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A Boy and His Dog

10/31/2011

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Whew - what a difference a year makes! Halloween conjures up so many different memories for me: Pumpkin carving with my Dad, roasting pumpkin seeds with my Mom, bobbing for apples at our neighbors house and trick or treating with my brothers and sisters. For me, it was never about the spooky and always about the spirit! There was a feverish excitement that coursed through me on Halloween, and I loved being able to let my imagination run wild while my mom sewed up whatever complicated costume I had dreamed up. I couldn't wait to be someone else - transforming myself even if for just one day. This year, I couldn't be happier being just me. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Friend. But most importantly, momma.                                   
Last year my Sutton was only 28 days old, and the only Halloween costume I could find to fit his tiny frame was a pumpkin costume made for a two pound chihuahua. So there it was, my sweet boy being transformed from micro preemie to a bright orange pumpkin! I will never forget all the laughs, smiles and tears as our family and the NICU staff snapped photos and took turns holding Sutton. It was certainly a sight to see!
Fast forward one year, and my heavy, 20 pound one year old and his dog won 5th place at our local Halloween costume contest! And believe me, 5th place was an honor because there was some fierce competition. Some of the winning costumes were a UPS delivery man, a squirrel and a mariachi band! But to me, all the kiddos and their pets were winners. It was so precious to see all the smiling faces and effort put forth by the parents to make it a Halloween to remember. But ofcouse, only one won the race for my heart and made me reflect on where I was a year ago. A boy and his dog dressed as the Tortoise and the Hare. Oh, what a difference a year makes!


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The Good Fight

10/26/2011

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    Happy Fall ya’ll! This has been such a beautiful month, full of so many special days that I feel truly blessed and thankful to have my life. Not only is this my favorite time of year, but we live in the Northeast, so fall is amplified by the cooler temps, changing leaves, carriage rides through the city, apple picking at country orchards and ofcourse, cheering on our favorite football teams. October has been full of many firsts for Sutton too – his first NICU Reunion (see post below), his first Birthday and his first Pumpkin Patch visit! If October is just the beginning of the fall and winter, then it’s certainly going to be a magical season. I don’t see us slowing down anytime soon!
   With that said, the His Middle Name cause doesn’t show any signs of slowing down either! As His Middle Name gears up for November, which is Prematurity Awareness Month, I have some exciting news that will help in our efforts to raise awareness and educate. I am pleased to share that His Middle Name is now featured as a recommended resource site on Preemie Help, an international nonprofit support site for parents and families of preemies. Preemie Help (http://preemiehelp.com/) is an up and coming, premier website that offers a community of understanding to families impacted by preterm birth. Started by Dr. Carly Molloy, Preemie Help offers so many resources from relevant and up to date health information and prevention strategies to support services and even clinical research. I have had the pleasure of being in contact with Dr. Molloy, and she is an expert in her field – a compassionate woman eager to create a warm community that educates and advocates. A unique aspect of Preemie Help’s approach is their ever growing, ever evolving “Preemie Connect,” a live virtual community of chat rooms, support groups and health forums. A user friendly resource hub where I can ask questions, access information and receive support? Where do I sign up?!
    His Middle Name is honored to be associated with this wonderful initiative. I encourage each of you to visit Preemie Help online – I promise once you visit, you will be coming back again and again. I will also be featuring a special treat supported by Preemie Help just for the followers of His Middle Name within the next few days. This will be a great way to kick off Prematurity Awareness Month, so stay connected with His Middle Name and get ready to fight the good fight!

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One Years Old!

10/3/2011

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   Today is Sutton’s first birthday! There are no words to express how amazing it feels to have precious Sutton one year older, and how much joy he brings into our lives with his curious nature and his lively smile. Every day he is learning something new  - discovering wondrous things in the small and mundane. As much as I’d like to think Brad and I are teaching Sutton when we read to him, sing to him and make him laugh, I can’t help but realize how much he is teaching us. I have found that great, unexplainable newness that we all felt as children, and am reminded by my son that there are extraordinary things in the ordinary. It really is like peeling back the layers on life, and seeing it all in a new light. I can’t express how thankful I am to have this sweet child in my life, and how I would go through all of it again and again just to have him.
   To celebrate Sutton’s first year of life, we are hosting a small birthday party for him this coming weekend. It will just be a small get together of our closest friends and family. These were the people that were really there for us, lifting us up in prayer and loving us through the most difficult time of our life. For our family, it will be a celebration of life and love, with a fun fall theme and delicious treats! But just because we are celebrating Sutton’s birthday in a few days doesn’t mean that this weekend was devoid of any indulgence. This past weekend was Sutton’s first NICU Reunion! It was a perfect autumn day with so much love and gratitude in the air, that I often got lost in the emotion of it all. We were welcomed with hugs and name tags, and the NICU staff really went above and beyond to make the day special. There was so much to enjoy - pumpkin picking, games, face painting, cotton candy, a professional photographer, music and delicious food for all of the families. It’s a strange thing to realize, but the NICU is where most of us learned to be parents for the first time. Where we held our babies for the first time, visited and comforted them, bathed them and fed them. Sutton’s stay in the NICU was almost three months long, so the relationships we built within the NICU are deep and strong ones.  Just to see the look on their faces when they saw how big Sutton had grown to be was priceless! It was just so wonderful to reconnect with all the other parents and visit with all of the doctors, neonatologists and nurses that were apart of our journey. As I watched older children run and play, healthy and capable, I realized that I was looking at former preemies that had grown and thrived. It was inspiring to see. Learning and loving through the help of the NICU was an amazing part of our journey, and it was such a cathartic experience for us to go back, give thanks and celebrate the life of a boy. Our son. One year older.

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    I’m a southern gal to the core who lives for my family, has a serious weakness for chocolate, a penchant for anything that can be monogrammed and loves to craft and sew. Thank you for your interest and welcome to His Middle Name!

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