Thank you dear nurse

It's National Nurses Week here in Canada and the US. 

Without a doubt, nurses have made the biggest difference in our NICU journey. We'll never be able to give back what they've given us.

Nurses work tirelessly, even at times forgoing their breaks or staying later than they should. They comfort us when we've received troubling news. They know all too well the ups and downs that parents face. They know how scared we can be. They advocate for us, and they fight for our little one. 

Nurses are the ones who really run the show 😉

They were there for Kiera before her c-section, talking to us about the process and calming our fears. They were there when she lay in the hospital bed and recovered. 

We learned everything about Arabella and how to handle her from our nurses. The first time we were so timid and scared to even touch her. She was so fragile in those early days. How do you properly handle a one pound baby? We were simply terrified.

Nurses knew more about our little girl than we did. 

It was the nurses who showed us how to change her diaper with ease among her many tubes and wires, how to flip her over and adjust her, how to hold her properly on our chest, how to bathe and massage her, and how to soothe her. 

Day in and day out they were there. 

When we couldn't hold Arabella they would encourage us to interact with her. "Talk to her. She knows your voices. She knows that her mom and dad are there! Talk to her!"

The nurses were always there to explain what the doctors had trouble relaying to us. They spoke with compassion and understanding, like they knew our anxiety and inner heartache.

Before we started this NICU journey I had no idea these amazing people did so much, but now I realize. I'll never forget what they've done, what they continue to do, and all of their sacrifices.