Battle Tested and Weary

Day 161:

Tough day today, Boy'O.  This chest cold is testing the mettle of the Lion Heart.  It's a total drag to feel as though you're breathing through a honeycomb, and the trouble with infants and colds is, your body hasn't yet acclimated to the need of breathing in through your mouth due to the suckling action required to feed, so each and every breath is labored through a narrow passage filled with a rather unpleasant obstacle; snot.

I made the decision to work from home in an effort to be near you and give you what you need without having to worry that you're not getting it at the day care.  What's more, you needed to go back to the pediatrician today so they could see if the nebulizer was doing its job.  Unfortunately, it's not enough.  Now you're being masked with this contraption every 4 hours or else we run the risk of it becoming an infection... Ugh!  What a drag, Son.  You don't like that loud, grumbling machine any more than I enjoy putting your little face into it's plastic mask.  No fun...

Still though, the news wasn't all bad.  In fact, quite inspiring!  The Doctor on duty, Dr. Howell, said she is most impressed with your resilience...  She made note of your alertness, how happy you are (ever smiling, Boy), the oxygen levels in your blood.  She even said to me, as you took gargling breath after gargling breath smiling all the way, that THIS - what you're doing in so far as being alert and inquisitive with no loss of appetite - is not normal.  Not amongst preemies and not amongst full term kids.  Encouraging...  The Lion Heart will not be held down.  Maybe now she'll also believe as we all do...

Late in the evening when your mother came home, I needed a break... A motorcycle ride!  Only one problem persisted - rain.  And lots of it.  But you know what, Son?  Sometimes you just gotta say "what the ........... ?" and go...  And so I did!  Now then, let's hope I don't catch whatever it is you have by weakening my immune system through riding in a pouring, cold rain...

Off to bed, Son.  Need some rest.  For Ill be up in 2.5 hours to give you another nebulizer treatment!

Love ya, Boy'O.  Get well soon...
-Dad