Incredibly, Anthony's been home with us now for over a week! It's been the happiest time imaginable! He is just such a wonderful little person and it's quite a reminder of how much amazing communication can happen with no speech! We can only imagine how full our hands will be when Anthony can talk! He's already getting more phone calls than we are!
He's doing really well! The hardest thing is keeping up with the feeding schedule. Babies are supposed to eat every three hours, so that makes things pretty interesting! Prepping bottles in advance is a big help, but it is truly amazing how fast those three hours go! Before you know it you're heating up a bottle again! Anthony has kind of a hard time taking his full feed sometimes, as it kind of wears him out. You may remember Anthony has a G-tube which we can use if we have to for the nutrition he's too tired to finish. Nobody likes having that tube, so we are trying to help Anthony in every way we can so that the tube can be removed sooner rather than later -- but it will probably be with us for a couple of months.
Anthony's already had his first regular pediatrician appointment and he passed with flying colors! Good blood oxygen and good weight -- and maximum cuteness! How amazing rather than grimly heading to visit him in the intensive care unit, to instead be fastening his carseat down and going to the doctor's all of us together!
The heat here in P-town has been very warm this week, which has also been a challenge. None of us are used to it! But we are actually hearing some distant rumbles of thunder right now in the distance, so we may clear the air with a nice little storm later. Here's hoping! We took some time out to put some new plants in the greenspace in front of our house this afternoon and it would be great to have them get watered in! Susan helped Paul with ideas for where the plants should go, "Don't you mean, two of them over here...?" with Anthony strapped into Susan's new baby sling, likewise helping out in the garden.
We're feeling so grateful to have this time off from work to just be with Anthony and get to know all his little behaviors. Any excuse to go down the block in the stroller, we'll take. Giving him a bath, changing his diapers -- just sitting together and smiling at each other -- there's just nothing better and there seems to be no mood or happening that Anthony can't somehow manage to make better just by his being there! His eyes just stare up at us all innocent and loving and when he smiles...it's the best thing in the world.
Sometimes, we'll find ourselves thinking of the NICU and hoping that the babies and parents there now can all share in a similar happy outcome that we have been blessed enough to enjoy. Having been through those long months and all the uncertainty and anxiety will probably take us a while to fully get past -- or even fully realize how it messed with us. Without question, it was the hardest thing we've ever been through. It's also so incredibly worth it that words can't possibly do it justice. Our little boy is home with his parents. We're his parents!!! And while we get a little goofy and uncertain sometimes about what to do, we wouldn't change one hair on his little head (not that there are that many yet!) -- and there's nowhere else we'd rather be. We've
never felt luckier or happier in our lives. Being Anthony's parents is a wonderful thing!
He's doing really well! The hardest thing is keeping up with the feeding schedule. Babies are supposed to eat every three hours, so that makes things pretty interesting! Prepping bottles in advance is a big help, but it is truly amazing how fast those three hours go! Before you know it you're heating up a bottle again! Anthony has kind of a hard time taking his full feed sometimes, as it kind of wears him out. You may remember Anthony has a G-tube which we can use if we have to for the nutrition he's too tired to finish. Nobody likes having that tube, so we are trying to help Anthony in every way we can so that the tube can be removed sooner rather than later -- but it will probably be with us for a couple of months.
Anthony's already had his first regular pediatrician appointment and he passed with flying colors! Good blood oxygen and good weight -- and maximum cuteness! How amazing rather than grimly heading to visit him in the intensive care unit, to instead be fastening his carseat down and going to the doctor's all of us together!
The heat here in P-town has been very warm this week, which has also been a challenge. None of us are used to it! But we are actually hearing some distant rumbles of thunder right now in the distance, so we may clear the air with a nice little storm later. Here's hoping! We took some time out to put some new plants in the greenspace in front of our house this afternoon and it would be great to have them get watered in! Susan helped Paul with ideas for where the plants should go, "Don't you mean, two of them over here...?" with Anthony strapped into Susan's new baby sling, likewise helping out in the garden.
We're feeling so grateful to have this time off from work to just be with Anthony and get to know all his little behaviors. Any excuse to go down the block in the stroller, we'll take. Giving him a bath, changing his diapers -- just sitting together and smiling at each other -- there's just nothing better and there seems to be no mood or happening that Anthony can't somehow manage to make better just by his being there! His eyes just stare up at us all innocent and loving and when he smiles...it's the best thing in the world.
Sometimes, we'll find ourselves thinking of the NICU and hoping that the babies and parents there now can all share in a similar happy outcome that we have been blessed enough to enjoy. Having been through those long months and all the uncertainty and anxiety will probably take us a while to fully get past -- or even fully realize how it messed with us. Without question, it was the hardest thing we've ever been through. It's also so incredibly worth it that words can't possibly do it justice. Our little boy is home with his parents. We're his parents!!! And while we get a little goofy and uncertain sometimes about what to do, we wouldn't change one hair on his little head (not that there are that many yet!) -- and there's nowhere else we'd rather be. We've
never felt luckier or happier in our lives. Being Anthony's parents is a wonderful thing!
A huge HI to the Carsons! It's wonderful that Anthony is FINALLY home. He looks so content. Of course we heard that he sure enjoyed those sponge baths in the NICU, but he looks thrilled to be given a full sized baby bath in his own home and then be able to hang out in his own living room with his mom and dad. I just hope he doesn't get his fuzzy slippers mixed up with Arnold. The pictures are adorable. Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteHow great Paul and Susan! It's so nice that you finally have anthony home, and I really hope I get a chance to meet him and you guys on my trip home. I'llbe there in a few weeks, and will be there til the middle of July. Tom
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