Amy's birth story is great. I know she was born early and there were complications, but once she came into this world, she was awesome and her story is so unique. Not too many babies spend their first three weeks of the world in three hospitals. Both of us got great treatment in our hospitals, but Walnut Creek Kaiser has to be the most special. She was there for two weeks and let me tell you, she thrived!
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) there is one of the best, if not the best, in Northern California. There were so many babies in the NICU when we were there and all of them there for different reasons. Amy was very fortunate to be one of the healthiest babies in there at the time. I visited Amy every day once I was discharged from the hospital, making the 35-40 minute drive, sometimes with my mom, down Interstate 80, then to 680. I walked into the hospital, Boppy and diaper bag in tow and was excited about our one hour together for the day. I visited her in the morning and because the nurses didn't want her overstimulated, I was only allowed to hold her for an hour. Once she got bigger, I could hold her for longer. We did kangaroo care (where she laid on my naked chest in just her diaper) for an hour and we just sat there. I didn't sing, I didn't talk, I couldn't even rock in my chair. I wanted to fall asleep, but I couldn't take my eyes off this little person. She loved kangaroo care and so did I. When the nurses told me my time was up, they literally had to peel her off me - our sweaty skins were stuck together (LOL).
We were invited to the NICU graduate reunion and it was decided as a family that we were definitely going to go. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like because we didn't get an invitation last year. There were games, snacks, live kids music and activities. It was so much fun. Amy and Diana even led a group of kids in dancing to the live music.
I got a little emotional being back in Walnut Creek, seeing all the little babies and the big "graduates" walking around. I've been back to Walnut Creek since Amy left there, because she has appointments there once a year so I don't know why I was emotional on this day. But that hospital and the staff holds a special place in my heart and I will never forget how wonderfully we were treated there.
Here are some pictures from our fun day.
Amy was very helpful, making sure to set up the pins after she knocked them over in the bowling game.
Daddy was pumped that there were Color by Number coloring books. He needs structure, but I didn't know he needed THAT much structure!
You would've sworn that the "live music" was Taio Cruz or something by the way the girls were dancing, but no...just a man and his guitar singing kids music.
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