After partying till 11:00 Saturday night, Freddie was pretty wiped out come Sunday, although it was the fist Sunday morning he didn’t sleep during church. Times are a changing. We just took it easy around the house and at the last minute decided to invite Abby and her folks over for dinner after church. Lucy and I were kicking over the idea. Yes we just had a huge party the day before, but the house was clean, there was food left over, and the ball pit just looked empty without somebody to help Fred splash around in it.
Finally after about a half an hour of kicking it around, Lucy said “Fred do you want to have Abby over to play tonight?” and…now this is the gosh honest truth…the baby looked up at Lucy, crawled to the coffee table, grabbed the cordless phone, and handed it to Lucy. I know there are skeptics out there (NANA!!) but I say the boy knew what he was doing.
Lucy stayed home Monday and picked up a bit while Fred chilled at the Hill. Later that day she took cupcakes for everyone and Fred had another party!!! Complete with presents from all of his second mom’s that love him sooo much while we are away at work. They are practically family the way they look out for him.
Tuesday was his official birthday and everyone took the day off. We slept in, I got to read a little, we went to lunch with Nana, bought a wagon for Fred (one of those giant wagons with the seats back and cupholders), then met the Gigi for cookies back at home. We blew bubbles and took turns escorting his high-chair-ness around the block. He loved it so much we decided to walk about 6 blocks to our favorite deli, pick up some dinner, and meet Pops back at the house. Finally we celebrated one last time with more cake and another round of Happy Birthday. We must have sang that song at least 50 times that day alone.
All day Lucy and I couldn’t help thinking back to the day Fred entered our lives….how hard that first week was. Fred took a giant gasp of fluid on his way out and had to be kept in the nursery for several hours. Then he developed jaundice…though he was born at 7:56 A.M. Lucy did not lay eyes on him outside of the operating room until 3:00 PM that afternoon…up until that point I thought that was the hardest part (at least for me)…having to tell her yet again that they couldn’t bring him down yet…trying to act convinced that he was fine while not knowing why it was taking so long…telling her hour after hour “It will just be a little longer. I promise”…..
The jaundice stuck around and we were only allowed to see him every few hours, and only then so he could eat … then the last day the time he was spending under the lights was increased and we were given minimum visitation…since Lucy was relatively fine they moved us to a smaller room…goodbye fold out couch and additional room…hello recliner and misery…misery caused by waiting five days to take our newborn home…misery from not sleeping well partly from the chair I was left with and partly from worry…misery from knowing that with after each passing day I was losing time at home with son and wife….those were the hardest days of my life.
Now look at us!! One year later and I’m the happiest guy in the world. One year later and my boy is strong!!! One year later and I still feeling the pull of time as it steals another day from us. One year later and I’m a new man completely head over heels in love with his wife and son.
1 comment:
Well, what are you trying to do...make us cry? Congratulations on making it through year one!
Look out this next one will blow your socks off. Sure a newborn is sweet, cuddley, etc. but a one year old is SO much fun, exciting, adorable. You'll never cease to be amazed at all he will do this year!
Abby loves Fred also by the way. Everyday since Sunday she has said at least once, "Baby Fred's house"...on some days she says this as she pouts and cries.
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