Christmas NICU Craft

Last year I spent the holidays in the NICU with baby Katea.  I know that doesn't sound like any way to spend the holidays, but it actually wasn't that bad.  I remember being completely overwhelmed with love and gratitude and the spirit of Christmas.  I was so grateful that my baby girl was doing so well and I was so so grateful for the NICU staff, and especially our primary nurses for everything they had done and were doing for us.  I remember getting so much love from so many people, but especially from complete strangers.  Former NICU families that had been in my same situation in the years past who remember what it was like and who did what they could to brighten our holiday and the fact that we were there, people I'd never met and probably would never meet....but loved and cared about us and our situation.  We received so many little gifts and cards and letters from other NICU moms who shared their miraculous stories and gave me hope that regardless of everything we've been through and were still going through, that everything was going to be ok.  I made my mind up right then that I was going to do the same thing.  I was going to make a point to give back every Christmas...not only to let the families who are having the NICU experience now know they are not alone, but also to continue to show my gratitude for the NICU staff, my NICU experience and my little miracle that is doing so well today.

As I was trying to decide what to give, I remembered my favorite thing that I was given when I was in the NICU.  It was a big board that my older sister made for me.  The board said, in vinyl  "Miracles, Believe in Them"....and then she put some mini clothes pins at the bottom so that I could hang pictures of my Katea on.  The pictures showed how much she has grown and progressed since she was born.  That board lit up that little NICU room we were in.  Everytime I looked at it, I could see how much she had progressed and how far she had come, and it reminded me to be grateful.  That was what I wanted to do.  That is what I wanted to give. 

This was the board that my sister made for me that hung in our NICU room for months.  As we would take updated pictures of her we would add them to the end...leaving the ones of her when she was first born so we could see her progress......

Here is my version of it.  My miracle board for the NICU parents.  I hope that it will light up someone's room like the board from my sister lit up mine.  It's the Christmas season, and the season of giving and miracles........the NICU is a place full of them! 

 

Typed out my Christmas letter

 

All 15 crafts completed 

 

Wrapped and ready to go :)

All I kept thinking as I was making these miracle boards was the words to the church hymn:  "Because I have been given much, I too must give"  So true.  Merry Christmas!  And may we all be grateful for what we have and pay it forward!