Welcome Home Baby Adam

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By Shaun

After 9 months of waiting and bearing, three and a half days in the hospital and 5 hours of active labor, Adam Shaun McMichael was born. On Thursday at 4:26 in the morning, Adam cried his first, lusty, phlegm-filled bleat. Kaitlin and I received this sound in shattered joy; we were so happy with tears, fatigue, gratitude and excitement we could barely see.

We spent our first hour as a family smiling, crying and singing. Then the three of us collapsed in our postpartum room, overwhelmed with this new life and the long struggle it had taken to bring it forth.
Over the proceeding days, our ebullience has waxed and waned as we have learned to exist together. Below are some highs and lows.

Highlights:

  • Seeing Adam for the first time. Though with his purple coloring and yellowish vernix coating, he resembled a blue ringed octopus.




  • Presenting him to Grandma Sandy.

  • Presenting him to Grandma Mary Anne, Aunt Michaela and Cousin Paisley.

  • Taking Adam home.

  • Discovering that Big Brother, Kaffy the Cat likes him.

  • Going on our first walk around the block, then along the Sound at Lincoln Park!
  • Getting Adam to sleep in his bassinet-rocker. Thank you Aunt Michaela!

  • Getting off work for maternity (6 months) and paternity (4 months) to devote to each other and our little one.


Low Points:

  • Mother’s day: Kaitlin dealing with engorgement, labor-recovery pains and two days with little sleep.

  • Swaddling: in Shaun’s attempt to imitate the nurses with a straight-jacket-tight swaddle, he irritated Baby Adam and Kaitlin—all to find out from a Nurse Practitioner that swaddling is mainly for nurses and hospitals.
Perfect Swaddle

Adam has broken free from the swaddle in seconds. 



Of course, even at our lowest thus far, we are still radiating with wonder over our lovely, little guy who, God willing, will grow day by day into a great man who will love others and bring some joy to this hurting world. He certainly has brought joy to us thus far!



A big thank you to the Grandmas, family members and friends who have heaped love on us during this exciting, but occasionally harrowing, time.

More to come!

Love,

Kaitlin, Shaun and Adam

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