Nurses

Today as the kids were sleeping I was watching the show 911 Baby. It's a show on Discovery Channel about babies that have to go the NICU. When I was pregnant with Matty and Abby I was not allowed to watch these shows. Andy didn't want me freaking myself out since I knew alot of the emotions these families and since I was on bed rest he knew I 'd be thinking to much. Well back to my main reason for this post.

As I watched today I watched how babies that went to NICU had to be transported to Children's Hospital. It reminded me how lucky I was. Andy and I moved to Long Beach not long after we were married. We both had a strong feeling this is were we needed to be and everything with our jobs just fell into place. Then we found out we were having Drew and then not much longer after that he made his arrival. I had Drew at Long Beach Memorial and Drew's home was Miller's Children's Hospital. The best thing was even though he was born at 23 weeks he and I were still just down the hall from each other. Why was he still just down the hall. This is because we were blessed to live in Long Beach and delivery where the children's hospital is connected to the hospital. So Drew never had to be transported and face all the what if's of going in a ambulance ride.

Our family expect for my brother and Andy's cousin all live in Fresno. So we were here on our own. We were blessed with many nurses that treated us like family. We still send and receive Christmas cards from some of them and in contact with them. The life of NICU nurse is a blessing to the family far more than they know. Many times they are standing there after the Doctor walks away and you are in tears. They are the ones that quietly put their arms around you and explain what they just said and remind you they have to tell you worse case as well as the best case. They are the ones that when you have to leave to go home take care of your baby when you are not there. They share your joys and your sorrows. We were blessed to have primary nurses. Which meant when they were working they were with your baby. Laurie and Gayle were Drew's primary nurses. Judy and Lydnia(Judy was there when Drew was born and cried, Lydnia took care of Drew from the very day and was the first person to let me change his diaper) even though were not their primary always checked on him. They were there from the beginning and even after he passed away came in on their days off to be with us. These ladies and well as many other at hospital helped me and my family more than they ever know and I know God knew what he was doing when they became part of our lives. They are truly unsung hero's and life savers. When we saw them it was like seeing somebody in our family not a nurse we didn't know. I know I have told them before but it is never to enough to thank them and the whole NICU for all they did for Drew and Us. Even though Drew never came home to our house he did have a home and the nurses made the NICU a home for a little Drew.