Maxin' and Relaxin'

Ericca and I took DJ to his respitory specialist appointment Tuesday. We are happy to report that he graduated from his apnea monitor: he came home from the hospital on an apnea monitor which monitored his oxygen saturation levels and heart rate. Preemies often have infant apnea (where one forgets to breathe, usually during sleep) and DJ was no exception. He had one incident on the monitor, 7 weeks ago, but the specialists says that, based on the readings from the monitor, our little boy has outgrown his apnea. Yeah! He had long grown tired of being tethered to the monitor,(he wore a velcro belt around his chest or we taped the electrical leads to him like in the hospital).

At one point I was sure he would be 18 years old before I let him sleep without a monitor that would alert me if he "forgot to breathe". But we started weening ourselves off the monitor a little over a week ago and I am now comfortable with him sleeping without it. Granted, he still wakes up every 3-4 hours and his bassinet is literally parked right next to our bed... but having him officially off the monitor is a wonderful milestone for us all.

In these photos you see him relaxing in his bassinet after a full day of activity!

The Nanny

One of the most difficult decisions facing many new moms is whether to continue working...well, that wasn't so difficult for me - there wasn't much choice! But I did/do have a choice in terms of child care...given DJ's early start and my general belief that infants do best with as close to one-on-one care as possible, I knew early on that we would do whatever we could to keep him out of traditional day care. So, what's the difference between a babysitter and a nanny (aside from the allure of the upscale title?) Well, I believe the main difference is that a nanny is involved in complete care whereas a sitter assits by watching your child for a short period of time. So, we have a nanny - Ericca is a 29-year old Peruvian native who loves children, although she has none of her own. She joined us just this week, and will be caring for DJ 3-days a week for the next few months as I transition back to the office full-time. By the end of the Summer, she will be with us 5 days a week. She takes care of all things DJ when she is here, which is a tremendous help to Barry and I.

1st Stroller Ride

After a day of catching up on some much needed rest, Barry, DJ and I set out in DJ's fancy-shmancy Jeep stroller (Thanks Ingrid!) You'll note that the stroller is designed for the serious athlete/parent...I'll be using it as DJ and I train for the Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon being held this September - hey, I had to think of something to help rid myself of the extra inches brought on by married life then mommy-hood! In the meanwhile, the Jeep tires and suspension system were mighty helpful on the brick sidewalks of Capitol Hill.

Close ups!

Most of the photos lately have been of a sleeping baby...so I decided to catch a few of him awake - barely! He's still sleeping most of the time, waking every 3 hours or so to nurse, get a clean bottom, hear a story or wiggle around a bit. Then, he's off to sleepy land (where he does the best growing!).

Sleeping Around

DJ and Erica ...you gotta hand it to him, he'll find just the right spot to relax himself. :)







Here he is with Roxane, taking an after supper
nap on Easter - note the beautiful, hand knitted
blanket from Esther! That makes the second
handmade blanket he has received (thank Lara for the first!).

Catching Up On Posts...

Okay, I couldn't resist these two...DJ appears to already be mirroring his dad's style...even while sleeping.
One of DJ's first friends - Chance and his mom Lanae. Chance is allowing DJ to share his Nanna, my best friend Jan, who has come to my rescue recently when I had a childcare emergency.
What started out as a friendly game of dad shakes the rattle quickly turned ugly...I don't know where his temper comes from, everyone knows how easy going I am. Must be the Jamaican in him...



Even mom catches a nap every now and then... and yes, I have a new hairdo! Cut short and sassy by Jan's husband Bo (yeah! Bo who gave me the new mom discount).

Getting Out and About

This was a week of getting out, spending time with friends... Spring is in the air so DJ suggested we buy some tulips for Robyn, who took a CPR course so she could assuage the concerns of his nervous parents when she babysat for their first night out after his birth. She really appreciated his selection!



Later in the week, Uncle Nanny (otherwise known as Matt the Wonderful) gave me a break. DJ hung out with Matt, Lara and Dave while I did some errands at home. Now, I took DJ's bouncy chair but somehow he never made it in the thing! Matt fed him, Lara read Curious George to him and Dave sacrificed his chest to the greater good...allowing DJ to assume his favorite sleeping position... Bella (the dog) apparently fell in love with DJ as well, she watched over him, making sure the humans were especially attentive throughout the visit.

DJ wrapped up his very busy week with going to work with me on Good Friday! The office was so quiet that noone even noticed that he was there...okay, maybe it wasn't THAT quiet. We took a late lunch and met with Esther who was instantly smitten. Mid-way into our visit, my little boy showed that he likes the ladies...making himself very comfy with Esther (the little masher!).

It was a good week...DJ also spent time with Jan & Company in Dumfrees. Barry has started a new job and couldn't cover for me Thursday when I was scheduled to go into the office so DJ had his second babysitting adventure. I wasn't there to snap any photos but I heard they had a great time.

It was a very busy week...and our little one is sleeping soundly now (Friday night)...happily snoring away.

Basket Case

Do your parents ever remind you of when you were so little they let you sleep in the sock drawer? Well, I suppose someday DJ will be telling Barry and I to stop telling the stories of how small he was, how he literally fit in our hands, or about the time his dad nestled him in his own clothes basket... :)

Preemie Sleeping Pose

When DJ first came home, he always slept protecting his face...which kind of made me a little sad. All that time in the hospital taught him how to put up his very own protective barrier...which he's slowly learning he doesn't need so much at home (although his mom and dad are prone to picking him up and giving lots and lots of kisses...)

The Early Days and Weeks with Doyle...

It's easy to focus on the chubby cheeks and rounded tummy of DJ today, but neither Barry or I take this for granted. He started off as such a little guy, we're thankful to God for every pound he gains, for his incredible health, and yes, even for the often sleepless nights we experience these days. I was the gatekeeper at the hospital, limiting visits so that our family would have an opportunity to bond. The gates are now lifted (smile) and visitors are welcome to visit us at 1235 D! These photos show our guy in the early days and weeks of his life....

Born at 29 weeks, DJ was pretty tiny at birth. Barry and I gave him "Kangaroo Care" in the hospital, skin on skin time that gave us all time to bond. Holding a 2.8 pounder is pretty amazing...

Of course, hospital visits were a family affair...a sweet nurse took this first family photo.

This shot looks scary...and as a new parent, you better believe we were scared. But he was fine, the contraption over his face is his CPAP machine - used by adults who have sleep apnea - this tiny machine helped open DJ's lungs, making breathing easier on his premature lungs. Before we knew it, both Barry and I were pro's at managing around the various wires that monitored him.

DJ alternated between the CPAP and a canula. Here you see the canula in his nose that gave him a boost of oxygen. I love the way he looks like he's waving...

By this shot, DJ was on his way home. This photo was taken hours before his baby shower on February 25th. He came home the next Thursday.

Just a second ago this was the image of my son, sleeping (I know, he's not supposed to be on his tummy...but he was gassy and this helped!) peacefully as I worked.

First Post

My dear friend Hung sent me a link so that I could easily share pics and narrative with friends and family about DJ. Doyle Barrington Johnson, II, the latest love of my life was delivered on January 12th of this year (2006). As I was telling him around 2:30am last night, the day he was delivered was a beautiful crip Winter day. My doctor came to visit me around 6am (I was hospitalized for H.E.L.P. syndrome associated with preeclampsia - pregnancy induced hypertension -) and said, "does today feel like a good birthday?" It was indeed! And so, our son was delivered...at 6:27pm that evening. He weighed all of 2.8lbs and spent the first 7 weeks of his precious little life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Holy Cross Hospital.

Fastfoward nearly 3 months later and you have DJ today..7.2 lbs, rakishly handsome and the joy of my life!