10 May - This is the rash that showed up, Liam's 12th day.

Our unhappy little man.

11 May - Our first night at the hospital. Because his veins are so small, the best location for an IV is in the scalp.

Liam resting...finally. His cry had been reduced to a whisper. While it was hard to see him with all the monitoring it was good that he could rest.

IVs become an issue in one so small. You can see multiple points of entry just in case. The nature of the rash had changed as the antibiotics began to help Liam fight the infection.

An interesting, but somewhat disturbing pacifier supplied by the hospital. Looked a little like he was screaming.

12 May - Wendy was able to hold him and nurse him at first. This changed with a downward turn of his condition on Thursday night that landed him in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Note the change in the rash and how both legs have swollen.

13 May - Peek-a-Boo! There have been moments of cognizance between the medication. I'm amazed how important these moments have become.

14 May - Since the infection caused his body to be so out of balance, low protein causes fluid to be gathered in his tissues. While the swelling looks bad here, the doctor told us that she has seen a baby three times it's body weight. Liam is at about 1.5.

15 May - This new rash that has come and gone now seems to indicate an allergic reaction to ampicillin. It has faded since that has been taken off his list of medications. The respirator was necessary due to the surgery, his system has remained remarkably clear.

He gets shifted from side to side so that the fluid doesn't settle and to relieve the pressure and burden.

Liam's new mantra! This is the only way to remove the fluid. No trips to Willie Wonka's juicing room!

16 May - I think this might be the peak of the swelling. The half circle on his abdomen is where the catheter tube was taped when he began to swell. It is healing nicely.

Besides the respirator he also has a tube to keep his stomach drained. You can also see the central line near his heart.

In the past day he has started receiving breast milk through a feeding tube. It is only a small amount but is the first step towards eating normally.

17 May - While the swelling remains you can see that the rash has cleared. He is still on Morphine which keeps him sleeping most of the time.

19 May - Things continue to improve for Liam. He is peeing at a rate now that will reduce the fluid in his body. He has started to lose weight!

You can see here how his face and eyes have swollen. The good news is that his eyes are open and he is active much more now. We are starting to see our little Liam again!

The mits on his hand are so he wouldn't grab and pull at the many wires and tubes. He still waves them around but its much safer now.

20 May - Now that he is awake more often, the staff found something to keep him entertained. The only concern right now is his kidney function. One of three indicators is out of the normal range. Its just an area to keep an eye on right now unless one of the other indicators becomes abnormal.

21 May - Liam has dropped a pound and a half in two days. He is down to 9 pounds, 8 ounces. (He was 7 lb 4 oz when he came in on 11 May.) However, he has a new rash coming in today :-( He is also on a breastmilk-only diet! If all goes well, he will be off the ventilator tomorrow.

As the swelling goes down, his skin has become to peel. Looks like he'll have a whole new skin before we leave.

22 May - A picture or two is worth a thousand words. The X-Ray on the right is from 17 May, the one on the left is from 22 May. It's easy to see here just how much Liam has improved.

Liam getting a little medicine through steam after being taken off of the respirator.

Getting a nice bath after having all those tubes and lines removed.

Clean baby Liam looking a lot like his old self.

A very happy Mom with her baby boy...

and a very happy Dad.

23 May - Another major milestone met on the way to a full recovery. Liam's oxygen and feeding tubes were removed today. He is once again dependent on Mom for his nourishment.

Amanda holding Liam once again.

Grandma holding Liam for the very first time...

and then it was Grandpa's turn.

24 May - We've moved to the Pediatric Ward and are one more step towards going home. The big surprise for the day was we were able to dress Liam again.

This is how Liam receives his antibiotics. They will continue for about a month, three times a day. Once we get home, this will be our job.

25 May - It was a day of ups and downs. Good news is that we are now on the Pediatrics ward. They even have a bed in the room for Wendy. However, Liam has a hematoma between his hip and kidney, that has to resolve before we can go home. He had to have a CT scan requiring an oral contrast and was none too happy about receiving it. He took about an ounce and promptly gave it all back :-( The results showed no change.

Hannah and Marissa were grateful to hold him again without any tubes or wires. Once the hematoma resolves, it is likely Liam will be sent home.

26 May - Rebekah came to spend the day with us at the hospital. She's demonstrating Liam's favorite way to be consoled. It's a little tiring on the arms.

This is Liam's parachute harness! Actually, it's a Pavlik harness. It will hold his hip in place for the next six weeks to ensure the muscles heal properly.

Life is returning to normal: no sudden movements when Liam is asleep. Unfortunately, it meant Wendy couldn't reach her ice cream. Don't worry, we didn't let her suffer too long. We found out in the afternoon that he will likely be released to home care on Tuesday! We will have to administer IV antibiotics three times a day until 22 June.

27 May - Sariah came to visit today. She was really excited to hear we may be home on Tuesday.

28 May - Liam likes bright colors, particularly Rosie's Red Rhinoceros

29 May - Liam looks much better. His weight has started to stabilize and he seems more and more like his old self.

Liam hanging out in his hosiptal bed waiting for the day to pass so he can go home.

30 May - On his way home! The volume in the hematoma had decreased by half!

A wonderful surprise from his sisters welcoming him home.

1 Jun - After a few days home, things are almost normal again.

3 Jun - Snuggled with Mommy while receiving his 2 PM dose of antibiotics.

You can tell that it's usually an easy process.

We use a small battery operated pump hooked to his central line just three times a day for a half hour each.

4 June - Liam's first day to go to church.