"Dad, hold your new baby son..."

[Tom Tildrum]

Yay!

"...but only for a moment, and then I have to take him to the NICU."

Oof.

Aragorn Picard Tildrum,* our first, entered the world on September 25, weighing eight pounds and looking perfect. His breathing was gravelly, however, to the point where the OB was worried. Seemingly immediately he was whisked away to the NICU for an array of tests. It seems that he aspirated fluid on the way out, to the point where he was essentially born with pneumonia. And the next time I saw him, he was on a ventilator, with IVs in both arms, EKG leads all over, and an umbilical line. Ampicillin, dopamine, and fentanyl to start, with sugars and lipids added later. Welcome to the world.

Happily, he is improving. He came off the breathing machine a few hours ago, and now he is using a nasal cannula. He'll be in the NICU for at least a week, because that's how long the course of IV antibiotics is going to take. Apart from the fluid in his lungs, he seems entirely healthy and robust. And the supremely dedicated NICU staff inspires complete confidence.

Nothing ever goes according to plan in life, does it? We did everything we were supposed to -- took the birthing classes, got the nursery all tricked out, had the car seats deemed street-legal -- and we never thought we'd be coming home from the maternity ward today without our baby. And in the end, life strips away everything except what's really important: The little guy is alive and getting better.

* This of course is not the name his mother permitted me to give to the Commonwealth of Virginia or the public at large. But when the time comes to enter Starfleet Academy or re-forge the shards of Narsil, little Strider will be ready.

[Terr]

Congrats and best wishes. Your first Prepare for your life to be changed forever.

[Hedda Rosa]

Congrats!! Today is quite literally the first day of the rest of your life. Sounds like your little dude is getting the help he needs but all will be well in the end.

[China Guy]

Congratulations! And good news is that it appears his time in the NICU will be short and uneventful in the grand scheme of things.

I know it's tough and emphasize as my youngest also did some time in the NICU.

[Eliahna]

Congratulations! Best wishes for a speedy recovery to little Aragorn, but with such an inspired name (albeit only in Dad's head), I'm sure he'll be quite the little fighter and on the road to recovery in no time.

[TriPolar]

Congrats! The little guy will be running you ragged in no time. Enjoy!

[Johnny L.A.]

I'll take 'Words I'll never hear, Alex!'


I mean, congratulations! The adventure begins...





.

[J Cubed]

Sounds a lot like my little guy. Baby in the NICU, mom in the ICU, and me going back and forth with breast milk and cell phone pictures. It is a little comforting, though, when your baby is the healthiest one on the floor. A word of advice: don't authorize a spinal tap unless it will provide unique, vital diagnostic data. I let them talk me into it, and that is a horrible thing to watch, especially for ultimately no reason.

[gwendee]

First, congratulations and yay!

The newest members of my extended family are twins born about three months before Aragorn. One of them had the same condition and stayed in the hospital the same length of time you're describing. I only mention it to say that since he's been home he's flourishing. He's caught up to his twin in weight and according to his parents his lung power shows no residual effects.

I look forward to tales of his exploits.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

Congrats, dad!

Hoping little Strider Picard will home as soon as he can!

[Khadaji]

Congratulations. Sending out a wish for a speedy recovery.

[JLRogers]

My son spent a month and a day in the NICU. Each day lasts an eternity.

But he'll be home soon I'm sure. Wish you all the best.

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

This of course is not the name his mother permitted me to give to the Commonwealth of Virginia or the public at large. But when the time comes to enter Starfleet Academy or re-forge the shards of Narsil, little Strider will be ready.

You should have suggested 007 Optimus-Prime Tildrum first.

But congratulations all the same.

[WordMan]

Congratulations; great news.

[Lsura]

Congratulations! While I know every case is different, it sounds like he's doing well - hopefully that will continue and he'll be home as soon as he can.


Related note: an acquaintance had a son in a similar (though yours sounds much less serious) situation and one of the things that they've said stood out was just how big their full-term newborn was compared to some of the preemies. (Their kid is now a very healthy almost 5 year old fwiw).

[Heart of Dorkness]

You know, I'm just about fed up with you people posting baby threads with NO BABY PICTURES! Tom Tildrum, you're a brand-new dad, for Pete's sake! You, of all people, should know better.

Hooray for the new baby/fictional hero, and best wishes for his speedy recovery, and get crackin' on those pictures!



Seriously. I'm within driving distance. If I have to come and have a discussion with you about this in person, I will.

[Missy2U]

Congratulations!!

[Alice The Goon]

Congrats! I love to see new babies, so please post pics post-haste. And I bet the week flies by, and in a couple of weeks, you'll be sleep-deprived zombies just like the rest of 'em. My youngest spent the first week in the NICU because of a high white blood-cell count, on antibiotics. His line went in through his head, and that spot was all bandaged up and he had almost no hair, so he looked like Zippy the Pinhead. Does your baby look like Zippy the Pinhead?

[AK84]

Congrats. And I am sure the little guy will be pull through. As a leading member of the September 25th club, I assure you we are a tough breed!

[RoniaBorkason]

Congratulations!!!! And as a family with a similar story, best wishes, and I hope your wife relaxes/rests up from delivery as much as she can before baby comes home. Also on the bright side: you get to skip the meconium diapers!

[Taomist]

Originally Posted by IvoryTowerDenizen

Congrats, dad!

Hoping little Strider Picard will home as soon as he can!

Look, the little guy already has his Doper name, awww!

Congratulations on the new one! Sounds like he is going strong, but I'm sorry you have to wait to bring him home. I'm sure he'll be putting you through your paces soonest

[twickster]

Congrats! And yay for modern medicine that takes care of these incidents so quickly and effectively!

[Truman Burbank]

Adding my congrats. Some of the very best hours of my life were spent at the 2am feedings with my infants, just the baby and me awake in the world...

[suranyi]

Congratulations! As others have said, your life will be completely different from now on. But in wonderful ways.

My son spent a few days in the NICU too, when he was first born. But now he's a happy, healthy two year old. Actually I have to chase him all over the house.

[Haunted Pasta]

Congratulations! Our second ended up in the NICU, too, for similar reasons, although minus the IV's and ventilators and such. He just came down the chute so fast that he didn't really get properly wrung out and still had some fluid in his lungs. Not that a NICU stay is anything you'd wish for, but since little Aragorn will come through fine in short order, the silver lining is that Mom gets a few more nights to rest and recover than she would if you went straight home. As was pointed out to us, the NICU is, among other things, a REALLY good babysitting service.

Nothing ever goes according to plan in life, does it?

You will likely find that there's nothing quite like parenting to show how true this is.

Best wishes during your hospital stay, and for the joyous adventure you've embarked on.

[Baker]

Why wouldn't his mother appreciate a distinguished name like Aragorn Picard?

[StGermain]

I bet she was hoping for Frodo Kirk Tildrum.

At least he isn't Bombadil Q.

StG

[MoodIndigo1]

Congratulations to your family, Tom Tildrum, on the birth of young Aragorn.

Very soon, all this NICU business will be a faint memory.

[WhyNot]

Congratulations! Try not to be too embarrassed at having the biggest baby in the NICU.

Pictures? Pictures? Where are the pictures?!?!?!

[Chessic Sense]

Sah-weet! If you ever need a babysitter, just write.

Originally Posted by Johnny L.A.

I'll take 'Words I'll never hear, Alex!'

Seriously, dude? You're a doper. How can you screw up a Jeopardy! joke? The correct answer question is "What is 'Words I'll never hear'?" Sheesh. This guy...

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by Baker

Why wouldn't his mother appreciate a distinguished name like Aragorn Picard?

Too Jewish.

[bump]

Congrats!

Sleep in, if you can. It'll be your last time to get an uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep for a very, very long time.

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Joy to the World!

(Usually associated with the birth of a different infant, but it'll do.)

[a35362]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

...And in the end, life strips away everything except what's really important: The little guy is alive and getting better....

"Little guy"? I say eight pounds is not that little.

Congratulations on your new little warrior!

[Mona Lisa Simpson]

My son was 10lbs, even. 4.54 kgs and all I saw after an emergency C section was a flash of indigo eyes then they went to work on him. Then to NICU, where he was the moose among mice. Then eventually Children's Hospital of Western ON, where he went full on code blue in their ER.

Now almost nine years later I just wish he would be quiet for a while so Mommy can get some sleep before night shift. I miss my baby though, and most of the NICU nurses.

Not having baby with you though is hard. Returning to my Ronald McDonald house room every night without my little big guy was the hardest thing I ever want to face in this life time. Sorry to hear that little Strider Picard is still in hospital but glad Mommy is doing fine and that he is big and strong and otherwise healthy. You did everything right, imagine how you would be beating yourself up if you hadn't?

[Zjestika]

Congrats! I hope you guys are able to sleep, I know when they took my girl to the nursery specifically so I could get some sleep I still lay there staring for hours.

I wanted to name her Riker, for real, but ultimately I was worried we'd get too many questions about it. I still kinda wish we had.

[Tom Tildrum]

Thanks, everyone. These reassurances mean a lot. He's continuing to improve, and we got to hold him today.

He is indeed the biggest of the NICU bunch. I've been happy to see, though, that several of his preemie and twin colleagues are sleeping peacefully in what look like normal cribs, without the need for ventilation or incubation.

[Nava]

Congratulations both on the baby and on a wife with good taste in names. I look forward to the stories of "he wasn't even crawling and then he suddenly took off running!"

[Dangerosa]

Congrats.

Days will seem like they last forever, but looking back, it will all have gone by so fast.

[Cartooniverse]

Baby will be just fine. Sounds like they are doing all of the right things.

Another Baby Doper !!!!

[starryspice]

Congratulations, and best wishes to all of you!

I know that not getting to keep him with you is hard. My little guy (9 lbs, born with a heart defect) went to the NICU and stayed for 18 days. My husband and I both kept repeating to each other how odd it felt to put our baby "back on the shelf" every night, where he'd wait for us until morning while someone other than us cared for him.

But as long as these days are, they'll be short in the long run. Our little guy's healthy now, crawls like a torpedo. Soon enough you'll have your baby home with you and life will return to the new normal .

[Lissla Lissar]

Congratulations to all of you!

Leaving the hospital without your baby is really hard, but it does give you a little time for some extra sleep. Capitalize on it. My week after the twins were born was the most well-rested postpartum time I've ever had, and I valued that, even though leaving without them sucked.

The ones in cribs are probably nearly ready to go home- that's how it was in our local NICU, at least.

[SciFiSam]

Congratulations on your superbly-named son!

Originally Posted by Haunted Pasta

Congratulations! Our second ended up in the NICU, too, for similar reasons, although minus the IV's and ventilators and such. He just came down the chute so fast that he didn't really get properly wrung out and still had some fluid in his lungs. Not that a NICU stay is anything you'd wish for, but since little Aragorn will come through fine in short order, the silver lining is that Mom gets a few more nights to rest and recover than she would if you went straight home. As was pointed out to us, the NICU is, among other things, a REALLY good babysitting service.



You will likely find that there's nothing quite like parenting to show how true this is.

Best wishes during your hospital stay, and for the joyous adventure you've embarked on.

I felt the same, at least once we'd left - the nicu gave us an easier transition phase. Always an upside. And while you don't get to coo over your new miraculous tiny and squidgy being as much as you'd like, there's also something poignant about missing that baby even though he barely exists yet. It actually makes for a nice birth story in itself - there I was, holding a polaroid of you, waiting for the real thing.

Nicu staff seem to take a course in being lovely.

[Mama Zappa]

Yikes - definitely NOT words you want to hear, but I'm glad he's doing better now. Moon Unit was in the NICU (different reasons: she showed up 6 weeks early because they figured if I died, it would be bad for her) and spent most of a week on a ventilator. My husband says "you can't argue with the results. Oh wait, we do - daily!".

[Bass Chick]

Whenever possible, have skin-to-skin contact with your son.

[The Second Stone]

congrats! sorry about the scare

Welcome to the world, you who shall be called Elessar.

[NoCoolUserName]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

Thanks, everyone. These reassurances mean a lot. He's continuing to improve, and we got to hold him today.

Our eldest was in the NICU for several days, and he was under 5 lbs. Now at 29 he's a 6-foot tall 220 lb. hulk.

And I mean that in the best way.

Congrats!

[WhyNot]

How's it going? (...she asked with some trepidation.)

[Tom Tildrum]

Sorry for not updating. He's not even home yet, but he's still taking up all our time. Everything's going really well, and he's much improved.

Strider is close to being released. He is breathing on his own, he has gotten through the withdrawal symptoms that accompanied the removal of the sedative (which had been keeping him calm while on the ventilator), and he has just started eating reliably by mouth. He's been taking a little MBM or formula by bottle and finishing the feeding by a nasal tube for a couple of days now, but today they decided that he is eating reliably enough to remove the feeding tube.

So, for the first time, we have an unobstructed look at his face! It is acceptable.

Kidding. We think he's gorgeous.

***

Shifting topic slightly, we've learned that there are some preemies on the NICU as early as 25 and even 23 weeks, which just seems so worryingly early. Happily, though, it's apparently no great miracle anymore for those babies to thrive over time. Wow. If I've thought 1+ week of NICU visits has been challenging, I can only imagine what it's like for the poor parents who are coming there day after day for months.

On the other hand, one can adjust to anything. The nurses have told us about past cases where, after a long time in the NICU, parents who were told "Your baby will go home Friday" responded "Could you maybe keep him until Monday; we were hoping to get away this weekend?" (Answer: No, the NICU is not a kennel). Other parents have been so scared about taking their infants home that they just didn't show up for the discharge, and the nurses had to call and calm them down enough to come in.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by Tom Tildrum

So, for the first time, we have an unobstructed look at his face!

Ha! I know exactly what you mean. When my peanut was in the NICU, the nurses were good enough to take Polaroids of her in the middle of the night when she was momentarily without Stuff on her face (she pulled out her own vent and they decided to put her on a CPAP. So for about 20 seconds, she had nothing on her face, and a nurse grabbed the camera!)

Shifting topic slightly, we've learned that there are some preemies on the NICU as early as 25 and even 23 weeks, which just seems so worryingly early.

*waves* Hi! Mom of a 23 weeker here. Yep, it's terrifying and exhausting, but it's also amazing and awesome, in every sense of the word.

On the other hand, one can adjust to anything. The nurses have told us about past cases where, after a long time in the NICU, parents who were told "Your baby will go home Friday" responded "Could you maybe keep him until Monday; we were hoping to get away this weekend?" (Answer: No, the NICU is not a kennel). Other parents have been so scared about taking their infants home that they just didn't show up for the discharge, and the nurses had to call and calm them down enough to come in.

Oh, yeah. We were terrified. TERRIFIED, and I wasn't a first time mother or anything. But they just hand you this little fragile thing who sometimes forgets to breathe and they're like, "here you go! Bye!" and you're like, "Wait...what?" I begged for an apnea monitor at home and they assured me it wasn't necessary and I kept pointing to her alarming machine and saying, "But...but...she's NOT BREATHING AGAIN! What do I do at home when she FORGETS TO BREATHE?!?!" Turns out they're entirely correct - when the brain development hit the mark at 37 weeks, she remembered to breathe. Never forgot again. Huh. Whodda thunk it?

Glad to hear all is going well. I understand about being busy. Thanks for taking the time to update your nosy internet friends. Give him a snuggle for me! (A very manly heroic snuggle, of course.)