STTN and Smiling

I think I will start updating the website once a month now that Jacob is home and there is not too much to report. Like I said before, he should catch up by the age of 2 so I will keep this website up and running until he is cleared.

Jacob is now weighing 9 and a half pounds! Like the doctors told us it would, his body has now started catching up with his face! He still has chubby cheeks, but since he is starting to lift his head and gain some weight elsewhere his neck rolls aren't so bad. :) He is also sleeping through the night and smiling! He started both of these milestones right around 5 weeks adjusted which is right on target. He has found his hands and has been sucking on them a lot lately.

Jacob starts early intervention next Tuesday and we are excited about this as well. The earlier they start the quicker they catch up and the pediatrician is so amazed at how well Jacob is doing that she says he should have no problem catching up. It looks like the only major issue we will have to worry about is his eyesight which isn't bad for a 24 weeker!

I am posting a few new pictures that reflect the 9.5 pound Jacob. I am going to try and get his smile captured on camera soon and post that as well.

More to come in September!

Follow-Up at Tufts in Boston

Jacob had his appointments at Tufts on Monday and it was all good news! First, we had his eye appointment and man was that torture. It looked pretty bad and Jacob screamed bloody murder, but in the end they decided that his blood vessels have grown out as far as they can (to where they lasered) so he doesn't need to be followed anymore as far as the ROP is concerned. He needs to go back to a Pediatric Opthamologist in 8 months, but that is just so we can start following his vision.

Next was Endocrinology and the news was the same. He seems to be doing well as far as his Rickets is concerned and they want to see him back in 4 months to make sure all is well.

Last was Urology for his circumcision and to check on his undescended testicles. They have determined that his left testicle is almost all the way down and the right one is well on its way so they are not worried about that. They want to see him again in 6 months to make sure they are both completely descended. Jacob did surprisingly well with the circumcision and only yelped once and white knuckled Daddy's hand through the whole procedure. He was a tough, little guy. Mommy is a wimp and waited outside. ;)

He has been weighed multiple times since he left the hospital (at the Pediatrician's office, with VNA and at Tufts) and we are getting all different weights. It seems the most accurate is the VNA weight. Tufts tried telling us on Monday that Jacob is 9 pounds and there is no way he is 9 pounds! VNA was at the house today and they weighed him in at 8 lb 3oz and that is right on track for about an ounce a day which is what he is supposed to be doing so we'll take it!

Our friend Jeff Turner was at the house today taking professional newborn pictures of Jacob. Jacob was in a stellar mood, but we managed to get a few really good pics and I can't wait to see the end result. I will post a link to Jeff's website when all is done and for the folks (ahem, Gaga) who are looking for black and white blow-ups of Jacob's photo shoot they will be available to purchase online.

I guess that is all for now. More updates to come in the future (of course) and for now we are just loving life at home with the little boy!