Single parents amaze us & RSV sucks

As I type, Samson is lying in his bassinet (thanks, PaPa and Grandma Buras!), quietly alert and making adorable grunts and sighs, between hiccups and yawns. He just had his late lunch and will soon be sleeping soundly.

So far, so good. We have survived our first 30 hours with the new baby at home, and even got about 6 hours sleep each last night (though not at the same time, and not in a consecutive block).

Being able to have Mama and Daddy both at home to share baby care duty is such a tremendous blessing. Because Mama is still pumping lots of milk until Samson gets strong enough to eat all of his calories by breast, Daddy gets to feed the baby by bottle every other 2-3 hours while Mama either sleeps, pumps, or tackles a household chore. Daddy also keeps the bottles & pump supplies cleaned & sterilized, changes diapers & soaks up spit, and keeps Mama fed & hydrated. Without a tag-team partnership, we can't imagine how all of this could possibly work. As far as Mama is concerned, Daddy is the best baby-daddy in the universe.

Samson seems to be a pretty jolly fellow. For the most part, he only cries when he's hungry or having a bout of reflux (which seems to happen about once per night and can only be soothed by holding him upright against your chest, patting his back firmly, and bouncing while saying in a sing-song voice, "I know, sweet boy. I know. Tell me about it."). After his experience living in a bus bin at the NICU for his first 6 weeks of life, he is content to relax in his crib and doesn't demand a lot of help to fall asleep. Noise and light don't bother him, either. The only downside is that he does tend to be most active at night, as the routine in the NICU dictates that most handling of the babies occurs then. We'll be working to switch his days and nights around over the next few weeks.

And the restrictions never end...

Tomorrow is Samson's first outing (since the trip home), to have his first pediatrician appointment. Beyond those and other doctor visits, he'll be in semi-isolation at home for the next 4 - 6 weeks. This is because September through May (but especially the winter) is RSV season in Austin, and preemies are particularly susceptible for their first 2 years of life. This virus can be deadly for preemies, and the best way to protect them is to keep them from contact with people (especially other children).

Visitors to the Hobbit Hole will be required to wash hands and there'll be a "no kids touching the baby" rule until Spring. Additionally, anyone who has received recent vaccinations with live viruses (such as the Flu Mist vaccine that is inhaled) can't have contact with Samson for 6 weeks past the exposure.

We hope everyone will bear with us as we do our best to protect our little guy from any more hospital stays.