Bows for Babies- Support A Wonderful Cause

Amanda and I connected for the first time via my Veronika's Blushing page on Facebook.  She sent me a note telling me she thought she had seen me at the hospital (I was pregnant at the time and seeing my OB) and that she had a baby in the NICU there.

I work pretty extensively with our neonatology service and have a special place in my heart for these families after having worked with so many of them on news stories over the last few years. I meet these families during a very vulnerable and stressful time in their lives and it is a privilege every time I get to meet their precious miracles and learn about their journeys.

I want to share with you a very special project Amanda is working on to support new moms and dads who have babies in the NICU at Texas Children's Hospital and also to bring a moment of happiness to families who have to spend a holiday in the hospital. 

Tell us briefly about your pregnancy and experience having Cami in the NICU

After a scary pregnancy, filled with more downs than ups, Cami was born at the gestational age of 25 weeks and 5 days, weighing just over 2 pounds. We were incredibly lucky to know ahead of time that she would be born early so that we were prepared to get to the hospital at a moments notice. 

Though our NICU stay was long, and filled with highs and lows, we managed to maintain a positive attitude, knowing how lucky we were to still have Cami with us. In addition to the great relationships I had with Cami�s nurses and doctors, one thing that always made me feel special was when volunteers brought us an unexpected gift, whether it was a hand knit baby blanket or a cup of hot tea.

After 86 days in the NICU, Cami came home. Not a day goes by that I don�t consciously think of how lucky I am to have my perfect angel on Earth.

When did you first come up with the idea to give/donate bows and bow ties to babies in the NICU at Texas Children's?

We were so fortunate to not have to spend a Christmas in the NICU.  As we were decorating for the holidays and planning out all of the traditions we were excited to start for Cami, it dawned on me that even though WE weren�t in the NICU for Christmas, other families were.  I knew I wanted to do something to bring joy to these families, but wasn�t sure what that was.

I considered making ornaments that the families could put on their Christmas tree at home, but decided I wanted to give the babies and families something special that they could enjoy inside the hospital. Then it hit me - bows! When Cami was in the NICU, the nurses would help me tape regular bows onto her CPAP hat because I couldn�t find any preemie sized bows.  Even though this was something only the families of baby girls could enjoy, it was something that was very special to me during our stay that I wanted to share with others.  I made about 60 tiny headbands and put them in a little baggie with a before and after picture of Cami wearing the huge bow I had bought her at the hospital gift shop during our NICU stay. I made a promise to myself that I would think of something to do for the boys by Christmas 2014.

What inspired you to start your business � Squishy Cheeks BOWtique?

After making bows for the little preemie girls, I decided I wanted to start making and selling bows to others via a Facebook page.  I named the business after my once tiny, now big squishy baby girl � Squishy Cheeks BOWtique.  After the first couple of weeks of operation, moms of boys started telling me that I need to offer something for boys.  I joked around with them about the idea of making bows for boys until it hit me � bow ties!

Since I learned how to make the bow ties in March, I decided Easter would be the perfect holiday to do a bow and bowtie donation to the hospital.  

Tell us about what you have planned for this Easter for the babies in the NICU

This past Christmas, I was so late with my idea of making and donating bows that I had to drop the bows off at the front desk of the NICU.  For Easter, I am very excited that I might have the opportunity to actually take the bows to the families and see them on some of the babies.   

I will be holding a bow sale on my Facebook page starting this week, with profits going towards the Easter bows and bow ties.  If the sale is a success, I hope to have money left over to donate to a great organization offered to moms in the Texas Children�s Pavilion for Women NICU called First Memories Texas.  They go into the NICU rooms each week and take photos of the babies.  Then, they print the pictures and provide scrap booking supplies for moms and dads to make a memory card for that week.  I put all of the cards I made during our NICU stay into a photo album and it is something I treasure greatly.

If you would like to support a wonderful cause and get a cute little hair bow or bow tie for your little one (or the baby of a friend or family member!) please visit Amanda's Facebook boutique page here. Thanks for your support and for making a difference for these babies and families!

I also want to mention that through my job I have worked with First Memories Texas and they are a wonderful volunteer group providing a very crucial service to our NICU families. I have done a few news stories with them on the news and I can't tell you just how much happiness they bring to families who want to document their child's journey. You can learn more about First Memories here.

Harper Reese- Birth Story Part II

This part of Harper's birth story is more difficult for me to write than Part I, because this is a story about the unexpected...I still get teary-eyed thinking about it today.

I had a wonderful birth experience and a beautiful 8 pound, 3 ounce baby who ended up being whisked away to the level II NICU about an hour or so after she was born. I feel so fortunate that I got to do some skin-to-skin bonding with her beforehand. I'll cherish that forever.

Kevin holding Harper right after she was born.

After she was born, both she and I had spiked fevers for a brief period of time and no one knew why.  The neonatal response team was called to my room and because I wasn't group-B strep positive and didn't have any other known infections, she had to be taken to the NICU to be started on IV antibiotics as a precaution while doctors ran 24 and 48 hour blood cultures. By the time she got to the NICU she wasn't having any temperature spikes, so that was good news.

My husband went with her to the NICU---I wanted him to, I felt so powerless and I didn't want our newborn to be alone.  It all seemed to happen so quickly. One moment we were in this blissful state admiring our sweet baby girl and the next she was being taken to the NICU.  I was still recovering from the birth and epidural and there I was alone in my labor and delivery room. I had never felt so alone in my life, ever.  I remember just crying in my hospital bed alone and praying she was okay.

While Kevin was in the NICU with Harper I continued to be in a state of shock. I had a complication-free pregnancy and a healthy delivery and she had a 9 Apgar score when she was born so I thought we were in the clear.  My hormones were in overdrive and all I wanted was to get out of that room and go and see our little girl but I wasn't allowed to leave until I could walk again.

When Kevin got back to the L&D room, I asked my nurse if we could be moved to the mother/baby unit. I told her I felt fine and that I could feel my legs (that was true).  She knew I was anxious, I had cried in front of her about 20 minutes prior.  I asked if I could try to walk and go to the bathroom so she and Kevin helped me out of the bed. I was able to use the restroom and as I got up to wash my hands I started to feel really dizzy.  Then, everyone's voices began to sound like they were in a tunnel. I had to sit down in the wheelchair and rest for a moment.  The nurse insisted that I eat before we transferred rooms. She was right. I realized I hadn't eaten since early that morning before we went to the hospital.  I felt a lot better once I ate and we were finally able to move to the mother/baby unit, though we were without our baby. 

Our hospital practices family-centered care so babies room-in with parents but we couldn't have her with us until she was cleared from the NICU.  So we settled into our new room and I asked my nurse for a breast pump so I could try to express some colostrum to feed to Harper in the NICU.  Fortunately our hospital is very pro-breastfeeding and they offer pasteurized donor breast milk for babies so her first feedings were of my colostrum and donor breast milk which I'm incredibly thankful for as studies show that those first feedings are so crucial for the development of baby's intestines.

I was able to pump a syringe of colostrum and Kevin took me in a wheelchair to the NICU to visit Harper.  I saw her laying there with all of the monitors and an IV and it just broke my heart---but at the same time I knew she was getting the best care and I am a "better safe than sorry" type of person so I'm glad they were being precautious. Still, it was really hard to see her like that and to know we had to go back to our room without her.

Visiting Harper in the NICU

We didn't get much sleep that night. We were both still stunned at what happened.  Why did we spike fevers?  Was she going to be okay? When would we see the results from her blood cultures?

The next day we returned to the NICU where I worked with a lactation consultant to feed her.  She had issues with her latch from the start so I continued to pump colostrum.  We got the news later that day that Harper could come back to our room and continue get her IV treatments there. Thank goodness. We just wanted to be with our baby.

Working with lactation consultants in the NICU the day after she was born

Having her back in our room was wonderful. I loved being able to hold her and feed her  without all of those wires.  Later that evening we got the news that her billiruben levels were high and so they administered phototherapy right there in our room.  I felt sad seeing our baby girl go through so much those first couple of days of life, but I was also simultaneously grateful for the care she was receiving.

Feeding Harper pasteurized donor breast milk, 

so thankful for the generous moms who donate

Though it was hard to go through, I feel lucky that I had such a supportive partner to go through it all with. It's totally cliche, but my husband was my rock during those first few days of Harper's life. He still is!

After Harper's phototherapy was complete, her pediatrician visited us in the hospital and said he thought we could go home that evening.  We were elated but also worried because we hadn't yet gotten the 48 hour blood culture results yet---but the 24 hour results came back negative so our pediatrician was confident that the fever was completely random and that there was no infection. He ended up being right---her 48 hour cultures did come back negative.

Harper under the billi lights

We took her home the evening of May 29th and the next morning, I woke up realizing it was my 30th birthday. My "golden year."  I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than to be at home as a family of three.  It was such a blessing to have her home, my dream come true.

Finally going home...our cart full of our things, presents, etc...

We took her to the pediatrician's office on my birthday to have her billi levels re-checked and they were still elevated but not enough to continue phototherapy.  She had also lost weight so our pediatrician wanted us to just focus on feeding her and making sure she was having enough wet and dirty diapers.


It's been three and a half weeks now and we are all settled in at home and Harper is doing great.  Even though her first few days of life were a bit stressful and full of uncertainty, I'm still happy with my birth experience because all I ever hoped for was that we would be able to take our baby home and start our life as a family, regardless of what happened on the way there.

Thank you for reading and for all of the wonderful comments and support many of you left when we were in the hospital and over the last few weeks.  

I will definitely also be writing a post about postpartum recovery as I know that has been highly requested.