4 months.

Clayton Cash will be 4 months old on Friday! I cannot believe how fast my little booger is growing. He's now 12lbs 6oz & getting stronger by the day. But unfortunately, still not strong enough for the home vent just yet. We had two trial runs this week, with two different ventilators & Clay didn't like either of them. The boy is ornery, I tell ya! Stubborn like his daddy ;)

The plan now is just to fattin' him up. The bigger he is, the bigger his lungs are & the more force they can exert, at least that's what we're hoping. His diaphragm & other breathing muscles need to get stronger too. After he puts on another few pounds, hopefully we can get him out the door.

But, it looks like it will be Spring before we get him home--which I am happy with! Cold & flu season will be nearly over. And Spring is a perfect season for new beginnings. We can sit out on the porch & listen to the birds and the frogs and the bugs. We can look at the blue sky and the green grass, and see the flowers bloom. We can watch the sunset & breathe that good fresh air!

Clay will love it! He's so curious & observant..definitely a nosy neighbor in the nursery :)  He watches all the nurses walk by, caring for the other babies. He'll peer at the babies beside him, all swaddled in their beds--they're at least 1/2 the size of him. He'll check out their oxygen levels & heart rates on the bright blue screened monitors above their beds. He's still so fascinated with his mobile, too. He will occasionally pay his momma some attention--but I usually have to block his view of everything else..haha! Nah, we've really gotten some great bonding time lately. My little lovebug sure is a good snuggler.


I can tell he's getting stronger physically, too. He's doing a lot better with his head control...& with that big ol' noggin of his, that's a big deal! ;)  He's also been reaching out to grab things, usually my nose & mouth. Then I'll eat his little fingers, which he thinks is real funny.  I wish so bad we could actually hear him laugh & coo & cry--but the trach keeps the air from hitting his vocal cords, so he can't vocalize at all. But whenever that trach is gone, I have a feeling he'll constantly make noise. And I'll love ever minute of it :)

Please continue to send us your prayers & good vibes, we need all we can get to get this little guy home! Again, thank you for standing by us.

Lots of love & peace to you all!!