For-My-Kids.com

When Jonathan was born he was a big boy, a cool 10 pounds and 4 onces and 22 inches long. By the time his brother Andrew was born he was large or in other words looked older than two, more like four. Jonathan was concerned that others were surprised that he was only two. He wanted to tell people that he was three even though his birthday was still a few months away. It is often amazing at how much we shape our little ones thoughts by such meaningless comments. We are really shaping and molding an adult with the words and comments our little ones hear from other adults.

Anyway, back to the subject, I had suggested to Jonathan that instead of saying he was three to tell others that he was two and three quarters. He is brilliant in math and his brilliance did shine even at two and three quarters; he understood that three forths of the year had already passed. He was a hoot telling others when they asked how old he was. They would laugh and thought he was so cute. With Jonathan saying his age was two and three quarters no one commented on how old he looked; they commented on how cute he was.

Although not really realizing the benefits at the time, in reflection I can see that my suggestion of two and three quarters benefitted Jonathan a great deal. He didn't have to lie about his age. He made others laugh and he was pleased with their comments when he told his age. Words can shape and mold young impressionable minds. Be careful of the words you give your kids.

Earnie
(C) 2006 - All rights reserved.

From the time of inception are little ones are experiencing firsts. Our little ones are typically very interested in exploration and it is in our very being to try new things. Our little ones experience their first human touches and their first cry shortly after birth. They experience being poked, prodded and pampered right in the delivery room. They even experience their first hugs and kisses without delay. Life to them are full of firsts as they have never experienced life before.

We too though experience firsts right along with them. We experience pregnancy, contractions, delivery, the first cry of our little ones, the first diaper to change and more. We have anticipations of how our little one will grow to experience their firsts but at the same time we forget that we experience those first with them.

We experience the baby's first words of Ma Ma and Da Da and our hearts leap with abundant joy and gratefulness. We have experienced our firsts as well as them and we are more excited than they are. Our excitement for that first word, that first crawl, that first step, etc is what causes that little one to want to try that first a second, third and fourth time until they've perfected it.

It is really amazing at how their firsts, lead to our firsts and then our excitement for that first leads to more of the same from the little one. We should be careful that if a first isn't something we want our little to be doing to not show them excitement since it is that very excitement that will give them the go ahead to try it again. Enjoy those firsts with your little ones as I have enjoyed them with mine.

Earnie
(C) 2006 - All rights reserved.

When my first son was nearly two we decided that he should have a brother or sister to play with. So are planning was coming to fruition and things were about to get exciting again. Well into the second trimester my wife was noticing that this child was more active than our first. He would kick and punch so much that it would keep my wife awake. You can imagine how irritable she had become but with love I tried to console her and ease her discomfort. At least the doctor visits were good and that made us happy.

We had opted for a Cesaren section since we had the first one that way. The day of delivery was running smoothly, this time we were on schedule for early morning. The athesiologist was having problems with the epidural though and we were running about 15 minutes late. In the operating room things were running smooth and I was my calm self. "Yes, dear. He has started cutting you."

Once the doctor pulled the baby from the womb both my wife and I noticed the surprise on his face. Following to the warmer, the nurses were operating differently than the first one. A different hospital and different staff I supposed that was the reason why. He is a boy but weight less than the first one I noted to myself. Then they started looking carefully at his eyes, the extra fold in his ears, his short stubby fingers, the extra length of his tongue and the straight line in his palm. This baby has Down Syndrome they said quietly so as not to disturb my wife. What were they saying? What did they mean? Joy and excitement quickly turned to fear. Then the doctor pinged me, in his exam of my wife they found a cist on one of my wife's overies. More fear, "my wife has cancer?" He needed my permission to do a biopsy, "We don't know if it is malignate". "Sure, go ahead!" My wife half hearing, "Just take them out I won't need them." The doctor laughed and said that she would have plenty of use for them.

Sewn together and ready for the recovery room my wife briefly held her new son. "Does this baby has Down Syndrome?" she asked. "We are doing some tests to be sure." they said. Not really reassuring. "What are we going to do?" she cried.

Back in the recovery room, she was taking so long for the epidural to wear off. The nursing staff was getting worried. You could see it in their eyes and hear it in their voice. Hours passed and she was still not having feeling in her toes. Finally, she could feel and we where wheeled back to the room. During the wait I had called the list she had prepared. I let certain people know of the Down Syndrome the baby had. "God gives Special Babies to Special parents!", some would say. When my sister who was pregnant at the time said that I blurted, "Well let's hope God doesn't consider YOU so special!"

Back in the room, we cared for the infant and loved him as much as the first. He had problems with latching on and my wife ended up pumping her breasts. He was jaundiced and needed to stay longer than my wife. She crumbled with fear having to leave him in the hospital. Eventually we took him home and began a life that would be all encompasing of this little one and what special things he might need. Life would never again be the same; life even changed for my first born.

Earnie
(C) 2006 - All Rights Reserved

I remember the excitement, the joy, the nervousness, the nail biting and the screaming soon to be mothers. Our son was too lazy to position himself for the descent so we opted to have him delivered by Cesarean section. All was well and he was to be delivered early. Since my wife was having surgery she wasn't allowed to eat. That would have been fine since the surgery was scheduled early but the hospital filled rather early with women in labor and the delivery rooms were booked. As a result, since my wife wasn't an emergency, she didn't delivery our son until 4:40 PM that afternoon. The nursing staff took pity on me and allowed me to share their pizza so that I wouldn't be starving but I felt bad for my wife who couldn't eat.

At the time of delivery all went well. I scrubbed down and put on the blue suit over my clothes and the filter over my mouth and nose. Ready with camera in hand to snap those first pictures. I calmly watched as the doctors began the surgery; so calm my wife had to ask if they had begun yet. After a few moments the doctor had our son dangling from his hand, a sight I'll never forget. Joy overwhelmed me as they cut the umbilical cord and whisked my son to the warming table. I quickly followed them to watch over the process of cleaning him up and getting him ready for that first kiss from his mother.

Once the nurses had finished their routine cleaning and checkup they swaddled my son in blankets and then handed him to me. I couldn't have been prouder at that moment than any other time in my life; other than the day of my wedding. I carefully carried my son to where my wife was still being examined by the doctor and laid him on her bossom to kiss and hug. The anesthesiologist, took my camera and took our first family photo. The joy I felt still swells my eyes with tears as I am writing this.

Finally the doctor had my wife in stitches and sewn back together. One set of nurses took our new born son while another set took my wife to recovery for observation as the epidural anesthegia wore off. I followed my wife and we lovingly staired at one another speechless about what we had just experienced. The emotions were just running wild about the delivery of our first born son. Finally we calmed down and I took the list of phone numbers my wife had prepared and started dialing to let our family and friends know that all was well and good.

Once my wife was allowed to go back to the room our son was wheeled to us in his bassinet. A nurse came in to show my wife how to allow our son to suckle her breast. Later I was allowed to clean his diaper. Emotions of these first experiences are just immeasurable and really difficult to explain. Wow, I'm really a Dad! Wow, I really have a son! Awe struck by it all. What will the future hold?

I took a week off from work in order to help with our new son. He was such a beauty, joy, wonder and he became our world, our focus, our everything. I had fun feeding, bathing and caring for this little vunerable bundle of joy. But soon the week ended and I had to go back to work. Who could actually do work, my thoughts were with my wife and son. I took comfort in that Mom-In-Law had came to help while my wife recovered from surgery. Good thing, too, my wifes gut burst open, or so it seemed. It was just fluid build up that hadn't drained properly but it was a big mess. I left Mom-In-Law in charge of cleanup and baby and took my wife to the ER. We were both scared not knowing what had happened. But that was just the beginning of things that were to come. Life as we knew it before our first born was never again the same.

Earnie
(C) 2006 - All rights reserved.