Thankful!

This Thanksgiving is truly a time of thanks and joy at our home! The miracle of Gus this year - his continued growth, progress and wonder - are a blessing and gift! It is hard not to enter this holiday season with full hearts for all of the prayers, love and support given to our family this year. To everyone - we are thankful!

Gus continues to amaze everyone and as his doctors this month put it, "it's nothing short of miraculous". He loves to Jabber and tell lots of stories, chew anything (no teeth yet, though), smile and play. He loves to roll from his back to his belly and can't wait to crawl. He started sitting up a few weeks ago - still a little wobbly but he loves the new vantage point. He is full of giggles and is a very smiley guy. It's wonderful to hear him wake up in the morning (after 8 to 11 hours of sleep) talking away to his mobile of bears and then greet you with a big smile. He's started solid foods and just recently taken off with enjoying the sensation of eating. In keeping with the Thanksgiving theme we introduced sweet potatoes and he devoured them. He may look like his dad but luckily he picked up my love of squash and sweet potatoes! We're having fun...

Here is Gus with his Grandma Susie last weekend. She joined us from Maine for the weekend and Gus couldn't get enough of her. All she had to do was smile at him and say hello and he'd break out into belly laughs. It was a wonderful visit ...We're still smiling.

Big Gus is now 15 pounds and over 24.5 inches long - about the same height as his new teddy bear from the Graham Company (thank you!). As you can tell from the smile, he is a pretty loved little man.

Gregg took this picture a week ago and it shows Gus at rest, just contemplating the world (or what next to stick in his mouth).

We started the month of November with doctor visits and are thrilled to report that all went well. Gus received his first flu shot and his first of 5-7 synagis shots. The latter is to help prevent RSV, a serious threat to preemies' lungs during the cold and flu season. We are following doctors' orders to keep him away from crowds this winter and are so thankful to have Ellen providing such loving care for him at home. Our travels and crowd interaction is restricted until the spring, which is nothing if we can keep a healthy baby.

The eye surgeon was pleased with Gus' progress and we no longer have to visit her, just 6-month checks with the pediatric opthamologist at this point. Gus was even able to sit up for his exam and did not need the metal springs to hold open his eyes. He smiled at the doctor and had no problem tracking the light she used in the exam - what a difference! The gastroenterologist took him off of prevacid and the pulmonologist was thrilled with his overall growth. Again, we no longer need to visit either of these doctors. He actually made it onto the charts for his overall size (5th percentile). One of his doctors thought he'd catch up to his actual birth age in a few months (not years!). We heard several times how blessed we were and how his progress is nothing short of miraculous. We do not take one moment or smile for granted! We enter this season...

Thankful beyond words,

Gregg, Jill and Gus