Help Us Get Through "Fussy Time"

Our little miracle, Emery, was born at the beginning of October. I was so blessed to have an amazing labor and delivery and healthy baby girl. After all the heartache of infertility, everything was what I imagined it would be and more. The early days after bringing her home presented some challenges that any new parent faces but Bryan was so patient and supportive of me through the first few weeks.

Bryan’s biggest fear is falling down the stairs while holding her or tripping since his legs don’t always work properly. So far he holds her close and watches each step he makes and he hasn’t tripped. Every night after she has a bath and a full belly, they cuddle on the couch. He lays her on his chest and she dozes off to sleep until we go to bed. It is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

Emery started to be more alert and she went through her first developmental leap around four weeks. Bryan would get home from work right at her fussy time. She only wanted me to nurse her and comfort her. It broke my heart that he only saw her at her hardest time of the day. The screaming was really hard on him and he would admit that sometimes he just couldn’t listen to it anymore. I think this is pretty normal for a new dad but even more difficult for a wounded warrior. I didn’t want him to get overwhelmed when he held his crying daughter. I would ask if he wanted me to take her, and sometimes I just took over. We were both navigating this together.

Bryan can’t do much to help with the night feedings. Unfortunately, her cries or having the light on when I am feeding her wakes him up. He has been struggling with the lack of sleep. There have been a few times where he has been late for work because he can’t get out of bed. With his TBI, he requires a lot of sleep so I know this is hard on him. Now that she is getting up only once a night, it is much better.

Do you have any advice on how to make it easier for a wounded warrior to adjust to a new baby at home?

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