3 months/6 months

October 4 was Gus' 3-month birthday by due date, and October 11 was his 6-month birthday by birth date.

Any way you slice it, he's doing great. He had a follow-up with the cardiologist which showed his PDA at microscopic levels. Bottom line is that the prospect of corrective heart surgery in his future is looking less likely. So we're very happy about that.

And he's just feeling like a regular baby. He's rolled over a few times and is very smiley. His Occupational and Physical Therapy check-ups (don't ask me the difference in this context) have gone well. We have certain exercises we do with him, and it was recommended we get a Bumbo to build his upper body and neck strength. But, like I said, he's just our very chunky baby (over 12 pounds now).

Here are some pictures. Just remember, the camera adds 10 ounces.

1 month/4 months

Gus is four months old today. Last Saturday, he was one month.

So, yes, we're still caught in the preemie time warp.

But, overall, we're doing well. We're all getting into a routine, at least to the extent that we can truly plan anything. And Jamie and I are trying to take some time for ourselves each week to preserve whatever semblance of sanity we had in the first place. In a week, we're going to Vermont for a week and a half or so, though I'll actually be coming back to Maine for the middle portion (to work). Of course, that will mean time alone as well (don't quite remember what that's like) and a chance to read the last Harry Potter (no spoilers, please). Jamie will stay with the kids in Vermont (with my parents), so hopefully she'll get some her-time as well (not so subtle hint to the in-laws).

On a purely clinical level, Gus is also doing well. He's 9.5 pounds, as of last Monday (downright chunky, as you'll see in the pictures); he passed his last eye exam just fine; he passed his carseat test (which he had failed before leaving the hospital), so he's out of the carbed and into a regular carseat. That was kind of essential for the trip to Vermont. We didn't like driving anywhere with him before.

So that's that. The hospital is pretty much a faint memory. He's just our baby now and Wyatt's little brother. Speaking of Big Brother Wyatt, I think he's taking a shine to the little guy. Actually, for the most part, they keep out of each other's business, so everything's copacetic except when there's an attention deficit (not enough attention to go around). But we're all settling into our roles. Speaking of which, I need to go feed the wriggling blob on my chest. He can get ornery when he's hungry, and mom's at the store.

Besides, all you really care about are the pictures anyway:

3 Months Old

Last Wednesday (July 11) Gus turned three months old. While I'm training myself to focus more on his due date (as I said last time), it's also hard not to consider the changes that occur at three months. I remember from the birthing class Jamie and I took before Wyatt was born that three months is supposed to mark some sort of awakening in infants, where they truly become aware of their surroundings. And with Wyatt, I distinctly remember that happening. It was like a switch had flipped.

Sure enough, on Tuesday night I looked at Gus and he looked at me, and there just seemed to be this glimmer that wasn't there before. And he reached out and touched my beard a number of times (a memorable milestone with Wyatt).

Needless to say, we're all making good progress. Gus is nursing almost exclusively now and continuing to gain weight just fine (he's up to 7.5 pounds at last weigh-in). I still give him a bottle first thing in the morning, so Jamie can sleep in a little and so he can get vitamin drops. We're all generally getting about as much sleep as can be expected -- Jamie's up with him once overnight and then I get up at around 5:30 to feed him and get ready for work. The hardest thing is going to bed at a decent hour, though I tend to nod off on the couch at around 10:00 no matter what.

I think Wyatt's getting used to Gus being here and the idea that he isn't leaving. But the baby isn't exactly a source of much entertainment for him, nor a good playmate. But he's relatively happy doing his own thing when Jamie has to tend to Gus.

Very thankfully, my parents were here for the past two weeks, which gave Jamie and Gus enough time to work out breastfeeding. She and "the boys" had their first solo days last Thursday and Friday and they went smoothly. But I'm definitely going to have to make more of an effort to leave work on time -- I know how much I eagerly awaited Jamie's return from work when I was home with Wyatt. And that was with just one, her usually arriving by 4:15.

I'll keep you posted, but I'd say we're officially settled in.

Independence Day

Today is Gus' official due date.

That's really important for us, because up until now, it just didn't feel like he was supposed to be here. There was certainly no denying his presence, but it was hard not to look at him and think that he wouldn't "normally" be going through everything he was experiencing -- from eating to seeing (as much as he has) to breathing.

But now it feels like he's had a head start on all of those things, though it was just practice. Starting today, everything counts. "They" say that, developmentally, you should go by preemies' due dates. Meaning that even though he's almost three months old, he's still got that new baby smell. And we're not going to expect him to roll over any time soon. Though if you pitted him against any July 4th newborns, I guarantee he'd kick their butts on the Apgar. Bring it on, estimated 365,000 babies born today!

Day 5

I was saying to my friend Sue the other day (via e-mail) that despite all the energy focused on Gus for the past two months, his arrival home made him feel like an interloper in our little family of three.

But I'm happy to say that feeling has disappeared, as we knew it would. We're now a family of four.

The nights have been pretty good -- no repeats of Night 1. Gus had a follow-up eye exam yesterday, which showed that the mild ROP which had been diagnosed in the hospital (completely normal for a preemie) seems to be improving on its own. The visiting nurse came again yesterday, and he's up to 6 lbs. 13 oz. So even though breastfeeding hasn't been going smoothly (though it is improving), he's getting everything he needs.

Anyway, as promised, here are a few pictures from the day of Gus' homecoming until now.

Night Number 2

I'm not going to give you a blow-by-blow every night, but I wanted to let you know that last night went more smoothly than the first. At the very least, Wyatt didn't wake up. Unfortunately, nursing still wasn't working out as well as we'd like, so we may move to bottle for now (at night). And Gus likes to grunt a lot in his sleep. That did keep Jamie and me up a little bit, though, as usual, Jamie got the brunt of the sleeplessness. Yes, I will be doing some of the bottles.

Of course, that was just one night, too. I'm sure there are any number of variations we'll experience.

He had his first doctor's visit with our regular pediatrician today, and that went well. He's up to 6 lbs 12 ounces (by their scale, anyway). It does seem unlikely that he would have gained four ounces in a day, especially the way he's been eating. And he's 19.5 inches long, for anyone keeping score.

I'll send some pictures soon. Just know that we're doing fine.

Safe and Sound

Just wanted to let you all know that we made it home fine on Sunday. Everyone is adjusting to the new arrangement, but we're generally doing pretty well. Gus isn't nursing quite as vigorously as he was in the hospital, but he gained the proper amount of weight over the past day (on ounce), according to the visiting nurse we saw today. So that puts him at 6.5 pounds.

And big brother Wyatt is being very gentle and taking lots of interest in what Gus is up to. He's pushing some boundaries but not really acting jealous of attention Gus is getting. He's just being two, really. And I think he's happy to have his mother home, even if she can't be with him constantly.

And our friend Tess loaned us a great sling called Tenaya's Dream. Unfortunately, I can't find any good pictures of it. I guess it's just made by a stay-at-home mom. And it essentially consists of a long stretch of cotton that you wrap around you in a Double Windsor. Needless to say, I can't figure it out, but Jamie loves it. It keeps Gus in just the right position and tightly held against her chest, leaving her hands free. It's going to be indispensable when I go back to work next week. Though my parents are coming back from New Jersey for one-to-two more weeks of pitching in.

The biggest challenges so far have been feedings and sleeping. Well, sleeping at night, for any of us. Really, it wasn't that bad, but we were all up from 2:30 till 4:00 in the morning last night. Wyatt was very interested in Gus eating (more so than Gus, really), so we needed to get him his own milk. Tonight, I'll have it standing by.

Wish us luck.