6 weeks and counting...

Six weeks ago today, we welcomed Max into our lives. It seems like just yesterday, and also, a lifetime. It's been draining, exhausting, frightening, and challenging. But he warms our hearts everyday and we're blessed to have him.

Most days, I feel like I'm still in shock. I can't put away the pile of maternity clothes in my closet. Most of them, I didn't even get the chance to wear. I barely got the chance to rub my big belly and feel him kicking inside. I was just past the 5 months of sickness and finally gained back to my start weight after feeling so horrible. I was mailing our taxes, my water broke and my whole life changed. From that moment on, everything has been a blur. The trip to the hospital, thinking I'd spend WEEKS on bed rest trying to stay pregnant, and then going into labor, just over 48 hours later. Max was here, almost before we had a name picked for him....

I can't imagine life without him. The kids ask almost daily when he's coming home. Troy and I bond with him more everyday. It seems like he knows us, loves us and finds comfort in us. It's harder everyday to leave him in the NICU. He's the baby we weren't ready for, but we can't wait to get home.

Tonight, they tried to feed Max a little Pedialyte. But it didn't make it through is plumbing. Now we're heading for surgery. He will have a contrast study early next week, and then the surgeon will meet with us to get things scheduled. It's not the outcome we were hoping for, but it's just another step on the road to getting him well and getting him home.