...And In The Days That Followed
While celebrating Jimmy/James' (we've been calling him Jimmy forever, but now he kind of wants to be called James which is what MY mother calls him...is this a sign of growing up?) birthday, I dug around and found (thanks to Steve) a notebook that I kept for the first 6 or so months of his life. I can now report all the times and dates of all his formula feedings and diaper changes. (I have his first "stool'' on record at 9:20 AM...although the nurse recorded that and not I.) I can also tell you exactly how much it cost us to stay at the Holiday Inn and other not so interesting tidbits.
But I thought it might be fun (for me, if not for you) to share a few things that I wrote way back then...
8/5 8:50 AM Our son is being circumcised right now...we were here (the hospital) by 7. James was already up and in one of the nurses arms so we came back to the day room and held him.
8/6 8:18 PM: Today was really a rough one. James cried pretty much all day. And he has a high pitched wounded animal cray. It killed us. He cried and cried. We swaddled. We patted. We rocked. He cried. It was awful. And it has made both of us wonder what kind of parents we will be.
8/7 3:25 PM: Both father and son are asleep on the bed in room 281 of the Holiday Inn...it's been an emotional day...James woke up when Steve put in him the car seat, but then went right back to sleep. And he slept on the ride to the hotel...I went to the Supermarket. When I got back Steve had fed James another ounce (of formula) and he was pretty much asleep in his Swaddleme, which is the greatest thing Steve's mom got us.
8/10: We had it with the hotel (as nice as the people were)...we took the 6 hour drive and came home to where we could relax and be surrounded by people who love us...So what happened over the past days? Well, I've blow dried sheets that got wet in the middle of the night. I've "stolen" a mini-fridge from a storage area for employees only and dragged it to our room for use I've spend hour at the local Ford dealer when my oil light went on and it turned out my oil pan was shot...But we are home...We didn't stop for him until PA when we got off the highway and hit a Holiday Inn Express. Steve changed him in the men's room (on a towel on the floor! No changing table!). And we feed him on the lobby...We got home and Grandpa Steve was here. Sweaty from mowing. He took a look at James, but being a mess he only looked. He helped us tremendously by bringing in everything while we got settled...Steve had fed James and then I tried to feed him more and he projectile vomited/spit up all over me (and I tried to get it on me and not on the love seat, but some of it got there any way). It was awful. I was soaked.
8/12: Our first doctor visit...James has gained nearly a pound and grown over an inch! She checked him from head to toe. She was very good with him.
8/17: 13 days old. He's still doing the waking every couple of hours, but he seems less fussy (sometimes)...This morning while Steve was feeding him, he said to him, "Can I tell you something?" And he squeaked out what I would sweat was "yeah". Both Steve and I heard it. Know it wasn't "yeah" but it sure sounded like it.
Was "yeah" really his first word at 13 days? Or was it just the overactive imaginations of two sleep deprived parents? It doesn't really matter. As exhausting as those thirteen days were (and the days that followed until he finally started sleeping for more than 2-3 hours at a stretch), neither of us would trade them for anything.
As I read over what I wrote, I am amazed I made it through. And amazed that here I am 8 years later. The kid that cried and spit up and a well behaved young man about to head into 3rd grade. The baby who's head fit into the palm of my hand is now only a foot shorter than me! (And we wear the same size flip flops!).
What I wrote 8 years ago seems like an eternity. But I'm so glad that I did take the time to write what I did. I had forgotten so much and I'm sure as the years pass I will forget more. But thankfully I will always have what I have written down to jog my memory. And more importantly, to embarrass Jimmy/James in the future. (Watch out kid!)
But I thought it might be fun (for me, if not for you) to share a few things that I wrote way back then...
8/5 8:50 AM Our son is being circumcised right now...we were here (the hospital) by 7. James was already up and in one of the nurses arms so we came back to the day room and held him.
8/6 8:18 PM: Today was really a rough one. James cried pretty much all day. And he has a high pitched wounded animal cray. It killed us. He cried and cried. We swaddled. We patted. We rocked. He cried. It was awful. And it has made both of us wonder what kind of parents we will be.
8/7 3:25 PM: Both father and son are asleep on the bed in room 281 of the Holiday Inn...it's been an emotional day...James woke up when Steve put in him the car seat, but then went right back to sleep. And he slept on the ride to the hotel...I went to the Supermarket. When I got back Steve had fed James another ounce (of formula) and he was pretty much asleep in his Swaddleme, which is the greatest thing Steve's mom got us.
8/10: We had it with the hotel (as nice as the people were)...we took the 6 hour drive and came home to where we could relax and be surrounded by people who love us...So what happened over the past days? Well, I've blow dried sheets that got wet in the middle of the night. I've "stolen" a mini-fridge from a storage area for employees only and dragged it to our room for use I've spend hour at the local Ford dealer when my oil light went on and it turned out my oil pan was shot...But we are home...We didn't stop for him until PA when we got off the highway and hit a Holiday Inn Express. Steve changed him in the men's room (on a towel on the floor! No changing table!). And we feed him on the lobby...We got home and Grandpa Steve was here. Sweaty from mowing. He took a look at James, but being a mess he only looked. He helped us tremendously by bringing in everything while we got settled...Steve had fed James and then I tried to feed him more and he projectile vomited/spit up all over me (and I tried to get it on me and not on the love seat, but some of it got there any way). It was awful. I was soaked.
8/12: Our first doctor visit...James has gained nearly a pound and grown over an inch! She checked him from head to toe. She was very good with him.
8/17: 13 days old. He's still doing the waking every couple of hours, but he seems less fussy (sometimes)...This morning while Steve was feeding him, he said to him, "Can I tell you something?" And he squeaked out what I would sweat was "yeah". Both Steve and I heard it. Know it wasn't "yeah" but it sure sounded like it.
Was "yeah" really his first word at 13 days? Or was it just the overactive imaginations of two sleep deprived parents? It doesn't really matter. As exhausting as those thirteen days were (and the days that followed until he finally started sleeping for more than 2-3 hours at a stretch), neither of us would trade them for anything.
As I read over what I wrote, I am amazed I made it through. And amazed that here I am 8 years later. The kid that cried and spit up and a well behaved young man about to head into 3rd grade. The baby who's head fit into the palm of my hand is now only a foot shorter than me! (And we wear the same size flip flops!).
What I wrote 8 years ago seems like an eternity. But I'm so glad that I did take the time to write what I did. I had forgotten so much and I'm sure as the years pass I will forget more. But thankfully I will always have what I have written down to jog my memory. And more importantly, to embarrass Jimmy/James in the future. (Watch out kid!)
How cool that you wrote those things down! =)
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