A Very Charlie Christmas to All

Well Charlie finally turned ZERO the other day. After two months out in the world, Charlie’s due date came and went so he has shed his “preemie” label. He is now over two months old although by conventional standards, the clock starts now. So his “adjusted age” is now zero.

Having him home has been wonderful, albeit challenging. Sarah has already begun transitioning back to work part time and we’ve both begun feigning a sense of normalcy. We’ve been able to go skiing a couple times and Sarah’s even hitting the gym regularly.

Charlie is starting to become more responsive and despite the occasional meltdown, is still pretty agreeable. He loves tummy time and really keeps us honest when it comes to his feeding schedule, which is still every 3 hours. At his last “Charliatrician” appointment two weeks ago, he weighed in at 7 pounds 12 ounces. He’s been seeing his “Charliepractor” each week as well for adjustments, reflux treatment and cranial massage and shaping. As we speak, he’s quietly napping in his living room pack’n play. So it’s nice of him to respect my work schedule.

So while we have so much to be grateful for this Christmas, we’d like to extend our best wishes to you and your family. We hope your holidays are happy, healthy and full of love. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Happy New Year, etc.


Charlie’s Holiday Wish to you.


LET ME TELL YA SOMETHING!!!... MERRY CHRISTMAS.


OK enough already.


Wow this is a big world.


Out for a walk.


Tummy time with Mommy.

Charlie’s Rookie Card

Well, we finally put out a birth announcement of sorts. Check out Charlie’s Rookie Card!


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Charlie-Man-Tastic

After about 10 days at home with Charlie, we're settling into a routine. Sort of. Charlie eats every three hours which doesn't leave room for much else. Once we've paced him, burped him, changed him, calmed him down, convinced him to sleep and successfully put him down...we're already 5 minutes late for his next feeding.

But we're still having a good time. The dogs are still enamored with him and hang on his every move. He's had a little bit of a sniffle but I think that's starting to go away. And he gets a little bit of heartburn but he's taking Prevacid for that. He's very sweet and as you can see by the pictures below, he really likes to show off his sexy side.


Charlie's lost in thought, a pensive preemie.


Eat your heart out, ladies....Yeah, you wish.


Step right up. Here's a free ticket to the GUN SHOW!!


No more pictures please. I'm spent.

Our First Thanksgiving

Yesterday, we celebrated Charlie's first Thanksgiving. My parents came to the house and cooked an amazing dinner for all of us. We all took a walk around the block while the turkey was cooking, this was Charlie's first walk outside. While pushing him all bundled up around the block I began to daydream of all the fun outings we have planned; visiting Yellowstone and the Scanlons, meeting his Great Uncle Rod in the San Rafael Swell, eating handfuls of sand and tide pooling in Kennebunk, visiting Portsmouth with his cousins Jim and Brody and Nichole or simply walking on the back roads and talking to the cows behind our house. I look forward to experiencing the world with Joe and our son.

The first few days at home were very stressful, I was so afraid that Charlie would suddenly stop breathing. Since then my confidence as a parent has increased tenfold and I feel worthy of being this little man's mother. Joe and I are tackling the 3 hour feeding schedule while I finish out my maternity leave and Joe graciously works from home. I cannot imagine how anyone survives being a parent alone. I am extremely lucky to have a supportive husband to tackle the stressful first few weeks.

Home. Safe. Finally. First couple days alone.

Charlie-Man (AKA King Charlemagne) is finally home, discovering new challenges and new adventures. We brought Charlie home on Wednesday night and introduced him to his new world. He breathed fresh air for the first time; he rode in a car; he saw his house; he met his dogs... all for the first time. Then, as if on queue, the daunting reality set in that we’re alone with this little man. No monitors. No nurses. No safety net at all. That first night was intense. But we made it through, like all new parents do.

As expected, the dogs immediately fell in love with him. He’s like a human squeaky toy. Roxie has been predictably standoffish. She’s curious, but she’s gonna wait for him to approach her like everyone else. we’re not sure if she realizes how long that might take. Blü on the other hand is OBSESSED with him. She’s done nothing but follow Charlie around since the moment we came home, desperately hoping to catch a whiff, a touch or a lick of him. She holds a stalker-like vigil outside his bassinet and climbs the walls when he cries. When we take Charlie across the hall to feed and change him, Blü dances around outside the baby-gate we placed in the doorway. But I think it’s clear they will soon be best friends.

Sarah and I are adjusting to parental life. Coping with the constant worry and the lack of sleep is inherently taxing. Charlie eats every 3 hours (on the dot) and has no tolerance for excuses. But most of the time, he’ll accept a little cuddling, or story time, or tummy time afterwords. And these quiet moments are worth a lifetime of sleepless nights.

I’ve joked about my wife being in love with “another man”. The truth of the matter is that we both are. He’s quite an incredible little guy. He’s fairly easy to please and he adapts well. He tries not to cry too much and he graciously accepts our faults. We can’t wait to see what comes next.


Love at first site... Blü hasn’t left Charlie’s side since he came home.


Charlie’s first bath at home.


Blü wants to help so desperately.


Story time! Charlie loves the sound of Mommy’s voice.


Tummy Time for Charlie.


Shhh... Just enjoy the quiet, little man.


Milk-Drunk.


Squishy face = Squishy pants.


WOAH, that was a big poop.


Ready for bed in a big way.

JAIL BREAK!!

That’s right. Charlie was discharged on Wednesday from Saint Mark’s Hospital after 31 days in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit. We were nervous about taking him home as we had grown quite accustomed to the amazing care he received there. But we were also very excited about starting our lives together, a little stronger for the experience.

Charlie’s vital signs were good and he met all his benchmarks, leading his doctors to conclude it was time for his parole. So on Wednesday, we drove down to Saint Mark’s as visitors for the last time. We gave him his 5 o’clock feeding and went over his discharge forms with the doctor and nurses. And with that, they removed his monitor wires, and helped us to our car with our new package.

The drive home was nothing short of terrifying. I took the wheel, while Sarah stayed in the back with our precious cargo. The hectic driving experience we have become so accustomed to over the years suddenly seemed insane. Typical Utah drivers minding their own business, suddenly seemed like homicidal psychopaths. But at an a-typically slow speed, we made our way home, avoiding any major conflict. When we entered the house as a family, I turned off the outside light — the light that had remained on for Charlie — for the first time since October 18th.

Safely pulling into our driveway with my beautiful bride and perfect son was a sweet, sweet victory. I feel like the luckiest man alive to have them both in my life. I am grateful for family and friends who have stayed close throughout this time, and I’m overwhelmed with more joy than my heart can hold.


Dreamie Premie, ready to go home.


GOT YOUR NOSE!!


Sarah telling Charlie all the great things he has waiting for him at home.


Pensive Premie.


DISCHARGE DAY!!


Charlie's having his monitor wires removed for good.


Charlie in his car seat with his prison stripes, breaking out of the hospital


Finally Home. Wednesday night, we turned off the front light for the first time since October 18th.

Week Five: Getting Closer...

Charlie-man is doing incredibly well these days. He has completed 4 full weeks in the NICU and is hitting all of his benchmarks. Now at 5 pounds 12 ounces (he was born at 4lb. 2oz), he’s breathing well, his temperature is great, and he’s now eating 100% by mouth. So the nurses have removed his feeding tube, which means you’ll soon be seeing pictures of him without tape or tubes on his face. He was also moved up to a less critical room in the Special Care wing of the main Nursery, which means that even the doctors are happy with his progress.

Charlie has also already passed his car seat test. This is a major hurdle for many preemies, and it must be completed before they can be discharged. He was required to sit in his car seat for two hours without any severe dips in his oxygen levels. So having passed that major milestone he’s that much closer to coming home. We’re cautiously optimistic, but we hope to have him home very soon.

Each day is a new adventure with this little man. He loves to blow our minds with his new tricks and his zen-like handle over his surroundings. He’s an amazing little guy. He refuses to get worked up over small details and he already shows an intense focus on his tasks. We’re so incredibly proud of him and can’t wait to have him all to ourselves.


During a diaper change, Charlie used his hands to distract us while he proceeded to pee all over the place.


Weee Are the Champions...



Mama and Charlie, havin' some snuggle time.


Charlie and Daddy spend some quality time

New Kind of Love

I just got home from going down with Joe to feed Charlie his am feeding. When we entered the NICU we were delighted to see that Charlie was enjoying his new digs, that's right he is now in a bassinet. This also means that he is wearing clothing...we will see how long that lasts at home...and is swaddled up in blankets. He was moved last night after 8 pm and his temperature 12 hours later was 98.8 which means he managed to maintain his body temperature all night long. HIGH FIVE BUDDY!

For the first time I was able to just walk in and pick up my baby boy. You have no idea how amazing that felt. He was wide awake and ready to eat. He is just like a little bird and opens his mouth as if he is saying "OK, ready to eat mommy." This simple act made my day and I can't image what it will be like to have him home and have the opportunity to see all his little quirks and mannerisms.

I have never known a love like this before. I grew up with amazing parents that showered me with unconditional love. I have amazing friends who I know are always there for me. And I have an amazing husband who I love with all my heart and who I look forward to growing old with. But the way I feel about Charlie blows my mind. I would do anything for him and when he looks at me I am complete. He is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I feel so at peace when I hold him.

Charlie in his new bassinet.


"Confession: I'm in love with another man."


Charlie sucks ;)

Week Four

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Well, Charlie’s romance with the world grows stronger with every day. Yesterday we celebrated his three-week birthday. While our emotions continue to crest and trough with his daily battles, our sense of stability gains traction in light of his overall progress. We had an uplifting consultation with his doctors and nurses the other day, which gave us a great big picture perspective. The main takeaway was that his progress is solid, steady, and ahead of schedule. His weight is good. He’s now convincingly over 5 pounds and is developing a voracious appetite. While his energy level varies from one visit to the next, his strength and sucking reflexes are showing major improvement. Also improving is his ability to maintain a healthy oxygen saturation level while he eats. It may seem simple, but for premature babies the ability to suck, swallow and breath is a delicate balance that requires close and vigilant monitoring. And while I won’t say he’s a prodigy, Charlie is learning this important skill quickly. At his present rate, we anticipate that he may get to come home in as soon as two to three weeks.

I have to say, that given the circumstances we’re all doing quite well. We hear stories of children born earlier, smaller, or with greater challenges than Charlie. He’s making outstanding progress and he seems to enchant all who cross his path. His nurses constantly tell us how cute he is and delight in his easy-going, zen-like nature. Some have referred to him as their “boyfriend” which is at the same time cute and creepy, but oh well. He doesn’t seem to cry much. Instead, he greats the world every day with tranquil observance, a trend we all hope continues.

As of now, Sarah and I are making efforts to surface from these overwhelming events and to slowly re-acclimate into our personal and professional lives. While Charlie remains in the NICU, our hope to achieve a manageable, if temporary semblance of normalcy. Sarah’s handling the unusual transition beautifully and is being generously supported by her co-workers and boss. Of course, it will be difficult to bridge the timing gap between now and when Charlie comes home but we appreciate the flexibility and sensitivity they have shown. And as we make this hectic 90-mile round-trip commute to the hospital twice daily, we appreciate the patience and support of our friends and families.


Mommy and Charlie, snuggling up


Dr. and Mrs. Myers visiting from New Hampshire


Joe's dad holding Charlie


Joe's Mom telling Charlie all about everything


Sarah having some fun with Charlie


All four grandparents, neatly contained in one NICU window


Charlie likes to hold Daddy's finger


Charlie, pondering life.

Week Three

We officially started week three since Charlie's arrival. Joe's parents flew out for the weekend just in time to celebrate his two week birthday. It was wonderful for Joe, Charlie and I to celebrate the occasion surrounded by the loving support of all four grandparents.

The past two weeks have been trying both emotionally and physically. Last Wednesday, Charlie and I both had a rough day. I was re-admitted to the hospital and Charlie had a bit of a set-back as well. He had been moved to a bassinet and was unable to maintain his temperature and digest all of his food. The doctors moved him back to an isolette and backed off his feedings. Since moving back into the isolette, Charlie has begun to digest increased feedings and even eat a portion of his from a bottle. It is amazing how physically demanding it is for him to eat and digest.

Joe and I have spent the past few nights at our house in Heber. We have taken on a few projects that we began before Charlie's arrival. It feels great to be home and to finally be the energy to finish nesting. We are not sure when we will be able to bring him home so we just focus on each day as it comes.

Charlie’s Kicking Ass

So Charlie’s been in the NICU over a week now and Charlie has done nothing but get better. Last night we walked in for our 8pm visit and his nurse was wheeling out his photo-therapy lights to place into storage. He’s now completely off the lights and no longer has to wear sunglasses. He has also reached his maximum feeding level which is 36 CC’s of formula every 3 hours. That means he is getting all his nutrients and hydration through his feeding tube so they have been able to remove his additional I.V.’s. His caloric intake is also being increased so he can really start packing on weight now. Charlie has met every benchmark so far, earlier than expected and without hesitation or setbacks. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but he may get out earlier than initially expected. But we’ll have to wait and see.

His next goal will be learning to eat/suck and breathe at the same time. Let’s face it, that can be tough. But his temperature regulation is getting better so pretty soon he may graduate out of his incubator and into an open bassinet. So I think this is officially what they mean by baby steps.



Grandma Patty gets a big yawn out of the little man.


I'm watching you, bucco.


"I wear my sunglasses at night..."


Sarah teaches Charlie about eye contact.


Daddy and Charlie are discussing important things like baseball and meatball subs.


"....And in this corner, weighing in at 4 pounds, 2.3 ounces..."


Charlie gives me this confused look a lot. It either means that I'm not making sense or that he's pooping...or both.


Charlie just found out there's a whole big world outside the NICU...and he's wicked excited.

A Long Week

Sarah was discharged from the hospital yesterday after a 5-night stay following her C-section. Now begins a process of moving forward as a family.

As we begin operating within a routine that includes "visiting" our son twice daily, we are encouraged by what seems like monumental progress with each passing hour. We will now take each day, one at a time, to heal and mentally prepare for his un-tethered debut in the outside world. And while that may take as much as 6 weeks, our sole priority is Charlie's health. We have had the benefit of amazing care and vigilant service by the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Saint Mark's Hospital. And among the most encouraging and uplifting sentiments they've shared with us, is the simple idea that under the circumstances, THIS is as good as it gets. They have reassured us that Charlie is ahead of schedule and has shown outstanding promise. In fact, he's doing better than all of us. His strength gives us strength.

We are aware that premature babies carry certain risks and that the road ahead will have many turns. But Charlie's doctors and nurses have earned our utmost confidence and respect. We'd very much like to thank the staff at Saint Mark's Hospital for their care and sensitive tact. They have shown and continue to show us tremendous professionalism, expertise, and humanity.

We would also like to thank all of you reading this note, for your love and support. We appreciate your calls, flowers, visits, texts, blog comments, Facebook "likes", Tweets, thoughts and prayers. We are very optimistic and hopeful for Charlie. And we're so excited to introduce him to all of you.


Sarah changing diapers inside the incubator


Mommy and baby


Getting weighed is so embarrassing.


Milk Drunk!


Milk-Drunk YAWN!


Nitey Nite! See you tomorrow!


Charlie on his light-up photo-therapy dancefloor..."Billy Jean is not my lover..."


Picaboo....NICU!


Charlie cuddled up with his dancefloor underneath.


Checking out of the hospital. THANK YOU to all those who sent flowers, texts, calls, tweets, thoughts, and prayers.

Status: Breathing!

Charlie's breathing so well now that they've taken him off his oxygen. He's breathing 100% on his own now so that's one less tether for him. Of course they're still watching him very closely but the fact that his lungs are working so well is a great sign. He really wants to get out of here soon, and so far he gets what he wants.

Birth Announcement

We want to thank our friend Lynn McCormick for the awesome birth announcement she made us. Lynn's a very talented designer in Boston. Check her out »

More Holding & More Eating

Gary joined me in the NICU for tonight's feeding. He got to hold Charlie for the first time which I think was good for him. They had some great bonding time tonight but tomorrow's Patty's turn.

Afterwords, I gave him his dinner which was another 2 CC's of milk. He was more interested in cuddling and sleeping than eating. He actually snored more than he sipped. But that's ok because he's also still being fed intravenously. Still I couldn't help thinking of the all-night staring contests I had with my father over bowls of peas or brussel sprouts. Anyway, we'll keep trying but they really don't expect him to fully get the hang of it for a couple more weeks. And he has plenty of time.


Gary rocks Charlie's world.


Joe tries to feed Charlie.

Charlie: Day 4 - “Food & boogers”

Charlie started eating today. He's only having a few milliliters of milk every 3 hours and they're watching him closely to make sure his little tummy can handle it. He wasn't really sure what to do with the food today but he got a taste for it. Over the day he's been getting more used to it and the nurse told me that his 5 o'clock feeding went very well.

After breakfast, Charlie was a little fussy going back into his "terrarium". The nurse checked his nose using a little turkey baster thing. She sucked a few boogers out of him that were so incredibly huge I did a double take. But he immediately calmed down and fell right back to sleep. Wow.


Mommy calming Charlie down before breakfast.


Mommy feeding Charlie for the first time.

Charlie Update: Day 4 - “New Digs”

Charlie has been doing so well that he's been upgraded to a new NICU unit. His "isolette" looks serious but it's actually a sign that he's doing well on his own because he requires less handling. He's breathing on his own but still has a small wind tube to remind him to breathe. He's also being moved over to a bottle instead of an I.V. so that's nice. This morning we're planning on feeding him for the first time. That's very exciting.


Here's Charlie in his new apartment. He's got his tanning lamp on and he's wearing his sunglasses.


Here's Charlie's foot. I think he's snoring in this photo.



This is the name tag the NICU staff made for him.


Patty and Gary get to enter the NICU whenever they want to see Charlie. Sarah and I took this photo from out in the hall because Charlie can only have two visitors at a time.

More updates soon. We're hoping to feed him today.
Thanks everyone for your love and support.

Charlie Update: Day 3

Today was a good day. Charlie has been doing so well downstairs in the NICU that he's being promoted to a new area. In fact they're putting him on display in the "storefront" windows so our visitors can see him.

But before all that happens, they let us hold him for the first time. I can't express my joy right now. It felt great to finally hold him in our arms and look him in the eyes and let him know we're here for him.


Sarah holding Charlie for the first time in the NICO


Big Yawn for such a little man


Baby Charlie loves his mommy.


Daddy gets a turn with Charlie.


Proud Papa and his little man.

Charlie

Charlie Landwehr Myers was born on Sunday, October 18th, 2009. He wasn't actually due for another 2 months but I suppose he was in a hurry. Before I get into the details, let me first say that baby and mommy are doing fine. So here goes.
Vitals:
• Born at 10:58am October 18th instead of his due date of December 17th.
• 4 pounds 3 ounces, 17.5 inches long (or "tall" if he was born walking.)

Story:
At 3am on Sunday morning, Sarah told me she was having horrible cramps. After a shower and a walk around the block it wasn't going away. These "cramps" started coming more and more often. We called the hospital and they calmly urged us to hop in the car and pay them a visit. By 6:30am we were at the hospital having Sarah checked out. She was dilated 5 centimeters. Before we knew it the doctors were rallying around us to deliver this little party-crasher. After one last check the doctor noticed that Charlie had started sticking his shoulder out instead of his head. At this time they agreed to move to a cesarean section, which went beautifully.

By 10:58am, Charlie was born and Sarah was being closed up. Sarah was awake throughout the operation and I was allowed to stay with her the whole way through. As soon as Charlie was out, the NICU team whisked him away to their cutting edge facility. He's under their close eye now and will be for up to the next six weeks. So far he's responding amazingly well to the treatments and is already ahead of schedule. He's receiving "photo therapy" (which is like a baby tanning bed) and lots of food through various I.V.'s. He was also on a ventilator for the first 24+ hours but he's breathing mostly on his own now and doing quite well. On our last visit an hour ago, Sarah and I actually got to hear him cry for the first time and although I'm sure it will be easy to lose sight of in a few months, that was truly wonderful.

We'd like to thank Saint Mark's Hospital for all their hard work and quick, decisive action. Not to mention their care since our arrival has been outstanding. Every doctor, nurse, and technician we've encountered has been amazing.

We also want to thank all our loving friends and family who have shown us their support in the last few days. We can't wait for Charlie to meet all of you. We love you very much.

Now, here are a few pictures:


Joe and Sarah keeping a stiff upper lip going between contractions.


Joe on his way into the c-section operating room.


Charlie's first picture in the outside world.


Charlie in the NICU unit.


Sarah touching Charlie for the first time.


Charlie's hand around Joe's pinky.


Sarah's hand and Carlie's little tootsie.


Charlie crying. YAY!!!


Sarah listening to Charlie cry for the first time.

My Little Man To Be

My Little Man To Be

I will teach you how to throw a ball
I will feed you so you'll grow up tall
I will emphasize the weight of wisdom
so you'll never have to lead with gall.

I will give you music, art, poetry
I will give you mountains, sky, the sea
I will show you how to treat a woman
and earn the love your mom shows me.

I will offer you my best advice
I will help you spot the men from mice
I will give you every consolation
when your best just won't suffice.

I will teach you how to camp, mow, and shave
I will try to show you how to behave
I will pass along the crucial pieces
that my father to me gave.

I will show you your surroundings
I will share with you my love of things
I will insist upon your righteousness
without the hate it brings.

I will love you, little man to be
I will give you all the world to see
I will grant you every opportunity
to be a better man than me.