TCH guest blogger

This past week William was featured on the TCH home page.  There is nothing better than seeing his sweet face when I log onto my computer at work.   :)  This blog post is about the progress William has made since his NICU stay two years ago!    

I never thought I’d be able to forget the exhaustion that accompanied my son, William’s, four-week stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in April 2012. William has reached so many exciting milestones since he left the NICU two years ago.

First Smiles!

The progress William has made between his first and second birthday still amazes me. At his first birthday, he wasn’t walking, he had no teeth and he had no interest in solid food. By his second birthday, he was a walking, talking, food-loving little toddler who finally had seven teeth.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry about him not being on the growth charts for so long and his speech being delayed compared to others his age. When William turned two years old, I had him evaluated by a speech therapist because he wasn’t saying 50 words. They told me what I had known deep down in my heart. He didn’t qualify. He was learning a little more every day. William was doing things on his own timeline and that’s okay.

William is his own person. He was a preemie who has made remarkable progress. All we can do is love him, teach him and encourage him. He has met all his milestones. A few were several months behind but he’s done it and that’s what matters. He can kick a ball, he repeats things he hears, he knows all his body parts, he plays make-believe and he’s more independent with each day that passes. We couldn’t be more pleased with his progress.

Although a NICU stay can be exhausting, there were several things that made it an awesome, positive experience. The car seat education program was priceless. I got to have a little baby for longer than most. The nurses were so informative and helped me perfect my “mom skills.” Gordon and I enjoyed going out to dinner a couple of times which most new parents don’t get to do (and we had the best babysitters in town!). Since William received donor breast milk while in the NICU, I knew I had to give back by donating myself!


His excitment and joy for life is priceless. 

 Gordon and I would love to add another little Gooding into our family.If we are ever blessed enough to welcome another baby into the world, we will be more prepared for a NICU stay. It won’t be easy but being a parent never is. Every NICU family has a different story. Some are harder than others. I try to always put things into perspective. Find the silver lining. My motto is: You have to embrace all the days, good and bad. In their own unique way they are very precious moments. It may not be what you envisioned but sometimes that’s okay.

Guest Blogger for TCH ~ A Year Later ~

Here's the guest blog post that I recently wrote for TCH about life a year after the NICU!

Over the last several months my family and I have reached several milestones with our baby boy (who’s not such a baby anymore!). In April William turned one, on May 16th we celebrated his one year anniversary from being discharged from the NICU and June 10th was his due date/gestational birthday. It really is amazing how much he changed from April to June. The NICU team told us it would take him some time to “catch up” but you don’t know how true that is until you see it for yourself.

William has been in daycare since last September so it’s been pretty obvious that he’s smaller than the other kids. He was slow to start “talking” and at 16 months he’s still not walking. But, he’s healthy as ever and he’s met all his milestones in his own time. If you’re a parent, friend or grandparent of a NICU baby try to remember that. Every baby is unique, NICU babies even more so. Many of them have a few extra challenges ahead of them after they are born so you gotta give them break and practice patience. I can still remember sitting in the NICU praying that William would be able to drink just one 25 cc bottle that day. When I started feeling defeated I would remember my own momma telling me that patience is a virtue! That motto has held true over the last 16 months. When William was still waking up for a 2am feeding at 7 months old I reminded myself of this. When Gordon is worried about him being in the less than 1 percentile for weight I remind him that he’ll catch up and be A-OK

So, if you, your family or friends are going through a NICU stay remind them to be patient. :) Take advantage of the fabulous staff taking care of those precious babies. They are full of knowledge and can teach you so much. Ask lots of questions, get help when you need a break, try to connect with other NICU parents (they can relate to you better than anyone else) and remember that soon enough NICU will be a distant memory. There is light at the end of the tunnel. A patient’s mother recently reminded me that you can’t wish your days away. Yep, even the hard days when your baby is in the hospital. She helped me see that you have to embrace all the days, good and bad. In their own unique way they are very precious moments. It may not be what you envisioned but sometimes that’s okay.

I have a friend that is currently on bed rest and is filled with many of the same worries I was.  During those stressful times you wonder if you'd ever be able to consider another pregnancy because you are just so dang scared.  Unfortunately, some stories don't have as happy of an ending as my family's.  We really are blessed beyond measure.  I can't say that enough!  Life is a journey.  Good, bad, easy, hard, sad and happy.  My family and God help me through our ups and downs.  Here's another quote that I really love!  "Beginnings are usually scary, endings are usually sad, but it's what's in the middle that counts. So when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will." -Hope Floats

TCH Guest Blogger ~ Why We'll March

When my husband and I decided we were ready to start our family there were a lot of “what ifs?” that swirled around in my head. What if we had infertility problems? What if I miscarried? What if the baby had a heart defect? The list goes on and on. The one thing that didn’t cross my mind was prematurity. I had no idea that preterm birth was the leading cause of newborn death in the United States. At only 7 weeks pregnant, Gordon and I were told I had a bicornuate uterus and was at risk for preterm labor. That’s when my googling “preterm baby” obsession started. It intensified when I was put on bed rest at 29 weeks. The March of Dimes website became my new best friend. I wanted to know what to expect. Really, I wanted to hear positive stories from other families and read about the advances in treatment for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients.

After 24 days of bed rest, my water broke, and William made his debut 5 hours later at only 32 weeks gestation. He weighed in at 3 pounds 14 ounces and even gave us a little cry before being whisked away to one of the nation’s top neonatology units.
We spent the next 4 weeks in the NICU. Due to having difficulty breathing, William had to be intubated so he could receive surfactant. He was on cPAP for a week after that and had to receive nutrition through an IV. He spent 2 days on the bilirubin blanket, countless days in the incubator until he could regulate his own body temperature and it took him weeks to learn how to drink from a bottle. I stayed calm through it all and felt so confident with the care he was receiving. He was in good hands at Texas Children’s.
Being a nurse myself, I know that knowledge is power in the medical field. That’s why the March of Dimes is so near to my heart. Many of the treatments used in the NICU were developed through March of Dimes funded research. One of the treatments that stands out in my mind is surfactant. It is a medication that helps lung development in babies with respiratory distress. I hate to think of what could have happened had William not gotten this medication.
So, this year my husband and I will be walking in the March for Babies because we are thankful. Not a single day passes that we don’t remember those scary days in the NICU. So, we’ll walk for William and for all the other tiny babies fighting a battle in the NICU right now. We will walk every year in hopes that we can help educate one more person because like I said before, knowledge is power. The March of Dimes has been a great resource for me. They do a fabulous job educating expecting parents about everything from taking folic acid to prematurity research. They also help doctors across the country perfect the way they care for these tiny little babies.
Walking will be our family’s way of saying thank you, because just saying those 2 little words will never be enough. We will always have a place in our hearts for the fabulous doctors, nurses and researchers out there that helped us get our baby boy home!

**Houston friends:  This years walk will be on April 28, 2013 at the University of Houston!

William's first few minutes in this world!

...and NOW!!! 

Make sure to check out TCH's blog for more inspiring stories! 

TCH Guest Blogger

Never will I ever….. That’s one of the things I used to say about my life after our baby arrived. Never would I ever stop having date nights with my husband.
But, let’s be honest, things do change. Your life is busier, you’re more tired, and there’s way more that needs to get done. You are after all trying to keep a helpless little human alive, well and loved 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s time consuming!
So, how have I ensured that my husband and I spend quality time together?  It may sound cheesy but there is one single word that I try to keep in my mind….I remember. When exhaustion is setting in and our comfy bed is calling my name I think back to the day I met Gordon. Back to the day I walked down the aisle to his big happy smile, to our lazy days in Hawaii during our honeymoon , to the first kiss he gave me after William was born and the way he held my hand when I went to the NICU to meet our baby boy for the first time. When I close my eyes and remember all of these precious moments I get a burst of energy and dinner and a movie with my best friend sounds much more appealing. I truly believe that to be the best parent to your child you have to be happy with yourself and your relationship with your partner. I’ve only been married for 2 ½ years and I’m far from perfect, I’m by no means an expert, and I’m definitely not a marriage counselor but so far this works for me. So, to all you soon to be parents out there….know that things will change but you can still make time for each other. Make it a point to eat dinner together every night. Find a weekly show on TV that you both enjoy. It will give you something to look forward to! And, every once in a while dial that babysitter or grandparent up and schedule a date night. Get out of the house for a few hours and talk about something besides that beautiful baby (you can talk about them some of course!).

Remember. Remember the couple that you were before and the couple that you are now and be proud of yourself for spending some alone time together! Sometimes you have to put the vacuum aside and let the dishes sit for a few more hours, because you know what it will all get done eventually! So, have a little fun with that mommy or daddy that helped bring your beautiful baby into this world!



Always laughing!

 

....and loving



....even when things are scary & not how you planned.

** I really enjoyed writing this blog!  Like I said, I'm no expert but everything I wrote is how I feel.  Life is tiring and it's hard to keep up sometimes.  Working full time, being a full time mom and wife takes every ounce of me.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  This is how I envisioned life.  Crazy busy!  Gordon and I always find a way to cuddle and watch a movie together (it took us 2 nights to watch Flight...better than nothing right?!?).  My new favorite time with him is while I'm cooking dinner.  He used to come home after work and then go to the gym so he wasn't home while I cooked.  Now he goes to the gym from work and then comes home so he's there when I'm cooking.  He talks and plays with William, I cook and we talk about how our days went.  It's so funny to watch William and Gordon together.  Melt my heart! 
Every stage in our life has been so happy and full of fun.  When you get engaged you have so much to look forward to and are so excited.  Once you're married things settle down and you have all this time on your hands to just chill and live life.  Then you are pregnant and fantasizing again!  In some ways parenting ages you (lack of sleep. ha.) and in other ways it makes you younger and so excited about life.  :)   We have so much to look forward to!

Guest Blogger for TCH ~ New Year's Resolutions

2013 is here and 2012 is gone….and to be honest I was a little sad. We welcomed our precious baby boy into this world in 2012 so it will always hold a special place in our hearts. I can only hope that this coming year is equally as wonderful! The holiday season was extra fun this year with our new addition. Just watching him toss wrapping paper around makes my heart melt. We even started a few new traditions in the Gooding house. Gordon and I decided that every year, at the beginning of December, he and I would have a movie date followed by Christmas shopping for the the little buddy. We also added an Elf On A Shelf to our Christams décor in prepartion for the years to come!! Having a baby in the house during the holidays seems to make everything sparkle a little more. 
With the holidays now behind us we are looking forward to the new year and lots of new things…like a mobile baby!   This leads me to one of my new years resolutions…..organizing and baby proofing. The medicine cabinet and cleaning closet now have a total new meaning….danger. I’m also hoping to get back into a work out routine. After being put on bedrest, living at the hospital for a month and then keeping up with the needs of a newborn and my family I just ran out of time and motiviation. So, hopefully one of these days soon I’ll get a burst of energy and be back in workout mode (it’d probably help if the little guy would sleep through the night….that’s an entirely different resolution though! ).

 

 

 

Holding my Elf!

   

Guest Blogger Take 3

The last two guest blog posts I did for TCH included some pictures that Alison had taken of William.  So, this latest post included a little something from Alison as well.  She talked about turning a hobby into a little something more.  Here's my little portion of the post....

'Tis The Season For Holiday Cards

Lindsey: It’s my favorite time of the year! You know the time when we’re all running around like chickens getting all our holiday stuff done. There’s nothing better than the smell of a fresh cut tree, lights on all the homes, buying the perfect present for our loved ones, baking cookies AND my personal favorite, getting all those adorable holiday cards in the mail.

I usually dread checking the mail and sorting through everything but not in the month of December. I’m especially excited about our family holiday card this year! It’s still so hard to believe that this year we get to add a name to our card….WILLIAM!

The last two blog posts I wrote included some pictures that my best friend Alison Wilson took. Alison and I were college roommates and have worked together for the past six years. She is such a huge part of my life and has been right there with me during our “baby journey.” She took the picture we used on our holiday cards last year that announced when Baby Gooding was due, she was there for the gender reveal party, the day William was born, the week he came home from the hospital, at 6 months old and now in his adorable little Santa outfit. It has been so great to have my friend be able to snap a few pictures in between some fun girl time together. We obviously feel super comfortable with her and little William thinks she’s hilarious! Double bonus for this mommy. Now, I just have to get to addressing all the cards that need to be mailed out in the next two weeks!!! Like I said, this is my favorite time of the year. :)

November is Prematurity Awareness Month!

In my dreams I own a small baby boutique, bake all day (you could order cake balls, cupcakes and cookies from my boutique), do a little photography on the side (after being professionally trained) AND I'd write!  I'd love to write about being a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a nurse, a mom of a preemie, a mom with a weird uterus (haha) and everything in between!  But for now I'm a nurse....and I love it so I can't really complain!  I can still dream and until then I'll do this blogging thing and try to help other mom's out by blogging for Texas Children's Hospital!  I know reading other people's blogs helped me out so hopefully I'm helping someone out in return.

By guest blogger Lindsey Gooding

November is prematurity awareness month and I’m pretty positive I didn’t know this a year ago.  Boy oh boy do I now!  One in eight babies is born premature in the United States. In fact,it’s the leading killer of American newborns.  So, I ask myself how in the world did I not know more about this before becoming pregnant?  Women spend countless hours reading parenting books and researching how to become more fertile and how to track ovulation and yet most of us probably don’t know a lot about premature labor.

4/19/12 at 6:21 am, 3lbs 14 oz

In my last blog post I talked about life being ironic.  I guess I can continue on that same track.  I worked at M.D. Anderson for over six years and had no intention of ever leaving since I loved working with the pediatric oncology population.   When a friend mentioned that the Texas Children’s West Campus was opening,I took a leap of faith,applied for an opening in the cancer center,and got the job!   I’m a creature of habit so this big change was out of character for me.  If I hadn’t made this big move I wouldn’t have delivered our son, William, at the new Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.  Words can not express how extremely lucky we are that all these events fell into place as they did.  The Pavilion was such a blessing for our family.    

Finding out I had a bicornuate uterus and being put on bed rest earned us extra doctor’s appointments.  Luckily, all these appointments were in one location….the Pavilion.  In a stressful time, this helped us become more familiar with where we would be delivering.   During one of our visits at the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic we found out where to go when I went into labor.  I was only 29 weeks pregnant when I got put on bed rest.  We hoped baby boy wouldn’t come any time soon but knew we needed to be prepared.  Gordon knew the exact route to take to get to the hospital and what to do when it was time.  We had a plan. 

31 weeks preggo heading to The Pavilion

My water broke at 1 am.  We were at the hospital and checked in by 2:30am.  I’ve never been so calm in my life.  I knew I was in good hands.  There wasn’t a single moment that I worried about the care William would receive.  We were after all at the nations #2 Neonatology center!  Of course I was nervous to see how big William would be at only 32 weeks. .  I felt anxious about whether or not we’d get to hear him cry or if he’d be able to breathe on his own.  I always envisioned our families being there for the birth of William.  Instead, the room was filled with people I’d never met before, people who I will now love forever for helping our baby.  Everyone that touched William during his 30 days in the NICU loved him and took excellent care of him. 

A week old and off CPAP

When I finally got down to the NICU to see William five hours after he was born the nurse asked me if I wanted to change his diaper.  I was terrified.  I’ve changed a million diapers but he was so tiny and there were so many tubes and wires.  This is where the Pavilion’s excellent nursing care came in.  They helped me feel more comfortable.  They showed me where things were and taught me how to use the equipment.  They were always there to help me but at the same time they let me be his mom.  I got to know William and we had a routine for ourselves even though we weren’t at home.  Being able to stay in the same room with him was PRICELESS.  We got to have alone time, family time and bonding time.  The staff encouraged both me and Gordon to do skin-to-skin time with William.  They helped brand new parents feel comfortable during a frightening time.  Having a premature baby is stressful.  Many families would describe the NICU atmosphere as busy and hectic.  The words I would use for our NICU experience are far from hectic.  The words that come to mind are quiet and peaceful. 



Meeting William

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to explain the calmness that settled over me once I’d had William.  I just knew he was getting the best care.  Before I had him I could have guaranteed you that I’d be the kind of parent that wanted a copy of every report, but I wasn’t.  I never asked for a single copy of his lab results.  I just knew that he was being cared for by the best of the best.  During those four weeks I just needed to be a mom.  I needed to focus on loving him, feeding him, making food for him and spending time with our family.   Gordon and I were able to do all of these things and do them privately in our own room.  I could even shower right down the hall from his room in the parent “locker room” area.  At lunch time I could either walk down to the cafeteria or just step outside of his room to the Ronald McDonald House kitchen and eat leftovers from home.  The gift shop has everything a breastfeeding mom could ever need and the milk bank was just a hop, skip and a jump away to answer any questions I had.  I never had to be far from William.  I planned my days around morning rounds with the doctors, evening bath time and William’s every three hour feeding schedule.  I’m probably rambling now….all I can say is we are SO glad our baby boy was born at the Pavilion.  I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. 

Gordon and I were put into a situation that neither one of us ever dreamed of.  But you know what?  I wouldn’t change a thing about it!  We were treated so nicely and our baby boy is strong and healthy.  They taught me how to use a car seat the right way and all those other little things new moms and dads need to know.   I can only hope that hospitals across the nation adopt this new way of caring for NICU patients (and their parents!).



First Family Photo (6 days old)

Guest Blogger for TCH

I was recently back at the TCH Women's Pavilion for a class and was overwhelmed by all the memories that came flooding back.  I've felt SO many different emotions in this one building....there was joy after seeing baby boy's beautiful heart at 19 weeks, fear after every appointment while I was on bed rest, nervousness when we arrived on the day I would deliver William, sadness when I had to go home without my baby, and excitement to finally bring him home on May 16th.  It was kinda nice being back.  Reminds me of everything I have to be grateful for!  I used the NICU lactation room to pump on the day I had class.  I passed by William's old room and saw the tiniest baby doing her car seat test.  I couldn't believe how small she was.  I really can't believe William was that small not too long ago!  Only 4 pounds when he came home! 

While I was there I also took care of some business....I'm officially a milk donor for TCH.  As I've mentioned before, I've been blessed to produce a good amount of milk.  I've been back at work for nearly 3 months and today we used the last bottle of milk that I pumped while William was in the NICU.  Needless to say, I have plenty of milk that could go to good use.  I'm so happy to be able to help these tiny babies. 

I got my donor pack in the mail the day before so I was able to have my blood drawn while I was there.  Love being able to get two things done at once!

In other TCH news....little William is a star!  I did my first guest blog post for TCH and they posted it today!  Eventhough I'm a nurse myself I really didn't know what to expect when it came to my pregnancy and having a preemie baby.  If I could help one mom out....make her feel better...or more normal then my mission is accomplished.  :)  So, here it is....

Isn’t it ironic….I sure did love that song back in junior high. I guess I should’ve known I was in for it when it rained on my wedding day.

I am the proud mommy of a preemie. Yep, this health conscious, worry wart, pediatric oncology nurse had her baby boy eight weeks early. This won us a four week stay in the new Pavilion for Women NICU! The irony in all of this started when I was only eleven years old. While having an abdominal ultrasound done, due to my very own cancer scare, guess what I asked the tech? Will you look at my uterus and make sure it’s there and okay. What 6th grader asks that kind of question? Me I guess. Flash forward 20 years. I’m a nervous wreck waiting in the doctor’s office to see how far along I am in my pregnancy. I’d soon find out that I had a bicornuate uterus. I’m a nurse but my mind went blank. I remember hearing things like increased risk for second trimester miscarriage; prematurity, low birth weight…. I wanted to stay positive but deep down inside I was terrified to lose this little baby. I’m a typical nurse with type-A personality. I like to plan. Well, all of that went out the window. At 29 weeks I was put on strict bed rest. I missed my baby brother’s wedding and any nesting had to be pushed to the back of my mind.

Bed rest is surprisingly exhausting. All I did was worry. My sweet baby boy didn’t want to wait, he made his debut early and it was a scary entrance. As soon as he was born, he was whisked away to the NICU. So, there I was all alone in the delivery room texting back and forth with my husband, Gordon. How is he doing? Has he been intubated? Can he breathe on his own? My poor husband isn’t in the medical field. All he could tell me was there was a lot of tubes and some gel in his eyes. Five hours later I would finally meet our little boy.

After 4 weeks in the NICU, William finally got to come home with us! My husband and I are so blessed to have a healthy baby. I am thankful every day. William doesn’t have any chronic problems from his prematurity, I didn’t have infertility issues and four weeks in the NICU is nothing compared to what some families go through. But it was still a struggle. So, for any preemie parents out there maybe this post will help you out a little.

Ironic….there’s that word again. Life has been a bit ironic since William made his appearance back in April. Here is a quick list of the things that surprised this mommy!

 * I cry a lot. Always have. I didn’t get to meet William until he was five hours old and not a single tear was shed. Only smiles. I had just met this little man and already I was being strong for him. I knew we’d get through everything as a family.
* The first time I cried was the day I was discharged from the hospital. My husband, Gordon, was going home for the night and I was staying at the hospital with William. I felt so sad to not be with Gordon. We had rarely spent nights apart before then. Feeling sad about this just made me feel guilty that I was sad. Shouldn’t I want to be with my baby?!?! I loved William with everything in me but hadn’t really gotten to bond with him yet. I’d only held him for a total of an hour. Good news is it got easier. Gordon and I got into a routine. We ate dinner together every night and loved William’s bath nights on Wednesday and Saturday. By the time William was a week old you had to drag me out of the hospital. Words can’t express how grateful I am that the new TCH Women’s Pavilion had opened. Getting to room in with William was such a blessing and really helped us bond.
* I always thought our biggest challenge would be getting him extubated and off CPAP. Man was I wrong. William learning to suck, swallow, and breath all at the same time was the most grueling thing to watch! There were some days I felt so defeated. I remember telling my mom, “I just wish someone would have told me this was going to be the hard/long part.”
* William has taught me so much already. I am a calmer, happier, more patient person. Time is a preemie’s best friend, and a mother’s worst enemy. Time will allow a preemie to catch up, and it will drive a mother insane. I can’t tell you how many times the doctors and nurses told me William would learn to eat when the time was right. That every child was different. They said a light would go off one day and we’d be home free. Just be patient. My mama always said patience was a virtue. She was right.
* After two physicians were unable to get William intubated and the anesthesiologist had to be called the nurse in me freaked out. The mom in me was cool as a cucumber. I trusted them and found the positive in the situation. At least he would be sedated this way. I always thought I’d be a crazy overbearing mother. I was the exact opposite. So all you nurses out there that have these thoughts and fears….there is hope for us!
* After everything William had been through in his first four weeks of life going home came down to a ninety minute car seat test. Let me just say this was the longest ninety minutes of my life. Baby boy had to sit buckled into his car seat, attached to the heart monitor, for ninety minutes. If he had any episodes of bradycardia (low heart rate) or low oxygen saturations we would have to try again the next day. I was so ready to take our baby home and one beep of the machine would change that. So, I sat there on the cold hard floor next to him at 11:30pm. I sang songs, rubbed his head and held his paci in his mouth. Whatever it took to make him happy and keep him calm! And then there it was….BEEEPPPP. Was it bradycardia or low oxygen sat? The Monopoly game popped into my head….go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Luckily the machine had just alarmed due to him kicking the foot that his oxygen probe had been on. At 1am we were done and he PASSED! So, all you NICU parents out there prepare yourselves!
* I love having people over to our house. I am a people person!! In order to keep William healthy that had to change for a while. Once William was finally home he and I were on lock down. We had to limit our visitors. Our friends with kids couldn’t come over, we couldn’t go to church or take him to the grocery store. People might think we are crazy or overprotective. I think we are just normal NICU parents.

The new TCH Women’s Pavilion NICU is one of the only facilities in the country that allows for parents to stay in the same room with their baby. I could write another blog post on all the positive things about this (stay tuned-I probably will)! All I can say is Gordon and I are SO very grateful for the excellent care William received. We are so blessed and thankful for the wonderful doctors and nurses that touched our lives. Our first month with William wasn’t “normal” but that’s okay. I learned how to work the fancy incubator that William called home for a while. I was able to get him in and out of the incubator by myself and I learned to hold him with all the monitors staying in place. We had a routine and we made lots of friends. We got through those four weeks and I honestly think it made me a better nurse and both of us better parents

Texas Children's Blog

When Texas Children's was preparing to open the new Women's Pavilion this spring they started a blog that I've really loved reading!  Today's post really hit close to home for me.  The woman writing the blog post, Angela, is also a mom of a preemie.  I love hearing from other preemie mommies that they had some of the same feelings that I experienced.  Gordon and I didn't have a "normal" birthing process.  We didn't have a normal pregnancy.  I am so grateful for my precious little angel baby but man did Gordon and I worry, worry and worry some more!  I cried when I visited my friend who had a full term baby 2 weeks after me.  When I walked in the room and her baby boy was in the crib next to her with all of their family surrounding them my heart broke.  I was happy for her but just so sad that William couldn't always be with me....that I didn't get to hold him until he was 5 hours old and even then it was only for 30 minutes, that the doctor didn't lay him on my chest when he was born like I'd always envisioned, that I couldn't breast feed him.  BLESSED.  That's what Gordon and I are.  We got through some tough times together and we have a healthy baby boy.  It doesn't get any better than that.  I know we are lucky but there were still times I felt kinda sad...sad that my baby had to go through so much....that he was in pain and I couldn't fix anything.
So, I thought I'd post this just in case there is a mama out there reading it that could relate to this situation!!

My favorite part of the article:

Like many parents of hospitalized newborns, my husband, Alan, and I had a very different introduction to new parenthood than what had been described in all of the pregnancy books that I began devouring as soon as I learned we were pregnant. Having a baby that was so premature meant that we would not cut an umbilical cord, I would not hold my baby after he was born, and one of the most devastating things to me initially was learning I would not breastfeed Clark for weeks or possibly months.

As a tiny newborn, he was still growing and learning what most babies have the benefit of doing within their mothers’ protective wombs.

*G did get to cut William's umbilical cord :)

Here's the link to the TCH BLOG:

http://connect2teams.texaschildrens.org/teams/3/BW/default.aspx

XOXO to all those NICU families out there!!! 

Here are a few photos that Alison took when I was meeting William for the first time!

1st diaper change