November 3, 2001 - Saturday
Jeremy was born early this morning a little before 3:00am and cried almost immediately. He continued to cry for the better part of the next 25 minutes as he was examined and cleaned out by the doctors and then more while I held him as he and I waited for the doctor to finish a slightly prolonged process of tending to his mother. During that time, I believe I heard several sympathetic words directed at Jeremy, or possibly me, but ironically given the normal aspirations for a quiet baby, his loudness didn't bother me much at all.

When his mother's water broke, the liquid was somewhat dirty and we were warned that this would require his respiratory system be cleaned immediately and thoroughly by the hospital pediatrician and that he might even need to be resuscitated before we held him. With that pre-birth prognosis, plus an umbilical cord that had been wrapped twice around his neck, I just took his crying as a sign that everything was all right. It's funny, but it was even a little comforting. I knew my theory might not be medically sound, but that was OK. I was holding him after he'd been poked and vacuumed by the doctors so I just enjoyed the moments when my whispering of words and songs and rubbing his little head made him stop crying for a few moments at a time before he could go to his mother for what he really wanted. At an amazing 9 lb. 9 oz., and with a little tongue that kept licking his tiny lips, I was guessing his was probably hungry. And, sure enough, big boy Jeremy had no trouble figuring out the whole nursing thing and had a good long drink before heading off for the standard array of tests that newborns get. Admittedly, at 5:00am, these tests were rather less fascinating than when Harry had them, but his were at about 8:00pm in the evening instead of the morning after a sleepless night.

Harry apparently didn't sleep too well at Grandma and Grandpa's house either and when they brought him to the hospital around lunch time he was pretty much ready to see his mother and me. His fascination, and even some apparent level of understanding, about Jeremy seemed sincere, but his fatigue and likely hunger got the better of him as the afternoon wore on. So, he and I eventually came home for dinner, while mommy stayed with Jeremy.


Comments, opinions?