"Never Let Go"

A journalist recently wrote a long, three-part essay about her experience with her 23-week preemie. Better than anything else that I have read, it captures the small details and the emotional roller coaster of life in the NICU. I highly recommend that you read it. The main page to "Never Let Go" by Kelley Benham of the Tampa Bay Times also includes photos, video, and two well done info-graphics (1, 2). You can jump straight to the essay here (1, 2, 3).

Photos Sept-Dec: birthday, Christmas, & more

We have been busy with the holidays, with the gift drive, and with preparing for Loki's transition to school, and thus are behind with blogging. I intend to catch up. First, photos from the last three months (and even earlier, in some cases).

Our favorite, Loki running at his daycare:

We actually celebrated Loki's birthday four times: in Indiana, with just our core family, with lots of neighbor kids (and more), and at his daycare. Here he waits for his big gift to be uncovered:

He sees his big gift (a Playmobil house):

We all celebrated Loki's fourth birthday in October. Here is a candle tray:

With kids:

In the Netherlands, the birthday person gives gifts to colleagues. Mom made these for the kids at Loki's daycare:

We visited family.Loki with Opa Ruud:

 Here with his (step) cousins, aunt, and grandmother:

With cousins:

At the nearby small amusement part, where we had a season pass:

Playground:

Loki still performs. He sometimes has a microphone:

...and with a slide (yes, that is a syringe case) on his guitar:

We celebrate Halloween, unlike most Dutch. Here Loki helps carve a pumpkin:

A Dutch holiday is St. Nicholas Day. The Dutch St. Nicholas, or Sinterklaas, is (most of) the origin of America's Santa Claus, and is the main gift-giving day here:

Although most Dutch give gifts only on Sinterklaas, as Americans we also give gifts on Christmas. Lucky Loki! He loves his educational white board from Nana and Papaw. If you look closely you can see that he wrote his name, although the K is tough:

And real American Tinkertoys from us:

Mom had the great idea of a portable CD player and a couple CDs with stories. He loves listening to them:

Loki has lots of fun at his daycare. Here he listens to the music therapist:

He paints outside:

He is clearly proud that he helps with the new garden:

And he waves at helicopters:

Back to winter, Mom helped him onto the ice for the first time:

And Loki helped Mom make cake:

Photo from the summer, by cousin Ashlyn:

Reading with friends:

Holiday Funds delivered!

Yesterday, the local ambassador of the Loki Sky and His NICU Friends Holiday Fund--and mother of post-preemie Anna--handed over a check for $2400 to the Alta Bates Summit NICU. Made possible by many of you, this money will help families who face economic challenges while having a new baby in the NICU. In its four years, our fund has now raised over $10,000! We all thank you very very much for making this possible! Happy new year!