A Story to be Grateful For

When I was younger I could never truly understand when I would hear my parents say "time goes by so quickly".  When I think back to my summer holidays as a child those 2 months we were off school felt like a lifetime.  So much could happen or change in that short period of time.  2 months was an eternity to me back then.

Now I truly understand that time does go by so quickly.  It's seems like just yesterday I was still pregnant wondering what the outcome of this ordeal was going to be.  Worrying whether or not our child would survive and if he did would he be healthy.  So many questions were running through my head at that time.  When the moment came to push Kieran into this world I remember looking at Corin with shear panic in my eyes worrying about what direction our lives were about to take.  Was the road going to be long and treacherous, short and sweet or an instant disaster.  No one could predict what was about to happen.  No nurse or doctor to tell us what to expect and the few who would hazard a guess suggested we prepare ourselves for the worst.

Six weeks later I can honestly tell you I am sitting here in amazement not just at our son's strength but at our good fortune.  As a nurse said to me yesterday, Kieran took the manual on premature babies and threw it out the window.  He came out swinging and has kept on ever since.  He was breathing on his own when he should have needed help, he by-passed the rocky road we were warned about and completely ignored the suggestion that he might not survive.  They worried that his eyesight might not be great and now I swear he isn't just seeing shapes or shadows but he is analyzing and absorbing all that is going on around him.

Kieran has broken the preemie mold and I am not only proud of him but I am also incredibly grateful for it.

Being in the NICU you are obviously surrounded with families who are all going through similar situations.  I have seen babies who are there for just a day and get to go home and I have seen ones who unfortunately never get that chance.  For everyday that has been a good day, I am thankful! In avoiding that rocky road, I sit in awe at our good fortune!

Don't get me wrong, we have had moments of fear.  Kieran's biggest hurdle has been and continues to be his breathing.  He still forgets every once in a while that he has to take a breath but that is mainly due to his size.  We did have several weeks where we had to worry about his survival but all of it has been because of his size not because of any major health issues.

Kieran's story could have been so different from the one I have been telling you about but it isn't and there will never be a day that goes by that I wont thank my lucky stars for that.

The pictures below (top) is from when he was first born the other (bottom) from 2 days ago.  He has changed and grown so much.