Doing Big Things...

Since Jess is still recovering I'm going to try to keep you updated on what's happening with our little family.  I'll cut straight to the chase.  Today has been a good day.  Great.  Amazing.  Life changing even.  

I've always heard people talk about how amazing it is when they have their first child but until today I never knew the kind of euphoria they were speaking of.  I mean, yesterday was amazing too, but for some reason today was just so much better.  

Jess has been so tough dealing with the pain of recovery but she hasn't complained a bit.  The best part is, she's been so great at asking for my help.  It really makes me feel loved that she trusts me to help her right now.  Again, what a great day.

As for our little man, Jackson is killing it in the NICU.  I think he might have been MVP (most valuable premie) today.  It all started this morning with "Rounds".  "Rounds" pretty much consists of a Dr., six nurses, and me sitting around a table talking about how awesome my son is.  I was actually pretty intimidated. I had no clue what they were talking about but I was so thankful to get to be there.  The bottom line was that Jackson's job today was to eat a little, snuggle with Jess and I, and pretty much just keep being awesome (I added the last one but the first two were legit.  They're even written on his whiteboard, so there.)

The eating thing was a bit of a challenge because it required Jessie to start pumping so he can have a little milk to mix with his formula.  It was pretty much cocktail hour for Jack in the NICU.  He loves him a good mixed drink!

Well Jess did great pumping and she and Jack worked pretty hard on learning to breast feed.  I sat right there in the thick of it offering up my expertise.  Actually, I just held Jack's hand away from his face but I did it with great aplomb.  Jess and Jack haven't quite gotten the breastfeeding thing down to a science but they are a great team and are getting closer and closer to total success.  

Our game plan for meal time goes like this, Jess and Jack snuggle and work on breast feeding.  Jack loves snuggling his mama so he falls asleep.  Not just a little asleep...we're talking deep, deep, REM cycle, dreaming about golf and photography type sleep.  As a side note, I think I saw him make a golf swing motion today.  After awhile Jack wakes up a bit works on what seem to be some pretty amazing breast feeding instincts, and then Jess turns him over to me.  

I sit him up, hold his precious little head in my hands, and give him a bottle.  Since he's sitting up and not able to snuggle his mama he eventually starts to attack the bottle.  Six milliliters of milky goodness are nothing to this little man.  He downs them in a matter of seconds and then keeps sucking the bottle until I take it away and awkwardly try to burp him.  He and I haven't really gotten ahold of that one quite yet.  He's a natural but I'm a little slow.  We'll nail it tomorrow.  From there, Jess and I take turns holding him and telling him how much we love him and then we eventually put him back in his bed (which by the way is now a big boy bed due to his overcomer attitude and ability to regulate his body temperature) for a good sleep.  

I've never had a feeling as good as watching my little man snuggle his mom and then come over to me for some food.  Jess is such a good mom and the way she looks at him is the most heartwarming thing I've ever seen.  It's the best.  What an amazing little boy Jessie and I have been blessed with.