Jacob Quinn Paynter
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Update - September 2002: Jacob is doing GREAT! He is a very happy boy. He is always smiling and in a great mood. Since the weather has been breaking occasionally from the high temps and humidity, we have been able to get Jacob out twice for a little adventure. We was able to take him for a walk and to our church's annual picnic. He had a blast. He was looking at everything and taking it all in.
He likes to watch the cars go by.
Last week, we started Jacob on a vent trial. What this is, is where we take him off of the ventilator and put him on a trach collar. The trach color has just oxygen, 35%, going to a small "mask like" collar. It just sits at his trach, not attached. We started by doing 2, 30 minute sessions a day. We
continued this for 5 days. After which, we moved to 2, 1 hour sessions. He is doing very well on this. I am looking forward to going to longer time sessions. This is only my opinion and hoping, but I think that by Thanks Giving Jacob could be on a trach
while he is awake and maybe the vent whiles he sleeps. This is just a "fathers" hopes, not an official report from the
doctor.
A few weeks ago, Jacob started to verbally say, "dada". I was so happy to hear those few but so rewarding
syllables. Especially, when Riley's first word was "mama". Jacob is also learning sign language. We have been working on teaching him for quite awhile. He can sign 3 words, Daddy, Mommy and bye bye. Daddy, being his first word to sign and bye bye, being that most recent word.
Jacob is also working on feeding by mouth. This has been a big chore for him. He has and still is a little defensive about someone, other than him, putting something in his mouth. But, lately he has voluntarily opened his mouth for food. YYeeaaaahh!! He still needs
a lot of practice, but I am confident that he will succeed.
