Trach collar progress

Evan has been doing fantastic the past few days on his trach collar. We had him off the ventilator for 3 hour yesterday, an hour in the morning and two in the evening. This morning he'll be off for two, and if his blood gas is good, he'll be off for 3 hours straight tonight.
If he continues to do well, the pattern will continue: three hours Monday morning and four in the evening. 4 hours Tuesday morning and 5 evening... Until he's off 18 hours total throughout the day.
If we continue at this pace, he will be off the ventilator by about March 1st.

He's also back to getting his feeds at the same rate as before his surgery. We'll be reducing them to less time this upcoming week so that it's easier to feed him at home.

And he is on room air while on the ventilator, and only a slight amount of oxygen while on the trach collar.
I'm very happy about that, because he might just come home without any supplemental oxygen.

Oh, and he is being fitted for a helmet, because with all the laying in bed, his head is a little flat. He'll have to wear it for 12-14 weeks for 23 hours a day. But it's worth it, because it will give him a "normal" shaped head, and his eye, cheek, ear, and forehead won't be slightly asymmetrical, like it is now. I figured he's going to have enough things that make him different- lets not add to it.
Other helmets I've seen come in just a utilitarian white, but this service already has patterns and colors we can get on his helmet. I picked a black background with white skulls and crossbones.
I thought it was ironic, and frankly black goes with everything. :-)

I'm hoping that he will be able to get rid of the trach after cold season passes. That's the next goal after getting him off the ventilator and home.

I still have no clue when he'll be home. But we can ALMOST bet it will be in March.
IF we get him weaned down as fast as it seems.
IF nothing goes wrong.

But I am so hopeful. :-)