No More Goop!!

I Love Her

One Month Old Picture

      











       No more eye infection yay!!!  Thanks to Mommy and Daddy always cleaning  my eyes and Mommy reminding the nurses to put a warm compress on my eye the infection is gone!  Mommy, Daddy and I have a really big day this Friday June 1st because I go in for another test to see how long my esophagus has grown.  Please keep those prayers coming that way I can go home with Mommy and Daddy.  I had two minor set backs but they didn't really hinder anything, I pulled out my G-tube again.  It's not my fault though my toes are just too long and the cords get stuck in between them.  I also had some blood in my diaper which made the doctors do an X-ray which they didn't find anything but they said they are going to keep an eye on it.  Those are really the only updates I have for you well and also I'm eating 100ml of milk every feeding.

Measurements

Weight:----------------- 7lbs 13 ounces
Length:----------------- 22.4 inches
Head Cir:---- ----------15.2 inches

E-Card Thank Yous

Nicky-------------------------------------3rd cousin

Frank and Nicole-----------------------Family Friends

Dawn H.---------------------------------Family Friends

G Gma Shirley-------------------------Great Grandma Shirley

Myka, Josh & Nakova---------------Mommies Longest Friend and Family

Natalie-----------------------------------Inappropriate Aunt Natty :-)

Mamaw L--------------------------------Grandma Lisa

Chad, Molly & Sam-------------------The Best Neighbors

Allison & Family-------------------------Family Friends

Erika, Chris & Colton------------------2nd and 3rd cousins

Brittney & Keegan----------------------Really Good Family Friends

Lucy, Jay & Dalton--------------------Family Friends

Gifts
Please Feel No Obligation To Give Gifts This Is Merely A Record That I May Look Back On Later In Life.


Dale----------------Blue Guardian Angel
Ellie----------------Green Handmade Booties
Aunt JoJo---------Red Lion
GGma Fisher-----Penguin Pillow & Clothes

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want to see or just leave a comment!
I love you, see ME soon!

I'm 1 Month Old Special!   

I've seen you before!

      
       Well in two days I will be :)  Not much has changed around here, that's not true either lot's of stuff has changed!  Let's start with the bad last Wednesday and last night I pulled my G-tube out, it really hurt.  Doc's say no extra damage and they just put a new one in both times.  That's really all the bad news this week which is good.  But now for the happy news.  My new G-tube is more modern and it let's Mommy and Daddy hold me in different ways they weren't able to in the past.  My eye infection is still there but it is improving.  I  have my own Physical Therapist who helps with my hand, eye and head movement and skills.  I also have new bedding that Mommy brought from home which makes the room a little more me. 

Measurement time:

      
       Weight:-------------7lbs 6.5 ounces-----10/50th percentile

       Length: -------------21.26 inches--------10/50th percentile

       Head Circ:----------14.76 inches--------50/90th percentile

E-Card Thank Yous:

      
       Mommy, Daddy and I really appreciate the E-Cards I think it helps all 3 of us get through the days better.  I want to thank every single person who sends one every time they send one!!! So keep them coming, I think I heard Mommy and Daddy say something about making them into a book, whatever a book is.

Thanks again!!!!  

Chad, Molly & Sam ------------------------------------------------The best neighbors

Shannon & Stephen ------------------------------------------------Family friends

Shelly, Bill, Drew, Faith, Rylee & Colt -----------------------2nd cousins and 3rd cousins

Casey, Nick, Cody, Abby, Mckenzie & Jackson --------2nd cousins and 3rd cousins

Lisa, Corey, Jared & Sara ----------------------------------------Family friends     

Mamaw L --------------------------------------------------------------Grandma Lisa

G. Gma Fisher -------------------------------------------------------Great Grandma Fisher

Stretching my legs

I can't wait to see next weeks cards!!!!!!

Do you want to send T.J. a FREE E-card greeting?

Click the link below, and use NICU  Room 5 for the room number.

Send an E-card directly to T.J.'s room!


Please leave ideas for pictures/videos you
want to see or just leave a comment!
I love you, see ME soon!


Special T.J. Tuesday Video

 T.J. Hiccups  

(The video will fix itself in 20 seconds sorry)



Rockin' a Polo

3 Weeks Old!



My Family on Mother's Day

My 1st Mother's Day



       Happy Mother's Day to all mom's but especially to my Mommy!!!  All my measurements are pretty much the same except my weight.  I now weigh 6 lbs 15 ounces!  My food intake has gone up to 87 ml every 4 hours and they clamp it to make sure I don't push it out the tube.  I know that it may sometimes makes my tummy uncomfortable but it will help my esophagus grow more.  I have also developed a minor infection in my left eye, but it's really on my eyelid not my eyeball.  I also no longer wear a temperature probe yay I hated when they tore tape off under my arm it made me really upset. 
      
       Have I got a Mother's Day story for you!!!  On Sunday Mommy and I spent the whole day together at least 7 hours and then another 2 hours with Mommy and Daddy.  Daddy says about 3 minutes until they got home ( a 50 minute drive) Mommy says, "I didn't get a picture with T.J."  When they got inside Mommy went straight to the bedroom and laid down (which she never does.)  So Daddy went to check on her and she was crying :( so Daddy said, "Do you want me to take you back?"  with tears in her eyes she nodded yes.  Daddy said, "Well go fix your makeup and we will go see him."  Daddy brought Mommy all the way back to the hospital to see me and save the day (another 50 minute drive at 10:15ish)  Mommy was so excited and Daddy took like 30 pictures of me and her.  After about 25-30 minutes of them holding me and taking pictures I sent them home to sleep.  (3rd 50 minute drive in 4 1/2 hours) 

       I also want to give 2 very special thank you's to Dale and Auntie Sara at Mommies work for sending me E-cards they are hanging up on the wall in my room.

Want to send T.J. a FREE E-card greeting?

Use NICU room 5 for the room number.

Send an E-card directly to T.J.'s room!

Please leave ideas for pictures/videos you want to see or just leave a comment!
I love you, see ME soon!
New Pictures will be viewable Thursday!!!

Daddy's Last Day
                                                                                                                      
       Hello again!  It's me T.J. and thanks for visiting T.J. Tuesday.  Today is Daddy's last day to spend with me until he goes back to work.  He says he's really bummed, but I know he loves me and he knows I'm in the best place to be without him. 
      
       For those who don't know I have Long Gap Esophageal Atreisa which means my esophagus is not connected to my stomach (a 6 cm gap).  Our plan is to wait until June 1st to test how long it has grown to see if I will stay and grow more, get a surgery to use my stomach or colon to replace my esophagus, or go to Boston to have a special surgery that will stretch my esophagus over a period of weeks to connect them.  I also forgot to mention that only 1 in 4,000 babies are born with this every year.  Children's Hospital only sees about 10 to 12 babies a year with this condition and only 1 -2 babies every 3 years that have Long Gap EA.  For more info about my condition you can read the previous posts!

My bouncer!

      
       Measurements yay!  I am 20.5 inches long (50-90th percentile), I weigh 6lbs 8oz (10-50th percentile) and have a head circumference of 34 cm (90th percentile).

Length: Mommy
Head Circumference: Daddy
Weight: Mommy and Daddy 

Please leave ideas for pictures/videos you want to see or just leave a comment! I love you, see ME soon!

    Want to send T.J. a greeting? 

Use NICU room 5 for the room number.  

Send an E-card directly to T.J.'s room!

Snug as a bug!

Quick Update
  
After one week of being alive Mommy and Daddy have told me all about the people who love me and have helped them out while I'm in the hospital, and let me say there are alot of people who love me and thanks for helping Mommy and Daddy!  I do have some updates for you, my PICC line is out so that means all I have connected to me is my G-tube, repogul tube, and simple heart, oxygen and temperature sensors.  This is all fantastic news!  They have also modified my G-tube so that it is a direct line from food to tummy instead of through a syringe/funnel device also good news because it makes it easier for Mommy and Daddy to hold me (I like that!)  Don't forget to check the blog every Tuesday for T.J. Tuesday this week will be updates plus my growth and weight charts!

Like my new hat???

      

       Please leave ideas for pictures/videos you want to see or just leave a comment! I love you, see ME soon!

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Use NICU room 5 for the room number.  

Send T.J. a Greeting Card

Hello World!!!
    Welcome to the first ever T.J. Tuesday
    My first week!  

       My name is Troy James Bragg, but you can call me T.J.  This is my family, Mommy (Kimberly) and Daddy (Mickey) and ME!  I was born 2 weeks early on April 24th 2012 at 5:45pm.  I was 20.3 inches long and weighed 6 pounds 5 ounces.  You may be wondering why I'm hooked up to these machines at the hospital instead of at home with Mommy and Daddy. 
      
       It all started on December 29th 2011 (21 weeks pregnant), Uncle Scotts' birthday when the Dr.'s told Mommy and Daddy that they wanted us to see a specialist because my umbilical cord was connected to the side of the sac instead of the middle.  The specialist told us they weren't worried about that too much but noticed they couldn't see my stomach on the ultrasound.  The only way to see the stomach on an ultrasound is to see the fluid we drink inside of our Mommies.  The specialists told Mommy and Daddy that I had Esophogial Atreisa or EA for short.  EA is a condition where the esophogus doesn't develop correctly.  There are about 5 or 6 forms of EA, but mine is one of the rare forms.  My type is called Long Gap EA, that means my esophogus at the top of my throat is very short and doesn't even make it to my chest cavity.  Not good.  Now my esophogus is not just an open tube it's kind of like a pouch at the bottom and everytime I swallow it sits in that pouch.  The bad side to that is when the pouch fills up it can leak into my trachea (windpipe) and give me pnemonia, so the Dr.s at Children's Hospital gave me a repogul tube.  This tube goes in through my mouth and to the bottom of the pouch and sucks all the secretions out like a straw.
      
       Because I don't have a full esophogus the Dr.s also had to give me a G-tube (feeding tube) which was a minor surgery, but what it leaves me with is tube hanging over my bed which is filled with formula or milk and goes directly into my stomach to feed me!  All the other wires just monitor stuff like heart rate, oxygen and temperature.  I do have a PICC line which is like an IV, but is more long term, also the Dr.s think they will be able to take it out soon! Good news.  The only down side is that the Dr.s aren't really sure how long I will have to stay here it could be 2 months or even 9 months or longer!  Only time will tell when my esophogus will grow long enough to reach the other end connected to my stomach for the Dr.s to sew them together so I can finally go home!

       I will keep you up-to-date as much as I can, but definitely post something every Tuesday making this blog a true T.J. Tuesday.  Please leave ideas for pictures/videos you want to see or just leave a comment! I love you, see ME soon!

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Use NICU room 5 for the room number.

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This is me!!!