Saturday, August 28, 2004
thoughts on parenthood
I silently approach The Boy as he sleeps.
As we do every night around this time, with a well-practiced gentle slowness, I turn him from his right side to his left.
I do this because it was once believed that if The Boy was left to sleep for more than a couple of hours on one side there is the risk that fluid, primarily but not exclusively from aspiration of his own saliva, will pool in his lungs and he will become quite ill with pneumonia. While medical testing has yet to validate this concern, our experience and superstitions promote its continuance.
Good, I didn't wake him up. . . he's again all snug in his bed and embracing the Sleepy Frog.
I adjust the rate on his Kangaroo enteral feeding pump.
As I look down upon The sleeping Boy and stand in the glow from the red and green LED display on the pump, it occurs to me that this is not the typical life of the parent of a three year old.
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As we do every night around this time, with a well-practiced gentle slowness, I turn him from his right side to his left.
I do this because it was once believed that if The Boy was left to sleep for more than a couple of hours on one side there is the risk that fluid, primarily but not exclusively from aspiration of his own saliva, will pool in his lungs and he will become quite ill with pneumonia. While medical testing has yet to validate this concern, our experience and superstitions promote its continuance.
Good, I didn't wake him up. . . he's again all snug in his bed and embracing the Sleepy Frog.
I adjust the rate on his Kangaroo enteral feeding pump.
As I look down upon The sleeping Boy and stand in the glow from the red and green LED display on the pump, it occurs to me that this is not the typical life of the parent of a three year old.
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