I'm a Lucky Dog!

 

 

I always remember Daddy saying "I'm a lucky dog." As a result the phrase has worked its way into my vocabulary. I say it with some regularity but I don't often give the meaning much thought. In the last month I've really thought a lot about my Daddy and the other day I remembered him saying it before dinner, driving down the road, and after big discussions. I realized it was like a prayer, a way to show gratitude in a subtle way. That was his way, he was quietly proud and showed us the way to treat every one with respect because every person has a purpose. I vividly remember my embarrassment when I was 11 and he would make conversation with cashiers at the grocery store, make waitresses laugh, and talk to strangers at gas stations. Its funny how we turn into our parents in subtle and big ways. I have been known to embarrass friends with these same actions. But as my friend Lori says, it's just who you are and I have learned to live with it.

 

The other night when we went to visit our child, we found the NICU was temporarily closed. We found out from other bewildered parents and family that it was due to a code blue from the labor and delivery floor. That information hit me like a ton of bricks. Before the nugget was born, we knew she was probably going to be healthy. She could have needed oxygen, she needed to grow because she was two months early but basically she was going to be fine. I had spent the day being frustrated that she had been in the hospital for a month and I had no better idea of when she was coming home than when we started this adventure. Reality check, more like a reality smack down. Our baby was gaining the stamina to be able to finish her bottles without having to directly deposited into her stomach. This baby was clinging to life, and she is now attached to at least four different life-saving machines and our nugget has a ng tube and an apnea monitor. Some babies have been there since October, and some only stay a few days.

 

Bottom line is I'm a lucky dog. My nugget is growing well and has almost mastered the feeding issue and we will go home when she is ready. And we're ready for her to come. Although we started at a baby item deficit, we are now in a surplus. I'm still whining about the shower but the mini-showers our families have given us have been lovely. Last weekend, my uncle, aunt, and cousins came bearing gifts. Very fancy gifts. Plus a surprise, my Daddy had built a cradle for my oldest cousin in late 1974. Until about a week ago, I had no idea it existed. The Frickman family came to a consensus and gifted it back to me and the nugget. Of all the gifts we have received, this is the most special. I never dreamed my little girl would have something created by her Grandaddy. She is blessed to be surrounded by so many family members who can't wait to hold her. Now, thanks to a generous gift, her Grandaddy can hold her too.