It’s World Preemie Day.
Dear Mia and Miles,
Today we celebrate World Preemie Day, and it reminds me again just how special you are and how lucky your Dad and I are to have you.
You were born two months before your actual due date, when I was just 31 weeks pregnant. Your birthday was both the best and the scariest day of my life.
Mia, you came into the world first, weighing in at just 2 pounds, 15 ounces. You didn’t make much noise, so the Neonatal Intensive Care team got to work assessing you right away. Meanwhile, Miles made his entrance a minute later, a hulking 3 pounds, 11 ounces, and you were LOUD. I only got a quick peek at both of you before the nurses whisked you off to the NICU.
I wasn’t allowed out of bed, so the first time I saw you was from a stretcher. Even then, you took my breath away. There were lots of tubes and wires attached to your tiny bodies, but somehow I knew you were going to be just fine. We spent the next few days and weeks watching your every breath. It was immediately apparent that you were both fighters!
Now you are strong, smart, silly 2-and-a-half-year-olds. Dad and I cannot imagine life without you. You bring so much joy and laughter into our lives! Looking at the two of you, no one would ever imagine how tiny and fragile you once were.
It is appropriate that we celebrate World Preemie Day just before Thanksgiving, because there is so much of your birth story to be thankful for. I am grateful that we live in a country where the advanced medical care you needed was readily available. The quiet coastal community where we live is blessed with a top-notch hospital staffed by an incredible team who saved your lives. Two years later, as we observe another World Preemie Day, I am still thankful every single day for the support and kindness of the doctors and nurses who helped us navigate the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, who held a scared new mama’s hand as she snuggled her tiny babies for the first time.
Our birth experience was different than most, but through it all we learned a lot. You two are stronger than I ever believed possible. You are blessed beyond measure. And you are loved more than you will ever know.
Love,
Mom
Note: People in more than 100 countries celebrate World Prematurity Day on November 17th every year. The goal of the day is to raise awareness of premature birth. Worldwide, over 15 million babies (more than 1 in 10) are born prematurely each year, with prematurity being the leading cause of death in children under 5. You can show your support on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #WorldPrematurityDay. Your local March of Dimes works to reduce preemie birth year round and hosts its signature event, the March for Babies, each spring.
Let’s connect on social media, too:
Mumbling Mommy on Facebook
Mumbling Mommy on Twitter
Mumbling Mommy on Pinterest
Category: Babies
Tags: Karyn
