Update

I cant believe it has been almost a month since I have updated this, alot has been going on thats for sure. Tripp is now getting speech and physical therapy, speech to work on eating skills and physical because he is still really stiff in his joints (stiffer than even a newborn should be). 

On Sat, August 8th Ricky and I went in to check up on Tripp and we noticed that he wasnt breathing, he would stop for around 30 seconds and then start breathing again and would repeat this pattern.  Since we didnt want to go wait in the ER all night we just decided to stay up with him and get him checked out the next day.  Sunday we went into our pediatricians office and we decided to try to get an apnea monitor so that we could get some sleep and still know if anything was going on.  Well we couldnt get a monitor from any equipment companies on a Sunday so she went ahead and amitted him into the hospital for observation.  The next day we ended up being transferred to WF, Tripp ended up getting there a little after 10 and I got there a little after midnight.  We ended up staying 2 nights in the hospital and came home on Wed with an apnea monitor.  He also got his distractors taken out while we were here, his plastic surgeon has said that his jaw is in a good place and that there isnt anything else that he can do for him at this time.  Sometimes he has nights where his monitor does not go off at all and then there are nights where it goes off up to 16 times (that has been the highest amount this far). But on the positive side Tripp was weighed in the hospital and he weighed 13 lbs. 14 oz.! We are so happy that he is finally starting to gain some weight. 

The next day after we got home from the hospital, August 11th, Tripp finally lifted his head up during tummy time. 


Then on August 19th, I went to the dentist that morning and Tripp rolled over from his back to his belly for his grandmomma and auntie hannah, and then he finally did it again this morning for me daddy and Bella :)

Yesterday on August 23rd, we had another swallow study at Wake Forest and it showed that Tripp is still aspirating but it isnt as bad as it was.  And now we can finally start working some with a bottle, 15 ml of formula with 1/2 tablespoon of rice cereal 2x per day.  Its a baby step but well take it :)

Today August 24th he had an audiologist appointment for his hearing test.  During this he had to stay asleep the entire time, and he would only sleep long enough to get the left ear done.  However, this has showed that there is moderate hearing loss in this ear and he will need a hearing aid in this ear for sure.  We will be having another appointment soon to do the right ear.  At this facility insurance will not pay for hearing aids, but they can transfer us to another facility here in Roanoke where the insurance will cover the hearing aids (thank goodness!)

We have lots of upcoming appointments as well- gtube surgeon, speech and physical therapy, well check up, gi doctor, pulmonology, and eye doctor. Please pray that Tripp just continues to progress and to give us and the doctors the tools/knowledge to help him the best that we can.