We know that we haven't posted many pictures and details about Mercer; let's just say we've been busy. Although things have been challenging for him, we wanted to share some of his accomplishments and give you a glimpse into his life. Mercer is now 7 pounds and like Emmett carries much of this weight in his cheeks.
In December he received a tracheostomy. He is still on a ventilator but the “trach” allows his mouth to be free of tape and ventilator tubes. It was a thrill to see his mouth for the first time in months. It has made quite a difference for him. He can now suck on a pacifier and he loves to stick his tongue out and explore his entire mouth. He does still have tubes that go through his nose for feeding and venting of air from his stomach. We had a rare chance to catch him on a day when the tubes were being changed so you'll see a couple of shots where he has no tubes at all. Some of the other things that he loves to do are sit up in his boppy (pillow) and look around his room and he also has a really funny birdie mobile that keeps him entertained. He will even let you know that he wants the mobile turned on again by wiggling and fussing. Once it's back on he calms again.
Mercer also loves to be held and besides the arms of mom and dad he also has some other visitors. “Aunt Sally” is a friend who will visit while Mom is at work. She tells him all kinds of stories about her friends and her dog Rosco. Mercer loves it when she visits. Mercer also communicates with both his eyes and eye brows. We've never seen so much expression.
