Garrison's due date

Today is Garrison's actual due date. That is so hard to believe since he is already three and a half weeks old! People have told me that time flies by, and I really believe it. Will and I had a date Friday night (thank you Nana and Pop for keeping G), and over dinner we were talking about the past three weeks. We would never ever want to relive spending two weeks in the hospital while Garrison was in the NICU, but those times were precious. We scrolled through pictures on our phones, and it broke my heart to see him with a feeding tube, an IV, and monitors all over him. We know God has a plan for this little boy's life and being in the NICU was part of that plan. The staff at the hospital was incredible. From Robin, my delivery nurse, to all the nurses in the NICU (Carrie even gave him a faux hawk one night after his bath!), we couldn't have asked for more attentive, caring people.

As he lays in my arms, there are so many things I already love about him:
- that he is home and no longer in the NICU
- the way he throws his arms up when he stretches
- his sweet yawn
- his soft, dark baby hair
- his half laugh/half cry that sounds like a hyena
- his big blue eyes that are getting darker and darker
- his sweet lips that are Will’s lips
- his bow legs that look just like his daddy’s
- how peaceful he sleeps
- that he loves to have his hands close to his face, especially when he sleeps
- that the only paci he would take for the first two weeks was homemade out of a bottle nipple (thank you Donna from the NICU for making it for him)

Will and I love this little boy, and we love each other. We are now a family of three (with two dogs).

meet our son, Garrison

Wow. I don't even know where to begin in telling the journey we have been on for the past week. Will and I had Garrison Till Reedy last Thursday (February 25) at 11:46 pm. He weighed 5 pounds 12 oz and was 19 inches long! I think his feet are about that long too! He has some long fingers and toes.

He was born almost 4 weeks early, and as the doctors have put it, he is transitioning from the womb to the outside world. Because of that, he was admitted to the NICU the day after he was born. He just isn't supposed to be here yet. He's behaving as any baby would at 36 weeks, but he's behaving like he would in the womb. In the womb, he could quit breathing and the placenta would take over. That's not true outside the womb. For the first few days he was learning how to suck, swallow and breathe at the same time. There were scary moments when he would quit breathing, but for the last two days he has done really well at remembering to breathe.

Our challenge for the next few days is eating. He had a feeding tube at first, but we have just been able to start feeding out of a bottle. The will continually increase his feeding times and amounts as he proves his body can handle it. He is daily learning to do things he's never had to do before. He is getting most of his nutrients from an IV, so we won't be able to hold him until the IV comes out. We can touch him and kiss on him. We read to him every night. Last night we started reading the Message for kids, and today we read Green Eggs and Ham to him. Will was excited yesterday because he got peed on for the first time - we know that won't be the last!

The doctors cannot give us a specific time for when he will be released from the NICU, but it could be anywhere from two weeks before to two weeks after his due date (March 22).

We are waiting patiently and trusting in the LORD. Will read Psalm 27 a couple of nights ago. Verse 14 says, "Wait for the LORD. Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD."