Good Morning,
I didn't think I'd update again so quickly, but I had a few things to share. I'm getting a lot better adjusting to "social" situations. I was at a party on Saturday, in the heat and without much of a nap, and I was smiling and doing my tricks. This made Mommy & Daddy happy, as well as our friends that we were hanging out with.
I had a pediatrician's appointment yesterday. Yes, I cried, but not that bad!! I was just crying like any kid who goes to the doctor, not melt-down crying...I didn't need any oxygen! I cried when they undressed me and put me on the scale, as usual, but as soon as Mommy picked me back up, I stopped....it wasn't too bad. And I of course cried when I got my shots, but I was happy again as we were leaving. We went out to breakfast after that. I had so much fun! A lady called me a "shameless flirt" and the most pleasant little boy she's ever seen! We might make breakfast out a weekly thing....we'll see. I was tuckered out by last night, because after the morning's activities, I also had PT and speech! And guess what? I got on all fours 3 times by myself after my PT, Val left!!! I am ready to crawl!!
And finally, last night, I said Mama!! No...Mommy didn't hear it...I said it when Daddy asked me to.
Have a great weekend...Happy 4th of July!!
Oh and Happy Birthday Aunt Mare (today) and Aunt Bridget (tomorrow)!!!
I ask that you please continue your prayers for me as well as my Great Grandpop, NICU friends, Brett, Baby Sean's family, our friends' mom Chris, Mr Palma and anyone else who may need our prayers. Thank you :)
Love,
Liam

Good Afternoon!
Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was good. Wednesday night we went out for Aunt Mare's birthday. Thursday, one of my girlfriends, Rosie (NICU nurse) came to visit me!! It was so great to see her...I was showing her all my tricks :)
My friend Jameson came over on the 4th of July (with his Mommy & Daddy) for a little bbq. It was fun! I didn't see any fireworks because I went to bed before they started. But Saturday night, the fireworks woke me up and scared me. I didn't like it very much.
Yesterday the child psychologist came to do my developmental evaluation. She said I am within normal range for cognitive skills, absolutely normal in the social skills department, fine motor skills are delayed (at about 10months) and gross motor about 6months, and speech she said I'm only very slightly delayed which is prettty impressive! Although there are more things that I can do that I just wasn't showing her, so I actually think I would've scored a little higher in certain areas, but whatever...they're only numbers. My PT thinks I am a little better in the gross motor area and fine motor.
Anyhow...yesterday afternoon I took my first shopping trip! To Babies R Us! I really liked the shopping cart, but wasn't thrilled about the big store. I didn't cry or anything though...I was just looking around, being very serious, until we ran into some friends. Then, of course I was entertaining :)
This morning we went out to breakfast again...it was so fun!! I even sat in the chair this time so Mommy & Daddy could eat while it was still warm.
Today we tried the Passy-Muir valve. I had tried it when I was in the hospital still but I wasn't quite ready for it yet. The Passy-Muir redirects the exhaled breath through my mouth and nose instead of back out the trach...this enables me to talk. Yes, I know I already make sounds, but this will help make my voice louder. It also helps to strengthen my upper airway which has a lot of benefits. This can help me with swallowing, speaking, and weaning from the vent. It will also help me when I am off the vent to breathe through my mouth and nose instead of through the trach. This is necessary for decannulation (removing the trach). Yes, this last step is still a far way off, but we'd like to be ready when the time comes instead of just starting then. So anyway, I lasted 5 minutes! And I didn't get upset or anything like I did when we first tried. And Mommy said she read that it takes alot of people a lot of practice before they can begin wearing it all day. Some people have to start out with just a minute! I probably could've gone a little longer than 5 but Mommy said she didn't want to push it. So we're going to try a couple times a day.
Please continue to pray for Great Grandpop, Mrs Burgess, Mr Palma, NICU friends and anyone else who may need our prayers.
Thank you :)
Love
Liam

Good Morning,
I've been getting onto all-fours pretty easily now...I rock and sometimes move backwards just a little bit. I just have to figure out how to get myself moving with this big belly in the way! My arms and legs aren't quite long enough yet so that my belly won't drag on the floor.
I've been dancing alot lately too...anytime I hear music, I like to sway back and forth...I even do it when I hear Mr Softee driving down the street!
Mommy finally heard me say,"Mama" last week, although I haven't said it since. I'm pointing much better now...I even point to myself when you ask, "Where's Liam?" I'm waving really well now too...I still usually wait until people leave the house before I wave bye-bye to them though. I sign "all done" when I don't want to eat anymore. I can say "bat" and "ball" too!
Bad things...I've popped my trach out twice last week! I'm getting so strong that when I flung my head back, the trach popped out...it was pretty scary, but I recovered really well. Mommy & Daddy are making sure my strings (that hold the trach in) are nice and tight now, even though it irritates my neck a little.
It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that my Great Grandpop passed away this morning. I never actually got to meet him but Mommy told me what a great man he was and that he loved all of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren very much. He especially loved GreatGrandmom. Please pray for our family this week.
Thank you,
Love
Liam

Good Morning,
So, last week was a long one. But as Eileen and Aunt Rose commented, although it was a sad occassion, it was also very joyous...because I was able to hang out with all the McCormick's on Monday and Friday (and that's ALOT of family!). I don't get to see everyone all at once too often, so it was really great! I was so well-behaved too. Everyone said how I helped them smile...I'm so happy I could do that for everyone during their sad time.
On Tuesday, I had to get a new shirt, so Mommy & Daddy took me to the mall...pretty neat :) Big place...nice and cool. We also stopped by the Disney store...I saw a giant NEMO!!! I laughed when I saw him!
I'm officially crawling backwards now...I started it at GreatGran's on Friday (when I was supposed to be napping)...then I did it a few other times since. I even moved forward once! On Friday, at the luncheon, Pop let me taste some raspberry sauce...it was yummy! Then later at Maggie's, I was eating tortilla chips!! Ok, not technically eating but I took about 5 bites of the chips (then spit them back out again)....it's a start!!
So, Mommy was showing me pictures last week and naming everyone...and when she pointed to Uncle Jack, and said his name, I repeated it. (Jack's also the name of Pop and GreatGrandpop!) It sounds an awful lot like my duck noise, but I definitely said it.
I hope I can get down the shore to Ocean City in a couple of weeks, because all of the McCormicks will be down. If we do go down, I think we'll try to stop by Wildwood too to see the McGuire/McGovern family. We'll see...we usually just play it by ear :) We have to see what the weather's going to be like and how I am that week, and how our nursing is scheduled, and see if I have any appts, etc.
Thank you for all your prayers last week, and your sympathies. Please continue to pray for the McCormicks that they (we) may find peace.
Love,
Liam

Good Morning!
Just wanted to say hello before the weekend. I went to Gram & Pop McGuire's on Monday for dinner, and Aunt Bridget, Uncle Dan, Uncle Bernie and Great-Great Aunt Isabel were there. I hadn't napped too well, so I wasn't really myself but I did smile a few times. It was nice to get to see their house!
I got to go out to breakfast again this week with Mommy & Daddy...Mommy and me are going to be so sad when Daddy goes back to work!
I also went out to lunch on Wednesday with GreatGrandmom, Uncle Jack, Mommy & Daddy...it was really fun!! I love going out, and it was so great to hang out with GreatGrandmom :)
I went grocery shopping yesterday...wasn't really too impressed. I do love those shopping carts though.
So my speech therapist was here Tuesday...she is VERY impressed with how well my speech is coming along. She gives me pictures of objects (horse, bear, flower, ball, etc) and holds 2 pictures up and asks me, "which is the bear?" for example...and of the 6 or 7 times she asked me I got each one right! And I now point to the picture of the ball, and say "ball". Pretty exciting! I'm repeating signs as well...I can do "more", "all done", "dinosaur" really well and try to do "fish" (for Nemo, of course). And I'm finally babbling "mmmms"...Mamamamamamama. Woohoo!
Have a great weekend!! Please continue to pray for the McCormick's, Mr Palma, Mrs Burgess, and Mommy's friend Amy who should be having her baby soon!! (Another friend for me!!)
Love,
Liam

Good Morning,
So, just a quick update...I had a great weekend, hope you all did too. We had a bbq on Saturday...lots of kids around, so it was pretty loud but I didn't mind at all. I really liked watching all of them. I was even scooting around myself :)
I've been getting pretty adventurous. Yesterday, I pulled myself up to stand at the couch!!! Twice! And I let go to see if I could stand without holding on. I fell immediately (into sitting position though), but it was fun to try. And then, when Mommy was all done feeding me strawberry yogurt (not sure if I like it, but I think I might)...I threw myself out of my booster chair! Oh, don't worry...I don't sit in the booster chair ON a chair...I'm just on the floor, so I didn't get hurt. But...I was ready to get out, so I decided to try myself! I didn't cry at all...Mommy was right there, so she made sure I didn't get hurt. But, I'm not sure that I'll be trying that one again anytime soon. I really surprised myself!
Have a good day! Please continue prayers for Mr Palma, Mrs Burgess, Mommy's friend Amy who SHOULD be having her baby soon. And please pray for my cousin Tom who's getting tubes in his ears today.
Thank you,
Love,
Liam