Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?
Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger. "Beth Armstrong, son. Patron Saint, Matthew. Marjorie Forrest, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia. Carrie Rutledge, twins. Patron Saint... give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie."
The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter? That would be cruel."
"But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own. She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."
"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."
God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just the right amount of selfishness."
The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect. She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a spoken word. She will never consider a step ordinary. When her child says 'mama' for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see – ignorance, cruelty, prejudice – and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."
"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.
God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."
Heavenly father full of grace
A ray of sunshine upon her face.
On this night there's one thing I pray
You gave her life so please don't take it Away.
You sent her an angel to stand by her side
Thur heal pricks for gases, not a tear did she cry.
All ten fingers and all ten toes,
Barely as big as a giant rose.
From one pound to three pounds
Your on your way home,
My precious little girl, oh how you've grown.
On this night there's one last thing to say
Thank You God for letting her stay.
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for this preemie God gave me to keep.
So very little, So very small,
I pray you make it through it all.
Each day I hold you skin to skin,
I hope you feel my love within.
You are so brave, you are so strong,
You came early because you belong.
Angels watch over her all through the night,
God keep her safe and help her fight.....
She has learned so much about life,
To be the greatest mother, friend & wife.
She never complains about the little things,
She appreciates what tomorrow brings.
She's been through the gates of hell
And still stands tall,
She has laughed, cried, prayed & rejoiced,
She'd been through it all.
Her children mean the world to her,
She will walk any mile
Just to see their precious face,
Just to see them smile.
She's got invisible wings on her back
That God has put in place,
She wears a purple heart for the bravery
She has faced.
She is admired by many, blessed by God above.
There is nothing more powerful
Than a Preemie Mother's Love.
You know you're the parent of a preemie when...
1.You use strange initials (C-PAP, CCs, NICU, NG) when discussing your child.
2.You actually remember how many CCs make up an ounce.
3.You count his weight in grams.
4. The skin on your hands is peeling from washing so often!
5.You hesitate when someone asks his/her age, but you know exactly how much he/she weighs!
6. The answer to "How old is your baby?" is a story 30 minutes long!
7. When someone asks his birthday, you reply, "Which one?"
8. You start to understand some of the things they say on ER!
9. You turn into Kung-Fu Mom when someone tries to touch your baby.
10. You attempt to measure just how much spit-up he/she just had before you clean it up!
11. You know how much he weighs before putting him on the scale at the doctor's office
12. You cry at Maternity Ward and get mad at Baby Story.
13. You see a 7lb newborn and say "Wow! She's so BIG!"
14. Your baby is months old before he can even go to the mall.
15. You have never explained why your baby is on an apnea monitor.
16. When someone says how tiny your baby is, you argue that he is huge -- and to demonstrate, you whip out pictures of him in NICU.
17. You do a health check on people when they come to your house to visit.
18. You make people wash their hands before going near your child.
19. You want to scream when someone says that she just wants to have this baby now - at week 28, 32, or 34.
20. You are so amazed when someone actually tells you your baby is big for his age!
21. You tried to find a place to buy newborn size diapers in bulk.
22. You called half your relatives when the baby grew out of their first pair of pajamas!
23. You never take your child for granted.
24. You worry about RSV season and it is still weeks away . . .
25. You know what "RSV" stands for.
26. You donate his/her tiny clothes to the NICU and marvel that they seem so small - when they were too darn large!
27. Your son gets a simple cold and her doc sees her within the hour!
28. People say, "He CAN'T be __ old...he's too little!"
29. It has taken them 5 months to grow INTO newborn clothes!
30. You pick up 2 pounds of ground beef and think that your baby was born at the same weight
31. You buy "Purell" in bulk
32. You know about oxygen tanks and regulators more than the company supplying it to the airplanes
33. You can stare at your baby for hours when he sleeps
The Preemie songs http://youtu.be/CLz9k_NFFq4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIuK1gz24NA&feature=related
How about a little flash mob http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBIOzyOT1gI
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