Dear Jimmie- Happy 11 Month Birthday

Dear Jimmie,

Happy 11 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.

This is you at 6 months.

This is you at 7 months.

This is you at 8 months.

This you at 9 months.

This is you at 10 months.

And this is you today!


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












Look how you've grown in your father's hands!












This month:

You have gained 15 ounces. You are 14lbs!

You are 27 inches long!

Your head circumference is 17 inches around!

You are doing great eating solids, but still are not taking in enough liquid by mouth. So you will be admitted to the hospital to have a little surgery to install a g-tube. This will be an easier and more comfortable way to tube feed you. Your surgery is scheduled for Jan. 20th. We are asking everyone to really ramp up their prayers and fight for you to do well. We want everything to go smoothly.

Your mommy is still on a VERY restricted diet right now to help with your food allergies and an over growth of yeast. She has stuck to it. She has amazing will power- your momma! I am in awe of her dedication to do everything to help you. I have also noticed your momma has had an easier time being steady with her outlook and emotions. An over growth of yeast can cause depression so perhaps this diet has contributed to your mommy feeling better. I'm sure just being at home has helped as well.

Physically you are doing great, above and beyond your developmental age of a little over 7 months. You are now crawling all over the place and pulling up to standing.

You are starting to practice letting go after you pull up. Your mommy and daddy have had to baby proof the house as you are in to EVERYTHING! You tried to eat a little piece of tissue paper on Christmas day and choked. The other day you got into some paper and your mommy was pretty sure you swallowed a little piece. Sure enough, she found it later in your diaper! Now that's nasty! Your mommy had a dream the other night you were walking. It won't be long now...

Puking has been a problem for you, but this month you've probably averaged only 1 big gusher a day. Your mommy started walking around with a bowel (instead of a towel) and you puke very neatly right into the bowel. She's measured it out a few times and it is usually around 2 or 3 ounces of puke, that is A LOT. We are grateful that it's been only once a day though.

You have 107 followers on your blog!

Your Faithfulness Video Montage has been viewed 6710 times. That's 684 views this month!

Your "Jimmie's Wonderful World" montage has been viewed 708 times! That's 32 times this month.

Your blog has been viewed 5,008 times this month for a total of 69, 277 hits! You have a lot of very cool people who love to check on your progress Jimmie.

This month you and your daddy stayed for 3 days at Grandpa and Grandma Gravitt's house while your mommy went to dear friend (faux Auntie) Amy's wedding in Vancouver Canada. You had a good time and although you missed your mommy you did very well with daddy, Grandpa and Grandma.

In the spirit of the holiday your mommy baked plates of yummy treats and you helped her deliver them to the neighbors.

You celebrated your first Christmas this month Jimmie. It was exciting. There was a big blizzard!

Your daddy slid into a ditch on the way home from the fire station Christmas morning. With the help of a nice neighbor daddy used his tractor to pull the truck out. You came over to my house to celebrate with your mommy's side of the family. After that you went over to Grandpa and Grandma Gravitt's house to celebrate with your daddy's side of the family. You got a crazy amount of toys, everyone was so generous.






Your mommy and daddy even got cards in the mail with money for you! Your first Christmas was blessed!


Your first New Years (and actually a lot of this month) your mommy has quarantined you at home because there has been a lot of sick germs going around. You did catch a cold virus. This is the third time you've been sick this cold and flu season, but it is the first time that it is not associated with an aggressive tube weaning attempt. All 3 times now though you have handled sickness amazingly well! Being stuck at home isn't too bad, actually it's pretty sweet. You take your naps well. The other day you fell asleep with your daddy on the couch.

A few days ago daddy was watching you while your mommy took a shower. You were playing in your airplane saucer and daddy got engrossed in what he was reading. He didn't notice you were getting sleepy. Your mommy came out all fresh and clean and saw you there like this:

She thought it was so cute and funny she took a picture! (-:

Saturday night your mommy went to your (soon to be) Aunt Rachel's bachelorette party and your daddy went to Uncle Eric's Bachelor party. So your Grandpa and Grandma Gravitt came all the way out to your house in Odessa to watch you for the evening. You did great. You LOVE Grandma and Grandpa!

Last year- January 6th 2009 was the first time we got to see you. That was the day of the big ultrasound that was supposed to reveal how you were growing and if you were healthy. At your sister Gracie’s ultrasound your mommy and daddy received devastating news. They were told that there was something terribly wrong, that Gracie was fatally sick. Your mommy and daddy decided (of course) to go forward with the pregnancy and try to be grateful for every day they had with her. Your mommy lived with Gracie kicking and moving inside her belly for a couple of weeks knowing that she would likely never get to hold her in her arms alive. Your Ma and Pa, Grandpa and Grandma Gravitt and me- Auntie Amber were all there when Gracie was born sleeping. She was beautiful! She was almost the same size that you were when you were born. She is buried at the feet of your Great Grandpa Jimmie Gravitt. That is who you are named after!

We were all very nervous about your ultrasound, Jimmie. Your mommy and daddy had all of us there with them- Ma and Pa, Grandpa and Grandma Gravitt and me- your Auntie Amber. The lights were turned off, the doctor put the ultrasound wand down on your mommy’s belly and there you were! You were beautiful just like Gracie, but you did not look sick. The doctor moved quickly and proclaimed everything perfect and there were tears all around. That was a great day Jimmie. We also found out you were a boy! For 6 days we rejoiced and talked of little else.

Then . . .

1 year ago tomorrow- Jan. 12th 2009 your mommy experienced some spotting after having not felt well for a couple of days. Stupidly I tried reassure her everything was fine, everyone did, even her doctor. But then, just be safe your mommy was examined. It was found she was dilating. They scheduled her for an appointment with a specialist the next day, but she ended up going to the hospital that night on a gut feeling that things may be getting worse. That night they told us we were losing you. They said you still looked wonderful and perfectly healthy, but that if you were born you would not have enough lung tissue to breathe. That was a very dark night Jimmie.

As we go through the next 4 weeks to your 1 year birthday we will be remembering…

You are truly a miracle Jimmie.

I will love you forever!
Auntie Amber