Update!

Asher is now 3lbs.-11oz. & measuring 16 inches long!! His nasal cannula was removed on Monday the 10th. Which means he is breathing completely on his own! Asher still has some episodes of apnea but very few.

He is getting the hang of nursing and bottle feeding, but prefers the bottle cause the flow is much faster and the boy likes to eat! So hopefully his feeding tube will be removed soon.

We praise God for Asher's amazing progress!

We also pray for Asher's continued health and to keep gettin fat!

-Josh

UPDATE

Asher is now 3lbs. & 2oz!! He is also 15.25 inches long!!

Asher is continuing to do very well. While still having some drops in his heart rate and oxygen saturation, he recovers quickly.

He has taken to nursing & bottle feeding pretty well, but still needs a bit more practice learning to suck, swallow, and breathe.

Thank you all for the continued prayers...

-Josh

UPDATE

Asher is now 2lbs. & 10oz. and is a lil over 13 inches long!! He seems to gaining an ounce or two every day and he looks chubbier every time I see him.

He had an eye exam earlier this week (which was very uncomfortable) and results were good, no signs of disease. Praise God. Asher will have another eye exam in about 2 weeks because preemies are at risk for an eye problem called retinopathy of prematurity.

Asher will soon start to feed off a bottle and mama, so he's practicing now how to swallow on his own. Its funny to watch his little mouth and tongue work for it.

Asher now recognizes our voices more (his moms more than mine). Its exciting to see his little eyes open and search when his mommy speaks to him.

We know God is in control and we totally trust Him in our faith, our Lord is the true physician.

Thank all yall for the continuous prayer...

-Josh

Asher's Angels Benefit

On October 29th we will be having a fundraiser for Asher at the Kendall County Fairgrounds! We will have BBQ Chicken and Brisket dinner and an auction! It will cost $10 for an adult ticket, and $5 for a child ticket. You can buy tickets at the door or by purchasing them by using the donate button to the left. More details are coming! If you would like to donate something for the auction please call Chris Webb at 210-464-7674.

Pics of Sweet Asher

Prayer Requests

Some continued prayer requests are:

- that God would continue to work His miracles in Asher (The Villarreal's have been told that Asher could be in the NICU for 2-3 months). That God would protect Asher from any infections or medical complications (there are too many to list for a preemie).

- that God would continue to bless the family in this time of financial crisis (Aaron is a physician assistant but she has been out of work for several months and will probably need to be out for another several months due to the special care that Asher will need once he is out of the hospital)

- prayer that the Villarreal's faith would remain strong and that God would give them peace that surpasses all understanding.

- prayer for protection from the enemy and his schemes

Asher's Story

Little Asher has struggled from almost the day of his conception to present day. The Villarreal's were told several times not to hope for too much and that Asher would probably not make it. By the grace of God though and through the prayers of many Asher has made miraculous improvement right before his birth to present. Asher had an insufficient placenta and several other medical factors to contend with while he was in utero. The doctors told the Villareal's to prepare to have Asher delivered at 28 weeks and that his chances for survival at that time would not be good. Through many prayers God sustained Asher before his need to be delivered through an emergency c-section due mainly to the fact that Asher had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice and his heart rate was dropping. At only 28 weeks in his mother's womb Asher Noel Villareal came into the world on August 12, 2011. He was only 1 pound 5 ounces and 11 1/2 inches long at birth. The Villarreal's were of course told all the horrible things that could happen due to Asher being born so early but they remained strong in their faith that God would take care of their new born son. God has definitely delivered in taking care of Asher. He is now growing and putting on weight. He is breathing with very little assistance and opens his eyes regularly to check out the world around him. The Villarreal's and Asher still have a long way to go though and need the continued prayers of many prayer warriors that God will continue to provide for Asher and the rest of their family.

The Villarreal Family