When you live away from family, nothing makes life seem more “normal” or like “everything is all right” than having family in town to visit. I think the reason is because you are reminded truly of who you are, all the strength you have, and that there’s an army of people who love you, want the best for you, and will travel to the ends of the earth with you if necessary.
During Emerson’s NICU stay we were visited by a number of family members (at different times, of course). These visits were so special to me because they gave me a chance to do a few things:
- Show off my cute baby like all new, proud moms do (lol).
- Help our families really understand what we were going through.
- Be loved on.
When there’s a new baby in the family, it’s so natural to want your closest family around to be introduced and start to love on them. NICU life makes that part very different. Fortunately for us, the NICU at St. Joseph’s Womens Hospital has a separate room for each baby allowing privacy and visits from whomever the parents would like. They ensure everyone follows the proper protocol of washing their hands upon entering, and as a parent, you know all the protocols anyway, so it’s pretty easy to direct your close family and friends on what they need to do to safely see your baby.
These visits were invaluable because I think it helped make our situation even more real to our families. It’s one thing to hear it over the phone and completely different to experience it in person. Even today, with Emerson being home, our lives are still vastly different in comparison to a family that had a full term baby. Every time we FaceTime or they come to visit, they get a peek into our life. It shows them how far Emerson has come and how our little family is thriving in the midst of all the doctor’s visits, prescription refills, daycare drop-offs and pick-ups, nurse’s updates, case manager updates, medical procedures, and more.
Right now, our cousins are in town, and it does my heart so incredibly good to not only see them and their kids, but seeing how excited the kids are to see Emerson and Emerson’s bright, smiley-faced reaction to seeing them. Watching them play makes my heart smile. They are his big cousins and they love him so much.
To the families who may be experiencing NICU life right now, if you haven’t already, consider having some family around. My suggestion would be a few people at a time to not overwhelm you, and allow them the opportunity to love on you. Also, help them better understand what you’re going through and what will be most helpful for you in such a high-stress, rollercoaster of a time.
To our families and close friends, thank you for continuing to love on us. Words will never be able to express how much it truly means to us. 💜
Medical Mommy 