3.27.09 Visit

Let me start off by saying that our little boy has an absolute iron grip when he gets a hold of our fingers.... It's amazing to think that someone so little can grab you so strongly, though he has had a strong hold on our hearts from the moment he was born =) Today was an uneventful day for Christian, which in our world is a good day. We'd like many more uneventful days, please! The PIC line was successfully implanted yesterday and the IVs running from his belly button were successfully removed today. It was so nice to sit with him and just watch him and touch him and relax today..... Michelle and I sat with him for hours just enjoying his company and laughing and smiling. Just being with him makes any feelings of anxiety completely melt away.

Michelle is pumping milk like a factory... it's crazy! She filled up 3 full bottles in one sitting today! I swear we are overachievers... even the nurses did a double take when they saw the bottles. They must think we are watering them down or something. Poor Michelle is walking around with massively full breasts right now... it's really quite amazing to think that her body started producing milk at 19 weeks- it's as if God began preparing her body early knowing Christian was coming at 24 weeks...

Today marks 26 weeks for Christian- our little boy is doing very well! He is a little wiggle worm- he can push his butt and his torso up in the air with his strong little legs! mommy threw me a bone today and let me change him- I'm becoming much more comfortable with how tiny he is and the fact that he isn't as delicate as he appears to be. I felt like I was walking on pins and needles the first few days, but a comfort level has now developed. I also feel like I am bonding more strongly with him now. It is different for a father and a mother and it has taken me a bit longer than Michelle, who had an instant connection with Christian. As fathers, we often feel like we are standing on the sidelines watching the game. However, when we get an opportunity to be involved in the diaper changing, the feeding, the cuddling, etc. it makes huge impacts on the bond that we share with our newborn children. I feel like I mentally wrestle with Michelle all the time for dibs on changing diapers (sick, huh? That's our relationship, folks), but in the end it's because we both love him so much. I think today it finally sunk in completely that this is MY baby... It's such an incredible and proud moment for a father to feel. That's my little boy and I'm so proud of him...

I'm looking forward to seeing my little lucky charm this weekend and bringing him his freshly-washed stuffed monkey and stuffed monster. We decided on monkeys & monsters many months ago as our nursery theme. I love this baby stuff........ It's so much fun!!!!