Hello, World!

Fitting that the first entry when one starts a new WordPress blog is already titled, “Hello, World”. On September 20, 2010, little Nyana Rose  said hello to this world in a big way. Not due until December 17th, she decided that she was ready to see what this world was all about, and shortly after seven o’clock in the morning, at only 27 weeks gestation, she surprised us with the most beautiful face and the tiniest of cries.

Her arrival so early was not completely unexpected; her Dad and I had had almost a month to prepare for the prospect of an early delivery. But expecting a premature child and welcoming one are two entirely different things, and the welcoming of a preemie is an experience that I don’t think anyone can adequately prepare for, no matter how much advance warning they are given.

Don and I have spent the past four days drinking her in without holding her; watching her sleep, watching her breathe. I think I’ve used the word “amazing” more times in the past 72 hours than I’ve ever used in my entire lifetime. We’re hearing scary words, like spinal tap and meningitis, and learning new phrases, like CPAP and phototherapy. And through it all we’re realizing a thing or two about unconditional love—how quickly it hits, how deep it runs, how much a part of your soul it becomes.