Good Mommy Award

A few months ago I wrote this post about a time that I was a bad mommy. In general I would say I'm not a bad mother. In fact, there have certainly been times where I should get a special commendation for going above and beyond what most mommys have to do. Not that the rest of you wouldn't do it, mind you (and some of you have). Anyway, here are some of the top contenders for my "Good Mommy Award".

1. I almost died so my son could have a better chance at life. Typically iminent liver faulure is a reason to deliver ASAP, but I held on long enough to get a full round of steroid shots.

Don't those lungs look healthy to you? Just think how bad they would've been!

2. I drove 2 hours each way every day to visit my son in the NICU for the last 4 months of his hospital stay. For the first 2 months he was only 40 minutes away, but even that deserves an award.

3. I chose an outfit for Noah to be buried in when he was 2 months old. We were told he would not live and we had come to grips with that. I think sometimes the most loving thing you can do is being willing to let go.

4. I've "helped" with things that would make most people more than a little uncomfortable. I've held my son's head still so his vent could be retaped, his PICC line could be retaped.... pretty much anything that his devious little hands could reach I've held him still or taped it down. I've watched retinal exams and my son's hernias being reduced. I held the C-PAP on for an hour when my son was extubated the first time because it didn't fit right and kept falling off.


5. I stick a magnet to Noah's head numerous times a day. He pulls it right back off again, but I just do it again (and I rarely complain about it).

5. I learned how to insert an ng tube. I did it more than once even though it made me cry afterwards each time. I did it because having Noah home was more important than my comfort zone.

Can you blame me for using all that tape?

6. I've spent the last 2 winters stuck in my house to keep my little guy from getting sick.

7. I picked out 4 different "coming home" outfits for my son. Ok, so that was fun. But each time he came home meant he had been back in the hospital again - that wasn't so much fun.
I'm kind of partial to #2.

8. Every day I say "take your bite" at least a million times. I clean up vomit 1-2 times a day (sometimes more, but never less). It will be years before my son eats normally, but I haven't given up.

Ok, so what do you think? Is my award in the mail? All too often I think moms (preemie moms especially) focus on the few thinks they think they've done wrong rather than all the things they do right. So lets hear it. I want to know why all the rest of you deserve "Good Mommy Awards"!