Thank Heaven

I forgot how small babies are when they are first born.

Our son, Colin, will be three years old at the end of April and he looks like a giant compared to his baby sister, Nora. When he holds her and tries to pat her head I am reminded of the giant in the Bugs Bunny cartoons, expecting him to start hugging and squeezing and calling his sister George at any minute.

Nora was born last Friday and I have been amazed at nearly everything about the entire process since then, even though my wife and I have been through this all once before.

Prior to her birth, I was a bundle of nerves beneath what I hoped was a calm, cool exterior. I tried to play the whole thing off with a “been there, done that” mentality. “Ho-hum, babies are born all the time and I have seen it happen live before. I’ve lived it.” Inside though, my parental worry genes (just like Spidey-Sense, only way more exaggerated) were working overtime. The mantra in my head in that final week was “ be here now.” I was excited to meet my daughter for the first time and I wanted to make sure she was O.K.

Out here, I feel I can protect her. If she needs anything - rocking, swaying, burping, soothing or a soft belly to sleep on (ya gotta believe me, Doc, it’s a necessity) - I’m here for her. And as the days passed last week and my wife got more and more uncomfortable, both of us got a little edgy as we started wishing for Nora to speed up her arrival.

And then she arrived. Seven pounds and 15 ounces, which sounds like a lot to some people, but doesn’t look like a lot on her tiny, wriggly frame, and 19 inches long, Nora Kathryn made her debut at 3:55 a.m. on March 21. Ho-hum went out the window when I heard her cry for the first time. The girl has a good set of lungs and everyone in the family and those living around Southern Regional can attest to that.

I had forgotten the sensation of looking my child in the eyes for the first time. It felt like there was an instant connection, despite the fact that all the medical texts state that babies see the world as if looking out of thick Coke bottles.

After tossing around and roughhousing with the 30 pound sack of potatoes that is Colin, Nora feels like she’ll float away when I pick her up. I forgot how fragile a baby feels, how warm they are, how soft.

I forgot what operating on a minimum amount of sleep is like and how satisfying it is when all is quiet and the baby is comfortable and asleep. It is a rewarding feeling and now I am learning how to parent a three year old while feeling like a zombie, which is rewarding in its own way, especially when he wears down and falls asleep.

Our family is now complete and another in a series of adventures has begun. It is an exciting time. So exciting that I think a nap is in order.

Congratulations Michael..

Submitted by Main Stream on Thu, 03/27/2008 - 11:19am.

on the arrival of baby Nora! Enjoy these precious moments with her - they grow up so quickly.

btw - I loved your article last week 'Forever a Northerner.'

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