Firsts

Well as we know we all keep a list of first's to look back over, normally they would be smiling laughing, sitting, crawling, teeth, standing, walking on furniture, rolling.

I thought I would share some of our firsts that have meant alot to us.

First time I saw Sarah
Sarah was 24 hours old and I was finally able to walk down to NICU to see her, she was so so so small, must smaller than she looked in the photo they had given me in recovery. She also looked alot pinker than she was in the photo

Our First Hold How I had been hanging out for this day. Finally after 11 days we were able to have our very first hold. Both Michael and myself were at the hospital. She was so so tiny and she was on CPAP, you could barely feel her weight! Light as a feather took on a whole new meaning. We would have to wait another 2 weeks before we could hold her again, so we savoured the moment.

First Nappy Change I remember the very first nappy I changed, as a mum of 4 you would think I would have had some idea, but changing a 1kg baby is so different from a 3kg baby! Her legs were like matchsticks and it felt like they would snap in half. So after 3 weeks I changed my first nappy


First time on the scales - 806grams is what she weighed in at. She was weighed at birth and this was 3 weeks later, it was after her first surgery and she was finally stable enough to be handled and placed on the scales.


First Bangle - When Sarah was 10 days old Michael decided to see just how small her hands where and he slipped his wedding ring over her hand, so so so small

First operation - Not one you want in a list of firsts. But her first operation occured on Day 6 of life, it went for 3.5 hours and was done at the bedside as she was too unstable to be moved to theatre.


First smile - how special was this moment and it was captured on Camera by her nurse. I had her out for a hold, she was 8 weeks old and she looked up at me and smiled, such a special moment, absolutely melted my heart

First Christmas - We had grand plans for Christmas last year. I should have been pregnant, we had planned to have it at home just the 5 of us for the first time, something low key an relaxed while we awaiting the arrival of our bundle. Sarah had taken quite a large step backwards on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day was receiving another transfusion so we didnt get to hold her, but they did dress her in a nice Christmas dress and we snapped lots of photos and Santa didnt miss her!

First time in open air - I arrived at the hospital on Black Saturday to see Sarah laying in a pram - the first time she was out of her incubator for anything other than a 30 minute hold! and she was laying there in just a nappy! The hospital had lost power and were running on generator power but had no Airconditioning and it was hotter in her isolette than it was in room air so out she came! She only lasted about 2 hours after the aircon came back on as she temp was dropping but it was a big step.

First time she fed from a bottle - What a day it was. After 10 weeks we had finally got her off continous nasal gastric feeding and were offering her a bottle feed, all 14 mls of it!

First breastfeed - It came not that long after her first bottle feed at 12 weeks and she took to it like a champ!

First time leaving the 4 walls of NICU - I came in late one night after going home for dinner and her nurse was walking around the room with her. OMG she no longer had any "long lines" she had started her journey with one in each arm and each leg so this was real progress, I could finally dress her in "normal" clothes. The nurse then said " Did you want to take her over to the parents retreat" I was jumping for joy!

First playdate - Ok so not in the most traditional of places for a playdate but her first was with some friends that were due the same time as I was. Sarah was still so tiny, just shy of 2kgs but for 2 hours it was like I was just being a mum sitting down chatting with other mums and babies, it was bliss

I think I might leave this here, as it getting long and continue the rest of her firsts on another day.

The memories are coming back, how very far we have come from the days where things were so uncertain as to whether Sarah would make it home.




EB Bloggers
Powered By Ringsurf