Connor's first days

We were the lucky ones remember... This is all we had to deal with. So many other's have surgeries and longer stays than we had. My baby boy was perfect. A little small, needed to learn how to breath, and eat, but otherwise perfect. Soon he would figure it all out and come home. I would get to take him home.

For Derek and I we played it in a sense of ok what do we need to do now and what do we need to do next. And then we took life hour by hour and eventually a few hours at a time, to a day at a time.

It was stressful, but honestly we learned so much. We learned a lot about our little family. We learned we have so many people who love and support us. We learned that we are always in our Heavenly Father's care. We are always watched over.

A special experience I was able to have. While waiting for Connor to come and not knowing when, and how long I would be in the hospital we were solely relying on the help of our friends and neighbors to survive the day to day. We needed help in a big way.

That first night in the hospital I cried a lot and prayed for help. We had planned on Derek's cousin coming to help, but they weren't available until closer to Connor's due date. My Mom had just taken on a lot and was recovering from helping my brother's family, and Derek still needed to work so that when we really needed help and a break he would be there for his 10 days of paternity leave. As I was praying for who could we ask for help my friend from high school, Ashley's name came to my mind. I didn't know if it would even be a possibility for her to come, but I immediately got on my phone and texted her. In the morning I let her know I was serious and she was an angel sent from Heaven. Her sweet Mom watched her two girls for a week so she could hop on a plane and come take care of my girls. She got there about the time I was discharged from the hospital. I know that our Heavenly Father answers our prayers. He is there always. Sometimes he sends Heavenly angels to watch over our sweet babies that are stuck in a NICU and sometimes he sends earthly angels of sweet and kind friends to come and rescue us.

That first month, I had a lot of angels.

Feeding Connor

 I got so lucky. The first 24 hours after I had Connor when I went to visit him they were changing his bed and I was lucky and actually got to hold him. I wouldn't have been able to hold him otherwise because he wasn't suppose to be too disturbed.

 We quickly got familiar with all the wires and hook up for the boy.

 Just a few of his battle wounds.