My life has changed a lot since I last posted. I am a little behind on my writing, but I do have a good excuse. A couple of weeks ago our first son was born! His name is Jaxon and we feel that he is a pretty awesome little guy. His birth will no doubt mark the beginning of a long term adventure.
He was delivered about 3 weeks early. He weighed in at 4
pounds 10 ounces and measured 17.25 inches long. He was so tiny, every time I
picked him up I felt like I was going to break him. My wife was a real trooper
through the whole process. She had about 14 hours of labor and by the end she
was absolutely exhausted. She did a great job and now she gets to be the proud
Mom.
After he was born the learning really started. You would think it is self-explanatory how to feed a baby and change a diaper, but little man just wouldn't eat when he was brand new. The docs said he hadn't learned the coordination of sucking on a bottle and breathing. I had no idea babies had to figure that out. The nurse showed us some bottle feeding techniques that helped us get him to eat, but it was SLOW!
After four days we were finally allowed to leave the hospital. We were all three very excited to be heading home where we planned on getting some much needed rest. Fat chance, he sleeps all day and then stays awake all night. Don’t get me wrong, he is actually a really good baby, but his days and nights are all messed up!
My in-laws came in from Canada to meet their first Grandson and they have been helping us out. They have truly been a big help and I’m not sure how we would survive the sleepless nights without being able to hand him over in the morning. All of our family on both sides has been very helpful and excited to meet Jaxon.
One thing I can’t wait to do is take Jaxon on adventures with me. I want to show him how much there is to learn and experience. I want him to know how big the world is, to push his limits, go beyond his comfort zone, and just have an epic life. I have watched everyone buy him gifts and toys and I really hadn’t gotten to pick something from just me. I bought him something, not age appropriate yet, but something I am pumped to teach him how to use.
My wife knew it was coming, but she did not expect it to happen so quickly. Truth be told, me either, but I found a good deal so I snagged it. The picture below is when she found out about it!
This is not usually the kind of adventures I write about, but it is probably the most important adventure I have ever decided to do. We went through a lot trying to get Jaxon here. We have had emotional ups and downs the whole way. We have prayed aggressively and even asked others to pray for us. It has been a roller coaster ride and we feel so blessed to have Jaxon in our family. We still pray for the wisdom and courage it takes to be good parents and we look forward to raising him together.
What I Learned:
- Babies can spit up through their nose!
- A person less than five pounds can exhaust four adults, fill a trash can with diapers, and make a full load of laundry in one day.
Spirit Strike:
Psalm 127:3 NIV “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him”
I know all of my readers may not share my beliefs, but I sincerely believe that Jaxon is a blessing that God has entrusted us to raise up. We are very excited for the opportunity to be parents, but it is an awesome responsibility. What blessings have you received that also came with a great responsibility? Did the responsibility make you nervous? Did that amount of responsibility encourage you to look to the Lord for help?
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Sometimes the Best Laid Plans Just Don't Work Out