Parents of Preemies Day
Melissa
Chris and I have been parents for 63 days. On the day Hattie was born we weren't expecting to become parents for at least another three months, but God had other plans for our family. The last 63 days have been the hardest and longest days of our life but we wouldn't change a thing and we are happier than ever. We have been rewarded with such a beautiful gift. Becoming Hattie's parents has been the biggest blessing! We choose happiness. It would be easy to pout and complain and say we never want to have another baby because this is just too hard. It would be easy to feel like a victim and ask God "why me?" We choose to sing the praises of our God who knit Hattie together in my womb and deliver her to us in His perfect timing. We choose to be joyful for all of the wonderful things Hattie has accomplished no matter how big or small. We choose to celebrate the fact that we get fourteen extra weeks with our baby girl. We are embracing being parents of a preemie because we trust that this is God's plan for us.
Tomorrow, Sunday, March 10, Grahams Foundation is bringing the preemie community together for their second annual Parents of Preemies Day. Parents of Preemies Day is a national day of awareness recognizing the courage and commitment it takes to stay strong and resilient when the birth of a tiny premature baby turns a family's world upside down.
Each year, 13 million babies are born prematurely to parents who never expected their birth stories would be so challenging. Though medical breakthroughs continue to improve outcomes for preemies, experts are only now beginning to understand the intense psychological effects that premature birth has on moms and dads.
Our little family will be celebrating together in the NICU and we're going to participate in their worldwide Twitter chat at 2:00 p.m. EST @ #parentsofpreemiesday.
