Tonight was your first experience of a strong Midwest thunderstorm. About 8:30 pm, the lights flashed out then back on at home as Mom and Dad were moving boxes and Holly, who also babysat you last night, was holding you. A strong storm blew in very soon thereafter and made Mom nervous enough that we all went to hang out in the basement (which is now almost completely packed, by the way). We hung out there until about 10 when the severe weather warning expired and you were done with your bottle. Now back upstairs where Mom is very behind on sleep.

Note to self: strong storms are one of the few surefire ways to get Dad to turn off his computers.

Today, an adopted grandma from church, Linda, came over to hold, feed, play with and watch you all morning and afternoon so that Mom could pack some boxes in the kitchen. Your fingernails were really long and sharp, and Mom was laying in wait for a good quiet moment to cut them. In the meantime, Mom put these awesome little sock gloves on your hands that we got from the hospital to keep you from scratching things. They look like miniature white, fuzzy boxing gloves. When you wave your arms around while waking up, it looks like you are training for the ultra-ultra-ultra featherweight title.

Today we went to the funeral of a young girl who recently succumbed to her fight with cancer. I want you to know it’s ok to be sad, it’s ok to be angry; these emotions are in us for a reason. We never got to know Julia, her likes and dislikes, as well as her parents and brother did, but it is ok for us to mourn her loss and cry along side them. We are sad for all the connections with others that could have been and now will not. We are angry because her death does not feel fair.

In contrast, we can also feel reassured that, when our lives come to a halt, no matter how long we have been on this earth, no matter how many or few connections we have made,  others will stand along side our families to mourn with them. This is called community.

Julia was part of our community, specifically our church community. In this age of high-tech gizmo’s, facebook, and texting, community: the physical, emotional, and spiritual connection between people, should not be overlooked.

To connect with a person is to invest yourself in them. Invest both wisely, and with great abandon, dig deep, but love broadly.

Grandma Carol is headed home today.  It was truly great that she was here.  She helped hold things together while you were in the hospital. She was here at just the right time.  The whole hospital thing made her visit go awful fast. Next time we will see her you will have doubled in size! You’ll be a big boy!  We’ll have to make sure to take lots of pictures, otherwise we (mom and dad) will be in trouble.

Hold still here comes the Flash!

Today Grandma, Mom, Dad, and you went on a long car ride.  The longest you have ever been on. We went from home in Ames, IA to La Cross, WI to meet your Great Grand Parents and Great Uncles and Second Cousins.  You were very sleepy or quiet alert the whole way.  Mom sat in the back so she could keep and eye on you.  Dad drove, and Grandma played co-pilot.  It was great to see a lot of Grandma’s family before we moved.

The drive gave us a little practice for the move.

Today we are taking you home from Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines where you spent 4 days in the NICU with what the doctors have determined was a viral infection that gave you intestinal difficulties. We were worried for a few days and now are just happy that you are back to your normal self: sleeping soundly most of the time, squirming happily, quietly looking around for a couple hours of wakefulness, downing your bottles and complaining mightily when we change your diaper.

Our 2nd trip home from the hospital has taught us just how much we have to be thankful for and how many caring people we have in our lives. We really liked the doctors and nurses at the hospital but hope to never see them again (at least not in their professional capacities). We vote for no more trips to the hospital where you get an armband!

For those who want the most up to date news on Alonzo’s condition please see the Hospital 2012 link on the right.  It has the same password as the galleries.

There is nothing better than Smiles. For several reasons:
1. They are a clear indication that things are going well.
2. Try to be angry and smile.  Just by forcing yourself to smile for awhile you disposition will change.
3. Its another way that you communicate with us.  I love seeing you begin to figure out your facial expressions (beyond pissed off and asleep :P).

I got my first smile from you yesterday.  Maybe it was a fluke, maybe not.  I don’t think so.  You were happy, fed, clean, and doing leg squats on my lap looking at me.  Then you smiled, Amazing.

Keep the positive reinforcement coming please!

So today Dad went back to work and you got to have some quality time with mom.  Hopefully you were nice and let her nap, she still has the overnight shift as well.  Mom’s mom aka the Paparazzi arrives tonight.  Grandma Carol will be sure to give you all the attention you require and then some :-). While she entertains, Mom and I will do some more packing.

You have been duly warned 😛

Before having you, Mom was warned that the hardest part of motherhood for the overachiever is the drastic shrinking of the To Do list. Where one day used to be 15 or 20 things that could be done, the new one appears to only have 3 or 4, or even 5 on the productive days. Today’s, for example, might be: do 1 load laundry, walk Dad to work, visit people on campus, run dishwasher, cut up melon,and set up doctor’s appointment. This type of thing would have usually made mommy feel depressed. Her rebuff to that now: “Ha! That list is missing: feed you 8 times, change your diaper 10+ times, hold you, stretch sore shoulder muscles, change your outfit 1-5 times, wash pump pieces and bottles 8 times, nap twice (hopefully), give the dog some attention and tidy up the kitchen, nursery and bedroom.”