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Our son Ian was born at 24 weeks 5 days on July 14, 2004. He weighted 1lb 12oz and was 13.25 inches long. He spent 112 days in NICU and PICU before he came home at 5.0lbs. He developed Hydorcephalus at 2 mons of age and has been shunted 10 times in the first year of his life. He also has reflux and a gastric emptying delay(holds food to long in his stomach). Inspite of all his hosptial stays (most of his life this year) he is a healthy, happy baby. Developmental delays are alot worse because of all the hospital stays but he is catching up everyday. I wish I had found your site a year ago it has alot of helpful info. To all that are just begining this journey it is worth every tear, sleepless night and fear. To look at my beautiful little boy sleeping in his own room and bed healthy and happy. I pray to God every day and thank him for the blessing he gave me, my little maricle.

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Your heart was eighteen weeks old When I first touched you and saw your soul Smaller than my hand, your arm engulfed in my wedding band. Dark eyes of curiosity and pain You looked out at me with your twisted wrinkled mirror of my own face Beautiful baby of mine I sang Beautiful beautiful baby Beautiful beautiful girl Made out of roses and sunshine You are your mother’s whole world I sang. Then I told your father that I was sorry “But she’s just too small to live”. But I never told you. They fixed your heart when you weighed just a pound And we almost lost you again when you weighed three. And the day I brought you home you smiled at the door. Beautiful beautiful baby Beautiful beautiful girl. Now you play at my feet and you fuss when I call you baby. With all the wisdom and dignity of two years. You color your toes with markers And whisper nursery songs. Beautiful beautiful baby You were too small to live But too loved to die.

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I've read all of your stories and I want to let you know that there is light at the end of the storm. Hi, I'm Summer. My husband and I have had 3 preemies. Our first, Neaven was born at 27 weeks, 2lbs 3oz. She was born on May 11th, 2002. We spent 3 months in the NICU. She is now 3, a little underweight but so far so good. Our second, Keelie was born at 32 weeks, 4lbs 11oz. She was born on 3-5-03. She is now 2 going on 12. She is definatly our ringleader. And finally our last Triston. He was born at 33 weeks, 4 lbs 4 oz. We just had him June 22,2005. So far so good, he stayed on the ventilator longer than the doctors wanted him to. But what can you do right? We hope that he will come home soon, but being through this twice before we've learned that you can't make a preemie do anything that it doesn't want to. They all have minds of their own. I hope that our story will help others deal with the stress of having a premature baby and the NICU stay. I've read all your stories and wish the best to all of you.

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Sweeter A child walks. A mother’s heart swells. A child talks. A father’s heart sings. A child learns to read. A celebration begins. A preemie walks. A mother’s heart bursts, pride spilling out into the room. It circles its way around the baby, out the front door and into the world. A preemie talks. A father’s heart sings, its song rising into the air, soaring into the clouds and raining down. A preemie learns to read. A celebration begins with a shout! “You did it!” cries the heart, trembling, overflowing with love. In the beginning I sang a 15-second rendition of “Happy Birthday” as I washed my dangerous hands, teeming with germs. The antiseptic smell invaded my nostrils – a smell I can never forget. I resented the nurses who filled my impotent shoes. I was wary of the doctors with their Latin terms and haughty white coats. Now I hold you closer whenever you’re not busy exploring. Now I watch with the joy and wonder of a former prisoner as you do the things you do. When you walked, when you talked, my heart leapt and sang and rejoiced. “We won the lottery!” I exclaim to my heart. And so it is every day.

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My daughter was born on Feb. 29th, 2004 at only 31 1/2 weeks. Everything came on so sudden, thursday i was taken off work for swelling and high blood pressure and by friday i was in the hospital. She was born that sunday at only 3lbs. 3ozs. 16 inches long. So tiny but such a fighter. At three days old she was drinking out of a bottle and she was on antibotics and feeding tube just in case for less than a week. She had to stay in the NICU for 3 weeks. Now at 16 months she is walking and trying to talk and has a mouth full of teeth. She isn't missing a step trying to keep up with her 5 yr. old sister. She has never had any problems except they are a little concerned that her vocabulary isn't really there but just look at all of the obstacles she has overcome, she'll get there, it'll just take time.