Numbers...

Hey there little man,

So I have to admit this, even though I don't like to, but today... your daddy is pretty worn out. The last two days have been the longest two days of my entire life and even though they seem to have just disappeared into thin air right before our eyes (much like the rest of the last MONTH) they lasted weeks as each second played itself out in slow motion. I am sitting down to write this tonight with the intention of getting changed and getting into bed before ten o'clock. Now I am not saying that will happen because, as you know, things seem to go into some sort of time warp here in the hospital around nine pm. Somehow your mommy and I watch the clock roll over to the end of the eight o'clock hour and then blink once or twice and before we know what just happened its midnight and we are stumbling through the halls like zombies looking for a bed.

So tonight mommy and I have made a pact to get our stuff together, put our books away, write our little love letter to you early, and get our butts in bed before the time warp sucks us in and we lose another chunk of our day. We went out to dinner with your uncle Scooter and auntie Beth and had some chips and salsa and other yummy Mexican food that will sit in our bellies and help lull us to sleep soon. Maybe we will get lucky and there will be some mind numbing show on television as well.

The other reason we are going to get to go to bed early is because you have had quite a good day today little mister. I will tell you the truth here though... you don't look so hot right now. We haven't put up any pictures lately because you don't quite look like yourself just yet, but you are starting to look better and better now. And since you don't look so hot right now mommy and daddy have been trusting the wonderful doctors and nurses and focusing on the numbers that they are telling us and we are reading. I told you last night that time was going to be your biggest ally and so far that has proven to be completely true. The more time you get the more stable you, the better you start to look, and the better your numbers are.

So today I will tell you a little story about a guy who was not too fond of hospitals or doctors or even nurses really. This guy didn't like to go to the doctor for any reason, he didn't even like to go to the doctor when he was sick or hurting. He didn't like hospitals either, and it was always hard for him to be in hospitals, even if it was for something happy like a little baby coming into the world or someone getting healthier. He was scared of needles and tubes and blood and anything to do with bodily functions. He sounds like kind of a wimp huh? One thing he did like was numbers, he always liked numbers, even when he was a little boy.

Well this same guy had a little boy of his own, and that little boy had to be in the hospital, and that little boy had to have surgery and see lots and lots of doctors. Well this guy loved his little boy so much that he learned to help with the tubes, watch the needles get the blood, clean up the dirty beds, and talk to the doctors every day. And there was one thing that always kept this guy's head on straight when he thought the hospital and doctors and nurses and tubes would be too much... he focused on the numbers.

His little boy had numbers that could always tell the guy how he was doing and those numbers could tell the guy all kinds of things about the little boy like how his heart was doing, or how his lungs were doing, or how his head was doing, or even if he was feeling warm or cold. These numbers told the guy everything he needed to know and made sure that he and his little boy were always able to speak the same kind of language. The numbers could talk to the guy even when the little boy couldn't. The numbers saved the day.

Maybe one of these days you will figure out who this guy is and you can talk to him about his numbers because I'm certain he would love to tell you about them. Until then you just keep your numbers right where the doctors want them and get some good rest. Another day has come and gone and you are trucking right along like the hero mommy and I have always said you are. Keep up the good work son.

I love you Connor.

- Daddy