A Life of Gratitude

Let the Cruise Begin

Ian has emerged from his cocoon.  He spent the winter swaddled and relaxed in any seat that would hold him.  He seemed to be settled in that position for the long haul.  But this past week, like a monarch butterfly appearing in the spring as something completely different than it once was, he has become an entirely different creature than the baby that has hung out with us the past 4 months.  I had already written about his love for rice cereal; it was love at first bite and the two have become inseparable each mealtime since.  If the pasty cereal dries long enough over the length of his face,  the coverage area of an average meal, it requires warm wash cloths and carefully applied elbow grease to pull them apart.

He talks now.  Nothing you or I would understand, but it is noise enough to interrupt conversations or radio and television programming.  He seems unconcerned with letting us know exactly what he wants, but instead, he seems to be testing his ability to get our attention in case the day comes when he can relay his thoughts a little clearer.  I can hardly wait.

He rolled over from his belly to his back last week.  Grandma called one day to give us the big news.  I realized then that this ship has set sail.  He is no longer docked, and like Elliott, it is sure to be an unpredictable journey.  He will make stops along the way that will make us want to scream, cry and laugh, often on the same day.  Elliott is helping me understand that this isn't a discounted weekend getaway, or even a two week cruise through the Caribbean, this is a ship set sail for a very long journey.  And although maps are helpful, they aren't necessarily great predictors of where we're headed and they're even more useless at letting us know when we're lost.  I can only say thank God we're a ship on open water, at least we can float around for a time while we figure it out, and with little risk of bumping into anything.

In This Corner

     

   Ian Paul Cartwright - 52 Days Old            Elliott Thomas Cartwright - 42 Days Old

I remember when we took this picture of Elliott on the right.  I thought he looked like a prize fighter stepping into his corner for a big bout.   Looking at his brother on the left, granted, a few days older than Elliott was in his photo-op, I hope this isn't a future opponent.  At this pace, I think Ian will have a noteworthy weight advantage.

Like Elliott, Ian has already become accepting of the bathing experience.  Katie was giving him a bath tonight while Elliott and I were looking at pictures on this website.  I was puzzled when she asked me to bring the camera so she could take a picture of Ian enjoying his bath.  The silence in the house was deceptive; our boy had already splashed down.  Ian greeted Elliott and I with a water logged grin when we rushed in like true paparazzi looking for the perfect shot.  Boy did we get a camera full - quite literally.

I don't know how much Ian weighs now, but he weighs much more than he did yesterday.  I'm certain he's gained an ounce or two while I've worked on this post.  I grew up on a farm and during exceptionally good growing seasons the farmers would comment that they "could hear the corn growing."  When you hold Ian, you can hear his little bones and ligaments and joints expanding.  It sounds like the pipes expanding and creaking beneath our house as water rushes through them.  I guess milk has the same effect on Ian.

A growing baby is a healthy baby, so we're grateful.   

One More Day Til Ian Really Comes Home

We are all generally excited about bringing Ian home tomorrow.  Well - I am assuming that Elliott will have accepted Ian enough by then to be included in we and to have worked up at least some general excitement about the notion of having a brother. 

Elliott met Ian Monday afternoon.  If it had been a first date, there would have been no "will I see you again?", Elliott made it clear he wanted none of it.  In fairness to Elliott, he walked into a hospital for the very first time (at least that he remembers), his mama was laying in a hospital bed looking the part of someone only hours removed from major surgery, both sets of grandparents were there at the same time which he has seldom experienced, and then, there was this brand new creature in HIS mama's lap.  There was a lot of brand new at once, so it was hard to figure which component of the introduction staggered him to tears the most.

Yesterday it was apparent it was probably not Ian.  With the hospital setting not as new andmama on the recovering side of her ordeal, and most important probably, Ian resting in his bed and not HIS mama's lap, the second meeting went much better.  Gigi and Papa Hoss set Elliott up with gifts to bring mama and Ian, which meant more to Elliott than anybody, although the recipients were both very appreciative.  Elliott was more eager to look at and even touch Ian.  He was not readily affirming when asked if Ian can come home with us, but the day before he flat denied that request, so hesitancy was an upgrade.

I am sure his visit today will be a good setup for Ian joining our home tomorrow.  Ian continues to do well.  His bathroom habits have earned him an "advanced" rating from the nurses.  The more you go at this stage of the game the better off you are.  My how that changes.  When you get old they give you medicine if you go more than once in the middle of the night - which would seem to be a rating of "no longer advanced".

We are truly appreciative of all the prayers and good wishes from our family and friends.  They played a major role in the healthy arrival and continued growth of baby Ian.  Please say a small prayer that our transition home tomorrow goes as smoothly as possible - in other words - say a prayer for the E man.

Welcome Home Baby Ian

Make a Smilebox postcard

One day when Ian wants to know about his birthday, I will tell him two things. One, being in the room and watching him enter this world filled my heart with a love that can only come from God above, a love I was blessed to fell for the second time. I will also tell him that he has the greatest mom in the world. She understood the risks of pregnancies as well as anyone can, yet she loved Ian enough long before she ever saw him to make sure he was part of our family. There are now three Cartwright boys that are blessed beyond measure to have this wonderful mama in our lives. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and thoughts today. Ian came into the world full of strength and full of those loud cries we had to wait too long to hear from Elliott. God is truly good.

Hurricane Ian

ELLIOTT WORKING UP SOME EXCITEMENT ABOUT BECOMING A BIG BROTHER

Five weeks from today Baby Ian will arrive. The anticipation of his arrival has been very similar to that of counting down the days of Elliott’s birth. I was thinking about it as Elliott and I walked this morning and I concluded that the nine month experience of preparing for a baby is very similar to going through a hurricane. I rode out Hurricanes Fran and Bertha along the North Carolina Coast, so this is an educated comparison.

When it appears imminent that a hurricane will hit your area, the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning. I liken this to Katie’s declaration that “we’re going to have a baby”. When you first hear the warning and you realize that a hurricane is but a mere dot in a vast ocean of water, and though all signs point to you sitting on the receiving end of its chosen path, the distance the storm has to travel to strike your small parcel of the overall Atlantic coastline, well, you casually accept the reality of it all.

Then you get that first ultrasound. And like the first brilliant and forceful satellite pictures of an approaching category “pick the number” hurricane, nonchalance is suddenly inappropriate. You begin to batten down the hatches. You move bedrooms around. You hunt for babysitters. You see which clothes you might have kept from a previous hurricane, understanding that living along the coast the possibility of another storm never really goes away without the intervention of science. Oh, and speaking of previous hurricanes, you inform your son who loves his nearly two year old solo act that he will soon perform on a stage built for two, and now you have the makings of two hurricanes sharing the Atlantic at the same time.

As the storm approaches, the winds begin to subtly increase. Loose items blow around the yard, old shingles flap on the roof. Katie was working in Ian’s room yesterday putting some finishing touches on it. As part of our continued effort to warm Elliott to the concept of brotherhood, Katie asked Elliott where baby Ian was going to sleep. With a look that said he was half put out having to answer that question and another half concerned that the mother of his arriving brother didn’t know the answer to that question, he pointed at the crib. His old crib. He didn’t say another word about it. The winds die down as the eye of the storm rides overhead.

With five weeks to go, I think that is where we are, in the eye. It is that peaceful time when you realize that the first blow of the storm is over, the part that truly awakens you to the reality of it all. It also momentarily tricks you into believing it is smooth sailing from here, but there is always that back side of the storm. We know that five weeks from today, another wave of excitement, Hurricane Ian, will bluster his way into our lives. Elliott’s birth proved you can never gauge the magnitude of the storm until it hits. You can only prepare yourself a little bit each day, which is exactly what we are doing.

I suppose it is odd to compare the coming of a hurricane with the arrival of your son. For me though, it isn’t a terrible stretch. I’ve always liked extreme weather – even looked forward to it. I wish it didn’t destroy so many lives and homes when it came to town, because otherwise, the force of Mother Nature would be something to totally admire. It is a force, a miracle, the magnitude of which really only has one rival, the birth of a child.

I'm Going To Be A Big Brother To A Big Brother

We went to the doctor today to check on mama and Ian. The good news, both are doing great. I have attached two more ultrasound photos of Ian that I don't find to be anything short of miraculous. The still shot of him sticking his tongue out is a snapshot of a live show we were fortunate to witness. It was like he was staring at us and as our hearts and eyes filled with joy, he quickly stuck that tongue out just to let us know not to get too excited; his intentions were to arrive a bundle of trouble, not a bundle of joy. The other photo is an amazing shot of his ear. I know, ears generally aren't great photo subjects, but given the circumstances, given the studio, this one is amazing.

And now for the big news, Ian is big. He is up to 4 1/2 pounds, double his weight of a month ago. He is in the 78th percentile for his age, numbers that require a calculator following Elliott's rather humble travels up the growth scale. When Dr. Love was discussing a timeframe for his next visit with Katie, he said he was less worried about a repeat of the complications she dealt with during the last delivery. He said there was a greater likelihood of dealing with the same issues if she had a small baby, but in his words, "you're having Sasquatch Johnson", so that won't be a worry.

We thank God that everything continues to look great. 6 weeks from today this beautiful baby boy is going to join our family. We've been talking with Elliott more about Ian. I asked him the other night if it was OK for Ian to come live with us. He gave me an enthusiastic yes! I hope he retains his enthusiam when we "go to pick him up" and Elliott discovers that one of the perks Ian will have living with us is unrestricted access to Elliott's toys. Should be fun.

Welcome To The Site Baby Ian

Katie had her doctor appointment yesterday. I feel blessed to say that baby and mom are doing great. Baby Ian is a little over 2 pounds. His growth is in the 58 percentile of other babies at this point in their development, about 2 months pre-arrival. (They may schedule the c-section for election day - a very appropriate day to welcome the world's newest republican). I told Katie that makes him about 5 times bigger than Elliott was at this stage, which translates into a 35 pound baby. She didn't like my use of very simple math! Mom was also doing very well. I heard "great" used countless times to describe her and the baby. She also heard the magical words I fantasize about - "keep eating" the doctor said.

The doctor who looked at the pictures, Dr. Love, facilitated the entire visit in a scottish accent once he found out we were naming our boy Ian. He also threw in several "Hoss, Little Joe and Ponderosa" jokes. But more importantly, he gave us the picture attached to this post. He suggested that not everyone gets the fancy 4D photos, so we appreciate his gesture. Simply stated, I can't look at that picture without being overwhelmed with gratitude and awe towards our God. To see his creation in the face of the science his family has developed is a wonderful testimony of his power and grace.

We are extremely thankful and trust you'll help us pray for the continued health of baby Ian and Mom.

Ian - A Pound And Some Change

Katie went to the doctor today for her and Ian's monthly checkup. We are very thankful that everything continues to look healthy. For those in the crowd romanticizing a false diagnosis during the previous visit; one capable of transforming Ian into Emma, I'm sorry, but the technician and the doctor saw nothing but boy parts again today.

Ian weighed a pound and 4 ounces. When Katie told me this, I accepted it with little question, even though I knew Ian didn't step on a scale. I did wonder, how do they know. I could understand if he said "about a pound" or even "somewhere between one and two pounds", but where do they get 4 ounces. And if they are off, by say an ounce or two, who is ever going to know. I mean really, the only way you go wrong at this point in announcing the weight is if you go over the birth weight. If you say the baby weighs 6 1/2 pounds today and he is born 6 pounds, well you went over and you lose, kind of like the Price is Right. I guess by now you've figured out I'm very suspicious of doctors.

It didn't help any to find out Katie's doctor today was a fill in for her regular doctor who was out of the office. She said HE was just a young guy who looked only minutes removed from passing his driver's license exam. He seemed nervous and Katie thought she might have been his first patient ever.

When the dentist was drilling in my mouth the other day, his latex covered hands buried as far down my throat as my tired and collapsing jaw would allow him, I killed some time wondering what inspirational moment happens in one's life when they decide they want to spend their days inside the mouths of one stranger after another. I considered this as he used a fancy tube to continually suck the saliva out of my mouth and he sprayed water that bounced off my teeth showering the entire work area. I never did come up with a feasible scenario.

When Katie told me about this young doctor today, his whole life ahead of him and obviously enough intellect to have some career choices, I was once again left to ponder why?

The only explanation that ever makes sense when I ask myself the unexplainable is God. I believe he has a plan for everything. I do wonder some days if some things aren't a product of a generally serious and loving God showcasing his sense of humor.