November 17th is World Prematurity Awareness Day. I never thought that World Prematurity Awareness Day would be something that would become so close to my heart until Remembrance Day of 2008. Our baby was due February 3rd, 2009, but she cannon-balled her way into this world (and delivered herself without any doctors in the room) on November 11th, 2008. Sometimes … [Read more...]
Our daughter, Little One was born on November 11, 2008 at 28 weeks gestation. She was three months premature.

At almost 24 weeks into my pregnancy, it was discovered that my cervix was already dilated to the point where Little One could be born at any moment. I was sent by air ambulance to Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, where Little One made her dramatic entrance into the world. With almost five weeks of strict bed rest, she still arrived early.
She weighed in at 980 g (nearly 2 lbs, 3 oz) and spent the first two months of her life in the NICU. Every day was a roller coaster ride of emotions, never knowing what would happen from one day to the next.
Little One is now a very happy, healthy, thriving, and busy little girl!

Here are our posts of our life in the NICU:
Nothing Says Romantic Like...Don't Know When I'll be Back
Totally Unexpected
A Day in the Life of a Bed Rest Mama
Hard
Kinda Boring Really
I Am Such a Needy, Needy Person
Surprise!
As If Things Couldn't Possibly Get More Exciting
It's a GIRL!!!
The Day After
Because You Asked For It
Baby Blues
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
It's Been One Week
Getting Reacquainted With Toronto
Roller Coaster Ride
Here She Is!
My Little Hero
Attachment Issues
What a Difference a Week Makes
One More Sleep
Life with a Premature Baby in the NICU
Precious Moments
It's Over
Yin and Yang
My New Sense of 'Normal'
Things I've Learned
The Babe
Visions of Sugar Plums
More Surprises!
A Day of Many Gifts
The BEST Christmas Present Ever!
It Makes My Heart Hurt
Must Haves for Moms and Dads with Babies in the NICU or Level 2 Nursery
The Long and Winding Road
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wierdersehen, Goodbye!
Confessions of a Preemie Drama Queen
Skin to Skin
Fight For Preemies
10 Things NICU Parents Go Through That Will Make You Cry #NoBabyUnhugged
I can tell you from experience that there are many things NICU parents go through that will make you cry. September is NICU Awareness Month and in an effort to support other NICU families, I hoped to share my story with you and offer a NICU Care Package that I’ve personally curated with Huggies to help make a family’s time in the NICU a little bit easier. As a mom of … [Read more...]
World Prematurity Day: No Baby Unhugged
No Baby Unhugged. November 17th is World Prematurity Day, a day intended to raise awareness of the high rates of premature births worldwide. When babies arrive early they’re sensitive, vulnerable and in need of care around the clock. And while medicine and machines are an important part of their treatment, hospitals are now discovering human touch and hugs are also a … [Read more...]
Today You Are Six
Dear Little One, Today you are six. It s hard to believe that this time six years ago, you entered our lives. It was both the happiest and scariest day of my life. You were supposed to arrive in February, but surprised us by arriving in November! I would have loved it if you stayed put for twelve more weeks! Thus began our journey as parents and a very long seventy … [Read more...]
November 17th ~ World Prematurity Day
World Prematurity Day is November 17th! Every November it hits me. Though the years have flown by and Little One is relatively healthy, this time of the year always brings back a flood of memories. There was a time when life was pretty scary for us. I honestly don't know how we survived those early days to Little One's rough start in life. Though I have tried to … [Read more...]
World Prematurity Day #preemie #NICU
It's hard to believe that five years have flown by so quickly. Every November is bitter sweet for me. November signals not only Remembrance Day and the day Little One was born, but also World Prematurity Day. I remember being flown by air ambulance from Manitoulin Island to Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital. The whole experience was dizzying and disorienting. Then came the … [Read more...]
Bringing Home Baby ~ Pampers Twitter Party #ILoveSwaddlers
Every parent can relate when it comes to bringing baby home for the first time. There's the first time putting baby in the car seat, first car ride, sitting in the back seat with them, going home for the first time, and first sleep at home!I think it's pretty universal that as first time parents, many of us have the same feelings of excitement as well as apprehension bringing … [Read more...]
Happy 7th Birthday, Twitter!
This morning, when I read this post on Mashable, I got a little emotional. Yes, I know. A YouTube video about Twitter made me cry. Hey, I'm the girl who cries when I watch Tim Horton's commercials!In all seriousness, the birthday video for Twitter encapsulated seven years of our history as a group of people with shared experiences...in a few seconds of video.Twitter connects … [Read more...]
A Heartfelt Thanks to all of You! #Preemie #NICU
Many of you have asked how our fundraiser/benefit concert for Mount Sinai Hospital's Perinatal Parents Association went last weekend. We want to give a BIG thank you to everyone who came out and supported our cause and to those who supported us from afar. It truly means a lot to us to be able to "give back" to Mount Sinai after having a preemie in the NICU. We are so thankful … [Read more...]
Supporting Parents with Babies in the #NICU ~ #Preemie Awareness Month
This Saturday (tonight!), local band, Rural Roots will be performing at our fundraiser for Mount Sinai's Preninatal Parents' Association. Honestly, without Mount Sinai Hospital, Little One would not be here today. Without our "second family", the NICU parents and staff, I would not have survived life those first 72 days of Little One's life in the hospital.Since November is … [Read more...]
Prematurity Awareness Month – What it’s Really Like to Have a Preemie
Imagine what is supposed to be the most exciting time of your life turning into a time of uncertainty and constant worry...and even the scariest time of your life. That's what having a preemie is like. Spending each day not knowing if your baby will survive is a reality for many parents of preemies. Little One was born at 28 weeks and was 980 g at birth. That's just over 2 … [Read more...]
November is Prematurity Awareness Month
It has only been recently (as in the past year or two) that I have met many other preemie mamas and I always find it surprising to discover just how many moms have had similar experiences with having a preemie and having to spend days, weeks, and months in the NICU. This guest post was written by fellow preemie mama, Liz from Frugal Mom Eh!November is international … [Read more...]
November is #Preemie Awareness Month – A Manitoulin Concert for @mountsinai’s Perinatal Parent Association #NICU
Most of you already know that November is always a hard time for me. November is Preemie Awareness Month and it's also the month that Little One cannon-balled her way into existence. Every November, I get really weepy just thinking of what we went through and how some days I thought we would never leave the NICU with our baby. There were days when I was nervous going to the … [Read more...]
Women of a Certain Age
The past few days, weeks, and months have been filled with excitement at the news of many (yes, many!) friends who are expecting babies in the upcoming months and early next year. I am SO thrilled for all my friends and cannot wait to go shopping for baby presents! With this, of course comes the burning questions of "So, when are you guys having number two?" and "Are you guys … [Read more...]
We’ve Only Just Begun
*sniff* In just a few days, my wee one will be getting on a school bus and heading into the world of Junior Kindergarten. I guess I honestly didn't think this day would come so soon. After her rough start and the roller coaster experience of life in the NICU, I just wanted to take each day as it came. Not knowing whether Little One would be emotionally, mentally, or … [Read more...]