Hi Everyone,
So, last time I updated, I was starting to feel a little better...then, I lost my IV around 3 in the afternoon on Wednesday. I wasn't ready to start eating yet, so I needed my IV fluids. Well, one of the unfortunate things about being in the NICU for 10months is that you get bad veins. I think 4 or 5 people tried over a span of 7 hours totaling 15 attempts at getting an IV in me. The stick itself wouldn't be terrible, but they hold me down and squeeze, and that is what I really hate. Anyhow, it was vital that I get some fluids in me, so they tried a very small volume of pedialyte at a very slow rate, and I threw it up.
So, they ended up having to place a "subclavean line" in me at 3am...this entailed a surgical procedure at the bedside, where I had to be sedated. (for those counting, I believe that was #14)...uggghhh. What a rough end to a day that started out so well. Thursday I was pretty groggy all day, and cranky as you can imagine.
Last night I had a CT scan of my belly to make sure my bowels were not obstructed. I was very upset when they started packing me up for a trip...but once we started walking, I perked right up. You know what? They have NEMO on the CTscan machine!! It wasn't bad at all...Mommy and Daddy were there with me and the nurse let me hold my Nemo while I looked at all the fish stickers. It was kinda fun!
I slept well last night and napped better today. And I've started pooping! These are all good signs. I have been playing more...throwing toys over the crib, reading my books, signing, and talking. I'm even saying hi to the nurses and drs...was only crying at them earlier.
Thank you for your continued prayers and well-wishes. And I ask that you keep dear friends of ours in your prayers as well.
Enjoy your weekend :)
Love,
Liam

Hi Everyone,
Well, I thought I'd be getting out of here today, but sadly, that is not the case. My bicarb level is low...I'm not exactly sure what it is, but the Dr said it helps balance the acids and bases in my blood. It's low from being dehydrated. Over the past couple of days I'm not having ANY trouble pooping.
Also, Dr Flake will not be in until tomorrow morning, and he wants to check me out himself before giving the "ok" to discharge. We were pretty disappointed but we're glad Dr Flake cares so much about me that he wants to be certain I'm good before letting me go home.
So, I'm on full feeds of my formula and now we're going to add some pedialyte to my diet so that Mommy and Daddy can manage my electrolyte levels at home.
I think I'm at least going to go for a walk today so I don't have to be stuck in this room.
I don't think I ever mentioned...my CTscan results came back fine. They saw dialted loops of bowel but think that's just the way my belly is because it's not "in".
On a positive note, I've been easily rolling onto my belly and getting onto all fours, then sitting or pulling myself to stand at the cribrail. Unfortunately for Mommy and Daddy, my favorite time to do this is late at night. I haven't been sleeping right, so I've been playing alot. I've turned into quite the night-owl. I am very tired though so I'm looking forward to getting home and catching up on some sleep!
We've been seeing alot of my respiratory therapists that I met in the NICU, so that's been nice. And the first couple nights we were here, our nurses Deanna, Kerri and Steph came to visit. It's nice to see familiar faces. Oh and I think I have some new admirers since I've been here. I've been quite the flirt with my new nurses, and basically with anyone who walks into the room.
Well, thank you again for your prayers. Please keep our friends' the Gallaghers/Carrolls in your prayers, the Reilly/Thorntons and the Donovans...unfortunately, they've all experienced great loss in the past week.
Love,
Liam

Hi Everyone,
Well, I'm home! Dr Flake came by to see me this morning, and said I could go. He said Mommy & Daddy know me better than anyone and as long as they say I'm good, then he trusts them and doesn't need to see me for a follow-up visit. But if everything doesn't seem right after my medicine is done, then he'd like to squeeze in a visit.
Since Daddy is back to work today, and Pop McGuire had off, he drove me and Mommy home in our car. I said "car" all the way home! And I can say Pop really well whenever I see either of my Pops.
I smiled as soon as we walked in the door :) Mommy put me down, I signed "on", "music" and she turned the radio on for me...I did a little dance. I'm so happy to be home!
I'm really sleepy (although I slept from 10:30pm-5:30am without getting up and playing)...but I don't want to take a nap!! Mommy & Daddy say they don't blame me. I want to enjoy every second of being home.
Thank you for your prayers...I appreciate them! Also I ask that you please continue to pray for my friends.
Love,
Liam

Hi Everyone,
Just writing a quick update during halftime of the Eagles game. It's a momentous day...season opener and I get to watch at home with Mommy and Daddy!!! Yayyy!!! Last year I just listened to a few games, but the reception was never too good.
So, I did end up spiking another temp on Friday, but since I was acting like myself Dr Flake said he was ok with me staying home. If I started acting funny then I would have to go in. My nose was really runny all day Saturday, but not much of a fever.
Today, I haven't had a fever and have been feeling like myself again...I even climbed up the stairs!!! Well, not all the way up...my tubing would only allow to the fourth step. (Mommy wouldn't let me go any higher anyway).
So, for now I'm feeling good, but the bad thing about what I have is that it's a really tough bug to get rid of, so we just have to be extra careful.
We just found out one of our night nurses is coming back. Since I was in the hospital, Mommy and Daddy said they are going to be extra strict with the nurses (not that I got it from them)...But EXTRA hand washing and gloves at all times.
And, it stinks that I got sick when I did because my time outside "my bubble" is dwindling. Cold/flu/rsv season is quickly approaching and that means no socializing for me :(
A few other things I haven't updated in a while...I have 12 teeth, and possibly another coming in (been drooling alot). I'm signing more each day...the signs I do include: up, hi, bye, thank you, on, off, music, more dinosaur, eat, milk, pig, book, "shhh", car, dog, potty (for diaper change), fan...I think that's all. Several of my signs look pretty similar (my fine motor isn't exactly where it should be...but getting better everyday!)...but Mommy and Daddy know what I mean and that's what matters :)
Thank you for all your prayers for me and my friends....please say a prayer for my Aunt Serena's family...her Granny passed away.
Thank you...have a happy Sunday! Go Birds!
Love,
Liam

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to let you know how I'm feeling. Much better :) No more fever. But, I still have "the bug"...my antibiotics were done Wednesday but we had to get a new prescription since I still have it. They upped it for another week...then we'll re-evaluate, to see if I may have to try a different med or what. Hopefully it's gone by then, but a friend of mine from the NICU has it also and has been on antibiotics for over a month!! This bug is a real bugger!!
I am back to my PT and Speech Therapy sessions...they were really happy to see me...they missed me! And, they were really happy to see that I hadn't slipped backwards from being in the hospital...I'm actually doing more than the last time they saw me. I'm signing "Please", and "Mickey Mouse" now!!
Also, this morning I was finally able to sprint the whole 15minutes again...and I did GREAT!!! I was crawling and dancing and laughing...my sats were 97-100% and my respiratory rate wasn't much higher than usual. I did better today than I had before I got sick...I'm heading in the right direction!!
Well, just wanted to say hi, let you know what I've been up to.
And to ask for some more prayers...Our friends, the Burgess's could use our prayers. Please continue to keep the Carrolls/Gallaghers, Donovans, Reilly/Thortons, and Crossans in your prayers, that they may find peace.
Have a good weekend :)
Love,
Liam

Good Morning,
I've been feeling like myself, but I think I still have this bug. Anyway, Mommy had to send off a sample (ewww) to see if I still have it, because my antibiotics finish up today. If it comes back positive still, then we'll have to see if the docs want to keep me on the same med or try a different one.
I have been doing really well with the sprinting...sats have been 97-100 for the past several days that we've been doing it!! We think next week they may move us about to a half hour twice a day, but we'll see. No rush.
So, this weekend will be a first for us...Mommy is going away. Uncle Jack and Aunt Serena's wedding is in Ireland, and Mommy is in it!! She says she's REALLY going to miss us. Daddy and me will have fun though. Uncle Bernie & Aunt Kristy will be visiting and so will Pop & Gram.
So, if you could...please say prayers for Mommy and our family and friends that they have a safe trip to and from Ireland...prayers for Uncle Jack & Aunt Serena for a happy marriage...and prayers for Daddy and me that we are safe and healthy while Mommy's away. (Also, please pray that Mommy can relax and enjoy herself!!)
And, please keep all of our friends in your prayers who have lost loved ones, that they may find peace.
Thank you!!
Love,
Liam

Hi Everyone,
So, thanks for your prayers...Mommy made it home safely, and enjoyed herself at Uncle Jack and Aunt Serena's wedding. She said she only cried when she said Good-bye to us, and was finally able to relax when she landed in Dublin.
Me and Daddy on the other hand....well, we had some nice moments and not-so-nice moments. I really put Daddy to the test. He had to do a couple of trach changes this weekend. I've been having super-thick secretions, and had plugged my trach twice. We're not sure if I got a bad batch of HME's (these are the little plastic things that give me humidity when I'm portable, which I use all day)...or if it's residual secretions from the cold I had a few weeeks ago. Whatever it is we hope it gets resolved soon! We're trying some other HMEs that we had gotten awhile ago to see if they do the trick.
But, other than the trach changes, we had a good time this weekend. Uncle Bernie and Aunt Kristy, our friend Jimmy, and Pop and Gram came to visit with us. So, I guess it wasn't really just the boys weekend, but you know what I mean. Daddy and I both agree though that we like it much better when Mommy's around :) We really missed her (and she missed us too).
Still have not gotten the lab results. We should get them tomorrow. Hopefully I am c-diff free! I have been finished my antibiotics for a few days now, so let's keep our fingers crossed!
We ask for your continued prayers that our family and friends will be safe in their travels.
Thank you,
Love,
Liam

Good Morning,
The results came back negative! So, that's good news, although we're not sure why I'm having the loose stools. I feel fine though...maybe it's just a virus or something.
Last week I wasn't sprinting as well as I had been...my sats, heartrate and respiratory rate were all fine but after about 10minutes I started crying and wanted to go back on the vent. Today I did 27 minutes though!!
My cousin Ryan Addison(and Aunt Bridget) came to visit me on Thursday. I'll post a pic...all she does is smile. She's cute!
My PT brought me a cart to push around...it's cool, we put my vent in there!!
I watched the Phils this weekend...Go go go Phillies! We didn't see much of the Eagles but I heard it wasn't much of a game anyway!!
My new sign is "alligator".
Thank you for your prayers.
Love,
Liam

Hi,
Just a little update. I had day nurses here twice this week...they were my nurses from before the summer. It was really nice to see them! I think they are going to come at least once a week from now on, but we'll see. They were really happy to see me...they couldn't believe how big I've gotten!
Big deal for Mommy today...she ran to the store (literally) while my nurse Kim stayed with me at home. She was only gone 10minutes, so I didn't even realize she had left! She said she's taking Baby Steps too.
I mentioned the other day that I push my vent in my new cart (with some help) but I think I forgot to mention that I can start my feeding pump when it's milk time! Mommy has me push start after I'm hooked up. I also like to push the silence button on my pulse-ox machine when the alarm goes off. I don't have it on all the time because I move around so much it doesn't read accurately (which is why we have to silence it!). I like to push it off and on and off and on.
Since I'm moving around so much, I have fallen quite a few times! And I pinch my fingers in the tv cabinet because I love to open and close the doors. I also like to pull out all of the dvds.
I saw my cousins Dante and Alyssa yesterday...I haven't seen them in awhile! It was nice :)
My new sign is "where" (use it when we play hide and seek with Mickey).
Happy Birthday Grandmom Mags!! Also, Happy Birthday to Aunt Ka!
Please pray for our friends, The McShanes, whose mom passed away. And please pray for anyone else who may need our prayers :)
Thanks!
Love,
Liam