Dear Jimmie- Happy 6 Month Birthday

Dear Jimmie,

This is a special day! You are 1/2 a year old! Happy 6 month birthday!

This is you right after you were born.

This is you at 1 month.

This is you at 2 months.

This is you at 3 months.

This is you at 4 months.

This is you at 5 months.

And this is you today!


Look at how you have grown next to your Rottweiler Puppy!















And look how you've grown in your father's hands!












You have gained 28 ounces. You are 9lbs 6oz.

You have grown 3 1/4 inches in length! You are 23 3/4 inches long!

Your head circumference has increased by 1/2 of an inch! Your head is 15 inches around.

Your eating has become a major issue. You struggle so much. You act like it hurts or that it's hard to swallow. You fight so hard to drink even an ounce sometimes. Your momma also fights for you to eat. She tries so hard to be patient and love on you even though it is very discouraging and frustrating for her. She is doing a great job helping you!! She has switched you over to all formula now with some breast milk mixed in. That has really helped you gain weight and grow more this month than last month. We know now you are at least getting 24 calories. You are averaging about 15 ounces a day and at least 1/2 of those ounces are hard fought for. You have an appointment with the Neo's at Children's next month for these issues. You are also on Zantac, but your mommy is going to give the Prevacid a try starting tomorrow.

Your lungs are still doing great. However you did go back on oxygen this month. God helped your ma and your mommy to see how you still needed it. You had been puking so badly you were micro-aspirating and retracting a bit. The O2 has helped you a bit in your struggle to eat and your scary puking you were experiencing is almost non-existent. We are so grateful for the benefits of the O2. Your mommy keeps you on it an average of 14 hours in a 24 hour time period. You are an 1/8 of liter all night long and then during feeds all day.

You have 94 followers on your blog! (4 more than last time) And your Faithfulness Video Montage has been viewed 3,412 times! That's 566 views this month! Your "Jimmie's Wonderful World" montage has been viewed 456 times. That's 64 more than last month. Your blog has been viewed 8,157 times this month for a total of 28,147 hits! You have a lot of very cool people who love to check on your progress Jimmie.

Your momma has had her own struggles this month as well. She has just been overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated and sad for your struggles Jimmie. She is working hard to feel better and trying to see the positive. I am constantly amazed at your mommy's strength and courage. She is so resourceful and dedicated to give you the absolute best life possible. She loves watching you move and grove under your play gym and you can completely melt her with your coo's and your smiles. Despite the struggles you and your mommy and daddy are having you all love each other so much and are some of the strongest people I know!

You have been out and about some this month, but it's harder for your mommy to deal with your eating issues away from home. You had another trip down to the lake, but it was pretty much a disaster which might be funny someday . . . a day very far away from now. Far from you and your momma's current struggles. (-:


Jimmie, despite your struggle to eat you are thriving. I am so sorry to see how uncomfortable you are when you eat. You try so hard though Jimmie. You have always been and you remain such a fighter. The most inspiring and amazing thing about you is that in your young life you have had to fight to breathe and now you are fighting to eat, but you always have an attitude of grace and joy. As soon as the eating struggle is done you have a smile back on your face and great interest in the world around you.




You are one of the happiest babies I have ever known. You are so excited about life. That has taught me the greatest lesson Jimmie. To not feel sorry for myself, to not be bitter about hardships, to have joy in just living! You- who started life with a 50% chance of not making it at all and a very high chance of being significantly disabled; if a child such as you can be so happy and so peaceful, so brave and so eager that proves to me what a blessing life is no matter what! And it also shows me how faithful our Holy Father is, how He has been with you and in you every step of the way. Thank you Jimmie for being my little miracle. I am so grateful and proud to be your Auntie.

I will love you forever!
Auntie Amber