Return to the NICU

No! Not my girls! Only me. Yes, that's right - I returned to the NICU, alone. See, I had cleaned out the girl's closet from all the gear we'd been sent home with from the NICU. What with Mary-Gail's oxygen and apnea monitor, and our concern that we'd have to start gavage feeding her, the NICU prepared us...for the worst I might add.

I held onto all this gear and equipment this long because I was so afraid that after I'd returned it, we'd all of a sudden need it. But, our girls have been home for 8 months now, and I'm pretty sure we won't be having any "over-nighters" at the NICU. So, I had all this stuff that we'd never opened (thank heavens) and tons and tons of individually wrapped bottles and lids for pumping breast milk that we didn't need anymore. All if this equipment was very sterile - being seal wrapped twice from the supplier, and then wrapped again for our keeping at home. I decided it was time to return it.

I prolonged leaving my house Tuesday morning. By the time the car was loaded and key in the ignition, it was 1:15pm. The drive to UVRMC was a quick one - much shorter than my two - sometimes three drives when the girls were there. I had a small panic attack in the elevator when I hit button "5," and I had to calm myself and speak out loud that my girls weren't here. Once I was buzzed in, I saw a familiar face - Jenny Smoot, one of our amazing Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. She immediately recognized me, gave me a big hug, and remembered Rebecca & Mary-Gail's name!! She called another NNP, Allison Showalter, to the front desk, and as soon as the doors to side A opened and Allison saw me, we embraced and she remembered my girls' names too! It was a wonderful reunion. I saw one of our very favorite Primary Care Nurses, Pam Aston, and she was a wonderful and loving as she had been for those long 3 months. Emily Wankier moved to Washington, D.C., to be a NICU nurse at one of their hospitals.

I brought copies from the NICU Reunion (Saturday, May 19, 2007) to give to our lovely nurses and NNP's, and a copy of the girls' recent picture from the Utah Baby Fair. Everyone was so happy Rebecca & Mary-Gail are doing so well. Here are some of the pics: Rebecca is dressed in RED, and Mary-Gail is dressed in PURPLE (I deemed these colors to be their favorite colors).