Birth + 6: Special Blue Lights

Oliver continues to make steady progress on the road to World Cup 2026. His lungs are growing stronger: his chest tubes have been removed and he is close to breathing on his own. He was even allowed to digest some of his mother's breast milk for the first time yesterday. Never in our lives have we longed for anything like we pine to hold our baby boy in our arms. That wonderful moment could come any day now.

Like the majority of premature babies, Oliver has jaundice. The treatment involves constant exposure to blue lights from below and above, which lends to the dreamlike state of our time with him. Here's a picture of the little spider monkey in full blue glory:

He's wearing an eye mask to protect his eyes (are they blue? mom hopes so!) from exposure to the lights and overstimulation from the blur of activity that surrounds him. It's just as well, since it also keeps him from watching his old man sobbing over his incubator. He's just so beautiful and so strong.

My friend Ed says that what makes a good fighter is the ability to take a punch. This may not be the sweet science, but Oliver certainly seems like a great fighter to me. I'm closing in on 31 years old and my inspiration is now a 6 day old baby who has yet to open his eyes. When he finally does, his pop will most likely still be crying alligator tears from his tired brown eyes.