Realizing from the Television that I Am Blessed

Now I'm quite certain, what with my whining about being "sooooo BUSY" lately, the last thing I should have done the last two hours is what I did. Which is watch two hours of Tivo'd Babies: Special Delivery which airs on the Discovery Health Network.

Now, I only learned about this show as I was setting my "Baby Story" Tivo Season Pass this weekend. Because I have decided it's time to get reobsessed with that show. And NO it's not because I'm pregnant or close to it but YES it is because I'm heavily thinking about that topic just lately again.

Again: NOT pregnant or close to it, YES have babies on the brain. Okay ...

So Babies: Special Delivery was right there winking at me in the alpha list of shows to be Season Passed and so I did and WHOA what a fascinating show. In two shows I saw like nine families undergo what might be some of the most traumatic s-h-t-you know what that you can. Your TINY infant, in some cases your FETUS basically is born and needs immediate urgent care. In some cases the MOTHER is at risk as well and is swarmed with doctors checking her LIFE AND HEALTH.

This is instead of just getting to sit there and bask in your "I made a baby!" glow and have nothing more to fret over than the "Should I try to breast feed in the first half hour? Can I finally order some room service? How CUTE IS MY BABY?! How soon do I get my push present?" stuff most of us get to enjoy.

Even if your birth experience is less idealic or like a few friends of mine, even nauseous, barfing and in pain from your C-section ... I imagine some part of you is still elated knowing your baby is HERE and is off being cared for or maybe even being snuggled by Daddy. And in all cases is healthy and well until next you cuddle him.

But not these new moms. They and the dads (and to some degree, entire waiting rooms full of families) are as worried as worried can get.

It makes me think, in order:

How lucky I am to have has such an easy birth and healthy newborn son and overall, great pregnancy experience.

How much emotion and fear and just - EVERYTHING - my friends Renae and especially Eileen, who have had babies in the NICU in the past year and a half, must have felt. Renae's Max was there for about 10 days and Owen, closer to a month, I think. (Sorry guys if I have those dates wrong.) It's a whole different world to experience your newborn and becoming a parenthood, in that NICU, with the not knowing what's coming next for your baby, your sweet teeny little thing, and the wires, beeping, machines, nurses, and constant and I have to imagine, sometimes just piercing, worry.

And how lucky I am that Matthew today is a healthy, strong little boy growing up right on track. We just had our 15 month appointment with Dr. Jagler tonight. Aside from discussing how do we begin to tackle discipline, and are we ready for only one nap? I had nothing on my mind worrying me, and she was extremely happy with him. And he was happily driving his truck over the wall and loving life. The way all kids SHOULD get to be.

I think of that, and then compare it to the sweet beautiful little baby I watched tonight on TV that was born with spina bifada, who had to have surgery to basically tuck his spine back into him, in his first hour of life. In a specialized children's hospital across town from where his recuperating from her C-section mommy was.

I don't mean to get all drama, for people I don't even know, on a carefully edited to tug at the heart TV show. But it really was emotional watching what some of these little babies had to go through in their first few hours of life. And watching what ALL the parents went through, fearing for the worst but hoping for the best. I guess once you've had a little baby pull at your heart, you just can put yourself in their shoes (to some degree) and just ... imagine what they're feeling.

It makes you wonder why some people go through what they do. And it makes you stop and THANK GOD or whoever you please, for your 100% healthy little baby snoring in the other room peacefully.

And to realize that you don't KNOW from stress until you have a sick child.

Okay, that was my upper post for the day. Anyone want to talk about clowns or rainbows or puppies riding on unicorns now?