The NICU reunion is held once a year, every year....put on by the parent support group to gather all the preemies, parents and families of preemies, and the medical staff that took care of the preemies....so they can visit, play, see how much these miracle babies have grown....and just have fun enjoying each other's company. I heard a lot about this reunion while we were still in the NICU, and was so excited to be able to go!
I am the biggest crybaby, and I actually started crying as we were pulling into the parking lot. I always get really emotional when I think of how baby Katea started out her life....and of the wonderful nurses that took care of her. It was funny because I was talking to my kids the whole drive there, as soon as I saw the NICU reunion signs with balloons on them, I got quiet....they didn't even have to look at me, Makai just knew when I got quiet it was because I was crying....lol. Him and Mone kept asking me why I was crying, and I just said it was because I was happy....they both laughed and shook their heads and told me I was weird. Lol. Such a crybaby! I had hoped that I got it all out in the parking lot before I started seeing people.....but I choked up a little when I saw our nurses.
I was actually a little lost when I was trying to find the park, so I called Anjanette to get directions......she was already there YAY! I was so excited to see her! As soon as we got there, we went to sign in and she came to the sign in table to meet us. I gave her a big hug. Love that lady! She hadn't seen Katea in a couple months so she was just marveling at how big she was and how chubby her cheeks were now. Lol. She's filled in really well...such a chunk! We got all signed in and then she was going to take us so my kids could play the games. She was being so nice and trying to call Lautala to follow her and Lautala was being the biggest brat...uugghh...such a monster. Lol. On our way to the games, we ran into Annica. I'm so mad that I didn't even think to take a picture with her.....I actually didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to while I was there.....too caught up in the moment and talking to everyone. I loved it! Annica always got a little uncomfortable when I would cry at the hospital.....and my voice totally cracked when I saw her. She's the only one of baby Katea's 5 primary nurses that I don't keep in close contact with....so I was really happy to see her. I tried really hard to hold my tears back. Lol. Crybaby!
They had so many cool things there for the kids.....what I liked was that they didn't make it only about the preemies, but it was for their siblings too....they had firefighters there with their fire trucks and the kids could climb in them and take pictures...
They had an ambulance there and the kids could climb in that too....they could touch anything they wanted and the EMT's that were there would answer their millions of questions.
They had face painting and balloon animals and cotton candy....they had a cupcake walk and some other little games.....and they fed us Chick-Fil-A for dinner. My boys were so irritated with me because I just kept moving from one person to the next...talking and visiting. So many moms that I hadn't seen since we'd left the NICU, and so many miracle babies that were so big now and doing so well! Charise came over and found us and we chatted with her for a while....while she held Katea. Charise is another one of our primary nurses, and I keep in touch with her pretty much every day through instagram or facebook....but it was nice to see her in person! :) My boys told me I was making it boring for them because I was talking too much, so I told them they didn't have to stand by me, they could go and play the games. They took off and did their own thing.....but Lautala takes stranger danger to another level and will have absolutely nothing at all to do with strangers (and even some family) so she stood right by me the whole time holding on to my leg.
We would have stayed there longer, but seriously, it was freezing that day. The kids hurried and played the games, we ate and I talked to pretty much everyone I knew that was there. It was a great time and a great turnout! Can't wait for next years reunion when baby Katea will be running around! :)
Welcome Miracle Babies!
They held it at a park this year....and go figure Utah's weather wouldn't cooperate with us....it was like 85 degrees the day before, and the day of it was freezing! It was so cold and the wind was blowing. I'm not gonna lie, I was a little worried about taking baby Katea out in that cold.....but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.I am the biggest crybaby, and I actually started crying as we were pulling into the parking lot. I always get really emotional when I think of how baby Katea started out her life....and of the wonderful nurses that took care of her. It was funny because I was talking to my kids the whole drive there, as soon as I saw the NICU reunion signs with balloons on them, I got quiet....they didn't even have to look at me, Makai just knew when I got quiet it was because I was crying....lol. Him and Mone kept asking me why I was crying, and I just said it was because I was happy....they both laughed and shook their heads and told me I was weird. Lol. Such a crybaby! I had hoped that I got it all out in the parking lot before I started seeing people.....but I choked up a little when I saw our nurses.
I was actually a little lost when I was trying to find the park, so I called Anjanette to get directions......she was already there YAY! I was so excited to see her! As soon as we got there, we went to sign in and she came to the sign in table to meet us. I gave her a big hug. Love that lady! She hadn't seen Katea in a couple months so she was just marveling at how big she was and how chubby her cheeks were now. Lol. She's filled in really well...such a chunk! We got all signed in and then she was going to take us so my kids could play the games. She was being so nice and trying to call Lautala to follow her and Lautala was being the biggest brat...uugghh...such a monster. Lol. On our way to the games, we ran into Annica. I'm so mad that I didn't even think to take a picture with her.....I actually didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to while I was there.....too caught up in the moment and talking to everyone. I loved it! Annica always got a little uncomfortable when I would cry at the hospital.....and my voice totally cracked when I saw her. She's the only one of baby Katea's 5 primary nurses that I don't keep in close contact with....so I was really happy to see her. I tried really hard to hold my tears back. Lol. Crybaby!
They had so many cool things there for the kids.....what I liked was that they didn't make it only about the preemies, but it was for their siblings too....they had firefighters there with their fire trucks and the kids could climb in them and take pictures...
They had an ambulance there and the kids could climb in that too....they could touch anything they wanted and the EMT's that were there would answer their millions of questions.
They had face painting and balloon animals and cotton candy....they had a cupcake walk and some other little games.....and they fed us Chick-Fil-A for dinner. My boys were so irritated with me because I just kept moving from one person to the next...talking and visiting. So many moms that I hadn't seen since we'd left the NICU, and so many miracle babies that were so big now and doing so well! Charise came over and found us and we chatted with her for a while....while she held Katea. Charise is another one of our primary nurses, and I keep in touch with her pretty much every day through instagram or facebook....but it was nice to see her in person! :) My boys told me I was making it boring for them because I was talking too much, so I told them they didn't have to stand by me, they could go and play the games. They took off and did their own thing.....but Lautala takes stranger danger to another level and will have absolutely nothing at all to do with strangers (and even some family) so she stood right by me the whole time holding on to my leg.
We would have stayed there longer, but seriously, it was freezing that day. The kids hurried and played the games, we ate and I talked to pretty much everyone I knew that was there. It was a great time and a great turnout! Can't wait for next years reunion when baby Katea will be running around! :)
Anjanette with baby Katea
Charise with baby Katea
Painted faces
Me & Katea with Paula & Callen (another 24 week miracle)
My miracle!
My crazy kids and I with our cotton candy
With Christa....a good friend, mom of a preemie, and a parent support volunteer
Stole this picture from Jenna, she's Jack's mom. He's a 25 week miracle being held by his primary nurse Lisa....and my Katea with Anjanette. This picture is extra special because these two ladies were the very first people to ever hold our babies....they were in the operating room when we were delivering and they are the ones that took our babies from us to the NICU when they were only 1 pound....they've been there from the very beginning! Miracle workers!
2 comments:
I love Mama Lisa. She was Owen's primary nurse from day 1. Both of ladies are AMAZING nurses. Great pictures!
Aww! NICU reunion? That is awesome! Great pictures!
Post a Comment