When you think of outer-space, images of adventure are usually the first to rush to the forefront of the mind, but, the truth is, a trip to outer-space would probably be more traumatic than invigorating. At first, this assessment might seem harsh due to the charming space odysseys we've seen depicted on theater screens. When [...]
I didn't realize how prominent the letter 'B' would become once Jesher came home. Our life has become inundated with the second letter of the alphabet. The "bassinet" has become the central hub of all household activity. The day's schedule is now controlled by the words "bottles," and "burps." I am constantly reaching for "blankies" [...]
The parade of health professionals briefing us on life after NICU continued throughout the morning, and after each specialist said their part, I would turn and say to Jesher, "It's time to go home bro!" Honestly, much of the medical jargon and final reviews never made it to my frontal lobe. For four months, we [...]
One of the excruciating aspects of our hospital's NICU waiting room is its positioning right across the hall from the Room-In Family Suites. These hotel rooms are reserved for families who have reached the end of their NICU stay and are 'rooming-in' to care for their prized child the night before discharge. Once a baby [...]
Jesher is now 116 days old! Age corrected---the age he would be if he was born full-term---our son is three weeks and three days young. Honestly, it feels like six months have passed. Time truly does inch its way forward during a trial. There is no doubt, we have witnessed the power of Biblical community and [...]
Just about all of us have been conditioned to see balloons as an indicator of festivity, but, on this occasion, I held my balloon in silent reverence while quietly watching the couple in front of me. Our two families had met under some extremely challenging circumstances. Our bond was forged in a NICU waiting room. [...]
Have you noticed that tubes are nature's primary vehicle for sustaining life? If you step back from observing the prominence of squares, circles, triangles, and cones, you will notice the overwhelming number of cylinder shapes we depend on daily. For example, the majority of our oxygen is produced by trees outfitted with tubular trunks and [...]
“I just need you to trust me.” The look on the doctor’s face was genuine, but I wasn’t fully convinced. He was smiling, but his response felt more patronizing than uplifting. I responded slowly to calm the frustration that was beginning to ignite in the pit of my stomach… “It’s not a matter of a [...]
I saw Jesher on the side of a building, and the image both startled and inspired me. The mural overlooks the Clarksville Pike and 25th Street intersection. There, dressed in his mother's favorite shade of green and overlaid with comfortably-baggy blue slacks, Jesher stands over two stories tall. His resolute posture is fortified by a [...]
Yesterday, June 6, 2018, Lhorraine and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. The topic of our upcoming anniversary had come up on a few occasions. Primarily because we wanted to hear each other's expectations for the day. Even with our son laying in neonatal intensive care, we didn't want the accomplishment of making it nine [...]
Prayers for Jesher 