Thanksgiving

Not a day goes by that I am not reminded of just how premature Adam and Eleanor truly were and just how thankful our family is to have the two of them with us to make us smile and appreciate life. I remember very vividly Thanksgiving Day 2005 when the twins were in the NICU.

They were still in the back--in the extremely intensive-intensive care section. And there was a little boy who had been born earlier that day--he was not premature, in fact he seemed absolutely huge to me. But he was so so sick, though I never knew with what. The entire NICU was hushed and there were signs everywhere around him pleading, "Quiet!" as the slightest noise caused him troubles. I remembered that because Adam had the same thing happen to him for awhile when he was at his very sickest. I sat in the corner all dressed up, holding Eleanor's tiny hand --it was the first day I was actually going somewhere (my mom's for Thanksgiving dinner) other than the NICU since September 29. And as I held her hand I asked her to help me pray for that little boy because it seemed that he needed it much more at that we did at that very moment. It was the very first time that had been true in two months of prayers. The twins were very stable on finally both on nasal canulas and soon would be eating from bottles which was why I was actually able to elave their side for a few hours and spend the afternoon with the rest fo the family. I saw the baby boy's mom walking in and out to visit him in a trance--and I realized that I had looked just like that at the beginning of our journey. That little boy somehow turned in around in the next week or so and went home with his mom long before Adam and Eleanor we able to come home with us, but I remember thinking then that Thanksgiving would never really be the same again, and I don't think it ever is for any parent who had a very sick child in the NICU. I'm just so thankful that our little ones are here with us to celebrate and really all the rest--the things I used to be thankful for before our experiecnce in the NICU--will never be as important as they once were.

Happy Thanksgiving Eleanor and Adam. Mommy is so very thankful for you.