(Continued from last week…)  :)

After the first two weeks, our baby girl was flown to our hometown hospital where she remained for another 4 weeks as she continued to gain weight and learn to eat. I spent hours there each day, holding her, bathing her, loving on her… Preemies don’t usually have the “rooting reflex” you would expect in a newborn, so everyday we “practiced” nursing and slowly she began to take to it.

She rarely cried — also common for preemies — because her body wasn’t able to recognize feelings of hunger, tiredness or wanting to be held. The doctors and nurses were wonderful and taught us how to care for her in a way that would encourage her development. Sometimes I would just sit and watch her sleep. So peaceful. So unaware of all that had preceded her arrival. Unaware of the ways in which she had changed our life overnight…

more tomorrow…