ABC's of Preemie Parents

A

Alive! She is Alive!

B

Breathing! She is breating on her own! No more concentrators and tubes snaking throughout the house!!

C

Crying! Such a wondeful sound after months of silence.

D

Dreams are shattered, but are steadily being rebuilt.

E

Emotions - sometimes they all overpower you at one time, sometimes they come alone - but they always affect you as a parent, a spouse, a lover, a sufferer.

F

Freaking out about so much information to process; Forever changed.

G

God, where are you? Please help those who seek God and those who think they are god.

H

HELP! Sometimes that is by friends being near; sometimes by keeping a distance (especially when ill).

I

I don't know - sometimes the most truthful words your doctor can tell you about the future.

J

Joy - note the joyful times for strength in the tough times.

K

Keep your hands off! A compromised baby's system can't handle unwashed hands.

L

Labels are for cans, not kids http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/1778/labels.html

M

Misunderstood - so many have no comprenhension of what you are going through.

N

Name! My child has a name!! Please believe in her enough to call her by name in those first few hours..

O

Opinions - everyone has one about the best thing to do, but we must live with the consequences of our actions taken while listening to that opinion.

P

Public places can be a challenge when toting a tiny baby, tanks, monitors, and other equipment of preemiedom.

Q

Quietness - such an interesting concept after spending months in an NICU full of alarms going off!

R

Reality versus Hope - a delicate balance - but NOT mutually exclusive of one another.

S

Statistics - they always measure the past and never accurately describe my child which lives here in the present.

T

Trust your decisions at the time; what you know will always change in the future.

U

Uncertainty - believe in the best for your child and yourself.

V

Vacation? Where's the vacuum cleaner and mop?

W

What if? If only... but time waits for no one.

X

Marks the spot where the central line once was.

Y

Your health - guard it - take care of yourself as well..

Z

ZZZZZZ you long for them, but your preemie rations them...

 

©2004 Greg & Christa Hall

home page http://www.journeyoasis.com

Contact us at greg@journeyoasis.com

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