AH>           When Nora & I returned home, after her birth, a public health   
   AH> nurse   
   AH> visited us once a week... ostensibly to weigh the baby.  She seemed to   
   AH> regard   
   AH> inspecting me & my housekeeping as her chief responsibility, however.  On   
   AH> one   
   AH> occasion, for example, she went to the kitchen to wash her hands although   
   AH> the   
   AH> bathroom was closer.  Then another nurse took her place.  This nurse was   
   AH> very   
   AH> different.  She said I had a wonderful rapport with Nora, i.e. the first   
   AH> nice   
   AH> thing anybody had said about my parenting.  I reckon she must have given   
   AH> me a   
   AH> passing grade because we heard nothing more for the next fifteen years.    
   AH> :-))   
      
   Our son was born slightly over one month premature.  This was due to the extra   
   fluid that was accumulating due to him not being able to injest the amniotic   
   fluid.  This is how they believe he had a condition called "duodenal atresia"   
   where a small section between the stomach and small intestine is   
   closed/blocked.     
      
   He had an operation a day after birth to correct that problem.     
      
   He spend 30 days in the NICU after birth.  We had to fight to get him to come   
   home - finally just going in and taking him.  They were concerned about his   
   breathing / O2 level at the time.  We had to take all this equipment home with   
   us for the first week, but he ended up being fine.     
      
   He is doing just wonderful.  Once we get through this Hirshprungs operation,   
   he will be in great shape.  We meet with the surgeon on October 25th.  Not   
   sure when the operation will be yet.  We are not looking forward to it, but it   
   just needs to be done.  The risk level is low and the reward is great for him.   
      
   We will be very happy when we are past that hurdle..   
      
   - Mark   
      
      
   --- WWIVToss v.1.50    
    * Origin:  http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (1:261/1304.0)