Some kiddos think they’re too cool for school. But not me. I’m just the right amount of cool, which is why I was thrilled to make my return to the classroom last week! However, while mom is on maternity leave, I will only be getting smarter on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I need to stay home the remainder of the week to sabotage mom’s productivity levels and to prevent her from achieving a state of restfulness.

To prepare for my big debut in the 3-year-old room with Miss Kate, I first attended an Open House back in late August. I loved showing Grandma and Grandpa my school and was delighted to learn that my locker will be right next to Hudson’s this year!

When my first day finally arrived on September 12, I posed for the obligatory first-day-of-school photos (with a special guest appearance by Genesee), gave mom a big hug, and then immediately started chasing Huddy around the playground as fast as my little feet could take me. But in the middle of the third lap, I stopped in my tracks to look back at the spot where my mom and sister waved goodbye, and when I realized they were nowhere to be found, I broke down into an ugly cry.

Of course, with the help of some teacher hugs and the sound of joy all around me, I was sniffle-free within minutes and well on my way to a full recovery. Because I’m cool like that.

Meanwhile, mom caught a case of the sniffles too and so she made her way to Centennial Hall to find a cure through visiting friends, colleagues, and awesome college students.

At day’s end, I was reunited with mom and sister and couldn’t wait to tell them about my fun-filled day of getting my learn on, despite missing them “a little bit but not too much.” While we all exchanged stories and smiles, I pushed Genesee to the parking lot, where I hopped into Dr. Bee’s car and tried to head for home. And although my attempted carjacking was a failure, my first day of school was anything but. So, as I buckled myself into the back seat of our not-as-cool Toyota Highlander, I confidently declared Tuesday a success and eagerly looked forward to Thursday!

After spending 5 weeks in the NICU, Genesee had her first doctor appointment 3 days after her release. Since she was speechless throughout our commute to the clinic, I gave her a little pep talk about how I not only survived my last doctor appointment in April, but also graduated to annual exams.

My April 2017 Well Child Appt – Nailed it!

She, too, survived her first appointment, because of my words of wisdom I presume, and was then scheduled for a follow-up Well Child visit a week later, where she would suffer through 3 unfortunate shots. Ouch! She was speechless no more…. at that moment, we didn’t need any doctor to tell us that her lungs were working just fine! Poor thing. But after a healing kiss from dad, we also learned that the rest of Genesee was doing just fine too. Doc said she’s growing wonderfully, weighing in at 7 lbs, 8 oz. and measuring 20.6 inches long. All is well!

Like all things, the summer of 2017 had to come to an end, which wasn’t a terribly sad goodbye in some respects, since the world around me saw some pretty dark days, including a total solar eclipse, catastrophic hurricanes and flooding in Texas (Harvey) and Florida (Irma), North Korean nuclear threats, and white supremacist rallies.

Luckily, amidst only a couple moments of deep sorrow, my corner of the world was significantly more happy, bright, and carefree. In fact, my 2017 “summer-of-the-vacation” will go down in the books as a wet and wild one that had me skipping through sprinklers, patronizing local water parks with my BFF (Ash), exchanging my beloved baths for new & exciting showers (especially double showers!), and watching in awe as Grandpa rebuilt our driveway three times after torrential rainfalls.

This was the summer of warm & humid days, filled with dairy breakfasts and Rudy’s root beer floats. It was the summer of embracing Grandpa’s retirement, sending Ashlee to high school, cherishing time with the Docan-Morgans during their too-short return from South Korea, seeing my best college buds off to grad school, meeting Genesee, growing into my big brother role, and painfully learning about the circle of life as we said our goodbyes to the larger-than-life and always jolly Uncle Harley.

This was the summer where you could find me growing taller, biting my nails non-stop, becoming a night owl, fishing in the dark, assembling new patio furniture, eating suppers on the deck, roasting marshmallows over the fire table, sleeping in the master bedroom between on top of mom and dad because every day is a weekend, getting excited about the “P-U-S guy” with every brown truck sighting (UPS – United Parcel Service), and requesting my new friend Alexa to blast my favorite song on repeat, “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars.

Endings and new beginnings, discoveries and familiarities, giggles and tears…. this was the summer of 2017. Also affectionately known as “The Summer of the Vacation!”

Check out my sand castle, compliments of Harley

King of the hill

Hot roddin’ with Grandpa

Weeeeeee

Family portrait

Fun at the Winona park

My allium flowers

Sniff test

Painting with Dad

Or child labor

4 wheelin’ in Hatfield…

…like a pro

Cheese! (and crackers)

Test driving

For real driving

Crash landing my trike off the edge of the driveway

Soccer shirt from Kowee

Swimming with Ash…

…my bestie

Ash takes the scary out of the big slide

Love me some Ash!

Assembling our new patio furniture

Sprinkler fun!

Eeeeek!

I got a little wet!

Growing taller & documenting my height

“Helping” with laundry

Colorful slide…

at another park!

Bee sting near my eye

Swinging with Cortney and friends

Jaeger sandwich

Visiting Beth at Pearl Street Books

Lunch at Rudy’s with Aunt Julie and the gang

Enjoying our new couch

Sitting on the deck under the moonlight

Friendship Garden with Ash

More child labor

Ash’s basketball game

Looking for trouble

Love my cousins!

Texas Roadhouse

Picking Blueberries

Saying my goodbyes to Jamie…

…and Authrene. Good luck at grad school!

Riverview supper

The Black River

Melrose park

Heading back to the visitation

I’m gonna miss that guy

Momma & Papa celebrating Harley’s life

Uncle Harley’s dump truck

Uncle Harley’s burial

Showing Papa how to eat lunch on the deck

A fun visit with Sonia and Abe’s families

Shenanigans

Me and Abe solving the world’s problems

Fishing in the dark

Dancing in the Winona park ampitheatre

Our new fire table

Roasting marshmallows!

Gooey and yummy!

Genesee likes the flame!

Mom turns 25!

Ash turns 14!

Homegrown Stargazer Lillies

Double shower!!

Happy Hour Freezes at Taco Bell!

This is how I watch TV

Woodman’s model!

Hi! I’m Mickey Mouse.

Whoa! This dog’s got skills.

Golfing at Scheel’s

Teaching grandpa how to fish

My new fishing hat!

After 40 days in the hospital, over 3 weeks of postpartum night sweats for mom, several oxygen dips, too many Bradycardia episodes, bilirubin treatment, a failed car seat test, gavage feeding tubes, and of course lots of progress and growth along the way, Genesee was finally approved for discharge!

Prior to this much-anticipated moment, on the eve of Genesee’s homecoming, mom performed a trial run, where she “roomed in” with my sister at the hospital, just to make sure they liked each other.

Here’s Genesee without licensed supervision

Yikes! Mom is initially nervous.

Don’t worry mom… you got this!

At peace.

There you go, Mom! You’re a natural; It’s like riding a bike. (Disregard the fact that you’re not a graceful bicyclist.)

Cuties!

Adored.

Spoiler alert: They loved each other! And since mom was also successful at keeping Genesee alive without tubes, machines, or 24-hour medical care, it was time to pack up our bags and bring little G home… so long as we could get past the nurses who were plotting to steal her.

But just as the NICU staff hated to see sweet Genesee go, we couldn’t stand to see her stay another minute. And so, just like that, on August 29, 2017, we buckled our precious, premature bundle of absolute joy into her car seat and took the fastest, safest, and most direct route to the Onalaska Culver’s Restaurant. (Because turtle sundaes, duh.)

G is sooo happy to come home!

And here she is sporting a cute vest and skinny jeans for the ride home.

Family photo!

Genesee’s head is so small, we had to put towels on each side of the headrest for added support.

Ready!

Our lovely escort

Yay! I have a back seat buddy!

Love her already!

This photo was a re-creation of one that was taken of me when I left the hospital as a baby.

We can cause a lot of trouble back here!

Then, at long last (and upon completion of a romantic drive-thru lunch as a fully intact family of four), Genesee had arrived home. Finally. Just where she belonged.

This is my first time holding Genesee!

How am I doing?

We look good together, hey?

Of course, I immediately assumed my big brother role: helping with sponge baths, discarding diapers, patting for burps, exchanging snuggles, taking G for walks, and modeling shopping cart etiquette.

I help with the sponge bath.

And I can be the diaper assistant, unless it’s a poopy situation.

I’m good at snuggles too.

Watch out! Me and sis have places to go.

Here’s our first trip out of the house!

We visited the Lunda Community Park in Black River Falls.

We also braved the busy aisles of Wal-mart. Genesee was a champ!

Being the lovely assistant is great and all, but the best part of having a little sister is the bond we already share. In fact, you’ll often find me holding her hand, kissing her forehead, or just loving on her like only a big brother can.

Genesee’s homecoming was a long time coming, but it was definitely worth the wait; she fits right in and completes our family that didn’t even feel incomplete until she came along. Adding two feet to our house was the ultimate home improvement!

I like to pride myself on my 10-second attention span (easily 5 seconds longer than most of my buddies), but spending hours upon hours at the NICU is a true test. So, game on!

Surviving the hospital takes precision and skill. And manipulation. Once my parents started to pity me for having to exchange my weekends for NICU visits, I took advantage of the situation by suggesting an alternate route to the hospital (via toy stores) so we could purchase new cars that would pass the time and ensure good behavior.

Hospital: 0 | Jaeger: 1

The nurses decided to play along too by making me a car garage!

But the cars only went so far. Literally. I was restricted to driving them within the confines of Genesee’s very small NICU cubicle. Eventually (10 seconds later), I grew tired of my too-small race track and decided to outsmart the hospital and keep myself entertained in the following ways:

I utilized mom’s breast pump to increase the milk supply.

I jumped off every empty couch I could find in an effort to perfect my dismount.

I documented Genesee’s silly faces so she can thank me later.

I taught Genesee how to be a bed hog like me.

I snapped selfies with my ladies.

I taste-tested the hospital bakery items.

I convinced my parents to take me to a playground to break up the day.

And to Riverside Park.

And to the Children’s Museum.

In the end, however, the hospital was stiff competition, wearing me down and attempting to defeat me.

…But my shirt reminds me why we’re there, what I have to look forward to, and who the real winner is.

Winning!

Apparently, I’m not the only one adored by nurses. The La Crosse NICU team liked my sister so much that they decided to keep her for several weeks after she arrived! Needless to say, this extended hospital stay somewhat counterbalanced the excitement and convenience of having little G in a more familiar zip code. But while we couldn’t take Genesee home right away, fortunately, with amazing friends and family in our lives, we were able to bring home to her:

Uncle Harley & Aunt Ellen visit

Chatting it up in the family lounge

Grandma & Grandpa watch Dad in action

More chit chats

Genesee passes Ellen’s inspection!

Sharing Genesee’s birth story with Harley

Showing off my sister!

Thanks for all your love, Nizam, Mahruq & little Sonia!

Amery checks out my sister!

Carmen visits from out of town!

Aunt Mary & Uncle Peter

Bethy stops by!!

Cheeeeese!

Mahruq holding Genesee

Gene (Papa) meets Genesee

The preemie connection

Me, Beth and Genesee

Me, Beth and Genesee

Grandma Goodenough gets some snuggles!

Love at first sight!

So basically, my sister is a rock star! The medical staff at Mayo Rochester decided Genesee was doing SO well that they cleared her to be transported to the La Crosse hospital on August 3! And because of her rock star status, they ordered her a sweet ambulance ride to ensure a safe arrival at the NICU, and allowed mom to tag along as part of Genesee’s fan club. Upon hearing the news, Dad and I enthusiastically drove to La Crosse, secured front row seats to the show, and then, as we caught our first glimpse of little Miss Rock Star, this crowd went wild!

In the midst of this whole ordeal, I watched my mother age…. not as a result of stress, but because birthdays have a way of making us grow older. Mom, however, didn’t even realize that July had turned to August, but it wasn’t lost on Dad. In fact, after a long day at work, he made a special 2-hour trip out to Rochester on that Tuesday evening so we could celebrate mom. First, we showered her with Dad-selected-and-Jaeger-approved gifts. Then, we enjoyed the most serene August 1st skies from our cute sidewalk patio table, and treated mom to Pasquale’s authentic New York Style pizza with a birthday cake chaser! Finally, after our bellies were no longer empty, we decided to fill up our hearts by returning to the NICU where we admired the most precious gift of all, my adorable little sister.

Although my sister needed to remain in the NICU for an undetermined amount of time, mom got discharged from the hospital on Saturday, July 29, just three days after Genesee’s birth. Luckily, we were able to check into the Ronald McDonald House so we could stay in Rochester and IT. WAS. SUPER. DUPER. Not only was RMH filled with trains, games and free ice cream, it also had such a wonderful mission and became a much-appreciated home away from home, alleviating stress during such a challenging time. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to stay with mom when Dad had to return to work. Mom says I was the perfect sidekick and the best little helper. But really, did she expect anything less? I mean, sure, I might be trying to step up my game a bit, but most of my awesomeness comes naturally.

The lobby

The kid’s arcade

Free drinks and snacks!

Pet therapy!

Our bedroom – Angle 1

Our bedroom – Angle 2

Our bedroom (with the lights on)- Angle 3

A care package tote, filled with goodies

A map of visitors

Free ice cream? Yes, please!

I love this train table!!

Dancing in the lobby

Me and my main man

Taking my first taxi ride to the hospital

After Genesee made her big debut, we continued to enjoy lots of visitors! It was wonderful and lovely and all fun and games until I started to suspect that folks weren’t making the trip to see me and my dance moves. It almost seemed like that sister of mine was stealing the show. How could that be? She isn’t even entertaining, unless you get easily impressed by someone sleeping, pooping, and repeating. Hmmm…. I guess I’ll have to learn how to share the spotlight… or step up my game!

The Anderson sisters visit!

…and bring mom lunch! (She’s been craving a cold cut sandwich!)

Then they helped mom escape to the subway level!

Here I am, being my goofy self!

Here I am, being not goofy.

Perusing University Square,

and rediscovering that water fountain!

Grandma & Grandpa treated us to lunch at Chester’s.

My grandparents visit G’s room!

The Nicolais meet Genesee

Jamie and Justine made the trip…

and got to meet my sister!

Me and Authrene

Lynette and Dr. Bee!

Me and my Quizno melt.