Xanders "FOB"

Hello:

Xander's Dad here or as they referred to me in the Nicu "FOB" (Father of Baby). yeah kinda dorky I think.. they didn't call mom "MOB" just mom. Anyway that was just a fun memory of the Nicu. I was informed by my wonderful wife that today is Preemie power day . so I thought I could share some memories and thoughts about our son Xander. As its been well written by Jen (MOB), Xander was born June 23 2009 about 13 weeks ahead of schedule. and that made things exciting for everyone. I was admittedly not very worried. Unlike Jen she was understandably freaked out.but it all when well for the most part Xander was born and he was in good shape, needed a few things to get comfortable with air. after that he requested a heated cubical with 24 hour room service ect, yup he worked that place like a pro. he had everyone at his beck and call. I was to be honest a little jealous. but hey any guy that can just lay around and have a dozen or so woman wait on him like royalty is well totally awesome! Ok so we are making visits to the Nicu every day of the week just to get a little time with our boy. he was really small so small he could wear my wedding band around his arm. yup it was really something to see a baby that small.. and it was cool too. our dude was strong.and he did well in the Nicu. there were good days and bad and only one time did I get Upset. that's when they had some woman on loan from somewhere in the hospital watching him and she just was a total failure for our son.she at one point had his foam cpap pads jammed in his eye and she could not figure out why he was upset. so I fired her and took over, after that we let it be known that any incompetent would be dealt with quickly. and it would not be good. other than that I was cool with our sons time in the Nicu. it can be very sad though cause as many know you see a lot of other little babies and some go home to God early and that's sad and happy at the same time. you know your sad they had to go but your happy they didn't have to suffer any longer and they get go to God's cool house. I didn't think or worry to much as I almost always felt good about Xander and I always thought he would be good to go and I never doubted him. Now Xander is 17 or 14 months old depending on how you look at it. I go with the 14 months cause he was severely short changed on bake time. so he gets extra time to get everything sorted out. some may ask is he "ok" or does he need special care ..nope he is just perfect and he has no problems.. and on top of being perfect, he is smart and strong as can be. he does have a workout routine that the wife calls "baby boot camp" its cute he does like 100 sit ups and 50 push ups and I think he is up to pressing like 25 pounds. its really impressive. I give all the credit to Jen she is a fantastic wife and Mother. also Xander was given looks that make women melt. so he will find out how handy that will be when he gets older. Xander is now very close to walking and that will add so much more fun for us. as with any toddler Xander figures out how to open about everything and he loves to investigate every nook and cranny. and if the cat stays in one place to long he has to fight for his tail.yup it has be a very cool experience having a preemie but at the end of the day he is just our son and I really don't think of him as a preemie. he is just my little Buddie. so for all the preemies out there I think your the example of the "can do" type of people that we can all respect and appreciate. so on this Preemie power day I say let all the Nicu babies be desat/tac and brady free. and all Preemies out in the world have a totally rockin day.

Life in the Nicu

Since today is the start of Prematurity awareness month I thought I would do my first post on What it's like in the Nicu..The rollercoaster that all family's experience and the fight that our preemies endure after they are born...Before Xander was born I was already in the hospital on bedrest due to my high risk pregnancy..The doctors were optimistic but you could tell that having a premature baby in my case was a harsh reality that was going to happen..Xander was born via emergency c-section at exactly 3 a.m. weighing 2lbs 5ozs..Being born at only 27 weeks gestation, 13.5 inches long and no fat on his body, my husband and I were prepped for the the long road ahead of us..I could probably write a book on those first few weeks in the nicu but I just want to sum up the reality of my experience..After recovering for a couple hours and the doctor's stabilizing Xander, I went to the nicu to see my baby for the first time in a issolette, hooked to a number of mechanical devices and a ventilator and then cpap doing some breathing for him..To say that was traumatizing is a under statement, little did I know that this everyday re occurrence of guilt, heartache and non stop worry would stay with me for a very long time..Even some of the nurses try to make you feel better by saying, oh he just needs to gain weight, or as soon as he doesn't need any o2, or as soon as he can take a bottle it will all be o.k..I think a lot of people think that as well..That these babies just need to gain weight and do this and that, and yes that is all some need, but what your not told is that a large majority of premature babies are so sick, that they will face life long challenges and some even life long disabilities..I was not told a whole lot while in the NICU, as far as statistics on Xander having any disabilities..I do remember one of the Doctor's telling us he had a 70% chance of living, which was so hard to hear..I was so very desperate to know that Xander would survive and have a great quality of life, but in reality i just wanted him healthy and home and then I could make it all better! There were a ton of days that when we went to the hospital Xander was very sick and couldn't be held, or he needed a blood cell transfusion, because his body wasn't producing enough yet, or he had to be bagged because his o2 levels were unstable...Phone calls in the late night or early morning saying "we think Xander had a seizure and are getting ready to do a ultrasound" or "he has a infection"...At one time I felt that this ride would never end, but it did, thank god! After 65 long days in the NICU Xander came home..It has been a little over a year since coming home, we so far have avoided a lot of the long term issues that preemies can face and I still find myself checking to make sure he is breathing o.k. when he is asleep and I still stress about his weight(though it is fine)..Our Nicu experience changed our lives, as it does thousands every year and a piece of good advice I was given and would like to share is to enjoy and appreciate the good days in the NICU, and to do whatever you can to get through the bad..Xander today is 16 months old/ 13 adjusted..He is healthy, happy, vivacious and has a way of making anyone's day better with his smile, he is a miracle! I left out so many details, and I know everyone's experience is different and unique..I hope I can do at least one thing this month that helps raise awareness for preemie babies, in hopes "that one day all babies will be born healthy"