I am privileged to be a contributor for a group called Preemie Babies 101. The site is meant to connect and support anyone who has had a preemie, at any gestation. I write for them about once every 2 months along with some other, very talented writers. My most recent article was posted yesterday and with our full day, I didn't have time to take a look. When I got home last night around midnight I had a note from the founder of Preemie Babies 101 telling me the article had taken off, that it had ... View the Post
Letting Go. With Grace.
I will never be a country music singer (which really is a shame, I have a great name for it). I will never be a size 4. I will never get my PhD. And I will never carry a pregnancy 40 weeks and give birth to a healthy baby. There is a quote I saw recently that goes something like this: "At the end of your life, it will matter how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you." Hmm. Letting go of things not meant for me. Things desperately wanted. Things prayed for. Good things that are ... View the Post
365 Days.
On Friday, it happened. One year ago, on a muggy August morning, after 5 months of NICU life, we finally brought him home. His apnea monitor alarmed before we even got on the interstate. He wanted to make sure we remembered who was boss in this car. We said our teary goodbyes at the hospital. And the Ronald McDonald House. And our family of 3 was finally under one roof. The first month, Darrin and I spent sleepless nights watching his monitor. Listening to the hum of the oxygen concentrater ... View the Post
Downton Abbey Made Me Lose My Parking Ticket
It was totally Downton’s fault. In my last post I mentioned that I watch Downton Abbey when I’m on the treadmill (no commercials= happy). I am finishing up Season 3 and had just a few episodes left. So I decided that I had just enough time to get an early workout in before Darrin left for work and before I had to take T to the neurologist. So, I hopped on my frien-emy, the treadmill. But it was that episode. If you're a Downton watcher, you know the one. The one about an early delivery, ... View the Post
Better Than Fireworks
I love fireworks. No, for real. I LOVE fireworks. Last year, 4th of July was THE date. The date that was uttered after almost 4 months of being in the NICU. It had been casually mentioned the week before, at doctor's rounds, while Darrin and I sat at Tucker's bedside, like we did most mornings listening to round reports for Tucker. Wednesdays were "big rounds". Big rounds, as the name suggests, included a big group-so many in fact, that they couldn't all fit around the baby's bedside. The ... View the Post
Re-entry
A whole month. A whole month out of isolation. And we've taken full advantage of it. We had (and still have), after all, a lot of ground to make up. Cousins to meet. Sand to cover our toes. Parks to visit. People to thank. This is also why we haven't posted in a while-we've been O.U.T. Out in the world. Can I get an amen? It has been fun and scary and awesome, letting him experience the world. The world where germs live. We've slowly started weaning off the Lysol. Sort of :). Instead of ... View the Post