it.  Please keep those prayers coming...they are working miracles!

Lindy

Late Night Update

JW had been running a periodic fever (very low-grade) for a couple of days, so yesterday afternoon Allie and the nurse on-duty took him over to Uvalde for some chest x-rays to see if the pneumonia was back.  The x-rays looked a little fuzzier (meaning fluid/congestion in the lungs) than usual so the decision was made to take him on to San Antonio as a precaution.  It looks as though the pneumonia was starting up again. :(

I got this news at around 8pm last night on my way home and this was the last I heard.  I should be getting an update sometime this morning and will post more news as soon as I can.

Please be praying for JW...physical strength to overcome this illness for good, wisdom for the doctors to find the root cause of his respiratory issues (he seems to be making headway in all other areas much faster than with his respiratory problems), and for Allie, Mom, the nurse, and the rest of us to do the best we can with what we are dealt and to hold fast to our hope and our sanity.  Thank you for all you do and for all the sweet comments I have gotten in person, via email, etc.  I am glad to know you are reading this and praying for JW!

Lindy

Controlled anxiety and a bath

The nursing Lindy was telling you about has been an absolute BLESSING FROM GOD! We have a nurse coming every day of the week from 8am to 6pm. 4 days of the week for one nurse and the other three for the other nurse. They take care of him with their professional medical knowledge vs. my mothering knowledge, which in JW's case just isn't enough.
Monday JW got his first REAL bath with a baby tub of water, with the help of our nurse. This is huge for him after all of those spit baths as my mother calls them. He didn't really like it but day after day, he is starting to enjoy them.
Today, he weighs 9lbs, 5oz. Hooray. He is 21 1/2 inches long, he is like a newborn.
The nurses work really well with him in doing his exercises and range of motion. There are small improvements but they are huge for him. He is getting better just very slowly. Thanks to everyone for your prayers, they are working. JW is starting to move his hands and fingers and feet more than before which was hardly at all. Even though the movements are slight, it's a huge step.
I just wanted to give a small update while I had a second and show everyone the photo of his very first bath taken by big sister, Tristin.

Once again, thank you for your support and prayers, I am forever in debt to you who have thought of JW and our family day in and day out and for your prayers for this precious baby of ours.
Love and Faith,
Allie

A Little Help Please!?!?

A nurse arrived to evaluate JW yesterday and he has been assigned 70 HOURS OF NURSING HELP A WEEK!!!!  This is terrific, better than terrific, news!  Mom and Allie will be able to get some much needed rest throughout the week and having a professional on-hand will give everyone some peace of mind.  Allie and the nurse, whom I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, took JW to all his long-overdue follow-up appointments in San Antonio today.  I will report back with news from these appointments as soon as I hear anything.  

Lindy

At Home

JW is home once again and doing very well.  Thank you to everyone who has been praying and is continuing to pray for our little boy.  We are hoping a nurse will be out in the next few days to evaluate him and then have someone being helping out with care for him throughout the week.  We will be updating more soon.   I will also try to get some new pics of JW to post since it has been awhile.  Thank you again to all of you for your support, love, encouragement, and prayer. 

Lindy