How fortunate we are

Sometimes the heartache others are going through serves as a solemn reminder of how lucky we are that our little NICU graduate did so well, and continues to do so well, and that we have these beautiful eyes to stare into every day.

Please keep A, B and little G in your thoughts and prayers (I hope she doesn't mind me sharing - I figure they can use all the help we can give). Little G is going on week 10 now in the NICU, after being delivered at 34 weeks due to IUGR. At what would now be 4 weeks adjusted age, he's up to 6lbs, 10oz, but has many other issues. Finally the doctors were finally this week able to diagnose his situation as Tracheal Bronchial Malacia, or a softening of the airways. They are now faced with the very strong possibility that he will most likely have to have a tracheotomy, and that's a long-term thing (anywhere from one year to a few years). Where at one point, I felt as if I could call A and be one of the few who could truly understand the heartache she felt each time she left her child to go home, I now feel like I'm with the masses who just don't understand the difficult decisions they face in the upcoming weeks, months, years. Little glimmers of hope: the best things for Little G to help his situation are time and growth - no miracle cure, just demands a high level of patience. His mommy is fortunate enough (blessed with good bf-ing genes) that she's able to produce enough breastmilk for not only him, but to donate to others in need as well (both their freezers, and that of a neighbor!!!). After I mentioned to her that if all breastmilk is liquid gold, preemie mommy breast milk is like liquid diamonds (is that more precious?!? whatever. you kwim), A's in the process of getting screened to be a donor. Preemie mommy breastmilk has a different mix of calories, and milk banks are usually able to give that milk to other preemies who really need all the help they can get.