Shake it up, baby!

Gus has been back on a pulsating ventilator since last night - 420 puffs of air per minute from the "jet." He is definitely shakin' again.

He has had a hard day having "regular" vital signs. His nurse, Susie, has had a workout keeping everything stabilized. Gus is doing everything backwards today - when he is awake and squirming his vital signs are great. When he is asleep, his oxygen saturation and heart rate drop - EXACTLY the opposite of most other babies. Gus is better off when he is animated and trying to breath on his own right now...

Speaking of shakin' - one of the things Gus likes to do is flex his legs. As you can see from the blanket, the camera is not moving - it is his foot! The shutter was set to about 1/20 of a second so he is moving his leg around quite a bit.

Another picture of Gus trying to rest. Jill's hand is on his head and he is so comforted when we are holding him. His eyes were open a bit but I was snuggling him and didn't get a picture. When he hears our voices he cranes his neck around to hear where the voice is coming from - he really knows and responds to our voices and the voices of his regular caregivers!

It seems like Gus is still adjusting to post-surgery life. He isn't responding as the doctor expects, but they hope to be able to stabilize his vital signs soon. He is breaking the mold for responses to activity and rest so they are trying to find his "sweet spot" on the ventilator where he is most comfortable.

We can't be with him all the time, but he knows when we are there and that is a good feeling. Keep praying for this period in which Gus is to gain strength and begin to wean off ventilation in the next several weeks. He is so feisty right now - keeping the doctors and nurses on their toes - we hope this is a sign of his strength and will to thrive. I think it has a lot to do with his James blood (Jill's family) and an innate inability to stay still for very long.

Many Blessings,
Gregg, Jill and Gus