Simon Is One Month Old

It is hard to believe that Simon is one month old {as of June 18th, yes I'm behind}.  He spent two long weeks in the NICU at Vanderbilt.  Those were the longest and most exhausting days.  The first few days were very difficult, because we just didn't know what was going to happen.  Having lost our son Chai at 25 hours old, the scene was all to familiar {Trevor told me, the smell of the NICU was very hard for him each time he would go visit Simon, because it smelt exactly the same as with Chai}. As the days past and our faith was again strengthen and we began to see God answer our prayers and many of yours, Simon began to get well and we believed he would be coming home with us.  It was a slow process, but looking at him now you would never know just how sick he was. Even I forget.

We have been home now for three weeks. I have been surprised by many things; how to survive on very little sleep; how difficult and wonderful the early stages of breastfeeding and ALL that it requires is {now I know why my sister-in-law said, "If your not committed, you will never keep going."( Please know I realize there are many legitimate reasons for why some moms cannot breastfeed)}; how every time he smiles it melts my heart; how badly I want to protect him from everything; how difficult it is to just get out of the house; how mentally challenging every task that once took no time or thought is exhausting {like blogging}; how you have to schedule everything in small blocks of time because he eats all the time; how much I miss time in the evenings with my husband; how precious it is to watch my older boys love on and take care of him.  I could go on and on, these are just a few.

Simon is a pure joy. He is getting bigger and changing so quickly. There have been several times that Ive peeked into his room and looked at him in his crib sleeping and he looks like his older brother Chai. I'm thankful for all the little ways Simon reminds of his "Big Brother." He is already rotten and oh is he loved.

We are simply thankful. And no matter what, we have learned to say, "God is good."