I am someone's grandmother!

In August, 2008, a grandmother was born....prematurely because my granddaughter came into this world 15 weeks early. I don't know about you other grandmothers, but when your child tells you they are going to have a baby your mind starts to race. Getting pregnant did not come easy nor was it easy during the pregnancy. As time progressed, I tried to envision the day that my grandchild would be born. I wondered when the time came if I would be at work, if it would take place in the middle of the night, or whether it would be a planned birth. As it turned out, it was an emergency section that took place on August 24, 2008. My granddaughter, Morgan Katherine, was born weighing 1 lb. 12 ozs. Since that time I have become oh too familiar with terms like NICU, OG feeding, CPAP, nasal canula, oxygen levels, monitors, brain bleeds, adjusted age, apnea, brovaic catheter....just to name a few. I have three children of my own but this precious child has been quite the learning experience. When I met Morgan Kate, I fell madly, desperately, hopelessly in love. Nestled in her incubator was this child of my child, a perfect miniature. I wept and laughed and thanked God for allowing me this moment, this gift, this day.

Since that time my daughter, Heather, has introduced me to the "blogging" world and I have read so many amazing stories about premature babies, their families and about their incredible faith journeys. Most of what I have read has been "mommys talking to mommys" but I think there should be a place where we grandmothers can chat and compare stories and find ways that we can help our "children" as they start their parenting skills. I don't know about the rest of you but my children (Heather and Travis) have been thrown into parenthood in a big way. So many things are taken for granted when we give birth to "full term" babies. May we never take for granted a full term baby again and may I as a grandmother be willing to give total support to the rearing of this precious granddaughter of mine.

As I walked out of Morgan Kate's room the day she was born, I was a dazed, overwhelmed new grandmother who tiptoed out of a room where a miracle had happened, wondering how I ever got to be so lucky.