World Prematurity Day

World Prematurity Day.  I distinctly remember a March of Dimes billboard about two years ago.  It was on the main road, about a mile from our house.  Often when I passed by it on the road, I had thoughts, stereotypical thoughts of women who smoked, drank, did drugs all while pregnant.  Women who did not get regular OB checkups, those who neglected to eat healthy or take vitamins, obese women with high blood pressure causing pre-eclampsia, women who elected to have c-sections for convenience not medical necessity.  I would never belong to that group!

HA!  Funny how things can change so quickly.  Many of those stereotypes are true, but there are many appointment-going, vitamin taking, exercising, healthy moms like me lumped into this group to celebrate World Prematurity day.  Ultimately, MOD says they want to eliminate premature births altogether.  I'm not sure how my type of PPROM (that happened for no apparent reason) could ever be prevented, but at least people can become more aware that premature birth can happen to anyone.  Hopefully someday those premature stereotypes can be minimized.  Hopefully people can just become more aware of the awful scary journey that goes along with preemies...especially micro-preemies.

But today I celebrate Joshua (and next year I will remember to wear purple)  Thankful for the March of Dimes and their research that gave Joshua surfactant to help develop his lungs after he was born.  And for all of the other research that has been done to give micro-preemies a better chance at life.   Most importantly, praise the Lord for His healing hands!

The first picture ever taken of our little Joshua
23 minutes after you were born.  Those were a
LONG 23 minutes!  And even longer days to come!

What a transformation!  Love you!