Happy 5th NICU Anniversary!

January 19, 2015



5 years ago.

It's been 5 years already, but if I close my eyes, only for a minute I can put myself right back in the NICU next to a tiny baby. It's something that I will never forget.

The day Harrison was born was the scariest day in my life. I knew nothing about prematurity and I knew nothing about having a baby. Basically it was NICU boot camp the minute this guy was born.

I know God had a plan for me, Harrison and our family... Life works crazy that way.

I learned more about life in those 52 days he spent in the NICU than I learned in my first 25 years of life. I could speak medical fluently, I lived by my NICU bible and I opened up my heart to God wider than I ever thought possible.

The day Harrison came home from the NICU is day very much like the day he was born. It was scary, really freaking scary... but at the same time this became happiest day in my life.

As always we celebrated with his NICU VET  anniversary with cake and this year for fun... Trick candles (should have videoed this).

 

5 year NICU VET

 

4 years post NICU

Last Sunday marked 4 years since Harrison graduated from the NICU. This called for a celebration (like we have done the past 3 years)....and what is a celebration without cake and presents? January 19 will always and forever hold a special place in our hearts...It's the first day our family lived a life outside of hospital doors.

Keep going buddy, keep amazing us everyday.

 

4 Year NICU Follow Up

This guy turns 4 years old in 8 short days.

Wow...I remember being warned not to blink my eyes. Every since Harrison left the NICU he has been followed by a team that has included OT, PT, Neurology along with a general physician and nurse. Yesterday he had his last follow visit from that team.

Despite the overwhelming people he saw yesterday morning, they were still able to evaluate his abilities when he was in a not so cooperative mood to candy coat that in every way.

Just so I don't end up writing a novel... The good of the appointment:

• Cognitively right on track. There is no concern of a learning disability from his prematurity which is something they generally worry about with Harrison being born at just 29 weeks.
• He grew...a lot. He now measures 39.5 inches tall (33 percentile) and weights 33lbs (25%). Most amazing is height jump from less than 15% to 33 %! This is all of this despite his vomiting 1-2 times a week. Harrison had GERD as a preemie that went on to infancy, which then resolved itself, but has made an appearance again in the last year. The doctor said that preemies with GERD then to have another reoccurrence around pre-school age. This should be something he out grows. At this time it's not affecting his growth, so we should do what we can do to avoid triggers (sugary, greasy foods), but those aren't always triggers, sometimes it just happens. Right now, this a observation period. If he begins to lose weight or vomiting because more frequent we will certainly follow up with it.
• Speech has improved with leaps and bounds. This time last year he could barely make a sentence...Today he is excelling. The amount of language gain he has made in a year brings me to tears. All the worry we had for so long is dwindling away. There are still times we find it hard to understand him or he won't use words, but those incidences are becoming less frequent. The neurologist we saw said she notices when he gets crabby he will start to "baby talk" or "regress" and won't use words. For the longest time we have been just telling him... "Use your words." Well come to find out since he has only been talking for the last year he lacks, the confidence, ability to find the words he needs to use in stressful situations. So instead of just telling him that phrase, "use your words" we need to actually give him a few words to cling on to so he has a starting place. This all made a lot of sense. There is also the drooling he still does (still at almost 4). Again, not a concern as they have told us before. He does a lot of playing with his tongue and concentration which is a result of this. It's more of wait this phase out. Which some days he does fine, others he's like a teething baby. All in all, pretty positive news.

Some things we found out at the appointment:

• Harrison is flat footed. It's not related to his prematurity, it's genetic (in case your wondering... this is where we blame dad's genetics :) There is nothing medically we have to do. We just need to make sure he wears very supportive tennis shoes.
• He has low muscle tone in his upper and lower body. The good in this, it's better to be more flexible, than less flexible. It would be a cause of concern if his muscles were too tight, like cerebral palsy. In time he should out grow this.
• He scored low in crossing the midline. Crossing the midline is important for skills such as writing. Things that can help improve this is catch and throw games, Simon says, asking his to alternate things between his hands. Harrison also is following up with the eye doctor that treated him in the NICU next month to rule out any vision related problems that could be affecting this.  

All in all despite Harrison very uncooperative mood yesterday... The outcome of this follow up was pretty awesome. This kid has came a long way.

 

3 Year NICU Vet

I can't believe this month we celebrated 3 years since we brought Harrison home from the hospital.

January 19, 2010 will always be a special anniversary in our lives. After 52 days of tears, love, laughter and fears we walked out of the hospital doors with our baby boy. I cried a lot that day. I still get emotional thinking about it.

Each year since we have been home we have celebrated this special day.

He really is our SUPER HERO!

2 year NICU Veteran

January 19 will be a day that we will never forget. This January 19 marked the second anniversary of the second best day of my life.

This date marks the anniversary of long road of fighting.

Here is a poem that means so much to me, I have posted it several times before---but it's worth posting and reading again.



It's the little things that make life worth living,

It's the little things that help us make it through.

I never knew how true those words were,

Until I first set my eyes on you.

I feared because it was too early;

I cried because it was too soon. Yet I underestimated

The strength in one as small as you. You were born a fighter, a warrior;

You would not quit nor move on.

You strove, you fought, you tried, Until your battle was won.

When hope might have faded, When the trial seemed too great,

A tiny child, despite the odds, Fought what was thought fate.

And a little baby triumphed, A baby thought too small to live,

A baby knew that life Is the most precious thing to give.

Need a memory of last year's celebration? Click HERE.

This year we celebrated with cake and Thomas.

 A new pillow for a 2 year NICU Veteran

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