Kiss and tell

Earlier this week, we'd begun to enjoy a particular luxury afforded to us due to the complete recovery of your facial burns.

Kisses.

We'd never have kissed you on the forehead while your face was still healing. Fear of giving you an infection was too great. But now that your face looks like nothing more happened to you than a spa treatment, we kiss your forehead all the time. And a couple of days ago, you started raising your face to me after I'd kiss your forehead, and I realized you wanted a kiss, as Craig Barlow would say, "Right on the lips."

We are a kissing family. How nice to have this avenue of affection reopened to us. I see the look in your eyes after a kiss from one of us and you look so -- happy isn't the word, and neither is fulfilled -- peaceful? No, not quite. What's a word that describes the feeling that something which is rightfully yours and was stolen, has been restored? It is just one more thing added to your list of Can Do's: Smile, check. Kiss, check. Those two things are big parts of who you are, Daddy.

Status: O2 assistance down to 45% (they actually worked you as low as 40% today!), PEEP holding at 5. Sedative level: 2mg/hr LESS than yesterday. And you were doing great about staying calm and restoring calm after a round of coughs riled you up. You amaze me, father of mine. You and those around you who continue to hold you safe in their prayers.