Chronicles Of A First Time Father

My son Henry Jr. is 8 weeks old, and he has brought my wife and I so much joy. But let’s be honest— parenting is not always joy and cuddles. When Henry Jr. was about 3 weeks old, we found out that his cousin, who lived in the same house, had RSV. As soon as we found out, we kept him away from everybody, took a bath in hand sanitizer (kidding…mostly), and prayed that he would not get the virus. Despite our best efforts, we got the news that we dreaded—Henry Jr. had RSV too.

We took him to the doctor, and they told us that all we could do was suction his nose (to remove the boogers) and watch his breathing. Side note: if sucking snot through a tube ever becomes an Olympic sport, my wife is taking home the gold! They warned us that if his breathing was too rapid or if he had a fever, we would need to take him to the ER. Thanks for the nightmares, Doc! Over the next week, we were at the pediatrician twice and the ER only once. After we visited the ER, it seemed as though the worst was behind us, but we still were supposed to watch him closely.

Navigating parenthood is already a tough job, but adding to the mix what is described as a “very serious illness for newborns” was like dropping a wild bull into our petting zoo. Those two weeks were a blur of googling symptoms, praying, and watching his every breath, but surprisingly, after that scare, parenting has seemed a little easier. Maybe it’s because Henry Jr. got older, or maybe facing something so tough helped us appreciate the good days even more.

Parenting is wild and often terrifying, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Every day with our little guy—healthy or not—has been a gift, and we wouldn’t trade it for the world. We hope this new year will bring more joy, fewer viruses, and all the snuggles in between.