The adage is true, that we don't realize what our parents experienced until we become parents ourselves. We understand that now...it is a lot of sacrifice and patience but in essence that is part of God's higher calling for our lives. Parenting is a ministry that requires us to be on call 24/7, however it is rewarding and fulfilling to know that we have a higher purpose that extends far beyond ourselves. Speaking of, I think the baby is getting ready to start calling...

Now that I am in 'mommy' mode, the things that run through my mind are "When should I feed him?" "I need to put clothes in the laundry" "He needs to go for walk in his stroller." and "Oh, he needs to be changed." Aaah the joy of domestication. I recently read a story in the DMN about the new surge of life coaches, with a focus on one in particular here in Dallas. He worked with Ghandi and his movement back in the 40's. He had only met him once, but his work changed the course of this life. In his preparation to become a life coach/psychologist - he said that he practices what he advises. He says that routine is boring...but life sustaining. He has been exacting the same routine for over 20 years and he credits it, and meditation for his longevity. I wonder if Brennon gets me in a routine, that it will help me live longer. However, I do know that part of my job is to get him in a routine. This is straight from the mouth of the guru/life coach Supernanny. Right now, the only routine I desperately want him getting into is sleeping through the night!

Brennon got his first ride in his new Eddie Bauer 'wheels' great grandma and papaw gave him. It has a hypnotic effect on him because he immediately falls asleep as soon as he is rolled out the door. I think we will be using the stroller quite often. Other than the usual Brennon, activities we are taking things one day at a time and awaiting the cute new thing that he will do next!

Being a mother is quite a different role for me since I am an only child. I think it really changes a person into someone less self centric. I can already tell that I won't have near as much time to myself as I am used to - but that's a good thing. I have had plenty of time to think, contemplate and meditate over the course of my lifetime and so all that energy would be much better spent on my new child. He sure is cute and loveable enough! So, welcome home Brennon... we have high hopes for your future!

The night of his birth, his pediatrician came in and gave us several bits of news about his health. Although he looked healthy to his parents and his APGAR score was high, there were a few things that concerned the doctor when they did their check up. They didn't like his color, which they thought was too pale and could be a sign that they need a heart doc to test him. He also had some jaundice (fwhich is not an uncommon thing in newborns), his white blood cell count was low and his CRP or C reactive protein count was way too high - which is a sign that the body is sick and working on fighting off an infection. They also mentioned a few other things that were concerning - but certainly not severe. All this news was a bit shocking to me to hear - but I can honestly say I didn't feel phased by it. Brennon was healthy to me. The pediatrician left assuring me he would consult with other doctors about his further tests.

Later on the next day, the heart doctor came in and cleared his results on his heart - which looked good. This was a relief because this was one of the primary concerns. His color had even improved from the night before. However, some of his numbers from his tests were still bothering the other doctors and so they wanted to move on to testing him for Sepsis by doing a spinal tap. They would also need to move him to the NICU for more monitoring and that he would need to be there for 7 days. This new news did concern me, and I felt chills running up and down my body. A spinal is not a fun thing, and no mother wants her child to go through the stress of that. I reluctantly agreed to it because I just wanted him to be made better even though he would not get to come home with us. When his test was done, his results came back all clear for any problems - which was more promising news, however there was still the issue of his CRP count which signified his body was still fighting off something. So Brian, my mother and I have been making trips to the NICU to check on Brennon's progress and as of late last night he is doing great. The most they are doing now is administering an antibiotic 2 times a day - which have pretty much brought his numbers to near normal. He will have a weakened immune system for a little while when we take him home, and so we must work to keep him from getting sick.

Other than the above, Brennon is healthy in every way...and he has a mega appetite. We are noticing his little movements, facial features and cries so we will be prepared when we go home. The upswing to having him in the hospital is all of the assistance from the nurses on basic baby care and feeding. The thing is that you take all of these classes for preparation, but the caveat is actually getting down and dirty with it. But I feel like this help in preparing for his transition home is a blessing in disguise. We know how to take his temperature, change his diaper, burp him, figure out when he's hungry, and feed him. This new role as a parent is a nice transition for us, and I have been super impressed with Brian for really stepping up to his role as a new dad. He looks like a natural now and I know he'll soon get the award for dad of the year. It's really special as a mother to see a father holding his newborn son. The bonding time is just an honest, pure experience. My mom has been a huge help in many ways, and I want to thank her for that, too. She has always been there to guide and help me out, and this journey has been no exception. I know she has fallen for our little handsome man!

I will work on keeping my part updated on The Bass Family's progress since we have had quite a bit of excitement so far. But I can honestly say that we wouldn't trade any of our journey for anything in the world.