Happy Neonatal Nurses Day

Today is Neonatal Nurses Day. I am honored to know some, and be able to call them friends, and well, family. It amazes me what they do every day. They save lives every day. They comfort parents. They take on the role of mother, nurse, doctor, and friend. They care for these babies around the clock. They have to walk that line between professional, and friend. (which frankly, most fail at, in a good way of course). They feed, change, hold, comfort, and love these babies when mom and dad cannot be there. I have seen them cry with us when Juliet took steps back, and rejoice when she took steps forward. I have been comforted by them when we said goodbye to Jacob, and I have seen the impact he had on them.

But then, they say goodbye, and sometimes never see these babies again. They have to hand over a child they have cared for, for sometimes months, and trust that mom and dad will take care of them.
It must be the hardest, sometimes most painful job there is out there. But it must also be rewarding. To see these babies grow, and improve every day. To be able to look back and see how many lives they have changed. They have changed our life. I will never think of Juliet's days in the NICU, without thinking of all the smiling faces I passed when I walked through there. I will always remember the peace I felt leaving my daughter with them, and I know they will always be there to cheer her on in everything she does. They will be some of her biggest supporters through life, and I am so grateful for them. They are family.
So, If you see a Neonatal nurse today, or any day for that matter, give them a hug and a Thank You. They are true heros, and I know our life would be forever different if they were not there every day.