Archive for February, 2009

I have had well over 2 weeks to embrace fatherhood.  As I can see now it changes everything.. well almost everything.  I have not been able to figure out if it’s good or bad, or maybe even both. 

So far lets go face to face with the cons.  I have had 31 years to be selfish with my life my time. Me. Myself and I. Now I find myself sprinting across the living room in a gallop to time the milk just right before I see my son waking up.  His face scrunches up like someone is holding a piece of glass to his face.  Yes. This means I have been starring at him the whole time. What can I say..timing is everything because when he cries, I cry. (on the inside)

Then strange things start happening for no reason.  Panic and disorder between me and my wife.  When he starts crying it becomes a guessing game of what might fix it.  The scene starts to look like a flock of seagulls fighting for a piece of bread.  It’s complete chaos. I am running around trying to figure out how to speed up time and Joanne is running around trying to do the same thing but leaving puddles of milk with her leaking nipples.  They leak when he starts crying.  I told you it was strange.

and now some Pros.

I was able to take HOV.  Yes. Occupancy three.  And this is all I can think of.

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We are taking lessons in scuba diving for the next diaper change.

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So things are going much better through the night. Some how I managed to get almost 5 hours of much needed sleep. Having each other around Joanne and I have streamlined a lot of the tasks that involve Special K, but what if we are solo?

How does mommy go pee in a public place? Really how do you hover and hold him at the same time unless your a member of Cirque du Soleil?

If you have a stoller.. where does the stroller go without it getting stolen while your in isolation? Can I buy LoJack?

It must be tough for single parents. My heart goes out to them.

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On Friday the 5th Keaton had lost 11oz of his body weight, became dehydrated and with a fever of 102.4. He was checked into intensive care. After a night of IV’s and antibiotics, he is now doing very well. Dr. Yoon tells us that it will be a couple of days before he can come home. We are now in the comfort of our own home, but without Keaton. Without him home is like a part of us is missing and my inspiration has left.

It’s not mentioned, but breastfeeding has it’s pros and cons. I write this to let mothers to be know the cons. The nurses told us that his weight loss is common and one of the consequences of breast feeding a baby. This is one of the many reasons they check the baby’s weight, time of diaper changes, and how much the baby has been fed, but the situation was taken a lot lighter than it should have been. Obviously overlooked a number of times by so many nurses. Many articles can be found on this. Here is a pdf from the NIH.

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At 3:19 on February 4, 2009 Joanne and I became parents. Keaton has been born via c-section. Pictures are here. He is 7lb 11oz, 19 3/4 long, with a 14″ head. Keaton’s heart rate kept dropping every time a contraction happened. This led the doctors to believe that there were two potential problems: One, the baby’s umbilical cord was preventing the baby to move downward. Two: the baby was just simply to big for Joanne’s belly and each contraction was squeezing the umbilical cord causing stress to the baby.

I can’t even begin to tell you how difficult it has been thus far. Everything we do is in 2 hour intervals. Naps, showers, eating , talking to each other. We have lost all sense of time. It’s a quarter past a breastfeed and a bowel movement.. and… it’s only been two days. We can’t help but think, “what have we gotten ourselves into?!”

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