Thank You to the NICU

The entire NICU staff here is amazing. We have felt so at home as we have visited and tried to do our part to help little Matthew grow and thrive.

It isn’t always easy knowing you can’t personally give your child all the care he needs, but it has been so touching as we have watched everyone here take such good care of our little guy and just love and adore him as we do. They have marveled with us at his strength, laughed at his feistiness, cheered him on as he has tried something new, and celebrated all his victories, big and small.

So, thank you, NICU staff for watching over our little Matthew as he sleeps and fights and grows. And thank you for helping to make this such a positive experience for our family.

Tiyler, one of the many awesome nurses here at McKay-Dee was so thoughtful and took these pics and video for me.

I don’t always remember everyone’s name but I try to make note of some of the many thoughtful and sweet things the nurses do for us. This will be an ongoing post:)

Thank you, Madi, for being there when Matthew was born, for giving him what he needed to survive after his grand entrance Earth-side. And thank you for walking through everything you were doing with Dad. You didn’t have to do that and it took extra time I’m sure, but we were so grateful to be part of the process and to understand a little better all that was happening. We felt so comfortable leaving our son in your care.
Also, thank you for helping to calm down Matthew when he kept crying that one evening. 💔

Thank you to Jana, Taylor, Autumn, Lynn, Konner, and all the front desk staff who are so friendly and warm and always ask after Matthew and tell us how much he is loved.

Thank you, Jana, for including Matthew on the parent information board that celebrated World Down Syndrome Day. It was so sweet seeing his little face up there as I came and went to and from the NICU. And thank you for coordinating all the sweet gifts for the kiddos and families. You are the best!

Thank you, Marci, for giving Matthew such thorough care. I loved watching you check his little reflexes. You were also so kind and tried to make sure I felt comfortable while there. You made sure I got my daily update from the provider that night and you asked questions and made sure you knew what was going on with Matthew and all the test results. I just felt so at-ease and confident that Matthew was in excellent hands. You not only did your job but you cared for our son as your own. Another evening you were concerned about his desats and so you did an assessment and decided to try to clean out his nose, and sure enough, he had some gross stuff up there causing congestion. You cleaned it out, and he was able to breathe better after that, so thank you. You are such a calming influence and I have learned so much from you.

Thank you, Jen, for being so cute and sweet with Matthew. I loved hearing you talk to him and interact with him. And thank you for spending Valentine’s Day with him and helping him feel extra loved. We appreciated being able to hang up our own little hearts for him too.
And thank you for coming to say hi when we moved to Pod 2. It was so fun catching up and hearing about your family.

Thank you, Becky, for marveling with me at Matthew’s strength as he amazed us with his latching and sucking abilities. It was fun to be able to share that with someone. You were so fun to work with those couple days as we watched in awe at the little dude.

Thank you, Tiyler, for being so darling with Matthew and so thoughtful toward me. I love the pics and video you took. I also love the nickname you gave Matthew: spicy pepper.
We are were so happy to see you again in Pod 2 and just felt so comfortable leaving Matthew in your care. You are a gem.

Thank you, Adrianna, for being so sweet and answering all my questions. My husband and I felt so at home doing Matthew’s cares and working with you. And I’ve been able to work with you many times since then, and you always make me feel at home and are so attentive to our little guy. You also always take the time to chat and catch up, and I so enjoy that.

Thank you, Leah, for letting me take the lead in caring for Matthew but also stepping in to help when he pooped all over his bed while I was changing his diaper. I didn’t even know where to start cleaning him up 😆. You were a pro and had him and his bed good as new in like one minute flat. 🙌 It’s been such a pleasure to work with you. We usually have some good laughs and you are always so helpful and kind.

Thank you, Sasha, for tag-teaming it with me as Matthew went through 4 diapers in just a few minutes and made a huge mess. Thank you for being gentle and loving toward Matthew and for making sure I had everything I needed. It was so fun when you popped in to say hi one night just for fun, and I’ve so enjoyed each time I got to work with you. It’s been fun chatting about kids and life, and you always make sure all my questions get answered. You’ve been a wonderful nurse and friend.

Thank you, Heidi, for not only loving and taking care of our little boy but for also being such a good friend to me. I feel lighter when you’re there and love that we always laugh a lot. You are so pleasant to be around. Thank you for the listening ear, all the good chats, and for just being there. I have loved working with you and feel so blessed to know you.

Thank you, Alyssa, for teaching me how to give swaddle baths. Game changer 🙌. Seriously though.

Thank you, LeeAnn, for watching over Matthew during the day. You’re so fun with him and have been such a cheerleader for all his little victories.

Thank you, Angie, for stepping in to help one night when Adrianna was so busy. I loved watching you with Matthew. You talked to him the same way I do, and I just felt so comfortable and at ease and knew that he was in good hands.

Thank you, Laci, for being so kind and sweet- to me and Matthew. It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with you and then you came by one afternoon just to check on me and I was feeling really overwhelmed and you were just so compassionate. 🥰

Thank you, Holly, for taking such good care of Matthew and for also being so fun to chat with about life, kids, and travel. It was really fun working with you.

Thank you to all the day nurses, most of whom I’ve never met, but I know you all have loved and cared for Matthew so well, and we are so grateful.

Thank you to Aubrey and all the Respiratory Therapists for making sure he’s able to breathe well.

Thank you Connie, Rachel, Tammy, Christy, Hannah, McKenna, and all the nurse practitioners who come by Matthew’s bed (or call us) to give us updates and let us know how he’s doing and upcoming tests, etc… You are all so nice. You answer all my questions, show me results, and often sit and chat as well.

Thank you to Doctors Konana, Andersen, Hart, Sheffield, Fuller, Reese, and all the other Neonatologists for the thorough care and all the updates and check-ins as well. We truly feel that Matthew is in good hands.

Thank you, everyone! We love you all!