To The NICU Staff

N. I. C. U.

Two little lines and “we’re pregnant” is said,
“What to expect when you’re expecting” is bought and read.
Everyone’s excited and our family is filled with joy and pride,
No one could know that we were in for a very long ride.

They’re coming early, way too early, 23 weeks 2 days to be exact
50% chance of blindness, deafness, or something not being intact.
They’re whisked away in a life saving chariot of electronics and gas,
Having no idea if or how long our little angels would last.

1 lb 1 oz and 1 lb 3 oz’s so small they seem unreal,
We’re so scared to touch them to see how they feel.
So fragile, so beautiful, so tiny, so wonderfully sweet,
From their hairy bodies and transparent skin to their minuscule feet.

So it began with oscillators, antibiotics, and bilirubin lights.
We’d visit during the day and wait by the phone at nights.
Everyday a new issue, the roller coaster up or down,
News that would bring a smile, a tear, or a frown.

Then it’s graduating to ventilators with leaks and all kinds of settings
Charts and POC’s and the first diaper wettings.
Prayer’s to hear crying or to see that first poop
Pumping at 2 am, then calling the NICU for the latest scoop

We saw specialists for PDA’s, swollen ventricles, and perforated guts.
Without our faith and hope, we would have gone nuts.
A strong church family and friends and family were a great mixture
To give us the support we needed to see the bigger picture

OPRMC NICU nurses are a very select, special breed
Every day taking care of those with a very special need.
They deal with parents upset, nervous, scared, angry, poor and wealthy
All the while working tirelessly, diligently, to keep every baby healthy

OPRMC NICU nurses are filled with many talents,
From PICC lines, to head IV’s, and soothing weary parents.
Their skills are bigger than their paycheck would show
And their hearts are greater than any rainbow

You can see it in their smile when yet another NICU alum goes home
And you can see it in their face when God takes one for his own.
From joy to heartbreak in the blink of an eye
They continue their life saving work and another day goes by.

The doctors, staff, RT’s, and Luz are all part of a big team
With the goal of saving every parents dream
They have cared for and about our little angels almost as much as we
God truly blessed our lives with the nurses, doctors and staff at OPRMC