He totally IS like a peach!

We went up tonight to help participate in his care, which usually consists of taking his temperature and changing his diaper and maybe changing around the little electronic wires which monitor all his systems. You know, the usual. But tonight we were rewarded with a super special treat. We got to hold him in our little hands! We got to see his smooshed little face with no breathing apparatus on it! Holy bazangas!



Now don't get too excited; this doesn't mean he's all free and clear of assisted breathing -- this was just a temporary thing that they do when they weigh him. Which they did; and he's lost a whole bunch of weight. This also is normal; babies have a ton of water weight in them when they're born, and he's no exception. Now we just have to start putting that weight back on with burgers and milkshakes.



Do you see how his head is all oblong from the head gear? That's because baby's heads are made of silly putty. They said that as he grows older, and when he no longer requires any devices on his head, his head should become less like a pine cone, and more like a bowling ball. Or in his case, more like a tennis ball. Fuzzy.

This was a really amazing evening. Holding him in my bare hands and feeling his weight and seeing him just CHILL there and look up at me with the one eye he can open (the other one is smurshed closed cause he likes sleeping on that side) made me feel connected like I hadn't before. It was such a crazy thing to be right there when he was born, and feel like a parent for a couple minutes, and then lose him to a plastic box and a special floor so far away. Am I a parent yet? There are moments when I definitely feel like a parent -- like when signing consent forms for him and writing "Father" in the relationship field. But this was a whole new level. It blew my mind. I am really looking forward to this parenting thing.



Also we got another spot of good news. It looks like the medication that he took for the heart problem he had, PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) did it's job. They did an ultrasound on his heart and the flap is closed. Hoorays! Again, we are not free and clear here -- this is something that can present itself again later on down the road. No celebrations yet. But we are definitely thrilled with his progress and with the fight he is putting up. Go Cole!