no sneezing in the nicu

The NICU is a sterile place. We are not allowed in without "scrubbing". After a couple of weeks of washing 7-10 times a day, my hands were RAW! I commented to one of the nurses that I had washed my hands more in the last three weeks than I have in the last three years...

But it was all for a good cause.

The teeny, tiny babies in the NICU are sick and fragile. The last thing any of them need is a common cold.

The NICU is also a loud, busy place. There are alarms sounding, machines whirring and people talking all through the day and night. After a while I sort of got used to the noise. I even got used to the alarms that would sound any time Little Logan had a change on his scoreboard.

However, for the first few days in the NICU, my heart would stop every time there was a bong or a ding. I even found myselfself startled to panic when I heard a familiar (alarming type) chime overhead in Target one morning as I was zipping in to grab some milk and bread.

But like I said, after a while I became familiar with the noises and the alarms in the NICU and began to breathe more easily as I maintained my vigil beside Little Logan's lifeship. The nurses even began to comment on how calm our little troup was becoming when it came to understanding and accepting the routine in the nursery.

On Monday of this week Diana started to show the wear and tear of the previous 2 1/2 weeks. She was kind of feeling "snuffly" and was seriously exhausted, not only emotionally but physically, as well. Grayson suggested she stay home in the morning and get some rest. But she just misses her baby when she's home so she came to the NICU to assume her position "shipside".

It was all good and fine for a few hours until the unthinkable happened! Diana sneezed....nothing horrendous or contageous but it was definitely a sneeze and for a moment time stood still right there in the NICU.

Nurses glanced up nervously from their posts, people stopped talking; it seemed like the machinery in that place even paused in response to "the sneeze."

We regrouped and tried to put the sneeze behind us. But it kind of hung in the air like last week's fish dinner....

Monday was turning into a long day and we were all exhausted. So after a time Diana announced, " I think we should just go home early tonight and rest."

Little Logan's nurse looked relieved. We packed up our stuff, gave Logan some good bye loves, and were headed to the door when the nurse wished us a good night, reassured Diana that Logan would be fine and said with a wry smile, "Ya, you better get outa here before we have to kick you out. There's no sneezing in the NICU."

"Sleep tight Little Logan." and thanks Legacy Emanuel Hospital for the squeaky clean, safe environment provided for our little guy.