Something to be Thankful for!

Ross  6 days old! Daddy won't ever let you go baby boy!

My seahorse sang to me and helped me think of mommy and daddy when they had to go home at night!

Ross,
As I hold you so tight in my arms it is obvious to all who know me just how proud of a daddy I am. You are so tiny, just over 6 lbs. in this picture. It was taken in the NICU at St. Luke's hospital in Kansas City, MO. Your mom and I drove back and forth from home to the hospital every day and night to be with you, feed you and mostly love on you. When we fed you, we always had your favorite toy playing soft music. You loved looking at the lights on your seahorse and many times it helped you fall asleep. There was nothing more wonderful than to be holding you and have you fall fast asleep in my arms. You may wonder what that tube is coming out of your nose.  Well with many babies like you, feeding issues are very common. You were very weak and have what the doctors call hypotonia which means weak muscle tone. So when you would drink from your bottle you would work really hard to suck and swallow but you would tire quickly. So, to make sure that you got enough nutrition and would grow, we had to put formula in an NG tube. What is an NG tube? An NG tube (nasogastric tube) is a tube that went through your nose, down your esophagus and into your tummy. Having this tube helped you grow and gain weight. Within a few weeks of eating this way you were getting much stronger and began doing really well with your bottle. You actually had to pass a test by gaining a certain amount of weight by bottle feeds only before they would let you go home. No more NG tube. On Thanksgiving day, after 31 days in the NICU, we finally got to take you home. It was a day that your mom and I were truly thankful for because at last we were all going home...together.

This was your first day home and you were so comfortable in your new bed!

I Love you so much baby boy!
Daddy