Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com

To Those Who Care For the Earliest of the Early

Our twin boys, Brady and Hayden, were born 8 weeks early. Missing out on that precious end-of-pregnancy incubating period, the boys had to make up for lost time, so to speak, in the NICU – the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for premature babies. 

Justin and I were fortunate that our hospital has an incredible Level III NICU as part of the Family Birth Center. And this amazing, world-class facility was literally less than a mile from our house in Walnut Creek, where we were living at the time of Brady and Hayden’s birth. It’s pretty crazy given that we only lived in that house for 11 months, and that two of those months were spent back and forth to the hospital at all hours of the day and night. That’s clearly God working there.

Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com

During the 4 weeks that Brady and Hayden spent in the NICU, we experienced the “two steps forward, one step back” rollercoaster that is common for many NICU babies. One day it’s off the cannula, only to see respiratory issues.  Back on the cannula. One day they are eating well, but then they have digestive issues.  CPAPs, crazy-loud blaring monitors 24/7, wires, jaundice treatment, trying to learn how to breastfeed. And this was with 2 babies experiencing these issues, each on different days. It was a crazy time.

Not to mention the fact that we were getting very little sleep. Justin and I were tag-teaming our hospital time, usually with me taking the day shift, and coming home in time to have dinner with Grace and put her to bed. Justin would usually join us for dinner, and then head to the hospital for nighttime kangaroo care, staying until the wee hours of the morning. I was pumping every two to three hours around the clock, so neither of us were getting much shuteye.

One of the saving grace’s for us during this time was our amazing relationship with 3 medical professionals that truly and deeply cared for both us and our babies during this time – Brady and Hayden’s NICU nurse, Nikki, my lactation consultant, Nannette, and the boys’ NICU doctor, Dr. Mikas. These three individuals spent in-depth time multiple times a day walking us through the ins and outs of the challenges our boys were facing. They spelled these medical issues out in terms we could understand and connect to. They were responsible for closely monitoring the functioning of all of their organs, assessing weight gain, and administering necessary medication and vitamins. They helped us bathe them, clean their wounds, change their IV’s and feeding tubes, and worked with us to help them learn to breastfeed. They worked through the night, on the weekends, and on holidays, meaning we were never without care for our boys. These three angels, and their amazing coworkers, were taking care of our boys at a time when we couldn’t fully do it ourselves. It’s a pretty helpless place to be as a parent, but our gratitude for their expertise and meticulous care of our babies is immeasurable.

I remember experiencing an incredible low about 3 weeks into our stay in the hospital. Sleeplessness had turned into utter exhaustion, and the boys had stabilized, yet it still felt as if they would never leave the confining walls of the hospital. Dr. Mikas, one of Brady and Hayden’s doctors, came over to give me a download on the boys’ progress that day, and asked me how I was doing. I responded with a peppy but forced and non-descript “I’m doing fine”. He immediately probed a little harder, telling me, “It’s okay if you’re not okay.” It wasn’t until that moment that I broke down, finally feeling the right to feel that way – that I was not okay. I was scared, tired, worried, stressed, and pulled in so many directions between the boys in the hospital, and Grace at home. 

Dr. Mikas was wonderful in that moment, coaching and counseling me through my emotional turmoil, and extending a natural humanity that went above and beyond medical care for our boys. This moment perfectly captured the whole-family care approach of the team of professionals that supported us at our most vulnerable time, and the true humanity and warmth of the individuals who cared for our boys.

These wonderful people were angels to us. And once a year, they invite us and all of the babies that they have cared for, back to the hospital to reunite. And it is just the best. We have had to miss it a couple years due to travel, but if we are in town, nothing can keep us from returning to the place that our babies were born, and where they spent several weeks being cared for by the best of the best. 

Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com

Just this weekend, we returned for the reunion. I love so many things about this day. How it always sparks so many conversations with our kids about their birth and the days and weeks that followed. Sharing stories with our favorite nurses, doctors, and professionals, and catching them up on all that the boys are into now. Watching the smiles on their faces when they see how big they are getting. It is joy, all around. 

Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com Allison Gagnon- www.choicelunch.com  

Our love and thanks go out to all those who care for premature babies.  It truly is a calling that changes lives, every single day, both for those babies and for their families.  You are a blessing, and your love and care during our most vulnerable time will never be forgotten. It was everything to us in those earliest of days, and you will always have a special place in our hearts.

 

Hello There!

My name is Allison! Nurturer Of 4 Remarkable Littles / Married To My Own Modern Day Prince Charming / California Born And Raised / Adventure Seeker / Nature Enthusiast / Memory Maker / Food / Wine / Fashion / Sleep

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