The Power of the Pacifier

Ian is beginning to share all of his beautiful abilities to create sound. We think he is not only going to be a singer, but a very animated one. He sure has mastered the art of verbal communication and we are finding ways to calm him down. The nurses in the NICU told us to remember the 5 S's: shushing, swaying, singing, swaddling and sucking. The last one works and so does bouncing, as for the others we have to get a bit creative. My newest is holding him a few inches from my body and swaying him around, he is so amazed that he is flying that he stops crying and looks around like, "Wow! This is so cool!" So, that works well and so does the pacifier. The hard part about that is keeping it in his mouth. I'm sure they have come up with some sort of gadget to keep it in their mouth, but I haven't seen it yet. If not, I think I'll create my own. Holding Ian is good, but not good enough. Once he learned how to express himself and let us know that he wanted to be held he was fine as soon as he was in your arms, now it's a bit of a different story. He likes to be held, but be moving at the same time. Now I hold him and walk all around the house and out on the deck and back inside and around the house and back on the deck and back inside, so you see how that goes over and over again. It is good to get up and move around now! I think this is only the beginning of him showing us just how active he is going to be, which is a good thing. He will keep Mommy and Daddy busy!!

Gender Differences

It is quite apparent that little boys and girls are so completely opposite from the moment they are born into this world. I once thought that it wasn't really that different to be the parent of a boy or a girl until I watched  children play. Little boys growl and wrestle and little girls play nicely with the others. It didn't help much to have a minor in Women's Studies in college because they didn't teach you about men, they taught you about women and they are very, very different from each other. My mom said it well when she had my brother, "I only had sisters and didn't know what little boys were like. I took him to the doctor when he was two and asked her if he was okay because he didn't talk, he just made car noises." My father always said the women's restroom was a warning for men, saying "Woah-Men, don't go in there!" I should have listened carefully. Actually, being the mother of a boy is a very rewarding job and I cannot be more proud to be "Ian's Mom." That is my new nickname and what other kids and moms will refer to me as from here on out. Unless, I ask them to call me Mrs. Porto or something more formal like my real name...I was at a birthday party once and one of the girls came up to me and asked, "Are you Russo's wife?" and I had to stop and think..."Who is Russo?" and once I realized that was Roosevelt I replied, "Yes, I guess I am Russo's wife." Now I will be referred to as somebody's mom, which is quite a rewarding reference. I guess they should create a major in college called Men's Studies...that would be useful for both sexes.

Big Boy Toys

We took Ian down to the airport here in town to show him some Big Boy Toys and he had a great time. It is fun to finally take him out in public and to put on shoes!! It has been almost five months and we are just beginning to share our little man with the world. I have spent so much time telling people I am a mom without having my son with me, just showing a picture. Now Roosevelt and I can go around the block and say, "Look! We really do have a son and here he is!" It is such a revelation to actually feel like you are one family unit instead of three separate parts. We are just now beginning to see the wonderfulness of being a family together.

Child Cub

In no way are there words to explain little boys, except to compare them to baby animals. It is amazing to watch my little man eat...it's like a lion cub going for the kill, wrestling his food to the ground and then devouring it.  One definition of devour is to destroy: to destroy something rapidly and completely. He is a consumption machine, farting, punching, scratching, kicking, growling and roaring just to get his food down...which is only milk and doesn't need killing or chewing to get down, simply swallowing will do.

Ian is moving mountains!!

So, we met a dad and son at the eye doctor and their son was born at 26 weeks as well. His mom created a website for their son and it inspired me to do the same to share our story with friends, family and other parents of premature babies. We feel for you. Keep on trucking and pray everyday. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. As for friends and family, thank you for being so understanding and supportive, we couldn't have done it without you. XOXO

As for our son Ian, he has been moving those mountains one day at a time since his was in Room 2 in the NICU at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. Little did I know as a college freshman at Madison that one day I would be birthing my first child just a few blocks away...very cool I must say and so is that Little Man Roosevelt and I have created. He has quite the personality...since the moment he was born, actually since the first kick I knew he was something more than special and I would have a very big job to take care of this boy and raise him into a man. They journey is only beginning, but I have grown sooooooooooo much throughout all of this. My heart is actually a few sizes larger and my soul is much, much deeper and my God is even bigger and more present than ever before.  He has truly CHANGED my entire world and how I view the rest of the world. It's amazing what a little child can do, bring you and many others closer to God.

So, this is the beginning of a very, very long journey and we will be here every step of the way.

Mommy Lindsay and the Porto Boys: Baby Ian and Daddy Roosevelt