Asher Is Making PROGRESS!!

I know the news has been slow in coming lately, but that is how the progress has been......slow, but STEADY! He is steadily getting better, thank you Jesus!

We called in last night to check on Asher's progress before we went to sleep and were informed that they had taken out his catheter AND that he was peeing on his own (a very good step for someone who had been catheterized for a long time). One less tube to deal with and one less place for infection to set in.......meaning one step closer to coming home!

Today when we made our afternoon visit, little Ash was wide awake and looking around the room while sucking on his ventilator tube. It was heart warming to see this little kid do something normal again, even amidst the hoses, tubes and Bee-bops going on in the room. He use to suck on his lower lip and stick out his tongue during the first days he was home with us......so it means a lot to see him do it again ;) There is evidence that he is still having seizures which concerns me. Although the doctors are saying that they don't see the evidence on brain scans....you can tell that his eyes are not responding during certain times and his arm will shake a little bit, both of which point to the fact that he is seizing. They are giving him more meds to trouble shoot whether it is a seizure or not....if he responds favorable, then they will know for sure and can treat it effectively.

Here is Asher holding onto Momma's finger with both hands.

We were told that they are going to start feeding him tomorrow to see how his digestive system responds. They will have to feed him with a feeding tube directly into his tummy until they make sure he can tolerate the milk and until they do a swallow study to make sure everything is working properly after the surgery. I'm just happy that he will be getting some of the milk that I have been dutifully pumping every 2-3 hours since we came in here. It's a tough job that only I can do and I lovingly offer him my time both night and day to give him the best start possible.

They are weening him back on the amount of Oxygen he is receiving through the ventilator to make him breath a bit more. Hopefully he will be ready to get off the vent by the end of this week.

Pray that his edema will continue to go away.

Pray that his lungs will be strong enough to sustain him, when they remove the ventilator, without the need to go back on.

Pray that his seizures will END, in the name of Jesus!!!

Pray that he will completely tolerate and THRIVE on the breastmilk without any nausea, vomiting or bloating.

PRAY HE COMES HOME SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we miss him!

Thank you for keeping track of our little boy and offering up your prayers for him. It means a lot to have all of your support. Keep up the good work!

Blessings!
Erika ;)