Sammy update 8/13/13 from Jen:

Sammy update 8/13/13: Samuel had his first full day of therapies yesterday. It was exhausting for him & educational for both of us! He has OT, PT & speech for an hour each day, with OT & speech being broken into 30-minute increments. In OT, Sam was able to follow an object with his eyes. In PT he sat upright on a padded bench for 5 minutes (with the therapist behind him, holding up his head & shoulders)! He also "stood up": there's a table that he was strapped to & they tip it slowly; they were able to bring him to a 45- degree angle, close to upright. In Speech, he got a bit of oral care, face massage & tried eating a little apple sauce. We'll continue working on that. (Sam remains on tube feeding for now, so he is getting his nutrients). Today Sam had his original trache replaced with a metal one. This is standard practice. Once he wakes & starts talking it or removable. I can't wait to hear his beautiful voice.