"I'm sorry to say, but sadly it's true; bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you." I get emotional each time Jesher and I reach this point in the Dr. Seuss classic, Oh the Places You'll Go. Actually, this whole section has a way of sinking deep into my heart. It's simply too accurate, and when spoken [...]
"How is Jesher gaining all this weight so fast?" My mind was completely boggled by Jesher's third consecutive day of weight gain. He had never recorded a streak like this in his life! And although this news would be mortifying for the average adult, it is tremendous news for a micro-preemie. The nurse laughed at [...]
Jesher is now one-month-old! And Lhorraine and I want to use this post to thank you all for the support you have provided over the past 31 days. Since this photograph was taken (see featured photo), Jesher has almost doubled in size. He has experienced extraordinary progress in his lung-development, and he is appropriately responding [...]
Patiently waiting on test results is a nerve-racking venture. One, you are attempting to be respectful of the care-providers, trying to remember that overseeing your case is not their only responsibility. Two, you are fighting against your own inflated imagination, battling the pessimistic voices that only promise doom and gloom. Three, you are a concerned [...]
My grandfather introduced me to the sport of boxing in 1988. At the age of five, grandpa, also known as Command Sergeant Major Edward L. Polite, allowed me to snuggle up to him as he took in a week-day telecast of World Championship Boxing. Hearns vs Leonard 1 was playing on television, and I made [...]
Legos, by far, are the greatest toys of all time! I know; you are probably wearing an aghast expression on your face because I have been too reckless with this emphatic statement. How could I forget the iconic slinky or the legendary etch-a-sketch? What about the heroic action figure or the comforting teddy bear? Have I [...]
Helplessness is the most difficult aspect of watching my son. Being relegated to watching Jesher struggle, fight, breath in, breath out, struggle, fight, breath in, breath out...and knowing that I can only watch, challenges my poise like nothing else. I can't do anything! I can pray (and I am a full-time believer in the power [...]
Before Jesher's birth, Lhorraine and I had begun our friendly banter concerning parental roles and responsibilities. Strategic foresight ranks pretty high on our family-values list, so starting this discussion three months before Jesher's due date was a non-negotiable element of our third trimester preparation plan. Although serious in nature, these conversations would always end in [...]
Since becoming a dad, I've started to read the Bible differently. Please note: I take no credit for this shift. It is not a transformation that was born out of increased piety or holy petition. I have concluded that the change is a natural bi-product of evolutionary transition. Before having Jesher, I could only interpret [...]
I recently went to a park for a couple of hours to gain greater perspective on our family's current trial. I was feeling like I was breathing but not inhaling any oxygen. Have you every felt like that before? Have you ever felt like you were breathing and drowning at the same time? It is [...]
Prayers for Jesher 