From Room #20 Downstairs to Room #3 Upstairs

People always say that you just can't imagine a love like the love you have for your child...and they couldn't be more right.

Our son, Miller Andrew Dolan, came into the world on January 14th, 2011 at 5:48 a.m. After 6 weeks of medical bed rest at Willow Creek, I went into labor at about 2:00 a.m. Brooke was staying with me and called Andrew right away. One of our most favorite nurses (we have a few:)), Angie, was assigned to my room that night and was able to be in the operating room with us to take pictures. The most fabulous Emily Hinton was there to perform the C-Section and Dr. Cole so graciously was there as well. I could talk for days about Emily and how she has helped Andrew and I through this process. I also need to give so much credit to our nurses for getting us to this point. With my water breaking at 26 weeks, I don't think we really had any idea how the situation would have been had I gone into labor. The fact that our nurses and doctors were able to get us to 32 weeks 3 days is, at the very least, a miracle.

Miller weighed a good 5 pounds 11 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. He is the prettiest baby I have ever seen and the love we have for him is like nothing I have ever experienced. It is hard to see him laying in the incubator day after day but he is a fighter and has done so well at this point. The NICU staff has told us to be prepared for setbacks and I would love to be able to say that I will be prepared but I think if we do it will probably hit me like a ton of bricks. He has done nothing but progress so that is all we are used to. He is eating well, staying off oxygen and regulating his temperature. He has the sweetest temperament and smiles when we talk to him. I love getting to hold him and we are starting to get to hold him more. When you get pregnant you just can never imagine that you wouldn't be taking your baby home with you that first night you go home or having someone tell you when you can hold him. But, there are much worse things in the world and I have to say that he is a true miracle, a God-Thing. I am thanking God every day for giving us this baby. He is more than I could have ever hoped for. It is tough having a premature baby and we don't know when we will be able to take him home but we are going to make it.

Thank you for all of the thoughts and prayers. Please keep them coming.

Love and Hugs,

Ali