A Party to Remember!

Saturday was such a great day!

It was something Chris and I have looked forward to for two years.

It was Ann Catherine's Preemie Reunion Party!

Let me explain. The Preemie Reunion Party is an annual party for 2-year-old NICU graduates. That means ALL of the babies who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children were invited to this event.

It was so incredible watching these little miracles run around. I say 'run around' because that's exactly what Ann Catherine did. She was on the move! Chris and I chased her all over the gymnasium! She had so much fun!

The concept of this party is so neat. It's a chance for parents to reconnect with the doctors and nurses who took care of their babies during such a critical phase of their lives. I have often said, it is such a helpless feeling when your child is in NICU. All you can do is sit and watch while these doctors and nurses care for your child. But because of that, you develop such a bond with them. Once you leave the unit, you may not see them much anymore. So this party is a great chance to see them and thank them again for all they have done.

The funny thing is the nurses and doctors don't recognize the babies because they have changed so much. They've gone from one to two pounds to full grown toddlers running all over the place. But they do remember the parents.

The Preemie Party is such a milestone. I can remember sitting at Ann Catherine's bedside while the nurses told me about it and showed me pictures. It gave me so much hope that "one day" we would get there.

Well, "one day" came for us Saturday. As I watched Ann Catherine play, I could only think of how blessed we are. The NICU journey wasn't an easy one, but we made it.

On the way to the party, Chris and I told Ann Catherine that it was HER day. We told her this party was for her and for all she did to be here. She fought so hard to be part of this world and we feel so incredibly blessed to have her!

To watch my story about the Preemie Reunion Party that aired on NewsChannel 19, click here.