Lildude's First Halloween! Skipped the Trick-Or-Treating Though

10/31/07:

LilDude's first Halloween! Skipped the trick-or-treating though.

Last night was a bit challenging - fortunately I'm often up so late (as you might have noticed from the update times of this website) that feeding him at 2:30 am didn't actually impact my sleep schedule. Still - it was a different kind of "being up". Fortunately my mom (Gramma) has a magical touch. Dealing with infants must be like riding a bike (without having to oil the chain). Raising me surely gave her unique experiences on which to draw. Watching her deal with Kevin made me see more or less what my first few weeks might have been like in our apartment on Marlborough Street in Boston (except for Kevin's infinitely more complicated car seat).

Kevin had his first meeting with his pediatrician, Dr. Gleyser. The doctor asked tons of questions and answered many of ours so we feel very good about him.

During the examination, we mentioned that Kevin had been circumcised. The doctor pulled back his (Kevin's) diaper and said, "Wow - that looks great!" That's now the third time in his short life that someone has been astounded by his penis. I'm not sure what this implies other than that he likely won't drive a big truck or own a ferocious dog.

While I'm typing this, Kevin is sitting in his "bouncy chair" behind me, looking around and listening to the typing of keys, the hum of the window fan, and some classic Ozzy Osbourne on iTunes.

10/30/07:

Eh, not much new going on today. Oh, except WE CAME HOME!! (and by that, I mean WITH Kevin). It went as smooth as could be as he slept in the car. Everyone said that now our lives will change and we'll be on the go, busy all the time with him. So to prove the world wrong yet again, Kevin and I went straight to the bed and took a nap.

Gramma came over to the house and stayed the night, bringing dinner and helping with various aspects of caring for a new baby. He was fed, tried out the bassinette, and got sniffed by the cats (who seemed to approve of him).

Now, do you notice something different right at the beginning of this paragraph? Very good! I'm typing with one hand! Why? Because LilDude was squawking in the other room so I had to get him and now I'm holding him as I type. If you read this very slowly with lots of pauses and interruptions, you'll get an idea of what it's like to type right now.

...And so it begins...

10/29/07:

5 lbs & 2.5 oz (I think). Still on schedule to come home tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon.

Here's an excerpt from an annual "family email reunion" letter that I contributed...

So what's up with me? Oh, nothing much, just the same-old-same-old. One small exception to that is OUR NEW BABY ( Kevin William Pruslin was born at 8:03 am on 9/11/07. As you heard, he was nine weeks early. One night my wife and I were having Chinese food and 36 hours later we were parents. I don't think the two events were related although if any of you are very pregnant, maybe limit the ginger sauce, just in case.

So while the teen-age decor is disappearing from my parents' house, the "baby stuff" is just starting here. This includes some of the things that hung on my wall as a kid, which is pretty cool.

It's very strange for me to think of my parents as "grandparents". I remember MY grandparents being in their early-ish 60's when I was young so I guess it technically makes sense. However, my parents still seem like "parents", not "grandparents".

Another thing I occasionally think about is how my trips to NY to see my grandparents will contrast to Baby Kevin's trips to Wellesley to see his. Among other things, it'll certainly seem a lot more suburban and when he goes to the schoolyard down the street from my parents, he won't smell nearly as much urine as I did when going to PS230 in Brooklyn.

My wife Melissa is doing well - naturally obsessed with everything baby so she's on her way to being a great mother.

10/28/07:

When there is a particularly difficult or challenging task, the two metaphors most commonly used to describe it are, "brain surgery" and "rocket science".

There is now a third metaphor that is every bit as appropriate as those. "Putting in a car seat" was not like I remember it being when we had one in our 1966 Buick Skylark back in the 60's and 70's. As I recall, the belt went around the base of the seat. That was it. Now, I have to dig under seats for "anchor points" and loop belts through "tongues" and "lips". And even that description doesn't do it justice. I like to think of myself as "functionally competent" but I fell way short of that this time.

Anyway, Kevin & Becky Foley visited for a while and then we went out for brunch. I was going to come back later in the evening but after the Red Sox WON THE WORLD SERIES, the whole Kenmore/Fenway area became mobbed (literally) so I decided that driving in at that point would not be the best idea.

Last thing - he should come home TUESDAY now. There was either some misunderstanding or counting error or something (I really don't care) so it turned out that it wasn't Monday after all.

10/27/07:

5.0 pounds! And everything seems on schedule still to come home Monday.

10/26/07:

I came, he napped on top of me in the "comfy chair" and then I left. A surgical strike if ever there was one.

10/25/07:

Still on target to come home Monday. I got in at about 10:45 tonight and stayed 'til around 1:15.

After an other bottle-devouring, I held him for a bit and then started to put him down in his "terrarium". Then he cried so I picked him back up. He stopped. I put him back down. He cried. I picked him back up. He stopped. I put him back down and we (nurse & I, mainly her) changed his diaper (which most definitely needed to be changed). I did about three more pick-ups and put-downs and finally he was settled so I could go.

Very interesting swinging of feelings - I was glad each time I picked him up because, well, I like to do that. I was self-congratulatory when he stopped crying. I was reluctant to put him down, and finally, I was frustrated when he'd start crying again. I went through this cycle five or so times. I guess the best part is I still have a "magic touch" with him to get him to stop crying. Then again, he might well do the same thing for anyone who picks him up. But I don't have to acknowledge that.

Final thought - over dinner, Melissa made it clear that she was NOT glad that Kevin was born early, obviously because of possible complications, some guilt (which most preemie women feel) and stuff like that. We agreed to disagree (remember, I'm glad he came early, knowing he's ok) but I do hope she sees it more my way eventually.

10/24/07:

Things are going well except his ETA has been pushed back a couple of times and is now Monday. He had an eye exam (which he passed with ease) but it was unpleasant and stressful and that contributed to an apnea episode. Remember that he has to go five days in a row without one in order to go home. That was on Monday, 10/22. Earlier tonight (Wednesday, 10/24) he had another one so the five-day wait brings us to next Monday, as stated above.

His weight tonight was 4lbs & 13oz.

While I was sitting with him tonight (at around 1:30 am), two nurses were attending to the roommate who had apparently completely fecalized his "isolette". The nurses were giggling quite a bit and I was thinking how fortunate they were to not be zookeepers working with a baby elephant. I'm not sure why I was thinking that, but I was.

Speaking of thinking, I've thought a few times recently that being born so early and so small was something you'd never wish for. With hindsight being what it is, the fact that Kevin has been in excellent health and has been making rapid progress now makes me very glad that he was born so early. We've learned a lot about infant care without having been thrust into it full-time right away. And more importantly, we've gotten an extra nine weeks or so to meet him and get to know him. Given a choice (and remembering that his health & progress has been great), I wouldn't change any of it (except for a particular bowel movement a week or so ago).

10/22/07:

I was told something very important yesterday, which is, and I quote, "It's all about the nipples." Now I realize that is the credo by which most of us live our lives anyway, but it's never a bad thing to be reminded of this reality.

Kevin is 4lbs, 9.9oz. He's within a day or days of coming home - the latest target is tomorrow (Wednesday). Melissa is a bit overwhelmed, as can happen, but I keep reminding her that billions of others have successfully brought babies home before and we'll be fine.

Anyway, just remember that it's all about the nipples.

10/21/07:

I was told Kevin had a wonderful visit with GrandPa who apparently didn't want to put him down once he picked him up. I can certainly relate to that.

I went in at about 7:00, parked, said hi to Kevin, and then walked to Fenway to see the Sox win ALCS game 7 against the Indians to make it to the World Series!!

Got back to the hospital at around midnight and stayed until about 3:45 am. This included a bottle-feeding (he wasn't actually that hungry this time) and then watching him twist, contort, and navigate himself through some burps and farts (and possibly more!)

Then I went home so I could go to bed before it was tomorrow, although it actually already was tomorrow.

10/20/07:

2040 grams (4 lbs 8 oz or 0.002248715 tons). Also, his current lifetime velocity is .00015243902 mph to the southeast. For comparison's sake, my lifetime velocity is currently 0.00008215014 mph to the north.

It turns out Kevin is very popular with the ladies (already). Several of the nurses compete to get assigned to cover him each night. He'll be much more interested in this phenomenon when he's a teenager.

10/19/07:

Very late last night (I fed him his midnight bottle and then fell asleep holding him). All seems pretty well here.

Since I'm very sleepy (still) and there isn't much new to say, lets have some ... "FUN WITH GRAPHS"!!!

10/18/07:

Forgot to mention yesterday - Kevin pulled out his feeding tube once again, but he's been doing so well with the bottle that they didn't bother putting it back in. He's now on a schedule where he has to have a certain amount in a 24 hour period rather than an amount each feeding.

OK, so today we performed one of the most barbaric of Jewish traditions - the Bris. Interestingly, Kevin screamed when he was given the painkiller shot (something we all wanted) but didn't make a sound during the actual snipping. Regardless, he will be forever grateful that he'll have no recollection of this blessed event.

In a related story, a Priest and a Rabbi happen to be next-door neighbors. Coincidentally they both got new cars on the same day (Chrysler New Yorkers, but that's irrelevant). The Rabbi walked out of his house that afternoon and saw the priest sprinkling water on his new car. The Rabbi asked him what he was doing and the Priest replied that it is a Catholic tradition to christen or "baptize" a new car by sprinkling it with holy water. The Priest then asked the Rabbi what he did to celebrate such a major purchase. The Rabbi said, "Oh, well it's a Jewish tradition to just cut a couple of inches off the tailpipe."

OK, settle down everyone; SETTLE DOWN! Now back to reality... In the evening Kevin had another visitor - "Uncle Billy the HandyMan". Interestingly, Billy was a "preemie" in September of 1995 and was exactly the same birth weight as Kevin (2 lbs, 11 oz). With those things in common, the two of them hit it off right away and quickly became friends.

Kevin's weight today was 4 lbs & 6 oz. His current estimated "go home" day is now next Wednesday (October 24). We kept track of the Red Sox 7-1 win in Cleveland to extend the ALCS to a 6th game. My old cellphone is now sending & receiving texts in the big network in the sky (actually it's in a bag at my house). So now I have a new one (hence the new video capability). Kevin doesn't seem to give a rat's behind what phone I'm using as long as we can get pitch-by-pitch in-game updates.

10/17/07:

Up to this point, my "specialty" has been picking Kevin up when he's crying or fussing and holding him at my shoulder to miraculously calm and quiet him down. I realize it won't always be this easy ("Dad, my car got stolen and my girlfriend dumped me." ... "Aw, come here and let me pick you up.") For now though, it works like a charm.

Kevin had another apnea spell today so the new ETA is Tuesday, 10/23. Not a big deal - I'm glad it happened here and not at home.

Kevin and Ally broke up. OK, not really. But Ally (his roommate) did go home today. They will now have to embark on a long-distance relationship and I think we all know how difficult those can be. He already has a new roommate, in fact maybe even a soul-mate (I overheard him peeing on the nurse as she changed his diaper).

I have a new cell phone and this one has a built-in camcorder. And thus I introduce... VIDEOS!

Note: Kevin's bris tomorrow won't be included on the video page.

10/16/07:

Another brief entry today... I performed another Pluck 'N Sit, feeding Kevin his bottle which he inhaled once again. He is almost off the internal feeding machine AND he went 4 days without an apnea spell (the requirement to go home is 5 days). He had one today so the 5-day count starts over BUT it is possible that he could be coming home on MONDAY, 10/22!!!

We're having the bris in the hospital on Thursday. Anyone looking to send gifts might consider NOVACAINE and BAND-AIDS (as well as perhaps some paper towels).

Melissa & I had our CPR class today. We each rescued an infant mannequin.

We also met with a pediatrician to see if he might be Kevin's doctor. The main reason we'll keep looking is the guy we ran into on our way out - a parent of two of my former students - who urged us not to go with this doctor because of some experiences they had with him. So we carry on...

Finally, an interesting article.

10/15/07:

Not much to report - I came in early (1:00 pm ish), picked him up, sat down with him and promptly fell asleep! His current weight is 4.2 pounds.

Everything else seems fine - making good progress and may be home as early as a couple of weeks.

10/14/07:

Because I had a meeting in the evening, I had to go in at about 9:30. Melissa and I passed at the elevators as she was leaving. I went into the room, plucked Kevin out of his crib (it really isn't a crib - just kind of a container), and sat down to hold him. Once again, we both fell asleep.

We got up at midnight for his midnight feeding (we're well-coordinated that way). The nurse gave me the bottle and then stepped out for a moment. Kevin consumed... inhaled... no, DEVOURED the bottle - not coming up for air until there was about an eighth of an inch left. The nurse came back in and thought I had emptied it out onto the floor behind the chair. She couldn't believe how fast he had absorbed, chowed, crammed, depleted, dissipated, dominated, drained, feasted on, gobbled, gorged, gulped, guzzled, imbibed, ingested, inhaled, ravaged, rejoiced in, relished, reveled in, scarfed down, swilled, vanquished, wiped out, and wolfed down the entire bottle (thanks, Thesaurus.com). We then sat for a bit, burped some, and then called it a night.

10/13/07:

Another visit from Grandma & Grandpa today (see pictures). I wasn't there but I heard there was so much kvelling, it could actually be seen from outer space. I was out at this time helping Bruce haul off some couches from his house before he moves and I saw his baby, Lucy, who I believe is about a year old.

I fed Kevin and once again he "inhaled" an entire bottle. We then kicked back and followed the Red Sox in their ALCS game #2 against the Indians. We actually BOTH fell asleep for a bit.

Now before I fall asleep while typing again, I'm g*i#&$^@%!...zzzzz

10/12/07:

Kevin weighed just over 1800 grams today! That's just about four pounds.

So I sat down with him (unfortunately swaddled again and looking incredibly like a Pez dispenser) to feed him his bottle. I received frequent "advice" and "coaching" from multiple people about how to hold him, which way to lean him, how to burp him, and other topics including everything but how to properly tie a tie. Despite the apparent fear that I was incapable of figuring this out on my own, I somehow managed to do a good enough job so that he drank his full bottle for the first time ever (and thus didn't need anything from the internal feeding machine). This is a major step in his being able to come home.

So I held him for about 30 minutes or so after his bottle. He did some crying and seemed restless and I was told that he was very tired from a long day of drinking, barfing, and crapping (unlikely as it may sound, he does not belong to a college fraternity). So reluctantly, I was convinced to put him back in his crib.