Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Sweet Baby Zeda's NICU Session


Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. 

We pray these special memories will help the parents to remember how strong they were in overcoming a crisis situation.


A note from Mom:
"Zeda weighed 2 lbs 3 oz when she was born. She was on oxygen just to keep her lungs expanded so she wouldn't have to work so hard to breath. She was breathing 100% on her own on February 6th, on the 30th of January her IV came out. She has been gaining weight and learning to eat. March 21st she hit two months old and her feeding tube came out! So now as long as she still gains weight she will be coming home soon! :)"


Volunteer Photographer:
Ashley Diamond - College Station, TX 

A note from Ashley:
"Meet beautiful Baby Zeda! I spent a wonderful hour with Baby Zeda, Mom, Grandma and Grandpa and my favorite moment was to watch Grandpa hold his beautiful little angle for the first time!"






Monday, March 25, 2013

Baby Alia's NICU Grad Photo Session


Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. 

We pray these special memories will help the parents to remember how strong they were in overcoming a crisis situation.


A note from Mom:
"Alia entered the world on her timing weighing only 1 lb 11oz. She has overcome every obstacle she has been faced with and done it with a smile. She is our miracle and we thank God for her health everyday. We are so blessed to be able to watch our angel grow."



Volunteer Photographer:
Karina Johnson - Houston, TX

A note from Karina:
"This was such an awesome shoot! Baby Alia has recovered and is getting stronger by the minute. She was all smiles showing off her new bottom teeth! Just adorable. :) Once again, I'm honored to be able to captivate such a miracle."







Friday, March 22, 2013

Welcome New Photography Volunteer, Denise Skelton!

Skelton Photography
www.skeltonphotographyblog.blogspot.com
deniseskelton05@gmail.com

Service Area: Chattanooga, TN

About Denise:
"All of our children have been preemies & have had a NICU stay (ranging from 12 - 61 days). Since then, I have had the pleasure of photographing one NICU family. The baby passed away the next and I know from my own experience how special those photographs must be to them. Before we had children I was a lifestyle family and wedding photographer for about six years."


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Sweet Isaiah's Preemie Prints NICU Grad Session

Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. 

We pray these special memories will help the parents to remember how strong they were in overcoming a crisis situation.

A note from Mom:
"My son, Isaiah Eleuterio Estrada - born 2/13/12 due 5/13/12 was born exactly 3 months early due to placental abruption. He suffered a grade IV bleed and the doctors didn't think he would make it past the first week. After spending 117 days in the NICU - we headed home last Friday (6/8/12). My son has a PEG tube and with his neuro issues rarely opens his eyes."

Volunteer Photographer:
Carolyn Finger - San Antonio, Tx

A note from our volunteer:
"This was a very special for me cause it was a first for me to take pictures of a sweet baby with Cerebral Palsy, mom Michelle was letting me know certain things that might happen what i can and can't do which was very helpful. Even though i couldn't do much he did a great job without having a seizure and the one thing that mommy wanted was a picture with his eye's open since he pretty much has them closed but with mommy's kisses i got some shots with his eye's open......it was a perfect session and he left a special spot in my heart!"





"Sharing Hope With NICU families" 
Please support our mission by making a donation today

Monday, March 11, 2013

Into The Abyss ~ Sharing A NICU Experience

Ten months ago I had the biggest shock of my life -- My son would be born 7 weeks early due to a placental abruption. The C-section itself was terrifying and on top of it the complications my son would have due to being premature were overwhelming. I had read everything there was on labor, delivery, pregnancy, but I never read about prematurity. I never once considered this to happen, so I was in no way prepared for what would take place. If you know me, then you know I need to be prepared or I freak out and I did several times. I didn't get to see my son when he was born and hold him afterwards like all the other mommy's do. My first peek at him was through a plastic box on a gurny that would fly him away to another city. I had no true expressions when I saw him, it was as if I was outside of my body staring at something that I knew was mine -- but he was leaving with them. It didn't make sense.

Our first trip to Mercy Toledo Children's Hospital I met my fragile, tiny little baby boy for the second time. He was two days old. He was covered in bruises. He had wires sticking all through his little arms, feet, and belly button. He had a ventilator taped to his mouth so that he could breathe and he lay motionless. I cried when I saw him and the guilt instantly crept upon me. What did I do wrong? How did my plan fail? Is he going to live?


I held my son and kissed him for the first time when he was 6 days old. His tiny 3 lb body lay in my arms snuggled to my chest, and at that moment he opened his eyes. I realized then that I am in this, He Is Mine, and I will do whatever it takes to keep him alive. The first 6 days I wouldn't let myself get attached to him, instead I would silently will him to live. Soon that feeling had ended and there I sat holding my precious son when it hit me that my life would be changed forever.

The NICU experience was exhausting.  Ryan and I had never even been into a NICU. I myself never heard of a NICU. I had no idea what was in store for us. We drove 60 miles every day to be at his side, even if it were for only a couple of hours. The first 20 days we sat and stared through incubator windows and we watched the monitors beep as his oxygen levels dropped and his heart rate fell. There I sat willing him to pull through as I watched Ryan's face turn to me with a look I'll never forget, the look of instant terror. He fought a heart murmur, two brain bleeds, and seriously under developed lungs.

The last 13 days he spent in a lower level area. This area is where we could pick our child up, feed him, and hold him whenever we wanted. This was a godsend. In this area I realized that I AM his mommy. I now understood the meaning of encouragement, grace, strength, fear, doubt, and most of all unconditional love.

Thirty three long days later my son would be discharged and finally come home. Yes he would come home, but he would come with baggage. At first I said to myself 'I can't do this'. Usually, people come home when they are fully healed and this wasn't the case. My son suffered from Sleep Apnea and Bradychardia, a condition that preemies grow out of…and some faster than others. He would also come home with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, a condition where the lungs have been scarred due to the prolonged use of a ventilator and this is something that will also fix itself in due time, I prayed. I jumped at every beep the monitor made, I tripped over oxygen tubing on a daily basis, I slept only when I was not alone, and I cried like I had just lost my puppy.

The first week was pins and needles. The second week was, why is he crying. The third week was oh my goodness I am doing this and then we were in the fourth week and I was just figuring out how to get him to sleep. As one can see it was a trial and error basis with me since I had zero experience with babies. It has been an emotional journey. I could not have made it through the NICU without the tender support and care I received from the staff. We are very lucky to have only faced what we went through. We are very lucky we still have our son. We are very-very grateful for the many people who gave us hope each and every day we stepped foot into the 'Abyss'.



Most importantly, what I have learned in the past ten months is that I have the heart of a lion, the strength of a bear, and the love of a mother. I would not change any of this for the world. I mean he's MY son and in him I have found myself.

Delona Page

~We thank Delona for sharing her story with past & present NICU families. Sharing your story will give others hope! If you are interested in sharing your story please email sherri@preemieprints.org for more information. 

Monday, March 4, 2013

NICU Grad Photos of Little Miss Emma!!


Please enjoy our inspirational photos and consider supporting our mission to share hope with families who have a baby born prematurely or critically ill. Our programs include an online support group, the gift of photography, group events and meetings, information, and email support. Our mission is to connect parents and let them know they are not alone. We thank our supporters, volunteers, and donors for allowing us to touch the lives of NICU, preemie, and angel families. 

We pray these special memories will help the parents to remember how strong they were in overcoming a crisis situation.


A note from Mom:
"We were in the NICU for 5 weeks and 1 day. We got to come home on Feb 4th. We still haven't made it to her due date yet. Today she was officially released from the NICU passing her last eye exam. They weighed her today and she was 7 lbs 12.2 ounces. She still has a PDA, it is narrowing and still has a PFO which is moderate. She still hasn't smiled at us while being awake, she does smile in her sleep though. She is our miracle baby. I was never supposed to get pregnant. Our 4 year old was a fertility baby, so she was definitely a surprise and a blessing! She is definitely a little fighter. The saying on her wall is the Shakespeare quote "Though she be but little, She is fierce" - this is so true. We love her and we thank Preemie Prints so much for giving us this opportunity."


Volunteer Photographer:
Dorinda Herald - Fort Polk, LA 

A note from Dorinda:
"Meet little miss Emma! She was born 11 weeks early and is now out of the NICU and home with her family! I had a great time photographing this beautiful 8 week old princess."