by Summer Hill-Vinson | Dec 22, 2016 | Emotional Health, Life after the NICU
Three and a half years ago, we bundled our second preemie into her car seat and left the NICU in our rearview mirror. We have since moved to a new state, built a house, and started new jobs. Our kids run and play, and on the surface, they look nothing like the tiny...
by Summer Hill-Vinson | Jul 11, 2016 | Life after the NICU, NICU Life
Preemies are not small full-term babies, and parenting a preemie is its own unique roller coaster of joys and challenges separate from the standard newborn experience. Here are 9 ways the experience of parenting preemies is unique. Having a preemie begins a journey,...
by Summer Hill-Vinson | Feb 26, 2016 | Life after the NICU, NICU Life
Like so many families, the 150 days we spent with babies in the hospital were a rollercoaster. But, if pressed on which day was the worst, one immediately comes to mind: the day I was told J had a congenital heart defect. We were two months into his stay, far longer...
by Summer Hill-Vinson | Jan 13, 2016 | Emotional Health, Life after the NICU, NICU Life
Within a 6-week span, we bought our first house, moved 400 miles to a new city, and became parents, 14 weeks early. We had no local support network. No church. No friends from work. No people to call in a pinch. No one to bake us casseroles or tie balloons on our...
by Summer Hill-Vinson | Oct 12, 2015 | Life after the NICU, NICU Life
Before the NICU, I thought nothing of the simple act of washing my hands. I did it before meals and after leaving restrooms, but I never dwelled on how to wash my hands or for how long. I had the luxury of being healthy and not fearing illnesses. But, all that changed...
