12 Days of the Halloween Scrooge: Day 3

Reason #3:

It is the only holiday where people expect, and even tolerate to some degree, destructive pranks.

"My Story..." Monday: Bama Arrives

Those first few days we stayed at the Ronald McDonald House are almost a blur to me. My then eleven-month old son was still staying with his aunt, uncle, and cousins about 40 minutes from us. My husband was working extremely long hours to avoid being penalized for taking the day off when I went into labor. I was the mother of two babies and neither one of them was living with me. It broke my heart and made me feel desperately helpless.

What I remember most about those first days was how I would wake up in the morning and my hand would fly to my (flat) belly and I would realize that I was no longer pregnant. It came as a shock to me... Every. Single. Day. My next realization would be that I needed to pump. And so I would sort of roll off the side of the bed (I couldn't sit up due to my C-section) and make it to my feet. I actually enjoyed pumping because it was the only thing that felt "normal". Like any newborn, my child would need nourishment and I was on a 3-4 hour pumping schedule that reminded me of how I would rise to care for my son when he was first born. Pumping is nowhere near as fun as feeding an infant, but it was something...

C. was doing really well that first week. They say that micropreemies often have a "honeymoon period". But here's the thing- when it's your baby, you don't want to think that's what it is. You really convince yourself that YOUR baby is different, stronger, luckier. Somehow you manage to believe that your tiny preemie is just going to breeze on through. Regardless, it was a nice time for us. I spent a lot of time crocheting by C's bedside and singing softly to her. I was encouraged by her progress and loved to hear the upbeat reports from the neonatologists on their rounds.



When C. turned a week old, it was a Saturday and it was New Year's Eve. My mom arrived from halfway across the country to help. This was a joyous occasion for so many reasons- she would get to meet her new granddaughter, I'd be able to have my son with me again, and I could unapologetically lean on somebody-- there's nobody who can fill that role like Mom.

My husband picked my mom up from the airport and, just as soon as they got back, we all headed over to the hospital to visit little C. My inlaws met us there to "hand over" A. so he could move in to the Ronald McDonald House with us. Now that Bama had arrived, we would be able to take care of him and keep him with us.

Being so far away for that first week must have been really hard for my mom. And, during that time, she had plenty of opportunities to anticipate what my new baby would look like. "I vividly recall saying to Dad that I had NO idea what to expect when I came out to see C. for the first time. After all, I had never seen a baby born that prematurely, so I had no real conception of how small she would be, if she would look like a "regular" baby, or anything. " Happily, any fears she had had were unfounded. Like me, she found C. to be beautiful and perfect. Yes, I know we're both related to her... but I think most people were shocked to see how much she looked like, well, a baby. "I was awed when I first saw C. She was so beautiful! Just a tiny little doll! I remember seeing the cast of her tiny hand and reading the inscription at the base and crying--at the beauty of the cast, the perfection of that little person whom we now called C."

With Bama there to help watch A, I was able to split my time between my babies. I would have breakfast with my mom and son and then zip over to the hospital to spend late morning and afternoon with C. I'd return before supper and, when my husband got back from work, he, Bama, A, and I would all eat dinner together. Once we got our son settled in for the night, hubby and I would head back to the hospital to visit C. It was a whirlwind, but we were so blessed to have help and support! We were so lucky to know my mom would be there for another couple of weeks too. We tried to let Bama visit our little girl any time we had a chance. I asked my mom what her best memories of that visit were. "I have many memories of the time I spent with all of you, but three things about C. stand out in my mind. First, I kept waiting for her eyes to open; I just wanted so badly to see her "beautiful blues". Then I remember thinking (rather foolishly) that surely we would be celebrating her two pound party while I was there! We did celebrate that milestone together--but it was a month later!!! And, finally, I will never forget my last day in the NICU (well, my last day on that visit). I had not been able to touch C. at all, and Deb (one of our most beloved NICU nurses) must have seen the look of desperation in my eyes on my last day there because she opened the isolette and said she thought C. needed a little loving from her Bama, and I was finally able to plant a kiss on her sweet little head. That was such a thrill, and it still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. Deb knew that I needed that kiss more than C... "

My husband, my mom, and I got into a groove and pattern that week and we looked forward to my brother's arrival with his family that next Saturday. I was so delighted to share my miraculous little girl with the rest of my family!

As it turns out, that Saturday in January was to be our very darkest day of the entire NICU stay. I'll tell you about that next week...

(**Special thanks to my mom for taking the time to remember those times along with me and provide her side of it all!**)

12 Days of the Halloween Scrooge: Day 2

Reason #2:

Teenagers who insist on still trick or treating. Often later than is polite.

(Although, I will admit, I'd rather see the above teens at my door than some I've seen in the past... who don't even bother to put on a costume...)

JL's P. S. Fest 10/18/08

p.s. While I can't claim to always buy local or organic, I thought this cartoon shared by Candace was pretty thought-provoking...

p.p.s. This Pizza Braid recipe that Amy shared looks delicious... and beautiful!

p.p.p.s. As a Yankee who has lived in the South, Shannon's note to Yankees about the word "y'all" cracked me up...

p.p.p.p.s. These Bake-Ahead Egg Patties seem like sheer genius to me... thanks to Julie for sharing the idea!

p.p.p.p.p.s. No doubt about it, this Italian Cheese Bread recipe created by Tammy is my go-to dish for every family gathering I attend. Everyone loves it!

p.p.p.p.p.p.s. Don't forget to email me (micropreemies (at) yahoo (dot) com) if you're interested in writing a guest post to appear mid-November!

12 Days of the Halloween Scrooge- Day 1

I... am a Halloween Scrooge. I'm sorry. It's not that I mean to be. I just don't like the holiday. At all. Really. And, because too many people gasp and act appalled when I tell them that, I'm going to give you twelve reasons why I feel that way over the next twelve days. Lest you think I can't see the bright side, I will conclude with a list of things I do like about Halloween when the actual day arrives. But, for now...

Reason #1:

Costumes like this (available, by the way, to fit my 2-year old daughter)...

This get-up goes by the lovely name, "Convict Cutie"

Are you kidding me?

Fetus on Board

Patricia Pitkus Bainbridge points out...

"...that a woman who has miscarried has 'lost her baby', but if she aborts the same baby, it's a 'fetus'. It's dehumanizing... Have you ever heard a pregnant woman say, 'My fetus just kicked?'"



I'm sure glad that when my daughter was born, no one said to me, "Would you like to see your fetus?"

Pudding Milk

I've mentioned before that my daughter, while not a picky eater, is fussy about what she drinks. Before she even hit the two year mark, she was ready to ditch whole milk and would only drink the same skim as her mama and brother. I spent a long time banging my head against a wall. Then I spent a lot of money buying fancy "Pediasure"-type drinks, even though doctors assured me she didn't need that much supplementation since she ate so well. Finally, I stumbled upon some full-fat soy milk and she drank that like a champ. Who knew? Perfect!

Truth? Once in a while I run out of soy milk. Those silly containers are completely opaque and I don't always notice how low it's gotten. When that happens, and knowing that I still need to cram calories into little C's drinks, I have to get creative. Sometimes I make yogurt drinks for her just using regular milk. Even more popular, though, is...

Pudding Milk

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 package (4 serving size) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding or any flavor
• 1 medium ripe banana, cut into chunks OR
  
• 1/2 cup strawberries

Place all ingredients in blender container; cover. Blend 1 minute or until smooth. Serve immediately.

And there you go! Extra calories. Happy toddler. Mommy who doesn't have to run to the store immediately. That's a recipe I'll keep around!

For more tasty beverage ideas, visit Thirsty Thursday hosted at a little birdie told me...